Page 8 of A Forever Home
“Well, wonders never cease. It’s good to see you home,” Dawanda told Roman.
“It’s good to see you too, Dawanda,” he said.
Dawanda looked between him and Della expectantly, no doubt waiting for Roman to introduce them.
Della wasn’t sure how Roman would react when she pretended to be his girlfriend earlier. She hadn’t really thought it through. The poor guy just seemed to need someone on his side. His friends seemed nice enough, but Della could feel the anxiety radiating off him. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted to be a friend. And somehow she’d become more than a friend. At least that’s what she’d led his friends to believe.
Roman glanced over at her, the corners of his mouth quirking softly. “This is Della,” he told the fudge store owner. “She’s my…” He hesitated. “She’s my, uh…”
Della understood his dilemma. If he called her a mere friend now, he’d look like a liar to the friends she’d just met. They had to keep the charade up.
“Girlfriend,” Della supplied, looking at Dawanda.
“Girlfriend?” The fudge shop owner looked absolutely thrilled by the news.
He cleared his throat and looked down for a moment. He didn’t confirm or deny Della’s declaration.
“Well, in that case, your fudge today is on the house,” Dawanda said. “And I can give you a cappuccino reading if you want,” she said, her voice lifting hopefully.
Roman shook his head quickly. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
“What’s a cappuccino reading?” Della asked.
Roman looked over at her. “Dawanda is famous for sitting people down and reading their fortune in the foam of a cappuccino.”
Della’s lips formed a littleo. “That sounds fun.”
“But,” Roman interjected, holding up his pointer finger, “we don’t have time for that today. We’re in a hurry.”
Dawanda nodded. “Yes, I know. Your brother is getting an award today. You don’t want to miss that. I’m guessing that’s why you traveled all this way.”
“It is,” he confirmed. “And as soon as the ceremony is over, I’m taking Della to her hometown of Somerset Lake.”
Dawanda’s brows rose high on her forehead. “Is that where Trisha Langly moved this past year?”
“Yes, it is,” Della said. “I’ve become friends with Trisha since she’s moved to the lake. We’re in a book club together.”
“Well, isn’t that wonderful?” Dawanda said. “It’s such a small world, isn’t it?”
Della nodded. “My nana always said so. Then again, she never ventured past the town line, so it was true for her.”
Dawanda pointed at Della. “She sounds like my kind of woman.”
“We’ll also have two cups of hot cocoa, if you don’t mind,” Roman said, giving Della a look. “And I’m afraid we’ll have to take it to go, because we don’t want to miss the ceremony for Brian.”
For a moment, Della thought she saw sadness sweep over Dawanda’s face. She gave Roman a look that said volumes. But since Della didn’t know the backstory, she couldn’t read the unspoken things between them.
Dawanda set to work placing two fudge squares for Roman and two for Della on a piece of wax paper. She wrapped them up, slid them across the counter, and then poured two cups of hot chocolate. “Here you go!” She looked at Roman again. “I understand you’re in a hurry today, but please don’t stay away too long. I miss seeing your face around here, and I know your parents do too. Your mom comes in here often and speaks about you all the time.”
“She does?” Roman asked.
“Oh, yes. I ask her how you are, and she tells me all about the work you’re doing in Ohio. We’re all so proud of you here,” she told Roman.
“Thank you. It’s nothing award-worthy like Brian.”
“Don’t compare yourself to your brother. Or anyone else for that matter. You are your own man,” Dawanda said. “And in my opinion, you’re a stand-up one.”
Della and Roman said goodbye to Dawanda and walked out side by side.
