by Mia Ross
“Where’s Ridge?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” she replied, trying to sound unconcerned. “Would you like pancakes or waffles?”
“Pancakes, please.” He glanced out the window to the empty spot where Betsy usually sat. “When’s he coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
I don’t even know if he’s coming back, she added silently while she ladled batter onto the griddle.
Kyle eyed her suspiciously. “Did you two have a fight?”
“No.” He cocked his head in disbelief, and she amended her answer. “Well, sort of. More of a misunderstanding than a fight.”
“Like you and my father used to have?”
She’d worked so hard to keep their arguments from Kyle, it just about killed her to know he’d heard them. And remembered them. Taking a deep breath to steady her voice, she carefully wiped down the batter bowl and set it on the counter. “You heard us?”
Kyle nodded. “You always let him win. Ridge says you should never give up and let anybody beat you.”
She knew Ridge attached a double meaning to those words, and she appreciated him sharing that very important lesson with her son.
“I didn’t realize you knew so much back then,” she admitted while she flipped his pancakes.
“You did your best, Mom. Nobody can do any more than that.”
Recognizing another of Ridge’s sayings, Marianne smiled. “Thanks, bud. I’ll try to remember that.”
As he poured himself some orange juice, Kyle said, “If you apologize, Ridge’ll forgive you. He’s cool like that.”
Marianne just hoped she’d get the chance to follow his advice. Fortunately, Emily bounced in to distract her.
“Waffles, please!” her daughter sang, plunking herself down beside Kyle.
As she switched over to start a batch of waffles, Marianne found herself listening for the now-familiar rumble of Betsy’s engine. When she heard it faintly, she wondered if it was her imagination. As it grew louder, she blew out a tense breath.
Thank you, God, for bringing him back.
Tucker loped out to greet Ridge, and he gave the Lab some love before heading inside. He was wearing the same clothes he’d left in, and judging by their rumpled look, he’d slept in them.
When he came up the back steps and into the kitchen, her apology stuck in her throat. She was so insanely happy to see him, she literally couldn’t form any coherent words.
“Morning, everybody,” he said casually, dropping into a chair across from the kids. “What’s up?”
“We’re going to the zoo today,” Emily informed him happily.
“Wanna come with us?” Kyle asked.
“That depends. They have any chimps at this zoo?”
“Tons,” Kyle assured him. “Gorillas, too.”
“And howler monkeys,” Emily chimed in. “They’re so funny.”
Ridge grinned at her. “Why’s that?”
“They go like this.” And she proceeded to give an alarmingly good imitation of their high-pitched screech.
Chuckling, Ridge glanced over at Marianne. He gave her a questioning look, as if he were asking her permission to join them. That was when she realized that she should have been the one to invite him.
“We’d love to have you come along if you’re not too busy,” she said.
“I thought I’d give Matt and John a hand today, but if you can wait till this afternoon, I’m game.”
“Are you sure?” Marianne asked. “You look like you slept in Betsy’s cockpit.”
“Actually, Gary let me crash on the sofa in his office at the airstrip.” He twisted his back from side to side. “I think it’s older than I am—it was a little lumpy.”
As if she didn’t feel bad enough already. Her regret must have shown on her face, because Ridge fixed her with one of those direct gazes that made her heart trip over itself.
“I’m fine, Marianne.” After an intense moment, his eyes lightened, and he grinned. “I wouldn’t mind some of those waffles, though.”
She was forgiven. Thrilled beyond belief, Marianne filled a mug with coffee for him. Setting it on the table, she patted his shoulder and gave him a grateful smile. She pulled away, but Ridge surprised her by resting his hand over hers.
When her eyes met his, the look he gave her warmed her right down to her toes. Before she could think of something to say, he lifted her hand and brushed a kiss over the back. With a gentle squeeze, he finally let it go, and it fell limply to her side.
With her brain completely frozen, she could only stare at him. The sweet, romantic gesture was so unlike him, she was at a complete loss for words.
“Mommy, are you okay?”
Emily’s voice dragged her back to reality, and Marianne stammered, “I’m fine.”
“You’re kinda red,” Kyle noticed, cocking his head in confusion. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Absolutely.” Putting some distance between herself and Ridge seemed like a smart move right now, and she tried to look casual about it. Judging by the very male smirk on his face, she hadn’t quite managed it.
She hadn’t had that kind of reaction to a man in so long, she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Turning away in embarrassment, she said, “Waffles coming up.”
* * *
Ridge couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to a zoo. He’d been on safaris, he’d even gone on a caribou hunt in Alaska that netted him some great pictures—but no caribou. They were faster than people thought.
But this, he decided after about five minutes, was more fun than all the exotic reserves he’d ever visited.
“Oh, I love the penguins,” Emily cooed outside their rocky habitat. “The babies are so cute when they waddle around.”
“He looks like Pastor Charles,” Kyle commented, pointing to a pudgy one with a tuft of white feathers circling his head.
Marianne pointed to one who seemed to be gathering the younger ones together and leading them to the fish their keeper had just dropped in for them. “Who does that remind you of?”
“Ruthy!” they shouted together, and she smiled.
That was why he hadn’t given up on her, Ridge realized with a clarity that stunned him. It was that smile, the one that lit up her entire face and sparkled in her eyes. In the three months he’d known her, he’d seen it maybe half a dozen times.
Marianne was a challenge. But she just might be worth it.
When had he decided that? he wondered as they moved on to the polar bear section of the zoo. His feelings for Marianne had snuck up on him when he wasn’t looking, which didn’t make him feel any better about them. Taking her hand for a kiss was definitely not his style, and he frowned at the memory. Instinct—or insanity?
Probably a little of both, he admitted with a sigh.
As the kids ran ahead, he and Marianne lagged behind. This was his chance to prove to himself that the old-fashioned gesture had just been a momentary lapse. He was pretty tired, after all. So he reached down and gently took her hand, holding it loosely enough that she could pull away if she wanted.
She didn’t.
Panic seized in his chest, and Ridge racked his brain for a polite way to let go without hurting her feelings. Then, to his surprise, she wove her fingers through his and leaned into his shoulder a little.
Toward him, he realized. Reaching out to him, not pushing him away. It felt as if she was giving him room the way he’d done with her, but he wanted to get closer. It might not be the smartest thing to do, but he couldn’t help it. As he slipped an arm around her shoulders, she cuddled in closer, resting her head on his chest.
It felt amazing.
By the time they reached the polar bears’ lake house, Ridge knew that despite all his efforts to keep his distance
, he’d fallen in love with her. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but the barking of sea lions broke into his thoughts and dragged him back into the moment.
The sea lions chased each other through the water, plopping up onto rocks to wave at their visitors and pose for pictures. They barked for attention, and people laughed, pointing out different animals to their kids.
One of them splashed water toward the kids, and Emily squealed in delight. “He wants to play with us!”
“Let’s go downstairs and watch them swim,” Marianne suggested, holding a hand out for Emily.
Kyle was eyeing him with curiosity, and Ridge realized he still had his arm around Marianne. Hoping he looked cool, he did the bro-hug thing with her son, and they started walking.
“It’s okay,” Kyle whispered, grinning up at him.
Ridge chuckled quietly. “Thanks.”
The girls headed down the rocky steps ahead of them, and Kyle added, “She smiles a lot more when you’re around.”
“Really?” Ridge’s heart swelled with pride. “That’s good to know.”
A huge expanse of glass showed visitors what the sea lions looked like underwater. They darted through arches and playfully skimmed past each other, making sure they swam close to the people standing there watching them.
As the four of them clustered near the viewing glass, Ridge noticed Emily jumping up trying to see better.
“Here, sweetness,” he said, lifting her to sit on his shoulders. “This’ll help.”
“Thank you, Ridge,” she said very politely. “This is much better.”
“Glad I could help.”
“Look at us, Mommy,” she went on. “We’re like a real family today.”
“We’re always a real family,” Kyle corrected her sharply.
“Of course we are.” Marianne smoothed his temper with an understanding smile. “But it’s nice to have Ridge with us, don’t you think?”
The poor kid looked down and kicked his sneaker on the mosaic of a snowy mountain range. “Yeah.” Lifting his head, he frowned up at Ridge. “Sorry.”
“For what? You’ve got a great family, and I’m just happy to be here with you guys.”
Nudging Kyle’s shoulder, Ridge grinned and got a grateful look in return. Every instinct he had was screaming at him to back off and quit digging this hole he’d gotten himself into. But deep inside him, a quieter voice urged him to let go of his past failures and open himself up for something better.
The love and sense of belonging he’d spent years searching for was within his grasp. All he had to do was put aside his fear and hold on to it.
* * *
Their trip to the zoo was fun but exhausting, and about ten minutes into the ride home, both kids were sound asleep in the backseat.
After checking on them, Marianne turned back around and smiled at Ridge. He’d offered to drive home, and she’d gladly agreed. “They had a great time. Thanks so much for coming with us.”
“It was good for me, too,” he assured her as he steered onto the highway. “Can’t remember the last time I had that much fun.”
“I hope you won’t be too far behind in your work.”
Glancing over, he gave her the confident grin she’d admired the first time she saw him. “I’ll just be at it a little longer tomorrow. It’s a good trade for being with all of you today.”
“Peter never went anywhere with us unless I begged.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Marianne wished she could snatch them back. Why on earth had she confided something like that to Ridge? She must sound like an old harpy.
To her amazement, he pulled the van onto the shoulder of the highway and put it in Park. After glancing into the backseat, he shifted to face her.
Taking both of her hands, he looked at her with the most serious expression she’d ever seen from him. “I’m not like Peter.”
He didn’t sound angry, but his tone was very firm, like he was trying to convince her of something she didn’t want to believe. “I know that.”
“Do you?” Cocking his head, his eyes bored into hers with an intensity that surprised her. “Because sometimes I feel like you’re just waiting for me to screw up so you’ll have an excuse not to like me.”
Oh, it was way too late for that, Marianne lamented silently. She liked this fun-loving pilot more than she should, and it wouldn’t take much to nudge her completely over the edge. Reason asserted itself, though, reminding her that this man had taken off when things between them got heated, just as Peter used to.
Pulling her hands free, she folded them tightly to keep Ridge from touching her. “Why did you leave like that yesterday?”
He shrugged as if it were nothing. “I was mad. I needed time to think about things.”
“Like?”
“Like you,” he muttered. Rubbing his hands over his face, he gave her a wry grin. “You drive me crazy.”
“You drive me crazy, too,” she assured him sternly, “but I don’t take off without telling you where I’m going.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. “Got me there.” A smile worked its way across his tanned features, and he added, “I’m sorry.”
Marianne wanted to retaliate, tell him it was too late for apologies. Instead, she heard herself say, “I was up all night worrying.”
Interest warmed the gold in his eyes, and he edged toward her. “Really?”
“You could crash, or Betsy might have engine trouble and strand you somewhere.” Even to her, that sounded hollow, and she had to smile. “I’d hate it if anything happened to you.”
“Trust me, so would I. I think God grounded me in Harland for a reason, and I’d hate to miss anything He has in mind for me.”
Cradling her cheek in his hand, he leaned in and brushed a kiss over her lips. It felt as if he were gently asking her a question, and Marianne was only too happy to answer it.
Returning that kiss was the most natural thing she’d ever done. As the kiss deepened, something inside her rustled as if it had awakened from a long sleep and was happy to be coaxed back to life.
Ridge broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers with a sigh. “You know the kids are watching us, right?”
“Yes.”
Smiling because she simply couldn’t help herself, she leaned in and kissed him again.
Chapter Eight
“I don’t wanna get to know my father,” Kyle protested, his normally calm demeanor rigid and determined. As he sat at the picnic table under a tree, his attitude was at odds with the peaceful setting. “He was mean to you and Emily the other day, and I don’t ever wanna see him again.”
He completely ignored the snack Marianne had prepared to help ease what she’d known would be a tense conversation. Sitting back on the picnic table bench, he glowered at her, folding his arms to prove he meant business. She had never seen him do that, and it brought home just how quickly he was growing up. In that pose, he reminded her of someone, and it took less than a second to recognize who.
Ridge.
Thinking of the fun-loving pilot stirred up emotions she’d rather not acknowledge while her belligerent son sat across from her, glaring for all he was worth. Marianne pushed Ridge from her mind and focused on the problem at hand.
“You have every right to feel that way,” she began, stopping abruptly when he let out an impatient sigh. “What?”
“You sound like the school psychologist. I’m not crazy.”
“Of course not, honey.”
His look darkened at what he considered a babyish endearment, and she hurried on. “Kyle, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know how to handle this. The law says your father has a right to see you, and I have to abide by that.”
“Don’t I have a right not to see
him?”
“Sure you do,” Ridge chimed in from behind her. “But if you do that, he’ll blame your mom for interfering. Is that what you want?”
Marianne angled an irritated look at Ridge. “This is a private discussion.”
Clearly unfazed, he plunked himself down in a lawn chair at the head of the table, folding his arms on the weathered planks in front of him. Focused entirely on Kyle, he said, “I’m gonna tell you a story I don’t tell many people. I want you to listen, and when I’m done, I’ll leave you alone. Deal?”
Without a flicker of hesitation, Kyle nodded. That unthinking gesture told Marianne just how much her son had come to trust this man.
“I know a little something about father trouble,” Ridge began.
“You never talk about your dad,” Kyle commented. “How come?”
Ridge’s jaw tightened, and he made an obvious effort to relax. “My father was a mean drunk, and he drank every day.”
His voice sounded flat and dead. This part of his life was long ago, but she could see that talking about it still made him furious. She suspected that his only defense was to keep a firm grip on those memories so they couldn’t get loose and hurt him anymore. Unfortunately, she’d handled the demise of her marriage the same way, so she understood all too well.
“The night of my fourteenth birthday,” Ridge continued, “he started in on me, and my mom stepped in to protect me. When he went after her, I put him in the hospital for a week.”
Hesitance flashed in his eyes as he glanced at Marianne, and she read the plea in them as clearly as if he’d spoken it out loud.
Please don’t hate me.
She couldn’t imagine how many years it had taken that angry, bitter young man to come to terms with the abuse he and his mother had suffered and move past it. Somehow, through the grace of God, he’d grown into the kind, caring man who was sitting at a picnic table baring his soul to her and her son. Not for his own benefit, but to help them with a problem that wasn’t his concern. Reliving those memories couldn’t be easy for him, and his selflessness amazed her.
Not usually one for retribution, she rested a hand over his. “It sounds like he got what he deserved.”