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  Brent silenced her chatter by placing a forefinger on her lips.

  Dayna’s eyes widened. This man was bold! In a split second, she raised her palm and slapped him hard across his cheek. “You need to go,” she said, her voice shaking. “Now.”

  Brent parted his lips to speak, but hesitated when she shook her head. “Go, Brent. You are out of line, and I can’t do this.”

  His face fell. He pulled a business card from the pocket of his khaki slacks and leaned past Dayna to place it on the side table next to the roses. “I know my coming here seems stupid, if not insane,” he said. “But I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to make things right if I could. I came to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you and to ask you to forgive me. I don’t deserve it, but I had to ask. My cell and home numbers are on the card. Would you please consider having dinner with Tamara and me? We have something to share with you, and today doesn’t seem as appropriate as I thought it might be.”

  Brent’s brief touch had upset Dayna’s internal equilibrium. She inhaled and struggled to hold at bay a volcano of emotions, including tears. There was no time to redo her makeup before tonight’s fundraiser, and Brent didn’t deserve to see the effect he still had on her.

  Get it together, girl.

  “Dinner with you and Tamara?” The laugh that escaped resembled a bark. “Just as you moved on years ago, Brent, I’ve moved on. I heard what you had to say today and that’s enough apology for me. I think you should go.”

  Before Brent could respond, Warren’s shadow filled the doorway. He stood just behind Brent, but seemed to engulf him.

  Dayna watched the two men size up each other. Both were tall, but Warren’s long, lanky frame towered above Brent’s shorter, now thinner one. Both wore well-trimmed mustaches and goatees, a commonality that Dayna hadn’t picked up on before now.

  “My knight has arrived,” she said. She strode toward Warren and bypassed Brent to hug him.

  The shock on Brent’s face was priceless. If he hadn’t been born cocoa brown, he might’ve turned three different shades of red — a feat Warren could actually manage.

  Yes, she wanted to tell him. She had moved on, and race didn’t matter. Warren’s heritage might not make him a brother, but in many ways, he was more loyal and loving to her than Brent had been throughout their seven-year marriage.

  “Sounds like you were leaving, Mr….?” Warren wrapped an arm around Dayna’s waist and stepped inside, giving Brent the doorway to make an exit. Dayna wondered what he was thinking as she watched his eyes scan the foyer and land on the roses.

  Brent cleared his throat and stepped outside, onto the stone porch. He turned back toward Warren and extended his hand.

  “Just call me Brent, man. Dayna can tell you the rest.”

  Warren’s jaw locked into the position that signaled he was ticked off or frustrated. He felt like Brent was disrespecting him, Dayna realized, but she knew he’d keep his cool.

  He nodded at Brent but didn’t shake his hand.

  “I’m Warren … man,” he said. “Dayna can tell you all about me too. Or, too bad if you’ve missed that opportunity.”

  He turned toward her. “You ready for the gala, my lady? Your carriage awaits.”

  Dayna summoned a smile. “I’m ready. Give me a second to get my purse and shawl.”

  Brent watched their interaction like a little boy passed over for the dodge ball team at recess. Her heart was still racing because of what had transpired between them, in just those few moments. She could tell he wanted to say more; instead, he turned to leave.

  “Thanks for your time, Dayna. Hope we can get together soon.” He struggled to smile at Warren. “You take good care of her, all right? That’s something I didn’t do.”

  Dayna and Warren watched him approach his black Mercedes Coupe, which was parked on the street in front of Dayna’s house.

  Warren turned to her. “You okay, babe? Looks like I got here just in time. Was that the Brent — your ex?”

  Dayna hugged him again and pressed her cheek against his. “That was the Brent, and that was an interesting visit. I’m glad you showed up when you did. Let me get my things, and I’ll tell you about it on the way to the benefit.”

  She released him and headed to the rear of the house, toward her bedroom. She’d have to take a few extra minutes to compose herself and clear her mind before they left. Brent’s surprise visit, plea for forgiveness, and dinner invitation had unsettled her. Warren would hear some of the highlights about what happened before he showed up, but it would be wiser not to mention the rush of old feelings that engulfed her when her eyes had met her ex-husband’s. She couldn’t believe her heart had tried to betray her, and Warren wouldn’t either.

  three

  Dayna waited until she and Warren were two blocks from the gala hotel to slice the thick silence that had settled between them.

  “So, what do you want to know? Aren’t you curious about why Brent was there?”

  “What do you want to tell me?”

  Dayna tried to quell her frustration. Did he have to answer a question by posing a question? She knew he wanted answers — why didn’t he just admit it?

  “I’m not one of your marketing staff or one of the reporters who routinely interview you, Mr. Avery. You don’t have to play cat and mouse with me.”

  Warren glanced at her. “You’re the one holding out on me. I just happened to show up before ‘brother man’ left. Last I heard, you hadn’t seen or talked to the dude in years, and he just shows up at your house?”

  The use of slang by some other forty-something white man might come across as forced or awkward, but the words rolled off Warren’s lips with ease. His three-year stint just out of college with a black-owned East Coast marketing firm where, for all intents and purposes, he was the minority employee had yielded friendships and experiences that ingrained the lingo into him as easily as the West Coast surfer lingo he’d adopted in his teens had been ingrained.

  Serving as vice president of marketing for Chesdin Medical Center, on the ritzy outskirts of Calero, hadn’t changed him. He used the same laid-back, keeping-it-real candor with hospital executives, the media, and his staff, and it was one of the things Chesdin’s CEO (and Dayna) loved about him.

  Warren sighed and rested one hand on Dayna’s thigh while keeping the other on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road.

  “Look, it’s not cool to show up for a date with your lady and find another man there, plain and simple. I know he’s been long gone from your life, but this man came with flowers, and he looked like he wasn’t ready to leave.”

  Dayna squeezed Warren’s hand. She appreciated how, despite his efforts to appear nonchalant, he wore his heart on his sleeve.

  “Yeah, I guess that did look a little crazy. It was a strange visit, and I agree — he wasn’t ready to leave.”

  “What did he want?”

  “He wanted to tell me he’s sorry for how our marriage ended, and he wants me to forgive him. He and his wife, Tamara, want to take me to dinner so he can explain what happened and why he now wants to make amends. Can you believe that?”

  Warren shrugged. “Seems strange, out of the blue. How did he find you, anyway?”

  Dayna shook her head. “Don’t know. My number is unlisted as it always has been, but these days you can find just about anybody on the Internet. I am curious about how he got my address, which brings me to something else I haven’t mentioned — he’s been trying to contact me for a while.”

  Warren turned into the hotel parking garage and Dayna waited while he pressed the button to receive a parking deck claim ticket. When he had maneuvered his Range Rover into a corner spot near the elevators, he turned off the metallic-blue SUV and faced her.

  “This isn’t the first time you’ve heard from him, but it’s the first time I’m hearing about it?”

  An edge crept into Warren’s voice and his jaw set again.

  “I should have mentioned it — I’m sorry. He
started sending me letters about three months ago, to my home address. At first I was stunned that he’d found me, but even with that first letter, I decided not to go there. I didn’t care what he wanted after all this time. I made peace a long time ago with what happened between us — at least I moved on. I returned the letter unopened; and I did that again, two more times.”

  Warren frowned. “He wrote you three times?”

  Dayna nodded. “And each time I sent the letters back, unopened. That’s why he showed up today, to talk to me in person.”

  Warren smirked. “And to ask you to dinner, huh?”

  Dayna shook her head. “I don’t get that, either. He wants me to join him for dinner — with Tamara.”

  “Didn’t you tell me he married the woman he cheated on you with?”

  Dayna flinched at Warren’s matter-of-fact mention of an experience that had left her with scars. With as much work as she’d done to get past it, her reaction surprised her.

  “Yeah, that’s Tamara. And apparently they’re still together. He said she knew he was visiting me today. Wonder if she knew he brought flowers.”

  Warren unbuckled and climbed out of the SUV. He grabbed his tux jacket from its hanger on the rack just above the seat behind him and slid into it. Seconds later, he was opening Dayna’s door.

  “Doesn’t matter what this Tamara knows or doesn’t know, right? Did you absolve him of his guilt today? If so, you don’t need to see him again.”

  Dayna unfolded her long legs and stepped out of the SUV with Warren’s help. He surveyed the floor-length red dress, her short layered hairdo, and flawless makeup, and smiled.

  “Perfect, babe. You’re stunning.”

  She thanked him with a kiss, then wiped her red lipstick from his lips. His compliment pleased her, but it didn’t prevent the questions that had once tormented her from surfacing. Her physical beauty had landed her a man before, but it hadn’t been enough to keep him.

  “I don’t plan to see Brent again,” she told Warren, “but why do I feel like you’re issuing an ultimatum? What’s with the attitude?”

  Warren closed the door behind her and embraced her around the waist to guide her toward the parking garage elevators.

  “I don’t know Brent’s current wife, but the one he was stupid enough to leave isn’t hard on the eyes or difficult to fall for,” Warren said. “And guess what? She’s taken. You don’t want me to dictate whether you can see him again? Fine. But if you decide to accept that dinner offer, tell him he’s paying for four, ‘cause I’m coming too.”

  four

  The alarm clock chimed and Dayna hit the snooze button for a third time.

  This was ridiculous. How many Sunday mornings would she play this game with herself? Either she was getting up and going to church or not. In another fifteen minutes, the decision in favor of the pillow she was hugging would be obvious. She’d been making a concerted effort lately to prioritize church again; but at times like this, when she’d only had an hour or two of solid sleep, it was easy to talk herself into staying home.

  She had stopped attending church altogether after the breakup of her marriage, but she’d never lost her preacher’s daughter guilt about it. Never mind that her reasons felt legitimate at the time and had, in some ways, been validated by her divorce recovery therapist; what should have been a temporary break from organized worship had morphed into a way of life she still struggled to feel okay about.

  Dayna rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts turned to the issue she had fallen asleep fretting over: Brent’s reappearance. What kind of person showed up at your door after treating you like a dog, marrying the woman he cheated with, and never giving you a decent explanation for why your relationship hadn’t been worth saving? Every time that question and its accompanying indignation surfaced, Dayna summoned the truth her therapist had urged her to accept: she might never get an answer.

  Dayna couldn’t help but smile, though, when she replayed Brent’s brief visit in her mind and how, in an instant, she had slapped him. She had been just as surprised as he was, but reminiscing about it now, she decided it was a blow she should have delivered seven years earlier. Her actions yesterday were warranted, as far as she was concerned, and even after all this time, it had felt good. What would God, or even Daddy, the good preacher, have to say about that? Daddy’s track record told her that he would chalk her actions up to being MIA from church for too long and the lack of spiritual discipline that fostered. Would God understand and cut her some slack, or would he also chastise her?

  She lay there, wishing a heavenly response would thunder down, then admitted that if one did, she might not recognize it. She struggled to a sitting position and released the pillow she’d been clutching. The only way her relationship with God was going to improve was if she put some effort into making that happen.

  Yes, Warren, you are now officially living inside my head.

  Dayna glanced at the bedside clock. Warren was probably leaving his house right now with his sons to attend service at the Presbyterian church a few blocks from his house. Why hadn’t she called him when her alarm first woke her? She could have gone with them instead of waffling about whether to race to Rock Hill Ministries where she’d have to reassure the usher who offered her a visitor’s card that she was indeed a member.

  Dayna sighed and climbed out of bed. Maybe she’d slip into Warren’s church and surprise him.

  On her way to the bathroom she passed her red dress, once again hanging outside the closet door. She’d received more compliments last night than she had her entire adult life. The dress would go to the cleaners tomorrow and then be tucked in the back of the closet, but her memories of how she had felt in it would be permanent — including the look on Mr. Brent’s face.

  She stepped into the shower and mentally ran down a list of potential outfits for the worship service while the warm water soothed her. Jeans and other casual wear were always welcome at Warren’s church, but since he never dressed less than business casual, she would follow his lead.

  She wasn’t sure what God would say through the minister today, but she had a few questions for him, including wanting to know why Brent had to show up when everything in her life finally seemed to be going well. If nothing else, his appearance had taken her back in time, to a place she had no desire to revisit. Brent and his flowers and his pleas to reconnect could undo the hard work and emotional energy she’d invested in letting go of her anger, boosting her self-worth, and creating a full and satisfying life without a mate. Just as she had mastered those goals, Warren had finessed his way into her life at her first-ever visit to a salsa dancing class. The timing had been impeccable, because in her head and in her heart, she’d been ready to live again, on her own terms. No way was she going to let Brent interfere with the eighteen months and counting of magic that she and Warren were nurturing. If Brent thought he could take up space in her world again, he had another thing coming.

  five

  Thank goodness Dayna texted before leaving home.

  Minutes after sending Warren the message to let him know she was on the way to his church, he replied for her to stay put. Dayna frowned at her iPhone and checked the clock on the dashboard of her car. Service started in five minutes, and he wasn’t there?

  Before she could text him again, he pulled into her driveway. Mason jumped out of the SUV and ran into the garage, where she still sat in her Lexus.

  “Hey, Dayna, we’re not going to our church today. Dad’s friend from work has a child getting baptized, so we’re visiting their church instead. Want to come with us?”

  Dayna unbuckled and followed Mason. She settled into the front passenger seat and waved at Mason’s twin, Michael, who sat behind Warren playing a video game.

  Warren leaned over and hugged her. “Good morning, babe. With all the hustle and bustle at the gala last night I forgot to mention on the ride home that Stephanie stopped by our table while you were mingling with guests. She invited m
e to her son’s baptism today. I didn’t promise to come, but seems like I caught your sleepy bug this morning and couldn’t get up in time for service at Calero Presbyterian, so I thought the boys and I would go to the baptism instead.”

  Dayna swatted his hand. “But you were going to let me stay in bed and be a heathen, huh? Why didn’t you call?”

  “I did, and when you didn’t answer, I let it go. I was a block from the interstate ramp when I got your text.”

  Dayna checked her phone. “My ringer is turned off, and it looks like I might have been in the shower when you called. Talk about missed signals. Glad it worked out. This means I’m not late for church after all.”

  Warren shook his head. “Nope. Stephanie’s church starts at 10:30. I’m impressed you were even interested in going. All dressed and in the car … wonderful.”

  Dayna narrowed her eyes. “You’re supposed to be encouraging me.”

  “Let me rephrase that,” Warren said. “I’m glad you wanted to come to church with me and the boys.”

  If Michael and Mason weren’t right behind them, she would have kissed him; but she was always mindful that while their mom had been gone for four years, they still missed her. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was to see their dad with someone else, even though she hoped they liked her.

  “That was nice of Stephanie to invite her boss to witness her son’s special day,” Dayna said. “She must think a lot of you.”

  Warren was far from hard on the eyes, and she knew his name ranked high, right behind a few doctors, on the Hottest Hospital Catches list that circulated every few months around Chesdin Medical. Because of her newfound self-confidence, and because of the man Warren was, instead of fretting, she felt honored to be dating the “cream of the crop.” Stephanie might be among the women who swooned over him, but Dayna’s radar hadn’t detected any overt flirting. Stephanie appeared to be a single mom who appreciated having a boss who allowed a flexible schedule in a busy hospital marketing department.