Roman (Cold Fury Hockey #7)(56)

“Hey, Brian,” I say cheerily into the phone as I move toward Roman to sit back down on his lap. He grabs on to my hips, helping me assume a position where I’m sideways, and wraps his arms around me again. He places his chin on my shoulder and listens to my end of the conversation.

“I’m thinking you should officially start calling me Dad now,” Brian says on the other end, and my entire body tightens. Roman can feel it, and I’m sure he senses the atmosphere has just changed all around me, which would explain my dizziness.

“The results are in?” I whisper into the phone, and at this, Roman angles his body and leans forward so he can see my face more clearly. My eyes lock with his and his eyebrows rise in question.

“There’s a 99.9 percent chance you are my daughter,” Brian says, and his voice is so happy—no, not happy, euphoric—that I can’t help the tears that start to sting my eyes.

I nod up and down to Roman and he gives me a sweet, knowing smile and hugs me tighter.

“Lexi?” Brian asks hesitantly.

“Yeah,” I say in a rough voice, and cough to clear it. “I’m here.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m good,” I assure Brian—no, my dad. “I mean…I knew deep in my heart you were my dad, but this…wow. It’s just so real now.”

“I love you, Lexi,” my dad says forcefully, breaking into my scattered thoughts.

And that’s when the tears come. Filling my eyes up and spilling right over the edge to slide down my face.

Roman squeezes me tighter and I’m barely able to whisper into the phone, “I love you too.”

Brian doesn’t say anything, but I can hear him take a quavering breath before letting it out slowly. I tilt my head to the side and wipe my tears on my shoulder.

“So,” Brian says, this voice under control…somewhat. “Gray suggested that we go out night after next to celebrate. Maybe even talk about how we reveal you to the world.”

My mind spins, but I already know taking off three nights in a row will be impossible. I just promised Roman I’d go to his game tomorrow. I’m spending tonight with him. Asking for the night after that is going to cause some grumbling.

“I’ll see if I can get off work,” I say hesitantly into the phone.

“Okay,” Brian responds cheerfully. “But if not, we’ll pick a night that’s good for all of us.”

“Okay,” I say. “But I promise I’ll try to get Friday night off.”

“I bet that’s a big singing night for you, huh?”

“Yeah,” I admit reluctantly. “My tips are really good on Friday nights.”

“Then what do you think about us coming to The Grind to hang out Friday night? Gray, Ryker, and you can even invite Roman. I’ll invite Georgia. We can listen to you sing and hang out a bit. Granted, we know you’re working, but still, at least we’ll all be together.”

“Really?” I ask in awe, the tears threatening to come again because I’m stunned at how quickly my family seems to have united.

“Really,” my dad assures me. “I’ll arrange it with Gray and Ryker. I’m sure Georgia will be on board. Hold on a second…”

I’m confused when my dad stops talking and I hear him have a muffled conversation. When he comes back on the line, he says, “Okay, Georgia says she’s in and she’ll cover your normal work in between singing so you can hang out with us.”

I blink in stunned surprise. “Georgia’s with you?”

“Well…yes,” Brian stammers. “I invited her over to dinner tonight.”

“At your house?” I ask, this time with a sly tone.

“Yes,” my dad grits out. “I’m an adult. I can have someone over if I want.”

I chuckle into the phone. “I’m glad…Dad. Georgia’s amazing and I’m happy for you.”

Brian coughs and says, “Okay…I’ve got to get going and make dinner for Georgia, but would you like to come sit in the owner’s box for tomorrow night’s game? That is, if you have tomorrow off from work.”

“Actually,” I tell him candidly, “Roman’s asked me to come and sit in his seats down near the ice.”

My dad chuckles into the phone, and in a sly tone says, “That boy’s hooked, isn’t he?”

I chuckle and cut my eyes to Roman, who has no clue what my dad just said. Then I smile as I say, “I think it goes both ways.”

“I’m glad, honey,” he murmurs. “Okay, I’m going to let you go. Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, Dad,” I murmur, not even stumbling over the word this time. “Talk tomorrow.”

The minute I hang up, I turn slowly so I’m facing Roman head-on. “I take it you got the gist of that.”

“Pretty much,” he says. “Brian is definitely your dad and he wants to go out to celebrate Friday night, but since you’re taking tonight off to be with me, and tomorrow night to see my game, you really can’t do Friday night too.”

“Pretty much,” I repeat to him, but then give him an easy, reassuring smile. “But they’re going to come to The Grind on Friday night and listen to me sing, and Georgia’s going to cover other stuff I do in between sets, so I’ll have time to hang. And Brian also invited you to come as well.”