Victoria smiled when she saw the caller was Christy. Other than a text letting Victoria know she’d gotten back to Houston, due to their busy schedules, she and Christy hadn’t communicated since then.
“Hello,” she greeted Christy.
“Hello to you, too. I heard you got some fishing time in today. Your dad sent everyone the photo. That fish was a big one.”
“Yes, and I plan to cook it tomorrow. I can’t wait for Roman to taste it and—”
“Roman? Roman Malone? My godbrother? RJ?”
Victoria chuckled. “Yes, that Roman Malone, your godbrother. I ran in to him at the television station when he appeared on one of the morning shows. He barely remembered me, but, of course, he knew my brothers and cousins. Anyway, he mentioned he was taking a month-long vacation in Catalina Cove. I told him that’s where I lived.”
“The two of you decided to spend some time together while he was there?” Christy asked.
“No. Even though Catalina Cove is a small town, I hadn’t even thought about running in to him. But I did last night. We were dining at the same restaurant on the pier. It was packed so we shared a table.”
She took a sip of tea and then said, “I mentioned how much I like to fish and he invited me to go out with him on his boat. He’s living on a yacht while he’s here and it’s a beauty.”
“Good for him. Mom and Dad have been worried about RJ. He hadn’t slowed down since winning that election in November. I know Dad called him a few times to stress that he needed to take time for himself. I’m glad he’s doing that, and he loves fishing.”
“I’m the one who caught the big one today, but Roman didn’t do so bad. We had fun,” Victoria said.
“Sounds like it. Have you heard from Tanner?” Christy asked.
“No. I’m trying not to think about him, but it’s disappointing that he hasn’t called for that rain check and it’s been well over a week.”
“Well, I might know the reason. Some of the male cousins dropped by today to watch the preseason football game with Alex. I overheard Blade mention that he believes Tanner is the man Mama Laverne has chosen for you. That got some of them, especially your brothers, pretty pissed off since they all know Tanner’s reputation with women.”
Victoria rolled her eyes. “Like they didn’t have a reputation before they settled down...or still have one now.”
“Yes,” Christy said, laughing. “Anyway, Blade assured them he had taken care of it.”
Victoria lifted an eyebrow. “How?”
“By giving Tanner a heads-up on Mama Laverne’s shenanigans. Tanner isn’t ready to settle down and get married and told Blade that he refuses to be manipulated by anyone and intends to put as much distance between the two of you as possible.”
Victoria nervously nibbled on her bottom lip. “What does all this mean?”
“It means the men in our family can be so dense at times. Especially, if they think putting distance between you and Tanner will keep the inevitable from happening. They are dealing with Mama Laverne, who so far has outsmarted them all. I’d like to see how she outsmarts them this time.”
Victoria took another sip of tea. “What do you suggest I do? I’m not sure I want a guy who’s avoiding me like the plague.”
“If you recall, Nolan did the same thing to Ivy and look where it got him. In time, Tanner will come to heel. In the meantime, just enjoy life and don’t worry about it. Tanner can only avoid you for so long.”
Later that night, as Victoria was lying in bed, she thought about her conversation with Christy. Although she didn’t like it, she figured Tanner keeping his distance made sense. She knew she should be patient like her cousin suggested, since it wasn’t like she was in a hurry to give up her freedom and fall in love. It was just the thought of another man disappointing her. Karl had wanted her for all the wrong reasons, and Tanner didn’t want her for all the wrong reasons. Go figure.
Deciding not to lose any sleep over it, she finally closed her eyes and drifted off.
* * *
NOT ABLE TO SLEEP, Roman got out of bed and slid into his jeans. He grabbed a beer from the fridge then went to the top deck. The night air felt cool on his naked chest and the scent of the sea was strong. The one thing he regretted was that the condo where he lived in DC was in Dupont Circle and not close to the water. For a man who’d grown up in a house with a lake in his backyard, that had taken some getting used to. That’s why every chance he got, he would cross the bridge to the National Harbor on the Potomac River, or take a drive into Maryland and rent a boat to enjoy the Chesapeake Bay. Today he had enjoyed his time in Catalina Cove even more than either of those places.
All because of Victoria.
He smiled when he remembered her happy dance around the boat before he’d snapped the picture of her and that fish she’d caught. He had laughed harder than he had in years. Seeing her happiness and excitement had been contagious. And to think, he had arrived in town determined not to be bothered by anyone. Now he was glad she had kept him company today. She had reminded him how it was to have fun.
He took a slug of his beer and admitted to himself that there was still an attraction between them. It was one he hadn’t been able to keep in check like he’d wanted to, but he figured with her being a beautiful woman such a thing couldn’t be helped. It was what it was, and he was glad she hadn’t brought up the topic of Tanner. For him, the man was out of sight and out of mind. He wondered if it was for her, as well.
Tomorrow they would dine together at her place. After returning to the pier, they had cleaned the fish together and she’d told him to get ready for an awesome meal. He was looking forward to it.
Roman had deliberately sent all his phone calls to voice mail as a way to monitor his incoming calls. There had been no calls from Mint since he’d arrived in Catalina Cove, so that was good. His friend was honoring his request not to be disturbed. However, Audria had been blowing up his phone like crazy. He’d finally listened to one of her numerous messages. She wanted to know where he was and why he hadn’t called. Roman wondered what part of the talk they’d had a few months ago she did not understand. There was never an “us” between them. He had made that clear, yet she’d used that word twice in her message.
Shaking his head, he looked back over the Gulf and thought that he could get used to this. A few days spent in the cove and he was spoiled. He didn’t want to imagine how things would be for him after a month. Then he would have to return to the rat race of politics in DC. He’d checked his news app every morning, and so far, no one was wondering where he’d taken off to. There had been positive comments about his television interview and that was all. It seemed both the tabloids and mainstream press were on good behavior.