A.J. was puzzled by the fierceness of Zach’s last word. “Why?”
“Remember the car I told ya that hit Baby Girl?”
A.J. nodded.
“Well, we believe it might have also hit another car driven by a young family. Nice, hardworking couple, too. Their daughter, Nicole Broussard, got the worst of it. When I got off duty, I stopped by the hospital to check on her and see if the parents could provide any information.” Zach hung his head sadly. “Brother-in-law, that baby’s hanging on by a thread.”
“Oh, man,” A.J. uttered sadly.
Neither A.J. nor Zach spoke for a long time. It was as if their professions had trained them to the harsh reality of death, each of them understanding the difficult fate from two different perspectives. A.J. had witnessed it time and again trying to save young patients’ lives. Zach, on the other hand, had become acquainted with it after he shot and killed an armed suspect in an effort to save his own life.
Zach sighed wearily. “It’s a shame innocent folks gotta have their lives turned upside down like this.”
A.J. shook his head, confused. “I’m not following you.”
“From what I’ve been able to gather, the parents were headed to the emergency room anyway because Nicole was having bad headaches and they wanted to get things checked out. On top of all of that, they’re like half the working folks in America—no health insurance.”
A.J. released a long sigh of regret and his thoughts drifted to Taylor and Tyler. As a parent, he knew the agony Nicole’s mother and father were going through. Just the thought of having to experience something even remotely similar with his own girls made his stomach plummet as if he’d taken a fifty-foot dive off a cliff.
Zach shook his head before running his hand down the front of his face. “The good guys got a raw deal, know what I’m saying? Ya got a young girl probably no mo’ than a year or two older than T-One and T-Two, and her life might be cut short because some bastard was driving through the streets like a bat out of hell. Y’all had some angels watching over ya the other night.”
A.J. made the sign of the cross. “Tell me something I don’t already know.” He lifted a bottle of Perrier to his lips. After a few moments, he glanced over at his brother-in-law. “Do you think offering a reward would help identify the person responsible?”
Zach shrugged. “Certainly won’t hurt. Somebody out there knows something, and money always seems to bring ’em out the woodwork and cause diarrhea of the mouth.” His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
For A.J., the answer to Zach’s question was simple. Someone hurt his woman and didn’t bother to stop and help her. That reason alone was enough, as far as he was concerned, to bring whoever was responsible to justice. Besides, from what Zach just told him about Nicole’s injuries, her life could very well end before it even began. “Put the word out that there’s a $250,000 reward for anyone with information that will help identify whoever is responsible.”
Zach nodded. Closing his eyes, he slid down in his chair and slipped his suspenders off his shoulders with one hand atop a full stomach. “Ya gonna tell Baby Girl about the reward?”
“Eventually.”
Zach opened one eye. “Brother-in-law, best not keep her in the dark too long.”
“I won’t.”
Zach closed the eye and chuckled. “Ray and Marcel told me about ya plan to quarantine Baby Girl.”
A.J. sighed softly. He’d learned years ago nothing was sacred with his family. If one of them, especially Moni, knew something, everyone would get wind of it before sundown. “You didn’t tell that wife of yours, did you?”
“Heck, naw,” Zach drawled as his eyes flew open. “You know once Moni gets information, it’s like giving it to the AP wire.”
“God, that’s the truth.”
Zach put up his hand. “Listen, don’t tell me nothin’ else. Don’t wanna accidentally up and say something that’ll get ya into trouble.”
A.J. chuckled. “You mean you talk in your sleep?”
Zach shook his head. “Listen, when a brother’s in a uh…compromising position, he’s likely to say anything.”
A.J. smiled; he knew exactly what Zach meant. He sighed with satisfaction because soon he planned to be in the same situation with Vic. He touched the tenderness in his left side. If he could just get his ribs to cooperate with him, he was good to go. He settled his gaze on the huge African painting on the wall in front of him and lifted the bottle of Perrier to his lips again.
“Brother-in-law, ya know Baby Girl told Caitlyn she’s relocating the first of August, right?”
“Don’t worry, Zach. The only relocating Honey will be doing is to this house.”
* * *
Vic pulled Baptiste’s BMW X5 into the garage at his home with Taylor and Tyler in tow after picking them up from school. Once she parked, she spotted a brand—new black BMW X5 off to the side. Why would he purchase another car? She had to put her query on hold because there were two demanding four-year-olds in the backseat asking her about dinner every two seconds.
* * *
Vic suspected Baptiste wasn’t being totally honest when he told her he was tired and needed a quick respite before his dinner. His usual humor had disappeared, and she couldn’t help noticing his sullenness. Once she got the girls settled down for the night, she figured if she brought his meal to him in bed, he’d feel better.
“Dinner,” she cheerfully announced, pushing the bedroom door forward with her hip as she maneuvered the dinner tray in front of her. Suddenly, she stopped. His expression was totally unreadable. “Baptiste, what’s wrong?”
A.J. adjusted two pillows at his back. “I talked with Zach this afternoon.”
“Is everything all right?”
“We discussed the night of the accident.”
Vic swallowed hard. “You did?”
“Umm-hmm.”
“Uh…what did Zach tell you?”
“Would you like to take a guess?”
The moment of truth caused her hands to shake and the dishes rattled on the tray. “Uh…take a guess at what?”
“Don’t play with me, woman.”
Vic sighed softly and opened her mouth to respond, but his next question silenced her.
“Exactly when were you planning to tell me that it was your car that hit me, Honey?”
“I-I was going to tell you, Baptiste, honest to God I was. I-I was just trying to let you get a little stronger, that’s all.”
A.J. patted the copper-colored silk comforter. “Come on over here. We’ve needed to talk since last Saturday anyway.”
Vic set the tray on the dresser. With the back of her hand, she swiped away the tears running down her cheeks. “No, we’ll talk later,” she said with her back to him. “You need to—”
“Eating can wait. Come on, Honey.”
With her hands hanging limply at her sides, she glanced over her shoulder.
He held open his arms. “Come, mon amour.”
“Baptiste, I’m so sorry,” she uttered faintly, her words catching on a soft sob the moment she placed her hand in his.
When she approached, he pulled her against his right side, the sheet dropping to his waist, exposing the wide expanse of his chest. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about,” he whispered softly, breathing the intoxicating scent of her fragrance and kissing her forehead. “It was an accident, and you don’t need to apologize.”
“It’s my fault,” Vic cried out. “If I hadn’t told you about Ron that night, you wouldn’t have gotten on your motorcycle—”
A.J. covered her mouth with a tender kiss, silencing her explanation, which as far as he was concerned wasn’t needed. Afterward, he lifted his head and stared into her eyes, which were shimmering with tears. “Finally.”
“What?”
“I’ve found a way to keep that mouth of yours closed for a minute,” he teased.
With her head resting on his right shoulder, she brushed the wetness from her face. “Why were
you driving your motorcycle the night of the accident?”
“Whenever I’m upset about something, I usually hop on my bike to help clear my head. Besides, I could get to you faster on it than in my car.”
Vic sniffed. “Did Zach tell you a young girl was critically injured, too?”
“Yes,” he answered softly, “he did.”
“I’m going to try and stop by soon and check on her.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“Baptiste, you’re not mad at me for hitting you, are you?”
He hugged her tighter. “No, I’m not mad.” He chuckled. “Now, other things you do, that’s an entirely different story.”
“And you forgive me?” she asked a long time later, her fingers splayed against the triangle of hair at the center of his chest.
“Absolutely.”
She lifted her head and gazed at him. “Baptiste, I swear to you, if I could take back that night, I would. I-I never meant to hurt you.”
“I know you didn’t. I’m glad it happened the way it did.”
“You like being all banged up?”
He chuckled. “No, woman, I don’t like being banged up and living on morphine.” With the pad of his thumb, he wiped away a tear running along the side of her nose. “But if that’s what it took for you to open up to me, I’ll take it, pain and all.” He brushed away another tear. “Did you notice the car in the driveway?”
She nodded. “Whose is it?”
“Yours.”
As soon as Zach left, A.J. had phoned his brother Marcel, who was the CEO of the family’s twelve automotive dealerships, and instructed him to have a new X5 delivered before the end of the day.
“Thank you,” she managed to say through a weak smile.
She was amazed at his generosity. He wasn’t angry and didn’t fault her for the accident. He simply offered what she had struggled with her entire life—forgiveness. She lightly traced her finger over the heart-shaped tattoo on his right arm with the letters AT&T on the inside, which she’d noticed the day she had given him his bath.
“When did you get this?”
He glanced at his arm and smiled. “About two and a half years ago.”
“What do the letters stand for?”
He patted the mattress. “Scoot over here, and I’ll tell you.” With her snuggled next to him, he wrapped an arm around her. “It stands for Alcee, Taylor, and Tyler.”
She smiled. “That’s kinda cute.”
He leaned back and his eyes locked with hers. “Thank you, Honey, for trusting me with the pain you’ve carried inside for so long.”
“Baptiste, please don’t tell—”
“I’m only going to say this once more, okay?”
She nodded and closed her eyes.
“I will never ever abuse or misuse anything you share with me in private. I love you too much to do that. Understand?”
Slowly lifting her head, she nodded.
He kissed the right corner of her mouth. “That’s Taylor’s thanks.” He repeated the gesture on the left side. “And that’s from Tyler.” He ran his tongue along the wet seam of her parted lips, probing, searching for entrance inside the warmth of her mouth. “And mine is…”
With agonizing precision and exquisite slowness, his tongue mated with hers, causing her to shiver from an onslaught of buried passion. She desperately tried not to press her body against his. He teased and tantalized until she opened fully. She nearly exploded when his hand closed over her breast, kneading the soft flesh, his thumb circling her nipple until it was taut.
“What are we doing?” Vic breathed faintly, her chin almost touching her chest.
“What we should’ve been doing months ago instead of fighting.” He released one button on her blouse, then another. “Baby, tell me something.”
She stared at his hands for what seemed like a lifetime. This was crazy, she was insane, and he was nuts. From the time of the accident, she’d promised to stay with him and do whatever needed to be done—no matter how long it took—until he recuperated. Nothing more. Their eyes met, hers dilated with desire and need, his narrow and burning. It was her undoing. Like always, his kiss, his touch opened a floodgate of longing, and before she knew it, she’d placed her hand atop his, imploring him to continue.
Unbuttoning the blouse all the way, he released the front clasp of her bra, burying his face in the space between her lush breasts, inhaling. “God, you smell good.” Nuzzling his mouth across one breast, he drew a swollen nipple inside and sucked hard.
“Baptiste,” she moaned in ecstasy.
“Yes, mon amour,” he whispered roughly. He loved the thin, pleading way her husky voice called out to him, something she only did in the throes of passion.
She whimpered softly into his mouth. “We can’t. The girls might—”
“You want more?” he rasped, the words coming from deep in his throat. He took her hand and moved it between them to where his erection strained against his pajama bottom.
She softly moaned, stunned at how passion always managed to detonate whenever they where together. “More…”
He pleasured the other nipple with the same adoration.
Her body quivered, and a second later she tried desperately to control the pounding inside her chest. Her hand explored the length of his arousal. It was useless to try and resist this man any longer. The need to be released from an eight-year-long hiatus had her body bubbling with anticipation. Large, strong hands palmed her face, and her mouth was devoured once more with a kiss that produced sheer delirium.
He caught his breath and groaned. No words could ever describe how he loved his woman. He needed to show her. “Go lock the door.”
“Honey, where you?” Tyler called out from her bedroom down the hall.
Vic quickly pulled back and stared at A.J. before her eyes went to the door.
“Oh, Jesus.” Vic scooted away from A.J. “Uh…T-Two, wait right there, baby.” She turned her back to Baptiste, nervously fumbling to right her clothes.
“Gotta feed Harry and Sally, Honey,” Tyler advised.
“Okay, sweetheart. Honey’s coming.”
“Turn around, woman,” A.J. said, chuckling as he scooted toward her. He made a tsking sound, brushing her hands away to take over the task at which she was failing miserably. “You’re doing it wrong, anyway. Didn’t Louise teach you how to dress yourself?”
“Hush, Baptiste.”
His brows bunched together as he wondered why the girls were still up. It was well past eight, and they were usually asleep by seven-thirty. “Who are Harry and Sally?”
“The newest members of the family. I brought them two goldfish this afternoon.”
“Honey?” Taylor called out this time.
A.J. sighed. “T-One, is it an emergency?”
Taylor shouted back. “What’s ’mergency, Daddy?” When she didn’t get an immediate response, she hollered, “That Honey’s new name?”
“Honey will be right there,” he broke off and chuckled before adding, “and you, young lady, should be asleep. You too, T-Two.”
“Honey gotta help feed ’em, Daddy,” Taylor countered.
“I’m coming, pumpkin,” Vic said tensely over her shoulder and swatted Baptiste’s hand away as it inched upward to button her blouse.
“Wait.” He pulled her back to him and swiped her mouth with a kiss. “This discussion isn’t over.”
She nodded and hurried out.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, A.J. stood at the threshold of Taylor and Tyler’s bedroom watching Vic softly sing a lullaby to them as they finally drifted off to sleep. He turned and eased down the hallway, angry with himself. His plan to win Vic’s heart had veered off course earlier. Now wasn’t the time for lust to overrule love. He’d waited too long, had come too far for passion to win out over patience. Yes, he wanted her body, but more than anything, he craved her unconditional love. He’d seriously considered abandoning Zach’s advice about tellin
g Vic he’d offered a reward, but couldn’t take the chance his brother-in-law would inadvertently tell his sister, Moni and…There was no way he’d risk losing her trust. He threw his head back, sighing softly. How was he going to tell her? Vic was a woman who didn’t mince words, and the best way to tell her something was to just come right out and say it.
“Baptiste, what’s wrong?” Vic walked into the dining room ten minutes later and stood behind Baptiste, placing her hands on top of his shoulders.
Looking solemn, A.J. reached to cover her left hand with his. “Sit down, Honey.”
Vic felt his muscles knot beneath her fingers. Concerned, she pulled a chair next to him. “Is everything okay?”
“Honey, I told Zach to offer a reward. Hopefully, if someone knows any information about the person who caused the two accidents, they’ll come forth.”
“A reward?” Vic stared baffled for a moment. “How much did you offer?”
A.J. shook his head. “That’s not important.”
“How much did you offer, Baptiste?”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
It took a moment for her comprehension to kick into gear and suddenly her eyes flared. “You don’t mean thousand, do you, Baptiste?”
He nodded.
“No,” she cried out and shot to her feet. “The accident was my fault. You shouldn’t have to put up that kind of money.”
“Wrong. You didn’t cause the other car to broadside someone else and then rear-end you.”
“I-I need to at least chip in something—”
“No,” he said emphatically.
“Baptiste—”
“Honey, I said no. End of discussion. There’s nothing you can say to make me change my mind.”
“But—”
He stood and walked toward her. With her face cupped between his hands, he gently voiced his refusal again. “No.”
With a warm smile, she wrapped her arms carefully around his waist. “Why not?”
“Three reasons.”
She stared into his eyes, confused. “Three?”
He nodded. “First, somebody hurt you, and whether intentional or not, they didn’t stop to help. Two, Nicole is fighting to stay alive. And three…”
She swallowed hard because she couldn’t fathom what the third reason could be. “And?”
When a Man Loves a Woman (Indigo) Page 6