Apparently he wouldn’t be getting his answers anytime soon. He pushed his chair back, glanced up, and found himself face-to-face with one of his old high school girlfriends.
“Beth Hansen?” He rose from his seat.
She squealed with excitement and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It is you. How are you? And how’d I miss the fact that you were home?”
“With my mom out of commission, things are a little slow on the gossip mill.” He returned the friendly hug and stepped back to look her over.
Professionally touched-up blond hair fell to her shoulders, well styled and making her look more chic and less like the relaxed, California-type girl he remembered. And was it his imagination, or had her breasts grown tremendously since he’d been gone?
“I heard about Raina. Is she okay?” Beth asked.
He nodded. “She will be, if she takes it easy and listens to the doctor.” And she’d be even better if Roman married and impregnated a woman as soon as possible. No way could Roman think of his mission in terms less than clinical, not when love and desire had nothing to do with it.
He appraised Beth once more, this time as a potential candidate. He’d always liked her, which would help in accomplishing his goal. They’d been good friends, nothing more, but back in high school, he’d asked her out anyway. They’d gone out a few times and had had sex in the backseat of Chase’s car—because she was willing and he’d been horny. But mostly because he’d been in desperate need of ego-soothing after Charlotte Bronson’s rejection. If he didn’t “do it” for Charlotte, he’d decided he was damn well going to “do it” for Beth.
And that had been all male ego, he admitted now. But he and Beth had stayed together till graduation because it was fun and easy, going their separate ways after. Neither had been hurt and their camaraderie obviously remained.
“Give Raina my love, okay?” Beth asked.
“Will do.”
“So how long are you here for this time?” Her bright eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Beth didn’t attract him like Charlotte had, but she had a good heart. Was she still interested? Roman wondered. And if so, would she settle for a friendly but loveless marriage? He leaned closer. “How long do you want me here?”
She laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “You’re still such a tease. Everyone knows you don’t stick around any longer than you have to.”
From behind him, Chase cleared his throat, a noise that sounded more like a warning. “Give Beth congratulations, Roman. She’s gotten herself engaged to a big-city doctor. A plastic surgeon.”
Roman gave his brother a grateful smile for the heads-up before he made a bigger ass of himself by actually making a move on Beth.
“I hope he knows what a lucky guy he is.” Roman grasped her hands, noticing for the first time the huge rock on her finger. “Wow. I hope his heart is as big as this ring. You deserve it.”
She looked at him through honest eyes. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
If that was the sweetest, her fiancé had to work on his delivery, Roman thought.
“Listen, I’ve got to go take my seat. Don’t want to lose our table.” She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be a stranger while you’re in town, okay?”
“Okay.”
He slipped back into his seat, hoping his brothers would forget that he’d obviously been scoping out Beth as a potential candidate. He watched as she walked away and settled into a table out of earshot before glancing back at Rick and Chase.
The brothers looked at each other, neither breaking the silence until Rick let out a smothered laugh. “You hope his heart is as big as that ring?”
Roman grinned. “What other comparison was there?” Without stating the obvious, he thought.
“For a minute there I thought you were going to mention the size of her … Never mind.” Rick shook his head, an amused grin still on his face.
“You know I have more class than that.”
“Think they were worth ten grand?” Chase asked. “Not that her fiancé charged her or anything.”
“They were … impressive,” Roman said.
“Obviously impressive enough to make you consider taking the plunge.” One side of Chase’s mouth lifted in a smirk.
So much for hoping they’d back off. They’d always been good-natured jokers, that much hadn’t changed. “So I considered her for a minute. I was falling back on the good times we had, not the size of her … You get the picture.”
The brothers all nodded in agreement.
Izzy stopped by with their drinks, ending that conversation.
“How ’bout Alice Magregor?” Chase asked as soon as Izzy was out of earshot. “She came by the office the other day with a home-cooked meal in a picnic basket and a bottle of Merlot. When I wasn’t interested, she asked about Rick. There’s an obvious sign she’s looking to settle down.”
“With you two,” Roman muttered. There wasn’t a single available woman in Yorkshire Falls who hadn’t attempted to bait and entice both Chase and Rick with her wares—baked and otherwise. “Wasn’t Alice the one with the big hair?”
“That was her,” Rick said.
“I don’t remember her being interested in more than hairstyles and makeup,” he recalled. And even if her hair had calmed down, he didn’t remember anything they had in common. “I need intelligent conversation,” Roman said. “Can she hold up her end, or is she still into the superficial?”
Chase groaned. “Roman’s right. There is a reason she’s still single in a town that pairs up right after graduation.”
Roman grabbed the cold, damp glass. “I’ve got to get this right the first time.” He leaned his head backward, feeling the blood rush to his temples, before he lifted his head and met his brother’s gaze. “I need to pick someone Mom will like too. She wants a grandchild for emotional reasons, but she also wants to feel a part of things again. I mean, the people in this town were good to her after Dad died, but let’s face it, she
