Page 37 of The Grinch who Loved Me
Rick snorted, “Love? A woman could never love a man like us. We are broken. And we can’t give a woman a life like she wants.”
Ryland shook his head, “My girl is different dad. She isn’t like mom. She likes people, yes, but she also likes the solitude.”
His dad snorted in derision. “I will believe it when I see it. Your mother was the same. Remember? She was content with our life for years and then she wasn’t. She wanted more and decided that neither of us were worth fighting for. She fucking abandoned us both. Or did you conveniently forget that small detail in your ‘love’?”
Ryland shook his head, “I didn’t forget dad. I know what mom did. It’s why I have avoided women like the plague for the majority of my life, but I’m telling you, Aria is different. She isn’t like mom. She would never turn her back on her family.”
His dad scoffed, “I thought that when I married your fucking mother too.”
Ryland took a step back, his body shaking with rage, “I am aware of my mother and her faults. And I hate her as much as you do for leaving us and never looking back, but Aria has a soul and a heart like I have never seen before. She is genuine and beautiful. Inside and out. She is so perfect in my eyes and if she wanted to leave, I would follow. I will give up the shop, my cars and my very being to be with her. You may not have wanted to fight for your woman, but I sure as hell will fight for mine.”
Rick snarled and swung at Ryland, who ducked out of the way, “You think you know what happened? That I didn’t fight for her? You don’t have any fucking clue.”
Ryland nodded, “I do. You smothered mom with your hatred of people and never let her fly. You clipped her wings and I know how much she resented that. How hard it was for her to be kept in a cage. That’s what this was dad. A cage. You may have never wanted to leave this place, but you shouldn’t have asked your wife not to leave either. You didn’t give her a choice. You just decided what was best for you and didn’t let her do what was best for her. She would have stayed with us had you given her a little bit of slack, but you didn’t. You just kept ignoring her wants and wishes and I didn’t see it. Until now.”
Rick deflated and leaned against the counter and looked over at Ryland, “I did do that. Didn’t I?”
Ryland nodded, “You did. You brought me over to your mentality as well and while I’m grateful for everything you gave me and showed me in life, I know that I didn’t do half of what normal kids did. I don’t want that in my future and for my kids when I have them. I don’t want to smother Aria. I want to see her fly. And fly with her. To show her the world and see it through her eyes. You need to let your prejudice against women go. Mom didn’t do anything wrong except to find a better life.”
His dad nodded and Ryland heard Aria open the bedroom door and the sound of her crutches on the floor as she came toward the kitchen.
His dad looked up and then lifted his eyebrows and watched as Aria came into the kitchen, wearing one of Ryland’s shirts.
It hung on her body and fell to her knees and one delicate shoulder was peeking free from the neckline.
Ryland felt a smile cross his face and he walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
“Did you sleep well?”
She went pink, and he knew very well that she hadn’t gotten sleep for most of the night.
She nodded, “I did.”
She looked over at his dad and Ryland put his hand on the small of her back and walked beside her, “Dad. This is Aria.”
His dad still had his eyebrows raised and Aria held out her hand while Ryland held her, not letting her fall even if she wanted to.
His dad looked down at her hand and then back up at her and Aria slowly dropped her hand and then grabbed onto her crutch and looked up at him.
Ryland fought to hold back a growl and his dad looked at him, “This is Aria? This tiny sprite of a girl? You can’t be serious.”
Aria sucked in a quiet breath and Ryland glared at his father, “As I said before, Aria is perfect in every fucking way. Yes, she is tiny, but perfection only grew so long in her.”
His dad shook his head, “I just don’t understand this. How can this possibly work?”
Ryland’s glare deepened, “It works. And it has from the beginning. What is it you want to say dad? Just know though, you need to be very careful when talking about the woman I love.”
Aria gasped and looked up at him and then back at his dad, “How can she be a mother someday? With her disability?”
Ryland pulled Aria into his side, “Believe it or not dad, Aria is capable of walking without her crutches. She just feels more comfortable with them. And any help she needs when she has our children, I will provide for her. I have saved up enough money over the last few years that we could live comfortably and never have to worry about me working while I helped with our kids. Aria is capable of a lot of things and is an amazing aunt to her nieces and nephews. She will be a fantastic mother and I can’t wait to see her round with our children.”
Aria gasped again and he looked down at her, and smiled.
She hugged his arm and then looked over at his dad, “I know you see my crutches and assume that I am broken or cannot live the life you think, but I assure you, I can. And have. I am a successful business owner and have run it for two years now. I drive myself places and am capable of more things than you can even imagine. I may have a disability, and while some people may think it defines who I am, I don’t let it fully. It is part of me and always will be, and I won’t be sad or sorry for it. My disability makes me the person I am. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my disability.”
His dad’s face softened and then he sighed, “Forgive me. That was unbelievably rude of me to question you. Or Ryland. I don’t have a great track record with women or people for that matter and while that isn’t an excuse, I do want you to know I am sorry. For assuming. If Ryland has faith in you, and speaks so highly of you, then I know I should feel the same. I was just shocked. He has never given women the time of day before you. I don’t think.”
Ryland shook his head, “None of them were Aria. She shook up my entire world and I will never regret that. She made a Grinch fall in love. With her and with life again.”
