Page 6 of Love's Patient Journey
Karlie barked out a laugh, “Mine either, but Drew loves my curves. He says it’s sexy that my body was able to give him Jemma. Every time I tell him that I need to lose the last ten pounds from my pregnancy, he gets mad, telling me that I’m perfect the way I am.”
Karlie and Jenna collectively sighed. “Yeah, well, some of us don’t have a knight in shining armor telling us how perfect we are.” Jenna put the second cookie back on the plate, deciding against the extra calories. Karlie laughed and put the plate back on the table.
“Drew is hardly a knight. He has his faults, but he’s good at loving me.” Karlie smiled a dreamy smile of a woman well satisfied. Jenna suddenly lost interest in the half-eaten cookie in her hand.
“Please, I am ready to burst into flames from not having sex for over two years, and you rub salt in my wounds?” Karlie looked a little guilty at Jenna’s statement.
“Um, sorry,” Ryan said, clearing his throat from behind them. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but Jem wants a bottle.” Karlie got up to find her daughter’s juice bottle, and Jenna groaned and banged her head on the table.
“I’ll just take this to her,” Karlie gestured to the bottle and headed out of her kitchen, leaving Jenna alone with Ryan.
He sat next to her at the table. “Jenna, honey, look at me.”
“No,” she felt ready to cry. She had the worst luck with men. Jake was crazy, and no other man seemed interested in dating her once they found out that she had a two-year-old. “Just leave me alone, Ryan. I’m not worth the trouble.”
Ryan growled, causing Jenna to look up at him. “I don’t want to hear you say that again, Jenna. You are worth every bit of trouble you’re gonna give me.” Ryan seemed angry with her, and she sat up a little straighter in her chair. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but her relationship with Jake caused her to be leery of angry men. There were many times that Jake had grabbed her a little too roughly, and a few times when he had hit her. The last time they were together, Jake knocked her out and locked her in a closet. Ryan must have realized that he frightened Jenna because he backed away from her.
“Jenna, Christ—I’d never—” He ran his fingers through his hair, not finishing his statement.
“I know you wouldn’t hurt me, Ryan. I am just a little—I don’t know, broken, after what Jake did to me. I don’t trust easily. But I do know that you’d never physically hurt me.” She put her hand on his arm, and he flinched.
“You should be scared of me, though. I am worried that I will hurt you. I’m sure I will, emotionally. I don’t think I can be what you need me to be. I want you, Jenna, but I might not be what you want.” Ryan started to stand, but Jenna held onto his arm.
“Please, Ryan, don’t go yet. You are exactly what I want. I have wanted you forever. I just can’t let you in if you are going to leave again. I won’t be able to watch you walk away again; it would hurt too much,” Jenna sobbed.
Ryan stood, taking Jenna with him, pulling her into his body. “Honey, I’m not going anywhere.
I—”
“Jenna,” Drew yelled from down the hall, “your son needs a diaper change.” Drew came into the kitchen, carrying Zac under his arm like a football. Her son was squealing with delight as Drew handed him to Jenna. She freed herself from Ryan’s arms and took her very stinky son.
“Ugh,” Ryan laughed, pinching his nose, “What did you feed him?” Jenna laughed and grabbed the diaper bag.
“Zac, you should have told Uncle Drew that you needed to use the potty.” Zac tried to look innocent and shrugged.
“I no-no, Mommy.” He patted her cheek, and she couldn’t help her smile. Yeah, potty training wasn’t going so well. “I’m going to change him in Jem’s room. Then, I need to head out.” She looked at Ryan. “Can I pick up anything for tonight?”
“Naw, I’ve got it,” he smiled at her and Zac. “I’ll see you both at five, with cheese pizza.” Zac cheered and clapped.
“Let’s get you cleaned up, and then we’ll go to the grocery store, little man.” Zac’s cheering stopped. Her son felt the same way that she did about grocery shopping; he wasn’t a fan.
“No! I no go, Mama.” Zac was squirming to get away from her, but she knew from experience that if she let him down, he’d be sitting in that dirty diaper until she could catch him again.
“Zachary Ryan, stop your squirming and settle down.” She looked at Ryan, and he grimaced at the use of Zac’s middle name. Jenna just smiled at him.
“You said it was okay to give him your name,” she shrugged, still struggling with Zac’s efforts to escape.
“Yeah, but the way you middle-name the kid, it sounds like a curse. He’s going to hate his middle name by the time he’s a teenager.” Ryan was next to her, holding his arms out for Zac, who willingly went to him. “Let’s get your diaper changed, buddy, and then we’ll all go grocery shopping. You and I can play while your mama gets what she needs.”
“Ryan, really—that’s not necessary. Zac and I will be just fine. We go grocery shopping every Saturday.”
Ryan kissed Jenna’s cheek, so sweet and tender, “I know, honey, but I’d like to tag along. If that’s okay with you?”
“Well, if you want to, that would be a help. I’m already running late today because of Zac’s late nap,” Jenna admitted.
“Um, I may have a better idea.” Drew broke in, “How about Zac stays the night with us? You know he likes to have sleepovers with Jemma, and we already have everything he needs here.” Drew looked between the two of them. “That way, you two can go out to dinner, have a real date.” He winked at Jenna, and she felt her face get hot again. Geeze, what was with all the blushing?
“No, I couldn’t just dump him on you guys, Drew. We’ll be fine—” She couldn’t even finish her statement when Jem and Karlie came into the already packed kitchen. Zac squirmed, causing Ryan to put him down. He ran to Jemma and hugged her tightly.
