Roman narrowed his gaze and took a good look at his mother. Dark rings circled her eyes, little makeup coated her cheeks. She’d put less time into her appearance. Because she tired more easily? he wondered. Worry about him and Charlotte couldn’t help the situation and he tried to set her mind at ease. “You’ve done your job incredibly well. Chase, Rick, and I can take care of ourselves. I promise.” He brushed a kiss over her cheek.
She stood and walked along with him back to the garage. “I love you, son.”
“Same here, Mom. You’ve got a good heart and—”
“Roman, speaking of my heart . . .”
He shook his head. “No more talk,” he said in a drill-sergeant, no-nonsense tone. “I want you upstairs and resting. Draw the shades and take a nap. Watch Oprah. Something, anything as long as you’re off your feet and not overthinking about your sons.”
“Is it me or did you put a fast end to this conversation about your stupid coin toss?”
He laughed. “Never could put one over on you, but no, I’m not trying to distract you, just keep you healthy. I answered your question about why we got into the coin toss. Now I’ll tell you another truth that’ll help you sleep well. I’m grateful for it. I no longer look at marriage as punishment. Not to the right woman, anyway.” A woman who wanted nothing to do with him, but, Roman decided, it was time he forced the issue.
His mother’s face lit up, her eyes sparkling and green. “I knew something had changed since you got home. But what about your recent . . . how do I say this delicately? Your bad mood?”
“I’ll solve my problems, you take a nap.”
She scowled at him. “Just make sure you fix things with Charlotte.”
“I never said—”
She patted his cheek as she so often did when he was a child. “You didn’t have to say. Mothers know these things.”
He rolled his eyes and pointed toward the house. “Into bed.”
She saluted and walked inside. He stared after her, thinking of all the advice she’d given him through the years and of the happy marriage she’d shared with his father. He didn’t blame her for wanting the same for her sons. With hindsight, like his mother, he couldn’t believe he, Rick, and Chase had stooped to tossing a coin to decide their fate.
Roman debated, wondering if he should try to explain to Charlotte one more time, but decided against it. She wasn’t willing to discuss things again and she had good reason. All he could do in conversation was reiterate the past. And the fact that he had no plan in mind for the future.
The next time he faced Charlotte, he had to possess proof of his feelings and intentions. Only then could he lay his heart in her hands and dare her to walk away.
He grabbed the portable phone he’d left in the garage and dialed his brothers. Ten minutes later, they gathered back in the garage where this whole nightmare had begun. Roman started by explaining the situation up to and including the extent of their mother’s knowledge about their agreement.
“Now that you’re up to speed, you two need to look out for Mom. Make sure she gets rest and doesn’t stay up trying to figure out ways to fix my life. I can do that myself.”
“How?” Chase folded his arms across his chest.
“By going to D.C.” He needed to prove to Charlotte he could handle settling down. He’d come back with a steady job and a plan of action. One that would make them both happy.
He wouldn’t be giving up the news or his passion for imparting the truth to the unsuspecting world. He’d just be changing which news he covered and the place from which he covered it. After the time he’d just spent in Yorkshire Falls with his family, including the people of his hometown, Roman realized not only could he handle settling down, he wanted to.
“Well?” he asked in the face of stunned silence. “No wisecracks?”
Rick shrugged. “We wish you well.”
“You can do better than that.”
“I joke about a lot of things, but not when so much is at stake. This is huge for you, Roman. I wish you the best.”
Rick held out his hand and Roman took it, pulling him into a brotherly hug. “You can do me one favor. Keep an eye on Charlotte while I’m gone.”
“Now, that’s no hardship.” Rick smacked him on the back. He grinned, reverting to his old teasing self.
Roman narrowed his gaze. “Just keep your goddamn hands to yourself,” he said for the sake of brotherly argument. Not because he worried about Rick making a move on his woman. Having calmed down a bit, he knew he trusted his brothers with his life—and that included Charlotte.
“He’s possessive,” Rick said, hands folded across his chest.
Chase snickered.
Roman groaned. “Just don’t screw this up. Watch out for her until I get back. I have to go do laundry and then pack.” Roman started for the short flight of wooden stairs that led to the house.
“What makes this one so special?” Rick called out.
“Other than the fact that she’s his alibi?” Chase’s laugh followed him to the door.
Roman shook his head. He grabbed for the doorknob, then turned back, “I can’t wait for the day when the joke’s on the two of you.”
Charlotte ran into her apartment and dashed for the phone. She’d heard it ring from the hallway, her arms filled with dry cleaning, and by the time she’d found her keys and made it inside, whoever was there had hung up without leaving a message.
She dropped her cleaning onto the couch. “Let’s see if anyone called before that.” Her stomach clenched in tight knots as she prayed neither her father nor Roman had chosen to call. She couldn’t avoid both men forever, but until she understood what she needed out of life, she was giving avoidance her best shot.
She hit the play button and listened to the first and only message. “Hi, Charlotte. It’s me.” Roman’s voice hit her like a punch in the stomach, sucking all the air out of her lungs. She lowered herself into the nearest chair.
“I just called to say . . .”
Silence followed, and she held her breath, waiting for him to continue. Wanting to hear she didn’t know what.
“I called to say good-bye.”
The hurt overflowed in her veins, seeping into every part of her being. She waited for him to say more, but all that followed was the click of being disconnected. She sat in mute silence, the lump in her throat huge, the squeezing sensation that brought a pain to her chest intense.