Baby snug in her arms, Marlee did not look like she’d been laboring for the past hours. Hell, even her makeup hadn’t smudged.
Sadie tossed her head back and laughed at something Eli said, and Roman did what Roman did best—he captured the moment so they’d never forget.
Then, he snapped an extra picture of just Sadie.
Another of Marlee grinning down at the baby.
Another of Eli still in his tux with the backdrop of Denver lights out the window. He looked dazed and seemed to be in some kind of blissful shock.
Then, the jig was up because Eli noticed he’d entered.
“I got some good ones,” Roman said, holding up Louise in illustration before Eli could get pissed and protective that Roman had managed to slip in the room unnoticed.
Eli gave a not-pissed chin jerk in response. “Thanks, man.”
“Can I come over?” Roman asked Marlee. “Get some close-ups of the kid?”
“Luke. This is Luke.” Marlee nodded, but some kind of realization passed across her features. “And you’re Roman.”
“Roman,” he confirmed. Stepping up to the bed, he started clicking.
“Wait.” Marlee startled. “Roman?”
“Yeah?” He kept snapping the shutter.
“Roman with an R?” she asked, her voice rising.
“Yeah?”
“You’re military?” Marlee asked.
“Former.” Roman shifted position and crouched to get a solid shot of the baby without disrupting where he was burritoed in blue blankets.
“Well…” Marlee tried to smile, but it wasn’t a natural one.
He stopped snapping pictures. With that expression on her face, they wouldn’t turn out at all.
It was his turn to bite his lip. What had just happened?
“Hey, Eli?” Marlee looked at her husband. “Can you grab me a cranberry juice from the kitchen thing?”
“Now?” Eli asked.
“I’m seriously craving it,” Marlee replied. “And some of those cracker things, too?”
Eli took a long look at Luke before looking back at Marlee. “Whatever you want. Juice. Crackers. Anything else?”
“That’s all.”
“Coming right up.” Eli came out of his daze, leaned over her, pressed a kiss against her lips—Roman caught the whole thing on film—and then Eli was out the door.
“So this is R?” Marlee asked, the question directed toward Sadie.
Sadie blanched.
“This is R.” Marlee spoke to the baby in a baby voice. “This is Auntie Sadie’s R. The one mommy has been so curious about for a very long time.”
She was curious about him?
“I have to kill you now.” Marlee’s tone didn’t change, but the vibe in the room sure did. “It’s best friend code and you hurt my friend, so it’s only fair.”
Roman blinked. What the hell had just happened?
“I hurt your friend?” Roman asked the question in response to Marlee, but he gestured Louise toward Sadie.
“He didn’t hurt me.” Sadie’s jaw went tight. “And he’s not R.”
“I didn’t hurt her,” Roman said, mostly repeating Sadie and mentally thanking Marlee for sending Eli out before pouncing on him.
Marlee lanced Roman with a look that held the power of twenty grenades. “That’s not how I remember it.”
Well, if they were walking down memory lane—
“Marlee, not now,” Sadie whispered.
Something passed between the two of them.
Marlee cooled her jets.
“I’m reserving my judgment until I can speak to my best friend alone,” she said regally, like his babushka.
Was every woman in Denver taking Babushka lessons?
“I can step out?” Roman suggested. Getting out of the room seemed like the safest option at the moment. Maybe he could even grab some of the crackers and juice with Eli. It wasn’t vodka, but it’d work in a pinch.
“After you get some more photos?” Marlee stared at her baby, her expression turning soft. “I don’t want to forget any of this.”
“Sure thing, before you talk to Sadie and have to kill me and all that.”
Marlee laughed, so maybe he’d be alive tomorrow.
Roman took a few posed photos of the newborn.
He adjusted the edge of the kid’s blanket so he could get a better angle. “You and Sadie are tight?”
“We’re bestest best friends. So yeah.”
“You know Sadie’s boyfriend then? He’s good to her? Makes her happy?” He would suck it up and move on once more if she was really happy. It’d suck, but he’d do it.
Sadie stepped toward him. “Rome, let’s not…”
Expression blank, Marlee glanced up from the baby. “Sadie doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“Marlee.” Sadie shook her head quickly. The blanched look disappeared as her cheeks flooded with color.
“You told R that you have a boyfriend?” Marlee frowned.
Sadie took a deep breath through her nose, her mouth pressed into a thin line. “I cannot believe this is happening.”
Well, frankly, neither could Roman, since he had no idea what was happening.
“Mar, I got your juice,” Eli said, his presence breaking the tension in the room.
He set the cup of juice on the table beside the bed where Marlee sat snuggling Luke.
Photos complete, Roman tucked Louise back in her fabric-lined bag. “I’ll get these to you soon.”
“You could give them to Sadie,” Marlee suggested, “R.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here.” Roman adjusted the strap of Louise’s bag around his neck.
“With these two, you probably are,” Eli said, deadpan. “Ignore it. That’s what I do.”
“I’ll make sure you get the pictures.” Roman had no phone, but he was pretty sure, if he asked nicely, Eli would let him use his phone to call a car or the security guys at the front desk would let him use a hospital phone.
Or you know what? He’d just walk over to the all-night diner across the street and grab some grub. Then he’d use their phone. Bonus, he’d get second supper.
“Thanks, Roman,” Marlee said, nuzzling the baby still snuggled against her.
“Congrats on little Luke,” Roman replied.
He lifted his chin to Eli. Eli returned the gesture. A quick nod to Sadie—who had gone remarkably still—and he headed out the door. Roman moved down the corridor of the hallway, past the nurses’ station, and through the heavy security doors, stopping at the elevator.
He pressed his thumb on the down button.
“Rome,” Sadie said from behind, breathless. “I—”
Roman turned and Sadie went full-on Sadie.
“Marlee knew there was a military guy,” she said. “She only got the first letter of your name out of me. I didn’t… What we had that weekend, it wasn’t something I wanted to share with the rest of the world.”
Roman shoved his hands in his pockets.
“There’s no guy,” he called her bluff.
“I never said there was,” she replied, innocent like she hadn’t misled him.
Was she serious? Getting away on a technicality? Oh yes, Sadie loved her fine print. She dropped that camouflage veil over her facial expressions, turning into a calculated courtroom attorney.
“Let’s clarify this, shall we?” Turned out he had an attorney mode, too. “Since you’re trying to get yourself off on a technicality.”
The lip gloss she’d painted on her mouth in the car glistened as she parted her lips. He knew that look. She was ready to take full advantage of whatever technicality bullshit she was going to pull.
Yeah, he really did have that attorney mode, too. Cool and calm with a solid dose of calling her out. “You nose-fucked me, connected with me, and then let me believe you’re seeing someone else?”
“That’s not how it was.” Even as she said it, she backed herself smack-dab against the wall, crossing h
er arms.
He moved closer, not wanting to spook her, keeping his tone soft. “That’s not what it felt like.”
Sadie’s nostrils flared.
His blood pounded.
Sadie up against a wall? She was spit and fire and—he stepped back. Away. Not that he didn’t like her fire. Hell, it was one of his favorite parts about her. He just didn’t want to screw up a shot with her.
“I did not nose-fuck you,” she huffed. “Definitely not on my brother’s couch.”
He chuckled. “Then what do you call the thing you did with your nose? Hands on my jaw.” He shoved his hands to the belt of his tuxedo pants so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and touch her. Not yet.
“Why don’t you want to give us a real shot?” he asked.
Sadie balled her hands into fists. “It’s my job. Okay?” She puffed out her chest, full defense mode activated. “I can’t lose focus right now. Rome, you are someone I could totally lose focus over.”
He’d personally experienced the fire, the heat, the beauty of all that was being with Sadie. A career could never stoke that fire. Never understand all that she was.
Yet, she was serious. Totally serious.
“You used to want everything,” he said.
She’d wanted it all.
“We tried us once Rome, it didn’t work out.” She dropped her arms from her chest, then seemed not to know what to do with them, so she crossed them again.
“Maybe the timing just wasn’t right,” he said. “Lucky for us, times change.”
Sadie did not look like she believed things could change for them.
Roman had seen the worst of humanity. He’d also seen the best. There’d been so many trips around the sun where he’d documented both. In the end, he realized there wasn’t much to a traveling life if Louise and a shutter full of memories were all he had at the end of the day.
Living in front of the camera was the new priority—making memories for himself with a life that was unforgettable.
He craved the more—the all—Sadie had been so intent on.
The elevator doors slid open and Roman stepped inside. Sadie did not.
He reached out to push the main floor button but stuck his thumb on the button to hold the doors open instead.
“You’ve always had a way of making me wish that last day had gone differently. That I’d been a different person,” he said.
Shock passed over her features. “I learned a long time ago that I can’t have everything. I chose what made the most sense. My career,” she said softly.
“You don’t trust people, do you?” he asked.
“Everyone thinks they know what’s best for me. They always have.” She sighed. “But only I know what’s best for me.”
“A job can’t be all you want, Sadie.”
“What am I supposed to say? What do you want to hear?”
What was she supposed to say? Damn, he had no idea. What were either of them supposed to say?
“It was never all I wanted. But it’s all I have.” Her chest heaved. “It’s all I have, okay? Maybe it’s sad. But it’s all. I. Have.”
“It’s not all you have. You just can’t see it.” He dropped his thumb from the stay-open button and pressed the one for the ground floor.
The doors started to slide closed.
“It’s all I have,” Sadie said again.
Damn, she believed that.
Really truly believed that.
They were here at the hospital with her best friend, her brother, and her new nephew, and she fucking believed all she had, all that defined her, was her career?
They stared at each other, gazes locked as the doors sealed closed. The elevator started its descent to the ground floor.
There was so much wrong with everything he’d just uncovered about Sadie.
She could have an amazing career. She could be the best at what she did. But he was about to make it his mission to ensure she saw all the other pieces of her life that defined her, too. Her friendships, family, him.
Screw it all. Screw everything that made sense. The only thing that mattered was his Sadie.
She may not be willing to acknowledge that she was his. Not yet. But he was okay with that. He just needed more time to show her. Show her that she was everything.
That she always had been.
Even when she drove him crazy. Even when she made him want to pull his hair by the roots. It didn’t matter. She was Sadie.
She could have everything. Half of the life she’d dreamed about was not enough.
In his soul, he believed they were meant to be together—believed that what they’d had was how forever felt.
He’d just lost sight of that at the wrong time.
Chapter Seven
“Mom?” Sadie called from the kitchen at Eli and Marlee’s.
She and her mom were getting things ready so when the new family arrived home, everything would be easy-peasy for them.
“In here.” Her mom came from around the corner of the living room. “Did you get all the things Eli asked for?”
“They didn’t have the tuna, so I got tilapia.”
“But Eli wanted tuna.”
“But they didn’t have tuna, so I got tilapia.” Unless the fish was an exotic species in a custody dispute, it was, in fact, just fish.
“I guess they’ll have tilapia then,” her mom said with resignation.
Tilapia was edible, it was a fish, and it started with a T. That seemed pretty freaking close to tuna.
“Let’s get everything unloaded, and then you and I can disappear before they get here.” Sadie had already laid out the two boxes of pasta on the counter.
Eli had texted her with a requested grocery list so he wouldn’t have to leave Marlee and Luke after they got home. Sadie handled the shopping trip while her mother stopped in to tidy up. All of the blog posts she’d read said that they should make themselves scarce during the first days so mom and baby and dad could all bond without having to worry about entertaining.
“I just need to swap out the sheets on their bed.” Sadie’s mom hurried up the stairs. “Lothario?” she called. “Come help me.”
“I don’t think Lothario does sheets, Mom,” Sadie shouted after her.
Then again, Lothario did everything. Sadie giggled at her own double entendre. He was already halfway up the stairs to follow his favorite grandma. She was his favorite because she kept kibble in her pockets just for him, and when he went to town on her shoes, she didn’t stop him. She just slipped them off her feet and walked away like nothing was happening and her pumps were not being defiled. Apparently, that’s what made an excellent grandmother.
Sadie’s phone chimed on the counter. She grabbed it.
Sadie had one bestest best friend, Marlee, but they were part of a group of best friends. Most of the group had scattered across the country after their undergrad years—Becca, Kellie, and Sadie—but thanks to a never-ending chat string, they stayed in touch daily. Often hourly.
Becca: Roman Dvornakov? Really? *He’s* the mysterious R?
Sadie: Marlee talked.
Kellie: Seriously, Sadie, this is the kind of thing that is required best friend disclosure.
Marlee: I’ve already been reamed for taking so long to spill. But…baby.
Sadie: Too bad you didn’t have twins, it would’ve bought me more time.
Marlee: We’re on our way home. Don’t leave until we see you, Sadie.
Becca: Can we discuss Sadie’s best friend betrayal?
Sadie sighed. She’d make it up to them with chocolate and tequila the next time they all got together.
Not that she could really blame Marlee; the four friends generally shared everything. Of course, they all had their own little secrets. She had the Roman secret, but that hardly counted. They knew he existed, they knew she’d had her heart broken, but she’d simply never shared the who of that situation.
Sadie: Let’s discuss something other than Roman.
Becca: Let’s not.
Marlee: Eli wants to talk to him about what his “intentions” are, it’s cute.
Oh nope. No.
Sadie: Do *not* involve Eli.
Becca: IDK That could be kinda fun to watch. Even match. Who do you think would win?
Marlee: Eli.
Kellie: She has to say that, he’s her baby daddy.
Sadie: Do people actually say that? The baby daddy thing?
Becca: Oh Sadie. Dear, sweet Sadie.
Marlee: …
Kellie: The next time you bang a Dvornakov, we need to be the first to know.
Sadie: Kel, we didn’t “bang.” I mean, we did, but…
Marlee: You should’ve seen him. He’s so into her.
Sadie: Stop. Let’s talk about baby Luke instead.
Sadie opened the pantry, moved Lothario’s special treats to the side, and there, in all its glory, was what she assumed was Roman’s cell phone.
Drat.
If she had his phone, then she needed to return it. She was doing such a good job of pretending he didn’t exist—until friends brought him up or his cell phone magically appeared where Babushka had hidden it. Sadie grabbed his phone from the shelf. She’d pass it off to Eli who could then pass it along to Roman.
Her own phone chimed again.
Kellie: We require hourly baby pics since Becca & I can’t be there.
Kellie and Becca had both moved away from Denver. Unlike Sadie, they’d stayed away.
Marlee: I promise. I would never leave you out of something so important.
Sadie: Puh-lease. Says the woman who got frisky with my brother.
Marlee: But I married him first, so…
Becca: Sadie, you know we’re teasing. We love you, no matter what.
Sadie knew that, and she also knew she’d earned the current razing session.
Kellie: Alfredo learned to lick his junk. I’m trying to decide whether to be proud of him or be horrified.
Sadie choked on her saliva. That was not what she’d expected to read. Alfredo, Kellie’s cat, had become her focus in life since her most recent breakup. Which was ten times better than her occasional infatuation with texting her exes when she was under any kind of stress.
Marlee:…
Becca:…
Kellie: He gives me the most intense stare while he does it. Like, look what I can do!
Do Me a Favor: A second chance, hilarious rom com! (Mile High Matched Book 4) Page 8