Ryan had hoped to make it back to the lodge in time to watch it with Josh, but what the hell? Probably more fun to watch it with Nick anyway. He looked at Lauren and, when she nodded, said, “Sure. Sounds like a plan.”
It was a good time, he thought later, when he kissed Lauren goodbye and walked to the bike, even if he was going to freeze his ass off between there and the lodge since the temp had gone down with the sun. He’d spent a few hours yelling at her television and high-fiving her son while she curled up at the other end of the couch and read a book.
“I’ll be pretty slammed this week,” he told her. “I’ve got a lot to wrap up before I go back to Brookline next Sunday. But I’ll call you and I’ll see you tomorrow when you pick up Nick. Unless you want me to bring him home.”
If he brought Nick home after work, maybe she’d invite him to stay for dinner and they could all hang out and watch some television together.
“I’ll come get him. I don’t want to miss out on Rosie’s baked goods du jour.”
“Okay.” So they’d leave it as it was. “I’ll see you then.”
She waved to him from the window as he backed the bike out of the driveway, so he gunned the engine a little taking off and saw her laugh.
One more week. Then it was going to start getting harder unless he figured out what the hell he was doing and how to be in two places at once.
Chapter Seventeen
Rose was worried about Ryan. Watching him through the window as he talked and laughed with Lauren and Nick should have warmed her heart. Instead it was adding to the forehead wrinkles and the gray hair.
Since she’d seen it happen on Monday and again on Tuesday when Lauren picked up Nick, Rose was pretty certain she’d see it again today. As soon as Lauren’s car disappeared down the road, Ryan’s smile would fade. His shoulders would tense, his jaw would clench and she’d have to say his name three times to get his attention.
Her boy was in love and he had no idea what to do about it. The first step would be admitting it to himself, but she wasn’t sure he’d gotten that far yet. If Mitch was in town instead of whichever city needed a building imploded this time, she would have seriously considered interfering to the point of asking him to have a heart-to-heart chat with Ryan, but he was out of town until Friday or Saturday.
Coughing, she turned away from the window when Nick started toward the car. She wasn’t so nosy she’d spy on Ryan kissing Lauren goodbye.
Five minutes later, he walked into the kitchen. Just as she’d thought, it was as though somebody had turned off his inner light switch.
“I walked around the place with Dill and Matt earlier,” he said, going to the sink to wash his hands. “They’re done here. They’re going to grab their stuff and head out shortly.”
“Just like that? I could have made them a special dinner or dessert or something. All I have is a chocolate cake.” She was going to miss having those two around. Unlike some men who sometimes took her for granted, Matt and Dill appreciated her fussing over them and made sure she knew it.
“I told you on day one that they’re employees, not family. And they’re leaving now because I told them they don’t have to report in to Wendi until Monday morning, so if they go tonight, they’ll have four full days at home.”
Normally she would have snapped him with a towel or given him a verbal dressing-down. Not only did she not care for his tone, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew Dill and Matt worked for him. But she cut him some slack because she knew he was twisted up inside.
Still, it took a lot of willpower not to get weepy when the two guys passed through the kitchen on their way to pack their things. They’d kept their shared room very neat, probably out of fear of the boss, so it wouldn’t take them very long.
“Can I ask you a stupid question?” Ryan asked when their footsteps had faded down the hall.
“You can try, but I don’t think you can top Sean wanting to know how much Kool-Aid he’d have to drink to turn his pee blue, especially since he was old enough to shave when he asked it.”
That got a brief smile out of him. “If you had met a guy you wanted to marry when Katie was younger and he wanted you to move away from Whitford, would you?”
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “It wasn’t just Katie. I can’t imagine I’d have left you five kids and you weren’t mine to take with me. And Katie’s dad was gone. Nick’s dad gets him every weekend.”
Ryan’s jaw flexed and he gave a terse nod.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Was I supposed to pretend I don’t know this is about Lauren?”
“Yeah.”
“Too late, so talk to me.”
“That was pretty much it.” When she just looked at him, waiting, he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “She also thinks I won’t be happy long-term because she doesn’t want any more kids.”
“Some might consider that more important than two hundred miles. How do you feel about it?”