Tall, Dark_.Westmoreland! - Brenda Jackson [42]
For the first time in years, she thought about the woman who had given birth to her. The woman had walked out of her, her father’s and her brothers’ lives without looking back. When Duan had gotten old enough, he had tried contacting her, to satisfy his need to know why Susan Jeffries’s maternal instincts had never driven her to stay in contact with the three kids she had left behind. Instead of finding a woman who regretted what she had done, he had found a selfish individual who had been married four times and had never given birth to another child. Instead, she had been living life in the fast lane and was the mistress of a race-car driver, apparently working on hubby number five. That had been six years ago. There was no telling what number she was on now.
The more Olivia thought about her mother, the more depressed she became, and she found that even painting couldn’t soothe her troubled mind. It was strange that the happiest of her days were those she’d spent with Reggie. Not just sharing a bed with him, but sharing a bit of herself like she’d never shared with a man before. They would talk in between their lovemaking. Pillow talk. She felt so good around him.
A child’s laughter caught her attention, and she glanced across the pond to see a mother interacting with a child that appeared to be about three, the same age she’d been when her mother left. The woman seemed to be having fun, and the exuberance on the face of the little girl left no doubt that she, too, was having the time of her life. That’s what real mothers did. They put smiles on their children’s faces, not sad frowns that lasted a lifetime.
Aware that she had begun thinking of her poor excuse for a mother again, she shifted her thoughts back to Reggie. She would love to see him now, be held by him and kissed by him. It was hard to believe that they had met less than a week ago, but since then they had shared so much.
Half an hour later she was still sitting on the park bench, thinking about Reggie. They had spent most of yesterday together. Would he want to see her today? Would he meet her somewhere if she were to call, just to hold her in his arms and do nothing more?
Olivia swallowed. There was only one way to find out. She took her cell phone out of her bag and dialed his number.
“Hello. This is Reggie Westmoreland.”
The sound of his sexy voice oozed all over her. “Hi. This is Olivia. I didn’t want to call you, but I didn’t have anyone else to call.”
“Olivia, what’s wrong?”
She swiped at a tear. “Nothing really. I just need to be held.”
“Where are you?”
“At a park. I came here to paint and—”
“What’s the name of the park?”
“Cypress Park.”
“I know where it’s located. I’m on my way.”
“No, it’s out in the open. Is there a place near here where we can meet?” she asked.
There was a pause, and then he said, “Yes, in fact, there is. My cousin Delaney and her husband, Jamal, own a town house a few blocks away. It’s on Commonwealth Boulevard. Delaney’s Square.”
“A town house just for her?” Olivia asked.
“Jamal was the first tenant and decided to buy out the others so he, Delaney and the kids could have their privacy whenever they came to town. I have a key to check on things when they’re not here. Go there now, sweetheart. I’ll be waiting.”
Olivia recognized Reggie’s car parked in front of a massive group of elegant buildings, all town-homes, around ten of them, on a beautiful landscaped property.
She strolled up the walkway to the center building; her pulse rate increased with every step she took. When she reached the front door, she glanced around. She lifted her hand to knock on the door, but before her knuckles