moved closer and used the back of his knuckles to gently wipe them away.
“You’re family.” His arms felt so good wrapped around her. She’d forgotten what it felt like. Being held. Letting go for a moment.
Chapter Six
R oman’s hands were shaky and sweaty so he rubbed them on his shorts, trying to get his emotions under control. He sat outside the school with the woman of his dreams as he waited to see his son for the first time.
It was all like some dream. Any moment now, he expected someone to jump out of the bushes with cameras and tell him he was being punked.
“Why’s the kid in summer school?” He felt a sickness in his stomach at the thought of the kid slipping in class.
She chuckled. “Because that’s exactly where he wants to be.” She turned to him. “It’s not summer school, it’s a summer reading program the school started a few years back to keep some of the advanced students from getting bored during the summer.”
He blinked a few times. “So, he’s pretty smart then?”
She smiled. “They want him to skip a grade.”
He shook his head and frowned. “I tried that one year, remember.”
She nodded and looked back to the school. “It’s why I told them no.”
He turned back to the school in time to watch a woman walk out the front doors and hold them open as a few kids came rushing out. Even if Missy hadn’t told him, he would have known the second he saw the kid that he was the father.
He felt his eyes tear up again and had to blink several times so he could take in every detail about the kid walking towards him. His sandy hair was cut almost exactly like his had been at the same age. The kid’s shoulders were slumped forward, mirroring the way that he walked all the time.
He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue button-up shirt with a worn pair of gray Chucks. When he saw Missy, he smiled quickly and then turned and waved to his teacher. It was like looking back into the past.
“When’s his birthday?” he asked quietly before the kid got any closer.
She glanced at him and frowned. “July twentieth.”
He sighed and nodded. “He’ll be eight?”
She nodded, just as Reagan stopped in front of them.
“Hey.” She leaned down and hugged him. “How was it today?”
Reagan shrugged his shoulders. Another move Roman knew too well. “It was okay. I finished Holes .”
“Of course you did. What are you onto now?” She put her hand on his shoulder, pulling him a little closer.
He sighed, sounding a little bored. But Roman saw the sparkle in the kid’s dark eyes and knew it too well. “Nothing good. Just…” His smile grew and he noticed he had his mischievous look down as well. “Percy Jackson!” He sounded excited.
“Which one?” Missy asked.
He rolled his eyes. “The best one of course.” Then the kid’s eyes moved over to him. He’d been standing so still, taking in everything, that he’d forgotten to breathe and actually felt light-headed.
“Who’s that?” Reagan finally asked, leaning closer to his mom.
Missy’s eyes met his, searching for answers.
“My name is Roman.” He leaned down, not looking up at Missy again. “I’m an old friend of your mother’s.” Making a quick decision, he smiled as he looked up at Missy. “I’ll be staying with you and your mom for a while.”
As she drove the short distance back to the shop, she kept sending glares his way.
The kid sat in the back of the car, enjoying the ride as much as Roman was. “When can I drive her?” he asked, reaching over to play with the tips of Missy’s hair. She swiped his hand away quickly, and irritation crossed those eyes of hers, so he made sure to do it as often as he could.
“The way things are going? Never,” she said between her teeth.
He chuckled. “Oh, come on. You probably wouldn’t have ever purchased a car like this if it hadn’t been for me.”
He watched her eyebrows shoot up as she turned into the store’s parking lot.
“Which
“You’re family.” His arms felt so good wrapped around her. She’d forgotten what it felt like. Being held. Letting go for a moment.
Chapter Six
R oman’s hands were shaky and sweaty so he rubbed them on his shorts, trying to get his emotions under control. He sat outside the school with the woman of his dreams as he waited to see his son for the first time.
It was all like some dream. Any moment now, he expected someone to jump out of the bushes with cameras and tell him he was being punked.
“Why’s the kid in summer school?” He felt a sickness in his stomach at the thought of the kid slipping in class.
She chuckled. “Because that’s exactly where he wants to be.” She turned to him. “It’s not summer school, it’s a summer reading program the school started a few years back to keep some of the advanced students from getting bored during the summer.”
He blinked a few times. “So, he’s pretty smart then?”
She smiled. “They want him to skip a grade.”
He shook his head and frowned. “I tried that one year, remember.”
She nodded and looked back to the school. “It’s why I told them no.”
He turned back to the school in time to watch a woman walk out the front doors and hold them open as a few kids came rushing out. Even if Missy hadn’t told him, he would have known the second he saw the kid that he was the father.
He felt his eyes tear up again and had to blink several times so he could take in every detail about the kid walking towards him. His sandy hair was cut almost exactly like his had been at the same age. The kid’s shoulders were slumped forward, mirroring the way that he walked all the time.
He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue button-up shirt with a worn pair of gray Chucks. When he saw Missy, he smiled quickly and then turned and waved to his teacher. It was like looking back into the past.
“When’s his birthday?” he asked quietly before the kid got any closer.
She glanced at him and frowned. “July twentieth.”
He sighed and nodded. “He’ll be eight?”
She nodded, just as Reagan stopped in front of them.
“Hey.” She leaned down and hugged him. “How was it today?”
Reagan shrugged his shoulders. Another move Roman knew too well. “It was okay. I finished Holes .”
“Of course you did. What are you onto now?” She put her hand on his shoulder, pulling him a little closer.
He sighed, sounding a little bored. But Roman saw the sparkle in the kid’s dark eyes and knew it too well. “Nothing good. Just…” His smile grew and he noticed he had his mischievous look down as well. “Percy Jackson!” He sounded excited.
“Which one?” Missy asked.
He rolled his eyes. “The best one of course.” Then the kid’s eyes moved over to him. He’d been standing so still, taking in everything, that he’d forgotten to breathe and actually felt light-headed.
“Who’s that?” Reagan finally asked, leaning closer to his mom.
Missy’s eyes met his, searching for answers.
“My name is Roman.” He leaned down, not looking up at Missy again. “I’m an old friend of your mother’s.” Making a quick decision, he smiled as he looked up at Missy. “I’ll be staying with you and your mom for a while.”
As she drove the short distance back to the shop, she kept sending glares his way.
The kid sat in the back of the car, enjoying the ride as much as Roman was. “When can I drive her?” he asked, reaching over to play with the tips of Missy’s hair. She swiped his hand away quickly, and irritation crossed those eyes of hers, so he made sure to do it as often as he could.
“The way things are going? Never,” she said between her teeth.
He chuckled. “Oh, come on. You probably wouldn’t have ever purchased a car like this if it hadn’t been for me.”
He watched her eyebrows shoot up as she turned into the store’s parking lot.
“Which
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