“So...if I stay—”
He silenced her with a finger to her lips. “There is no if about it.”
She caught that finger and kissed the tip. “Won’t that be weird—I mean, for your mom?”
“Can’t say for certain. I haven’t been with anyone since we moved in here and she had her own place in Vegas—but my guess is no.”
“No, not weird for her?”
He shook his head slowly. “You said it yourself that first night at that restaurant you like in Astoria. Ma’s matchmaking us. Plus, she wants me to be happy and you make me happy.”
Well, now. Wasn’t that nice to hear? “Yeah?”
He leaned in. “Yeah.” His lips met hers.
That did it.
They spent another hour reacquainting themselves with the fabulousness of having a sex life together.
It was after five when he went downstairs and returned with her purse and his fancy watch, which he’d left on the end table by the sofa. She sent Harper a text. Then she and Roman snuggled in together and went back to sleep.
* * *
In the morning, Hailey was happy to find that Roman had guessed right about Sasha.
When they came downstairs at seven, his mom and Theo were already up. Sasha stood at the stove and Theo sat in his high chair happily banging his sippy cup against the tray with one hand, eating dry cereal with the other.
“Da-da, hi!” the little boy crowed and drank from his cup. Roman went over and ate a raisin from his hand.
“Good morning.” Sasha gave Hailey a warm smile. Any apprehension she might have had about getting judged on the morning after faded like mist in sunlight. “How about some French toast?”
“I would love some.” Hailey went to the pod coffee maker and brewed herself a cup.
“Hi!” Theo greeted her with a big smile. He had milk on his chin.
“Mornin’, Theo.” She bent to wipe it off with her thumb and then offered to help with the meal, but Sasha shooed her to the table.
It was nice, the four of them in the big, light-filled kitchen. Comfortable. Like they were all family.
Was she getting ahead of herself here?
Maybe. A little. But so what? Last night had been beautiful.
And wonder of wonders, the morning after was, too.
Hailey headed for the cottage at a little after nine. She found her sister sipping coffee and hemming a costume for one of the Fall Revue skits. A pile of them sat on the chair next to her.
“Nice night?” Harper asked with a sly little grin.
“The best.” Hailey poured herself yet another cup of coffee, took the chair on the other side of the stack of costumes and pitched in turning hems.
Later, Roman, in the Dad Car with Sasha and Theo, picked up Hailey and Harper for Sunday dinner. At Daniel’s, Sasha spoke openly about her diagnosis and her upcoming surgery. She got a lot of hugs and encouragement from everyone. After dinner, Roman dropped Hailey and Harper off at the cottage, where Hailey packed a bag and drove her Kia to the house on Treasure Cove Circle.
That night was every bit as amazing as the one before. The next morning, after breakfast, Roman walked her out to her car. “What time are you done at the theater today?”
“Six, possibly seven, depending on what comes up...” She tossed her overnight bag across the seat to the passenger side.
He caught her arm and pulled her close. “Come straight here.” The scent and strength of him surrounded her. She felt kind of weak in the knees, remembering last night and the night before—looking forward to future nights. He seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “Spend the night.”
She pressed her lips to the hot column of his neck. “I can’t stay over every night.”
“Yeah, you can.”
“Roman...”
He smoothed his big hand down her hair. “Start with tonight. Stay with me tonight...”
Somehow, she’d forgotten how to tell him no. “All right. I’ll stop by the cottage first, though. I need to pick up a few things.”
He eased his fingers around her nape, pulling her close to drop a sweet little kiss on her forehead. “Ma’ll have dinner ready at six, but there will be leftovers. You can eat whenever you get here.”
“I’ll grab something at the cottage.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw and she knew he wanted to insist that there was plenty to eat right here at his house. But he let it go with a nod and brushed a kiss across her lips.
She jumped in behind the wheel and headed for the theater.
* * *
Hailey was surprised when Sasha showed up at the theater to help that day.
“I like to keep busy,” Roman’s mom said. “Theo’s with Roman at home, and there’s a lot to do here. We need trees in autumn splendor painted on one of the sets. I can do that. I’m quite a talented scene painter, as it turns out. Just ask Harper.”
Hailey took her arm and pulled her into a corner backstage where they could have a little privacy. “How are you feeling?”
Sasha reached out a hand and pressed it fondly to Hailey’s cheek. “It’s a small tumor. I feel fine. We’re well before the stage where I would start getting sick from it.”
“Do you have a date for your surgery?”
“Yes. Tuesday, a week from tomorrow. My doctor says I should be pretty much recovered within a week after that—two at the outside. And before the surgery, I’ll be able to help the kids get in and out of their costumes for both performances of the Festival of Fall Revue.” The first performance was this coming Saturday night and then there was a matinee on Sunday.
Hailey wanted to grab her and hug her. “You’re a trouper.”
Sasha cast a glance upward, at the catwalks and lights overhead. “I love this old theater.” She grinned at Hailey and leaned close to whisper. “And I’m not letting Roman turn it into some pretentious hotel.”
“Yeah. I wish I knew what to do to stop him.” Well, other than marry him, but that would just be wrong on so many levels.
“I’ll come up with something.” Sasha looked determined. “Maybe I should threaten to move out and leave him to make his own beds and cook his own meals—except, we have a housekeeper who comes in a few times a week, so the cleaning and bed making would get done anyway. He’s even offered to hire a cook if I ever get tired of preparing the meals.” She sighed. “So my threats tend to ring a little bit hollow.”
Hailey said, “I keep hoping he’ll see the light when it comes to the theater, that he’ll do the right thing out of the goodness of his heart.”
Sasha declared, “He is a good man.”
“Just occasionally misguided,” Hailey added.
“And did I mention pigheaded?” Sasha asked.
“I believe you did—the first time we met, as a matter of fact.”
* * *
That evening, Hailey grabbed a quick dinner with Harper. It was almost eight when she arrived at Roman’s house.
He greeted her with a long kiss at the front door. Then he took her bag from her and pulled her inside. “Let’s go upstairs.” He picked up the baby monitor from the table by the stairs and led the way.
On the upper floor, the door to Sasha’s room stood open. Hailey glanced in. No sign of Roman’s mom. “Is your mom still downstairs?”
He didn’t break stride. “She left at five, said she needed to meet a friend.”
The door across from Sasha’s was shut. “I take it Theo’s in bed?”
Roman ushered her into the master suite, set down the monitor and shut and locked the door. “He’s asleep. And I’m hoping he stays that way.” He headed for the walk-in closet. “This way...”
She followed him in there. “Are you okay?”
“Of course.” He set her bag on a dresser. “I emptied this dresser for you.” With a sweep of
his arm, he indicated the double row of empty hangers along one wall and the shoe racks beneath them. “And I cleared that area, too. I can make more room if you need it.”
Real affection rose in her. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and tell him she adored him—however, she was also onto his game here. It was called Keep pushing Hailey until she agrees to move in. “Thank you, Roman. But it’s just an overnight bag.”
He scowled in the sexiest way possible. “Bring more clothes. Bring all your clothes. There’s plenty of room.”
She took his hand, a sweet, warm shiver sweeping up her arm at the simple contact. “We should talk.”
He slanted her a dark glance. “So that’s a yes? You’ll move in?”
“Come on. Let’s sit down.” She led him to the sofa in the sitting area of the suite. They sat side by side. She kept hold of his hand and wove her fingers between his. “We don’t have to rush this.”
His brow was all crumpled. “I want you with me.”
“I am with you.” I love you.
The three little words took form in her mind and the breath fled her body. Carefully, she drew in more air and reminded herself that it was still so soon, early days for their relationship. Love was a very big word and she shouldn’t rush into it.
She wouldn’t rush into it. She cared a lot for him, but she was not making that leap to calling it love.
Roman was the ultimate domineering male. If she didn’t slow this down, he would roll right over her to get his way. She needed to set boundaries so that he didn’t overwhelm her.
“But I’m not moving in,” she said. “Not now. Not yet.”
“When?”
“I can’t answer that question at this point. We need time, Roman.”
“I don’t. I know what I want and it’s you.”
“And I want you.” She held his gaze, unwavering. “I want to be with you and I’m not going anywhere, but you have to stop pushing me to move in. Please.”
They shared a sort of mini stare-down. And then, slowly, he seemed to relax. At least marginally. He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles, one by one. “When I decide what I want, I go after it.”
“I’m here, Roman. With you. Here is where I want to be. But I’m not ready to move in yet, or to stay here every night.”
He almost smiled. “You’re stubborn.”
“Isn’t it wonderful that you’re not?”
That brought a dark chuckle. “Okay. You got me there.”
“I’m staying tonight.” She scooted even closer and leaned her head on his broad shoulder. “Can we just start with that?”
He didn’t answer. Not in words. But he did tip up her chin and cover her mouth with his.
* * *
Hailey woke to a faint sound downstairs. Through the darkness, she saw that Roman’s eyes were open, too. She whispered, “Did you hear something?”
He tucked her head under his chin. He was so warm and big, and it felt so good, to have him all wrapped around her. “It’s just Ma coming home. Go back to sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“After two.”
Was that odd? For Sasha to be out so late?
It seemed unlike Roman’s mom, somehow—but why shouldn’t a grown woman stay out as late as she wanted to?
Not my business, Hailey scolded herself. Roman gathered her closer. She felt his lips brush the crown of her head, the warmth of his breath ruffling her hair. Deeply content, she let her eyes drift shut.
In the morning when Hailey and Roman came downstairs, Sasha was up, making breakfast, humming to herself, looking rested and happy, clear-eyed and more beautiful than ever. Theo sat in his high chair, babbling away, sippy cup in hand.
“Lee-lee!” He held up his chubby arms to Hailey and her heart melted.
Roman said, “Be warned. He’s got sticky fingers.”
She was already sliding the tray out of the way and scooping him up against her heart. He offered his sippy cup and she pretended to drink from it. “Delicious. Thank you.”
Holding Theo on one arm, Hailey put out the place mats, napkins and flatware. Roman made coffee—for Hailey first and then himself. Hailey put Theo back in his chair as Sasha plated Western omelets for the adults and then gave bits of scrambled egg to the little boy.
They sat down to eat.
Roman couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “You came in late, Ma. Everything okay?”
Sasha’s lips curved in a radiant smile. “Yes.”
He held his mother’s gaze for a little longer than necessary, waiting for her to say more. She didn’t.
Hailey suppressed a grin of her own. Roman reminded her of Daniel, back in the day, when she or Harper or Gracie stayed out past the curfew he’d set for them.
But Roman wasn’t Daniel.
And Sasha was no curfew-breaking teenaged girl. “Eat,” she instructed her son.
Shaking his head, Roman picked up his fork and did what his mother told him to do.
* * *
Harper chuckled. The knowing sound sent a tingle of annoyance down Hailey’s spine.
It was past seven that night and they sat at the kitchen table in the cottage, cutting out construction-paper leaves in three colors—brown, red and gold. The six ballerinas in the “Autumn Leaves” number would strew them about the stage as they danced.
Her sister advised, “You should just get in your car and go on over there.”
Hailey cut out another leaf. “If I go over there every night, he’ll have me living with him before you know it.”
“So?”
“Roman and I have known each other for a month. And the first week doesn’t even count because he failed to call when I gave him my number.”
“Your point being?”
“We’re moving too fast. We need to slow it down a little.”
“No, you don’t. Life’s too short. You need to be with the man you love.”
Was her face beet red? It had better not be. Hailey set to work cutting out another leaf. “I never once said that I was in love with him.”
“You’re so cute when you’re blushing—look at me.”
Hailey huffed out a hard breath, lifted her head and glared at her sister.
“Just go,” Harper said.
“I can’t go barging in on him when I insisted that I was staying home tonight.”
“Sure, you can. Go.”
“What if he’s busy?”
“My guess? Whatever he’s up to, he wants you there while he’s doing it. The worst that can happen is he’s not there and you come back here.” Carefully, Harper took the scissors from Hailey’s hand. “He wants to be with you, and you want to be with him. It’s just nonsensical that you’re here and he’s there.”
* * *
Roman opened the door as she ran up the front steps.
“I missed you,” she said softly.
He pulled her close, kissed her deeply and led her up the stairs. She noticed he had the baby monitor with him again, and Sasha’s door was open when they passed it in the upper hall.
But the question of where his mother might be never came up. He pulled her into the master suite, shut the door, turned the lock and began getting Hailey out of her clothes.
When he took her in his arms again, she found she was very glad she’d taken her sister’s advice.
And in the morning, Sasha was right there in the kitchen with Theo when Hailey and Roman came downstairs. Roman’s mom hummed a little tune as she dished up oatmeal and buttered the sourdough toast.
Hailey had no idea what had made Sasha so happy. Whatever it was, more power to her. With surgery and radiation treatments in her near future, Roman’s mom deserved all the joy she could get.
* * *
The week kind of flew by. Hailey hung out with her sis
ter for a bit every evening, but she slept with Roman every night. Roman gave her the alarm code and a key to the front door so that she could come on in whenever she arrived. She did consider saying no to the key. It seemed another big step in their relationship and she still felt they were moving too fast.
But she wanted to be with him, and he wanted the same thing—and as Harper had advised her, life was too short to waste it pushing happiness away.
Friday night when Harper returned to Roman’s straight from the theater, she saw he was in charge of the baby monitor again. “Sasha went out?”
“That’s right,” he reported, “with her mystery friend. She called me a few hours ago, said she wouldn’t be home until late.”
“She was at the theater this afternoon for the final run-through.”
Twin lines had drawn down between his eyebrows. “I have no idea what she’s up to.”
“Roman.” Hailey got him by the collar of his white shirt, went on tiptoe and kissed him. “Whoever this friend is, your mom seems really happy.”
“You’re right.”
She kissed him again. “I’m right, but...?”
“It’s just, well, she hasn’t been with anyone that I know of, not for years and years. She went on a few dates when I was in middle school, but that was it. I don’t think she went out with any guy more than twice back then.”
“So you think it’s a guy, too?”
He smirked. “Meaning you think it’s a guy?”
“Kind of seems like it to me.”
“Maybe she’s got a hot thing going with one of the women she used to work for—and don’t give me that look like you suspect I might be a gay-bashing dinosaur. Whatever makes her happy, I’m good with that.”
“I was not giving you a look,” she chided, and kissed him again. “You’re a good son.”
He bent close, pressed his lips to the side of her throat and growled, “Come on upstairs. I’ll show you just how good I am.”
* * *
Hailey spent all day Saturday at the theater. It was the usual pre-opening-night pandemonium. Sasha was there, too, helping to pull it all together. Roman dropped by with Theo around three, just to check in. Hailey kissed him hello and Theo reached for her.
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