“What do you mean she fell?” Desiree wiped spilled coffee from her blouse as she headed towards the airport while checking when the next flight would fly out. Claudia had called instructing her to drop everything, and now her fingers moved wildly across her screen for the last-minute information. A flight from Houston to Chicago was boarding in twenty minutes, and she had a fifteen-minute ride across the interstate to get there.

“I found her on the bathroom floor. We’re at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, are you leaving now?”

Desiree let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I’m on my way.” Desiree snapped the phone shut disconnecting the line. To say she was annoyed was an understatement. What had Claudia been too busy doing now that she couldn’t be home with their mother?

Desiree’s thoughts tornadoed. Was she unreasonable to think it? If Claudia was going to take on the role as a caregiver, she had to put their mother first. This is what Desiree needed to communicate to Claudia. What if Desiree had been at work and not getting off early. What if their mother didn’t wake up? The thoughts tormented Desiree, constricting her heart in a way that almost made her lose her breath. Desiree’s Ford Focus shot down the highway coming upon its exit. Her thoughts were heavy with words she and her sister would have.

 

“She hung up on me,” Claudia said sitting the phone down.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Jaden replied.

“Why would I be? It’s not like I don’t know she hates my guts.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

Claudia squinted her eyes. “You want to put some money on it.”

“You and Desiree need to have a conversation. From my observation, you both seem like one doesn’t understand the other. Just give it a try and see how it goes. At least you’ll be able to say; you gave it a shot.”

Jaden was right, but Claudia still wasn’t feeling it, and she wanted him to go on somewhere with all his good advice. Claudia cracked a small smile at that thought and sighed.

The doctor she’d spoken to on the way in the hospital entered the room.

“Stevens family,” he asked.

Claudia rushed to her feet with Jaden right beside her, his hand on the small of her back.

The doctor gave a reassuring smile. “Ms. Stevens is going to be just fine. It turns out it was indeed a hard fall. That’s not to say she won’t have pain; she will. There’s also a growing lump on her head, but that is to be expected. We’ll keep her overnight for observation, and she’ll be discharged first thing in the morning.”

“Oh my God,” Claudia said covering her heart with a hand. “That is such good news, doctor, thank you so much.”

Jaden reached out taking the doctor’s hand in his for a firm shake. “Thank you, doctor.” His arm slid back around Claudia’s shoulder.

“Can we see her,” Claudia asked.

“Sure, follow me.”

They left the waiting room in a different direction than they’d come. It appeared the staff had already taken Adeline to a room on the hospital floor for her overnight stay.

“It’s room 2107 to the left,” the doctor informed them. “We’ll need you to fill out some information so we can get her properly in our systems.”

“No problem.”

“Do you have everything you need?” Jaden asked turning to Claudia.

“Yes, I keep her insurance information in my purse. Are you leaving now?”

“Not a chance.”

Claudia leaned into him. “Thank you for being here. I know it’s not an obligation—”

“Sssh,” Jaden put his finger to her moist lips. “It is for me,” he said.

“Thanks.”

“After you.”

Claudia walked into the hospital room. Adeline sat upright on the bed with pillows stuffed behind her back. She was awake and her face perked up upon seeing her daughter.

“Hey baby,” Adeline said reaching out for a hug.

“Claudia flew into her arms squeezing her snugly.

“I’m so sorry, mama. I should’ve been there. I don’t have an excuse.”

“Calm down, calm down,” she soothed. “Everything’s alright, I just had a little slip and fall.”

“A little slip and fall? Mama, you were unconscious on the floor when we found you.”

“I’m sorry. I know that scared you to death, but I’m glad you weren’t alone.” Adeline peered over at Jaden who stood firmly next to Claudia with an affectionate hand on her back.

“Mom this is Jaden, Jaden this is my mother, Adeline.”

“It’s nice to meet you; not necessarily under these circumstances but nevertheless.” Jaden shook her hand.

“Are you the one that keeps my daughter out after hours?”

“Ma!”

“What, I mean after 8 o’clock when I say after hours,” Adeline chuckled. “You know for us old folks when the street lights come on, you’re late.”

Jaden chuckled and Claudia slapped a hand against her head.

“You know it’s true,” Adeline said to Claudia.

“Ma, if he wasn’t the guy, then what? You would’ve embarrassed me.”

“But he is the guy, isn’t he?”

A small smile surfaced and Claudia shook her head. “Yes, ma,” Claudia gazed back at him, “he is the guy.”

Jaden was still stuck on the words Claudia had used. What if he wasn’t the guy? Who else is there? Jaden made a mental note to ask her this later. He was suddenly feeling possessive and the thought of Claudia spending time with another man didn’t sit well with him.

Adeline glanced back to Claudia. “How did you get me off the floor? I know I weigh a ton.”

“You most certainly do not,” Jaden spoke up.

Adeline arched an inquisitive brow. “And you would know this because?”

“He’s the one that got you to the hospital, ma. We’d still be in the bathroom waiting for an ambulance if I had to bring you myself.”

Adeline’s eyes roamed over Jaden’s muscular physique. The white t-shirt and blue denim jeans he wore sat comfortably against his toned waist. Claudia watched as her mom’s eyes rode up and down him again before her cheeks reddened.

“Mom,” she whispered.

“What?”

“You’re staring.”

“Well excuse me, but it’s not every day an old lady like me gets swept up in arms like those.”

Claudia was horrified, and her eyes popped as her mouth dropped. Jaden chuckled.

“If I need to pass out more often to be in those arms again I just might.” Adeline fell against her sheets pretending to fall out. Jaden’s chuckle turned into an all-out roar, and Claudia gasped covering her mouth. She couldn’t help it though. After several seconds of her mother continuing to lay there, Claudia found her laughter. She shook her head.

“Oh my goodness, I can’t even believe you right now.”

Adeline opened an eye at them then closed it as if they hadn’t seen her. Jaden moved to the other side of Adeline’s hospital bed and circled his manly arms around her. A smile surfaced on Adeline’s face, and she opened an eye again to peek over at Claudia sticking her tongue out. Claudia continued to laugh, and Jaden was happy that Claudia was back to her calm self.

“They’re keeping you overnight, Ma,” Claudia said, getting serious.

“I know.”

Jaden rose from his position.

“I keep telling them I’m fine. So I knocked myself out, big deal! I have a hard head. I’m okay.”

Claudia reached to rub Adeline’s forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I will be next time.”

“Is he going to be there, too?”

“Mama, Jaden has a business to run. He can’t be around as much as you’d like.”

“I can adjust my schedule,” Jaden offered.

Claudia stared at him in shocked silence.

“See,” Adeline said. “He can adjust his schedule.” Adeline perked up even more.

Claudia didn’t know how to feel about what was happening. Was this getting out of hand? What should she make of this?

“Are you hungry, Ms. Stevens?”

“I could use a good meal, why, are you buying?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am.”

“As long as it’s not this hospital food because you know there’s no real chef in the kitchen.”

Jaden chuckled. “What would you like?”

“I’m fine with something from a burger joint.”

“Mama, maybe we should wait until the doctors tell us what your diet should be.”

Adeline reared back with a dismayed expression. “Diet!” She screeched. “I’m not on a diet, low salt, okay? That’s about it. Now, don’t start Claudia. You’re messing up my dinner, and this handsome fella hasn’t even gotten it for me yet.”

“Low salt, anything else, Ms. Stevens?”

Adeline smiled. “Na’ll that’ll be all. Thanks.”

“You’re most welcome.” Jaden turned his gaze to Claudia. “And you chérie, what would you like?”

“Cherie? Her name is Claudia. Now I don’t know what you—”

“Mom!” Claudia almost died. “Chérie is French for sweetheart,” she whispered sharply.

Adeline gasped and folded her arms. “Oooh, that’s so nice. I’m sorry, I don’t’ know anything about French. I thought you forgot my baby’s name.”

Claudia groaned. She could’ve slid to the floor and hid up under the bed. Jaden couldn’t stop laughing, “It’s quite alright. Trust me, I understand, but I could never forget Claudia’s name. She’s not one to easily be forgotten.”

His smooth tone sent an undulation of heat through Claudia’s nervous system. With their gazes locked, Jaden spoke to Claudia. “What would you like to eat, chérie?”

“I’ll take anything you bring back.”

“I’ll return shortly then.” Jaden circled the bed and pulled Claudia into an embrace placing a soft kiss against her temple. He released her and left the room.

Adeline looked to her daughter. “That is one fine ass man.” Adeline shook her head slowly. “His daddy still alive?”

Three hours later

Desiree rushed through the double doors of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center emergency room and ran to the front desk.

“I’m looking for my mother, Adeline Stevens. She was rushed here unconscious.”

Desiree’s nails raked across the desk as she waited impatiently for the nurse to look up the information. Frantic Desiree yelled, “Could you hurry it up!”

The clerk’s eyes shot up bewildered. “She’s in room 2107. It’s through these doors, down the hall to the very end, then to the right.”

Desiree shot down the hall, moving past other doctors and nurses coming out of patient’s rooms.

“Ma’am you can’t run down this hall!” A nurse yelled, but Desiree ignored her and continued her race to 2107. She was almost out of breath when she stumbled upon the room. Entering quickly, Desiree came to a sudden halt at what was before her. Her mother, Adeline, sat perched on the hospital bed with two men; each one on each side giving them goofy grins.

Desiree couldn’t get her argument out quick enough when her eyes drifted to their God given form. Both men were dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, but the tone in their muscular arms, flat abs, and firm thighs said they were regulars at the gym. Besides that, she’d never seen men so flawlessly beautiful. Creamy smooth skin, one dark brown the other light brown like the sun had barely kissed his skin. Desiree was thinking of ways she could kiss his skin, and her body traitorously yearned for the one on the left. “Jesus,” she whispered.

Adeline glanced up with a fork halfway to her mouth.

“Hey baby, come in!” Adeline lit up. The two men looked to Desiree and Desiree knew that God had no doubt created them to perfection. Damn.

“Hello,” the one on the right said. “I’m Jaden, this is my brother, Julian.”

Julian fixed Desiree with a devastatingly handsome gaze and rose to his feet. “Greetings, would you like to sit here next to your mom?”

His voice ricocheted off her ear drums causing the beat in her heart to surge. Desiree went to respond when the bathroom door opened and out walked Claudia. The sisters came face to face for the first time in six months.

“Desiree,” Claudia said with an air of surprise in her voice.

“Claudia,” Desiree retorted. “You seemed surprised. You did remember I was coming, didn’t you?”

Claudia closed the bathroom door. “How could I forget?”

Three pairs of eyes were on them as they both held back what was on their minds in front of their mother. Jaden noticed the change of emotion that ran across Claudia’s face and the substantial need to hold her tugged at his spirit.

“Come over and give your mother a hug or are you going to stand there staring at your sister,” Adeline spoke to Desiree.

Desiree strutted over to her mom passing Julian on her way. She glanced at him and couldn’t help but get a sniff of his all male scent. Her belly rumbled, and Desiree wasn’t in need of food. Thrown off her game, she turned from him and threw her arms around Adeline.

“Hey, mama.” Desiree caressed the side of Adeline’s face. “How are you, I was so worried when Claudia told me you were unconscious.”

“Yeah, just a slip and fall. But my handsome hero over here came to my rescue, so I’m fine now.” Adeline shrugged like it was nothing.

Desiree’s brow raised. “Your handsome hero?”

“Yeah, Jaden,” Adeline pointed to him and Jaden smirked waving a hand in Desiree’s direction.

“And would you know, he has a brother. Multiple brothers.”

Desiree took her gaze back to Julian who was still standing idly beside her. “So he does,” Desiree said. She took a hand down her hair, self-consciously checking her appearance. “I guess these are Claudia’s friends.”

“They’re my friends now. I mean… too, they’re my friends, too,” Adeline corrected. Julian and Jaden held amused smiles.

“Maybe you could get to know Julian better. Claudia’s already got dibs on Jaden.”

“Mama!” Claudia blushed mortified. Could her mother be more embarrassing? “I don’t have dibs on anyone. Oh my God.” Claudia tried to wipe the humiliation from her face. “We’re going to step out for a minute.” Claudia pivoted on her heels clutching Jaden’s hand in hers.

“I should probably step out, too,” Julian reached over and shook Adeline’s hand. “It was nice to meet you, mom.” He turned his attention to Desiree. “It was nice to meet you, albeit briefly.”

Julian’s thick brows strong nose and moist lips sent Desiree’s nerves into a frenzy.

“Maybe one day we can become more acquainted.” Julian finished.

“Maybe,” Desiree heard herself saying.

Julian offered her a charismatic grin that budded her areolas.

“I’ll hold you to it.” Julian winked and strolled to the door. Desiree and Adeline looked after him. His strut was confident and strong; looked like he had a nice ass too. Desiree had a brief picture of him thrusting inside her, and she gasped and shut her eyes.

“Honey, I need to meet Christopher,” Adeline said.

“Who’s Christopher? Another brother?”

“No, their father, chile.”

Desiree shook her head. “Mama!”

“What? Shoot, I asked Jaden about him, and he says Christopher is single. Has been for years since their mother’s passing. It’s a touching story, and I’d be willing to touch Christopher all the way through a retelling of it.”

“Mama!”

“What!”

“That is just a little too far! I am your child.”

“And how do you think you got here child?”

Desiree scoffed. “Jesus! What will I do with you?”

“You’ll love me until you can’t no more and get yourself hooked up with that fine man. They own their own businesses. You better snatch that other one up before he’s off the market.”

“That’s not how love works, mama.”

“Shit, you’ll learn to love each other later.”

Desiree giggled and shook my head. “Here I am thinking you’ve got one foot in the dream world and one foot in the real world and you up in the hospital gawking after gorgeous men.”

Adeline wiggled her eyebrows. “It’s fantastic, right? I told Jaden I should pass out more often.”

Desiree pursed her lips and sauntered off.

“Um excuse me, ma’am, where are you going,” Adeline asked.

“To talk to your daughter.”

“You mean your sister.”

“Yeah, that one.”

“Hey,” Adeline said.

“Give her a break; she’s been doing a good job taking care of me.”

“Yeah, looks like she’s been doing a fantastic job,” Desiree said as she strolled through the door in search of Claudia.