Ryan's Love - C.A. Harms Page 0,44
got to the core of the problem, then took it upon himself to fix it.
“I can see you don’t,” he said, “but I don’t care much for what the hell you think you want right now. I do know it’s bothering you that Amber walked away, and in turn that shit bothers me.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It took you years to finally let go, Ry. Amber is something special, and I don’t like the idea of you two giving up without putting up a fight.”
“Well I hate to be the person to tell ya, but she’s the one that walked away,” I said. “She said she was coming between Liv and me. Even when I said we would work it all out, she insisted we couldn’t.”
I stood up and tossed the bottle of the beer I had just finished into the barrel at the edge of the porch. “So I’m doing what I need to do to move on. I can’t force her to be with me, Noah. I won’t.”
When I turned around my mother and Olivia were both standing at the edge of the stairs.
“Is that true, Dad?” Liv’s big, beautiful eyes were locked on me as she frowned in confusion. “Amber broke up with you because of me?”
I closed the distance between us and gripped her shoulders. “No, it was not because of you. She just knew that right now my focus belonged to you completely.”
She looked to her side, and my mother forced a smile. “You needed time to heal, sweetheart, and Amber saw that. It was a selfless act. She let go of your father so he could be by your side helping you heal.”
Liv still looked tormented, and I had to soothe her. “It’s you and me, baby girl, us against the world. Your smile is all I need at the end of the day. Nothing else matters.”
“But Dad…”
I only shook my head as I hooked my arm over her shoulders and led her off the porch toward the barn. “Now how about that ride? Midnight is saddled up and waiting.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Amber
“Girl, you honestly look like hell,” Bailey said as she entered the kitchen just before seven in the morning. I had already been up for over two hours and was working on my forth batch of fudge.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I knew if I looked anything like I felt, it couldn’t be pretty.
“Stop being stubborn and just call him,” she offered as she loaded the coffee filters into the pots for the morning rush. “You know you miss him, and I can almost guarantee he misses you too.”
My phone rang on the counter behind me, interrupting her interrogation. Bailey grabbed it before I could.
“Why in the hell is this douchebag calling you?” she spat.
I turned my back to her and continued to measure out the fudge.
“Amber?” she pushed when I didn’t answer right away.
“I don’t know,” I said as I turned to face her. It was true Kevin had been calling for weeks, but I ignored his calls and didn’t listen to his messages. “I haven’t answered. I figured he’d get the hint by now and stop trying to call.”
The phone began ringing once more, and I sensed the moment Bailey made the decision to answer. I lunged for her and she pulled back, tapping at the phone.
“What the hell do you want, Kevin?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “No, you dumbass, it’s Bailey, and I asked you what the hell you wanted.”
Her face reddened, and she was seething within seconds. “Well isn’t that just so thoughtful and kind of you. After all, you haven’t already caused enough damage, you have to call and add a little more salt to the wound.” Bailey gripped the counter and her nostrils flared. “Don’t you worry about it, asshole, I’ll take care of that. Have a great life. I hope she cheats on you and you catch some incurable disease that makes your dick turn green and fall off.”
She yanked the phone away from her ear, hit the End Call button, and angrily tapped at the screen again. I tried to hold back my laughter and failed. I hadn’t seen her this fired up in a long time.
Lifting the phone back to her ear, she held up a finger, indicating for me to wait a moment. As if I had any other choice.
“Hey, Carl, will you do me a favor?” She paused, waiting for his reply. Carl was her dad’s best