The other women stifled their giggles as the teenagers quickly averted their gazes. One of them did the universal sign of circling her finger in the air near her head, signifying that Starr was crazy.
“Dag girl, you sound like me snapping at those kids,” Ava chimed in, snickering.
“Starr stop yelling at those kids,” Karen chastised. “I told them no.”
“As you should have. Who do they think they are waltzing back up in your life after the way they treated you?”
Making her hand into a T, Summer said, “Hold up. After all these years?”
Karen nodded her head. “Yup. After all these years.”
“Did you tell my brother?” Ava questioned.
“I sure did.”
“And what did he say?”
A tiny smile curved her lips as she remembered Dom’s reaction to the news. He had told her he loved her children and would do anything to protect them from harm, even if it was from their grandparents. “He pretty much forbid it.”
Ava lifted a perfectly arched brow, a crooked grin dancing across her lips. “Girl, you better watch out.”
“For what?” Karen was confused. What did she have to watch out for?
Karen, Ava and Starr looked at each other as if they knew a secret she didn’t know. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask them what was up, her sister interrupted her.
“Karen, the man is staking his claim on you and your children.”
Shaking her head, Karen didn’t believe them. Sure he was really good to the kids. He had even stepped into the role of surrogate father. He made her feel sexy and desirable even before they had made love. But staking a claim on her and her children…no.
“What are you shaking your head no for?” Ava asked. “Listen, I know my brother. I saw the way he was with you and the kids at Christmas. I’m not saying my brother is a dog or anything, but he didn’t stay tied down too long to any woman after what went down with him and that skank.” Ava’s lip curled into a snarl as she refused to say Gina’s name. “And for the record, Dom doesn’t get involved in people’s business unless it’s family. So if he’s acting all possessive over Ashley and Kyle, you best believe he’s serious about his relationship with you.”
Oh God, I hope everything Ava is saying is true, Karen prayed. She was crazy about Dom. No, she wasn’t just crazy about him, she was in love with him. And now that she had had a taste of what life could be like with him, she didn’t know if she could go back to existing without him. She also believed the same was true for Ashley and Kyle.
Karen offered her friends and sister a weak smile as they stared at her in anticipation of what she would say to Ava. “I guess,” she conceded as she changed the subject. “So Summer, when are you and Nick having another baby?”
Chapter 20
Patting the blindfold covering her eyes, Karen asked again for the fifth time, “Where are you taking me?”
Dom briefly cut his eyes to look over at Karen as he drove to their surprise destination. Such a shame she couldn’t see the Colgate smile he beamed at her. “Woman, be patient. How many times do I have to tell you it’s a surprise?”
Karen huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll ask as many times as I want to. For all I know you could be taking me somewhere to do a bunch of ungodly things to me.”
Dom’s laugh was deep and rich as they arrived to their destination and he parked the car. “Babe, I’ve already accomplished that.” He laughed even harder at Karen’s shocked gasp.
Karen had to laugh right along with Dom. She had to admit to herself that her reaction was rather on the dramatic side. “You are a dirty somebody, Dom. My mother warned me about boys like you.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t listen.” Dom jumped out of the car, escaping her blind swats.
He opened the car door and helped her out. Leading her to the sidewalk, he removed the blindfold.
“Thank goodness—”
Karen’s words died on her lips as she stared at Dom’s surprise. “Dom, it’s gorgeous!” she squealed, looking up at the brownstone in the Spring Garden section of the city. Karen had always wanted to live in brownstone. But Gregory would never go for purchasing one in the city. Living in a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of Philly was what he had wanted. And whenever Gregory wanted something, he got it.
Dom was touched by Karen’s excitement. Her eyes shone like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “You want to take a look around?”