Page 18 of Daddy to Go
The whole Vincent’s thing couldn’t have worked out better. I seriously had no idea that it would happen. I figured enough people knew Ryder was new in town that they would realize he wasn’t just walking around repeating the commercial over and over again. I had to admit though, the scenario was hilarious to me. I was still trying to control myself enough to not laugh at him.
I cleared my throat and put the menu down. “I want to ask you a question.”
He smirked. “Okay. Shoot.”
I furled my brow, trying to look as serious as I could. “I have a very important question for you. Now, this question is usually reserved for later on. The kind of question a girl asks herself before she accepts a ring. Are you sure you’re ready for it?”
He shrugged a little, trying to look casual, but then pushed his shoulders forward. “Right. Got it. But you think it’s important to know now.”
I tilted my head back and forth. “It’s more essential to the happiness of our dinner than anything else. So here it is. Are you ready?”
He nodded faster, chuckling a little. I breathed deeply in and closed my eyes as I let the air back out of my lungs. “What are your feelings about pineapple on top of a pizza?”
I could see him visibly let out a deep breath. He thought about it for a second and then shrugged.
“I’ll just throw caution to the wind here and tell the truth. I believe that pineapple on pizza is the best invention ever created. And while I do like ham, I prefer either bacon, or having the savory part be something like mushrooms and green peppers.”
My face was perfectly still for several intense seconds and I finally gave in. With a huge smile I nodded my head. “You just might be okay after all. Is there anything you don’t eat?”
He pursed his lips, his eyes shifting around the restaurant. “Pepperoni. I don’t eat pepperoni.”
With a giggle I nodded. “Alright, no pepperoni on our pizza then. I mean itisthe most widely chosen pizza topping. But for you I will make an exception,” I said with a queenly air.
He chuckled. “Thank you.”
When the waitress came back, I ordered my favorite pizza, a large deep dish with extra cheese, pineapple, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and Canadian bacon. The waitress, a girl I knew from grade school, eyed Ryder and then winked at me before walking away. Luckily when I looked over at him, he didn’t seem to have noticed it at all.
He tapped the table like drum and then pointed at me. “Okay Abby. Tell me about yourself. What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?”
I smiled, putting my elbows on the table and pressing my palms together. “Well, I grew up here in Farmington. I currently rent the apartment that is located above my mother’s garage. That’s right, I pay rent to her.”
There was no judgment in his eyes. “That’s cool. You get your own place but you help pay bills for your mom. I don’t blame you for that. Are you still in college?”
Ugh, the college question.I sucked it up and held my pride.
“No. I’ve been working for a call center in town for almost two years now, ever since I graduated high school. Part of the money I make goes into an account to pay for things because we don’t have much. My mom is a single mom and she works as a secretary for a construction firm two towns over. With me and my little sister, my mom can’t afford to put me through more school.”
Again, there was no judgment in his look at all. At that moment, the waitress came and dropped off a pizza stand and our drinks. When she was gone, I awkwardly took a sip of my diet soda and continued. If I was serious about getting to know Ryder, I had to open up to him as well, so I took a deep breath.
“Then there’s my poor sad daddy story. He was around for three years of my life, and two days after my sister Melody was born, he disappeared. Bon voyage. Never to be seen again. From an early age I knew my mom was going to rely on me for stuff, but I swear I don’t have daddy issues.”
Ryder snorted and then looked at me mortified.
“I’m sorry, my snort wasn’t directed at you. Sorry. That was more directed at mebecause maybeIhave parental issues. Me and my sis, Pam, we’re pretty much orphans. My mother was a surgeon, and my father was a tinkering scientist. He worked for a big university during the day and at night in his lab at home. One day they went to run some errands with me and Pam at home, and never came back. A car accident took their lives. We were teenagers so we went and stayed with friends and family until going off to college.”
Instantly my heart went out to him. There was a big difference in someone not being there because they left versus, they died. I know that everyone has baggage, but I really didn’t predict this coming from Ryder. I expected him to have some rich parents in a big mansion in some hills somewhere. Not two dead parents.
“Where is your sister?” I asked.
“Florida,” he said, his tone showing he was glad to change the subject. “Yeah, my sis lives out there with her husband and their two kids. My niece and nephew. They have the best marriage and are always happy. It feels good knowing that she’s taken care of.”
“I’m sure,” I said in a slight shock. “I’m sorry you lost your parents. I can’t even imagine what that must be like. I should never have said anything about mine.”
Ryder shook his head, reaching over and cupping his hand over mine. “Everyone weathers their own storms. So we both have sad stories. It’s not a competition, and it shouldn’t be.”
His words made sense, but it still didn’t take away that ball of anxiousness from my chest. Luckily, before any kind of awkward silence could set in, the waitress was back with the pizza. I could see Ryder’s eyes go wide. The thing was huge. I served him a piece and waited for him to try it. His expression was ecstatic.
Laughing I took a bite of mine. “I told you, Iamgenius. When it comes to food, at least.”