The Pick Up Wife (6 page)

He sat back, his brows lifting. “But I thought…” He shook his head. “I guess it doesn’t matter what I think.” He held out the envelope.

“This is yours.”

She snatched the paper from his outstretched fingers. “An envelope?”

“A peace offering.”

Great, just great, as if the flowers and sex weren’t enough. She opened the flap and out tumbled a plastic card. She turned it over then looked at him for an explanation. “Okay. This isn’t mine.” She held the card out to him.

He nodded. “Yes, it is. On the advice of my lawyer and accountant, I opened an account. The 10

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money you returned has been held in trust. That is your account. Your money.”

She pursed her lips. “I told you I don’t want–

”

“Would you even care to know the balance?”

Shaking her head, she slipped the card inside the envelope and laid it on the table. He just didn’t get that she didn’t want him to take care of her. She was fine without him. “Thanks, but no thanks.” She glanced at her watch. “I really need to leave now. A plumber is due at my house in thirty minutes.”

Ignoring the disappointment on his face, she moved toward the door.

“Let me help.”

She spun on her heel only to find him mere inches from her. Somehow he’d moved without her 10

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hearing…again. She lifted her gaze from his bare chest to his face. A frown adorned his delectable mouth.

“How else am I supposed to get you to trust me if you won’t let me do anything?” His gaze roved over her face. “I understand I really hurt you, but I know you have feelings for me or you wouldn’t be here.”

She lowered her head, hating he was right.

But there was so much she had yet to tell him. If they were going to have any type of amicable relationship, she needed to tell him about the twins…before someone else did.

“Fine.” She reached in her purse, pulled out pen and paper, and scribbled her address on the page. “Be there in an hour. I need you to meet 10

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someone.” Before he could answer she slipped out the door.

****

What had she done? She hadn’t even prepared the kids for Leo’s arrival. Symmone walked through the house wiping imaginary dust from shelves and tables. The plumber had long since left and the bathroom was functional. When she arrived home to tell Melvin what transpired, she found a note saying he’d taken the kids to breakfast and hinted at her getting some rest after her date.

She sank onto the sofa. He didn’t know the half of it. She had no idea what time they would be back, and Leo was due any minute. What would he say when she told him? Her pulse pounded. What would he do? She sprang to her feet; she couldn’t 10

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sit still any longer. Maybe some sunshine would calm her nerves.

The sun bounced its blissful rays on the sidewalk and the few children brave enough to use their imaginations. Symmone sat on the front stoop watching a small group of girls take turns twirling the ends of a jump rope. A smile touched her lips.

If Jewel was home, she would be out playing right along with them. At the hollow bounce of a ball, Symmone swung her glance in the other direction.

Two boys tossed a ball back and forth. Other than that the street was quiet, but it was early yet. By midafternoon the pavement would be crowded with kids riding their bikes or drawing on the sidewalks with chalk.

The purr of a big engine dragged her attention to the driveway, and her heart skipped a 10

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beat. Leo waved from the front seat of his Mercedes SUV and she smiled in greeting. The kids still weren’t back. Silence filled the air and she stood, dusting off her butt. She smoothed a trembling hand along the front of her khaki shorts before tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

He pushed open the truck door and stepped out with a smile. For a second her heart pounded harder. She jammed her hands in her pockets to keep him from seeing how much they were shaking.

“You really need to get more than three hours of sleep.” The concern in his voice took some of the sting from his words.

She inclined her head. “I’ll have plenty of time to rest later.” She allowed her gaze to drift over him. He seemed to still prefer jeans and polo shirts. It was nice to see that hadn’t changed.

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“I brought you something.” He handed her a single red rose.

She went all gooey inside and couldn’t stop a wide grin from creasing her lips. “Thank you.”

He glanced around. “Cute little place.”

She shrugged. “Yeah. Did you, um, want to come in or we can sit out here for a bit?”

He studied her a moment. “Did things go okay with the plumber?”

She nodded and mounted the steps. Maybe it would be better to wait for Melvin and the kids inside. “Yes.” She held the door open for him and the screen banged close behind him.

“Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

He shrugged, just a casual ripple of his broad shoulders. “After this morning and right now you 11

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seem a little preoccupied. I was making sure you weren’t trying to figure out the best way to tell me no.”

She chuckled, but it did nothing to dispel the tight knot of anxiety lodged in the pit of her stomach. “I still plan to have dinner with you.” She moved further down the hall and the footsteps behind her paused. Without looking she knew what had drawn his attention. Pictures of LJ and Jewel hung along one wall.

“Melvin had kids? They’re cute. Although the girl looks just like you.”

Summoning a deep breath she turned to face Leo. He was inspecting the twins’ school photos.

“Um, no, he didn’t.”

Leo looked at her, brow furrowed. “How old are they?”

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The screen door banged open. “Mom! You gotta see this!” Jewel ran past, bumping Leo. “Oh, sorry,” she tossed over her shoulder before skidding to a halt in front of Symmone. Jewel held up a blue plastic bag. “Mel said you wouldn’t mind.

It’s the bracelet-making set I wanted, and LJ got

‘Phineas and Ferb’.”

The door banged again. LJ and Melvin walked in. “Oh,” Melvin said in greeting.

Symmone met Leo’s puzzled gaze and then watched realization bloom across his features. He clenched his jaw and her heart sank.

“How old are they?”

“Mom?” Jewel looked between the two adults.

Melvin surged forward. “Let’s give your mom and her guest a moment to talk.” He ushered the 11

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children toward the back of the house and the stairs, but not before LJ piped up.

“Is that our dad?” LJ said.

Melvin glanced at Symmone. “Um, your mom will explain everything.”

Symmone ran trembling fingers through her shoulder-length hair. “I sure will.” She stared after them, dreading the inevitable encounter with Leo.

Might as well get this over with. She inhaled a deep breath and waved a hand toward the living room.

“They’re nine,” she said once he sat down.

“And you’re their father.”

****

Leo sat only because his legs would no longer support him. When she’d asked him to come meet someone, children were not what he expected. He looked around the small living room, sparsely 11

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furnished, a six-drawer bureau in front of him, a small end table with a lamp on his left, and the sofa.

He was a father. He stared at his hands before pinning her with a scathing stare. Fury thinned his lips and clenched his jaw. “You never said a word.”

She shook her head.

He surged to his feet, advancing so fast her eyes widened as she stumbled backward. “Don’t you think that’s something I may have wanted to know?” he said, barely bridled anger in his voice.

“It was my intention.”

“You had nine years!”

She flinched at his outburst, but lifted her chin. “You handed me divorce papers. Do you remember that?”

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“You should’ve said something.”

“You didn’t want me!” she fairly shouted.

Her shoulders shook with each ragged breath she drew. Tears glistened in her soft brown eyes. “Why would I think you wanted them? Especially when I didn’t fit into your career plans.” She presented him her back.

He stared at her. That one day was firmly etched in his brain. She had been excited when she came home, but making a clean break was more important to him than hearing how she’d aced a test. But it wasn’t a school test she’d passed.

Anger dissipated from his body, and his shoulders sagged.

When she needed him most he’d walked out on her. Didn’t listen to any of her tearful pleas, just took his clothes and left. He looked around the 11

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room again. She’d done well for herself. This wasn’t the life he’d envisioned for her, but standing in her living room he had no doubt love prevailed. She’d made a home for her and their children…and then it clicked: her earlier statement about leaving her life.

He wouldn’t do that to her; he wouldn’t ask her to uproot and start over. It was then his eyes fell on the framed photo next to the television. A lump lodged in his throat. After all these years she’d kept the drawing? A plan formulated. Making partner no longer held the same appeal, not when he was faced with family. One he’d never known existed until today. Now more than ever he was determined to make Symmone his wife again.

“I want to meet them,” he said quietly.

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She whirled, defiance and caution in her eyes. “There’s no turning back,” she warned him.

“You can’t decide a day or a week or months from now that you don’t want the responsibility of being their father.”

He held her gaze. “If you didn’t want me to meet them, why did you invite me here?” He seized her shoulders and drew her to him. “I want you and my children.” Absolute certainty stole through him and he released her as suddenly as he grabbed her.

“You need to understand that.” Reaching in his jeans pocket, he extracted the folded envelope from earlier. “Take this. From this point on you don’t refuse what I give you.”

For a long moment he didn’t think she would take the envelope. He read a flicker of emotion he couldn’t decipher before her hand closed over his.

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Her fingers were cool as they pulled the envelope away.

“Okay,” she said.

He regarded her a moment. “Now that we have that settled…you should’ve told me.”

She inhaled a shaky breath. “LJ and Jewel mean the world to me, Leo. They are the only reason I got through the divorce and am standing here right now.” She touched his sleeve, her eyes imploring him. “You’re right. I should’ve told you and would’ve if not for the car accident.”

He stroked her cheek. “I want a second chance. I need a second chance.”

She stepped away and his hand fell to his side. “Come on. I’ll take you to meet the kids.”

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Chapter Seven

Her knees wobbled so badly Symmone held to the handrail as she mounted the stairs. She wasn’t certain Leo believed what she said, but things were far from settled. They had so much more they needed to discuss. Like if he was going to fight for custody.

She paused at the top of the stairs. She didn’t want to lose her kids, and if she had to marry him again to keep them, she would.

“Leo, look, I know we never talked about starting a family…”

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His easy smile stilled her tumble of words. “I never gave you the opportunity.” He cradled her cheek. “I’m excited to know that I have twins, and I want to be a part of their lives.” He searched her eyes. “Do you hear me? I want to be a part of your life.”

She read sincerity in his tone and the knot in her chest loosened. “Okay.”

When she stood in the doorway of Jewel’s room, where Mel and the children were seated on the floor playing a board game, they looked up.

She hesitated. This wasn’t the way she’d envisioned introducing her children to their father, but life so rarely conformed to dreams.

“Hey, guys. I need you to come here a moment.” She waited until LJ and Jewel stood in front of her. She straightened their clothes. “I 12

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know I’ve never said anything about your father, but you do have one.”

LJ smiled. “It’s okay, Mom. Kenny Farmer’s parents are divorced too. Does this mean we get to spend weekends at his house?”

Symmone swallowed a gasp, while Mel smothered a chuckle.

Jewel stared up at Leo. “What took you so long?”

“Jewel!” Symmone admonished.

LJ furrowed his brow. “Were you in jail?

Danny’s Uncle Jay went to jail. The police came to his house and everything.”

Jewel tilted her head, her eyes wide. “Were you in jail? Did they have recess?”

This time Melvin did laugh, and Symmone turned her face, willing the heat in her cheeks to 12

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die down. This was her punishment for not telling her children anything about their dad. She peeked at Leo to find a flicker of amusement lighting his eyes.

“Oh, you two have your hands full. Such imaginations.” Melvin shoved the board game on the shelf with the others. “I’m going to let you straighten out your wayward offspring. I’ll be downstairs.” He clapped Leo on the shoulder as he passed. “Glad they let you out on good behavior.”

“Not helping,” Symmone said.

“What have you been telling our children about me, Symmone?” Leo said.

Her eyes widened as she stared at him in shock. “They never asked.” When he chuckled, some of the tension ebbed from her shoulders.

“Very funny.” She sank to the twin bed behind her.

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“Leo, this is Leo Jr., or LJ. And this is Jalisa.” The little girl wrinkled her nose. “But she’s always been Jewel.”

“You don’t like the name?” Leo said.

Jewel vehemently shook her head. “And my language arts teacher insists on calling everyone by their given names. No nicknames are allowed.”

Leo looked past Jewel to Symmone. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “You named her after my mother.”

Her gaze never left his face. “Your mother was very sweet to me, even after the divorce.”