She nodded slowly “I’m sorry, too.” Minutes later, as he held the door of his truck open for Ronnie, Red caught a whiff of her perfume, a delicate rose fragrance that he had trailed along her neck and—
It was just beginning. The torture of remembering…
He turned on the radio to an easy listening channel. It would relieve them both of the effort to make small talk on the way to Winter’s Haven…
Ronnie’s phone buzzed, and he turned off the radio. He was able to hear the muffled voice of a man, but not the message.
“Oh, my God, Peter,” Ronnie gasped. “Oh, my God. Will he be okay? Are they doing tests? Does he have a concussion?”
Red felt his heart begin to thud. Something had happened to Andy…
He glanced at Ronnie. She was staring straight ahead, her face creased with worry. She listened intently to her ex-husband while blinking rapidly.
“I’m going home to get my car and I’m heading to Gravenhurst right away,” she blurted while he was still talking. “My poor baby. Tell him I love him. I’ll be there as soon as I can!”
A few seconds later she hung up and turned to Red. “Andy fell and hit his nose on the edge of the coffee table. It started to bleed and he also had a gash that needed stitches. They’re doing more tests, given his health history.” Alarm flickered in her dark eyes.
“Did Andy’s father feel it was serious?”
“He said it was under control, but still, I should be there… What if there are complications?”
“It’s late, and by the time you get there—it’ll take you more than an hour in this weather—they might already have discharged him,” he said gently. “Perhaps you should let Peter handle this. I’m sure he would let you know if there’s a more serious issue.” He activated the windshield wipers as the snow started up and then glanced over at Ronnie. “It’s not the best weather to be traveling at night on the highway…”
“I could have been on my way already if I had answered my phone earlier.” Her jaw clenched.
He frowned. When had her phone rung? Oh, yes…when they were—
“And he wouldn’t have had to go through this ordeal by himself.”
“He’s not by himself, Ronnie; his dad is with him.”
She waved a hand dismissively. “I shouldn’t have been distracted. What if something worse had happened? I’d never forgive myself.”
“It sounds like things are under control, and something like this could happen with or without you being there, Ronnie, so you don’t have to beat yourself up over this,” Red said in a nonjudgmental tone. “Kids fall, get stitches and need to go to the hospital.”
“I think I have a little more experience with kids than you,” she blurted. And then she shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Apology accepted. You’re under stress.”
Ronnie nodded. “Can you go a little faster?” She leaned forward, tapping nervously on the glove compartment.
“Ronnie, if you’re that intent on driving to the hospital, I’m not letting you go alone.” His tone was firm and her gaze shifted to him, her brows furrowed. “But the wisest thing to do—in my opinion—is to go home, wait for updates from Peter, and once he reassures you that Andy is fine—which I’m sure is the case—then you can go to sleep with peace of mind, and tomorrow Andy will be back in time for lunch and your hugs.”
Red turned into Ronnie’s driveway, and brought the truck to a stop near the doorstep. He switched off the wipers and in seconds the windshield was covered with a layer of snow. He swiveled in his seat to look Ronnie in the eye. “Why jeopardize your life by driving at night in these conditions? Andy needs you to stay safe…”
From the outdoor light that illuminated the interior of the truck, Red saw that Ronnie’s initial glare had changed to a look of thoughtfulness as she weighed his words.
“Let Peter handle it,” he murmured. “Let him be a dad…”
Ronnie stared out the window. She let out a long sigh. “Okay,” she said, nodding slowly. “I’ll call Peter. But if he calls back later and tells me I should go, I’ll go…”
“Of course. And that’s when you’ll call me, and I’ll pick you up and drive you there.”
The drive back home was long, dark and lonely. When Red opened the front door, Ginger’s mewing actually cheered him up. He opened up the carrier and lifted her out. She nuzzled his face and he stroked her head and back, marveling at how relaxing it felt.
He needed to relax. Think things through. Figure out how Ronnie Forrester had, in the three days since she had spun into his life, taken up residence in his mind.
Along with her son.
He hadn’t wanted to complicate his life again by pursuing a relationship that involved a child.
But now…he was ready to open the door—if only a crack—to that possibility.
Ronnie had been very perceptive about the dynamics of his relationship with Marco. And something inside him had let go at her advice.
Lying in bed a little later, Red recalled the feel of Ronnie pressed against him and her response to his kiss that had sent ripples of desire through him. He could only imagine what might have transpired had she not pulled away…
CHAPTER TWENTY
RONNIE WAS ABOUT to put her finger on the snooze button and then remembered that Andy was coming home today. Peter had called shortly after Red had left last night, and said that Andy was fine and they would be heading home. Ronnie had changed into her pajamas and made herself a cup of chamomile tea, hoping it would settle the agitation in her stomach and chest caused not only by the initial worry over Andy but also by the ambivalent feelings churning up inside her over Red’s embrace. And kiss.
But she couldn’t just blame him.
She had started it, letting her empathy
