Chapter 7 Lacey
Even a regular Tuesday night at Boshamps felt like having dinner on a vacation postcard—salt in the air, string lights everywhere, the harbor water catching the last streaks of sunset like it was showing off.
Boats idled and eased past in the distance, kids ran around on the outdoor deck, and somewhere nearby a band was warming up for a set that would drift over the hum of conversation.
Lacey took it all in from the outside table on the second level where she sat kitty-corner from her boyfriend. She sipped a strawberry daiquiri, waiting for the cloud of contentment that always settled over her when she was with Roman Matteo.
Because contentment went hand in hand with love, which was all she could feel when she looked into his lion-gold eyes. He’d changed her life so dramatically, she could hardly believe that three months ago, she’d never heard of the man.
Then she’d done some digging, found out his name, and curiosity led her to contact the son that Tessa had secretly given up for adoption.
Before she knew what was happening, Lacey had agreed to a scheme to “pretend” to be dating Roman so that he could meet his birth mother without betraying her past.
Only it was pretend for about ten minutes before Lacey had fallen flat out, head over heels, and desperately in love.
Roman, it seemed, came along for that same fall, the two of them embarking on a summer romance that had yet to have a downside.
Well, until the summer ended with his inevitable departure. That side would be…down.
Roman’s life as a second-string wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars had been on hold during the off-season. But that life was about to start again very, very soon.
How could she stand not seeing this amazing man every day?
Tonight, he looked unfairly spectacular.
He wore a light cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, forearms tanned and strong.
Dark blond hair that looked sun-lightened at the tips grazed the collar.
And when those eyes—amber, warm, unmistakably like Tessa’s—tracked her closely and constantly? It was a heady high she loved.
The server brought a spinach and artichoke dip with the warm tortilla chips that Lacey also loved. Then, when they were alone again, Roman smiled over the dip at her.
“You wore that dress to torture me, didn’t you?”
She scooped up some dip on a chip, holding her hand under it as she brought it to her mouth. “And to test my skills to not spill on pale pink.”
“Well, I love it. I’ll think about you wearing pink every minute of training.”
She managed to swallow. Barely. “I’ll send pictures if you forget,” she said sweetly.
He sighed as the proverbial elephant in the room lumbered across the table, sat right next to the dip, and dared them to go on yet another lovely date without facing the fact that this delightful relationship had an inevitable end.
“I won’t forget,” he murmured, any hint of a smile fading. “I swear, Lace, I won’t.”
Her stomach dipped. She set a chip on the small appetizer plate, definitely not sure she could swallow another when his eyes were that direct and warm.
“I know,” she said. “But you’ll have a lot on your mind.”
“I already do.” He finally ate a spinach and artichoke-covered chip, chewing, then dabbed at his lips with a napkin. “I talked to my trainer today. We did a video physical, which was pretty much hell.”
Lacey’s heart did a small flip. “I hope he told you you’re perfect and should never change.”
Roman huffed a laugh. “He told me I’m tight in my hips. Actually, his words were, ‘Matteo, you have the hips of a ninety-year-old.’”
“Rude,” she said. “Plus, I’d like to see that ninety-year-old.”
“Right? Could Grandpa carry you out of here?”
She laughed, knowing Roman could do just that with one hand and tight hips.
“Anyway, after that, the training camp schedule came through.”
His quiet sentence thudded like a door closing.
“Yeah?” Lacey’s smile stayed on her face for half a second too long, then wobbled. “And…”
Roman took a sip of beer, the only sound some chatter and laughter, and distant music. His thumb traced the rim of the glass as he held her gaze, then looked down.
“Report date is in seventeen days.”
Her throat tightened. “Seventeen days,” she echoed, like she hoped he’d correct her and say…seventeen days and one year. Because that’s what they needed to strengthen and secure this still very young relationship.
Roman nodded once. “Yeah.”
Lacey tried to make her tone light. “Well. Jacksonville is only, what, four hours from here?”
“It’s closer to five.”
“Five?” Wasn’t Florida narrow? How could it be five hours between Destin and Jacksonville?
“Five,” he repeated. “It’s literally in another time zone.”
Her eyes shuttered. “I know.”
“And what do you think?”
The truth was she’d been trying not to think about it at all, because the future looked murky and dark and like it could dissolve with the first preseason game.
That’s when he’d go back to being Roman Matteo, a pro-ball player who probably had legions of gorgeous girls waiting outside the stadium for an autograph, phone numbers at the ready.
But this summer, he’d just been her boyfriend, sweet and fun and honest and perfect.
He leaned forward, forearms on the table. “Lacey?” he pressed. “Surely you’ve thought about this. About us, and the future.”
Her breath caught and she pushed the straw around in her drink. “Sure I have. And…people do long-distance all the time.”
One strong shoulder lifted. “People also break up all the time.”
“Roman—”
“I’m not trying to be negative,” he said quickly. “I’m being honest.”
Lacey stared at him, at the seriousness in his face, at the way he didn’t look away. She loved that about him—as much as his easy laugh, his genuine, caring personality, and world-class shoulders. He was so steady, like a rock. And, boy, she needed a rock.
“I don’t want to do the long-distance thing,” he said. “I’m afraid I’ll lose you.”
Her pulse thundered and she fought the desire to laugh out loud. As if he could lose her.
Roman’s eyes held hers, unflinching. “I don’t want to come home after practice and stare at a wall and pretend I’m fine.”
Lacey’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She wouldn’t be fine, either.
“I want to come home and have you there. I want to share life with you, ups and downs and…everything.” His expression softened. “I want to be with you.”
The harbor noise faded around her, replaced by the thrum of her heartbeat.
Be with her. What, exactly, did that mean? What did that look like? What did that do to her world, her job, her…heart?
“Oh.” It came out like a croak.
“You know I have a place in Jacksonville, but it’s not great. I think we could get something bigger. On the water, even. Jax Beach and Atlantic Beach are nice. Downtown, on the river, close to the stadium. There are suburbs, too, and…”
His voice trailed off as she stared at him, vaguely aware that her jaw might be wide open in shock.
“You want to…live together?”
“Yes.” The word came out so fast and with so little hesitation or doubt, she inched back.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” He laughed and reached for her. “This isn’t our first date, Lace.”
“No, but it’s like our…I don’t know. Roman, we’ve only known each other a few months.”
“Fifty-six days,” he corrected, then laughed again. “I don’t know what it is about you that has me counting days like that. I guess because there haven’t been enough of them, and I wanted to be sure we knew each other long enough to…discuss this.”
Discuss moving in together? After fifty-six days?
“I’m not asking you to marry me tomorrow,” he said, like he had to clarify that. “I’m asking you to come with me. For camp. For the season. Come see what my life is like. Let’s experience being together over there. And how it goes for us to be a couple, and public.”
Public. Because Jacksonville wasn’t Destin. Jacksonville was where cameras appeared and fans swarmed and people would absolutely notice if Roman Matteo had a girlfriend living with him. Heck, he’d been stopped for autographs here—imagine what it would be like at the home of his team.
And she’d tried. She’d imagined life as an NFL girlfriend. Game days. Tailgates. Stadium lights. Roman coming off the field sweaty and grinning, searching for her in the crowd. Her learning his routines, his rituals, the way he took his game-day coffee, the way he liked silence after practice.
“I…” she started and then stopped because her voice did something weird.
Roman’s hand finally closed over hers, warm and steady. “You don’t have to answer this second.”
Lacey smiled. “Just sometime in the next seventeen days.”
“Well, yeah. But I can tell you that I’m sure,” he said simply. “I have no doubts about us.”
No doubts about us. The words made her heart soar so high it was almost dizzying.
“Neither do I,” she whispered, and it sounded like surrender.
Roman’s shoulders loosened, just slightly, like he’d been holding tension in the center of his body. Relief flickered across his face—subtle and quick, but real.
He squeezed her hand once. “So,” he said, and the hint of a grin returned, “do you think we could make living together work? I mean, with your job and your family and my travel and…everything?”
Lacey exhaled a shaky breath. “I guess.”
Roman’s grin widened. “Is that a yes?”
Lacey’s mind spun—Tessa, the business, her life in Destin, the fact that she’d finally found a career that fit. It was a lot.
“I think,” she said carefully, because she needed a thread of caution to hold on to, “I think we could make that work.”
He dropped back with a look of relief and happiness. “I’m so happy to hear that, Lace. Really. I just don’t want to imagine the season without you by my side. I don’t want you here in Destin and us so far apart.”
Lacey laughed, a little breathless. Air just wasn’t going into her lungs.
“You okay?”
“Yes, I’m…yes. I’m great. I’m also”—she made a vague gesture at her chest—“having an internal situation.”