Roman was one of those guys who happily ate whatever was in front of him. He also knew how to make the most disgusting MRE palatable, and wasn’t a stranger to home delivered gourmet. But the pile of crunchy no name fish sticks with the side of gooey mac and cheese was nothing short of bliss on a Melamine plate.
Over dinner, they happily chatted about whatever popped into the conversation.
Kelly shared a truly terrible joke that was so bad even the kid rolled his eyes. Matty informed them that Bob the Builder had a friend named Wendy and for Roman’s part, he explained how to power a light bulb using a big potato, pennies, a scrap of copper wire, zinc-plated nails and a nightlight bulb.
It was remarkably family-ish, and he wasn’t at all concerned by the thought.
“Are we going to live with you?” Matty asked. He was munching on a fish stick like a bunny eating a carrot.
Roman reached for Kelly’s hand and held tight. “Getting a room ready for you right now,” he explained. “And you can decorate it any way you want.”
“What about Kik? Does she get a room?”
No time like the present. “She’ll be staying in my room, with me.”
Matty took this news without missing a beat. “She farts in her sleep.”
“Matthew James,” Kelly shrieked. “Don’t tell him that.”
Roman had to laugh. From the mouths of babes. “Yeah,” he told him in somber agreement. “Found that out. And ya’ know what else? She rubs her snotty nose on my shirt.”
Matty cracked up with giggles.
“Oh. I see how it’s gonna’ be.” She sat back and fumed at them. “Making fun of the girl.”
What came next from this particular babe’s mouth?
“I love Kik,” Matty gushed. “Don’t you, Roman?”
A smart man would have deflected the question, but he wasn’t smart. Not anymore. Not since an insatiable sprite shook his world inside out.
“She’s easy to love, I’ll grant you that.”
Their eyes connected but she flushed bright red and looked away.
“Listen,” he chatted amiably to the boy. “I have a friend who’s going to send some pictures of my place for you to look at. What do you say if we take a selfie to share with her?”
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Oh, uh, her name is…” he choked. What would Rhiann be to Matty? Sister-in-law? Shit. That means she’s not an aunt. Okay, so first names were called for.
“Rhiann,” he said. “I call her Rhi. She’s engaged to…”
Kelly’s hand slammed onto the table. “That’s enough.”
Unsure-of-herself Kelly was gone. Don’t fuck-with-me Kelly was in da’ house.
“Take your picture and then clear the table. Matty, you’re on trash duty.”
The determined, slightly adversarial tone she used didn’t do anything helpful for his raging libido.
They smooshed together for a group shot that nearly got derailed multiple times due to Matty’s fascination with Roman’s iPhone. It would’ve been awesome if Kelly made an attempt to smile, but he dashed that thought and instead was grateful she hadn’t flipped the bird.
Clean-up was a breeze, and once the boy had the trash ready for the truck, they gathered in the living room, curled up with a bunch of throw blankets, and watched One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Family time. Pieces inside him that he didn’t know were crooked fell into place. If he just kept them moving forward, one carefully balanced baby step at a time, they had an unbelievable shot at the sort of homemade happily ever after that he was sure could survive the test of time.
With the phone cord stretched to the max, Roman spoke to Liam while keeping an eye on what was happening in the backyard.
Sam stopped by with Bobby Douglas in tow. The three of them, Matty bouncing by their sides, were going through the backyard step by step. He was damn proud of Kelly. She had a head full of doubts, but she stood by her decision and didn’t shrink from what was necessary before they headed out. And that’s what he was explaining to his boss.
“Driving will take too long. Why don’t you fly?”
Roman sighed. “I told you why. We’ve got some fairly significant identification issues. The boy still doesn’t exist as far as official paperwork goes. A vaccination record isn’t enough. We’d get flagged before getting on a plane. And besides, it’s too much of a culture shock. Bringing them to New York from the woods of Oklahoma is a big deal. I’d rather ease them into it.”
“Where’d you rent the truck? Amarillo? Why can’t you drive to Texas and then grab a private flight from there?”
Because he didn’t want to. Because he was looking forward to a week-long road trip with Kelly and Matty. But dammit. Liam wasn’t going to back down. He had it all figured out too. They could do the trip in six or seven hours, spend the night in a hotel, and then hire a plane the rest of the way.
It was the only concession he was willing to give at the moment, so he gave in. It was easier than arguing.
“What aren’t you saying, Roman? Whatever it is, stop playing me. And low blow you son-of-a-bitch for setting my woman on me. You’re a dick.”
Hey. No worries, man. I’m fucking your little sister.
And that kid you’re so jacked up about? Yeah. About that. Got news for you. Your control position with the boy is pretty far down on the pole.
Oh sure. He couldn’t wait to say all of that.
“Can I be straight with you?” Roman pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand and pressed the phone to his ear with the other.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Liam grumbled, “but yes, of course. Go ahead.”
“We’ve known each other a long time, and I know better than most how you are. I’m counting on you to remember who you’re talking to before you go off on me, alright?”
“Good lord, man. It can’t be that bad. Can it?”
Telling the Archduke of Control Freaks that he wasn’t going to get a chance to swoop in and take over? Sure, that didn’t sound bad. Not.
“As I said Liam, I know how you are.”
“I’m a big boy. I can take it. Just spit it out, Bishop. Shit. Beating around the bush isn’t your strong suit.”
“Bottom line. And please count to ten before you react. This isn’t about you and what you want or what you think needs to happen.”
“What the…”
He trampled over Liam’s angry growl with a reminder, “Ten, nine, eight…”
When the necessary amount of time had passed, the angry growl continued.
“Says who? You? What’s going on Roman? Why do I feel like I’m missing something? These people are my siblings goddammit. Family. You can’t just tell me to shut up and sit down. That’s not how this works.”
Ugh. He hated the phone sometimes. This being one of those times. Leaning against the counter at an angle that afforded a view of the backyard goings on, he flipped the phone cord around a trashcan before it pulled the damn thing over.
Matty was hopping around like a jumping bean, going from one snow mound to the next. Sam, Kelly, and Bobby were huddled in conversation. The sun was shining, and the white snow covering the backyard looked almost fake.
And on the other end of this call was his friend. Where Kelly and the boy were concerned, he no longer thought of Liam in boss terms. That part of their relationship came to a screeching halt the second Roman’s emotions became involved.
But he couldn’t ignore the fact that his friend was also Kelly’s brother and that gave Liam some standing.
Rock? Meet hard place. What a tough fucking spot to be in.
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just that you don’t know Kelly. She’s not going to fall in line because you think she should. Right now? She couldn’t give two shits and a fart about what you want. Her whole life just blew up in her face. Think about it, man. If I can offer an opinion, I believe you’ve been cast as the boogeyman in this whole thing. She has nothing to hang her re
actions on, Liam. She didn’t know her father and shows zero interest in changing that situation. I know you can’t wait to make up for everything she was denied, but she has plans. And you should also know that the money isn’t a bargaining chip. She really couldn’t care less. She didn’t go looking for any of this. You need to be ready for what that means.”
He felt a bit winded after the long speech and hoped he made his points.
“Be a big brother, is all I’m saying.” Roman mentally held his breath and said one last thing. “It’s not your job to be the father she didn’t have.”
Liam grunted. “Shot that one from the hip, didn’t you?”
He chuckled. “Dude. Seriously. I’m fucking square dancing as fast as I can. You want to throw money at this to make things right. Rhi wants pictures. Matthew wants whatever Kelly wants, and she wants none of it. Well, almost none of it.”
Oh, dear sweet baby Jesus. Mother of God. Did those words just spill out of my stupid fucking mouth? Please don’t let him notice. Please.
Wonder of wonders, the comment sailed right over Liam’s head.
“Such is my lot in life, Roman,” he snorted. There was a considerable amount of amusement in his voice. “Beset with females who aren’t impressed with my money. How the hell did that happen?”
“What the hell are you whining about? Imagine the opposite. I can see it now. You being hounded by professional pussy with an eye on your wallet.”
They laughed together with Liam drolly adding, “And then there’s that.”
“So are we good? Can you do the chill-out thing and let me handle this? Please don’t make me owe Rhi anything else. The girl is platinum plus when it comes to managing your snarling butt.”
“Fuck off you old fart. Stop taking liberties with my fiancée.”
“Hey,” he chortled. “Just making sure she knows your uptight bullshit isn’t her only option.”
“If anyone else but you said that, they’d already be on the floor.”
“Lucky for you, she likes the pasty-faced, fair-haired thing better than dark and dangerous.”
“And what about my sister? Dark and dangerous something she can handle?”
Fuck. My. Life.
“There isn’t anything Kelly James can’t handle. No lie.”
“Point taken. I’ll let you go now but one more thing Roman. I’m going to let you handle this. I don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to back off, but I will because it’s you.”
He wanted to shake Liam’s hand, but that’d have to wait.
“I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, but I’ll promise this. No matter what happens, I’m going to try like hell to do what’s right for everyone. I want you to have the family you wished for, and I want Kelly to not give up on her dreams.”
“Good enough.”
When he hung up, part of him felt better. Convincing Liam to trust him wasn’t easy so when he conceded control Roman was equal parts relieved and uncomfortable. Relieved for obvious reasons but uncomfortable because he and Kelly were so far over the line with their relationship that he wasn’t entirely sure there’d even been a line to begin with.
He heard Matty stomping snow off his boots by the back door and stooped for a better look out the window. Sam, Kelly, and Bobby were shuffling along the walkway to the driveway.
Liam thought it was tough stepping back from afar? Jeez. The guy should try being him for one day. Only in Roman’s case, it felt more like being shoved back.
Kelly steadfastly refused to let him help. In any way. Whenever he tried, his ass was neatly returned on a tarnished silver platter. ‘I’ve got this,’ was what came out of her mouth about a dozen times a day. He’d never felt so useless. And he didn’t like it.
He was boxed in. She wasn’t trying to be a bitch, and she wasn’t playing a game either. In actuality, she did have it. Shit, she had everything. It was all on her. Help was something she couldn’t comprehend. Her standard reaction was to ask bewilderedly why he thought she needed anything at all.
What he did though was do the one thing she allowed which was to step in as a weirdly ironic Mr. Mom and handle the boy. Something he was more than happy to do.
“Hey, Roman!” the kid’s energetic voice yelled from the mud room. The sound of struggling with a coat and boots made him chuckle and head down the hallway to lend a hand.
He found Matty sitting on his butt trying to kick off a pair of heavy snow boots. There were tracks of snow and little piles of the white stuff everywhere. Looked to him like the kid tracked in half of the backyard. When it all melted, it’d be a mess.
Swooping in, he picked up a squealing Matty by the waist and slung him backward over his arm, so the kid’s face was looking at the floor. His happy laughter rang out. Though he wiggled like a fish out of water, Roman still managed to get the boots off. They landed on the mudroom carpet with a thud.
Brushing off the giggling little boy, he made sure he was presentable and then swung him to his feet at the door to the room.
“Stay there,” he told him with a gesture at his socks. “Your feet will get wet.”
Then he grabbed a broom and quickly swept the snow out the back door while explaining in kid terms to Matty why.
It was all so damn domestic.
And he loved it.
Pushing Matty down the hallway to the living room he got the rambunctious lad settled with a pile of books and then gave up on trying to mind his own business and went to stick his nose where Kelly apparently thought it didn’t belong.
“Don’t sweat the details, Kelly.”
Sam was so sweet that she worried tears might start.
“Me and Ginny will pack up your personal stuff and handle whatever furniture and equipment Bobby and his family don’t need.”
“Can’t thank you enough, Ms. James. Really. My wife will love your little house, don’t you worry none about that.”
She offered her new caretaker and tenant her hand. The deal they’d struck was the answer to both of their prayers. Bobby and his family would get the break they deserved, and she got to leave without having to give up her history—no matter how meager it was.
“I’m glad this worked out for both of us, Bobby. I know it’s not much,” she said with a head bob at the modest home, “but it’s a terrific place. You’ll have to slog the kids to the school bus stop out where the county route meets Boon’s Road, but other than that, you’re all set.”
Kelly did a double take when Sam puffed up and slapped Bobby on the back. “Ya’ never know, boy! This might lead to all sorts of good things.”
She wondered what was going on in his mind but shrugged away the thought and made a hasty goodbye. She was freezing her ass off and wanted to get inside. Sam could handle the details. She had enough to deal with just getting Matty and her stuff together for the life-changing journey on which they were about to embark.
She liked thinking about it in grandiose terms. Literary terms that lent a bit of gravitas to something she was barely able to wrap her mind around. So, words like journey and embark flowered her vocabulary.
It was better than every thought beginning with a dark cloud and her mind screaming ‘Fuck!’
As she hurried to the back door, she thought about the snow covered rose bushes planted along the side of the house and how she wouldn’t be here to see them bloom in the spring.
Did that make her happy or sad? It was hard to tell. A little of both perhaps. It’s not like she hadn’t been hurrying toward this point for a long time. She always planned to leave and not look back. It was just happening sooner than she planned, and in a manner she’d never dreamed of.
Pulling her boots off in the mudroom, she left them on the boot pan, rubbed her hands together to generate some much-needed warmth, and dashed for the living room to stand in front of the fireplace.
Matty was curled up at the end of the sofa, wrapped in a quilt. An open book was close to sliding off his lap, his head was cocked back and to the side, and
his eyes were closed. She smiled at the sight. He had the ability to fall asleep anywhere.
Snatching the book before it fell from his hand, she tilted him just enough that he’d be cat-nap comfortable and ruffled his hair affectionately. His life was going to change big time. This was what she wanted for him. She just didn’t know anymore where she fit in or what she wanted.
About the only things she was sure of were her love for Matty and her growing attachment to Roman. Nothing had ever felt so right or been so confusing, but she couldn’t work up an ounce of regret. Some things were supposed to happen. It’s where it all goes after that that concerned her.
She flipped around at the fireplace and put her hands behind her as she warmed her backside. Signs of Roman’s presence were everywhere. Not because he left stuff around but because he had an effortless way of turning chaos into order.
It rankled her at first—the way he walked through a room and like some bizarro-world Mary Poppins left everything in perfect order. Mess and dirt were the enemies, but clutter and piles? A closet or some decent storage would have been nice and solved a lot of problems, but when life hands you muddy water, you boil that shit and use a filter. It’s called going with what ya’ got and not being a crybaby about it.
When he started organizing stuff, the only thing keeping her from going up one side of him and down the other was the fact that the military made him that way. The whole wartime thing automatically took most of the wind out of her sails. He couldn’t help it. Order in the midst of bloody mayhem was understandable. But if he started labeling stuff or folding her underwear, they were gonna need to talk.
Speaking of which, where the hell was he?
She went off in search and ended up at the door to her room where she stumbled to a halt and stared. Roman was sitting on the edge of the bed with one of her sketchbooks open and lying across his lap. He was so engrossed that it took him some time to realize she was there.
Some of her earliest childhood memories were of drawing. She remembered the year Deb let her chalk paint a mural on the shed and the handmade gift tags she labored over with a set of colored pencils that were her most prized possession. Her stuff might be a sloppy mess, but her art wasn’t. Hell, she always made sure to empty the pencil sharpener shavings, and heaven forbid if a paint cap wasn’t completely shut.
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