The Fall of Rome (32 page)

“Paris okay?” Rome asked.

He grinned. “Come on in here and ask her yourself. While you’re at it, you can meet my daughter.”

“Another girl,” Zach complained as he barreled down the stairs, Zoe on his heels. They threw themselves into Athens’s arms. “Papa!”

Family
, Rome thought, his heart full. He leaned in and kissed Kat’s temple just as a dark-haired girl came loping down the stairs.
Frankie
. She looked like Kat. Exactly like Kat. Long, dark curls; big brown eyes. That impish smile.

His heart thudded in his chest when she cried out, “Auntie!” and raced into Kat’s arms.

“I found us a family, Auntie! Can we keep them?”

“Oh, sweetie.” Kat hugged her close, kissed her head. She blew out a breath, then gazed up at Rome with tears in her eyes. “There’s someone I want you to meet, Frankie.”

“We’ll be in with Paris,” London said, and suddenly it was just Rome alone with mother and daughter.

Pulse galloping, he stooped down to eye level with Frankie. He didn’t see Brady or any of himself in her, but she was his alright. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

She studied him with her big brown eyes. “Are you my Uncle Rome? Uncle Boston told me all about you. Said you’re something special.”

Rome swallowed a lump in his throat. “He did, did he?”

“He said you need a life, and he’s thinking I could give you one.”

Rome grinned and scratched his forehead. “
How
old are you?”

“Five and a half.”

“Going on ten,” Kat said, voice shaky, but amused.

He reached out and touched the little girl’s arm, his heart skipping when she didn’t pull away. “Frankie, I love this pretty lady.” He glanced at Kat, his heart, he hoped, in his eyes, then looked back to her mirror image.

The girl smiled. “Me, too. I want us to live together like a family.”

“So do I,” whispered Kat.

Rome caressed his wife’s cheek. “So do I.” He blew out a nervous breath. “Frankie, sweetie, I asked Kat to be my wife. I’d like you to be my daughter. How do you feel about that?”

She worried her lower lip, thinking it over, and Rome was pretty sure he’d stopped breathing.

“Do I get to call you Papa?”

Oh, Christ. He blinked back tears. “Sure do. And that makes your auntie your mama.”

She smiled and slammed her tiny fist in her palm. “Oh, boy! Wait’ll I tell Zach and Zoe.” She raced off, then raced back. “I forgot to give you a hug, Papa. Uncle London said you need lots of hugs.”

Tears in his eyes, Rome swooped up his little girl, his mind racing on all he was going to do for her to make up for lost time. He hugged her something fierce, and she hugged him back. When he finally set her on her feet, she skipped off to find her cousins.

Fame and glory couldn’t compare to what he felt for Kat and the spunky kid who’d just called him
Papa
. His wife grasped his hand, and something inside of him cracked. “Did you hear that?” he asked, thumbing her wedding ring. “That was the sound of me falling.”

“For Frankie?”

Grateful for second chances and heavenly pacts, Rome kissed the woman who’d roped his heart twice and forever. They’d gambled on love and won. “For the three of us.”