If he were in her position, could he?How was he to know?His mother had passed away, then later, his father had gotten remarried.Though he didn’t see him often he did have a relationship with him.He couldn’t conceive of his father doing something like Steven had.But his father had never had PTSD either.
He went to her and put his arms around her, her back to his front.“No.It makes you human.”
Chapter Seventeen
Two weeks laterRyan was practically living with Aria and Sophie.Aria wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but since the night they’d made love, he’d spent nearly every night that he wasn’t on call with them.She loved it.And the longer they were together the more her caution faded into the past.She hadn’t agreed to anything permanent and wasn’t sure when or if she would.And she hadn’t told him she loved him too, even though he told her regularly.But she was beginning to feel more secure.
It was coming on summer.Soon she’d be opening her business.Planning a grand opening.
She’d hired a nanny/housekeeper—a woman in her late fifties named Whitney Fagan who came highly recommended by the moms in the new group of friends she’d made.Some she’d met through Sierra, and those women had introduced her to others.
Whitney was a jewel.She not only kept the house clean and took care of Sophie, who adored her, but she even cooked sometimes.Aria knew Whitney had a wide group of friends but she’d been a widow for a number of years and Aria thought she was lonely.Whitney told Aria she needed the money to supplement her late husband’s social security benefits.Besides, she said, she liked to stay busy.
Ryan liked her too.But she knew he liked being alone with Aria and Sophie even more because he’d told her.It was clear Aria needed help, though, and Whitney went home at the end of the day.Before too long Aria’s business would be opening to the public.She hadn’t quite figured out when, but the construction on the greenhouse was finished and the heating, air-conditioning, and sprinkler systems worked.
Ryan came over after Whitney left.He kissed her hello and slid his hands down to cover her butt.“I missed you.”
“I saw you this morning.”
“Your point?”
She laughed.“How was work?”
“It was all right.Where’s Sophie?”
“In the living room on her gym mat.She’s learning to make everything work.Very noisy when she gets it all going.”
Ryan went into the other room, and not at all to her surprise, came back carrying the baby.“She was bored.She told me.”
“You mean you wanted to hold her.”
He smiled.“What do you think about asking Whitney to babysit?”
“You mean go somewhere and have her stay with Sophie?At night?”
“Yeah.There’s a party—a fundraiser—for the hospital next Saturday night.It’s at the Galveston Steak House.Want to go with me?”
“I haven’t ever left her at night before.”
“You’d be leaving her with Whitney, not some stranger.”
“Is it black tie?I hate those stuffy hospital parties that are always black tie.”
“You’re in luck.It’s not.But you still have to dress up.”
“Is it going to remind me of the fundraisers we had to go to at the hospital in Denver?”
“Maybe a little but some of our friends will be there so it shouldn’t be too bad.So, will you go?”
She was torn.She’d left Sophie with Ryan and with Whitney, but not for more than an hour or so.The fundraiser would be much longer than that.But it would be nice to go out for a change.“I’ll think about it.”
“The steak house is great.You haven’t been there, have you?”
“No.I’ve hardly been anywhere.I went to a sandwich shop and FlintWorks with Sierra and I’ve been to the grocery store and the hardware store.That’s about—Oh, wait.I’ve been to the feed store too.”
Ryan laughed.“I’m not sure the steak house can compete with the feed store.”
“It’s a very nice feed store.”
