Loving the Ice Queen

Chapter 17

Ryan

Miranda plucked my phone from my hand.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

I took my phone back and gave her a look. "Where's Jeremy?"

I'd left the two of them in Jeremy's room and went down to text Barbara in peace.

"In his room," she said, throwing her auburn hair over her shoulder. "So, which bedroom should I take?"

"I thought you were staying in a hotel?" I said, putting my phone in my back pocket.

"I was going to do that, but," she sighed, licking her lips. "But I wanted to take advantage of the time I have with you guys before going back to L.A. Jeremy loved the idea as well."

Whenever she visited us back in England, she always stayed at a hotel. I didn't know whether I liked having her in my house after so many years.

But Jeremy would no doubt love having her around at all times. If it made Jeremy happy, then that was all that mattered.

"You can take the guest bedroom next to Jeremy's room," I told her. She clapped her hands, the bright red of her long nails glimmering under the kitchen light.

"Great! I hope your girlfriend won't mind," she said.

"What girlfriend?" I asked, although I knew who she was referring to.

"The CEO," she said. "That woman you're dating, what's her name?"

"Barbara isn't my girlfriend," I said, disappointed that it wasn't the case. But I had too many issues to sort out before I brought anyone into my life. "Anyway, we need to work out a schedule for you to see Jeremy on a regular basis."

She pinched her lips to the side. "She's not your girlfriend?"

I groaned and turned to make myself a cup of coffee. I pulled a cup from the cupboard next to my head. "Miranda, my love life is none of your concern. Now, Jeremy."

"Alright, alright, don't be mad," she said with a huff. "Well, I was thinking you guys should move to L.A."

My finger paused on the button of the coffee machine. I slowly turned towards her and raised both brows. "Why in the world would we do that?"

"To be closer to me, obviously," she said. "You don't really have any engagement here in New York, and Jeremy can go to school anywhere."

"No." I punched the button of the coffee machine and crossed my arms, leaning against the counter. "We're not moving to L.A."

We'd been living there when Jeremy was born, since Miranda had insisted we did. As she had pointed out, it didn't make a difference to me where we lived as long as Jeremy liked the place. But my experience with L.A. left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Miranda surrounded herself with all kinds of people there. Most of whom I wanted nowhere near my son. If we went there, we would be the center of attention again, and this time Jeremy was old enough to be affected by their crap. I didn't want my son in that kind of environment.

"So how am I supposed to see Jeremy otherwise?" Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Flying back and forth," I said. "If we set up a schedule, it'll work. Hell, I'll even get a private jet if it makes things easier."

"A private jet?" Miranda said, her eyes wide in interest.

I rubbed his face. I had been half joking, but..."Yes, I'll get a damn airplane if it makes you fly here to see your son. We'll fly there as well."