Spontaneous - Brenda Jackson [59]
She eased off the bed and left the room to go check on her mother. Wynona seemed to be in a peaceful sleep. Kim hoped that it was.
She left her mother’s room and went into the kitchen. Duan had used some of her mother’s fresh vegetables to make a soup and it smelled delicious. It was then that she saw the note he had scribbled and left on the counter.
Take care of yourself and Ms. Wynona.
Duan.
Kim swallowed the lump in her throat. This was his way of saying goodbye. He wasn’t coming back. She had dreamed that he’d held her and told her he loved her, but she knew it had only been a dream.
She glanced around the kitchen and was almost overwhelmed in misery, but fought it back. She needed all her strength and energy to get her mother through this. It wasn’t about her own heartbreak and pain; it was about her mother’s.
Kim knew she was a fighter. She had a great future looming ahead of her. Medical school was within her reach. She would continue her life just the way she had before Duan entered into it.
She would survive and she would pursue and achieve her dreams. A part of her hoped and prayed that doing so would be enough.
17
“DUAN? WHY AREN’T YOU going to Sherri’s birthday party in the Keys next weekend?”
For a long time Duan didn’t say anything. He just stared across his office at his sister, wishing he could ignore the question. But he knew Olivia well enough to know she would hound him until he came up with what she considered a good answer. Married life had definitely made her bossier.
“I’m working on a case that requires my full concentration, Libby,” he said, knowing that wasn’t true. The case he was working on wasn’t going to be that difficult to solve. What was difficult was giving it his full concentration.
“And before you ask, the answer is no,” he said. “I haven’t told Terrence I won’t be coming, but I will. In fact I plan to call him later today.”
He knew Libby’s concern. As kids growing up they’d always shared their birthdays together and had made them special. Even when Libby lived in Paris, it was easy to do since she came home for the holidays and her birthday was two days before Christmas. And since Sherri, Reggie and Cathy were now official members of the Jeffries family, it was expected that everyone be present for their birthday celebrations, as well.
His sister crossed the room and placed her hands on his desk, looking directly into his eyes. “A difficult case has never stopped you before, Duan, so what’s going on?”
He forced himself to maintain a pleasant expression. Otherwise, his sister, who didn’t miss much when it came to her brothers, would see the pain lurking deep in his eyes. “Nothing’s going on,” he said, picking up a folder and making a pretense of browsing through it. “You sure?”
He met her gaze again. “Yes, I’m sure.” He glanced at his watch. “I thought you said you were on your lunch break.”
She smiled as she leaned back. “When you’re the boss, you can take a few liberties.”
Duan knew he couldn’t very well disagree with that. For a wedding gift, Reggie had purchased his wife an art gallery and a building to house it in a perfect location in Atlanta. Reggie had had the building remodeled to her specifications and Libby’s—Olivia had chosen the name—was doing extremely well.
“Besides, I had a doctor’s appointment.”
He raised a concerned brow. “You’re doing okay?”
She smiled. “Nothing eight months won’t cure. Reggie and I are having a baby.”
Duan blinked a few times to let her words fully sink in. A huge smile spread across his face and he pushed his chair back to stand. “Come here, sport.”
When she came around his desk he pulled her into his arms. His little sister was going to be a mother, and he knew without a doubt that she would do a better job at it than their own mother had done.
“I’m sure Reggie knows already,” he said, releasing her with a big grin. “Those damn Westmorelands believe in being fruitful and replenishing the Earth.”
Olivia threw her head