Page 19 of Five Midnight Moment
“Oh,nooo, I am totally free.”
“Great.” He gave her the address. “Valencia and I are heading over now.”
“They’re only fifteen minutes from me, so I’ll meet you there.”
Valencia stared at her friend doing a little shimmy dance. The grin on Leah’s face was so wide, it barely fit in the screen. “I’ll see you in a little while, wild woman.” She ended the call. “That was really nice of you to invite her. Are you sure your parents won’t mind?”
“Positive. By the way, you look absolutely gorgeous.” His gaze made a slow path down her body and back up. “I think I’m going enjoy peeling those jeans off you.”
Her pulse skipped and her core throbbed in anticipation. She cleared her throat. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.” Dressed in all black, the man looked good enough to eat. “Let me get my jacket and purse.”
Laughing with Dwayne about Leah had taken her mind off meeting his family, but her nervousness returned the moment he took her hand and led her up his parent’s driveway. The two-story house was located on a tree-lined street with stately homes and immaculately manicured lawns, and overlooked the hills. He unlocked the door and gestured her forward. She stepped inside and didn’t know where to settle her gaze first—the highly polished wood floors in the foyer leading to an elegantly furnished living room with deep tan plush carpeting, the vaulted ceilings, or the formal dining room off to the left holding a table with seating for ten. “This is gorgeous. I see where you get your taste from now.” It reminded her of Dwayne’s four-bedroom house. She’d fallen in love with his place the first time he’d taken her there.
He smiled. “I let my mom and sister do the decorating.”
“I thought I heard voices.”
Valencia turned and met the smiling face of an older woman with features so reminiscent of Dwayne’s she had to be his mother.
“Hey, Mom.” Dwayne bent and kissed her cheek. He introduced Valencia.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Albright. You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you. And I’mveryhappy to meet you, Valencia. Please make yourself comfortable. We’re all in the family room and patio.”
All of a sudden, Valencia heard thundering footsteps. Then two boys who looked to be around six or seven came barreling around the corner. They were twins, Valencia realized.
“Uncle Dwayne!” they chorused, launching themselves at Dwayne, and tackling him to the ground.
“You can’t hold me down,” Dwayne said, wrestling and growling with them.
“Yes, we can.”
Mrs. Albright shook her head. “At thirty-six, he still rolls around on the ground like he did when he was six.”
Valencia couldn’t do anything but laugh. She’d never seen this side of Dwayne, but the sight touched her heart and she instinctively knew he’d be a great father.
“Jalen Allen McCallandJustin Aaron McCall, get off your uncle!”
The boys froze and so did Valencia. She spun around and saw a frowning chocolate-skinned woman with her hands on her hips.
“Aw, come on, Shelby,” Dwayne said. “We’re just having fun.” He ruffled the boys’ hair, then stood with them in his arms. “Valencia, this is my baby sister, Shelby. And, as you heard—and everybody else in the neighborhood—these are my nephews.”
An embarrassed look crossed Shelby’s face. “I’m sorry. Hi, Valencia. Nice to meet you.”
She divided a speculative glance between Dwayne and Valencia and Valencia wondered what it meant. “Nice to meet you, too, Shelby. Your sons are adorable.”
Shelby shook her head. “Rambunctious is more like it. And this one here,” she said, playfully shoving Dwayne, “makes it worse.”
Dwayne dropped a kiss on his sister’s temple and set the twins on their feet. “Party pooper.” He took Valencia’s hand and followed his mother to the back of the house where music and laughter greeted them.
The laughter and conversation stopped abruptly when they saw Valencia. She wanted to hide. A man, who she assumed to be Dwayne’s father, came over and draped his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Who do we have here, Phyllis?”
The smiles they shared reminded Valencia of her parents.
“Dad. I’d like you to meet Valencia Townsend.”
“Welcome to our home, Valencia.”
