Spontaneous - Brenda Jackson [49]
But still, he knew he had to tell her. She deserved to know. She had every right to know. “Landon spent most of the day surfing the Net and got some information on Villarosas that he figured we should know.”
She lifted a brow. “What kind of information?”
“About twenty years ago, Villarosas and his girlfriend at the time had had a number of disorderly peace citations when their arguments got out of hand.”
“And?”
Of course she’d know there was more, Duan thought. “And according to the woman, he has a tendency to display a jealous streak on occasion.”
Concern flashed in her eyes and she made a move to get off the bed, but he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Hey, that’s the woman’s side of things. Her accusations. No charges were ever filed against Villarosas and he never physically touched the woman. They just caused a lot of ruckus that got on their neighbors’ nerves. Who knows, the girlfriend might have given him a reason to be jealous. Some women do that sort of thing to get their man’s attention.”
It took a while for what he’d said to sink in and then she asked, “And you’re sure there were no charges of any type of abuse?”
He nodded. “Positive.”
She seemed to relax somewhat and he released her wrist. “My mother is probably the last person I should worry about when it comes to physical abuse. She swore my father was the last man who would ever touch her that way. While I was in college she and some of the ladies in the apartment complex where she was living got together and arranged for one of the police officers who patrolled the area to teach a self-defense class. She enjoyed it so much that when the class was over she took additional lessons at the junior college.”
He nodded, impressed. “How good is she?”
Kim shrugged. “She’s not a black belt, but she has a yellow belt.”
“Some women don’t have that.”
She smiled faintly. “I know, including me. While Mom was taking those classes, I was motivated to do the same, but I was away at college and studying all the time. Then later, my excuse was the long hours I was working at the hospital.”
Duan glanced over at the clock as he eased out of bed. It was past two in the morning. “I need to go into the bathroom to take care of this,” he said. “I’m sorry this happened, Kim. It’s a first for me, but I assure you I’m in good health. I take that seriously.”
She waved off his words. “No sweat, and rest assured that I’m in good health, as well. It was an accident. I don’t want you to lose sleep over it because I won’t. Like I told you, I’m on the Pill so I’m good.”
Duan nodded. He figured hearing that again should make him feel a whole lot better, but it didn’t. He turned and headed toward the bathroom thinking it would not have bothered him in the least if she hadn’t been on the Pill.
He pulled in a shaky breath, knowing why he felt that way. He had fallen in love with her.
KIM SAT AT THE TABLE in her mother’s kitchen and sipped her hot chocolate. Duan and Edward had left hours ago to go fishing and her mother was busy baking a cake for a sick member of the church. She was glad her mother was back to baking again. Spending time in the kitchen had always been one of Wynona’s favorite pastimes.
Three consecutive knocks sounded at the back door. “Come on in, Bennie—it’s open,” her mother called out.
When Mr. Bennie walked in, Kim immediately remembered what Duan had said a few days ago about the man having a thing for her mom. “Good morning, Mr. Bennie,” she greeted him.
He looked over in her direction and returned her smile. “Hey there, Sunshine,” he said, calling her by the name he’d given her years ago when she was a toddler. She was Sunshine and his daughter Valerie had been Sweet Pea. “Are you doing okay this morning?”
“Yes, sir, I’m fine. What do you have there?” she asked as he placed a huge basket on the kitchen counter.
“Vegetables for your mom from my garden,” he said