Roman’s footsteps stall, his eyes darting from the blonde to me and then back again.
Is this woman an ex-girlfriend?
“MaryAnn,” he says tightly. “Hi.”
Surprise transforms into delight on MaryAnn’s pretty face, laughter bubbling from her lips. “Ah, hi yourself, stranger! I was just telling Gabe the other day that we haven’t seen you in months. Where’ve you been hiding? You must be working crazy hours again.”
My gaze bounces between the pair as she chatters away, oblivious to Roman’s silence. His discomfort is palpable. By the way she throws names out, it seems like she knows him well. But I don’t get the feeling that they were ever a couple. There’s a connection between them, but no romantic vibe.
“That reminds me,” she jabs a finger at him, “You never got back to us about the birthday party next weekend. Are you going to swing by?”
His jaw locks. “Umm…”
She shakes the same finger with more purpose. “No excuses this time! You’d better come! This is your godson we’re talking about.”
Roman winces.
“Everyone’s going to be there. It’ll be a packed house.” Glancing down the aisle, she waves at the two boys now arguing over a box of cereal. “Jacob, Logan, look who’s here! It’s Uncle Roman.”
Uncle Roman?
I raise my brows at Roman, who studiously avoids my gaze.
MaryAnn, who must be his sister or sister-in-law, turns and faces me again. “Oh, I’m sorry!” She gives Roman an expectant look. When he says nothing, she huffs out a breath and smiles, thrusting her hand toward me. “Apparently Roman isn’t going to bother introducing us. I’m MaryAnn, his sister-in-law, and the two hellions that ran past are my boys. The taller one is Jacob, and the other is Logan.”
“Sofia.” I take hold of her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Dozens of questions swirl through my head. I glance at Roman and find his eyes already on me. A strange guardedness I’ve seen countless times before lurks in them.
The boys run back down the aisle and hurtle their small bodies at their uncle.
Roman scoops them up into his arms with practiced ease, shaking them until they shriek with uncontrollable laughter. His discomfort dissolves, and his guard drops as he focuses on his nephews with a joyful smile that makes my heart constrict.
The Roman I’ve become acquainted with over the past three years has always been cold and standoffish. Indifferent. The expression he now wears is something of a contradiction. It’s like a beam of sunlight filtering down through dark rain clouds.
Roman catches me watching him. The smile on his face vanishes, the tops of his ears reddening as if he’s self-conscious about being observed.
MaryAnn’s eyes soften as she watches Roman and the boys. “It’s really been too long, Roman. It’s impossible to get ahold of you anymore. Don’t you know how to return a call or a text?”
As swiftly as his walls tumbled down, they’re once again resurrected. It’s frightening how easily he’s able to revert to his normal standoffish self.
I wish I understood why.
Fresh frustration rises up in me.
“It’s been busy.” He gives her a hard, penetrating look. One I’ve been on the receiving end of numerous times before.
The color in her cheeks drains.
Not understanding the silent communication between them, my gaze shifts from Roman to MaryAnn.
What the hell is going on here?
And then it hits me.
MaryAnn knows.
She knows Roman’s secret and just realized that I’m still in the dark, which is a terrible feeling that makes the pit of my belly churn with nausea.
“Oh. Um, okay.” Her eyes drop to the squirming boys in his arms. “Logan and Jacob, we should probably get moving. We have a few more errands to take care of before heading home.”
This elicits a long groan from them.
A handful of minutes ago, I would have found their reaction amusing. Now, not so much.
Both boys grouse about missing their uncle as they untangle themselves from him. Roman gives them a subdued smile. MaryAnn shuffles from one foot to the other, avoiding any kind of eye contact. This behavior is telling, considering how friendly she’d acted moments ago.
“It was really nice meeting you, Sofia.” She looks like she’s on the verge of saying more, but changes her mind as she looks at Roman. “Bye, Roman.” MaryAnn hustles away with the boys, beelining to the checkout area.
Confused by the interaction, I watch until they disappear from sight as new questions whirl in my brain. I avert my gaze to Roman and sigh at the closed-off expression on his face because the answers I seek will be met with resistance.
Commandeering the cart, Roman silently wheels it down the aisle.
Even though I shouldn’t be surprised by his dismissive behavior, I stare in bewilderment. Does he really think he can sweep what happened under the rug and not say a word about it?
Realizing he’s not going to wait, I shake off my stupor and jog to catch up with him. I grab the cart and yank it to a halt. “Are we going to talk about what just happened?”
His eyes narrow. “What’s there to talk about?”
I sputter out a laugh and give him an incredulous look. “How about we start with the fact that I didn’t even know you had a brother. Or any family, for that matter.” After a few seconds of silence, I ask, “Do they live nearby?”
He sighs and bites out, “No, they live in Wheaton. The boys must’ve had a soccer game in the area. I’ve never seen them around here before.”
I arch my eyebrows, hoping he’ll elaborate.
He doesn’t.
Roman never talks about himself or his family or the past. That’s weird, right? I assumed he wasn’t close to them or, like Grace’s, they were deceased.
But listening to the way MaryAnn carried on and peppered him with questions—before grasping that she should stop talking—made it clear that she was completely comfortable with Roman. And his nephews were the same way. That wouldn’t be the case if they weren’t in touch with one another.
What am I missing?
What isn’t he telling me?
His tight-lipped silence makes me want to scream, but I know better than to let loose. It won’t get me anywhere. In fact, it’ll have the opposite effect. He’ll take a giant step back. I draw in a deep breath instead, trying to calm my chaotic emotions.
He wants me to drop the subject, but I can’t let it go. I just want him to let me in and give me a crumb of information.
When Roman starts pushing the cart again, I reach out and wrap my fingers around his forearm.
He turns and shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I have one brother. We don’t see each other very often.”
“Why not?”
He gives me an irritated look. “Because I work a lot. And so does he. We’re both busy with our own lives.”
Until my run-in with MaryAnn, I knew nothing personal about this man. The only time I see Roman is in my world. Around my family. At the compound. In my house. Sometimes I forget that he has a life outside of the work he does for the Valentinis. I know zilch about his background. Where was he six years ago? What was he doing? Has he ever been married? Is his past littered with relationships? Does he have any kids?
I almost blanch at that thought.
I don’t know. About any of it.
It’s as if the man didn’t exist before he started working for my father. It’s a disturbing thought that makes me shift with unease.
Unable to accept his stoic silence, I push again with, “Where do you live?”
“How about we finish up with our shopping and then,” he pauses as a pained expression crosses his face, “if you want, I’ll take you there. Okay?”
Astonished by this quick about-face, the ball of nerves rolling around in my gut dissolves. Just a bit. “I’d like that.”
“Fine,” he mutters, clearly exasperated. “Can we drop this now?”
I walk alongside him as we start moving again. “I’m not going to let you renege.”
His lips quirk. “I know.”
I smile at the little bit of headway we just made.
Roman agreed to show me where he lives. Sure, I had to strongarm him into doing it, but maybe now that I’ve pried a few bits of information from him, he’ll be more amenable to opening up to me.
I almost snort.
Then again, pigs are more likely to fly before that happens.