Back to the Heart Read Online Free Page B

would be like to kiss him consuming her. Why did he have to be so attractive?
    I like weddings,” she stuttered. “I’m just still a bit tired from the move. I’m happy for my sister, though.” She was enjoying the night. Being around Ryan just made her feel flustered. “What about your family?”
    My family is far away from here.” He let out a sigh, as if the subject made him uncomfortable.
    I know that, Mister Wanderer.” She cracked a smile. “Tell me about them. From the way you look right now, I can’t help but wonder if you’re trying to escape them.” The second the words left her mouth, Ana realized how rude they sounded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t assume anything like that.”
    No. It’s fine.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, sending electric signals throughout her body. His hand was so warm. She didn’t want him to draw it away, but he did. “My younger brother is the vice president of a corporation. My parents live on a ranch similar to the one your mother owns. My grandparents on both sides passed away.”
    That’s a shame,” Ana said, feeling bad for asking.
    Death is a part of life, but let’s not talk about that.” He took the final sip of his champagne.
    It must be hard living in your brother’s shadow.” Ana could relate. Celia was the good daughter, always traveling the path of least resistance. Ana had been the wanderer, leaving home in search of something better. Maybe Ryan was doing the same thing. She could only hope that he had better luck than she had.
    We don’t live that way.” He smiled, scanning her face in a way that made Ana feel small and hot. “No one is better than anyone in my family. That’s how we were raised to think.”
    That’s how I was raised to think too, but it’s hard to feel that way sometimes.” She cast a glance at her sister, who was smiling and laughing with her new husband among some friends.
    What does your husband or boyfriend do for a living?”
    Husband?” The question caught Ana completely off guard. Surely he’d realized she wasn’t wearing a ring. Disappointment coursed through her at the thought that he might have never looked. Perhaps he wasn’t as interested as she had assumed. “I don’t have a husband or a boyfriend.”
    Then the father of the child.” His eyes fell to her stomach.
    She cradled her belly, an overwhelming sadness consuming her. So he could tell? Maybe everyone could. “He’s back in New York.”
    I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” Ryan held a hand up.
    I know.” Her shoulders slumped. “He’s not in the picture anymore. He didn’t want anything to do with me once he found out I was pregnant.” The confession made her ashamed, like she was admitting to being naive. She and Rick should have never happened, but she’d held onto false hope that everything would turn out okay.
    Now that’s a true shame. Leaving such a beautiful woman after making a precious gift with her.”
    Their eyes locked. Was Ryan being serious? Did he really think that her getting pregnant out of wedlock was a gift? Would he still be saying that if it had been him who had knocked her up?
    She knew then that he didn’t care that she was pregnant. He liked her anyway. It showed in his eyes, in the sensual way that he looked at her.
    How long are you going to be staying with us?” Her voice sounded small as she tried to pull herself together. The fluttering of emotions inside of Ana was so strong that she couldn’t even force herself to look at Ryan as she asked the question that suddenly meant so much to her. She already knew the answer. In another week, he would be gone. Whatever they had together right now would be over, and he’d be moving on somewhere else, making his trek across the country to God knew where.
    As long as it takes me to finish all the jobs your mother has for me.”
    Shiny black loafers came into Ana’s view as Ryan took a step closer to her. When she looked back up, he was gazing down at her beneath