Roman's Vow (Riley's Pride #4) - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,33

on! I need me some blueberry muffins!” Roman said, tickling her again. He allowed her to ‘get away’ and run back to the kitchen while he laughed. As soon as she was out of sight, his smile fell and he stopped laughing. He got out of bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a teeshirt. He reached into his duffle and brought out the ring case holding the wedding set he’d bought for himself and Talie. He’d decided not to even say anything to her at her hearing. He didn’t want the memory of her engagement ring to be tied to when she was being accused of murder. He wanted it to be a special sweet memory for her, for them, like her being freed.

He slipped the box into the pocket of his jeans and walked barefoot into the kitchen.

“Mornin’,” he said, his voice still gruff from sleeping and the fatigue of the quick round trip to Ohio.

“’Bout time you got up,” Riley said. Riley was sleepy eyed and bleary, in nothing but a pair of jeans while he balanced Bastian on one leg with one arm, and Cristie balanced herself on his other leg while he guzzled from the coffee cup that at this point looked like life to him.

“How long you been awake?” Roman asked.

“Dawn freaking thirty!” Riley said. “Maia told the kids I’d be home when they woke up so they both woke up with the freaking birds screeching for Doddy,” Riley grumbled.

“You love it,” Maia said, as she flipped the bacon she was frying.

Riley looked down at the baby boy on his lap who grinned at him as he gnawed his own fist and at Cristie who sat back against him while she ate her blueberry muffin while she and Darcie discussed the dress Barbie was currently wearing as Darcie walked her across the table in front of her. “Yeah, I do,” he said. He dropped a kiss on Cristie’s head, then on Sebastian’s.

“How’re you this morning?” Riley asked.

“He tickled me when he waked up,” Darcie said, still laughing about it.

“I did. I can’t help it, the tickle monster just had to come out and play,” Roman said, smiling widely until Darcie went back to her Barbie doll. Then his smile fell and both Riley and Maia saw it right away. “I’m okay,” Roman said.

“Have a seat, Roman. The kids have already started on the blueberry muffins, but I’m putting together a hot breakfast here,” Maia said.

“Thank you, Maia,” Roman said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Maia laid the spatula on the chopping block beside the stove, then poured a cup of coffee, added a splash of milk and walked over to hand it to Roman.

“Ohhh, you are an angel,” Roman said.

“I try,” Maia teased.

Roman watched as Riley’s kids sat on his lap, happy to have their Doddy back, though he’d only been gone a couple of days. And it seemed that Darcie watched them, too. She slid out of her chair beside Riley and approached Roman. “Can I share your chair?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” Roman answered. He scooted his chair back from the table a few inches, set his coffee cup on the table, then picked up Darcie and placed her on his lap. “How’s that?” he asked.

“Can I have another muffin?” she asked.

Riley gave the platter with the muffins on it a little shove and it slid closer to Roman. Roman strained a bit, but with his long reach managed to grab one and hand it to Darcie.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she said, and laid her Barbie doll down to peel the paper down the sides of the muffin so she could take a bite.

Roman hugged her from behind and kissed the side of her head. He knew what she was doing. She was watching Cristie interact with her own father, and emulating the bond Cristie had with Riley. Which was fine with Roman. Riley was a good father, and his kids adored him. The only thing that could come from Darcie wanting that same relationship with him was good things.

Maia glanced over as she put the last of the bacon on the paper towels she’d laid out on another platter and dropped in the potatoes she’d cubed. “So, when do you go back?” she asked, glancing at Roman.

“Sixty days. If not sooner. If Laz calls, I go sooner,” Roman answered.

“We go sooner,” Riley corrected.

“She going to be able to call you now?” Maia asked.

“Yeah, supposedly. Once they get all her records updated,”