AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Valona laughed. “More like upset groupies hunting for you.”
“Dammit, that’s a good point. If it’s for me, tell them I left town. Headed back to Chicago to become a professional modern dancer.”
“Anything for you.” Valona unfolded her long, svelte frame off the sofa and made her way towards the insistent knocking on the front door.
I held my breath as the seconds ticked by and I waited for Val’s return, sure it would be an angry Ryan ready to give me a piece of his mind. The first I heard was footsteps, more than two sets and I sat a little taller and waited for the guests to enter the living room.
It wasn’t Ryan, but the rest of his siblings. Lacey, Derek and Roman stepped in behind Valona, matching expressions of worry on each of their faces.
“Pippa,” Lacey sighed. “Have you seen or spoken to Ryan?”
“No.” Not since he walked away after learning we made a baby in Gatlinburg. I ignored the worry that built up in my stomach at their concerned expressions. It wasn’t like Ryan to run without telling someone, then again, that was the Ryan I knew a lifetime ago.
Derek raked both hands through his hair and shook his head. “No one has seen or heard from him in more than a week.” He looked at me suspiciously, like maybe I had his brother tied to a radiator in my basement.
“You’re not the only one,” I assured them as sincerely as I could.
“Why would he run off like this?” Roman asked the question to no one in particular, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out why they’d shown up at Val’s place. They figured his absence had something to do with me. “He’s the level headed one of us.”
Three sets of blue eyes landed on me and I stared back at them, remembering a time when Ryan’s hazel eyes had caused him to question if he was part of the Gregory family for real. I helped him figure out that those hazel eyes belonged to his paternal grandmother, they were an odd gift of sorts.
Val turned to me too, silently urging me to tell them the truth, to give the Gregory siblings some sort of relief to ease their minds, but I didn’t want to, and gave a subtle shake of my head.
I wasn’t ready to share my news with anyone, let alone all of Ryan’s siblings since they clearly blamed me for his out of character behavior. This was my secret to hold on to for as long as I could so I could make plans without the whole town giving me their input. But no one could look into those worried faces and let their anguish continue.
“Oh fine. He left again, I’m guessing, because I told him that I was pregnant.”
Just as I suspected, a cold silence settled in Val’s living room and they all continued to stare at me, faces showing off varying degrees of shock and anger and distrust. “That can’t be right,” Lacey insisted impatiently. “That kind of news wouldn’t send him packing.”
I sighed and pushed down the instinctive smart ass comment that was perched on the tip of my tongue. “I’m just telling you what you wanted to know. The last time I saw him or spoke to him was eight days ago when I told him that I was pregnant, and he walked away without one damn word.” Again.
“But…” Roman began what I assumed would be an energetic defense of his brother, but even he was at a loss for words at the news.
“He must have been shocked,” Derek said on a sigh, aggravated by his helplessness.
I held up my hands to stop whatever any of them might say next. “No offense, but I’m not interested in hearing you defend your brother’s behavior because there is no defense. That was the last time I saw him or heard from him. I didn’t even realize he was missing.” Sure I noticed that the lights hadn’t been on in days, but I figured he decided to shack up with someone else who had a better handle on proper birth control.
“Have you tried to reach out to him?” I didn’t appreciate the accusation woven through Lacey’s question.
“Nope.” I did that once before, calling him nonstop after he broke up with me and left for Nashville, sure it was a joke or a mistake. Ryan hadn’t picked up the phone, not even once, and I called it a lesson learned. When someone said you weren’t enough, believe them.
Derek shook his head and sighed as he dropped down on Val’s dainty damask chair. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t call. He was obviously in shock.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Unlike me? The middle-aged woman who actually has to carry this child? Who might end up without a job because she was stupid enough to…never mind.” I sucked in a deep breath and held it for as long as I could before I let it out. “Ryan knew what he was doing when he left. He did it once before, so please, spare me the sainted Ryan spiel. If you want to find him, then I suggest you stop blaming me and go look for him.”
