Page 55 of Caught off Guard

“Oh, Cairo, I’m so sorry. She sounded lovely. And brave.”

“She was. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to see a little Cece running around. Then a part of her would still be with me.”

“Why didn’t you adopt or get a surrogate?”

“We considered that and thought we had time. We were making plans until she found out she had cancer. Kids were no longer a priority. Until the end, she apologized for not bearing our children and told me I was young enough to have them with someone else. That was what she said on her deathbed.” I could no longer hold back my tears as memories of Cece’s sweet words and selfless spirit returned to me.

“That must be hard. Do you still want them?” Zora placed her hand over her chest, her face drawn.

Did she think my being with her depended on whether she could give me a child? Since she was in her early forties and focused on her career, I was sure the window for her to bear kids might be gone anyway.

“It is up to any woman I date and possibly propose to whether she wants to have children. I don’t have a right to tell any woman what to do with her body. She would be the one carrying our baby, not me.”

Zora stared at me hard when I said that. I couldn’t tell if she was happy or sad.

“Why are you looking at time like that?” I finally asked.

“You’re so matter of fact about this. I’ve never heard a man be so supportive of a woman’s plan to get pregnant or carry a child with him. It’s refreshing.”

“My parents taught me that philosophy.”

“They raised an amazing man.”

My insides warmed.

“Thank you. Since we’re sharing so much, tell me why an amazing woman like you isn’t married.”

Zora lowered her eyes and spoke in the soft voice I was growing to love.

“I’ve never been asked.”

Her simple answer hit me in the gut, reminding me how much Zora probably intimidated guys who had problems dating independent women who didn’t need them. Zora may have been hard on the outside, but her heart was tender. Even strong women needed love.

“Do you want children?”

“I can’t imagine doing what I do professionally and taking care of a child. Yes, I have something of a support system with my sister, but it wouldn’t be fair for her to put her life on pause to help me raise my baby.”

“The father should help take care of his kid. You wouldn’t have to do it alone.”

“That’s not a possibility for me right now, so let’s just focus on the present.” She reached for my neck and pulled me inches from her face. “I would love to do everything in my power to simulate the actions that make babies though.”

Zora’s wit made me chuckle. I reached for her hand.

“That sounds like a great idea.”

After our teachat and a light dinner, we sat in Zora’s living room with her wrapped in my arms. For hours, we poured our hearts out to each other, discussing everything from our childhoods to our families.

“Don’t get it twisted. Lena has always been the bad twin. I was the angel.” She picked up her phone and held it up. “I can call my mama right now to confirm.”

“What would Mama Langston say if I told her about your outrageous behavior today?”

“She would say there’s an exception to every rule.” Zora placed my hands over her breasts and held them there as I kissed the nape of her neck.

Moments like this delighted me. I hadn’t laughed this hard in years. As evening approached, Zora pulled me to my feet.

“Although I enjoy our stimulating conversations, Mr. Kinney, your certified angel needs another release. Will you do the honors?” She pulled out a drawer in the kitchen and lifted a condom in each hand. “I hope you don’t mind that I grabbed a couple of souvenirs from the stash at your house. We didn’t put them to use, but I figured our time would come.”

I tsked and shook my head. Freak Nasty Zora was everything I didn’t know I needed. I moved to the shiny kitchen counter and tore the corner of one of the condom packets with my teeth. I set the wrapper on the granite surface behind us and then unbuttoned my pants. Zora stepped toward me and hugged my waist, deliberately lowering my underwear.

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