AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was due for a change.” She gave Gavin a steely smile. “What do you think of my hair, Gavin?”
“I don’t give a shit.”
Clearly, Gavin wasn’t happy that she interrupted, but she didn’t care. She approached the crib and looked down at Nora, who was fast asleep. She had to clasp her hands together so she wouldn’t grab the baby and smother her with kisses.
“I missed her.” She loved Nora before she was born, but the latest turn of events bonded her even more to the baby. Shit, between her, Lyla, and Gavin, Nora would never need a crib to lie in if she didn’t want to. They would gladly hold her all she wanted.
“Where have you been?” Lyla asked.
“And why didn’t you stay there?” Gavin asked rudely.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m just visiting.”
“You’re always welcome,” Lyla said and shot Gavin a warning look. “Ignore him. He’s insatiable at the moment.”
She held up both hands. “Oh, my God! Are you guys trying for another baby? Because if you are, I’ll leave.”
“No,” Lyla said and glared at her husband.
“You want our kids to be close together, don’t you?” Gavin asked.
Lyla’s eyes flared. “We never talked about having more kids.”
“We haven’t had a chance. I think we should have a couple.”
Lyla waved her hands as if she was clearing away smoke. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.” She turned her back on him. “Carmen, you’re dressed fancy.”
“I just came from cha-cha with Mom.”
Gavin left the room with an irritated growl. The moment he left, Lyla sat in the rocking chair and moaned with her hands over her face.
“What’s wrong?” Carmen asked.
“I don’t know how Gavin gets over stuff so quickly,” Lyla said in a muffled voice. “Once he’s done with something, he’s done. I’m still trying to process that Steven Vega is the man who haunted me all these years, and Gavin is talking about kids.” She dropped her hands. “Between Gavin, my mom, and Nora, I can’t even think about having more kids.”
“You don’t have to decide right now.”
“I know he’s going to bother me about it tonight. Once he latches onto something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it. He’s such a bullheaded ass.”
Carmen had to resist the urge to do a dance. She would be ecstatic if Lyla got pregnant again. She could already imagine a little boy with his father’s grumpy disposition. She would make sure to do her godmother duties and embarrass the hell out of Gavin Jr.
“How’s your mom?” Carmen asked.
“I haven’t been to see her yet. I’ve been catching up on sleep, but the hospital says she’s stable. She’s in and out of consciousness. Her memory is cloudy.”
“Hopefully, it stays that way.” It would be a blessing if Aunt Beatrice’s mind erased the horrors of being gang raped and tortured.
“Yes.” Lyla twisted her hands together. “She’s going to be in the hospital for a while. After she gets out, I’ll ask her if she wants to live with us, but I have a feeling she won’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“She told the nurses she doesn’t want to see me.”
“What?”
Yes, Aunt Beatrice went through a trauma, but cutting herself off from her daughter wasn’t going to help matters. When she lost Vinny, she clung to her family for all she was worth. She couldn’t understand Aunt Beatrice wanting to be alone.
“Do you want me to go down there and talk to her?” Carmen asked.
