“No more heartbreak for Iris,” Roman shoots back pleasantly,without missing a beat. “We’re both in total agreement there, ma’am.”
With burning cheeks, I scoot into one side of the booth and pretend I didn’t hear Wanda’s mortifying comment. And a moment later, when Roman and Maverick reach the booth, Maverick surprises me by scooting into my same side, rather than his daddy’s across the table, as usual.
“Sorry about that,” I murmur to Roman, referring to Wanda’s comment. “I’m guessing she feels duty bound to fill in for my mother.”
“I think it’s great how protective everyone is about you. You’ve obviously got a lot of people in this town who really love you.”
“They loved my mother. She was practically the town mascot.” In fact, when news of my mother’s untimely death spread like wildfire through Orchard Blossom, it was like time stood still for everyone, not only for my family, as the entire town struggled to understand how someone as beloved and vivacious as Celeste Benedetto could succumb to the depression she’d struggled with her entire life.
“Don’t sell yourself short, sweetheart,” Roman says, with a little squeeze of my hand on the table. “I’ve been with you all week, remember? Everyone here most definitely lovesyou.”
My heart skips a beat in my chest.Sweetheart.
“Not surprisingly,” Roman adds casually, after taking a bite of his ice cream with his free hand. “To know you is to ... adore you, Iris.” When I blush, he bites his lower lip, like he’s gearing up to say something. He takes a deep breath. “I’ve had a great time with you this week, Iris.”
“So have I.”
He clears his throat. “I’d really love it if—”
“Hey, Iris.”
We swivel our heads toward the edge of the table and discover Brandon of all people standing there.Oh my God.
“Can I talk to you?” Brandon asks, looking at me.
“No, you can’t,” I snap, as heat flashes up my neck and into my cheeks. “What are you doing here?”
“Is thisBrandon?” Roman grits out, like he’s spitting out a curse word. Before I get a word out in reply, Roman slides out of the booth and rises to his full height, dwarfing Brandon and causing him to stumble backward with his palms raised.
“I come in peace, man,” Brandon blurts. “I just want to talk to Iris for five minutes—to apologize.”
Maverick’s body is stiff and shaking next to mine, so I pull him closer and whisper that everything’s all right.Is it, though?
“You’ve lost the privilege of speaking to Iris ever again,” Roman barks out, and I can’t help noticing, as he says it, he’s got his right fist clenched by his muscular thigh like a spring gun.
“Who dat, Daddy?” Maverick squeaks out.
“Nobody, buddy. A big nobody.” Roman looks at his son, and his nostrils flare. He glances around the ice cream parlor, at the handful of other patrons who are staring at us, slack-jawed, and I can practically see him making calculations in his head:Exactly how much can I get away with here?When he finally returns his dark, molten gaze to Brandon, his jaw muscles are pulsing. “Why are you still here, Brandon? Iris said she doesn’t want to speak to you.”
“I just need a couple minutes to—”
Roman takes a glowering step forward, and the fist by his side tightens. “My boy is here, so I’m going to be a gentleman about this, Brandon. Leave now, while your face and pride are both still intact.”
Maverick snuggles even closer to me, so I give him another tight squeeze and whisper, “It’s okay. They’re just talking.”
Brandon addresses me. “You really don’t want to give me five minutes of your time to hear me apologize to you?”
“How’d you know where to find me?”
“I saw a photo of you and Roman bowling in Orchard Blossom a couple days ago. So, I asked around when I got here, and a guy told me he just saw you and Roman walking in here.” He motions with exasperation to the large window adjacent to our booth and glares at Roman. “Dude, you can watch me talking to her the whole time. I’m not gonna hurt her. I’d never do that.”
Well, that’s not true.While it’s true Brandon never physically hurt me, he certainly destroyed me emotionally. And now, merely being in Brandon’s presence again is making me feel physically ill.
“It’s your decision, baby,” Roman says in a clipped voice, his jaw muscles tight. “I’ve got your back, no matter what you decide.”
I think about it. I certainly don’t need closure from Brandon, per se. That burner phone gave me all the answers I needed. But I suppose it would be nice to get to tell him to fuck off in a much calmer fashion than I managed it on our sham of a wedding day.
“I’ll give you one minute,” I finally say decisively. “That’s all you get, though, so you’d better talk fast.”
