“Good. Now that we’re done with work, where’s Janae and Nadia?”
“Janae was feeding her when I came down. Let me see if she’s done.” He got to his feet and went upstairs.
While he was gone, Donovan leaned back and closed his eyes. Thoughts of Simona drifted through his mind. It was after seven, so he assumed she was off work, unless she was working overtime as she had last Friday. How did she spend her weekends? What kinds of things did she like to do? He thought about how her beautiful smile and soft laughter made his heart beat a little faster. It had been a long while since a woman affected him in this way, and it surprised him just how much he wanted to see her again.
Donovan blew out a long breath. Maybe it was time for him to let his guard down some. For two long years he had resisted allowing a woman into his heart—he didn’t want to feel the pain of betrayal again. Back when Terrence was fighting his attraction to Janae, Donovan had accused his friend of punishing all women for the actions of one. But he was no better. He talked a good game, but this time his heart was on the line.
“Hi, Donovan.”
He opened his eyes and stood at the sound of Janae’s voice. “Hey, Janae. How’re you feeling?” he asked, kissing her cheek.
“Tired, of course,” she said with a laugh, “but I’m enjoying it. You look exhausted.”
“It’s been a hectic couple of weeks.”
“I can imagine. Well, I know you’re anxious to hold Nadia. I’m going to head back upstairs. I know you and Terrence have a lot to catch up on.” She carefully transferred the baby.
“I’ll walk you up, sweetheart,” Terrence said, placing his arm around her shoulders. “Will you be okay alone for a minute, Donovan?”
Donovan shot him a look. “Of course. Nadia and I need time to get acquainted, so don’t hurry back.”
Janae laughed as she and Terrence left the room.
Donovan cradled Nadia close to his heart and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Just like the first time he held her, a rush of emotions flooded him, along with a flashback of what should have been. Had his little one survived, he or she would be a year and a half now. He pushed down the painful memories and stared at the baby who had her eyes fixed on him.
“Hey, Nadia. I think you’ve gotten more beautiful since the last time I saw you. How are you liking this world so far?” She stretched and yawned. “That well, huh?” he said with a chuckle. “I know you’ve got great parents, but if you ever need anything, you can call me and Uncle Donovan will be right there, okay?” He sang quietly and rocked her slowly. After a moment, she closed her eyes. Donovan kept up the rocking motion while singing.
“I see you still got it,” Terrence said, coming up behind him. “I could use another session singer for the new project I’m working on.”
Donovan turned and snorted. “I don’t think so. I only did those background lyrics for the first two CDs because you were just starting out, and we were trying to save money. But since you’re all rich and famous now, you can hire somebody. I like my job just fine.” He cocked his head to the side. “You know, I don’t think I was ever paid for my services.”
Terrence laughed softly. “Whatever. Boy, you’ve been paid that and more.” He gestured to Donovan’s arm. “What happened?”
Donovan glanced down at his arm. He had an appointment to remove the stitches on Monday, and he couldn’t wait. The itching was driving him crazy. The burn was healing nicely and barely noticeable. “I got it caught on a coffee cart at the hospital while trying to keep it from falling last Friday night after I left you.” He gave Terrence the details about what happened.
“I’m guessing you went to the emergency room. That had to be a fun wait, especially on a Friday night.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have to wait.”
Terrence lifted a brow. “How did you manage that?”
“I bypassed all the waiting because of the nurse I kept from falling. She was really sweet.”
“Really? Did you get her name?”
“Yes, and we went out to dinner on Tuesday.”
Terrence smiled. “I see. It’s about time.”
“Shut up,” Donovan said, but he was smiling.
“Oh, hell naw. You were all up in my business when I was dating Janae. It’s payback, my brother. You’ve hardly dated since Rolanda.”
Donovan’s smile faded, and he reclaimed his seat on the couch, adjusting the baby in his arms.