Maybe reality had hit him square in the jaw, the reality that by wanting Ronnie, he’d be getting a two-for-one deal. And maybe that had scared him enough to make him back off. She frowned, mentally playing the reel of what he had said to her in the truck. He couldn’t forget her. He had fallen head over heels for her…
Ronnie’s heart froze. He hadn’t once mentioned Andy.
And she had been too caught up with the fantasy of Red loving her—
But no, he hadn’t used the word “love” either.
Ronnie’s stomach vaulted. How could she trust and have faith in someone who wasn’t ready to accept her child? No matter how attracted she was to Red physically, there could be no going forward if he couldn’t see himself including Andy in the picture.
This was a bad dream. She would wake up and see Red walking into the house, his eyes twinkling. Reflecting his love. And trust. And desire to get to know and love Andy.
Ronnie walked to the window and looked out. No truck. It wasn’t a dream.
The chunk of ice that had struck her in the stomach now seemed like it was breaking off into icicles down her limbs. Casson’s voice came back to her: he said he couldn’t face her…
Her heart twisted. Red had ruined everything. Her day, her hopes and her dreams. He had destroyed her trust. She should have never started up with him.
Ronnie was done with trusting men.
And she never wanted to see Red’s face again.
She dabbed at her eyes. She had Andy to think about now. Her beautiful, courageous little boy. And she was not about to ruin his birthday. She checked her watch. With a leaden heart, she opened the door and went downstairs.
* * *
Red looked at the endless lines of backed-up traffic ahead of him and behind. He had just passed Barrie and like a thousand other vehicles, he was stuck in a traffic jam on the 400 North. He rubbed his temples, then glanced at his watch. Damn. He had been so happy, getting to Toronto fairly quickly, grabbing the jersey and hockey stick in his new penthouse and wrapping them up before immediately heading back to Parry Sound. From his memory of a photo of Andy at Casson’s house, and his photo in the locket Ronnie had shown him, Red kept picturing Andy’s face lighting up at seeing Ginger and the hockey gifts.
When he finally pulled into Winter’s Haven, he was relieved to see Ronnie’s car still there.
The shocked look on Ronnie’s face when she opened the door made him frown. Something had happened. “Is Andy okay?” he said, reaching to clasp her hand.
Ronnie pulled her hand away. “He’s fine,” she said woodenly. “I wasn’t thinking of my son earlier,” she said stiffly. “I made a mistake. Just like you.”
“I don’t understand, Ronnie.” Red stared at the woman standing across from him, a look of aloofness and disdain on her face. He felt as if he had just stepped into a twilight zone.
“Just go,” she snapped before turning away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
RONNIE STARED AT JUSTINE. “What did you say?”
“Casson had been filling me in on what had happened with Red and his previous girlfriend. And her son, Marco.”
Ronnie blinked, stunned. She had gone to find Justine and had burst into tears in the baby’s room as she explained what had happened.
“I really messed up, didn’t I?” Ronnie wiped her eyes. “I treated him like…like dirt down there.”
At the sudden rumble outside, Ronnie rushed to the window. Red was putting on his seat belt.
She flew down the stairs, slipped on her boots, but didn’t bother with her coat. She rushed out the door and down the steps, only to catch a glimpse of Red’s back bumper before it disappeared.
Ronnie’s heart plummeted. She turned and began to walk slowly toward the house.
A crunching noise in the driveway made her look back. Her heart began to clang. Red was driving back. She couldn’t move. The truck came to a stop and Red jumped out. He took one look at Ronnie and gathered her in his arms. “Get in,” he said huskily.
He helped her up, closed the door and got back in. He handed her some tissues, and after she had dabbed at her eyes, he took her hands in his. “Okay, Forrester, let it out. All of it.”
She couldn’t stop shivering. He took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. “I’m listening,” he murmured.
His gentle tone was enough to cause another round of sobbing. When her tears had subsided, she explained what had happened, how she had misinterpreted the conversation she had overheard. “I was so mean, turning into an ice queen and ordering you to leave.”
“I’m pretty sure I can melt your icy heart,” he murmured, before explaining why he had been late.
“You went all the way to Toronto to get those gifts for Andy?”
“I did.”
Something flickered in his eyes, and Ronnie felt her heart tumbling in her chest. If she hadn’t expressed it before, she had to tell him now. “I love you, Red Brannigan II.” She cupped his face. “Do you hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Ronnie Forrester. And I love you more.” He grinned before leaning forward to kiss her deeply.
“I can’t exactly get down on my knee in this truck,” he murmured in her ear, “but I plan to do so very soon in a more comfortable place. In the meantime, could I have the honor of attending Andy’s birthday, and accompanying both of you to the grand opening of Franklin’s Resort next week?”
“I’ll say yes, but you’ll have to run it by the little guy too.”
He chuckled. “I think I can handle that. Now how about we go back inside so I can meet the birthday boy and watch him open his presents. And have some
