Page 37 of Loving Roman
How is that even possible?She’s gorgeous.
I’m struggling to wrap my head around it when she goes on.
“We were on a family ski trip. My parents, Dean’s parents, and our little family.” She swallows hard, her hands shaking, so I secure them in mine. “We had a helicopter tour booked to take us up the mountain, but Noah wasn’t feeling well. I think he was suffering from altitude sickness. Dean wanted to cancel the tour, but I insisted they all go ahead and I stay back to look after him.” She looks down at me with grief swimming in her eyes. Her pain radiates from her and slams into me like a tsunami.
“It grew really late, and they hadn’t returned. I was getting worried, so I asked the concierge to check everything was okay. As the hours kept ticking by, I knew in my gut something was terribly wrong.”
My heart breaks for the young mother and her son for what they were about to endure.
“There had been a sudden, unexpected snowstorm on the other side of the mountain. They didn’t stand a chance. The helicopter crashed. There were no survivors.” She sobs out the last sentence as a shudder racks her body.
That explains why she has nobody other than Noah.Fuck. Everything she’s endured on her own. I can’t imagine the pain and sadness that ensued after such a catastrophic tragedy. She’s so damn strong to have made it through all of that on her ownandraise Noah.
I climb to my feet and sit on the bed next to her, pulling her onto my lap so I can wrap her up and keep her safe in her tragic memories.
“Noah and I were the only ones left. We had no one else. There were so many days and nights I didn’t want to go on. I was angry with Dean and our parents for leaving us. Angry at being left behind to deal with life on my own with a small child. Angry at having to get out of bed every day because I still had to care for Noah.”
She looks up at me, our eyes locked. “I felt so guilty. Soalone. So hopeless.” She sighs, and a ghost of a smile touches her lips. “If it weren’t for Noah, I’m not sure I would still be here today. He was my purpose for waking up every single day; for putting one foot in front of the other. That little boy never let me wallow. Even at such a young age, he was mature beyond his years. He would sense I was having a tough day and give me the most extraordinary hugs, draw me pictures, and demand to go to the park. His boyish ways eventually woke me up, and I realized I was missing out on him and he needed me more than Dean and our parents needed my grief.”
I cup her face in my hands, touching my forehead to hers. I’m honored that she’s opened up to me about her past, but it’s heartbreaking at the same time. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, Tesoro. I’m so sorry you and Noah had to experience such a tragedy.” I kiss her lips.
A soft knock sounds on the door. “Mom.” A light thump sounds on the other side, and Alice stiffens in my arms. “I’m sorry we visited unannounced. We can leave if you want.”
Alice shuffles off of my lap and, wiping the tears from beneath her eyes, opens the bedroom door. “No, Noah. Please don’t go. I’m sorry. You caught me by surprise, that’s all.” She puts on a smile, which doesn’t quite meet her eyes. I stand and locate my shirt, then put it on and quickly fasten the buttons.
“That’s okay.” My stomach dips. “I’ll leave you guys to catch up.” After all, I was her dirty secret. She didn’t want him to know about me, or she would have told him about us last weekend. Not that we were an ‘us’. I’m not even sure we’re an ‘us’ now. I shake my head at myself. I sound like a teenage girl. I grab my shoes and sit on the edge of the bed to put them on. Alice’s normally arched eyebrows are slashed low over her gorgeous blue eyes as she stops me from leaving her bedroom.
“You, uh, don’t have to leave.” Her voice rises in pitch. “How about I make us all some coffee and we can chat?” She glances from me to Noah with a hopeful expression.
I’ll never refuse time with Alice, but I look across to Noah to gauge how he feels about my staying. He dips his chin slightly. It’s not much, but I’ll take it if it means spending more time with Alice and getting to know the two most important people in her life.
As we move out of the bedroom doorway, I notice Heather’s already in the kitchen making coffee.
“Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?” I figure I may as well feed us, since Alice had enough food to make omelets for everyone.
Heather answers, “No, we were worried about Mom, so we got dressed and drove straight here. I think Noah may have broken a few traffic laws on the way.” She huffs out a laugh, and Alice gives Noah an admonishing look as only a mother can.
“I’ve been trying to call you since last night. I was worried,” he says defensively as he shrugs. Well, that explains the early morning visit. “You still didn’t answer first thing this morning when I tried calling again, as I was taking Taco out to do his business.”
Alice collects her purse and checks her phone. “I’m so sorry. My phone’s on silent and well, uh, I was busy?” she answers as though it’s a question, and I find her flustered state adorable. My lips tip up at the edges without permission, knowing I shouldn’t enjoy watching Alice squirm.
I step into the kitchen and make breakfast for everyone while Heather finishes the coffee and Noah and Alice set the table. Alice apologizes at least a dozen times in the short time it takes to get everything organized. Heather keeps smirking at me and chuckling under her breath. I get the impression she’s pretty happy for her mother-in-law. Hopefully, Noah will be too once he overcomes his shock.
We sit down for breakfast, and the atmosphere is awkward at first. Noah’s having trouble making eye contact with Aliceand me. I decide to put him out of his misery. “I’m sure it was a surprise to find a man in your mom’s house this morning. I know I wouldn’t respond particularly well if I were in your shoes. Thank you for not decking me.”
Heather laughs. “Noah wouldn’t hurt a fly. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Still. I understand your surprise. I want you to know”—I take Alice’s hand in mine—“that my relationship with your mom is very important to me. This isn’t some fling. I care for her and respect her a great deal.” Even while I’m defiling her. Repeatedly.
Alice smiles at me, and some of the tension seems to leave her body as her shoulders drop.
Noah waves his fork between the two of us and narrows his eyes. “How long’s this been going on?”
Alice squeezes my hand. “We met while I was on vacation. We hit it off and spent quite a bit of time together. Hiking, eating out, relaxing.” She looks at me and smiles. “On the fourth day of my new job, I was visiting one ofThe Parkerville Projecthomes I was telling you about, and there he was. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“Oh my god. That’s so freaking amazing that your paths crossed like that.” Heather looks between the two of us. “So you didn’t know where each other lived or what you did for a living?” Her eyes almost boggle out of her head.
Alice and I both shake our heads in the negative. “Nope. We kept the talk pretty general and just enjoyed spending each moment together. There was no promise ofmore.”
