Page 44 of Taking What Was His

“That’s good to know.”

****

They sat down. She didn’t know how it happened, but Roman got the chair at the end—or what she’d been taught since childhood to call the head of the table—where the man of the house sat. She thought maybe it was the fact she and Jayden had never sat in it after Rick died or Roman was from a traditional home also and didn’t think anything about it.

The one Rick used to take as the head of the family. Rick had been an average-sized man where Roman dwarfed the chair he sat on. The man was a good foot taller than her and probably weighed about twice what she did because of the muscles she detected under the shirts he wore.

For some unknown reason that startled her. It looked like he was the man that was meant to sit there in that chair.

She hummed when she took the first bite. “Wow, this is really good, guys.”

“Thank you,” they both said.

“So, I really can’t know how to make it?”

Jayden grinned at Roman before he looked at his mom. “No. Sorry, Mom, but only guys can know it. It’s a rule.”

Beth rolled her eyes and went back to eating.

The three laughed all through dinner and cleaning up before they moved into the family room.

“I’m going to head up to bed. I’ve got school in the morning.”

Beth hugged him. “Thanks for helping with dinner.”

“You’re welcome.” Jayden raised his hand to Roman. “Night.”

“Night, buddy.”

They listened until his door shut before they looked at each other.

“Can I look at the guns you have, baby?”

She cleared her throat. “Sure, follow me.”

****

He could tell she was nervous with him following close behind her and grinned. He liked that she was aware of him as much as he was her.

He looked around when they went into her bedroom. He relaxed when he noticed the room was totally feminine. He’d been a bit worried he’d find Rick’s things everywhere.

She walked into the walk-in closet. “The safe is in here.”

He stood in the bedroom and waited.

She came out with several guns and laid them carefully on the bed before going to get more.

He was shocked. “How many do you have?”

“Altogether, nine.”

He picked up one after the other and looked them over. “I’d like to clean these. It doesn’t look like they’ve been cleaned for a long time.”

“I haven’t done it.”

He nodded. “Have you shot all of these?”

She looked them over. “I tried one of the nine mils, but they were too heavy for me, or at least the ones Rick has. I like the 380 and the twenty-two. But it’s like I said, it’s been a long time.”