“It’s going to sound like excuses.”
“Not to anyone who knows you,” she told him, and her love and support shone in her eyes. Damn. How could a man argue with that?
Rome sighed and began to unravel the story of his time in prison. His mother and father’s penchant for drugs and illegal activity. His nomadic life. His mother’s brush with the law and her request for Rome to take the hit. His time in prison.
When he finished, Grant said nothing, simply watched him.
Brenna gave him a sympathetic look. “God, reminds me of my mother. Don’t you think?” She looked over at Grant.
He pulled Brenna close and hugged her, then rubbed her arm as if reassuring her. “Kinda does, yeah.”
That surprised Rome. No judgment? No scoffing or accusations of lies? “You guys believe me?”
“Who hasn’t been messed up by their parents?” Brenna said with a laugh. “Yours just sound shittier than most. I hope you wouldn’t go to prison for her again, though.”
Rome groaned and ducked his head, rubbing it. “Hell no. Learned my lesson, thanks.”
Elise cleared her throat. “So Rome gets his job back with a raise?”
Grant’s attention veered back to Elise. “What? Raise?”
“Baby, no, it’s okay,” Rome began.
“I think he gets a raise,” Elise said in a firm voice. “You aren’t paying him enough to live on. If you want him to make something of himself, how about you take a step in the right direction? You can’t castigate a man for his past and then push him into a low-paying job that reinforces society’s concept of who and what he is.”
Rome was surprised at the ferocity in Elise’s voice. Surprised . . . and proud. When she got her mind on something, there was no distracting her, was there? How had he ever walked away from her before?
“We could put it to a vote,” Brenna singsonged.
Grant threw his hands up. “I give up. You two hash things out. Since Brenna hired him, she can re-hire him. I’m going to actually get some work done.” He got to his feet, pressed a kiss on top of Brenna’s head, and headed to his desk.
“And the cabin?” Elise pressed, unwilling to budge an inch.
“Aren’t you in it at the moment?” Brenna asked.
“Yes, but it was his originally, and I want it to remain his,” Elise said. “So he always has a place to call his own instead of being dependent on staying with me.”
“In case you break up?” Brenna asked.
Rome leaned in and whispered against Elise’s ear. “Not going to happen.”
She smiled at him. “It’s still yours.”
Brenna shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
“Good,” Elise said. “He’ll start again tomorrow, if that’s what he wants.” She looked over at Rome expectantly. “Are you okay with all of this?”
He rubbed his jaw. “Other than feeling a little awkward that my girlfriend got me my job back? Yeah.”
“You’re being run over roughshod by these two,” Grant called from his desk. “Don’t worry, though. You get used to the feeling eventually.”
Elise just smiled.
• • •
Later that evening, when he was in bed with Elise, watching TV and thinking the world was sometimes a pretty perfect place, he got a text on his phone.
Rome pulled it off the nightstand as Elise yawned and snuggled closer. It was Jericho. So. Heard you were back for good.
Reaching an arm over Elise’s head, Rome texted back. News travels fast around here.
Small towns.
True. Yeah, thought I’d set up shop long-term. Have a good thing here.
I met your girl.
So I heard.
She’s cute. Determined little thing, too. Just wanted you to know that she had your back the entire time. She looked me right in the eye and told me she’d heard about your charges and knew it wasn’t you, and wanted to know the real story. Kinda thought you should know so you can make sure that one doesn’t get away.
Thanks, Rome texted back. She’s pretty amazing.
Indeed. Later, bro. Lunch this week?
Sure.
Then he dropped the phone back on the nightstand and wrapped his arms around Elise.
She tucked her head against his shoulder sleepily, drowsy from their recent bout of lovemaking. “Everything okay?” she murmured.
“Everything’s perfect,” he whispered against her hair. “I love you.”
She smiled, eyes closed. “Love you, too.”
EPILOGUE
I just don’t understand it,” Pop said, scratching his head underneath his trucker cap. “Brenna’s a smart girl. How the hell does she keep breaking so much stuff?”
“It’s a mystery,” Rome agreed, crossing his arms and leaning against the kitchen counter as Pop fiddled with the Keurig. “So . . . no coffee this morning?”
“Don’t look like it,” the elderly man said, and shook his head again. “Why that girl put a cup of sugar into the water reservoir, I don’t know. She said she wanted her coffee sweetened when it comes out.” He gave Rome an exasperated look. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was doing this on purpose to test me.”
Or to keep you busy, Rome thought, but smiled to himself. It was the worst-kept secret at the Wilderness Survival Ranch that Pop wanted to feel needed, and the surest way for him to feel needed was for him to fix something. They were a small business, which meant that someone went around breaking things for him to fix. That was a task that normally fell to Brenna, and she relished the position.
Of course, that meant no coffee for anyone else this morning.
Rome glanced at his watch. “I’ve got an hour before the birthday party comes in for the paintball course. You want me to run into town and get some from the cafe?”
“Well, we ain’t gonna be drinking out of this thing anytime soon,” Pop said, pulling the top of the Keurig off. He snorted. “Sweetened coffee. Damn girl.”
Grinning, Rome headed out of the kitchen and swung through the main lodge. Brenna was typing—however slowly—into a spreadsheet, and Grant was on the phone. Both Dane and Colt were out for overnight trips. “Making a coffee run. Anyone want anything?”
“Coffee would be fabulous,” Brenna said with a mischievous look in his direction. “Get one for Grant, too.”
He nodded, grabbed his keys off of the hook near the door, and headed out into the parking lot.