Page 23 of The Summer We Made Promises (The Destin Diaries #3)

“Let’s clear this for dessert,” her mother said, standing. “You two take a walk on the beach. It’s too pretty a sunset to miss.”

“Let me help?—”

Tessa put a hand over his. “Walk with your girl, Romeo. Mother’s orders.”

The words gave Lacey a different kind of jolt. She shared a quick, secret look with Roman, who barely hid his smile. “I never argue with a mother’s orders.”

He stood and thanked Jo Ellen and Maggie for the best Bolognese he’d ever had, took a few dishes into the kitchen, then put his arm around Lacey’s shoulders.

“Let’s take that walk now.”

And every hair on the nape of her neck stood up.

A few minutes later, they were hand in hand on the boardwalk, headed to the beach.

“So…” She looked up at him, trying to gauge his expression, but she simply didn’t know him well enough to get a read on his thoughts. “Is she what you expected?”

“She’s…” He blew out a long, slow breath as they reached the end of the boardwalk. “Wow. I just have to process this for a minute. I just met the woman who gave me life.”

She sighed. “I imagine that shakes your foundation.”

He peered out to the water, quiet for a good thirty seconds.

“Yes and no,” he eventually said. “It’s kind of weird to think about it, and wonder, you know, why she didn’t keep me. She wasn’t a teenager.”

“No, she was twenty-five, single, unsettled, unmarried, and a person who runs from conflict or trouble,” Lacey said, instantly needing to defend her decision. “And, you know, she had other options.”

“I know.” He closed his eyes. “Believe me, I’ve thought of that. And I want you to know that. I have no bad feelings toward her—in fact, I admire her for the decision. It’s just hard not to wonder what life would have been like if she had raised me.”

“Fun,” Lacey said quickly, making him smile.

“For sure. And, to answer your original question, no. She’s not anything like I expected.”

“Really? You’re so much like her. I mean, obviously, there’s a family resemblance, but she has your warmth and joy.”

He gave a smile. “She’s a thousand times better than I’d ever dreamed, Lacey. I’m overwhelmed by her. And, I might add, you.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything except…you know, lie, betray, pretend, and otherwise break the rules of ethics.”

He draped an arm around her as they stepped down on the sand and kicked off their shoes.

“You did that for me,” he said. “You facilitated this meeting and I know it wasn’t easy for you. Your nerves were singing loud when I got here.”

“But you relaxed me,” she said. “You’d put anyone at ease. Heck, even fearsome Maggie was panting for your next story.”

He laughed, and the sound came from deep inside his chest, real and warm. “She’s not so bad. And Jo Ellen? Wow, that Artie guy must have been something. But every time his name came up, Maggie shot daggers. What’s up with that?”

“There’s a lot of drama around him I haven’t told you about. I will, later. But tell me more about your thoughts on Tessa.”

He slowed his step, kicking the sand. “I wish I could thank her, you know? Her decision led me to a life with the two finest human beings who ever lived. Bob and Faith Matteo are…” He shook his head. “I’ll get choked up, and you don’t want to see that.”

Oh, but she kind of did. “You’re so sweet.”

“I’m blessed beyond measure and it was Tessa who did that for me.”

“And Artie,” she said. “Apparently, he arranged the adoption. Jo Ellen never knew. Neither did Kate, Tessa’s twin sister.”

He thought about that for a moment, walking slowly along the water’s edge, no regard for the hem of his pants getting wet.

“Anyway, I never expected her to be so beautiful and alive and…awesome. I’m so happy I know her.”

“Now what?” Lacey asked after a beat.

“Now I continue to get to know her.” He looked down. “And you, my new girlfriend.”

She rolled her eyes but he didn’t laugh.

“Like I said, you get the credit for making this happen, Lacey.”

“But if you spend a lot of time with her,” Lacey said slowly, “will you tell her?”

“I might,” he said. “I’m not sure how or when. Would that wreck your relationship?”

“I don’t know, but…” She made a face. “I kind of want to tell her now, and take whatever happens.”

“No, no, no,” he said, shaking his head. “I have to tell my parents first and they just left on a cruise they’ve been planning for ages, and I don’t want to…rock the boat, if you’ll excuse the pun.”

“Why would your meeting her ruin their vacation?” she asked.

“I just don’t know how they’ll take it.”

That surprised her, considering they were “the finest humans alive.”

“I mean, they’d understand,” he added, maybe reading her expression. “But I think my mother really liked being my only mother. I feel like I owe it to them to be first.”

Lacey sighed. “So…we keep on lying?”

“Who’s lying? She didn’t ask if I was her son.”

“She thinks you’re my boyfriend.”

“I am.” He squeezed her into his strong, solid side. “It’s not a lie.”

“Roman,” she scoffed. “It’s cute of you to say that, but let’s be real.”

“I am.” Slowly, he turned her in his arms so she was facing him. “I really like you. I really want to spend time with you. I really rented a house in Destin to be your boyfriend.”

“None of that is real.”

He tipped his head and gave her a look. Then, without another word, he lifted her just an inch off the ground and kissed her lightly on the lips. His mouth was warm, inviting, and, yeah, really real.

When he very slowly let her feet touch the sand and drew back an inch, she nearly swayed into him.

“Lacey, you are?—”

She put a hand over his lips. And not just to stop him from proclaiming whatever she was, but just to feel how soft they were one more time.

“Don’t,” she whispered.

“Don’t kiss you?”

Don’t break my heart , she wanted to scream. Because she could already feel how shattered it would be when this ended.

“Don’t…take this too far,” she said instead.

“I promise, Lacey Knight. I’ll only take it as far as it was meant to be.”

When they turned to walk back to the house, she realized that whole exchange was easily visible from anyone standing on the deck—and she knew that all four of them had been watching.

So was that kiss for her benefit…or theirs?