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“Is he married?” Adam asked.
“Almost.” Lizzie blushed. “I know he just got engaged because I occasionally Google his ass just to keep track of him.”
“Does he have other kids?”
“Not that I know of.” Lizzie ate another fry and then licked her lips. “Mmm . . . Bella is such a good cook.”
The thought of Lizzie contacting Ray, let alone talking to him, made Adam uncomfortable. He sternly reminded himself he had no right to feel like that, and that what Lizzie needed right now was for him to support her as a friend. She was perfectly capable of dealing with her own shit. It was hard to remain noncommittal when he wanted to snatch her up and growl at any other man who dared try to mess with her again.
“Henry’s going to contact him, so it’s not like I have to get involved. I bet Ray won’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“But if he wants to see Roman, you’re going to have to see him at some point,” Adam reminded her.
“I suppose so.” She grimaced. “The thing is, I have to deal with this. I want Roman to get to know the other side of his family, but on my terms. They don’t know him, and I’m not going to let him be scared or afraid. If I don’t turn up at the hearing, they’ll be doing all the arguing, and I’ll be on the back foot before we even start.”
It all sounded very reasonable but Adam still didn’t like it. He glanced up as the door into the bar opened, and Leanne came in with his father.
“Jeez, no,” Adam muttered.
“What’s up?” Lizzie turned around and spotted Leanne. “Do you want me to call them over?”
“No, thanks. I’m not into double dating with my folks.” He slid farther into the booth until he was against the wall, and Lizzie followed his example. “The other night, when I got home late? I caught them in bed together.”
Lizzie’s mouth formed a perfect O. “Like literally?”
“No, thank God, or I would’ve gone blind. Leanne was creeping out of Dad’s bedroom.”
“Maybe they’d just been chatting?” Lizzie said hopefully.
“Nope. They were way too flushed, happy, and handsy for that.” Adam shuddered.
“But doesn’t Leanne have a life and family back in New York?” Lizzie asked.
“So she says.”
“Then maybe it was just a fling for old times’ sake.”
Adam blinked hard. “Stop making it worse.”
“I think it’s nice.” Lizzie pushed her plate away and put her silverware neatly on top with her balled-up paper napkin.
“Nice?” Adam stared at her. “Lizzie, they fought so hard, they nearly burned the ranch down, they traumatized the entire family, and now they get to have sex and enjoy it?”
“You sound very judgmental, Adam.”
“I think I have a right to be. This is my parents we’re talking about.” He folded his arms over his chest.
“They are still human beings with needs.” She stared right back at him, her voice calm. “Maybe Leanne will decide to come back here for good.”
Adam almost choked on his beer.
“Nothing to say about that?” Lizzie asked.
He shook his head, still coughing.
“Okay, then let’s move on.” She drank the rest of her beer. “I’m going to check in on Ines and Carlos tomorrow after work. Yvonne’s made them at least twenty different dinners and I’m going to stock up their freezer.”
“I’ll be there tomorrow as well.” Adam finally found his voice again. “Maybe after you’re done, you’d like to come and have dinner up at the ranch with me.”
“With you and all your family?”
“Yeah.” He studied her apprehensive face. “Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s just like you’re making a public declaration of us being together.”
He reached over to take her hand. “We are together, right?”
She nodded, her smile returning until it blossomed into something that made his world so much brighter.
“There you are.”
Adam glanced over to his right and found that his father was standing right by the booth.
