Key To My Heart (Love Conquers All) (14 page)

Ava closed her eyes and shivered as if the temperature had suddenly dropped a cool thirty degrees. The deep, sexy chuckle that bubbled out of Langston stirred something deep inside her. What was happening to her? She went from being annoyed like hell with the man to having goose bumps popping up all over the place just from the sound of his voice.
Girl, get a grip! Get it together!
she chided herself.

Lying in the dark, Ava listened as Langston told her about the call he’d received from his mom earlier, why he’d gone to dinner, and his surprise visitor. As he talked his voice soothed her agitated spirit. From the story he told, Ava was able to discern that Langston was no longer the young man his mother used to be able to manipulate.

The woman was downright pathetic. She was still trying to pick out the perfect wife for him. Ava didn’t know which got under her skin the most—the fact that Beatrice was trying to hook up Langston with this Christina chick, or that her daughter was all up in the mix of this mess. She shouldn’t have cared about Christina. It wasn’t like she and Langston were getting back together. At some point, though, Zoe would end up having to interact with whomever Langston chose to date. And when he got married, the woman would be Zoe’s stepmom.

A wave of sadness swept over Ava as she thought about Langston having more children with another woman. Why was that bothering her too? Who was Ava trying to fool? Langston’s mother’s schemes got under her skin because she didn’t want anyone upsetting what she, Langston, and Zoe had. True, she and Langston weren’t a couple, but having Zoe together made them a family. She would never admit this to anyone, but when the three of them were together, she felt a sense of balance, she felt whole. She never felt this way until the day Summer referred to Langston and Zoe as her family. Langston becoming involved with someone would definitely upset Ava’s little apple cart.

Langston had no intent on unloading on Ava. But for some reason he felt at ease venting his frustrations to her. Langston didn’t have much of a social life. Between running the law firm and parenting Zoe, he rarely had time for socializing. Therefore, other than Charles, he really didn’t have anyone with whom to share his feelings. For some inexplicable reason, he felt Ava would understand what he was going through with his mother. And her next comment was proof she did.

“Lang, I don’t know how to say this any other way, but your mother is pure evil.” Ava hesitated for a few seconds, thinking Langston was going to defend his mother. When he didn’t say anything, she pressed on. “I know she’s Zoe grandmother, but I really don’t want her near my baby. When you told me the reason she never liked me was because I looked like some woman your dad was having an affair with, it wasn’t rocket science for me to figure out that she was mean to Zoe because she looks just like me.” She wanted to add that if the wicked witch laid another finger on Zoe, she was coming to Alexandria. And when she got there she was going to lay hands on Beatrice, and it wasn’t going to be in the spiritual sense either. But she held her tongue, because the woman was still his momma. No matter how much Beatrice worked Langston’s nerves, he still loved her.

There was no way Langston could deny Ava’s astute conclusion. Every time he thought about his mother’s abusive nature toward his little girl, he wanted to hate her, wanted to push her completely out of his life. However, each time he moved in that direction, he had to remind himself that he and Zoe were the only family she had, which was why he tolerated her. Beatrice had two sisters and plenty of nieces and nephews, but none of them were willing to put up with her overinflated ego.

Langston let out a deep breath. “Ava, I swear to you I will not let my mother hurt Zoe again. I had no idea it was going on until the school contacted me.”

“I know you won’t,” Ava whispered, completely believing Langston. Tonight wasn’t the first time he’d told her how he discovered his mother had been physically abusing Zoe. It didn’t surprise Ava that the mean old goat would use the opportunity to hit on Zoe while Langston was out of town. As a school nurse she’d witnessed all types of scenarios of how and when children were abused by family members.

“Hey, Lang?

Langston leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and closed his eyes. That was the second time Ava had called him Lang. She had only ever called him that when they were alone or while they were intimate. “Lang, are you asleep?”

“No, baby, I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“You keep calling me Lang,” he pointed out. He didn’t mean to, but his voice came out in a sexy drawl.

Ava’s breath caught on a soft gasp, not so much from his velvet voice caressing every inch of her, but from the realization that she had indeed called him Lang. The name had rolled off her tongue as effortlessly as if it was as natural as breathing. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies as she remembered the first time she’d called him Lang. She wondered if he remembered too.

“And you just called me baby,” Ava returned, trying to cover her slipup.

“Does it bother you?” he asked, praying it hadn’t.

“No, it doesn’t bother me,” she answered truthfully. It had been such a long time since a man had called her by a tender endearment that it felt good, real good. “Does it bother you that I called you by my old name for you? Because if it does, I won’t,” Ava rushed out. She figured if she was comfortable with him calling her baby, hopefully he didn’t have a problem with her calling him Lang.

Was she kidding? Langston had to fight to hold his composure. He wanted to jump up and down, pump his fist in the air, and yell, “Yeah! Boooy!” The girl had no idea that when she called him Lang it was like she was his all over again. She had no idea how special it made him feel.

“Nah, baby—”

“Daddy,” came the muffled, teary voice from the doorway of the den, interrupting him from telling the woman he still loved that she could call him whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, just as long as she called him.

Zoe stepped further into the room, staring wide eyed at her father. “My mommy didn’t call me tonight.”

Ava felt her heart being squeezed. Zoe thought she had forgotten about her.
Oh, my Zoe.
“Lang, please let me talk to her.”

“Come here, Love Bug. Your mommy wants to talk to you.”

Zoe ran over to Langston and climbed up on his lap. Taking the phone, she said, “Hi, Mommy. I miss you.”

Langston held their little girl in his arms while she talked to Ava. As he listened to her talking to her mother, he realized Zoe needed a mother on a full-time basis. Apparently, the young child had awakened, aware she hadn’t talked to her mommy, and because she hadn’t, she felt abandoned. How much longer could they go on like this? Ava in Philly, he and Zoe in D.C. Zoe deserved to have both her parents together, under one roof, all the time.

As the thought of them all living together formed in his mind, Langston vowed that somehow, someway, he would have his family together…forever.

The following day Ava’s concentration kept slipping. No matter how hard she tried to focus on the vision screenings she was performing, she had to ask almost every third grader to repeat the line they’d just read. Nothing was sticking. Her mind had gone to Langstonville and was having a heck of a time returning back home.

Annoyed, little Billy Jones whined, “Nurse Peretti, I already read that line two times.” The youngster had been pulled from a lively game of kickball during his gym class and was eager to get back to the game. At the rate Nurse Peretti was going, he’d be there the rest of the afternoon reading the same two lines.

Embarrassed at being put on full blast by an eight-year-old, Ava mumbled an apology. “Sorry, Billy. Please read the next line.”

Last night’s conversation with Langston was wearing on her big time. Never in a million, no make that, gazillion years had she thought old feelings would reach back, pulling her under. Talking to him had been like old times. Back in the day they’d sit on the phone at night talking about everything and nothing. It didn’t matter what they’d talk about, just as long as they could hear the other’s voice.

Once she’d overcome being angry with Langston after he explained why she hadn’t been able to contact Zoe, Ava had lowered her defenses. In doing so, she was able to remember why she had fallen for Langston in the first place. He was easy to be around, easy to talk to.

And when he checked her last night after she snapped on him, initially Ava had been heated. But then when she learned how he had also stood his ground with his mother, she was thoroughly impressed. This was not the same man who’d allowed his parents to dictate every facet of his life. Over the years he had grown into a man with a spine of steel. And he was not about to let anyone step to him incorrect and not be set straight, and that included Ava. Now that right there was downright sexy as all get out to Ava.

Last night their conversation was about to meander down a path that she wasn’t ready to travel. She’d be lying if she denied that she was being drawn into Langston’s sensual web. The soothing, vibrating timber of his voice, calling her baby, and forcing her to acknowledge she’d slipped and called him a name that was purely, intimately theirs was all more than she could stand. In spite of the past, she found herself getting caught up.

After being hurt by Langston’s betrayal, Ava had closed off her heart. Although she occasionally flirted or went out on a date, that was as far as it went. Never did she illusion herself into thinking she would have a loving relationship with another man. Ava’s one desire in life had always been to have a relationship and marriage like her parents. After meeting and falling in love with Langston, she’d thought she had her heart’s desire. But somehow things had gone terribly wrong.

Allowing her guard down last night had given her a glimmer of hope that she didn’t have to be lonely anymore. Lying in her bed talking with Langston had slowly begun to open a door in her heart that she’d thought was sealed forever. It was as if she’d needed someone to come along with the key, and now she finally realized that Langston was the one who always held that key.

This was all so confusing for Ava. How could she be feeling anything for a man who had literally crushed her? And why was she feeling anything for him? Although she desperately wanted to hate him, she couldn’t. Every time she tried, and she did try, Ava’s heart and thoughts would go back to Zoe.

Zoe might have Ava’s physical characteristics, but her easy going, tender, and sensitive nature was all Langston.

Ava smiled as she thought about her little girl. It blessed her heart so much to know Zoe had missed her too. In a way she was grateful Zoe had interrupted the conversation she was having with Langston. She had begun to lose focus and needed to regroup. As good as Langston had made her felt, he wasn’t her priority. Zoe was. Frolicking down memory lane would serve no purpose for either one of them. Their main purpose was to get along so that they could be loving parents to their daughter. Period.

But if this was so, then why did the thought of not having Langston as the man in her life make Ava so blue?

eee

“Daddy, did you hear me?” Zoe asked, giving her father a quizzical stare. All morning he’d been acting quite strange. Usually he was very talkative, engaging her in conversation over breakfast, but not this morning.

Langston’s head snapped up from the plate of bacon, eggs, and home fries Charles had prepared.

“Huh? I’m sorry, Love Bug. What did you say?”

He could not get Ava out of his mind. All night he’d tossed and turned, every word she’d spoken the night before haunting him, stirring emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time. Once she had let her guard down, Langston slowly eased his way in, gently treading on the thin sheet of ice between them.

Langston wanted her. Not just in his bed, but in his life. He wanted Ava as his wife. Wanted to give Zoe the childhood she deserved with two loving parents. More than anything, he wanted to give Zoe brothers and sisters.

Yeah, he wanted it all. But he knew in order to have it all, he’d have to earn her trust and love again. He had his work cut out for him, but was up to the challenge. Even though their conversation had taken a turn, and old feelings began to bubble to the surface, Langston wasn’t the least bit fooled. He was certain in the light of day the sensual pull they’d experienced last night would dissipate for Ava.

From what he could gather, Ava had remained single and wasn’t seeing anyone. He didn’t know how to feel about her not moving on with her life in that regard. Ava was a beautiful woman and deserved to be in a loving relationship with someone. Was it because she had been permanently scarred by what he’d done that she hadn’t been able to move beyond her past? Just the thought sent Langston’s gut into tight knots of guilt.

Although Ava had changed, in so many ways she was still
his
Ava. Talking to her and sharing his thoughts with her was something he had never been able to do with any other woman. What he respected about her was that she wasn’t afraid to tell him what she really thought or believed. She had never been the type to acquiescence because they didn’t see eye to eye. Matter of fact, on numerous occasions they’d get into lively discussions, each trying to get their point across. Usually in the end they’d kiss, make up, agree to disagree, and move on.

After they’d hung up last night, he admitted to himself that Ava had been more than his lover. She’d been a confidant and trusted friend. And now more than anything, Langston wanted that back and more . . . a lot more. And he was determined to get it.