Page 92 of Follow My Heart

“Let’s make sure.” Ryder stood and went with Faith and Izzy. He didn’t look back at me, and I shouldn’t expect him to. His daughter would always come first. That’s what made him a good father and why I admired him so much.

But at the same time, I didn’t want to be an afterthought. The woman he left sitting at the table because he forgot he was with her.

I quickly threw out our trash, then went back to my ice-cream cart. Ryder was going through some stuff. It was understandable that he was distracted. But I couldn’t quite displace the hurt for the rest of the afternoon.

Ryder didn’t come over, but we were busy the rest of the festival. I should have been happy with the business, but I was worried about what was going to happen between me and Ryder. I wasn’t sure that the foundation we’d laid would withstand Stacy’s vindictiveness.

I had to be prepared for Ryder to move. I had to rein in these feelings I had for him.

When the crowd dissipated, I cleaned up the cart. Morgan helped me get it into the van I’d rented for the weekend to transport it.

I had a busy evening ahead of me. I needed to get the cart into my house and return the van. I didn’t have time to think about Ryder and what he was going through. He hadn’t stopped by to say goodbye or inquire about my plans for the evening.

He was consumed with his own issues. By the time I was home with the ice cream cart covered and tucked away, I was exhausted.

I showered off the stress of the day. Putting myself out there in the community was more stressful than managing the store. I was worried people would find my flavors lacking or compare it to a franchise.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and was delighted with my holiday flavors. Charlotte asked every vendor to put a holiday spin on their wares. Even the funnel cake had red-and-green sugar sprinkled on top.

By the time I dried off and got dressed for bed, there was a text waiting for me.

I missed you.

I was working the ice-cream cart. He could have stopped by at any time. I tried not to let the hurt sink in but it was impossible.

Where did you go after lunch?

Stacy kept sending messages and calling.

Is that something she does?

If Stacy was going to harass him about things, that would be an issue for me. I wasn’t up for toxicity, even if they shared a child.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call.

“Hey. I can’t say she’s done this since we were separated. I think she was happy with our arrangement. But she really wants me to help her convince Faith to move in with her. She’s panicking.”

My stomach rolled. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Faith doesn’t like Phil or his boys. She doesn’t want to move out of her house. If that happens, she’d prefer to live with me.”

“I can understand being on the same page. But you’re not, and she’s pressuring you to do something you’re not comfortable with.” Namely pressuring Faith to do something she didn’t want to. I didn’t like it. As much as I liked Ryder, I wasn’t sure I could stick around and watch this go down.

“I feel stuck in the middle.”

“So unstick yourself.” I felt impatient, which wasn’t fair. This was a big deal for Ryder and Faith.

Ryder lifted his head. “How do you propose I do that?”

I wanted to say you have to decide what you want and stick with it, but I went with a more neutral statement, “I’d talk to your lawyer. See what your options are.”

Ryder nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

“What happens when Stacy doesn’t get what she wants?” I remembered he’d said she was vengeful, but he hadn’t mentioned details.

“I’ve avoided that reaction over the years.”

He’d pleased her rather than deal with her wrath. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It felt like a bad omen for us. “If you want the best for your daughter, you might have to stand up to your ex now and then.”

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