Page 31 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
“Funny.” Roman bit into the apple. “My parents never worried about leaving me.” And Mary wasn’t even their mom. The first time he’d spent the weekend alone—no parents or nannies—he was thirteen.
Mary’s smile dropped. “Roman, your parents’ actions are not a reflection on you. You know that, right? They do not leave you because you deserve to be left.”
Could have fooled him. “I don’t like the idea of placing my burdens on another family.”Yeah, sounded like athemproblem, not aRomanproblem. Not.
He slipped his smile into place and tossed the apple in the air, catching it without averting his gaze. “I know.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’m damn lovable.”
She patted his cheek. “More so if you drop the language.”
He laughed. His parents never had talks with him about language or sex or making trouble. It was a new feeling, but not an unwelcome one.
It only showed someone cared.
He flashed her a grin. “I’m off. I’ve got a couple of squirts who might let me shoot pucks at them.”
“Roman!”
He walked to the door, throwing his voice back over his shoulder. “Kidding. I only need one of them to play goalie.” He grinned, imagining the disapproving look on her face. He’d known Mary for a long time. She was more a mother to him than his own. Yet, she still wasn’t sure how to read him. That much was plain.
But if she thought for one second Will or Eli could stand still long enough to play goalie, she was off her rocker.
The boys waited for him in the driveway gripping their sticks. They’d dragged the old net from the garage and a barrage of memories struck Roman. He’d sent more pucks into that netting over the years than he could count. It was here on this driveway he’d truly fallen in love with the sport.
Not only because he could shoot harder than Jesse, but because it had been fun. He spent a lot of time rollerblading in the street with Jesse and Cass, passing rubber balls between them.
Even Cassie seemed to enjoy it.
Hockey had never been about winning for Roman. If it had, he’d have joined one of the local travel teams a long time ago. He’d only ever wanted to enjoy the game with his friends. Sure, winning was fun, but it wasn’t everything.
“All right, squirts.” He eyed the boys. “Rollerblades.”
“Yes!” Will ran for the garage with Eli on his heels.
Roman borrowed Jesse’s because he no longer had a pair of his own. As he soared down the driveway, wheels under his feet, it wasn’t hard to remember why he’d stayed.
The twins chased him, their skill much higher than his had been at their age. Roman fetched a rubber ball and swiveled it from forehand to backhand as he tried to keep it away from the boys.
Their laughter cackled behind him, and he found himself grinning. Yeah, this was much better than homework.
He’d spent his younger years praying for siblings, only getting them when he met Jesse and Cass.
He didn’t know how long the game of keep away continued before Will stripped him of the ball. A car zoomed down the street, and all three of them jumped onto the curbs.
He paused for a moment to catch his breath and movement in one of the windows on the second floor caught his eye. Cassie watched them, no expression on her face as her eyes met his.
If this had been two years ago, she’d join them.
Instead, she was once again on the outside.
Eli’s holler made him tear his eyes away. He’d managed to get the puck from Will. Roman glanced back at the house, but Cassie was gone.
He shook his head and jumped from the curb to chase the boys, knowing weekends like these were the only reason he’d fought so hard to stay.
* * *
“Boys.”Coach Morrison paced in front of the entire team. “This team has come a long way from where we were just one month ago.”
A cheer wound through the locker room. Roman bent forward to lace up his skates as Coach continued.
