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Cole and Bella headed outside to finish off their ice cream cones while I started dinner. Frustration burned in my chest as I hoped and prayed Ryan hadn’t caught on to Shay’s attitude.
Firm hands on my hips stilled my actions at the sink. Ryan turned me until I was flush with his chest, staring up into his eyes.
“You okay?” He ran a finger along my neck, carefully pushing my hair off my shoulder.
“I am. Shay’s just…” I started, but I was unable to think of exactly what I wanted to say. Thinning my lips, I tried again. “She’s just worried about me.”
That intense concern flickered alive in his eyes. The smallest wrinkle in his forehead told me he wasn’t happy with this development, but there was little he could do. Shay had been in my life for the past ten years; he hadn’t.
“I get that…but, just…” Ryan whispered, finishing on a heavy exhale.
His eyes searched mine while he gripped a stray strand of my hair.
“Just don’t give up on us before we even start.” He leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to the space next to my lips. The kids could come in at any second, and I knew it wasn’t easy for him to hold himself back like this.
I focused on his grip, how it gave me that same feeling of security, like he wanted to protect me…or, if I was being really honest, like he wanted to keep me.
“I won’t,” I assured him, wrapping my hands around his neck.
We’d returned from camping in a bubble of happiness, a high we hadn’t come down from yet. For two nights, Ryan had come over to eat dinner with us, taking the kids out for ice cream or to the park. I returned to work while he hung out with them at the house, watching a movie and eating dinner. I was sure he was nervous that once someone invaded our little bubble, it might pop.
“Did you start dinner yet?” he asked, running a hand up my side.
“No, not yet,” I replied softly, trying not to let on how much he was working me up. His touch was like fire against ice, melting and reshaping everything in its path.
“Let me take you guys out.” He peppered my jaw with kisses.
I laughed into his neck and agreed.
* * *
Ryan had always drawnthe attention of people around us. He was taller than most men, his fair brows set over those sea-green eyes, that perfect slope of his nose and cut of his jaw. He was masculine perfection, and now that he had veins protruding from his tan arms and biceps that apparently none of his t-shirts could handle, we would never go unnoticed.
I knew this, and yet…for whatever reason, I suppose because we were in a small town, I figured we’d fly somewhat under the radar.
We didn’t.
Glances bounced off us all evening, phones with the flash on taking photos, hushed and not-so-hushed conversations…a few people even stopped to ask for an autograph, not paying any attention to me or the kids. Cole and Bella didn’t seem to notice, except for when people interrupted our dinner to ask for his signature; otherwise they seemed totally unaware.
I watched their reactions carefully, especially because it was possible that come tomorrow morning, my kids and I could be blasted all over the internet.
A muscle in Ryan’s jaw jumped as a group of younger women, likely in their early twenties, stopped at our table. All three of them had on tiny shorts, showcasing long, tan legs. Their halter tops barely covered their breasts, showing enough skin that I could see side boob.
I wasn’t hating on how they dressed—Shay was known to scandalize the rodeo circuit when it came to town. I actually bought popcorn to see the reactions she’d get, loving my brazen best friend. What bothered me was that they were stopped at our table, oblivious to the fact that he had guests.
They jutted their chests out, flicking their hair and resting manicured fingers on the table close to his hand. I doubted Ryan was used to brushing them off, because he smiled, engaged, and answered questions aimed his way.
In my head, I had rehearsed what it would look like if this scenario presented itself. Ideally, he would have shooed everyone away then tugged the kids and me close, claiming us for all to see. The reality of how stupid I’d been came crashing in like a rogue wave, obliterating my well-built defenses.
Cole watched the interaction between the girls and Ryan, his eyes bouncing back and forth between them, his little face contemplative. He stopped coloring on the page in front of him and scooted a few inches closer to my side until he was holding my hand under the table.
My heart wilted like a dandelion caught in an unexpected storm.
Minutes passed of the girls giggling, joking, and asking questions about Ryan’s projects. He looked dazed, entirely entranced by the exchange. I realized this would have been my fate; this right here would have been the man I’d married if we’d had our baby. If I had stayed and walked down that path that led him to fame, I’d have been lost in the spotlight that swallowed him up.
Clearing my throat, I started to scoot Bella out of the circular booth.
“Excuse us, we need to get out,” I muttered to the women.
