Page 46 of Taking What Was His

“Cool.”

“If you don’t like them, you can always hang with your mother and me and my ninety-year-old grandma.”

Roman bit back a chuckle when Jayden scrunched up his nose. “I’ll probably get along with them.”

“We’ll have a football game in the back yard after lunch. I hope you’re ready. I need you on my team. My brother beat me last year and teased me for months.”

Beth smirked as she looked out her window.

Jayden whooped. “Yeah, I’ll be on your team. We’ll kick a ... butt.”

“Nice save,” Roman said and bit his lip because of the disgruntled look on Beth’s face.

Roman pulled as close to his parents’ place as he could with all the cars parked on both sides of the street and then helped Beth out of the car. Jayden had the noodle salad in his hands, and Beth the present they got his grandma.

He took Beth’s hand and noticed how shaky she was. “Hey, baby. Everyone is going to love you.”

“I hope so.”

“Stop worrying, Mom. Everything’s going to be great.”

God, he loved this kid, Roman thought.

The closer they got to his parent’s house, the louder the noise and the more Beth shook. He would keep her by him until she settled, but he didn’t know what else he could do to calm her fears.

A cheer went up as they walked in the door.

His family wasn’t one to wait for things, and so his mother and sister came up and hugged Beth.

“Mom, Alicia, this is Jayden and Beth. Guys, this is my mom, Theresa, and sister, Alicia.”

An older man walked up and hugged Roman.

“This is my dad, Antonio.”

Jayden tried to stay back, but Roman’s mother pulled him into her arms. “If you aren’t the most handsome boy I’ve ever seen.”

Roman snickered at the tortured look on the kid’s face.

Roman looked around and saw Tysen and whistled and waved for him. He thought with someone she knew there it would help settle her a bit.

****

Tysen came up and grinned and then hugged Beth. “If it isn’t pretty Beth.”

Beth snorted out a laugh. “If it isn’t funny Tysen.”

Jayden coughed. “Mom, what do you want me to do with the salad?”

“I’ll take it,” Alicia said and lifted the bowl from the boy’s arms. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“We hope you like it,” Beth said.

Roman’s mother took her hand and pulled her along. “I want to introduce you to the birthday girl.”

Beth looked over her shoulder and relaxed when Roman followed closely behind her.

“Mama, this is Roman’s new lady friend and her son.”