Page 28 of Falling for You
I groan to myself. Not only do I have to live in the same house but I have to share a bathroom with the man?
To add insult to injury, my bedroom wall shares the same wall as the shower. This is too much closeness to know that his naked, glorious, muscled body is just on the other side of the wall from my head.
Ugh.
What the hell did I let Hunter get me into? I should have told Hunter why this is a spectacularly bad idea. Then at least I wouldn’t have to be here right now while my panties get wet just from smelling the man’s soap.
I groan before settling into the fact that this is really happening. This is my life.
Getting up and out of the house with a baby is no easy task, and I learned that the hard way this morning. My alarm went off, which was useless because we were awake about twenty times last night and at four a.m.
For. The. Day.
I spilled my coffee going to the car because I was trying to do a balancing act of all the shit a baby needs for a short day trip. Or what I think she needs. Any way it plays out, my coffee ended up on the ground. And since I’m avoiding Esther at Emerald Roasters, the queen of gossip, I’m stuck stopping at the chain coffee shop on the way to Portland. I need coffee today even if it tastes like burnt grounds from the bottom of the pot.
I plug the doctor’s office into the GPS and throw the truck into drive. My mind starts to wander while Olivia sleeps in the back. When I get home, I’ll have a roommate. A roommate that I’min love with, and now more than ever, can’t have. This day just keeps bringing the blows and I haven’t even left Balsam Cliffs, or gotten coffee yet. I roll my eyes to myself, at my own current predicament.
Two hours later and we’re done at the lab. Olivia was so good the whole time. Cooing, attracting every woman in a twenty mile radius with how cute she is. If I didn’t have my brain solely focused on Emma, this would be a gold mine for attracting dates.
Olivia’s obsession with blowing raspberries made the whole process easier for the doctor, and much faster than I thought it would be. They told me that I should be getting an email in two days max with the results. But the more time I spend with her, the more I look at her, truly look at her, she’s mine. There is no denying the similarities between us.
Now the hard part is going to be telling my parents. Their insurance agency is only a few minutes away. Being the largest in the area, means a massive office space in the heart of Portland.
I finally find a parking garage that isn’t full near the agency, and roll the stroller up to the front door. I struggle like I did at the doctor's office to get the door open and a stroller through. I didn’t want to bring the stroller, but I also didn’t want to lug this surprisingly heavy carseat all the way from the public parking lot to my parents’ office. However, being a sweaty mess from struggling to get the damn stroller open probably isn’t the best either. I think I really do need that baby backpack.
“Rome?” Evelyn runs over to help me.
“Hey, Eve.” I kiss her cheek and push Olivia through the door.
“Uh, why do you have a baby? Please don’t make me call the cops on my brother,” she whispers under her breath, assuming so our parents don’t hear.
“She’s mine. Eve, meet your niece Olivia Rose Thomas.” I smile broadly, taking Olivia out of her carseat and snuggling her into my arms.
“What?” Eve stares at us, “Where did you get a baby, Roman?”
She rolls the stroller to the corner of the waiting room.
“I just picked one up at the store on my way here.” I roll my eyes at her. “How the hell do you think I got a baby? Nevermind. Please don’t answer that. You’re still a virgin in my mind.”
Olivia reaches for my face and I lean down to nuzzle my nose on hers. She seems to like it when I do that.
“I need you to back up. Like a lot.” She crosses her arms, but immediately takes Oliva from me when she reaches for her, cooing and blowing raspberries like she does. “Oh my God, she’s a freaking doll.”
Olivia reaches for her face too, and Eve catches her chubby fingers with her lips for a kiss.
“Well, you got somewhere we can sit without prying ears? I’ll tell you the whole story.”
Evelyn nods her head down the hallway, indicating that she wants me to follow her.
I drop everything on her. From the one night stand, right up to the Ryans coming into the brewery. Her eyebrows still haven’t come down at the shock. It doesn’t even sound real to me and I’m living it.
“So. We came here to get the paternity test done at the urging of Livvy’s grandparents, and I’m 99.9% sure that this is coming back positive, she’s my daughter.” I shrug, and lean back in the conference room chair, crossing my arms behind my head.
“Wow.” She looks between me and Olivia, “I mean, she definitely is your mini me. There is no denying those Thomas genes.”
“Evelyn, where are—oh. Hello, Roman.” My father walks into the conference room, clearly unhappy to see me. “Evelyn, whose baby are you holding?”
“It’s your granddaughter, Olivia Rose.” I interject before Evelyn has to be the one to give the news.
