“Don’t be,” Roman said. “And as for my father, the direct approach is best. No beating around the bush.” He would protect her and wouldn’t abide anyone hurting her. They’d spent the last few days getting to know each other even better in and out of bed. It’s why he refused to bring up the prenup. Shantel had become more to him than just the mother of his child. He liked her. A lot. More than he’d thought he was capable of. Perhaps that’s why he’d been drawn to her that night at the Bachelor Auction. She must have placed her trust in him too, because she’d given him a key to her cottage. It said a lot about the path their relationship was on.
When they got to the great room, they found Roman’s father leaning against the mantel while his mother and Giana were speaking softly on the couch. They’d dressed for the occasion, his mother in a silk loungewear set and his sister in slacks and a cashmere sweater. Julian appeared to be largely ignoring everyone as he stood in the corner of the room on his phone. He was in his normal attire of a lightweight suit with no tie.
“Hello, everyone,” Roman said as they entered. He gave Shantel’s hand a gentle squeeze and smiled down at her.
“So great of you to finally join us,” his father replied, standing up straight. “You’re a half hour late.”
“I’m sorry. That was my fault,” Shantel replied. “I couldn’t figure out what to wear.”
His father’s eyes narrowed on her. “And you are?”
Roman moved farther into the center of the room. “Mom, Dad, I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée, Shantel Wilson.”
His mother’s hand flew to her mouth while his father stared at him as if he’d sprouted two heads. “Your fiancée? Since when? And why is this the first time we’re hearing about it?”
Before Roman could answer his questions, Josiah Lockett was heading straight for Shantel. He tilted his brow and looked at her discerningly. “Wait a minute, we’ve met you before, several times here at the house. You came with Julian.” His father glanced over at Julian. “You’re Julian’s friend.”
“And Roman’s fiancée,” Giana piped in.
Roman appreciated the assist, but bristled at the way his father emphasized his brother’s name. Shantel must have sensed it because she patted Roman’s arm before answering.
“Yes, we’ve met before. Julian and I have been friends for a number of years.”
“So you’re not one of his girls?” his father pressed.
Roman glanced down at Shantel. She’d blanched, but it was Julian to the rescue, and that only annoyed him further.
“No, Dad. Shantel and I have never dated, have we?” Julian sauntered over from the corner he’d been hiding in and came forward to press a kiss to both Shantel’s cheeks. She offered a small smile. “For one thing, she’d never abide my womanizing ways. I suspect you want a one-woman man?”
“That’s right.” Roman wanted to wipe the smug smile from his brother’s face. But he was going to have to live with Julian and Shantel’s friendship and shared past. “And we are excited to share more news. Shantel is pregnant.”
“Pregnant!” His mother jumped out of her seat and rushed over to pull Shantel into her arms. “But it’s so sudden. You’ve only just got engaged.”
“It’s the reason they’re getting married,” his father interjected.
“Josiah!” She turned to her husband and the meaning of the glare she gave him was unmistakable: he’d better heel.
“Although this is a shock, a baby is such exciting news.”
“If you say so,” his father responded dryly. “Roman, I’d like a word with you privately.”
Roman looked at Shantel. She wore a polite mask on her face, but he sensed her unease.
“Go on, darling.” His mother shooed him towards the exit. “Shantel, Giana and I are going to have a chat.”
Shantel smiled over at him so Roman reluctantly left the room to follow Julian into his father’s study. Once the door was firmly closed, he turned on Roman.
“What the hell is going on?”
“It’s as I told you out there.” Roman inclined his head toward the door. “Shantel and I are getting married and having a baby. It should be happy news to you since you’ve been asking me to settle down.”
“And you?” His father looked at Julian. “Do you have anything to say about this?”
Julian shrugged. “It’s not my business to have a say. But to clear up any misconceptions, Roman didn’t steal Shantel from me. Shantel is a grown woman and she can be with whomever she sees fit. She made her choice. And it’s Roman. As for my friendship with her, although we’ve known each other for over a decade, I suspect my possessive brother over there—” he glanced in Roman’s direction “—won’t appreciate having another man so closely involved with his woman.”
For the first time tonight, Roman smiled. He was genuinely proud of Julian after that speech because every word of it was true. Roman did feel territorial about Shantel; she was his woman whether she was ready to call herself that or not.
“All right,” Josiah said. “Sounds like you both know what’s up. But let’s be real, shall we? The only reason you’re marrying that girl is because she’s having your baby.”
“That might have been the case when I proposed to her,” Roman said. “But I genuinely like Shantel.”
“Like isn’t love, son.”
Roman glared at his father. “I’m aware of that, but it could blossom into love.”
“You?” Julian asked. “Do love?” He began howling uncontrollably with laughter. “In what universe? You’ve never even attempted a serious relationship with a woman.”
“Neither of you know what I’m capable of,” Roman responded. He didn’t even know until he’d met Shantel and she’d opened him up to a world of possibilities. And sure, they made him afraid because he’d never given his heart to another human being, but if there was anyone he was willing to give it to, it was Shantel.
*
When Roman’s mother went to check on dinner, his sister, Giana, stayed with Shantel in the great room. “So, how are you doing?” Giana asked. “Daddy can come on a bit strong.”
“Yes, he can be intimidating.”
“He’s really an old teddy bear.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“But you and Roman,” Giana began, “you were holding hands when you came in. It looks as if you’ve grown closer throughout all of this.”
Shantel nodded. She hadn’t yet talked to anyone about her growing feelings for Roman, not even Vanessa. It seemed so unreal that she could go from her boring life to this new one in Technicolor with Roman. Is it too good to be true?
“We have. What’s the saying? Adversity builds character?”
Giana laughed. “If you say so. Anyway, since no one else has done it, I want to be the first to welcome you into the family. I’m so happy you’re officially joining the Locketts because, quite frankly, Roman needs someone like you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Roman has always been like a tortoise’s shell. Hard to break. Yet in the last week, you’ve broken down Roman’s walls, and he seems more open and engaging than I’ve ever seen him.”
“Really?” That knowledge made Shantel’s heart swell. Was it possible she’d made a difference in his life so quickly?
“Yes, so whatever you’re doing, keep it up,” Giana said as the men rejoined them in the great room.
Roman immediately came to her side and Shantel instantly felt at ease. He had a way of making her feel safe, protected. Cared for.
Roman’s lips brushed across her ear and he whispered, “You okay?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m good.”
“Dinner is ready,” Mrs. Lockett said from the doorway. “Please come. The chef has prepared a delicious treat tonight.”
Shantel stood, and Roman linked arms with her and led her to the beautiful dining room done in blue-grays with traditional regency-style furniture. From the champagne giltwood trim details t
o the upholstered dining room chairs, it screamed sophistication.
Roman held out Shantel’s chair for her, then sat beside her. She waited for the twenty questions she knew were coming, and over the course of the meal, Roman’s parents delivered. His father’s questions were blunt and to the point. He quizzed her about where she came from, the farm business, her family and when he should expect to meet them.
“Mr. Jackson should be happy when he arrives next week,” Mr. Lockett said, glancing in Roman’s direction. “He’ll get a chance to meet all of us and see that you’re settling down.”
“Was that a dig?” Roman asked from next to her, and Shantel patted his thigh. She didn’t want World War III.
“No,” his father replied, “I’m merely stating the obvious. You were a single man and now you’re not. It might alleviate his concerns once he realizes you’re a family man.”
Good save, Mr. Lockett, Shantel thought.
Mrs. Lockett was much subtler in her approach. But when she asked when the wedding was and Shantel informed her it was in three weeks, his mother coughed loudly.
“I’m sorry, Mother,” Roman said. “I know it seems sudden, but given Shantel’s condition, we thought it best to move quickly and expeditiously.”
“Anyone with a brain will know if she gives birth seven months later that she was knocked up when you married her.”
“Josiah Lockett!” His mother rose to her feet. “A word, please.”
“Angelique.” Mr. Lockett’s tone sounded humble, but Shantel didn’t care. Tears pricked her eyes.
“Shantel, I’m sorry,” Roman said. “Let’s forgo dessert and head home.”
Shantel was on her feet and pushing back her chair when Mr. and Mrs. Lockett returned from the kitchen.
“Please don’t leave.” Mrs. Lockett rushed toward her. She glanced back at her husband. “Josiah, don’t you have something to say to Shantel?”
The older man ambled over to Shantel with his head hung low. “I’m sorry. I was unforgivably rude.” He glanced at his wife of forty years. “My wife and I are very happy to have you as part of the family, and I’m sorry if I didn’t make you feel that way this evening.”
Shantel doubted he was used to apologizing any more than Roman. “Thank you. I accept your apology, but it’s late and I find I’m tired quicker these days.”
Mrs. Lockett reached for Shantel’s hand. “Of course, dear. I’m sorry we kept you out so late. I know your mother is no longer with us, so please do let me know if I can be of assistance with the wedding or if there’s anything you need to know about being a mother as I have four of my own.”
Tears slid down Shantel’s cheeks. Mrs. Lockett’s offer meant everything. She leaned forward and wrapped her in a warm hug. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime.” Mrs. Lockett patted her back and released her.
“Thanks for dinner, Mom.” Roman kissed his mother on the cheek, shook his father’s hand and then waved at his siblings on the way out.
Once they were safely in the car, Shantel let out a long sigh. “I’m glad that’s over.”
“You and me both.” Roman was clutching the steering wheel.
“That was much harder than I thought it would be. I underestimated your father’s animosity. I won’t do that again.”
“He’s not angry with you, Shantel. I promise you,” Roman said, turning to her. “It’s me he’s angry with. It’s me he’s disappointed in.”
He could have fooled her, Shantel thought, but didn’t poke the bear. She yawned and leaned back in the passenger seat.
“Looks like I need to get Sleeping Beauty home, but your house is a good forty-minute drive. Would you like to stay at my place? It’s up the road.”
“Sure, I’d like that.” With their wedding a few weeks away, it was like they were on a speed-engagement and trying to get it all in. Yet with Roman at her side, Shantel felt all things were possible. She wouldn’t have even thought it mere days ago when he’d thrown out the M word, but after getting to know him, she saw he was a man of deep principles, and she was slowly but surely falling in love with him each day.
Fifteen
Roman dropped Shantel off at her cottage the next morning. Shantel used her free time to check in with Vanessa from her car while running errands before meeting with the wedding planner.
“Ohmigod, where have you been?” Vanessa answered almost instantly. “I’ve been texting you the last couple of days, and I all I get is ‘I’ll call you later.’ I’ve been dying to hear how everything’s going with you and Roman.”
“Surprisingly well,” Shantel replied. “Except for last night’s dinner with Roman’s parents.”
“Take it from the top,” Vanessa said. “Last we spoke, you were going to have dinner with Roman and figure out this marriage. Then it’s been crickets since then.”
“Dinner was good,” Shantel replied. “Roman realized I wasn’t a pushover and wouldn’t do exactly what he wanted. He learned the word compromise. We agreed not to live at his place on the Lockett estate as he assumed we would, but instead find a place that was ours.”
“Wow! That is progress. Go on.”
“It is. He lined up a real estate agent and oh, Vanessa, we found this beautiful two-story house yesterday in Buckhead. It’s on a private cul-de-sac and it’s perfect.”
“You guys sure didn’t waste any time.”
Shantel laughed. “We can’t. We’re on a tight schedule with a baby coming soon.”
“True, true. And the Locketts?”
“Roman arranged for dinner last night so we could tell his parents. Julian and Giana already knew. Apparently his sister overhead him and Julian talking.”
“And his parents, how did they react?”
“His mother was wonderful. She’s excited to be a grandma, but Josiah Lockett was a pistol.”
“What did he do?”
“Oh, he grilled me over dinner about my entire life, my family. I’m surprised he didn’t ask for my freaking blood type, because his questions ran the gamut. But it wasn’t what he was asking, it was his delivery. He was very…antagonistic.”
“I’m sorry. I suspected it wasn’t going to be easy.”
“I could handle him if it was a class issue,” Shantel replied. “I don’t know, I got the distinct impression he wasn’t rooting for us like the rest of the family. I can see why he and Roman have a strained relationship. I don’t know if our marriage and a grandchild will bridge the gap, but I’ll do my best.”
“Sounds like you’ve made your peace with the outcome.”
“Don’t have much choice in the matter,” Shantel said. “I want my baby to have the very best in life, but there’s more.”
“What else could there be?”
“I’m falling for him, Nessa.” Vanessa began to interrupt, but she continued, “I know. It’s crazy. We haven’t spent very much time together, but I can’t help how I feel. Roman makes me weak in the knees.”
“Does this mean—did you and he…?”
“We have.” Shantel giggled. “Many times over.”
“Are you sure you’re not mixing up lust with love, Shantel? I mean, you haven’t had a lot of lovers to compare Roman to.”
Shantel understood why Vanessa would think that. Hell, she probably would too if she stepped back long enough to examine it, but she wasn’t. For the first time, she was allowing feelings she’d always feared to develop. “You could be right, but I don’t care. I love the place Roman and I are in. Is it wrong to be hopeful?”
“Of course not, and I don’t want to take that away from you. I just hope he doesn’t break your heart.”
Shantel hoped the same, but there was no guarantee Roman was feeling the same way she did. It was a gamble to put her heart on the line not knowing how he felt, but if she didn’t, wouldn’t she regret not taking the risk at all?
*
Roman headed up to the main house and found his mother in the kitchen. She was arranging flowers
in a vase on the large quartz island. “Hey, Mama, how are you?” He came toward her and brushed his lips across her cheeks. She was dressed casually in a tunic and palazzo pants, her always stylish hair in a bun.
“Darling,” his mother answered, caressing his cheek. “Surprisingly well after your shocking news last night.”
He stepped back and regarded her. “I’m sure it was, but there was no easy way to tell you.”
“Oh, I agree.” His mother stopped fiddling with the lilacs to look at him. “But surely you could have told us privately without all the fanfare.”
“Would that change anything?” Roman said. “Dad was still going to have a coronary regardless.”
“He only wants what’s best for you.”
“Then he should be happy for me.” Roman raised his voice, but at his mother’s reproachful look, he lowered it. “Why can’t he be happy for me, Mama? I’m going to be a father.”
Her eyes glistened with tears. “I know, and I worry for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve never said you wanted marriage, babies, any of it,” she responded. “It’s why we’re both concerned that you’re rushing into this. As much as I love the fact I’m going to be a grandma, surely you could coparent?”
“No.” Roman refused to consider it. “I don’t want to be a part-time father. I want to mold him or her.”
“That’s admirable!” His mother stared at him as if she was in awe. “I’m proud to see you stepping up, but what about Shantel?”
He frowned. “What about her?”
“Do you have feelings for Shantel? You were very protective of her. I wondered if there could be more between you two.”
“I… I…” Roman wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. He was developing strong feelings for the mother of his child. “Yes, I am.”
“So your marriage isn’t just about the baby?”
He stared at her and realized he’d never asked himself if there was another motivation for why he was so insistent on marrying Shantel. He only knew he had to have her. She was his woman. “No, the baby isn’t the only reason I want to marry her. You saw for yourself last night, Mama. She’s an amazing woman. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s smart and kind, considerate, thoughtful. She’s going to be a great mother.”
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