Since Tommy had seemed to be doing well, he was keeping his fingers crossed that he could get Marissa in his bed all night long.

  He finished cleaning the house, then ordered the pizza once Tommy said they were thirty minutes away. Delivery would be forty-five minutes or more so he decided to run out and get it and told them he left the front door open if they got there before he was back.

  After watching the clock for what seemed like forever, he finally left to get the pizza. He had it pretty bad that he couldn’t wait to see them again. Not just Tommy, but Marissa too. And damn it all, he was going to give them both a hug when they walked in the door. Enough was enough and he’d told Marissa that. He was sick of hiding their relationship from their son.

  He walked into the pizza joint and saw there was a line of people waiting. He lifted his hand to the girl behind the counter, she knew who he was. He was in here enough and he was friendly.

  “Ryder.”

  He turned to see Mike, an old classmate from high school standing there. Oh, the times the two of them had when he was younger. Times when he’d rather be with his brothers or cousins but they didn’t want any part of him hanging around crimping their style, they’d said.

  Always the baby of the family and the annoying one.

  He’d never thought he was that annoying, but since they always said he was he figured he might as well actually earn that title.

  “Mike. Long time no see,” he said, shaking hands. “How have you been?”

  “Good. Haven’t seen you out much lately. We always bumped into each other at some point in the bar somewhere.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Life has changed a lot for me.”

  “Is it true?” Mike asked.

  No one had asked him yet and he was figuring now was the first. “What?” Might as well find out what was heard before he said more.

  “That some chick came to town and said you fathered a kid back in college? That you had no clue?”

  Marissa wasn’t just some chick, but the truth was exactly what Mike said. “I do have a son. Yes, his mother and I dated in college. I wasn’t aware of Tommy or that Marissa was pregnant at the time. But now he’s in my life and so is she.”

  “Seriously?” Mike asked, looking shocked. “You’re dating the woman that did that to you? Damn, never thought you’d be that forgiving.”

  He didn’t owe anyone any explanation. “Guess you don’t know me that well.”

  “Fierce,” he heard and moved forward to pick up his dinner and get out of there.

  When he was back in his car he wondered if that was how people really saw him or thought of him. As some smuck that was an idiot to take back the woman he loved after what she’d done.

  He’d never been one to care what other people thought of him before and he was damned if he was going to start to do that now.

  It was his life and he was going to live it the way he wanted.

  And when Marissa walked in the door with Tommy running ahead of him, his son giving him a high five and hug, then saying, “Mom told me you and she are boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  He laughed. She’d didn’t tell him she was doing that, or explaining it that way. “I guess you could call us that. How do you feel about it?”

  “Fine,” Tommy said. “You’re my dad, why wouldn’t I like it?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?” he asked, then looked at Marissa. She was grinning at him, so he figured, what the hell and pulled her forward into his arms and gave her a kiss on the lips.

  She laughed and he looked down at his son who didn’t seem all that interested in the two of them but was taking off into his room with his bag on his shoulder.

  “That was a nice surprise and one you could have warned me about,” he said. “What if he wasn’t happy about it?”

  “Then I would have forewarned you, but I’ve been feeling him out for a few days. He talks about you nonstop. It’s been a month and though I didn’t think I’d say it this soon, I found it wasn’t fair to any of us to keep waiting.”

  He wouldn’t say he could forgive Marissa or forget, but this was sure a step in the right direction.

  “I don’t know why you couldn’t have stayed with me all night in bed,” Ryder complained the next morning while the two of them were having coffee at the island in the kitchen. “Tommy knows we are dating.”

  “Knowing we are dating and sleeping together are two different things,” she argued. She knew he was going to bring this up last night and she’d still gotten up and went to the guest room several hours ago.

  “And the longer it goes on the harder it’s going to be to explain it to him,” he said.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now can we just enjoy the day? Tommy is all excited to have a family day with us.”

  “Speaking of a family day,” he said. “I’d like to book a vacation for us this summer.”

  “What?” she asked. “I need to think about that.”

  “Nothing to think about. You tell me a week you can take off, and I’ll find a house for us to stay in. I was thinking the Outer Banks. It’s not that far, but it gets us out of town and gives us a week as a family with Tommy knowing all about us. What do you say? Can you give me this much? I’d like to spend some time with him this summer and I know driving back and forth on the weekends is going to get tiring for both of us.”

  She couldn’t argue, but he could easily ask for a few weeks with Tommy alone and she might have a hard time saying no. This was a compromise at the least.

  “Fine. I’ll look at my schedule and put in for a week. I’ll let you know when I’m back to work on Monday.”

  “See,” he said leaning in to kiss her. “That wasn’t so hard.”

  But the day didn’t seem to get easier.

  Their appointment with Sam in the morning did go well. “Bloodwork and ultrasound both look great,” Sam said. “You can come back and see me in a month for your release to everyday activities or see your pediatrician.”

  “Here,” Ryder said before Marissa could answer.

  She wanted to argue with him on principle alone for making that decision but had planned on giving the same answer. “Here is fine,” she said but did shoot Ryder a look that he just laughed at.

  “So I still can’t play gym or anything for a whole month,” Tommy whined.

  “Sorry,” Sam said. “I know you feel good and you look great, but you’re still healing and we can’t have you hurting yourself. But I did hear you were going to your grandparents later tonight and if you promise to just relax you can get in the pool.”

  “Can I, Mom?” Tommy asked.

  “I didn’t bring your suit with us,” she said.

  “We can pick him one up,” Ryder said. “We are going to be running around all day doing things.”

  “We are going mini golfing,” Tommy said. “I can do that, right?”

  “Yes. Your father already cleared that with me,” Sam said.

  “And then we’re going to the movies,” Tommy said.

  “Sounds like you’ve got a day full of fun.”

  “Yep. Mom and Ryder are going to dinner by themselves tonight while I stay with Mama and Papa. Did you know Mom and Ryder are boyfriend and girlfriend?”

  Sam started to smirk at the two of them and she snorted and laughed. “Are they?” Sam asked. “I think that’s pretty special, don’t you?”

  “I guess,” Tommy said.

  She wasn’t sure what was going on now. Tommy seemed fine with it before. “Why do you say that?” she asked, having caught the hurt expression on Ryder’s face.

  “I don’t know. It’s just most parents live together unless they are divorced, but you guys aren’t divorced. Isn’t boyfriend and girlfriend like being married?”

  Sam coughed and Ryder just lifted his eyebrow at her. Sure, when she needed him to jump in and help explain he was keeping his mouth shut.

  “No,” she said. “It’s not the same at all. Our situation is a little different.”

  “Okay,” Tommy said. “Can we go now? I can’t wait to play mini golf.”

  “You’re all done here,” Sam said. “Have a good time today.”

  The three of them left and headed to the mini golf course, waiting in line while Tommy was hopping all over the place, but she was thrilled he was feeling so good and it was nice to be able to do something like this with him. She was glad Ryder had thought of the idea.

  When they were done, Ryder winning, Tommy second, and her a miserable third place by two strokes, they stopped for lunch and had enough time to grab Tommy a swimsuit quickly before heading to the movie theater.

  “Ryder!”

  She turned at the loud annoying squeal and saw a blonde with big hair and Dolly Parton boobs come running toward him like she was going to give him a hug, but he sidestepped her and managed to stop it. “Hey,” he said. Interesting. He didn’t call the woman by name and she started to wonder if he even knew her name. But he was smiling when he added, “How have you been?”

  “Good,” the woman said, bouncing on her toes making her boobs that were barely covered jiggle in place. Marissa wanted to put her hand over her son’s eyes in case something spilled out but rather steered him away to go look at another suit and let Ryder deal with whatever was going on.

  When Ryder was back at her side a minute later, he said, “Sorry.”

  “Old friend?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows.

  “Someone I dated a few years back. Nothing more than that.”

  She figured as much and was pretty disappointed in his taste, but what was she going to say? She couldn’t and shouldn’t make judgments. Maybe the woman was nice and smart.

  “It obviously didn’t end badly with that exuberant hello.”

  “It didn’t work out,” he said and let it drop. She wanted to ask the woman’s name but figured if he said he didn’t know she’d just get more annoyed so it was best to let it be. “Did you decide about tonight yet?”

  She knew he was asking if Tommy could spend the night at his parents’ house. Tommy had only ever spent the night at her parents’. Not even her brother’s place.

  She was nervous, but she did want to have a night with just her and Ryder and if Tommy was okay with it, why couldn’t she allow his parents to enjoy some time with their grandson?

  “I didn’t talk to him yet. I guess I’m fine with it. His appointment went well. He looks great and will be relaxing this afternoon watching the movie. As long as they call if there are any problems.”

  “You know they will. They are only ten minutes away. Not a big deal. Let’s just ask him.”

  “I’ll let you do it,” she said.

  When they were back in the car and on the way to the movies, Ryder asked, “Tommy, what do you think about spending the night at Mama and Papa’s tonight?”

  “Really? Can I stay in your old room?”

  He grinned and looked at Marissa. “I think that was the plan. Would you be okay with it?”

  “Yes!” Tommy shouted. “Can I call Mama and tell her?”

  “She’s in class right now, but if you want to call Papa, he’s probably in his office and would love to hear your excitement.”

  “Mom, can I have my phone?” Tommy asked.

  She pulled it out of her pocketbook and handed it to Tommy in the backseat, then listened to his excitement—along with Grant’s—while the two of them made plans.

  “Looks like it’s just the two of us tonight. I might be just as excited as my father.”

  She reached over and patted his leg. “That makes two of us.”

  33

  A Little Inadequate

  Ryder was anything but excited when they were in the restaurant and he heard his name called again. Son of a bitch. It was another woman he’d spent some time with.

  “Candy,” he said, at least he was able to remember this one’s name. He was thankful that Marissa hadn’t asked to be introduced earlier because he wasn’t sure how he would have handled that. He was just happy he was able to push her along without too much fuss.

  “Ryder,” Candy said. “It’s been so long. I’ve missed you.”

  “Candy, this is my girlfriend Marissa. Marissa, Candy. We went on a few dates at one point.”

  “Just dates?” Candy asked jiggling her shoulders. Damn it. He had a type for years and now he was going to be haunted by it just like his brothers and cousins told him. Worse yet, it was happening again in front of Marissa. The one person he didn’t want to see this.

  Not that he could hide it at all though.

  “Less than a few weeks,” he reminded her. At least he thought so. Most only lasted that long anyway so it was a good guess. Sometimes a month, but that was about all the time he could stomach being with them.

  “Well, look me up when you’re single again,” Candy said and swished her ass in the tight skirt away.

  He grimaced and looked at Marissa. “Sorry about that.”

  “That’s twice today,” she said. “I see a pattern.”

  Shit. “Ah, about that.”

  “You have a type it seems. I’m not that.”

  What did he say? Should he admit to her why he did it? Would she even believe him? Maybe it was best to let it go. “It’s all in fun,” he said. “Nothing was ever serious. We’ve run into two people today, but you and I have been out quite a bit and today was the first it happened. It’s not like I’m noticed everywhere I go.”

  Which was the truth, but he did get noticed a lot. Maybe it was just good luck, or dumb luck before. Either way he wasn’t going to let it spoil the night he had planned for them tonight.

  “So what’s the longest you’ve dated someone?” she asked.

  “Do you really want to go there?” he asked.

  “I think I might need to. I’m feeling a little inadequate at the moment. I don’t have much of what those women did.”

  “You have a lot more than them.”

  “Not physically,” she said laughing.

  He flushed. “You’re natural, they aren’t.”

  “No,” she said. “But it seems you like that. So, answer my question. Or would I rather not know? I thought we were being honest with each other and I told myself I didn’t need to know about your past, but when I see things like this, it makes me want to know even if it might hurt.”

  Not what he wanted to hear. “I don’t want you to feel that way. And I’ll always be honest with you even if I don’t want to be.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “It should,” he said. “We have a lot of years between us. I didn’t know I had a child. I didn’t know anything other than what I thought happened to us. Are you going to hold what I did in those nine years against me?”

  “Don’t you hold what I did against me?” she asked.

  This night wasn’t going the way he thought it might. “That’s completely different. I’m not judging you on your personal life or holding that against you. What you did doesn’t compare.”

  “You’re right. It doesn’t. I shouldn’t have brought this up when I’m trying so hard to forget it happened myself. I know I can’t and you sure the heck won’t.”

  “No. I can’t forget it. I’m trying my damnedest to forgive, but it’s going to take time. You want to know the longest relationship I’ve had? Fine. Four months.”

  “We were together for four months,” she said.

  “Yep, we were. Happy now?”

  “So you’re saying it’s me? I was your longest relationship?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he said. If he wanted to salvage this night at all—and he did—he was going to have to work at it.

  “Why?” she asked.

  Their meal was served and he had a minute to gather his thoughts. “I told you, you broke my heart. Didn’t you believe that? You admitted I did the same.”

  “I want to believe it,” she said. “I guess the fact you haven’t had a serious relationship though doesn’t really tell me that. It just tells me you can’t commit.”

  He laughed. “I can commit if it’s with the right person.”

  “None of those women were?”

  “Purposely,” he admitted.

  She seemed to hesitate and finally said, “So you thought dating people the complete opposite of me would make you forget about me?”

  “That was part of it,” he said. “How about you?”

  “I told you I didn’t date that much.”

  “I know. But you did date so the question is, were they similar to me or different?”

  “There aren’t too many people quite like you,” she said.

  “I think there is a compliment in there,” he said, grinning.

  She winked back at him and he realized that this serious conversation was at least turning into something a little bit more lighthearted.

  “You can take it that way if you want,” she said, grinning back, and continued to eat.

  “So why haven’t you had many relationships? And I’m using that word, but you didn’t. Was it completely because of Tommy?”

  If he was going to air out his dirty laundry for everyone to see the stains, then he wanted hers floating right alongside of his.

  “That was mainly it. It’s hard to get time away when you’re a single mother. It’s not like I was going out anywhere to meet men. The few small relationships I had lasted a couple of months and they were blind dates through a friend or a client I met at work.”

  “Interesting. I didn’t picture you the type to date a client.”

  “Not like you think. Not my client but someone else’s. They’d come in and I’d talk with them. Anyway, for a number of reasons it didn’t work out. Most times men didn’t want to be a parent or be put second and Tommy has always come first. He always will come first.”

  “I sense a warning in there,” he said.

  “Speaking the truth.”