Page 7 of A Forever Home
“And miss your brother’s big moment? No way. Brian does so much for the people here. I want to be up front and center when he gets that award.” She smiled wide and looked from him to Della. “You brought someone?”
Roman cleared his throat. “This is Della,” he said, realizing he didn’t know Della’s last name. It was odd that he and Della had only known each other half a day but had already spent the amount of time one would across two dates. But since their plane and car rides weren’t actual dates, they’d felt free to share things about themselves that they might not otherwise. Like the fact that Roman had fired a family man with a sick child. That certainly didn’t cast him in a good light.
“Nice to meet you, Della,” Emma said, reaching out her hand.
Della shook it. “And you as well. You own a café?”
“The Sweetwater Café.” Emma pointed. “It’s farther down Main Street. You’ll have to stop in. Nina is running the shop today,” she told Roman. “You remember her, right?”
Roman squinted his eyes as he tried to place the face. “I’m not sure.”
“Well, that’s because you’ve been gone too long,” Emma said good-spiritedly.
“Does your café sell hot chocolate?” Della asked.
Emma grinned. “Of course it does. Although, I’ll be honest. If you want cocoa, I’d go to Dawanda’s Fudge Shop. Hers is the best.”
“Good to know.” Della cast Roman a conspiratorial look. “I don’t think we’re quite ready for hot cocoa just yet.”
“No,” he agreed. “Not yet.”
Jack Hershey stepped up to Emma and put his arm around her. “Hey, Roman,” he said. Kaitlyn and Mitch Hargrove walked over to say hello as well.
Roman shook their hands. As much as he told himself he didn’t, he’d missed these faces. Once upon a time, he’d hung out with this crowd, with the exception of Kaitlyn, who had moved to Sweetwater Springs a few years ago. Roman, Mitch, Emma, and Jack had all been friends, roaming around the town and growing up together. He knew their pasts, and they knew his. He guessed that’s what made him so uncomfortable.
“Roman was just introducing me to his girlfriend, Della,” Emma told the group.
Roman started to object, but Brenna McConnell squealed as she joined them as well. “Roman has a girlfriend?” From what Roman had seen on Facebook, Brenna was a teacher now and dating the town’s fire chief—a newcomer to Sweetwater Springs. “You must be something special to nab Roman’s attention,” Brenna told Della. “He’s always been a guy to go on a couple dates but never get serious with anyone.”
Roman couldn’t argue that point. He needed to set the record straight, though. He and Della were here together, but they weren’t romantically involved.
“So how did you two meet?” Kaitlyn asked. “I love stories about how couples found each other.” She beamed as she glanced between him and Della.
Roman started to respond, but Della reached for his hand, surprising him.
“Well, I guess it was fate,” Della said. “Wouldn’t you say so, Roman?”
Roman felt his lips part, but no words came out.
“We found ourselves sitting next to each other on a plane. I’m terrified of planes, and Roman helped me keep my sanity.” She cast him another conspiratorial look. “We’ve been together ever since.”
She failed to mention that the story she told had happened only a few hours before. Or that they weren’t a real couple.
Even so, Roman didn’t pull his hand away. His palm resting against hers felt nice, and it was working to calm him. Being in his hometown, surrounded by the people of his past, wasn’t easy. “That’s right,” he agreed, looking at Della. “I think I could use some hot cocoa.”
Della’s green eyes subtly widened. “I hear Dawanda’s Fudge Shop has the best around.”
Chapter Three
When they walked through the door of Dawanda’s Fudge Shop, Della was accosted by the aroma of chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, and every other sweet-smelling spice.
The woman behind the counter waved cheerily. She had bright red hair that poked in various directions off her head, and she wore purple glasses that rested low on her nose.
“Roman Everson? Is that you?” she asked.
“The one and only,” he said, breaking into what looked like a sincere smile.
Della still didn’t know Roman very well, but she had started to understand when he was faking a smile, like he’d done on the plane when she’d gone on and on about her boys, and when he was being authentic. She liked this look on him. Relaxed. Easygoing. He almost appeared to be enjoying himself.
