It was late. The room was dark and they were tangled together under the blankets. Ryder knew he should be asleep–they both should–but his mind wouldn’t shut down.
“I can hear you thinking,” she said sleepily, her head on his shoulder. “What’s going on?”
After letting out a long breath, he kissed the top of her head. “I’m still trying to process everything that happened with my parents. I can’t believe my mother has cancer and I’m horrified by my father’s behavior.”
“So that’s never happened before?”
“Not like that. My father has always been rather aloof, but that was flat out rude tonight and I’m embarrassed that you had to witness it.”
“I’d like to say it’s not a big deal but…it wasn’t fun being on the receiving end of his mood.” She kissed his shoulder. “What was he like when you were growing up?”
“He had less gray hair.”
“Ryder…”
Running his fingers through her hair, he decided to confess a little. “One of the reasons I’m so drawn to Magnolia Sound is because of your family.”
Lifting her head, she stared down at him. His eyes had adjusted enough to the dark to see the shocked expression on her face. “Seriously? My family? Why? Because they remind you of yours?”
That made him laugh softly as he guided her head back to his shoulder. “No. And I’m talking about your extended family. The first time Austin invited me to some family get-together, I went to just sort of appease him and thought I’d stop in for a few minutes and then leave. Then I started talking to people and ended up staying for the entire time. There was no angle, no one was asking anything of me, I was there and people were just genuinely nice. So, naturally, I thought it was just a one-time thing. But the next event I went to, it was the same and…people seemed happy that I was there.”
She nodded.
“As crazy as it sounds, I never knew families could be like that. It didn’t matter what the occasion, everyone laughed and smiled and got along. I can’t even remember the last Ashford family get-together where anyone smiled,” he said with disgust. “Now I find myself thinking of the extended Coleman family as…well…family.”
Beside him, she didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
“Peyton?”
“Is that why you’re with me? What attracted you to me? The fact that I’m part of the whole Coleman family package?” she asked quietly and Ryder could hear the insecurity in her voice.
Gently, he maneuvered them so he could look at her face. “It wouldn’t matter who your family was…I’d be drawn to you. Even when you hated me, I was drawn to you. Never doubt how I feel, Duchess.”
He heard and felt her shaky breath. “No one could believe that someone like you would want to date someone like me. So hearing you say all this about my family…”
Caressing her cheek, Ryder leaned in and kissed her softly. “They have nothing to do with us. I swear. It was important for me to share with you this…this part of how I feel. My family was dysfunctional and I didn’t realize it until I came to Magnolia.” He paused before deciding on one more confession. “And I owe you an apology.”
“Ryder, we’ve already discussed this. You don’t need to apologize for your parents…”
“No, not that. I didn’t truly understand just how stressed you were before Mason’s party. But earlier today when I was waiting for my parents to get here and then waiting for you? It occurred to me just how much I didn’t take what you were feeling seriously. So…I’m sorry.”
She snuggled close. “Thank you.”
He kissed her again just because.
“What a pair we are, huh?” she whispered. “All this time I kept thinking how we didn’t have a whole lot in common besides our business interests and then it turns out we both have nightmares for parents.”
That made him laugh. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.”
“I hope I didn’t overstep about your mom coming here to recover. She just seemed so lost and the thought of only having your father around to support her was just…ugh.”
“I’ll admit the thought never occurred to me, but once you said it, I was kind of ashamed that I hadn’t considered it before.”
“Well…it sounds like there’s a good reason for it.” A yawn cut off her words and she hummed softly. “I think I need to get some sleep.”
Hugging her gently, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Good night,” he whispered.
And then, when her breathing slowed and he knew she was asleep, he added, “I love you.”
11
For the better part of a week, Peyton couldn’t get Ryder’s mother off her mind. Not only because of her cancer diagnosis, but because of all the similarities she saw between Helen and her own mother. What were the odds that she and Ryder would have that in common?
It was something the two of them talked about over the last few days, and she wasn’t sure what broke her heart more–the fact that he wasn’t more concerned about his mother’s health or how Helen seemed so indifferent to her own son.
And that’s how Peyton found herself pulling up to her childhood home on a Wednesday afternoon.
When she knocked as she let herself into the house, the look of shock on her mother’s face almost made her laugh.
“Peyton! This is unexpected. Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“It’s good to see you too, Mom,” she murmured as she kissed her on the cheek. Dropping her purse on the entryway table, she walked over to the living room and sat down.
“Is everything okay? You look like there’s something on your mind,” Georgia said as she sat down.
The thought of confronting her mother really hadn’t come to her until earlier today and there wasn’t anything that ultimately pushed her to do it. It was like suddenly she just knew this was a conversation that they needed to have.
Studying her hands in her lap, she carefully began. “I need to ask you something.”
“Of course. You know you can ask me anything.”
That statement was almost laughable, but she held it in. “Why are you so critical of everyone?” she asked, and immediately braced herself for the response.
Georgia didn’t immediately reply. “May I ask what brought this on?”
Now she looked up. “I met Ryder’s mother and…I noticed a lot of similarities and it made me sad.”
“Similarities…how?”
Ugh…how could she explain it? “The way she spoke, the way she criticized, the way she talked to Ryder more like a stranger than a son.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever treated you like a stranger, Peyton.”
“No, but you certainly haven’t been remotely supportive of me or my dreams,” she explained. “You’re constantly talking down to me like I’m too stupid to make my own decisions–even though I’ve always been the one to follow all the rules and haven’t failed at anything I’ve tried.” With a sigh, she added, “I just don’t understand why it’s so hard for you to acknowledge my successes or for you to show any motherly affection.”