Hogan glanced over at Kim. “Your mother would like to speak with you.”
Kim quickly moved forward to take the phone. “Yes, Mom, I’m glad it’s over and that you’re all right.” She actually felt her heart ache for her mother, especially when she heard the sobs in her mother’s voice.
Her eyes began getting teary, and Duan came forward and pulled her closer to his side when she said, “Yes, Mom, we want you to come home, too.”
FOUR HOURS LATER, Wynona was back home. Kim had hoped the family would not get wind of what had happened for a while, but when Edward’s arrest made the evening news everyone began calling.
Kim thought her mother a real trouper after enduring questioning by the Vegas, Shreveport and Atlanta police departments. Edward had been transported from Vegas straight to Atlanta. Wynona said he’d asked to see her and she had agreed, although it had been hard. He hadn’t denied the charges and instead had tried to get her to see why his wives deserved to die. Basically, he’d ended up confessing his crimes to her and the Vegas detectives.
Wynona returned to Shreveport on a law enforcement plane, had been given a sedative and was now resting comfortably. Kim had managed to keep the family members away and for once appreciated that they understood her mother’s need to rest.
She sat in the chair beside the bed watching her mother sleep. She had contacted the hospital to ask for an additional week off, knowing she would need to stay with her mother to help her through this traumatic episode.
She sighed. Wynona deserved a man to love, respect and cherish her. After Edward’s actions, she wondered if her mother would finally realize that you couldn’t seek your happiness in others—it had to first come from within.
That lesson was something that she herself would have to accept in the coming days. No matter what, she couldn’t let despair take hold of her at the thought that pretty soon she and Duan would be parting ways.
Once her mother woke up and they had a chance to talk, she would tell Wynona everything, including the fact that Duan was not her fiancé and that his sole purpose in being in Shreveport was to prove or disprove Edward’s guilt.
Duan and his associates had worked hard to do just that. And now with the two cases finally closed, there was nothing to keep him in Shreveport. She wondered if he planned to fly out with Landon first thing in the morning.
Kim fought back her tears, thinking no one had asked her to fall in love with Duan. Their relationship was never meant to be long-term. She had known that, yet she had allowed her heart to get involved in what should have been nothing more than red-hot sex. She could only blame herself for the outcome.
A warm pair of lips touched the side of her face and she didn’t have to look up to know that Duan was there. And then she felt strong arms lift her up and carry her out of the room.
She knew she had to pull herself together and not think of the man she was losing, since he’d never been hers anyway.
“I know you wanted to watch over your mother, but you don’t need to sleep in that chair, Kim,” Duan whispered against her forehead.
“And just where are you taking me?” she asked, cuddling deeper into his arms, knowing this would probably be the last time she would have a chance to do so.
“To one of the guest bedrooms. Then I’m leaving to go pack up our things at the hotel. I figure you’ll want to be close to your mom for a while, especially tonight. I’ll be flying out with Landon to Atlanta first thing in the morning to provide what information I have for the women’s families.”
Kim tried to keep her heart from breaking but it shattered into little pieces anyway. He wasn’t wasting any time putting distance between them. “I can go back to the hotel with you to help you pack things up and—”
“No, you need to stay here with your mom. She needs you.”
And I need you, she wanted to scream, but fought the urge to do so. More than anything she wanted to make love with him one final time, to release him from her heart and soul.
“Where is Landon?” she asked when she felt him gently place her on the bed.
“He left to go over to police headquarters and file our reports.” He stretched out beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms.
“Are you hungry, Kim? I prepared a pot of soup for you and your mom.”
She shook her head as she settled her body against his. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. Is Mr. Bennie still here?”
“No, he left, but I have a feeling he’ll be back. It wouldn’t surprise me if he makes his feelings for your mother known to her. He admitted to me that he’s been in love with her for a long time. At least three years now, but he was afraid to make his move, afraid she would turn him down as a suitor and then he would lose her as a friend.”
Kim hoped Mr. Bennie did let her mother know of his feelings. Wynona would need time to heal from Edward’s betrayal, but Kim was sure Mr. Bennie would give her all the time she needed.
“Kim?”
She looked up at Duan. “Yes?”
“Everything worked out, didn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yes, and I have you and your friends to thank for that. I don’t want to think about what could have happened if you hadn’t remembered Edward’s name. What if Mom had married him? He was a time bomb just waiting to go off. The man truly has a mental problem and I hope he gets the treatment he needs.”
“At least he’s out of your mother’s life, and with the love of you, her family and Mr. Bennie, I believe she’ll get over it.”
Kim nodded. She believed that, as well. She felt herself being pulled closer into Duan’s arms and then he leaned down and kissed her in a long, deep and devouring kiss. A part of her wished it could last forever, and that what was between them could last forever, as well, but she knew it wasn’t meant to be. He had his life and she had hers. She would pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.
He finally broke off the kiss and tucked her body against his, but not before his lips skimmed hers once more. When she yawned, he smiled. “You’re tired. Go on to sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow from Atlanta.”
Kim heard Duan say a few more words before the warmth of his body, the calmness of his voice and the tender kisses he was placing on her face compelled her to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. It was a good sleep. A restful sleep in the arms of the man she loved.
DUAN CONTINUED TO LIE there and hold Kim long after she had drifted off to sleep. More than anything he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Loving her and giving her every single thing she needed. But he knew that wasn’t possible. Her life was already mapped out the way she wanted it. The dream she’d given up before was within her reach. So it was just as well that they ended things now, on a good note.
The tightening around his heart couldn’t be helped. All he had to do was close his eyes and remember all the good times they’d shared. A part of him wanted to wake her up so they could make love one last time, but he knew that wouldn’t happen.
He eased from the bed and headed toward the door. But before he could get there he turned around. That same tightening had moved to his throat. He wondered if she would remember the words of love that he’d spoken as she’d drifted off to sleep. Probably not. It was for the best.
He forced himself to turn and walk out the room. And with every step he told himself that ending things this way was the right thing to do.
WHEN KIM AWAKENED hours later she glanced out the window to see it was dark outside and the house was quiet. The ceiling light in the hallway illuminated her luggage letting her know Duan had brought it from the hotel.
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 back and laughed. “Reggie actually knew before I did. We did the at-home pregnancy test a week ago, but the visit to the doctor today made it official. He was there with me when the doctor confirmed everything. Senator Reginald Westmoreland is definitely a happy man.”
Duan nodded as he sat on the edge of his desk. “What about Dad and Terrence?”
“Dad knows and of course he and Cathy are delighted to become grandparents. I haven’t told Terrence yet. I plan to call him and Sherri tonight.”
She glanced down at her watch. “I better go since I do have an appointment at three with an artist whose work we want to display.”
After his sister left, Duan wasn’t able to get back to work. He leaned back in his chair and stared out the window. It had rained earlier but now the sun was out. Everywhere flowers were blooming, typical for May.
It had been three weeks since he had left Shreveport, and although he had spoken to Kim twice since then, that hadn’t been enough. He knew her mother’s outlook on life was improving, and that Mr. Bennie had stated his intentions to Wynona. The two adults were taking things one day at a time as they moved from friends to a more serious relationship. Duan had sent a bouquet of flowers to Wynona last week for Mother’s Day, and she had called and left a message on his cell phone thanking him.
He knew Kim had told her mother and family the truth about their fake engagement. She had returned the ring to him a couple of weeks ago with a note thanking him for all he’d done. She’d also written that the family was so concerned about her mother’s well-being that they hadn’t dwelled on the fact that she’d lied to them.
The last time they talked he had told her that Villarosas had been charged in connection to his wives’ deaths and was waiting trial. Villarosas still wasn’t remorseful for what he’d done to his two wives and was trying to convince anyone who would listen that he had valid reasons for his actions.
When Duan had gotten the ring back he had stared at it remembering the exact moment he had placed it on Kim’s finger. He’d been tempted to send it back to her and tell her to keep it since it looked as if it belonged on her hand. He still might do so, but knowing Kim, she would only return it.
Thanks to information he pulled from Terrence, he knew Kim had returned to the Keys and was back at work. He also knew the main reason he wouldn’t be going to Sherri’s birthday party: he wasn’t ready to see her again. He wasn’t sure if he could look at her and pretend not to want her and love her. So he had made the decision not to make the trip to Key West next weekend, and as he had told Libby, he would call Terrence and explain things.
Deciding that now was as good a time as any, he reached over and picked up the phone.
KIM GLANCED AROUND when she walked into Club Hurricane. Terrence was expecting her. Sherri’s birthday party was coming up and he’d enlisted her help to make it special. The huge celebration would be held here at the club and Terrence had put her in charge of decorations.
“Hello, Ms. Cannon.” Debbie, one of the club’s hostesses, greeted her with a friendly smile on her face.
“Hi, Debbie. Is Terrence in? I believe he’s expecting me, although I never told him what time I could make it. Working E.R. makes that impossible.”
“Yes, I understand, and he said to send you right on up to his office whenever you arrived.”
“Thanks.” Kim headed into an elevator and leaned against the back panel. She checked her watch and saw it was a little past three in the afternoon. Since she had come straight from work she still wearing her nurse’s scrubs.
She allowed her thoughts to drift to a subject she’d been trying to avoid thinking about and failing miserably. Duan. It had been three weeks since she’d seen him, three weeks since he had held her in his arms and kissed her with a passion that only he could deliver. And there was not a single day that went by that she didn’t think of him and remember the time they’d spent together.
She had talked to him a few times when he’d called to see how she was doing and to check on her mother. But their conversations seemed rushed. He was afraid she would say something related to their time together and he hadn’t wanted that. She had accepted that what they’d shared had meant more to her than it had to him and she’d moved on. At least she was trying to. The only thing she still had to do was decide which medical sc
hool she wanted to attend in the fall since several more offers had come in.
And she had finally been able to move beyond the issues she’d had with her father, although she was taking things one step at a time. After hearing about what had happened to her mother after Edward’s arrest made national news, he had shown up in Shreveport while she was there.
Louis Cannon’s appearance had drastically improved since she’d last seen him, and she could tell he was trying to take control of his life. He’d shared with both her and her mother that he hadn’t taken a drink in over three years and was active in his church and had remarried. She was happy for him.
And she was also happy for her mother, who now had Mr. Bennie in her life. They, too, were taking things one step at a time. But Kim was convinced Mr. Bennie was the person her mother needed.
The elevator came to a stop and the door opened. Immediately, she could hear Terrence talking in a loud voice to someone on the speakerphone. She had taken a few steps toward his door when she recognized the voice of the person Terrence was conversing with. And when Terrence said her name, Kim stopped walking and listened.
“Hey, man, I hear what you’re saying but I think you’re wrong for not letting Kim know how you feel.”
“I couldn’t do that,” Duan said in a voice filled with anguish. “I couldn’t tell her that I love her so much I ache inside just thinking about her. She wants to go to med school. She’s always wanted to go and someone took that dream away from her once. I won’t be the one to take it away from her again.”
“She can still go to med school, Duan. That’s all I’m saying. When two people love each other, they can work through anything. The two of you can even have a long-distance relationship.”
“She tried that before with a guy and it didn’t work out so that’s not an option. Besides, I’m not even sure she feels the same way about me. Our time together may not have meant as much to her as it meant to me. She never gave me any indication that she loved me.”
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