“A mix of classical and R&B.” he told her quietly. He placed his hand over hers and pressed down slightly. “I am sorry.”
“For?”
“For what you went through as a child. I wish I could take it all away.”
“That’s sweet,” she told him with a whimsical smile. “I once thought about drinking- “she laughed as his eyebrows shot up. “Don’t worry. I took one taste of alcohol; I think it was cheap vodka and had to run to the bathroom. I puked my guts out so from then on, I decide to stick to wine.” She shrugged. “I am fine Gray, I really am.”
“I don’t think you are.” He moved his hand from hers and reached up to cup her cheek. “I am happy you are able to talk to me. I feel helpless that I cannot do much more than listen.”
“Listening is good. Have you eaten?”
“Have you?”
“Lasagna, the most delicious I have ever eaten. Clarissa left yours in the warmer. How about I deal with it while you take a shower?”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
“Will you be staying in here tonight?” he asked casually as he hopped off the bed.
“No. I was just trying to get a little rest. But I am okay now.”
“Good,” he extended a hand to help her up. “Let’s go.”
*****
“You don’t have to wait on me, Shelby,” Benjamin protested as she brought him another pillow to put behind his head. He came home in the afternoon and Clarissa fed him as soon as he came in. Shelby came home to find him in the living room watching the games and sat and spoke to him before getting up to get him something from the kitchen. “I am really okay, and I have two legs which happen to be working.” He looked up as Gray came into the room. “Is she this way with you?”
“No,” Gray said with a grin. “But then I am not the one who had a stroke a few days ago.” He walked over to pour himself a drink and turned to look at his uncle. “You are still on medication, so I am not going to even ask if you want one.”
“You are one cruel mother- “Benjamin swore. “Would you leave us alone for a couple of minutes darling?”
“Of course,” Shelby said with a smile, placing a hand on his arm before leaving the room.
“Are you just going to stand there and mock me with that drink in your hand?” Benjamin demanded as soon as Shelby left the room. “I never thought you were that heartless.”
“I want a drink and I do not see why I have to suffer because you are.” Gray lifted the drink in a mock toast. “This is payback for scaring the crap out of me.”
“I apologized for that several times. What do you want? A tattoo of the apology on my chest?”
“That would do.” Gray tossed back the drink and came to sit on the sofa opposite him. “How are you really?”
“I would feel better with a drink and a warm woman in my arms.” Benjamin grumbled.
“You are going to have to settle for me.” Gray stretched his long legs out. “We managed to keep your illness out of the papers. We do not want that kind of publicity. Not with the new store we are taking over in the downtown area.”
“That’s still hush hush?”
“Yea,” Gray linked his hands behind his head. “It’s a delicate negotiation and we don’t want anything out there until we have signed on the dotted lines.”
“What’s taking so damned long?”
“The owner is an old man and the place has been in his family for almost one hundred years. The plan is to revamp the entire block and restore it to its former glory. It’s going to take a lot of work, but this is what I want to do, Ben. I have the original blueprints and have been going over it with the contractors. All we need is the damn signature.”
“And you will get it. What’s the time frame?”
“Next June for the opening. Realistically, it could take close to a year, but I am gunning for June. I want a big splash Ben, summer blowout and everything. If I could just get the man to see sense and let, go.”
“The man has history with that place. You are going to have to cut him some slack.”
“I already have, several times. The family are all about letting go but he is the one who is hanging on. The man is eighty years old, Ben and heading for the nursing home.”
“Why don’t you let me get a shot at this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I want to get a chance to talk to him. Set up a meet with him and let me try and charm the old guy. Like you told me the other day, I am not exactly young, so we might just click.”
Gray grinned at his disgruntled expression. “You are still pissed that I called you old?”
“I am not old! I am mature and experienced. Just ask anyone of those ladies I have been with and they will tell you.”
“I would prefer not to.”
“Whatever,” he waved a hand. “How is with Shelby?”
“What do you mean?”
“How is the relationship?”
“It’s fine.”
“Just fine?”
“We are still working stuff through. She is pretty damaged because of her childhood and I feel helpless. I have no way of helping her.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “The things she has been through, I have no way of comprehending all of it. Her mother dragged her to church every day and when she was not being dragged, she was forced to read the Bible and be able to tell what she read and then spend hours on her knees praying. She was a child for Christ’s sake, and she was put through all that! It makes me want to confront that woman and wring her blasted neck!”
“We should double team her and make her understand the damage she has put that poor girl through.” Benjamin said grimly as he eased himself up onto the cushions. “It’s a wonder she turned out the way she did.”
“She is constantly questioning whether or not she will be a good mother.”
“She will be, undoubtedly, that girl has a big heart.”
“I keep telling her that.”
*****
“We are having two boys?” Shelby asked in a daze as she peered at the monitor.
“What did I tell you?” Gray asked triumphantly, a wide smile on his face.
“Control yourself, buddy.” Shelby told him without turning her head away from the monitor. “I cannot see anything but grains. I think that’s two heads and I see what looks like arms and legs, but I am not seeing anything else. How can you tell?”
The doctor ran the instrument over her belly to give her a different angle. “See?” he pointed to the monitor.
“Can you see anything?” she turned to look at Gray.
“You mean a penis or two?” he asked her with a smile. “I don’t but I trust the good doctor. And if he says two boys, I am going to take his word for it and get started on the nursery right away.”
“There is something else.”
Shelby felt her heartbeat quickened. “What is it, Dr. Manning?”
“You are carrying twins and they are growing at the normal rate. But there are certain complications that comes with multiple births.”