A smile played around Audrey’s mouth. “Yeah, you have a point.”
The women shared a smile and a moment of quiet reflection before resuming the conversation. Simona enjoyed the camaraderie she was building with these women. Her cell phone rang and she answered, still smiling.
“Hey, Simona.”
“Hey, Eve.”
“Sorry to bother you, but I thought you’d want to know that Yasmine is running a fever and she’s not keeping any food down. A couple of hours ago her temperature was one hundred and two point seven. I gave her the Tylenol, and she promptly threw it back up. I tried the Pedialyte, and she’s not keeping that down, either.”
Panic arose in Simona. “What’s her temperature now?”
“It’s almost a hundred and four, and she’s pretty listless, poor thing.”
She was on her feet. “Try a cool bath, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She disconnected and took in the concerned gazes of the other women. “I’m sorry. I have an emergency and I have to leave.”
They all stood and Janae said, “Is there anything we can do?” When Simona shook her head, she said, “Okay, but make sure you let us know that everything is all right.”
“I will.” She caught Donovan’s gaze. Evidently he knew something was wrong because he was up and striding across the yard.
Time had run out. She should have told him about Yasmine. This wasn’t the way she wanted him to find out, and now she didn’t have a choice. She could only pray that he would understand.
Chapter 10
Donovan half listened to Terrence as he stole glances at Simona sitting across the yard talking with Janae, Karen and Audrey. She fit in well, if all the laughter was an indication. But then, with her personality, he’d known she would. The other thing he was starting to realize was that she fit well with him, too. As much as he wanted to keep her at a distance, he couldn’t.
“Donovan, are you listening?” Terrence asked.
“What?”
Damian and Brad laughed.
Terrence shook his head. “Man, can you stop staring at your woman for five minutes? I said I’ll be in the office a couple of days next week and wanted to know if you’re going to Chicago with Kaleidoscope next weekend.”
“I hadn’t planned on it, since you’ve been out. Are you going to be back by then?”
“I don’t know. Don’t forget I have to do the music class.”
“Oh, yeah.” His attention shifted back to Simona.
“Donovan, maybe you should just go over there. Obviously, we’re not interesting enough,” Damian said.
Terrence chuckled. “Looks like you’re gonna be the next to fall, D. Simona seems really nice.”
“She is,” Donovan said absently.
“Take it from a group of happily married men—don’t let a good woman get away.”
Brad and Damian lifted their cups in mock salute.
“Tell it!”
“Preach, brother!”
Suddenly, Simona shot up off her chair with a cell phone to her ear, preempting anything Donovan planned to say. Her panic-stricken gaze propelled him to his feet and across the yard in a few strides. “What’s the matter, baby?”
“I...I have to go. My neighbor called and...there’s an emergency.”
“Is it your house?” She shook her head quickly. “What is it?”
“It’s my...it’s...” She swiped at the tears filling her eyes.
Donovan’s heart nearly stopped. He gathered her in his arms. “It’s okay. Let’s go.” They said their goodbyes and rushed to his car.
“We should be there in about thirty minutes,” she was saying on the phone as they drove out of the gates.
Throughout the drive, she didn’t talk, but he caught glimpses of her wiping her face. She hadn’t told him what was going on, and all kinds of scenarios crossed his mind. Every time he tried to ask her, the tears would start, so he stopped asking. By the time he made it to her house, his nerves were stretched tight. She practically jumped out of the car before he could put it in park. He climbed out and quickly caught up with her.
The sight that greeted him when she opened the door rendered him mute. A tall, attractive woman emerged carrying a baby girl who resembled Simona and who looked to be less than a year old. His heart lurched, and his gut clenched. She has a baby? Why didn’t she tell me? His mind was bombarded with a thousand and one questions.