The beep of a horn interrupted his thoughts, and he rose.“It’s for me,” he said on the way to the door.
Natanya scrabbled off the sofa and followed him, but he scooped her up and walked her back to the seat.She clung to him, her eyes wide.“Daddy going away?”
“No, baby.I’m coming back.I’ll be outside.”He used the stuffed toy to tickle her tummy.“Soon come.”
She watched him leave, so to reassure her, he didn’t close the door.
Lizette waited at the sidewalk in a vibrant red minivan that fit her personality.She lowered the window and held out his wallet.“Hello again.”
“Thanks a lot, and sorry for the inconvenience.”He took it from her and offered a grateful smile, which she returned.
“Things happen,” she said, “You’re allowed.”
“See you on Monday.”He backed away with the fierce afternoon sun beating down on the back of his neck.
She waved, rolled the window up, and drove away.
Hand on his hip, he waited until the van disappeared around the corner before he returned to the living room.
Natanya held out the phone to him, and he understood why when he checked the screen.He unlocked it to read the full message from Christy.
Need to talk to you.Can you keep Natanya for the weekend?
Chapter 6
“Ithinkyourfriendmaybe a kidnapper.”Lizette adjusted the screen so she could see her brothers better.She’d initiated an online chat to find out more about Shomari, but of course, she couldn’t admit what she was doing.
Zack’s rich chuckle filled the air before he sat and dragged a hand over his beard.“Why would you say that?Mari is as straight as they come.”
“I happened to look at the phone at the same time a notification came in from someone asking to talk with her daughter.”
“And for that reason, you assume he’s a criminal?”Eli’s incredulous tone made her a wee bit ashamed, but she still needed a reasonable explanation.
“Did you stop to think he may have a child?”Zack asked, raising one eyebrow.
“Well, does he?”A sensation she didn’t care to name spread in her chest.If Shomari had kids …
“He told you that?”
“No.”She pulled her hair into the scrunchy on her wrist and settled more comfortably at her kitchen table.“Why are you even asking me that?”
“I think you should mind your business,” Eli said, laughing.
“Wait a minute, your silly twin is the one who brought up whether he’s a dad.”
“But you’re the one spying on people’s phones and reading their messages.”
Warmth spread from her chest into her neck, and she protested.“For your information, I didn’t do it deliberately.I was standing over him when his cell lit up.”
“If you say so, Little Bit.”
Eli and Zack chuckled, which she chose to ignore.Because she’d always followed them around and popped into their conversations when they didn’t expect it, they thought she was still interested in anything to do with them.
She stopped herself from shaking her head and pulled the laptop closer.“Anyway, Miss Whorms didn’t turn up today, so I left after speaking with Shomari.He had some ideas about adding to the curriculum, which is good, but I must say, his attitude could use some work.”
“Trust me, if you’d been through what he has, you’d be acting some kind of way, too.”Eli nodded like a professor who’d imparted invaluable information.
“I know if I ask what you’re talking about, I won’t get any answers, so I won’t bother.”
