This surprises me so much my body jerks slightly, which causes his arms to tighten around me. He immediately explains. “I’m just saying…you make me feel things that are so new and foreign that half the time I’m struggling just to figure out what the hell is going on with me.”

I relax, as I understand what he’s saying. Roman’s never had a relationship where you owe your time and attention to someone. He’s never had to make someone a priority and he’s trying to find his balance. It makes me smile brightly on the inside to know it’s actually a struggle for him, because even if it’s hard, he’s still clawing his way through these emotions to make it work with me.

What I want to tell him can’t be said. I want to say that he’s not easy to fall for either. Our relationship is fettered with his inability to give certain things like time with my family or his grueling work schedule that takes him away from me for days at a time. I don’t mention my frustration with him and Gray. I don’t share with him that I worry on a daily basis about whether we’ll be able to reach a place where I can have all the people in my life like and respect one another. I don’t tell him the tensions that permeate those issues are causing me heartburn and some sleepless nights.

Instead, I merely snuggle in closer to him and tell him, “It will get easier, Roman.”

He surprises me when he says, “If it was hard, everyone would do it. I kind of like the challenge.”

I pull back my face, which had been burrowed into his neck. Although I can’t see him in the dark, I try to imagine the look on his face. Is it open and is he saying that he wants to try to move this a little deeper?

Without a clear answer, I can only venture forward and push at his boundaries a bit where it’s warranted. “You know my birthday’s next week, right?”

I can hear the smile in his voice. “Yup. And I have the perfect gift for you.”

Okay, that makes me feel good that he’s already given this thought.

“My dad wants to have a birthday dinner for me at his house,” I say quickly into the dark. “He’s going to invite Georgia, and of course, Ryker, Gray, and the girls will be there. It will be my first time meeting Ruby and Violet, and well…I want you to come too.”

He doesn’t respond at first, the silence heavy and oppressive. His thumb, which had been lazily rubbing against the hollow of my lower back, keeps moving, though, and finally…with a small sigh of capitulation, he says, “Sure. I’d love to come.”

“Really?” I ask, unable to contain my glee.

“It’s your birthday,” he mutters. “I’ll make a special exception for that.”

Hmmmm…maybe not what I would have liked to hear, but it’s a start. I think once Roman is gently worked into the family dynamic, and assuming he and Gray can learn to be at least politely respectful of each other, I’m sure he’ll fit in just fine.

Chapter 26

Brian

“Aunt Lexi,” Ruby says as she tugs on Lexi’s hand. “I’ve got a spider collection at home. And I want to get a rat but Daddy won’t let me. Do you like spiders and rats?”

Lexi’s eyes slide to the right, where Ryker’s casually sitting in an armchair with a beer in his hand, and she grins when she sees his slight shudder at the mention of spiders.

Looking back to her niece, perhaps not by blood but most definitely by love and marriage, she says solemnly, “I have to be honest, Ruby, I’m not a fan of spiders. But I’m okay with rats. I understand they’re very intelligent.”

Ruby turns to Ryker and gives him a superior look. He cocks an eyebrow back at her and says, “I allowed the spiders. Not going to allow the rats.”

I suppress my laughter when Ruby rolls her eyes at her father and then turns back to Lexi to suggest, “You could get a rat and then I could come play with him at your house.”

“Oh no,” Lexi says quickly as she taps Ruby on the nose with her finger, then shifts back onto the couch cushion so she can settle back against Roman, who is sitting beside her looking much more relaxed since we’ve finished dinner. “No rats in my house, but I firmly support you in your campaign to get your father to change his mind.”

Ruby grins at Lexi, and even Roman has a slight smile on his face. It’s a bit forced looking, but at least it’s a smile.

I have to give the guy credit for showing up, especially knowing his familial background that Lexi’s explained to me, as well as the expected discomfort to be dating the daughter of your bosses. Add the tensions that exist between him and Gray, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d have declined the invitation to celebrate Lexi’s birthday with us.

Now, that’s to say while I wouldn’t have been surprised if he didn’t come, I would have been absolutely pissed. I believe the measure of a man is how he deals with adversity, and thankfully for Roman, he’s showing the backbone of a man who will make Lexi a priority. That’s good for him, as I’m equally as prepared to withdraw my support for this relationship if he’s not willing to put in the work as Lexi deserves.

Most everything about her transition into this family has gone so smoothly that sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that this has been stressful for everyone. Lexi’s accepted us, we’ve accepted her, and even the public has been incredibly supportive after the announcement was made. As long as Roman toes the line, then Lexi should remain a happy woman, and that makes me happy.

My gaze flips to the right, where Gray is sitting in an armchair opposite Ryker. Violet’s curled on her lap and is resting her hand on Gray’s belly. While Gray has become exceptionally close to both of Ryker’s girls, Violet has practically become Gray’s shadow. This is not only because she’s pregnant with Violet’s soon-to-be-born sister, but because when Gray stepped into that family’s life, she took a great burden off of Violet, who had sort of become a surrogate mom to her little sister when their mom withdrew from their life. When Gray became part of Ryker’s world, she stepped into the role of wife and stepmother with such quiet command it enabled Violet to become just a little girl again. Because of that, she’s exceptionally close to Gray.

Yes, this birthday celebration is turning out quite nicely, even if things have been a little forced between Gray and Roman. They’ve certainly been polite to each other, but they’ve not directly spoken and are essentially ignoring each other.