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I can’t take my eyes off Ryan and the way he takes care of this girl. He never told me about her. Is this what he was hiding?
“Is Ryan married?” I ask Cimmeron.
Cimmeron belts out the longest loudest laugh, jerking my eyes away from Ryan, and drawing everyone else’s. My face is instantly burning. I turn, shrinking away from the attention of the others.
When he finally stops laughing, Cimmeron clears his throat. “Nope.
Ryan’s never married. He left for college and got into partying something fierce. Got a girl pregnant his freshman year. She didn’t want the baby and he didn’t want it aborted, so he got sober, quit football, and kept the baby.” Cimmeron clears his throat and his gaze darts to Ryan. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
My brows raise and something inside me melts. I’m pretty sure Ryan climbs up my sexy scale seven notches. Something about knowing a man doesn’t shirk his responsibilities, even when they’re hard. Or taking accountability for his actions, even if it alters the trajectory of his life. That’s some sexy crap. Especially after having Freddie as a brother, and Hilloria as a stepmother.
Ryan still hasn’t looked at me.
Livvie, on the other hand, can’t stop staring.
Cimmeron takes all the food off the barbecue and places them on the table under the gazebo. Everyone converges on the table, filling their plates with all manner of foods and goodies.
After Ryan gives Livvie a plate filled with relatively bland food and a bottle of water, he sits next to me and stares at his plate. “I guess you want to know about Livvie, huh?”
Chapter 14
Truth Or Dare
Ryan
Shamefillsmetothe core. Even though Livvie is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, she’s also a reminder of the lowest point of my life.
The whispers of what I had done, how Livvie became my daughter still follow me. I know they follow Livvie too. That’s the problem with being in a small town. You grow up with people and they know everything about you. Good, bad or ugly. And they never forget.
I’d tried to avoid this conversation with Babs. It was too soon for her to know. We’re not even in a relationship yet. She definitely won’t consider it if I have a ready-made family.
I brace myself for the comments and the questions. I’m sure she has a million already.
When she doesn’t say anything, I turn to look at her.
She’s gazing at me, her eyes roving the features of my face, a whisper of a smile on her perfectly formed lips. It’s like she’s looking at me for the first time. Instead of seeing judgment or disappointment on her face like I do from others, she seems to see through me, to my core.
Finally, when I can’t take it anymore, she rests her hand on top of mine and squeezes. “No questions. I see that you’re a good father and that you love her. That’s good enough for me.”
Then she turns and skewers a piece of broccoli and takes a bite.
My mouth drops and I blink, unable to keep myself from staring at her profile. She doesn’t care that I have a daughter? What kind of woman is sitting next to me? I think I’ve found a unicorn. Beautiful, mystical, and completely imaginary. Everyone wants one, but nobody can find one. Yet here she is. A gorgeous, intelligent, woman, who doesn’t care that I have a daughter and isn’t going to press me for information on my past.
Lucy says something, which causes Babs to break into laughter and cover her mouth. She glances at me and her grin falters. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head and say, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
***
When the dishes are cleared and the tables are cleaned off, Cimmeron says, “Anyone up for a game?”
“How about Risk?” Hutch suggests.
Stella groans. “We don’t have seven hours. I want to finish it before I retire.”
“How about croquet?” Cimmeron asks.
Hutch cuts his hand through the air. “The last time we played two balls ended up in the pool.”
