A Taste of Spring
Chapter 34

Even though she gulped half her water down, Spring's mouth felt as if it was filled with sand. She sat quietly in his passenger seat as he maneuvered through the strip mall parking lot back to the shoe store. He didn't speak either, but he did glance her way more than once. His words...what he said about her body was the most beautiful thing Spring had ever heard. Those words made it difficult to keep him in the dark about how they met. Liking him...made it ten times harder. (And I do like him.)

Which made no sense. Spring broke it off with Troy because she wanted to focus on her career. She wanted to give modeling her all. If it panned out then awesome. But if it didn't, she would know that she gave it hundred and ten percent.

Spring turned to him just as he pulled the vehicle parallel to the curve, just in front of her job. "Dezmond-"

"Spring-" Dez laughed then said, "You go first."

Spring shook her head. "It's fine...you go first." Her stomach trembled and fluttered, causing her to shift in the seat. The ultra-comfortable seat. A totally random thought-that the car was really nice-seemed to melt away some of her fear. Telling another man that you wanted to just be friends, was stressful. "Alright," Dez said. He shifted in his seat.

The next thing Spring knew...was the intoxicating taste of Dezmond Rey. When he pulled away, he asked her, "What is going on between you and Stanley Spencer?"

"Nothing," Spring answered, still woozy from the kiss.

"Good, because I want you all to myself."

Spring offered a slight nod to her coworker as she pushed through the door. The overhead chime was enough to end her haze-filled dreamlike state. Even though she was no longer floating on cloud nine, it was hard to let the kiss fade. If she thought that their chemistry, she felt that night was a fluke...that it was just her inexperienced sex starved mind making something that was moderate at best, into something explosive...she was wrong.

"Wow! I guess he's not gay." Sammy said.

"Not at all."

A few weeks later

DEZMOND

Pulling into his usual parking spot on Fallon's property, Dez unplugged his cell phone then got out of the car. He sent Spring a quick text as he walked toward the front door. Her response was immediate. He smiled as he stepped up on the porch. The door was pulled open before he even lifted his hand to knock.

"Dezzie!"

Dezmond looked up from his cell phone when he heard the familiar voice. "Winter!" Dez wrapped his arms around the tiny woman and lifted her off her feet. Inside the foyer, he spun in a full circle as he hugged her to him. "Dez," she said laughing, "you're going to make me vomit."

Dez placed her on her feet then took a good look at her. Winter was small in stature and a small build so he didn't notice her small round belly until now. "I forgot. Sorry." he placed his hand on her belly as he kissed her on the forehead. "How far along are we now, five months?"

"Exactly," she said, slapping his arm playfully. "If only my brother could remember the important stuff like you do."

"Where are my girls?" Dez asked as he looked around the open living room to the kitchen.

"Girls," Fallon said with a hint of playful annoyance as he entered the kitchen through the French doors.

"Yes, girls," Winter agreed in the same tone as they made their way through the living room.

Dez followed Winter up the few stairs that separated the sunken living room into the kitchen. "Need any help?" he asked Fallon as he headed for the kitchen sink.

"Andy and Rhea are waiting for you. They know you have gifts." Fallon opened the fridge and pulled out a small covered aluminum tray.

As Dez washed his hands, he smiled as he watched Winter grab a cherry tomato off the top of the salad that Fallon uncovered then hip bumped her brother. It was nice to see the two together again.

Winter and Jacob, Fallon's closest and dearest childhood friend, married young. When the man Fallon loved like a brother died, Fallon took it hard. When Winter started dating Jacob's military friend, Fallon saw it as a personal insult to his friend's memory and cut contact with Winter while keeping in touch with Andrea-Andy-their daughter. Dez hated playing the go between for them.

It wasn't until they almost lost Winter a couple of years ago that Fallon reached out to her. Now, it seemed Winter was happily married to Cordero, a standup guy, who brought his daughter Rhea and his dog Onyx into their fold.

"So, you think we're getting a boy?" Dez asked Cord as he walked through the patio doors, drying his hands.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐