just after they’d gotten back into the car. Roman had pulled over on the side of the road and put up the top.
“I can look into getting a new back window.” He nodded towards the sheet of plastic she’d had taped up ever since she’d purchased the car.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I hardly have the top up anyway.”
He chuckled and glanced at her. “It’s a shame too.” Then he looked back to the backseat of the car where Reagan was fast asleep, his head resting on his book bag. “He’s pretty amazing.”
She glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “He always has been.”
“I know it doesn’t matter much, but I don’t really want people in town thinking I was a deadbeat dad.”
She frowned, looking down at her hands as she nodded. “I understand.” She did understand. After all, Carrabelle was important to her. Almost as important as Spring Haven.
He reached over and took her hand. “Thanks.”
She felt her heart flutter when he looked at her. For the rest of the drive home, he kept hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb over her skin in slow circles. Which only reminded her of how he’d touched her the night before.
By the time they pulled into her garage, the light rain had turned into a small monsoon. He was thankful that she had a cover from her garage to her back door as he carried the sleeping Reagan inside. The boy slept all through Missy pulling off his shoes and jeans.
When she tucked the blanket over him, he snuggled in and rolled over.
“He’s a good sleeper,” she whispered as she shut his door. When she turned around, he took her hand and walked with her until they stood out on the front porch. When he dropped her hand, he walked over and stood against the railing, watching the rain pour down.
“Your gutters need cleaning,” he said absentmindedly.
She glanced up and noticed that the rain was pouring out of several spots. “I have a guy that does that once a year. I’ll call…”
“I can do it.” He turned to her, a slight frown on his lips.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Before…” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “Before we go any farther, I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I plan on being in Reagan’s life from here on out.”
She nodded again and walked over to the railing to stand next to him. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
He turned to her and ran his hand up her arm, pulling her a little closer.
“That means that he’s part of our family, as well.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I won’t do anything to jeopardize his safety.”
He nodded. “Neither would the family.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. We can never go back to Spring Haven.”
He frowned and pulled her closer. “We’ll find a way.”
She felt tears rolling down her face. For too long, she’d wished to return home, but Reagan was too important and she had never wanted to chance being discovered. She didn’t know if her family… if the CoF was still looking for Reagan. She’d prayed for years that they would just give up, but something told her they hadn’t.
Roman’s visit had only heightened her fear. She’d stopped looking over her shoulder years ago, believing that Doug had done everything to protect them here.
But fear kept surfacing now. If Roman had found her, how easy would it be for the CoF to?
“Roman?” She pulled back and looked up at him. “How did you find me?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “It wasn’t easy.” She waited. Finally, he walked over and sat down on the porch swing and patted the spot next to him. She walked over and sat next to him. He kicked off, sending the swing swaying. She enjoyed his warmth when his arm went over her shoulders and pulled her closer.
“Do you remember Liam?”
She blinked a few times, and then a memory of a tall, skinny, red-haired boy who had always been a big joker popped into her mind. “Freckle face?”
Roman chuckled and nodded.
“I can look into getting a new back window.” He nodded towards the sheet of plastic she’d had taped up ever since she’d purchased the car.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I hardly have the top up anyway.”
He chuckled and glanced at her. “It’s a shame too.” Then he looked back to the backseat of the car where Reagan was fast asleep, his head resting on his book bag. “He’s pretty amazing.”
She glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “He always has been.”
“I know it doesn’t matter much, but I don’t really want people in town thinking I was a deadbeat dad.”
She frowned, looking down at her hands as she nodded. “I understand.” She did understand. After all, Carrabelle was important to her. Almost as important as Spring Haven.
He reached over and took her hand. “Thanks.”
She felt her heart flutter when he looked at her. For the rest of the drive home, he kept hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb over her skin in slow circles. Which only reminded her of how he’d touched her the night before.
By the time they pulled into her garage, the light rain had turned into a small monsoon. He was thankful that she had a cover from her garage to her back door as he carried the sleeping Reagan inside. The boy slept all through Missy pulling off his shoes and jeans.
When she tucked the blanket over him, he snuggled in and rolled over.
“He’s a good sleeper,” she whispered as she shut his door. When she turned around, he took her hand and walked with her until they stood out on the front porch. When he dropped her hand, he walked over and stood against the railing, watching the rain pour down.
“Your gutters need cleaning,” he said absentmindedly.
She glanced up and noticed that the rain was pouring out of several spots. “I have a guy that does that once a year. I’ll call…”
“I can do it.” He turned to her, a slight frown on his lips.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Before…” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “Before we go any farther, I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I plan on being in Reagan’s life from here on out.”
She nodded again and walked over to the railing to stand next to him. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
He turned to her and ran his hand up her arm, pulling her a little closer.
“That means that he’s part of our family, as well.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I won’t do anything to jeopardize his safety.”
He nodded. “Neither would the family.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. We can never go back to Spring Haven.”
He frowned and pulled her closer. “We’ll find a way.”
She felt tears rolling down her face. For too long, she’d wished to return home, but Reagan was too important and she had never wanted to chance being discovered. She didn’t know if her family… if the CoF was still looking for Reagan. She’d prayed for years that they would just give up, but something told her they hadn’t.
Roman’s visit had only heightened her fear. She’d stopped looking over her shoulder years ago, believing that Doug had done everything to protect them here.
But fear kept surfacing now. If Roman had found her, how easy would it be for the CoF to?
“Roman?” She pulled back and looked up at him. “How did you find me?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “It wasn’t easy.” She waited. Finally, he walked over and sat down on the porch swing and patted the spot next to him. She walked over and sat next to him. He kicked off, sending the swing swaying. She enjoyed his warmth when his arm went over her shoulders and pulled her closer.
“Do you remember Liam?”
She blinked a few times, and then a memory of a tall, skinny, red-haired boy who had always been a big joker popped into her mind. “Freckle face?”
Roman chuckled and nodded.
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