Cherie had been expecting to see her period within days and breathed a sigh of relief when it came on schedule. They’d dodged a bullet, and because she didn’t want any more slipups, she’d driven into town to buy a supply of condoms to have on hand.
* * *
It was Super Bowl Sunday, and Leah and Kayana had come over early in the afternoon to begin preparing the menu for later that night. Cherie could not believe the amount of food Kayana had planned to serve. “Who’s going to eat all this stuff?” she asked.
Kayana smiled. “My man, Lee’s man, and your man, Cherie.”
“Why are you blushing when Kayana mentions your man, Cherie?” Leah asked.
“You know about that?” Cherie questioned.
Kayana continued to take items out of several large canvas bags. “Chile, please. Everyone on the island and half the folks on the mainland know about you and Reese. It was the same with me when I used to park my car at Graeme’s house. Nothing escapes these wannabe secret agents.”
Cherie sat on a stool and drew imaginary circles on the breakfast bar’s marble countertop. “When I mentioned it to him, he said it wasn’t a problem what folks say about him.”
Kayana met her eyes. “You have to remember that Reese is a grown-ass man who doesn’t have to answer to anyone about where he goes and what he does, and I feel sorry for anyone who broaches the subject with him, because I’m certain they’ll get an earful of something they don’t want to hear.”
“Do you like him?” Leah questioned.
“Stop it, Lee,” Kayana chastised her future sister-in-law. “If she didn’t like him, do you think he’d be spending nights at her house.”
“Days, nights, and afternoons,” Cherie quipped smiling, “and between his shifts.”
Kayana narrowed her eyes. “So, that’s why we rarely see him come into the café.”
“We’ve begun sharing meals together,” Cherie said.
“That’s not all they’re sharing,” Leah said under her breath.
“I heard that, Leah Kent soon-to-be Johnson.”
The redhead scrunched up her nose. “And I wanted you to hear it. I’m glad that you finally got over that loser you were mooning over for so many years and found someone that you don’t have to share with another woman. Maybe now you can think about what you want for your future.”
“And that is?” she asked Leah.
“A husband and children.”
“Have you two talked about marriage and or children?” Kayana questioned.
“Not directly.”
Kayana turned and stared at her. “What do you mean not directly?”
Cherie knew it was time to level with her friends, because she could always count on them to offer advice that forced her to consider another viewpoint. “The last time, we made love without using protection, and when I told him it was the wrong time of the month, he said we’d talk about it if I were to become pregnant; we could marry right away or wait until we decide if it is what we really want.”
Leah and Kayana stared at her. “What did you say?” Kayana asked.
“I told him I needed to think about it. He told me he wanted children when he was married, but his ex-wife didn’t. So I’m under the impression that he still wants them.”
“Do you think you are pregnant?” Leah asked in a quiet voice.
“No. I got my period yesterday.”
Leah came over and sat on the stool next to hers. “Did he tell you why his wife didn’t want children?”
Cherie shook her head. “No. He’s never opened up about his marriage, and not wanting to pry, I’ve never asked.”
“Is that because you don’t want him to pry into your past?” Leah questioned.
