Page 59 of Surgeon's Surprise Baby
“It’s sure as hell not paradise.”Before he could stop himself he started talking.“Aria thinks I’m planning to move and didn’t tell her.”
“Why?Doesn’t she know you’re head over ass in love with her?”
“She doesn’t believe it.”He told Connor the short version of what had happened the day before.“She kicked me out last night.Can you believe that?”
“Yeah.I mean, if she thinks you were going to run again, it’s no wonder.”
“I didn’t run from her.”
“Bullshit.That’s exactly what you did.”
He had a point.“We worked through all that.At least, I thought we did.”
“Obviously, she hasn’t.”
He told Connor what Melvin had told her and that was why she thought he was preparing to move again.“But I’m in love with her.And the baby.”
“Have you told her that?”
“Yes.A lot.And she said she loved me.And now this.”He kicked a chair.“What am I supposed to do now?She won’t let me explain, not that there’s really anything to explain other than it’s all a big misunderstanding.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Ryan.Maybe she’ll think about it and realize that.”
“Maybe she won’t.I swear I think she’s scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Making a commitment to me.She’s worried it won’t work out and she doesn’t want to be hurt.But when she first told me about Sophie she said I had to commit to the baby if I wanted to know her.And that even if I moved away I had to still be there for her.I couldn’t just have her love me and then leave her hanging.Which I sure as hell wouldn’t do.”
“I think you’re going to have to back off and let her think about it.If she loves you she’ll come around.Sooner or later.”
He hoped so, but he wasn’t at all sure of it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aria’s father cameto see her two days after she told Ryan to leave.He’d called and asked if he could see her.She hadn’t been sure.She didn’t know why he suddenly felt he needed to see her, but he’d said it was important.So she told him yes.
He looks worse,she thought when he showed up.He hadn’t looked well since she’d seen him again, but now he looked really bad.“Your cancer is worse, isn’t it?”
He looked surprised.“How did you know?”
She didn’t want to tell him he looked awful so she said, “Just a guess.Is that why you wanted to see me?”
He nodded.“The doctor… he’s not hopeful.At first he thought I’d have several months but now he says it’s probably a matter of weeks.Maybe a couple more months.”
“Are you still getting treatment?”
“No, we discontinued the chemo.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Yes.I’m tired, Aria.The chemo might give me a few more days or even a week or two, but it’s not worth it to me.”
Aria thought about her mother.She’d said the same thing.She was tired and wanted to let the illness decide when it was time to go.“What are you going to do?Are you going in the hospital?”
“There’s a place in Billings that has VA hospice care.My place in Bozeman doesn’t have that.The doctor wants me to go to Billings.”
“Are you going to?”
