Bachelor at Her Bidding (Bachelor Auction Book 2)(30)

He shook his head. “I’m not dumping my responsibilities,”

“Nobody’s asking you to do that, Ry.”

Oh, but they had – not that he intended to discuss that with Rachel. He was still too angry with himself for choosing someone so selfish and inflexible as Lucille. For getting it so wrong. No way would Lucille have wanted to be a mother. She needed to come first all the time – and you couldn’t do that when you had kids.

“And maybe your grandmother would enjoy having someone different to talk to,” she pointed out.

He lifted his chin. “So now you’re saying I’m not enough for her?”

“No, I’m not saying that at all.” She sighed. “Ry, you’re a good man and everyone in Marietta respects what you’re doing. But y’know, it’s like how everyone got together to help with Molly and Josh – people in the town like helping out and looking after their own. I remember when Phyllis retired, and I reckon she must’ve taught everyone over the age of twenty-seven who grew up in Marietta. She did a lot for them, and now this is their chance to give something back to her.”

“I’m not dumping my responsibilities,” Ryan repeated.

“OK, I get why you feel that way, but would you at least let me sit with her? Not as your girlfriend and not as a doctor – but as a friend and a former pupil who appreciates the help she gave me and who’d like to reminisce a bit with her about the High School and the Marietta Fair and the way the town’s changed over the years?” she asked.

“And I’d do what, while you sat with her?”

“Have some space to yourself to do whatever you wanted to do. Go for a run, have some fun in your kitchen developing some amazing new dessert to wow the customers at Grey’s, lie in the bath for twenty minutes without worrying that Phyllis is going to need you – and meanwhile Phyllis gets to talk to someone different and talk about things that you might not normally discuss with her. The way I see it, everyone wins.”

He thought about it. And thought some more. And then he put his arms round her. “I’m sorry. I was unfair to you just now and I shouldn’t have been so touchy. That’s kind of you to offer.”

“Is that what someone wanted you to do?” she asked softly. “Dump your grandmother?”

Her perception made him wince inwardly. She’d hit the nail right on the head, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to talk about it. He focused instead on what she’d said. “So you’re saying as a doctor that she needs more company?”

“I’m not talking as a doctor, but if you want me to I can.”

He shook his head. “I’m not expecting free medical advice.”

She smiled. “And I’m not offering it, either. I’m just saying that if you can’t get out much, then sometimes it’s good to have different company and change things up a bit.”

“I guess.” He took her hand and traced a pattern on her palm. “You could come for dinner on Friday night. If you’re not busy.”

“I’d like that.” She smiled at him. “What are your grandmother’s favorite flowers?”

“She likes all flowers,” he said, “and you don’t need to bring her flowers.”

“I know I don’t need to, Ry, but does it ever occur to you that I might like to?”

“And I’m introducing you as a friend.”

“Not as your girlfriend. Agreed. Because we’re not dating.”

That stung, even though it was the truth and he’d been the one to make a point about it in the first place.

Part of Ryan really wanted to date Rachel properly. He knew she understood the way his life was structured and why. And yet, if he let himself open up to her… would he end up hurt again, like he had with Lucille? It wasn’t a risk he felt ready to take. And he knew that Rachel had problems trusting, too. Her ex had totally trashed her confidence in herself.

Maybe they could heal each other.

Or maybe they’d just make everything worse.

Right at that moment, he had no idea how it was going to pan out.

*

On Friday evening, Rachel drove over to Ryan’s house with flowers. She felt ridiculously shy; even though she and Ryan had agreed she was doing this as his friend, it still felt like the equivalent of “meet the folks”. Although she’d known Phyllis for years it had been as a pupil, not as the potential girlfriend of her grandson.

And Nick’s family had always been cool toward her. They’d never made her feel accepted and as if she was one of them; Rachel had always been aware that she was regarded as “just an in-law” rather than as family. She wasn’t sure whether it was because they’d known what Nick was doing and felt guilty about it, so they’d distanced themselves from her and from the situation; or whether, like Nick, they felt she wasn’t enough for him. They certainly hadn’t been keen on coming to Marietta to have Thanksgiving with her folks, preferring their sophisticated city life to the big skies and simpler lifestyle of Copper Mountain.

How would Phyllis be with her? Accepting or wary?

To Rachel’s relief, Phyllis was immediately warm and friendly. She hugged Rachel for the flowers, then encouraged her to talk about her studies in Missoula and her medical training. Funny, she felt more at home on her first visit to Ryan’s family than she had in three years of marriage and visits to Nick’s family.