Macy nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know.” They shared a long look, and then Macy asked, “How did he take it?”
“He was hurt. I feel awful today. I really want to call him, Mace. I just want himnotto be mad at me.”
“Was he mad, too?”
“I don’t know. Let me put it this way, he sure wasn’t happy.” She watched baby Justin crawl across the kitchen floor, pushing his plastic dump truck ahead of him. He looked perfectly content. Watching him, Riley could almost wish she was a kid again—back when life wasn’t so full of complications and difficult choices.
Macy said, “I doubt Josh is angry at you. He’s probably just trying to deal with your decision and figure out what he needs to do next.”
“You think?”
“I do, yeah. Give it time. Be ready when he’s willing to talk about it.”
“Oh, Mace. I want to fix it, and I want to fix it now.”
“Of course you do.”
“It’s weird. I mean, all this happened last night. But I miss him today like I haven’t seen him in months. I get that I should give him some space, but all I want to do is head straight for his place and beg him not to push me away. I have this burning need to get it all worked out between us, to make things right again.”
Macy just looked at her, a thoughtful kind of look.
Riley demanded, “What in the world are you thinking?”
“So…have you had second thoughts about marrying him?”
“Oh, no way! I told you. I amnevergetting married again.”
Macy suggested softly, “Then maybe you really should give him space for a bit.”
“Ugh. I know you’re right. I just…”
“You miss him.”
“I do. So much.”
Right then, Justin rolled his toy dump truck into Riley’s foot. “Ga-baa-da!” he announced.
She ruffled his dark, curly hair. “Back at you, young man!”
He giggled up at her and then drove his dump truck around the barrier of her shoe and under the table. Riley watched him crawl away pushing the toy.
When she glanced Macy’s way, her friend was staring at her. “Go ahead,” Riley grumbled. “Just say it.”
“Well, lately, you two have gotten really close. And I’m not only talking about the, er, friends-with-benefits thing. You’re close, and you count on each other, and you’re together a lot. Your sons are like brothers. And on top of all that, now you’re having a baby with him. Last night you said no to him. He walked out.”
“Why are you telling me what I already know? I was there, remember? Where is this going?”
“Well, think about how you feel right now. You seem pretty miserable.”
“What? It’s strange that I’m miserable? Of course I’m miserable. He’s my friend, and he’s not happy with me.”
“And you can’t do a lot about it right this minute. Not unless you change your mind and say yes.”
“I told you, that’s not ever happening.”
“Well, okay then. You wait. Eventually he’ll come to you.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
