Free Immediate Family by Eileen Goudge Page B

like?” He leaned back in his chair, a genuine smile softening his stark features.
    She told him about the strange morning she’d had. “It was weird. Almost like he was glad to have the company, and not just because I was his kid.”
    “From what you’ve told me, it doesn’t sound like he gets too many visitors.”
    She nodded thoughtfully. “It was kind of like visiting someone in prison. Though I don’t know of many where they serve caviar with the scrambled eggs,” she added, with a smile.
    “No one’s keeping him there,” Ryan pointed out.
    “I know, that’s what’s so weird about it. He hasn’t set foot off the estate in more than a decade.”
    “Why do you think that is?”
    “He’s scared, I think. Of being hounded by the press, and also of people finding out the real guy is nothing like the legend. All this publicity around Lauren Rose isn’t helping, either.”
    “Which leads to the more important question: Do you think he’s innocent?” Ryan’s gray eyes fixed on her, forcing her to confront the doubts that had been plaguing her.
    “Yeah, I do.” She was surprised by the conviction in her voice.
    “What makes you so sure?”
    “It wasn’t anything he said. In fact, the subject never came up. I just can’t picture him pulling that trigger, not on purpose.” Grant had seemed more hunted than hunter.
    “You barely know him. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
    “True, but I trust my instincts.”
    “What if they’re wrong? Are you willing to take that risk?” He leaned forward, wearing that stern-dad look he sometimes got when she was sticking her neck out too far, like the time she’d gotten a little too nosy with an actor at a press conference over his reputed mob connections.
    She felt a little flutter of hope. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were worried about me,” she said, her mouth quirking up in a little half smile.
    “Just because we’re not together, it doesn’t mean I don’t still care about you,” he said, with a touch of defensiveness.
    “Ryan…” Now she was reaching for his hand. “The reason I wanted to see you, it wasn’t just to tell you about my father. I wanted you to know how much I’ve missed you.”
    “I’ve missed you, too,” he said quietly.
    “You mean it’s not too late?”
    “If you’re asking if my offer’s still open, the answer is yes.” His tone remained guarded.
    The flutter became a surge of hope. “I still have some stuff to figure out. Are you willing to wait?”
    “Maybe,” he said slowly, not taking his eyes off her face. “It depends on how long a wait it would be.”
    Tears of frustration welled in Stevie’s eyes. How she wanted to reassure him! But she couldn’t mislead him. If all she could offer was honesty, she owed him that much at least. “I can’t make any promises,” she said.
    “Just promise to keep an open mind.”
    Her heart soared. “Does that mean we could go back to the way it was before?”
    “No, but I’d settle for a long engagement.”
    She saw the longing in his eyes, which made it all the more difficult to say what she had to say. “I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair to you. You want kids, and I don’t know if or when I’ll ever be ready for that.”
    “You feel that way now, but—”
    “Ryan, listen to me,” she said, not letting him finish. “You can afford to wait, but I can’t. Why do you think Franny’s in such a burning rush? After a certain age, it’s not an option.”
    “You’re a long way from that,” he said.
    “Maybe not as long as you think.”
    He withdrew his hand and sat back. “In other words, nothing’s changed.” The warmth in his face was cooling as rapidly as the coffee that sat before him, scarcely touched.
    “I’m sorry.” A tear slipped down her cheek.
    Ryan, with a loud scrape that caused her to flinch, abruptly pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. “Look, I’m happy you found your dad. Let’s leave it at that,