gotten so used to over the last few days ramped up a notch. “I should go talk to her.”
“Let me.” He reached out and squeezed her arm. Warmth circled from that spot and spread straight to her heart.
“Come on, Reed,” Kathy said, reaching for Kate’s son as Ryan disappeared up the back stairs. “Let’s help your mom finish breakfast. My goodness, what happened to these eggs?”
One glance over confirmed Kate’s worst fear. The bowl she’d hit with her elbow lay upside down amidst a giant, goopy mess of shattered raw eggs.
She closed her eyes. Wished like hell she could just disappear into the background. Knew she couldn’t. Not only was her life a mess, but her daughter hated her, her parents had all but just walked in on her having sex with Ryan, and worst of all, she was pretty sure she was falling hard for the man.
A tumble, she feared, that would no doubt lead to nothing but heartbreak down the line, for all of them.
***
Ryan rubbed a hand over his chest as he made his way up the stairs. Hearing Annie say she needed him had sucked the air out of his lungs. But seeing her holding his son and the love that radiated between the two had nearly brought him to his knees.
He wanted his family back. He wanted the happiness they’d all missed out on. But mostly he just wanted her in his life permanently. Wanted to see her smile every morning, wanted to cuddle with her and Reed and Julia, wanted her looking up at him with those big green eyes heavy with desire and focused solely on him just as they’d been in the kitchen. And he wanted her telling him again and again that she needed him. That she wanted him. That she loved him in the same way he loved her. He didn’t care that she couldn’t remember what they’d once had. What was happening now between them…it was hotter than anything they’d ever had before.
He stopped outside Julia’s room, gathered himself. When he knew he wasn’t going to embarrass himself, he knocked gently on her door.
She didn’t answer, but he knew she was in there. He turned the knob and pushed the door open with his shoulder.
She was sitting on the window seat, leaning back against the wall, staring out at the trees in the backyard. Her arms were crossed, her brow furrowed in anger, her eyes so full of pain and anguish, for a moment he didn’t know what to say or do. She’d been his rock after Annie’s death. She’d been the only thing keeping him going. He ached with the knowledge that while he felt like he’d been given a second chance, she was suffering.
He eased down next to her. “Do you want to talk about it, or do you just want to stay mad?”
“I want to stay mad.”
“Well, I want to talk about it.”
She stared out the window. “I don’t like her.”
“You haven’t given her a chance yet.”
“I don’t have to give her a chance. I already know I don’t like her.”
Ryan massaged his forehead. “Julia, I don’t know what to do to make this easier for you. You have to try. I know this isn’t easy, but you have to at least try. The rest of us are giving it a shot.”
Her eyes darted to his. Eyes that were hard emerald gems, just like her mother’s, glittering with tears. “I don’t want to give it a shot. I don’t want to try to get to know her. I don’t want to be around her. And I don’t know why you do. She’s not the same. Why can’t you see that?”
“She is the same, deep down. You have to give her a chance to show you.”
“She’s fooling you, can’t you see it? She’s just going to mess everything up.” Julia jumped to her feet. “She doesn’t love you, she doesn’t love us, and when she figures that out, she’s going to leave again!”
“No, she won’t,” he said softly, hating that she had to deal with this.
“Yes, she will! And this time, it’ll be her choice. It won’t be an accident.” Tears streamed down her little face. She wiped at her cheek. “I don’t want to have that happen again. I don’t want it to happen to us again!”
“Oh, baby.” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her even though she struggled. “That’s not going to happen, I promise.”