Her footsteps faded until it was obvious she’d made it to her room.
“Can we talk?” Roman asked.
I wasn’t sure why my heart raced. “Of course.”
Roman approached the table and lowered onto the chair directly across from me. His lip twitched at the sight of the blue crab pancake, as if he fought a smile.
Then, he trained his stare on me. My face heated despite his cool expression and the shirt that was hiding those incredible muscles.
“Does your offer from yesterday still stand?” he asked bluntly.
“My offer?” I repeated, flustered by the memory of his naked chest even though I was trying really hard not to think about it.
He nodded once. “Are you still searching for a job?”
“Oh.” Excitement bloomed in my chest, thankful for the distraction. “Yes. I am.”
“Well,” he said slowly, “I suppose I’m in need of your services.” A muscle feathered in his cheek.
I tried to suppress my smile, but couldn’t. “Really? What changed? You didn’t seem like you needed me yesterday.”
He scrubbed the back of his neck. “That was before my daughter almost cried at the mere thought of you leaving.”
I froze. My hands curled into fists. “I’m sorry if I overstepped,” I said softly, eyes dropping to the tabletop. “I just…I wanted to thank you for letting me stay. I thought I’d make some breakfast, but Hailey woke up in the middle of me preparing to cook and—”
I stopped when Roman raised a hand.
“It’s fine,” he said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Actually…” He took a breath. “It was good. Things have been hard around here recently, and I think she needed something like this.”
He smiled faintly, but something sad lingered behind it.
Silence stretched between us and my curiosity grew alongside a slow, creeping anxiety. I glanced around the kitchen, giving myself something else to focus on besides the weight in Roman’s eyes.
The kitchen was stunning. Larger than most Victorian kitchens I’d seen. It had clearly been remodeled at some point, but so much of the original charm was preserved. The moldings and trim were a glossy, dark wood carved with patterns so intricate it felt almost reverent.
But it was the table that was the focal point of the room.
It took up most of the space as it was long, solid, and sturdy. There were enough chairs for an entire crowd, but right now, Roman and Hailey were the only ones I’d seen in the house.
The table that should’ve been welcoming was almost overwhelming in its emptiness.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.
Roman raised a brow, studying me for a moment before giving a short nod.
I bit at my lip, already aware that I was probably crossing a line, but unable to stop myself. “Even with the short time I got to spend with her, Hailey talks a lot about her grandparents. And her uncles.”
Roman’s body went rigid.
“Isn’t this your parents’ house? Where are they?”
His face went flat. He was suddenly very still, the air around him pulling taut with tension.
“We haven’t been very open about it…” He trailed off, like he wasn’t sure he should elaborate.
I shifted on my chair, having an inkling about what he was talking about. “About the fact that no one is living here but you and Hailey?”
A flash of surprise sparked in his eyes, but it was gone just as fast. He nodded.
