“Love you, too,” Janessa whispered back in Tempest’s ear.
Tempest broke away from the hug and went to scoop Sydney up off the couch. “Let’s get the kids upstairs. Where are you going anyway?”
“Probably to the zoo and to grab a bite to eat.”
“The zoo?” Tempest started heading up the steps while Janessa picked Brendan up and followed her. “In that case, we better bundle the kids up better. It’s kind of chilly outside.”
“Okay,” Janessa agreed, grabbing a baseball cap and glove set off a coat tree before going upstairs.
Geren was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. “Did you change her mind?” he asked Tempest while Janessa was still out of earshot.
Tempest shook her head. “She’s going through with it.”
Geren sighed in dismay. “That’s too bad. I just hope Dvontè has changed.”
Tempest smacked her lips. “You and me both hope so.”
No sooner had Janessa made it to the top of the stairs with Brendan than the doorbell rang. The three adults just stared at each other, wondering who was going to answer.
“I’ll be in my study,” Geren said, stomping off down the hall and taking himself out of the equation. He had no interest in even laying eyes on Dvontè. Maybe in time they could become friends again, if Dvontè was planning on acting responsibly, but today was not the day for a reunion.
Tempest rolled her eyes at Janessa. “Well, don’t look at me. Give me Brendan, and I’ll take the babies in the living room.”
Janessa handed Brendan over to Tempest and then turned toward the door. She was so nervous at that point, her teeth were chattering. “Hello, Dvontè,” she blurted out, overwhelmed by both positive and negative memories of him the second she opened the door.
“Hey, Janessa.” Dvontè was equally apprehensive. He couldn’t help but grin when he noticed how much her appearance had changed. She had her hair pinned up in a bun and was wearing a pair of glasses that made her look sophisticated—a far cry from the hoochie he used to kick it with back in the day. “You look different.”
“Is that good or bad?” Janessa asked brazenly.
“It’s definitely a good thing!” Dvontè exclaimed. He was startled when Tempest suddenly appeared behind her, looking him up and down. He knew he was hardly her favorite person. “Hello, Tempest!”
“Hey,” Tempest said nastily. “Janessa, you need me to do anything else? If not, I’m going to go in the kitchen and start on the dishes.”
“No, I’m fine,” Janessa replied.
Tempest wasted no time hauling ass in the other direction. She wasn’t quite ready to deal with Dvontè either.
Dvontè followed Janessa into the living room and almost succumbed to tears when he noticed the babies sitting on the couch. The little boy in the baseball cap looked just like him. It was almost as if he had spit him out. He instantly knew there was no denying the child was his.
He went over and picked Brendan up off the couch. “Can I hold him?” he inquired, having already gathered him up into his arms.
“Sure, you can carry him to the car,” Janessa replied, picking Sydney up. “We better get a move on if we want to visit the monkey and reptile houses. They close the animal buildings earlier than the rest of the zoo.”
“Great! Let’s hit the road then!” Dvontè exclaimed, beginning to feel a little like a parent after about thirty seconds. He was excited about spending time with his child. He was also hoping to talk Janessa into giving him another chance. Much to his own surprise, he was ready to become a committed and responsible man. “Maybe after we leave the zoo, we can take a ride out to Virginia.”
“Sounds like a winner,” Janessa replied, prodding him toward the door. She was trying to get him out of the house before Geren became overwhelmed by the mere thought of him being there and confronted him.
Tempest watched from the kitchen window as Janessa and Dvontè strapped the infant seats into his car and put the double stroller in the trunk. She couldn’t help but notice the huge grin on Janessa’s face as they pulled off down the street. Maybe there was a chance for things to work out for Janessa and Dvontè after all. “Stranger things have happened,” Tempest whispered to herself, picking up another breakfast plate to wash.
Geren walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the glass-topped table. He picked up the newspaper and pretended to be reading, but his eyes
were really glued to Tempest’s ass. The way it swayed back and forth while she scrubbed the pots and pans gave him an instant hard-on.
“I think it’s great that Dvontè is showing some interest in the baby,” Tempest said with a grin. She couldn’t help but carry an ounce of hope that Janessa and Dvontè would work things out. “You know, everyone might end up having a happy ending after all.”
“I wouldn’t read too much into it if I were you, darling,” Geren replied. “Dvontè still has a whole lot of growing up to do.”
Tempest turned the faucet off and swung around to face him. “Why are you always so hard on Dvontè? It took a lot of ego swallowing for him to even show up here. At least he’s trying.”