Page 2 of Loving Roman
Waving my hand at the list, I point to Wednesday. “This is always a little tricky with timing. If you drop Sammy with her psychologist at ten to four, you’ll have just enough time, provided traffic cooperates, to get Jack and Evelyn to their art class at the community center. The rest is pretty straightforward.They shouldn’t have too much homework, seeing as school only started back on Monday.”
Kate takes the list from me and returns it to the fridge, then gently nudges me out of the kitchen. “We’ve got this. Go!” She pushes me again. “Have fun. Relax! You deserve the break.”
I hold up my hands with a chuckle. “Okay, okay. I’ve put fresh bedding on my bed for you guys. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” I wave my finger at them with mock sternness.
Oliver chuckles, holding out his hands. “Have you seen my wife? I’m not making any promises. That’s asking too much.”
Wincing, I wish I hadn’t gone there now. I don’t needthatimage of my sweet friend in my head.
I roll my luggage to the front door and turn to face the kids.Mykids. Well, technically not mine, but I think of them that way. “Behave for Kate and Oliver, okay?” Murmurs of agreement fill the foyer. “And make sure you do your homework.”
“We will. We’re not babies, you know,” Ivy tells me as she crosses her arms and juts her hip out.
I rest my hands on my hips.I don’t treat them like babies, do I?“I know you’re not.”
2
–alice–
Soft bluesand warm oranges tint the sky as the sun breaches the horizon. I draw in a deep breath of warm, briny air, close my eyes, and tip my head back with a grin. It feels fabulous to have the fresh breeze teasing my hair instead of rushing to get ready for work.
As reluctant as I was to take this vacation, I promised Noah and Heather I’d make the most of every minute. It’s the first time I’ve taken a vacation since … well, since … forever ago. My cheeks rise at the memory of them handing me an envelope with a voucher for a week-long stay at a cute little inn overlooking the wild coastline an hour north of the city I’ll now be calling home. Once I decided to pack up my life and move closer to my son and his wife, they made it their mission to convince me to take a vacation before starting my new job as a social worker with the Department of Child Services. I couldn’t very well say no when they’d already used their savings to pay for my accommodation.
I drop my head forward and gaze across the pounding waves and the almost empty beach. It’s too early for mostpeople, but I love this time of the day. It’s a fresh start; a clean slate for all the wonderful possibilities of what may be. Slipping my feet out of my flip-flops, I stoop to collect them, then step onto the soft, cool sand to make my way toward the firmer sand near the water.
I lay out my towel and twist my hair into a knot on top of my head. A few white strands that decorate the front of my hair are too short and fall around my face, but I tuck them behind my ears, hopeful they’ll stay put. Dropping to my butt, I center myself before moving into child’s pose, ensuring I focus on my breath and alignment as I work through each pose of my morning yoga routine.
As I push into the upward-facing dog pose, a bear of a man jogging along the beach captures my attention. He cuts a rather imposing figure, but I can see he’s light on his feet. His shirt is darker around his neck and beneath his armpits, and as he comes closer, I notice he’s quite handsome.
When he’s within a few feet of me, he tips his head with a smile. “Beautiful morning,” he says, not even slightly puffed, despite his exertion.
The deep timbre of his voice renders me almost speechless, and all I can muster is a breathyyeahbefore he’s passing. I move into downward dog so I can keep him in my sight. He spins, running backward, grinning at me with raised brows, and it’s at that moment I realize I have my ass on full display for him. My cheeks heat, and it’s not from the warmth of the morning sun.Oh my god, how embarrassing.He spins around, facing forward and continues on his way, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the play of his muscles beneath his tight green T-shirt.
Oh my!
It’s been a long time since I’ve noticed a handsome man, and I’m not sure I recognize the sensation making its waythrough my body. It’s not until I’m in my low lunge pose that I’m composed enough to return my focus and intention inward. It takes tremendous effort to keep my eyes from drifting down the beach in search of the handsome runner and keep my focus where it belongs.
Sitting up after completing my routine in the Shavasana pose, I catch sight of someone out of the corner of my eye. My heart skips when I notice it’s the man who jogged by earlier. I trail my eyes up his powerful body, admiring his muscular legs to his stomach, which has the beginnings of a paunch. His broad chest rises and falls with his heavy breaths, and when I make it to his face, a smirk touches his lips as he raises a brow at me.
“Quite a striking view,” he says, mirth in his voice.
“Uh-huh. It really is,” I agree as I moisten my suddenly dry lips. All the internal balance and calm I achieved over the last thirty minutes crashes to the shore, leaving me off-balance.
He takes a step closer and towers over me in my lowered position. He must be well over six feet and all man. I push to my feet, brushing the sand from my hands as the space between us diminishes. He stops two feet away from me and I tilt my head back to maintain eye contact with this handsome stranger.
I feel somewhat exposed in my yoga outfit—which leaves nothing to the imagination, including the muffin top which can’t be contained by my leggings—especially with this stranger’s eyes on me. Stooping, I scoop up my towel and pretend to wipe non-existent sweat from my neck in an inane attempt to hide some of my flaws.
His smirk drops as creases form between his dark brows. He holds out his hand, and I fumble with my towel to shake it. “I’m Roman.”
Gosh, even his name’s strong. I slide my hand into his, andhe almost swallows it whole. My heart hammers like a beat from Noah’s favorite heavy metal music. “Alice. Nice to meet you.”
He tips his head toward the spot where I was practicing yoga. “I’ve always wanted to try yoga, but I’m not very flexible.”
I look back at the spot, like I need to be reminded of what I was just doing, and chuckle. “Oh, I wasn’t flexible at first either. It took time, patience, and practice.”
“Well, it’s certainly paid off,” he says suggestively as his eyes trace over my body, making my blood heat and stomach flip.
As a woman closer to fifty, it’s been a long time since someone looked at me with interest. And while the feminist in me bristles andshouldcall him out on his blatant perusal, the woman in me preens under his heated gaze.
