Page 2 of A Forever Home
Roman looked at her with interest. “No, it’s not. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get to Somerset Lake in plenty of time to nab the front row seat for your boys’ recital.”
Della wasn’t as confident of that fact anymore, thanks to Roman. “And I’m sure you’ll have a better time than you bargained for in Sweetwater Springs,” she said.
Roman glanced over, looking equally doubtful.
***
Roman was trying not to notice how Della was white-knuckling the armrest between them on the plane. Some primal part of him wanted to reach over and take her hand to comfort her. The other part, the one that won out, looked forward. He had enough on his mind without having to worry that the woman beside him was about to have a panic attack.
The pilot announced that it was time to take a seat, fasten your belt, and prepare for landing.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Della blew out a breath beside him. “That’s good news.”
“You know those smaller planes have a lot more turbulence than this, right?” Roman looked over. “It’ll be a bumpier ride.”
Her face blanched. “I’m trying not to think about that.”
“The good news is that it’ll be a shorter trip. You’ll get through it,” he told her. Some part of him wished he’d be sitting there with her to help ease her mind. He felt a bit sorry for the woman. And, if he was honest, he was attracted to her too. She had high cheekbones, a friendly smile, and pale green eyes that struck him every time he met her gaze. She had on jade stud earrings that were almost a perfect match to the verdant shade of her irises. He thought maybe she was a couple years younger than him, but it was hard to tell. She had two kids, which in his experience could either age you beyond your years or keep you young.
“Are you okay?” he finally asked the woman.
“Yeah.” She nodded too quickly for that to be the truth.
Roman could feel the plane descending. Out of pity, and maybe something more, he started talking to distract her. “I’ve never been to Somerset Lake. Is it a nice place?”
“Oh yes. I’m a real estate agent there. I don’t even have to sell most of the places I show. The homes sell themselves because every square inch of Somerset Lake is to die for.”
He could hear the shallowness of her breathing beside him. “I’m sold already,” he said with a forced smile. He had a lot on his mind today, and none of it was smile-worthy. The stiffness of her body seemed to relax, though.
“The town is on the lake,” she told him. “You’ve never seen a lake until you’ve seen Somerset. It’s a little slice of blue heaven on earth.” She went on to talk about the shops on Hannigan Street, which was apparently the main downtown stretch. She told him about the bookstore her friend owned, the new B&B another friend of hers was starting up, and a place that catered to chocolate lovers.
“I don’t like chocolate myself,” he said.
Della looked at him. “I don’t believe you. Everyone likes chocolate.”
“Not me.”
She narrowed those beautiful green eyes of hers. “You must. Hot cocoa?”
“Only when coffee isn’t an option.”
“Chocolate-covered strawberries?” she asked.
He chuckled softly. It felt surprisingly good. When was the last time he’d laughed? He lived a serious existence in Dayton, the hours of his days revolving around his work as the lead commercial contractor for the company he worked for. With a shrug, he said, “I’m an oddball, I guess.”
“Well, if we were going to spend any more time together, I’d take that statement as a challenge,” she said. “I would prove to you that there is some sort of chocolate you would like.”
From the corner of his eye, Roman saw the plane’s landing gear lower. Without thinking, he reached for Della’s hand. Her eyes subtly widened. “Here we go,” he said. “We’re about to hit the ground rolling.”
She didn’t yank her hand away. Instead, she squeezed his hand and shut her eyes. Roman couldn’t help but admire her beauty when she wasn’t looking. She had smooth, supple skin with a natural pink blush on the apples of her cheeks. Her hair was a dark blond, pulled back to the nape of her neck, but a few short pieces curled at her ears.
As the plane bumped forcefully along the ground and shot forward on the runway, Roman heard Della’s sharp intake of breath, and then she seemed to stop breathing altogether. He still held her hand as the plane’s speed began to decrease.
“You can open your eyes now,” he said quietly, pulling his hand back once the plane had stopped.
Della’s eyes fluttered open. She looked at him, a timid smile curling at the corners of her lips. They were a pretty pink hue that grabbed his attention and didn’t let go. “Thank you. One more plane trip, and then I can see my boys perform tonight.”
“What instruments do they play?” Roman asked. He wasn’t trying to distract Della anymore. Instead, he was genuinely interested.
