He walked over and sat in the sofa opposite her. “I understand you and Carlton have a date tonight.”

“Yes, we do. And I am not canceling it. So, if you have come here to try to warn me away from him, then—”

He cut her off. “No! That’s not what I meant. I’m glad that you two are trying to work things out. I think it’s for the best.”

Latonya did a double take as she tried to figure out what new angle the elder Harrington was clearly trying to work. “Yeah, right! Save it, okay? You know, I really could care less what you think! I know you don’t like me and that’s fine. Just refrain from threatening my family and trying to ruin my relationship with my sons or their father and we will be cool. You stay in your place and I’ll stay in mine.”

The elder Harrington appeared as if he were going to get up and leave for minute. But he paused instead. He leaned forward and an earnest expression came across his face. “It wasn’t ever really about not liking you. I mean, yes, I do have certain prejudices about black Americans. I am working through those because I have come to realize that it hardly makes sense.” He shook his head and continued, “Yes, I had hoped that my grandson would eventually settle with a nice, quiet Bahamian girl from a suitable family. I wanted to be able to control the situation so that I could keep him safe. If he married a girl from home, from a family I picked, then I would have been able to control her through her family.

“If Carlton wasn’t as deeply in love with the woman then she couldn’t hurt him the way…I could see how much he loved you and I could also see right away that I wouldn’t be able to really control you, or your family. Well, can you imagine anyone trying to control that Evelyn? Or even Cicely? That’s a spunky one. You did a good job with her, by the way.”

“I didn’t raise Cee Cee. Gran raised us—”

“I had you checked out a long time ago, girl. I know that your father left and your mom was sick most of the time. I know that your grandmother worked harder than any woman should have to. You took care of your sister. You mothered her. And seeing how she turned out…seeing the way you are with my great-grandsons…I just wanted to let you know that I know you’re a good mother. It wasn’t about me not thinking you were a good mother. I just didn’t want history to repeat itself. The other one…that Anastasia…” He spit out Carlton’s mother’s name as if it would kill him to voice it. “I just knew that the way Carlton felt about you would leave him open for hurt and I wanted to spare him. I was afraid of losing him.”

Latonya’s heart softened toward the old man. Carlton’s mother had certainly done a number on the Harrington men. “I understand that. But you need to understand that no good can come from mixing fear with love.” Latonya had learned that the hard way. She’d spent her entire marriage to Carlton afraid that he was going to leave her the way her father did. Even though she loved Carlton her fear stopped her from having all that their love could have been. “You have to tell Carlton the truth. If you love him, you can’t continue the lie.”

“If I tell him he will cast me out and have nothing else to do with me. I can’t lose him. I can’t lose my great-grandsons. I love those boys.” The fearful expression on the elder Harrington’s face showed how vulnerable he was.

Latonya knew that the truth had to come out. It was the only way for the entire family to really heal. She also knew that she would not be the one to tell Carlton. It had to come from the old man. “Carlton will be angry. He does have the Harrington temper. But he will eventually forgive you. You have to trust in the relationship you have. You won’t lose him.”

“I’ll think about it. I just want to let you know that I’m sorry.” His shoulders slumped and once again he looked every bit of his seventy-plus years. “I didn’t really mean to hurt you, girl. I just wanted to try to save my grandson.”

“Latonya,” Latonya said her name clearly.

“What?” the elder Harrington asked in a perplexed manner.

“Well, if we are going to get off to a new start then you can stop calling me ‘girl,’ or ‘that girl,’or ‘the girl’ and call me by my name.” She tilted her head and smirked at him.

The older man smiled. “Can you see why I had no hopes of controlling you? Fine, Latonya, do you think that you can call me something besides ‘old man’?”

Latonya smiled. “Maybe one day.”

Latonya tested the knot on the cream silk wraparound dress she’d picked up at Frances’s Boutique. It was simply made and hugged her curves nicely. She hoped it was casual enough for the date. While the dress could go either dressy or casual, the strappy little cream sandals she wore might have been a little too much. She debated changing them for some low-heeled pumps.

Her hair had grown a bit more. It still was nowhere near her shoulder-length, wavy mass, which meant she couldn’t wear an updo. Soft curls framed her face.

She was just putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Carlton walked into her bedroom. She turned and her mouth dropped. He wore a pair of brown dress slacks and an off-white silk shirt. The first couple of buttons were undone and she could see just a hint of his sexy chest, enough to make her yearn to see more.

He held a red velvet jewelry box in his hand—a big one that looked like it housed a necklace.

“I want you to wear this tonight,” he said as he opened the box.

She frowned, a sense of déjà vu overcame her. Lavishing her with clothes and jewels the way he had in the past wouldn’t change things. She wouldn’t allow herself to be lulled into a reconciliation with costly gifts. However, when she looked in the box, she couldn’t contain her reaction as her mouth widened into an O. It was the most beautiful, most simple diamond necklace she had ever seen. Also inside the box was a pair of diamond studs like the ones he’d given her for their first anniversary. She had pawned the others to add to the money she’d needed to disappear.

The small, dainty necklace had three significantly sized diamonds and a setting that appeared to be antique. She’d never seen anything so precious. “I can’t wear that. Oh, my goodness, Carlton, what would make you buy something like that, something so expensive?”

“I didn’t buy it. It belonged to my mother. It was the only thing in her collection that I thought you would like. Everything else was a bit much.” Shrugging with a nonchalance she knew instinctively he could hardly feel about his mother or her jewelry, he removed the necklace and the earrings from the box and tossed the box on the dresser before walking over to her. “I meant to give it to you a long time ago.”

Shaking her head, she gasped, “I can’t take your mother’s jewelry. This is an heirloom that should stay in the family.”

“Are you planning to go somewhere anytime soon? The last time I checked, as my wife, you are a part of the Harrington family.”

“I know, but, Carlton—”

Cutting her off, he said, “Just turn around so that I can put the necklace on you.”

When he placed the jewelry around her neck, his fingertips trailed her neck. Goose bumps sprang up and she knew her skin must have been flaming red.

He handed her the earrings. “Your ears have been a little bare.”

She took a deep breath and put the diamond studs on as he continued to stand behind her and watch her in the mirror. Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her around and took a sharp breath.

Gazing in his eyes, she saw what caused him to inhale so sharply. Desire.

He held her gaze, and she was sure that he wanted her to see how much he desired her. The passion and need held in his stare made her breath catch.

“We’d better go,” Carlton said. His slow steps toward the door let Latonya know without a doubt that he was as torn as she was.

She didn’t know whether she should pull him into her arms and kiss him or go out on the date that they had agreed on.

As she followed him down the stairs, she gathered they had both decided to stick to the plans and go on the date.

They took one of Carlton’s luxury cars instead of having a driver for the night. Twisting her hands the entire ride, she calmed herself by thinking about the boys and how she hoped that the date would be the start of a new beginning for their family.

Even though she felt silly hoping for it, the more she lived under the same roof with Carlton and their children, the more she wanted to be a family, wanted her husband to love her.

After talking with Jillian about Carlton’s past and his parents’ relationship, she felt less and less confident that they were going to be able to make it.

“Are you as nervous as I am?” Carlton asked.

Latonya laughed. “You would think we were in high school or something, huh?”

Carlton joined her in laughter as he pulled up to Manny’s, the Cuban restaurant that he’d taken her to on their first date. “I figured that this was as good a place as any for us to try to start over.”

“Yes. It is, and this time, I’ll order,” Latonya offered with a smile.

Dinner went well, and Carlton felt himself relaxing just a little bit more with each moment of their date. He had a lot riding on getting it right this time. He planned to court and woo his wife properly. Even if it meant sitting through the latest romantic comedy that he would never have selected on his own. But Cee Cee told him that as hard-core as Latonya pretended to be, she had a soft spot for the lighthearted love stories.

Judging from the way Latonya’s eyes stayed glued to the screen, Cicely was right. Oddly, Carlton even found himself being pulled into the story. He shocked Latonya and himself when he found himself talking aloud and coaching the hero in the film, “Oh, come on, man! Go after her!”

The two women sitting in front of them turned around and shushed him. Latonya leaned over and whispered, “Somebody is getting into this little, what did you call it, oh yes, chick flick.”

Carlton put his arm around her as he filled his mouth with popcorn and continued to watch the film. He couldn’t help it if the guy in the movie was an idiot and was on the verge of losing the love of his life.

They enjoyed the rest of the film in silence until Latonya shouted out in frustration, “Oh, come on, girl. Forgive him! Can’t you see that he loves you? Good grief!”

The women turned around and glared at them again.