you coming home? Daddy says it’s your house, too. And we want you to come live with us,” Darcie said, her little face looking worried.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, Darcie. It might be a little while, though. We’re still working out the details, but as soon as I can, I’ll be there,” Talie promised.
“You want to tell her?” Roman asked.
Talie looked up at Roman, then realized he meant about their marriage.
“I think it would make her really happy,” Roman said.
“Something happened today, Darcie. I married Mr. Roman,” Talie said.
“You did?! That means he’s really my Daddy!” Darcie said excitedly. “I’m so excited!” she said, and squealed a bit.
Talie laughed as she watched her daughter celebrating.
“But I didn’t get to see it,” Darcie said, realizing she missed the whole thing.
“Soon as I can come home we’ll have another wedding and you can be there,” Talie said, looking at Roman, hoping she hadn’t misspoken.
Roman smiled and nodded as he tightened his hold around Talie’s waist where she still sat on his lap, and leaned his head against hers.
“Can I wear a princess dress?” Darcie asked.
“You certainly can,” Talie answered.
They talked for another twenty-five minutes until Darcie began to fidget.
“We have more meeting to finish, so I’m going to have to go, but you be a good girl, and be sweet and thank everyone for all they do for you,” Talie said.
“Okay, I will, Mama. And I love you! I miss you!”
“I miss you, too, baby. Be good and I’ll talk to you as soon as I can,” Talie promised. “I love you, Darcie!”
Darcie handed the phone to Maia and footsteps could be heard. Maia turned the phone so Talie could see her daughter running and climbing up the small wooden ladder to get back up to the fort on top of Cristie’s play set, then Maia turned the phone back to herself. “Don’t worry about a thing, Talie. We’ll all be here waiting for you when you get here. Until then, your baby is loved and cared for.”
“Thank you,” Talie said with tears in her eyes.
“Talk to you later, Maia,” Roman said before he ended the call.
Talie took a deep breath and sighed as she leaned against Roman. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said.
“You don’t have to thank me. I have to thank you. You trusted me. You gave me a daughter, you agreed to marry me. That’s everything to me,” Roman said.
“If I’d just gotten in the truck with you that day. Just taken Darcie by the hand and gotten in the truck with you, none of this would have happened,” Talie said.
“Can’t change that, Talie. But we can make it right. It’ll be okay. Those aren’t just words to make you feel better. I’m going to make it okay,” Roman promised.
They had only a few minutes more together before Patrick took his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages. “We’re unfortunately going to have to wrap this up. The guards are getting restless and Ms. Laramie is having trouble handling them.”
Talie nodded and stood. Roman stood behind her and as Patrick began walking over to them, she turned and Roman leaned down, kissing her for all he was worth.
When he finally released her, Talie was out of breath and stunned.
“I love you, Talie. You’re going to be home with us. It’s just a matter of time,” he said. “Just hold on, this is not forever,” Roman assured her.
Talie nodded, still recovering from their kiss.
“We have to go,” Patrick said, holding out his hand to escort Talie from the conference room and back to the custody of her guards.
“Okay,” she answered. She followed Patrick back toward the end of the room where the door was and paused to look back at Roman, her husband. He was even more handsome than she remembered. He was kind, and caring, and he was protecting her daughter while she couldn’t. As screwed up as her life was, someone up there must have been watching out for her. “I’ll see you when I see you,” she said.
“I’ll be at the trial day after tomorrow,” Roman promised.
“Okay,” she said.
“You remember my number?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Call me any chance they give you. I keep it on and charged all the time, day and night,” he said.
“As soon as they give me access to the phone, I will,” she said. She looked at him tearfully again. There was so much she wanted to say, and her heart was pounding at