Thank God her car wasn’t blocked and that Roman’s rental was just a few minutes away.
When she pulled into the driveway, nerves flared again. But then the front door flew open.
He walked toward her in sweatpants and a T-shirt, arms spread wide like he was about to catch the game-winning touchdown.
“Hey, you,” he said, wrapping her in a big, warm hug and lifting her off the ground. “I missed you.”
Lacey melted. Literally melted. “You did?”
“I did.” He lowered her and added a kiss, brushing her hair back, his own gold locks damp at the ends from a shower. “You’re covered in sunshine.”
“And sweat. I’ve been walking the beach…and waiting.” She finally let out a breath as her heart settled for the first time in two days. “And worrying.”
His expression changed just enough to know that maybe that worry was warranted.
“What?” she asked, searching his face. “What happened? Are they upset?”
Huffing out a breath, he led her toward the house. “I’ll tell you everything.”
With a hitch in her heart, she followed him into the Florida ranch house perched on a canal. He kept the sliders wide open to let in fresh, briny air that mingled with the scent of soap wafting from his bedroom.
“Whoa, that’s a long drive to make twice in two days,” he said, heading to the fridge. “Water? Beer? Wine? Soda?”
She just shook her head. “Please, Roman. I’m dying here.”
He pulled out two bottles of water, handing her one. “Outside. Let’s sit.”
Fighting a groan, she settled next to him on the rattan sofa that faced the canal, turning to pin him with a demanding gaze.
“Are they mad?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head as he opened the water bottle. “My parents don’t get mad, to be honest. They weren’t even all that surprised—both of them expected me to try and find my biological parents at some point. Everyone is secure in our relationship.”
“Okay, then why do you seem so upset?”
“Because my mother, who is honestly one of the wisest people I’ve ever known, thinks we—no, no,I—made a huge mistake in not telling Tessa who I am.”
Lacey just looked at him, feeling her face crumple.
“Please don’t say, ‘I told you so,’” he said with a sad smile. “’Cause you kind of did tell me so.”
“I went along with your wild scheme,” she said. “What did your mother say, exactly?”
He sighed again, taking a deep drink of water before answering. “She said it was deceitful and showed a lack of judgment on my part.” He winced. “She said it wasn’t like me at all, and I should have known it was wrong and kind of selfish to try and get to know her under false pretenses.”
“Oh, doesn’t mince words, does she?”
He shook his head. “She’s honest and a terrific judge of character. But, whoa, it made me worry about…that discussion.”
“Well, it’s done now,” Lacey said, her whole body tense when she imagined that conversation. “All we can do is tell Tessa the truth.”
“Yes, now. Immediately.” He ran his hand through his hair with yet another heavy sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t call or text you.”
“That’s okay. Well…actually, it’s not,” she said, wanting to be totally honest. “I’ve been stressing and it would have been nice to hear what happened.”
He closed his eyes and when he opened them, she could see a swirl of emotions in the depths of the gold. “I talked to my mom about you, too.”
She swallowed, not sure she wanted to hear the rest. “And?”
