CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Dad, are you sure you feel okay?” Since arriving for her weekly visit, Darbi had noticed Otis sneezing constantly. “I can heat you some soup or something.” She knew something as simple as a common cold could be very costly to an Alzheimer’s patient.

“No, baby girl, I’m fine,” he tried to reassure his daughter. He sat on the couch reading the paper and sneezed again. He muttered a curse.

“Dad,” Darbi began, “the other day when you played golf with Curry, did you get cold?” Curry had mentioned Otis started sneezing while they were out on the course. Darbi walked over to her father and placed the back of her hand against his forehead. “I’m going to take your temperature,” she told him.

Before he could voice his objections, Darbi was already down the hall.

She returned with the digital thermometer and took her father’s temperature. “Okay, Dad. Go to bed.”

Otis stood and walked down the hall to his room, with Darbi following silently behind him. After Otis settled in bed, she went to the living room and waited for Darius to return from racquetball.

A while later, Darius walked into the living room. “Hey, Darbi. How did everything go?” Darius set his bag down in the hall closet.

Darbi looked up from her studies and closed her book. She stood and walked over to her brother. “I think Dad is coming down with a cold or something. I was thinking of taking him to the doctor if he’s not better by Tuesday.” She took their father’s health seriously no matter how slight Darius thought the problem might be.

Darius nodded. “Okay, whatever you think is best.”

“If he’s not better by next weekend, I’m not going to California.” Darbi waited for her practical brother to agree with her. His answer surprised her.

“Darbi, I know when it comes to Dad, you like to be in charge. But this time I’m taking over. I can watch Dad. Plus, the nurse is here. That’s her job,” he reminded his sister. Darius tried to console her. “Just wait and see how he’s doing by Monday. I’m sure he’s fine.”

Darbi walked back to the sofa and gathered her books to leave. “I’ll come over tomorrow after I get off work.”

“No, don’t. I’m working at the house tomorrow; I’ll be here. You have a date. I happen to know Curry’s put a lot of thought into this date, so you have to go.”

She looked at her brother and wondered what he and Curry were up to. “All right, Darius. I won’t break my date. I’ll come over Saturday morning after aerobics.”

Darius nodded. That smug grin he wore didn’t sit well with Darbi, but she’d wait until the bottom dropped out of her life, as it always did.

* * *

Friday night, Darbi watched as Curry drove them to the airport and parked. “What kind of date is this, Curry?” He’d only hinted it was a surprise.

“Just trust me,” Curry said with a hint of mischief, helping her out of the car.

Darbi was skeptical. “I’ve seen the airport before.” She held his hand. “Curry Fitzgerald, where are you taking me?”

“Just follow me.” Curry led her through the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. They walked through a door marked Charter. “You just follow me.” He kissed her.

Stunned, Darbi followed him onto the small plane. “Where are we going?”

“San Antonio.”

“We can’t. I told Darius I’d be over to check on Dad.”

“Darius said he would be fine. You can even call and check on him if you’d like.” Curry watched as dismay filled her eyes. “Would you rather not go?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, we can go back.” He muttered a curse and unfastened her seatbelt, then his own. “This is the last time I try to be romantic,” he huffed. “Let’s go.”

“I’m sorry, Curry.”

He didn’t reply.

* * *

Cherish greeted them when they returned to Darius’s house with a puzzled look on her face. “What are you guys doing back?” She looked from Darbi to Curry. Neither spoke.

Darbi reached for Curry’s arm, but he stepped out of her grasp.

“I’d better go.” Curry walked to the door and left the house without so much as a goodbye.

Darbi felt her heart had been ripped into two pieces and Curry had just carried one of those pieces away with him. She sat on the floor and held her head in her hands. Curry was one of the bright spots in her new life and she’d ruined it.

Cherish kneeled by her friend. Carefully, she placed her arms around Darbi’s shoulder as she felt her tremble. “Darbi, I thought he was flying you to the coast for a romantic weekend.”

Darbi took a deep breath. “He was. But Dad is sick. I didn’t want to leave him alone.” Tears began to trickle down her face.

“Darbi,” Cherish began in her soothing voice, “Otis just has the sniffles. Mrs. Collins is a qualified nurse. I hate to say this, but he got along for fifteen years without you being here. He can surely make one lousy weekend without you.”

“I want to be with my father,” Darbi snapped. “I know I’ve been absent for fifteen years and that was my fault. Why does everyone take it upon themselves to remind me!”

“Calm down.” Cherish wiped away some of Darbi’s tears. “I’m just saying he’ll be fine for one weekend, honey. Darius asked me to come over as well. I know you want Otis well, so does Darius. If he thought Otis was seriously sick, he would have told you.”

Darbi wiped her eyes. “Cherish, I’m sorry for snapping at you. It’s just I’ve missed so much of Dad’s and Darius’s lives, I don’t want to miss any more. Now Curry’s pissed at me. He didn’t say one word the entire way back here. I cost him more money than I want to think about.” Fresh tears appeared as she stood.

Cherish stood as well and wiped Darbi’s face. “You love him, don’t you?” She wasn’t accusing Darbi, just simply stating what she already knew.

“Yes.” Darbi didn’t deny it. She couldn’t if she wanted to anyway. “But don’t tell him that. I know he doesn’t love me. How did you know?” Darbi hoped that Curry didn’t.

Cherish smiled, knowing what a turmoil this was for Darbi, especially after her marriage and its horrible end. “You’re a mess of tears because you think he’s mad at you. When he didn’t touch you, I thought you were going to cry then. Tomorrow you guys will be laughing about this.” Cherish hugged her friend in sympathy. “Darius is in with your dad. Why don’t you go to bed?”

An hour later, Darius knocked and then walked into the room he had begun to think of as Darbi’s. She was lying in bed in the dimly lit room. The room was eerily quiet. Even the TV was off. As he neared the bed, he noticed that though her eyes were closed, tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “Darbi,” he sat on the bed, “I’m capable of taking care of Dad. Mrs. Collins is here and so is Cherish.”

“I know, Darius.” She sat up and faced him.

“Besides, it’s just the sniffles.”

“I know, Darius, but—”

“What are you going to do next weekend? I know Curry has already gotten your ticket, so you’re going to California, if I have to go with you to the airport and personally place you on the plane.” He narrowed his eyes at her to emphasize his point.

“I just worry about Dad.”

“What about you and Curry? Do you know how much tonight cost him? Not just monetarily, but emotionally. Darbi, all I’m saying is there has to be a happy medium somewhere. You can go away for a weekend and Dad will be fine. You don’t have to spend every minute of your free time here looking after Dad.”

“I know. I guess I know in another fifteen years he may be gone.” She wiped her face.

Darius realized she was acting the way he had just a few months before. “You could be too. Live for now. You have been through so much, and you deserve some happiness. Don’t let a little sunshine pass you by while you are waiting for the hurricane.” He stood and left her room.

* * *

Darius walked into his bedroom and smiled as he caught sight of Cherish dressed in a silk spaghetti strap short nightgown barely covering those hips he loved so. She sat on the bed, returning his smile, inviting him to bed.

“Well?” She settled the pillows behind her, looking very seductive.

“Yes, I talked to her. Hopefully, she’ll go to California next weekend. I threatened to take her to the airport myself.” He walked into the bathroom and changed into his pajamas, then sat by Cherish on the bed. “We’re going to let them make up on their own. Agreed, Miss Murray?”

“Yes, Darius.”

Darius slid into bed beside her, drawing her into his arms. He kissed her deeply as his body came to life. “Besides, if I know Curry, and I know I do, I’d say he’s in love with my sister, but he’ll probably never tell her that.”

“Yes, and Darbi loves him. She doesn’t think he loves her.”

“I know. He’s never really been in love before. He’s dealing with unfamiliar emotions.” Much like me, Darius thought.

“But he’s been married twice!” Cherish gasped. “I understand why you guys are such good friends,” she said as the light in her brain finally clicked on.

Women. “That doesn’t mean he was in love.” Darius offered no explanation. He kissed Cherish. “We’ll let them take care of this on their own, remember?” Darius caressed her lips with his, hoping no further conversation of Curry and Darbi was needed. The kiss soon exploded into full-blown passion. Cherish suddenly pulled away.

Cherish looked at him with a hint of seduction in her brown eyes. She unbuttoned his silk pajama top. “You know, if I weren’t so preoccupied with Curry and Darbi, I could really concentrate on more important details.” Her hand slowly glided over his muscular chest, flat stomach, and inched lower until he moaned in pleasure. She wrapped her hand around him, stroking him gently.

Darius was halfway to paradise when she stopped. “Cherish?”

“Call Curry.” She sat up and looked at him with innocent eyes. “If you want me to continue my journey,” she whispered against his lips.

Darius shook his head, reaching for the phone. Only a few months and I’m already whipped! He half-hoped Curry wouldn’t answer his phone, but he answered on the sixth ring.

“Hey, Dare.” Curry’s usually upbeat voice was deflated and low.

“What happened?” Since they had been friends for so long, Darius dispensed with the idle chitchat.

Curry filled his friend in on the situation. “It’s not the money, you know that. Is she going to always put Otis before everything? I mean, I could see her hesitation if there was no one there to watch him but you’re there, the nurse is there and Cherish is there, too. Otis is not a child. He’s sharper than many people half his age.”

“I know, Curry,” Darius agreed. “I’ve talked to her. I’m sure she’s going out to California next weekend. I threatened to put her on the plane myself. I’ll speak to Dad in the morning. He’ll convince her that he’s all right.”

“Okay.”

The friends ended their call.

Darius looked at Cherish. She was lying on her side with her back to him. “Satisfied?” he asked, snuggling closer to her still form.

A soft snore was his answer.

Darius awoke the next morning to an empty bed. He heard the shower running and smiled. He wanted to join Cherish but two things stopped him. One, he needed to talk to his father and two, he loved a solitary shower. With a sigh he stood, found his favorite black silk robe, and headed down the hall. He knocked on Darbi’s door, but didn’t get an answer. He continued downstairs to his father’s room.

As he spoke to his father, Darius didn’t think the elder Crawford looked well, but he didn’t say anything. It was hard for Darius to differentiate between the disease and a simple cold. He left his father’s room and headed for the kitchen. Mrs. Collins was busy making breakfast and the large breakfast table was already set. “Good morning, Mrs. Collins. Dad didn’t look too well this morning. Could you check on him?”

She nodded, always one step ahead of him. “He’s got a little bit of a cold. He’s a little warm this morning so he’s going to stay in bed.”

Darius nodded, sat at the table and began to eat, savoring the eggs and bacon. Darbi came in and took the seat next to him. Her puffy brown eyes told him that she’d cried all night. “How did you sleep?”

“Very little.” Darbi looked at the plate the nurse had placed in front of her and for once she pushed it away.

Cherish joined them a few minutes later and sat across from Darius. She was dressed in a red cashmere sweater and blue jeans. Darius knew what lay beneath those sensible clothes. “How’s Otis?”

“Mrs. Collins says he’s resting.”

Darbi played with her breakfast. Food had lost its appeal. She wanted Curry. Not only that, but Darius and Cherish were playing footsies under the table and giggling like school kids. Darbi wanted to go back to her room to nurse her broken heart in private. As Mrs. Collins entered the kitchen, her eyes met Darbi’s. “Ms. Crawford, your father would like to speak with you.”

Darbi thanked the nurse and left the kitchen. She entered her father’s room and sat down in the chair nearest the bed. “You wanted to see me, Dad?”

Otis looked at his baby girl. “You’re the spitting image of your mother, right down to the stubborn streak. Baby girl, what is this nonsense about you not letting that boy take you on a trip?”

Darbi knew Darius had spilled the beans to their father. “I just wanted to be here in case you got sick.”

“What do you think I pay that damned nurse for? This is just a cold. I don’t want to be the reason you aren’t enjoying life, understood?”

“Yes, Dad. I just worry about you. I want you to be around as long as possible.”

Otis grabbed his daughter’s hand. “Baby, if it is time for me to join your mother, than it’s time for me to join your mother. We can’t control our destiny. You of all people should know that. It will happen whether you are here, there, or wherever. You let that boy take you places.”

Darbi noticed her father never called Curry by his name. “Do you like Curry? I mean, the fact that I am dating him?”

“Yes, I like him for the smile he’s put on your face. I’d like him more if he were black, but we can’t have everything, can we? Love doesn’t always come in the package we think it should. He’s good to you. He’s good to Darius. I like the way he respects me. He always says sir. So you go to California next weekend. You hear me, girl?”

Darbi knew she’d been issued an order. There would be no discussion. “Okay, Dad, but only if you are better.”

“You go. Have you talked to him this morning?”

“No, I called earlier, but he hung up on me.” A lone tear escaped her eye.

“Sometimes you have to swallow your silly pride. Take your butt over to his house and make up with him. I’m sure your brother would let you use his truck.”

“Dad, are you saying this is my fault?”

“Yes. Now, baby girl, you know I love you. Get out of my room, now!”

Darbi stood, dried her eyes, and kissed her father on his cheek. As she left his room, she laughed for the first time that morning. Darius stood in the hall with his keys in his outstretched hand. She smiled at her brother and hugged him. “Thank you, Darius. I’ll be back in one hour.”

Darius laughed, dismissing her last statement. “I’ll come get it later. Somehow, I don’t think you guys will be finished…um…talking in an hour.”

* * *

“Darius, Darbi has been gone a long time. Aren’t you worried?” Cherish asked as Darius was leading her upstairs. Pulling her up the stairs would be a more accurate description.

Darius had been trying to get Cherish upstairs with little luck for the last hour. He was taking advantage of the fact that his father was taking a nap and the nurse was in her room. Darius wanted to spend some quiet time with Cherish.

“They’re fine. It’s been over an hour. She’d be back by now, if they were still fighting.”

They entered his bedroom. Cherish looked at Darius, folded her arms across her chest and sat on his bed. “Call.”

“Women.” Darius knew he was getting nowhere. “All right.” Darius dialed Curry’s number. The phone rang at least six times before Curry finally answered. He laughed as he placed the phone back in its cradle. “They were sleeping. See?”

Darius walked over and sat by her on the bed, enjoying the peace and quiet of a Saturday afternoon. He slowly began to undress her.

“Darius, do you think Curry will ever tell Darbi he loves her or vice versa?”

“Who knows? We won’t tell. Okay?” He threw her sweater on the floor, along with his shirt.

“Okay, Darius. Let me do that for you.” Cherish stood, got out of her jeans and undies. She then unbuckled his belt and took off his pants and boxers. “Now that we have each other’s undivided attention, I say no more talking.” Cherish straddled him and began their trek to the wild side.

* * *

The next week, Curry leaned back in the seat in satisfaction. Darbi was seated next to him in first class on a Thursday evening flight bound for California. They’d both jumped hurdles to make it happen. Darbi had taken her father to the doctor and he was fine. She’d also turned in her English paper early since she would miss class the next day. Curry had finished up the preliminary details for an impending ad campaign.

“We can have dinner when we get there.” Curry sipped his cranberry juice.

“Sounds good. I’m so tired.” She leaned against his shoulder and yawned.

Curry had guessed so. He simply kissed her forehead. When he heard Darbi’s soft snore, he smiled in contentment. So this was what being in love was. He hadn’t felt this way in either of his marriages. What was so different about Darbi Crawford?