At six exactly, he pulled into the driveway of Reese’s cottage on the edge of town. As he turned off the engine and headed toward the front door, he thought about how cute the place was. White, with black shutters and an adorable front porch. Perfect for Reese. And so different from the huge house she’d grown up in. Was that on purpose?
He knocked. The door opened a few seconds later. His pulse jumped. She was breathtaking in a cream-colored sweater that hung off one shoulder, dark jeans, and heeled boots that made her legs look impossibly long. Her hair was down, falling in soft waves past her shoulders. She’d done something subtle with her makeup that made her eyes look huge and her lips even more kissable than usual.
He needed to stop staring at her mouth.
“Hi,” she said, smiling. “You’re right on time.”
“I usually am these days.” He tried to sound casual, like seeing her didn’t make him forget his own name.
“Come in. I just need to grab my coat and purse.” She backed up to let him walk through the entryway.
The cottage was bright and clean but also warm. White walls, light wood floors, and a couch with cream-colored cushions andthrow pillows in soft blues and greens. Through an archway, he could see a kitchen with cream-colored cabinets and marble countertops.
“Your house is great,” he said.
“Thanks. It’s small, but it’s mine.” She grabbed a camel-colored coat from the closet and a leather purse from the console table. Then she paused, looking at him. “You okay? Is something on your mind?”
“You know me too well.”
“I did at one time,” Reese said.
Should he just launch right into everything on his mind before dinner? No, that would be a mistake. They had a whole dinner to get through. He didn’t want her feeling awkward all night.
“Come on, we can talk on the way in,” Roan said. “We don’t want to be late.”
“Let’s do it.”
A minute later, Roan pulled out of her driveway and headed toward town. “I drove Cody home last night. Saw where he lives.”
“How was it?”
“Bad. House was rundown and depressing. Patterson met us at the door. Disgusting excuse for a human.” He told her the details of their conversation. “They have six kids in that small house too. I doubt they have much supervision or care. They’re doing the bare minimum and collecting checks.” He heard the bitterness in his own voice. “Cody deserves so much better than that.”
“He does. But what can we do? The system is broken.”
“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair before taking a left toward city center. “I wanted to go back in there and tell that guy exactly what I thought of him. I’d have given a lot to tell Cody to pack his stuff and come stay with me.”
She was quiet for a moment. “You don’t really want that, do you?”
“I can’t say I don’t.”
“Roan, really?”
“I’ve been thinking about him and Marcus. I mean, I have this big, empty house. Maybe I should try and get them.”
“Okay, well, I didn’t see this coming,” she said slowly.
“I haven’t made up my mind. Actually, I wanted to run it by you. See what you thought.”
“I’m shocked, to be honest.” She shifted in the seat to turn toward him. “You’re just back in town. Adjusting to a new career. Do you really have the capacity to take on two boys?”
“I’ve no idea. But I’m feeling …this sense of inevitability. I can’t explain it,” Roan said.
“Like it’s fate?”
“Something like that, yeah. I mean, maybe this is something good that could come from my mom’s death. I get where they’re at. Maybe I could make a significant impact on their lives.”
She turned away, gazing out the window as he pulled into the parking lot in back of La Danza. He killed the engine, waiting to hear if she had more to say.
