Page 47 of Protecting the Boundary
“Sure,” I tell him, knowing if he set this up on purpose, he doesn’t want Kay to know what’s going on. We’ve agreed to keep this quiet and between just us for now. Although apparently “just us” now includes Larissa.
We walk to another room far enough away that we won’t be overheard. He rubs his hands together in front of him like he’s a bit nervous and then says, “Do you want to go out with me today? I thought we could grab a bite to eat and then maybe go to a movie or something.”
“A meal and a movie? That’s a very old-school date.”
He looks a little embarrassed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve dated, so I’m not really sure what’s standard procedure here.”
“You got Larissa to take Kay out so we could go on a date.” It’s not really a question because that’s obviously what’s going on here, but he acts like it’s one.
“Yeah, I knew if they stayed around here, then Kay would wonder why we were both gone, and I’d rather not lie to my daughter.”
“Unless it’s a lie of omission.”
“Not telling her about us isn’t a lie of omission; it’s just keeping this private since it’s new and I don’t want to get her hopes up in case…”
I get it. “Okay, let me go get changed and I’ll be ready to go.”
His shoulders sag with relief and he nods once. I dart back out to the kitchen to say bye to Kaylee and then head back to the guesthouse to change and get ready. Since he’s wearing jeans and is dressed fairly casually, I decide to go casual too. Once I’m changed into my favorite pair of skinny jeans and a cute top I bought the last time I went out with Addy, I head back to the main house to find it silent.
It’s crazy how different the house feels when Kaylee isn’t here.
Romel is pacing back and forth in the den, and I bite back a smile at how nervous he looks. I know it’s been at least three years since he last went on a date—assuming he took Sydney out on dates until she was too sick to enjoy them. But dating your wife is very different from dating someone new.
I wonder how weird this is for him—dating someone new after thinking he was going to be with Sydney for the rest of his life.
He stops his pacing as he catches sight of me, and all thoughts of his past with Sydney evaporate as he smiles at me—the same smile that causes a slight dimple to form in his cheek. Butterflies cause a flurry in my stomach as I try to catch my breath and slow my heart’s reaction to him.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yep.” I’m definitely ready to take this next step and see if he can drop his walls enough to let me in.
I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’m also the daughter of a man who could never let go enough to let anyone else stand by his side.
My dad always saw someone else as a replacement—which he said was impossible, and to an extent I agree. I don’t think the person that comes after you lose a loved one is a replacement. That makes them sound like a stand-in for the person you lost, which they’re not. I think they’re someone new for the new you that was created from the loss you experienced. They take the place by your side as an equal and act as the glue to your heart.
In other words, I have no desire to replace Sydney. I could never live up to that pressure. But I can heal the hurts her family has experienced and hold their hands as we move into this next phase of life. I can love them like they deserve and still honor her memory.
Or I can, if Romel will open up his heart enough to realize it’s big enough to love both Sydney and me.
He takes me to a taco stand off the beach. “Ty found this place when Lexi was craving Mexican food and told us all about it. Gabe came with his sisters to try it out and gave his seal of approval, although no tamale compares to Mama Romero’s.” His eyes roll to the back of his head as he lets out a groan. “They’re seriously the best tamales I’ve had in my life.”
“Well, now you’re just making me jealous.”
He bumps me with his shoulder. “Well, if you’re lucky maybe I’ll convince Gabe to ask his mom for some to share with you.”
I push up on my tiptoes, putting us almost nose to nose, and my heartbeat speeds up at the heat in his eyes. “I’m a pretty lucky girl, so I think my odds are good.”
And then I drop down before I’m too tempted to kiss him. He lets out a huff of breath and then a deep chuckle as he shakes his head and watches me with a sexy grin on his face.
We get our order and move to one of the picnic benches. It’s probably a little too cold to eat outside, but we both brought jackets, so we decide to rough it. The benefit of it being so chilly is that not very many people are eating around us.
“Do you ever get recognized when you’re out in public?”
He swallows his bite. “Sometimes. More often if I’m at a bar or restaurant where there might be fans, but just running my day-to-day errands, not very often. If the other guys from the Fierce Four are ever with me, then we always inevitably run into fans who want pictures with us. We love our fans—they’re the best in the league—but it’s one of the reasons we started having game nights at each other’s houses. We try to rotate tokeep it balanced, although it’s always Ty who brings the game, but it’s the one time we can all let loose and just have fun without really worrying about other people snapping our picture or coming over to ask for autographs.”
I set down my taco, my brows furrowed as I think about a new concern. “Do you ever worry about someone snapping Kay’s picture?”
His gaze softens at my worry for his daughter, but it shouldn’t surprise him, especially after he saw me have a complete meltdown over her well-being last week. “Not usually. They’re more worried about the other guys. They like drama. A single dad who’s just hanging out with his daughter doesn’t really sell papers.”
