Spontaneous - Brenda Jackson [37]
“Well, I’m just glad she finally got serious about a man. For a while, I was concerned about her.”
“Concerned?” he asked.
“Yes, concerned.”
Duan chuckled at the elderly woman’s words. “You were concerned that she hadn’t gotten serious about a man?”
“Yes, after all, she’s twenty-seven.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“In today’s society, if a woman her age doesn’t have a man, people start to think things,” Aunt Gert said.
“Is that why you sent her résumé to that television show—because you were concerned whether she even liked men?” he asked incredulously, having caught on to what Aunt Gert was insinuating.
She met his gaze. “Yes.”
At that moment he would have thought unkindly of the woman if he hadn’t seen all the love she felt for Kim radiating in her face. “Trust me, no one has to wonder about Kim. She’s all the woman any man would ever want or need.” And he knew all the way to the base of his groin that statement was true.
The woman’s face lit up in a smile. “I’m glad to hear it. And I like that ring you’ve put on her finger. It looks just like it belongs there.”
Duan couldn’t help but smile himself. “Yes, I think so, as well. So rest assured, Aunt Gert. My woman is doing just fine.”
He took a slow sip of his lemonade. My woman. His thoughts floated back to that morning. She had indeed been his woman. He hadn’t expected her to join him in the shower, but once she’d found out the little boy was recovering from the snake bite, she had. Together they had given the word steam a whole new meaning. One that made sensations stir from his chest to his groin just thinking about it.
His gaze sought Kim out across the room. Someone had placed a baby in her arms, one of her cousins’ babies, he assumed. She looked like a natural holding it, and then he recalled that she’d told him she wanted children one day, but didn’t intend to marry. He continued to look at her and doubted if his own mother had ever had such a look on her face while holding him, Terrence or Olivia.
“Well, I’ve consumed enough of your time, Duan. Wynona is hoping that everyone will hang around for dinner because she’s fixing a feast. I’ll go see if she needs help with anything in the kitchen.”
When she walked off, he felt someone looking at him and met Edward Villarosas’s gaze. He was standing with a group of men but his attention was on Duan. Deciding the man had avoided him long enough that day, Duan crossed the room when the men Edward had been talking to walked off.
“So, Edward, how are things going?” Duan asked.
Edward smoothed his hand over his bald head. “Fine.
I see that you’re fitting in rather nicely.”
Duan chuckled. “I’m trying to. Tell me,” he said, meeting Edward’s gaze, “was it easy for you?”
“To do what?”
“Fit in.”
“Oh, sure. Wynona has nice relatives.” Edward hesitated a moment then said, “So, you were a cop in Atlanta. I lived in Atlanta for a while. For ten years.”
Duan widened his eyes as if he were surprised by the statement. “That’s a long time. Why did you leave?”
Edward shrugged. “After my divorces there was nothing there for me anymore. I wanted a fresh start so I moved here.” After taking a sip of his lemonade he asked, “How long were you a cop?”
“Seven years,” Duan said.
“Were you always on the beat?” Edward asked.
Duan shook his head. “No, I made detective after my second year. After doing detective work for a number of years, I decided to get my own private investigative firm. I’m proud to say I’m doing well with it.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“What about you? What did you do for a living while in Atlanta?”
“I was a mechanic for a long time and had my own shop, mostly working on antique cars.”
“Really?” Duan said, as if he hadn’t known that fact. “What was the name of it?”
“Villarosas Auto Shop. It was located in College Park.”
The man glanced around