“’Cause I sure wasn’t expecting this when I checked my DMs.” Roman leaned back casually, one arm draped over theback of the booth. “But just to be clear—you said you knew this woman. You’re not, like, my sister or something, are you?”
Lacey couldn’t help but laugh, some of her nerves fading. “No, I’m not…we’re not related.”
“How do you know her?” His smile faded and he dropped his arm. “I guess you should start with her name.”
“Her name is…” She stopped and swallowed. “I’m not sure if I should tell you.”
His eyes flickered with surprise. “Wasn’t that the point of this meeting?”
“It could be, but…” She took a sip of water when a server brought it along with the coffee, waiting until they were alone again to finish. “She has no idea I’m meeting you. No idea who you are, in fact.”
Again, surprise lit his eyes. “Oh, I thought you were like some kind of messenger or, I don’t know, go-between.”
“No, I’m some kind of…” She closed her eyes. “Meddler. I found you on my own and I thought that maybe you two would like to know each other.”
“Oh.” He nodded, taking a moment to process that. “Does she want to know me?”
“She’s curious but that’s all she’s said. I assume she doesn’t want to upset your life.”
“Or maybe I’d upset hers.” His amber eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t want to do that.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know. The fact is, no one else knows she had a baby and gave it—you—up for adoption. Well, her father knew, but he died last year.”
He regarded her for a long time, silent, thinking as he took a sip of black coffee. “I’m curious, too. Really curious. There’s only one reason I haven’t tried to find her—well, two. My mom and dad are the greatest, most supportive, most amazing humanswho ever lived. I don’t want them to ever feel like they’re not enough.”
She smiled at that, intrigued by the unexpected proclamation, so not what she would have predicted from a muscular, handsome football player who probably cultivated a deliberately tough image.
“I never wanted to hurt them,” he continued. “They did tell me I was adopted—chosenis the word they use—at a very young age. They made it seem like the greatest privilege of all time, and I have to admit, it was. Itis. Most of my life, we all just forgot I was adopted.”
“But you’re curious.”
“Sometimes burning with it,” he admitted on a laugh. “When you find out you climbed out of a totally different gene pool, you wonder, you know?”
She understood. Especiallythatgene pool.
“So, is she doing okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes. “Is she healthy? Happy? Having a good life with more kids and all? How old is she? What’s she like?”
The questions poured out like they’d been pent up a long, long time.
Lacey considered her responses, wondering how to best describe an enigma like Tessa Wylie.
“Well, for starters, she’s amazing,” she said. “And she’s one of the most unique women I’ve ever met.”
“Tell me about her,” he said, the tiny note of urgency in his voice making her heart shift in her chest.
Lacey finally poured some cream into her coffee, stirring as she gathered her thoughts.
“First of all, she’s beautiful. Like…you-can’t-look-away gorgeous. She’s a bundle of energy and loves to dance and sing—off-key, but everything she does and says is hilarious. She tries to act like she’s super cool, but has a heart made of pure mush.”
She looked up from the coffee and sucked in a soft breath at the expression on his face and the glistening tears in his eyes.
Oof. That was more than…curiosity.
“Yeah,” she said quickly, kind of unnerved by the sight of this athletic god looking like he might come apart at the seams. “She’s great.”
He took a deep inhale. “That’s good,” he said. “I’m glad…that’s good.”
After a beat, Lacey felt like she should address his more practical questions and not merely gush over Tessa.
