“I’m ready,” I said. “I just made it onto the floor, we’ll talk soon.” I ended the call and dropped my phone into my bag. As I walked toward the conference room, I took in the environment. It was quiet and everyone seemed to be hard at work, but I knew better. It was too quiet. When I made it to the conference room, Roman was leaning up against the wall by the door. His eyes found mine and danced across my face.
“My office,” he said, moving around me. “When we get there, you’ll tell me what’s wrong, and then we’ll fix it.” I stood there, watching his back. Am I really that easy to read?
Sighing, I followed behind him and into his office. He shut the door and guided me to the couch. I set my bag down and went to sit but never made it. Roman pulled my body into his arms and held me there. I reacted immediately by wrapping my arms around his torso and laying my head on his chest. This was exactly what I needed. We stayed like that for a while, but eventually, he let me go and I sat down. He sat on the table in front of me and stared into my eyes.
“What’s up? Bad morning?” I nodded.
“Flat tire, had to open the store, and I’m exhausted,” I rambled. “I have a million calls to make and then a meeting with the CEO at three and…” I caught the frown on his face and stopped talking. “What?”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Call you?”
“You said you had a flat tire, why didn’t you call me?”
“I… It didn’t even cross my mind honestly.” I was so used to doing things on my own that I didn’t even think to call anyone, let alone Roman. He was still wearing that same frown. “Are you upset?”
“No, just thinking of ways to change that.”
“To change what?” I was taken aback when he reached out and gripped my chin, pulling me close to him. “Roman…” Our lips were close enough that all I had to do was lean in, and they would touch. I was tempted, but then he spoke.
“Change who you think of when things aren’t going as planned. I want to be the first name that pops in your mind.” My heart was now racing.
“But—”
“Whatever was coming after that but save it, Blossom.”
“How can you—” He shook his head, and I clamped my mouth shut.
“I don’t like how that sentence started,” he said. “Try again. The third time is always the charm.” Instead of speaking, I went in for the kiss. My lips landed softly onto his, and it was the most amazing feeling I’d felt in a long time. I laid my hand gently on the side of his face and deepened the kiss by slipping my tongue into his mouth. Roman moved perfectly in sync with me.
“I told you,” he muttered into my mouth. “Third time is always the charm.”
“I—” A knock at his office door and my phone ringing cut into our moment. He kissed me once more and then stood. We spoke simultaneously. Me answering my phone, and him to the visitor at his office door.
“It’s open.”
“This is Blossom Baker.”
It was time to work, but the look on Roman’s face when he glanced over his shoulder said so much. We weren’t done yet, and I didn’t want us to be.
At five o’clock, I stepped out of my meeting with the CEO and board members of Henley. Two hours of them going back and forth while I sat there thinking about my kiss with Roman. He had been in a meeting of his own when I left for mine, and as I walked toward his office, I was praying that he was inside. I wanted to… no needed to finish what we’d started earlier. A few more minutes of feeling his soft lips on mine should do the trick. I turned my phone back on and frowned at the number of messages that began to come through, but I didn’t have a chance to check them because my phone vibrated with a call from Daisy.
“What’s wrong?” I asked after picking up. “I was in a meeting and had my phone turned off.”
“Magnolia is having the baby,” she rushed out. “Hurry up and get here.” My eyes widened, and I almost dropped my phone. “She’s freaking out because no one could get in touch with you.”
“Alright, alright. I’m on my way.” I ended the call and hurried toward Roman’s office. The door was open when I got there. A man I’d never seen before was sitting in front of his desk, but I ignored them and went for my things. I felt him before I saw him.
“You’re moving frantically. What happened?” I spun around with my laptop bag on my shoulder and tears in my eyes. There wasn’t a reason for me to be crying, but I couldn’t help myself. My sister was bringing my nephew into this world, and I couldn’t miss it. “Bloss—”
“I need to go,” I blurted, glancing over his shoulder at the man who was still seated and watching us closely. “Magnolia is having her baby and—”
“Give me two minutes, and I’ll drive you.” I shook my head.
“No, you have to work.”
“I didn’t say you had a choice. Two minutes.” He turned, and I stood there. Not moving and waiting for him like he asked. Because truth be told, I wanted to get to the hospital as fast as possible, but knowing that Roman wanted to come with me did something to my heart. He wanted to be there, and the fact that he didn’t think twice about it was enough to make me wait the extra two minutes.
“Are you ready?” he asked. I blinked twice and looked at him. His office was now empty, and he was standing at the door with his own laptop bag thrown over his shoulder and suit jacket draped over his forearm. I nodded and moved toward him. Before we left, he tucked his hand under my chin and leaned in, placing a tender kiss to my lips. “Your sister is going to be fine, OK?”
“OK,” I whispered, knowing that he was right. “Thank you.”
“Thank me after I get you safely to your sister's side.”
Forty minutes later, I did just that.
“It took you—” Lilac looked from me to Roman and then continued, “We can’t all be in the room, so we’re rotating. Two in at a time with Lennox. Once she’s ready to push, we’ll all sit out here.” I nodded and glanced at Roman, who had his eyes on me.
“Thank you,” I said. “You don’t have to stay.”
“Even if I didn’t have the excuse of taking you back to your truck, I still wouldn’t be leaving,” he said. “Go be with your sister, and I’ll be out here waiting.” I didn’t argue with him, I simply nodded and watched as he took a seat.
“Ezra will be here soon,” Lilac said to him and pulled me away. “What is that about?”
“It’s a long story,” I murmured. One that I didn’t plan on telling until after Magnolia had safely delivered the first baby in our next generation. It only took a few minutes for us to reach the birthing suite, and I could hear Lennox’s voice before we pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Baby, I can’t let you bring our son into this world and you don’t have my last name,” he said, staring down at her. “It ain’t right.” She reached up and touched his face. My eyes moved around the room. Daisy was sitting on Juniper’s lap, both were watching the exchange between Mags and Lennox with soft eyes.