“Oh, he knows if you’ve been naughty or nice.”
“I’ve just been contemplating that very question,” Roan said.
Jason poured himself a cup of coffee and plopped down next to him at the island’s counter. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
“I have a crazy idea.”
“Okay. Shoot,” Jason said.
“I’m thinking about looking into fostering Cody and Marcus.”
His brother stared at him. “Um. Okay. Well, that does sound pretty crazy.”
“I know. But there’s just something about their situation that makes my heart hurt. Maybe because they remind me of us after Mom died.”
“Yeah, I could see that,” Jason said. “But this is a big one. Are you sure you want to tie yourself down with two troubled teen boys?”
“I’m not totally sure. I mean, it might not even be possible, given the system. But I think I’d like to at least try. They need me. And honestly, what else am I doing with my life that matters?”
His brother studied him for a moment. “What about Reese? Does she factor into the decision?”
“I want her to.” Roan sighed, rubbing his chin. “I’m in love with her. Just like I always was.”
“Not totally surprising. I mean, what you two had was the real thing.”
“I want her. Bad. Like give up everything to have her kind of bad,” Roan said. “But she may never return my feelings. I broke her back then, and I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to forgive me. She said she does, but who knows if that’s really true or not?Then, I had this other sick thought. What if I want to foster the boys only to prove to her what a good guy I am? What if that’s the reason I’m even contemplating this?”
“That’s a leap.”
“It is?”
“Yeah, man. That’s just not who you are. Dude, you may have made mistakes in the past, but you would never be so reckless as to mess with a couple of kids just to get a girl back. That’s absurd.”
A weight lifted from his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess I’m not that much of a bad guy.”
Jason put his hand on Roan’s shoulder. “You’re the opposite of a bad guy. In fact, you’re like Mom. She would have had the same reaction to these kids. Both of you with a huge heart for kids. You’re on the good list, brother. Making a decision to help those boys is a big one. Don’t get me wrong. And you have to really think this through before you make any moves.”
“What if I’m a terrible father figure?”
“Again, absurd. You’d be the best thing that ever happened to them.” Jason lifted his mug, bringing it to his mouth for a quick sip. “I wonder what Reese would think about it all? Like does she want to be with a man with two teenage boys?”
“It’s a great question.”
“Only one way to find out,” Jason said. “Talk to her. Tell her how you feel about her first. Then, tell her about your idea to take in the boys. See what she says.”
Just thinking of that conversation made Roan’s stomach flutter with nerves. Yet, he knew Jason was right.
“I’m taking her to a group dinner tonight. With the rest of the Bridge team. Maybe I’ll have a chance to broach the subject.”
“That’s the spirit. Be honest. Open your heart to her. She just may surprise you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Jason hopped off his stool. “You always do. And that’s the best we can hope from ourselves.”
10
ROAN
