Roman's Vow (Riley's Pride #4) - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,69

shoes in the duffle along with a pair of loafers, and zipped the duffle shut before carrying it to the living room and setting it by the door. As he did so, he heard Darcie’s footsteps behind him and turned to find her rushing after him with her ‘My Little Pony’ overnight bag, obviously stuffed with clothes. He placed his duffle on the floor and watched her approaching to place hers next to his.

“What are you doing, Darcie?” he asked.

“I’m going with you,” she said.

“Baby, I’m not even sure when I’m going — I’m waiting on a phone call. And even then you can’t go with me. You have to stay here with Aunt Maia so you can go to school.”

“But I want to see Mama. Why can’t I see Mama?” she asked, starting to cry.

Roman sighed, his heart hurting as he tried to figure out how to soothe Darcie and make her understand without telling her that Talie didn’t want Darcie to see her in chains and locked in a cell. He picked her up, walked over to their sofa and took a seat with her on his lap. “You will see Mama. But it won’t be this trip. We have lots of meetings with lawyers and judges that we’re going to have to go to. We don’t even know if we’ll be able to see Mama.”

“That’s what you said last time, but you got to see her. And she was right there where you could get a hug. I didn’t hug my mama in a long, long time. It’s not fair,” she said, still crying.

“I know. It’s not fair. You know what? It sucks,” he declared.

Darcie was surprised to hear Roman say it sucked and she was startled from her crying for a moment before she giggled through her tears.

“What?” he asked, looking down at her. “It does suck. The whole thing sucks. But it’s going to get better.”

Darcie’s lip trembled again as her tears threatened to overwhelm her again.

“I promise you that. It will get better. I just need you to be patient a little longer and let me go do what I have to do. You know why?” he asked.

“No,” she whispered.

“Because it’s my job as your Daddy to make everything right. It’s my job to make everything okay for your mama and for you. And it’s your job to go to school and make your mama and me proud by being a big girl when we need you to. So I’m going to go back to Ohio and I’m going to do my job. And I need you to stay here and do your job, so when I do finally get to bring your mama home, she’ll be so proud of us both because we both did our jobs and kept everything together until she could come home and take over.”

Darcie thought about what Roman said. “Mama’s going to take over?” she asked.

“Of course. She’s the mama. Everybody has to do what the mama says,” Roman said.

“Even you?” Darcie asked.

“Even me. Because she’s the mama, and the only thing I want to do is make her smile. So when she gets here, I’m going to do whatever she needs me to do to make her happy,” Roman explained. “I’m still going to protect you both, and I’m still going to work to be able to buy you the things you need and keep you in a nice, safe house, and do all the things I do now, but I’m going to make sure I always pay special attention to your mama, and to you, because you are both my family and I don’t ever want either of you to wonder if you still matter the most to me. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Darcie answered.

“So, we’re going to keep your bag packed and you can take it with you to Aunt Maia’s whenever I have to go to Ohio, okay?” Roman asked.

“Okay,” Darcie answered. “I still wish I could help, though.”

“Help what?” Roman asked.

“Help with anything. All I do is go to school and play,” Darcie said. “I don’t ever help.”

“That is helping,” Roman answered.

“No, it’s not. It’s just my job, like you said. When Mama was working all the time, I was too little to help. And now I’m older and I still can’t help. Ya’ll still treat me like a little kid!” she complained, crossing her arms over her chest and poking her lip out.

Roman struggled to hide his smile. She was not even a