“I hope I didn’t speak out of turn,” Melvin said.He must have finally noticed she was struck mute.
“No, no.I’ll tell Ryan.Good to see you.”She went to the register, desperate to leave before she completely melted down.
Chapter Twenty
Aria wasn’t homeby the time Ryan got to the house.
“She went to run some errands.The grocery store for one thing but I’m sure she’ll do that last.I can stay until she gets home.”
Ryan took Sophie from her and kissed her cheek.“Hi, princess.”
The baby giggled and waved her fist.
“I can handle her.You can go on home.Thanks, Whitney.”
“Happy to do it.”
She left and Ryan settled down to play with his daughter.Sometimes he had a hard time believing that this perfect little human was his.His and Aria’s.He couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if he’d never known he was a father.
Empty.Aria and Sophie were the best things that had ever happened to him.He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box.Flipping the top open he looked at the diamond ring nestled inside.“Think she’ll like it, Sophie?”
Sophie babbled something unintelligible.
“No, not yet.I’m not sure she’s ready for that, but I am.”He blew a raspberry on her stomach and she laughed.He closed the case and put it back in his pocket.“Don’t tell,” he said to Sophie.
Ryan wanted to find the perfect time to ask Aria to marry him.Obviously, it needed to be romantic.And he needed to be fairly sure she was ready.He thought she was still a little unsure about the two of them.He really didn’t know why.But he was willing to wait until he was sure.
He heard a car pull up.Rising with Sophie in his arms, he went to the back door and looked out the window.Sure enough, it was Aria, and just as he thought, she seemed anxious to carry every bag she could into the house.She’d told him before she hated to make more than one trip but he hadn’t actually witnessed her trying to make one enormous run.He put Sophie in the pack and play and went to help Aria.
“Here, let me take some of those,” he said when he reached her.
“I’ve got it.”
Short of wrestling her for the bags there wasn’t anything he could do.Instead he opened the kitchen door for her and prepared to help her unload the groceries.“I can do it.Go see to Sophie.”
“Sophie’s fine.Is something wrong?Did something happen?”
She didn’t answer.He ignored her order and began putting things up.He shot her a quizzical glance now and then but he couldn’t figure out what was going on with her.After they finished, she washed her hands and went into the den.All without a word to him.
She picked up Sophie, kissed her cheeks, and began talking to her.It was as if he wasn’t even present.“Aria, what’s going on?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said, not looking at him.“Once Sophie goes to bed.”
Okay, this was sounding worse and worse.He’d never known Aria to act this way.Clearly, she was mad at him but he was mystified as to why.He couldn’t think of anything he might have done to make her react like this.He wanted to ask her but she’d made it crystal clear that she didn’t want to talk to him.
He tried one more time.“Want me to get Sophie’s dinner ready?Or if you’d rather I can give her a bath.”
“I’ll do it.”
Pissed by now, he said, “Which one?”
“Both.”
He stared at her a moment before he turned on his heel and left the room.
*
Aria was bothmad and hurt but she intended to lead with the anger.When she walked into the den after putting Sophie to bed she looked at Ryan before he realized she was there.Damn it, she still loved him.As hurt and disappointed as she was, she loved him.She was afraid she’d always love him, no matter what.
