That night, after going to my house and packing, Idrove down the alley behind Darius’s house and used the remote for his garagehe gave me that morning.
But even after the door was completely up, I didn’t pull in.
Because the Charger was in the garage, and the Silverado wasparked in the spot beside it, open to the elements.
He gave his son and his woman his garage, and he was goingto get into a cold car tomorrow.
I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t get caught by one of hisneighbors sitting in my car in the alley sobbing, and I pulled in.
Since I’d gone gung ho, I opened the back door and heavedthe massive suitcase out of it.No need to waste a trip.
That big case didn’t fit in the trunk with all my bags andthe other suitcases.
Luckily, it had rollers, but still.I had some steps to getup, which wasn’t easy.
I made it to the back door, entered a mudroom/laundry roomthat looked like an advertisement for Crate and Barrel, and then Darius wasthere.
He looked to the huge-ass suitcase, to me, the suitcase,back to me.
“Jesus, babe,” he said, lips twitching.
“There’s more in the car.”
That’s when he started chuckling, and the light that hit hiseyes was humor, for sure, it was also something else that I loved with everyfiber of my being.
He then shouted, “Liam!Get your mom’s shit from the car!”
“On it!”Liam shouted from the bowels of the house.
Darius strong-armed me away from my suitcase and rolled itin.
I followed him into the kitchen then into the living roomand stopped there to get a kiss on the cheek from my kid and a “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, honey.”
He kept going.
Darius left the suitcase at the foot of the stairs and cameback to me.
“How much is out there?”he asked.
“You might want to help him.”
That look in his eyes came back, he wrapped a hand aroundthe side of my neck, and he kissed me.
It was wet, and it was thorough, but it was far too short.
“A red is breathing for you in the kitchen,” he murmuredwhen he was done with my mouth.
“Okeydokey.”I was breathing too (I still wasn’t over thekiss).
He shook his head, gave my neck a squeeze and took off.
I went to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine.
I was taking my second sip (I really needed to tour thecellar, last night’s wine was excellent, tonight’s was superb) when my two boyscame back.
“Jeez, Mom, did you leave anything at Nordstrom?”Liamasked.
