“Donovan. Hi, it’s Simona. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Not at all. How are you?”
“I’m good. I was calling to let you know I’ll be available to go to the concert.”
He smiled. “Glad to hear it. Was it the dinner offer that put me over the top?”
Her throaty laughter came through the line. “No. And you don’t have to take me to dinner. The concert will be enough.”
“And if I want to take you to dinner, too?”
“I have some things to take care of earlier. What time does the concert start?”
“Eight. If you’re busy, we can save the dinner for another time.”
“That would be better, thanks. So...um...I’ll let you get back to doing whatever you were doing.”
“Driving.”
“What?”
“I’m driving.”
“Oh. Well, drive safely.”
“Always.”
“I’ll talk to you later. Good night.”
“Night.” Donovan disconnected and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He was still wary of opening himself up to another woman. But he didn’t plan to let that stop him from going after the woman he wanted. And he wanted Simona.
Chapter 6
Simona replaced the cordless phone on the table and released a deep sigh. Each time she talked to Donovan chipped away more at her resolve. She was drawn to this man despite her best efforts to stay away. There was no way she should have agreed to attend the concert with him, especially since she was trying to keep her life simple. But his sexy voice, laughter and considerate manner made it difficult to say no. He had even left her a message yesterday wishing her a good day. Then there was that kiss...whoa! The way he’d kissed her had every molecule in her body ready to wave the white flag and surrender.
The sound of giggling drew her out of her lustful thoughts. She glanced over to where Yasmine sat on the floor playing.
Simona slid off the couch and onto the floor next to her. “What are you giggling about?” Yasmine was such a happy baby. She rarely cried unless something was wrong. Simona considered herself lucky.
“Mamamama.” Yasmine turned, braced her arms on Simona’s thigh and pulled to standing. Giving Simona a wide grin, showing her eight teeth, she clapped her hands.
Simona clapped along and said, “Yay! You’re such a big girl.” Yasmine had been walking for only a few weeks, but was getting faster every day, and childproofing had taken on new meaning. Simona scooped her up just as the little girl made it across the room to the table and reached for the phone. “Oh, no you don’t,” Simona said with a laugh. “I’m not paying for any calls made to Africa or China.”
Yasmine’s squeals of delight filled Simona’s heart. She just wished her sister were here to share it.
Their laughter was interrupted when the phone rang. Simona paused, thinking Donovan was calling back. She picked up the phone, checked the display and smiled upon seeing her grandmother’s number.
“Hey, Nana.”
“Hi, Simona. Sorry I missed your call the other night. Prayer meeting and Bible study ran over.”
“It’s no problem.”
“I planned to call you back last night, but Deacon Mitchell asked me to dinner.”
“Oooh, go, Nana! You’ve got a boyfriend?” At seventy years old, Frances Walker still possessed the ability to turn the heads of men at least a decade younger. She exercised, danced and lived a full life.
Her grandmother giggled. “Hush, girl. No. We just went out for a nice dinner.”
“Uh-huh, tell me anything. I might have to make a trip up there to check him out.”
“He’s a nice man. Been widowed about ten years. We had a nice time. I’m not the only one going out on dates, from what I heard,” she added with a chuckle. “You need to find a nice young man.”
“You always say that.”
“And I’m always right. What’s his name, and where did you meet him?”
“His name is Donovan, and I met him at the hospital.” She told her grandmother what happened with the cart.
“Is he a cutie-pie?”
Simona shook her head. “Yes, Nana, he’s a cutie-pie.”
“Does he have a good job?”
“I guess so. He works in music management—in an office—but I’m still a little unsure about exactly what it is he does. And after Travis, I want to steer clear of anyone who might be popular.”