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 paper 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 became the widow no one knew what to do with.”
“She epitomized every wife’s greatest fear,” Chase added.
“Speaking of Mom . . . I just want to make sure you two remember the deal. Either of you blow the whistle on this plan and snitch to Mom, and I’m on the first plane out of here, leaving you two to hold the bag. You got it?”
Rick let out a low growl. “You sure know how to take all the fun out of winning the coin toss.”
Roman never let his glare waver until Rick finally conceded. “Yeah, yeah. My lips are sealed.”
Chase shrugged. “Mine too, but you do realize she’s going to be forcing women down all three of our throats until Roman unveils the bride.”
“That’s the price you pay for being single,” Roman reminded them.
“Then we’d better get serious before Mom’s up and around town again. Marianne Diamond?” Chase asked.
“Engaged to Fred Aames,” Rick said.
“The fat kid everyone made fun of.” Fat Freddy, Roman remembered now.
“Except you. You beat up Luther Hampton for stealing his lunch. I was too proud of you to give a shit that you’d gotten suspended,” Chase recalled.
“So what’s Fred up to now?” Roman asked.
“Well, he’s not Fat Freddy anymore, that’s for sure,” Chase said.
“Well, good for him. Overweight’s unhealthy.”
“He followed in his old man’s footsteps. He’s got his own plumbing business. Everyone in town likes him and you started the trend.” Rick sucked down the last of his soda with a loud slurp.
Roman shrugged. “I can’t believe you two remembered that.”
“There’s other things I remember too,” Chase said, a combination of humor and seriousness in his big-brotherly gaze.
“Dinner, boys.” Izzy had arrived with their meals. The mouthwatering aromas of Norman’s burger and fries reminded Roman his stomach was empty. He snagged a fry before she’d had a chance to put the plate in front of him and popped it into his mouth. “My compliments to the chef. His staple items are the best.”
“Enough with the fancy words. Just make sure you finish what’s on your plate. That’s the only compliment Norman needs.” She said she’d be back with refills on the drinks, and disappeared once more.
“Now, where were we?” Chase asked.
Roman took a bite of his burger without waiting for Chase to finish with the ketchup. He chewed and swallowed.
“Discussing women.” Rick dove right in to the topic at hand.
“But looks like you’re in for another reunion first,” Chase said before any of them could offer another candidate.
Roman turned in his seat and saw a woman walking down the aisle of the restaurant, a vision in a tangerine-colored skirt and low-necked tank, with lustrous black hair falling past her shoulders.
A rush of familiarity hit him in the gut at the same time Rick leaned close and whispered in his ear.
“Charlotte Bronson.”
The moment Roman focused on her face, he knew Rick was right. The warmth spreading through him made sense now, he thought, studying her. Her body was no longer a girl’s but that of a woman—lush, full, and oh-so-tempting. Her porcelain skin was still as radiant, her smile as vibrant, as he remembered, and the tug of a full-fledged grin pulled at his mouth. She’d always made him smile just by being in a room, and that hadn’t changed. But she had. More cosmopolitan clothes and a more confident stride, she’d obviously grown into herself.
His high school crush had become one hell of a beautiful woman. His mouth grew dry and beneath the table, he had one hell of an erection he’d never be able to hide. This woman always had the damnedest effect on him, Roman thought, and his pulse kicked into high gear as he waited for her to stop at his table.
All the while, Rick muttered in his ear, reminding Roman of why he’d hated having big brothers. “Five, four, three, two . . .”
And just when she’d have to stop and acknowledge him, she cut a sharp right turn and headed for the table where Beth had settled in to wait.
He groaned and turned back to face the firing squad he called his siblings.
“Looks like she’s going to make you work for it, little brother.”
Hadn’t she always?
Chase laughed. “Bet you’re not used to being ignored. It’s got to be hell on the ego.”
“Shut the hell up,” Roman muttered. He hadn’t forgotten that one night in high school. Though he’d always considered Charlotte the one that got away, he’d never forced the issue between them. It wasn’t that he was afraid of hard work or even another rejection. He’d always had the inclination to pursue her; he’d just never had the time.
Things had changed. Back for a prolonged stay, Roman was no longer content to let her deliberately ignore him. It was time to push the issue.