Page 18 of Falling for You
My favorite time at the brewery is the moments I get to be in the brewhouse by myself before we open. I always feel like an animal at the zoo when I’m in here working and people are sitting at the tables by the windows, watching my every move.
The motion alerts I have set for the entrance go off, so I walk out front to let Emma in.
Except when I open the door, it’s not Emma.
“Hi, how can I help you? We don’t open until four tonight.” I greet the man with a baby in his arms. I hold the door open with my foot so it doesn’t close and lock behind me.
“I’m not here to eat. I’m here for Roman Thomas,” he replies curtly.
“I’m Roman. What can I do for you?” I ask once more.
“I’m Wayne Ryan. And this is your daughter, Olivia Rose Thomas.” He gently turns her in his arms so I can see her face.
I drop the bottle of cinnamon I was holding and it bounces away from us.
“I’m sorry?” I stammer. There is absolutely no fucking way I heard that right.
An older woman walks up to Wayne’s side. “Is this Roman?” she whispers to him.
“Yes, honey, I think he’s in shock.”
“Wayne Ryan! I know you didn’t tell this man he has a daughter while he’s standing here holding the door open for you,” she admonishes him.
“What?” I say out loud, trying to figure out what the actual fuck is happening. “Ido nothave a daughter.”
“Rome?” Emma’s voice penetrates through the confusion, and I see her poking her head around the older couple. Fucking great. Just what I fucking need.
“Hello, dear, I’m Diane Ryan. This beauty’s Gigi.” She gestures lovingly at the baby snuggled in Wayne’s arms.
“Why don’t we go inside?” Emma holds her arm out, showing the Ryans into the brewery, past me who is still stupidly holding the door open with my foot.
I stand frozen in my spot, watching them move as if I’m having some out of body experience, someone else’s life imploding in front of me.
Emma stops, pushing her body into my space, and grasping my face with her hands.
“Hey, Rome, you here with me?”
Concern laces her face as her brows furrow.
“No.”
She kisses my lips, gently at first, but then a deep commanding kiss gaining my full attention. “How about now?”
“I have a daughter.” I’m not sure if I’m telling her or asking her.
“Yeah. It seems like that. Why don’t we go find out what’s going on?” She lets go of my face and holds her hand out to me, allowing me to use her as my comfort.
Another fucking secret. Except this time I wasn’t privy to the secret. What the fuck kind of man am I? Not a good one that’s for fucking sure.
I take a seat at the table where the Ryans are, across from Wayne.
Emma steps up when I can’t. “Can I get you two a drink?”
“No, we’re all set,” Mrs. Ryan answers her.
“I’m sorry, can we all just talk about how the hell I have a daughter?” I blurt out. How are they all acting like I just invited them over for a catch up beer?
“Well, son, you met my daughter, Blair. And from there I’m not really sure what she saw in you but I assume you two ended up horizontal,”—he raises a brow—“and did something drunk and stupid. And here we are.”
