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“Yeah, he was a bit surprised,” I said cautiously. “Not as surprised as I was to see him back in town, though.”
My mom nodded. “Very true, but I’m glad he’s here to support Jason. He is really a good friend.”
I nodded, turning my gaze back to Ryan and Henry. Ryanwasa good friend, apart from our one night together.
Still, that wasn’t all on him, so I supposed that didn’t make him too much of a scumbag.
He was a loyal man, I had to admit.
Though he hadn’t been home in years, he’d still maintained his relationship with Jason. That was a rather bittersweet thought. Jason was worth staying in touch with, but I wasn’t.
Shaking my head, I quickly banished that thought away. I didn’t want to feel animosity toward him at that moment. Not when he was making our son laugh and squeal with happiness.
“He’s a good man,” I murmured. “He’s just…confusing.”
My mom reached over and took hold of my hand. I met her gaze, curious as to what was going through her head.
Mom gave me a sympathetic smile. “Men can be confusing, because they don’t often understand what their own feelings are. Ultimately, though, you need to do what is best for you and Henry. Your son is your number one priority.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know. No one comes before my boy.”
Turning back to Ryan and Henry, I couldn’t avoid the idea that having his father in his life was likely the best thing for my little boy. Was my stubbornness and anger toward Ryan ultimately harming Henry?
I sighed. Maybe I needed to reconsider my approach to dealing with Ryan. Instead of thinking of him as the man who hurt and abandoned me, I needed to start thinking of him as Henry’s father.
That changed things in a major way, and I wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. It was a bit of a slippery slope, I feared, if I let go of my anger and allowed Ryan into our lives. What was to stop him from weaving his way into my heart?
And then, what was to stop him from breaking it again?
“He is out.” I chuckled softly as I laid Henry down in his bed. “You really did a number on him.”
Ryan, standing next to me, grinned and whispered, “I did a number on him? I’m going to be so sore tomorrow that I might not be able to walk.”
I couldn’t help my smile as I finished tucking Henry in. Ryan had spent the whole day with him, and the little boy was worn out. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen Henry have so much fun.
After giving Henry a gentle kiss on the head, I turned and shooed Ryan out of the room, closing the door behind us.
Just like that, Ryan and I were alone again. We stared at each other for a brief, awkward moment.
After a couple seconds, I cleared my throat and murmured, “Do…do you want a drink?”
His brows shot up, and he looked surprised, but he slowly nodded. “Sure. That sounds great.”
Giving him a tight smile, I led him down the hall and the down the stairs. I told him to have a seat in the living room while I went to the kitchen and got us each a glass of wine. He was sitting on the couch when I entered the living room.
Handing him his wine, I said, “You’re probably used to fancier bottles, but two buck Chuck has never steered me wrong.”
He chuckled as he took the glass from me. “I might be rich, but I’m not a snob. Most of those expensive wines taste like the cheap ones, anyway.”
I snorted. “Leave it to you to undermine the entire artform of wine making.”
He scoffed. “I have great respect for wine making. I’m just saying it’s not always worth dropping triple digits on a single bottle when a two buck Chuck will get the job done.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. Ryan had always been funny. I hadn’t seen much of his humor since he’d been back, but I supposed I was partially to blame for that, seeing as I was the one being continuously combative with him.
Ryan smiled at me. It was warm and made me shiver. I was careful not to outwardly react.
“So, Henry,” he hesitantly began. “He’s an incredible kid.”
