Winning Dawn Read online

  * * * *

  “You cut your hair,” Alma Smith noted.

  “Yes, Mama.” Dawn touched a hand to her new spiky pixie cut. It was shorter than she’d ever had it done. She loved it. She only wished she could have gotten the blue streaks like her hairdresser Andre had tempted her to do.

  “Hmph.” Her mother turned away without opening the screen door. “It’s unlocked. Come on in before you let all the heat out.”

  Dawn entered and followed her mother through the den to the kitchen. The smells of Sunday dinner filled the room. She sat at the table as her mother returned to the stove to stir collard greens in a large pot. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned back to Dawn. “Are you staying for dinner?”

  “If you’ll have me.”

  “You’re the one who stopped coming over. You were never unwelcome.”

  She acknowledged her mother’s words with a nod. It was Reggie who had been unwelcome and she’d been too stubborn to come without him. “I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat and decided to get right to the point of her visit. “We broke up, Mama.”

  Alma’s lips pursed. “Mm.” She turned the light on in her oven and peeked through the glass at whatever lay inside.

  “I’m sorry about…ignoring your advice about him. He moved out the day after the rehearsal dinner. It’s really over.”

  “And you’re just now telling me?”

  Dawn studied her mother’s expression. It was at once exasperated and joyous. “I didn’t want to ruin Kayla’s wedding with talk of the break up.”

  “Please! It would have been good news!” She rushed over and folded Dawn in her arms. “I like this new haircut. It suits your face.” She kissed her forehead and then pulled back. “Please tell me that you’re the one who ended it.”

  She grinned. “Yes, or I’d be blubbering right now about your joy at my pain.”

  “Hmph.” She released her and ran a lock of her hair through her fingers before patting her own graying curls. “Maybe I should get my hair cut like that. I haven’t really kept up with the latest styling trends since you stopped forcing them on me.”

  “And how does Mr. George feel about that?” she asked of her mother’s long time beau.

  Alma waved a hand. “He’s always telling me I’m beautiful. He’s good for the ego. That’s how he keeps me.” She smiled and winked. “He’ll be over for dinner in about an hour.”

  Dawn rested her chin in her hand. Her mother and Mr. George had been keeping each other company since her last year of high school. They didn’t call it dating. Dawn suspected that it was out of continued respect for their late spouses. She knew her mother considered herself too old to want to remarry. She enjoyed the freedom of being single. It allowed her to be uncompromising when she wanted to be.

  “Kayla will be home next weekend, right? I’m going to bake a cheesecake and I want you to take it to her place before she returns. It will be a nice surprise.”

  “Sure. I can take it when I go to check her mail.” She longed to ask her mother what she thought of Kayla marrying a white man, but it didn’t matter. Her fling with Evan was over. She wasn’t likely to start dating another white man. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder…. “Mama, what do you think of Josh?”

  “I’ve barely met the boy. Cat has accepted him so he must be doing something right.”

  “You think they’ll make it even though he’s white?”

  “From what I hear, he’s been obsessed with your cousin for years. And you know Kayla. She’s as loyal as the day is long. Even that crazed ex-girlfriend of his couldn’t break them apart.” She stirred her collard greens. “Now, if they withstood that and my sister Cat’s initial disapproval, they can handle anything.”

  Dawn frowned, mulling over her mother’s words. That wasn’t exactly what she needed to hear. She sighed. “But what do you think of her marrying a white guy?”

  “It’s none of my business. If she’s happy and he treats her right, then who am I to care?”

  “And if I were to date a white guy?”

  Alma turned slowly. “Are you dating again already?”

  “Not really.”

  “Got someone in mind?” Dawn sighed. She didn’t know how to answer that one without launching into the entire tale. Alma put her hand to her ear. “What’s that? I didn’t hear anything.”

  “Not to worry, Mama, it’s over already.”

  “My goodness, girl, you’re like The Young & The Restless. I’m going to have to buy Soap Opera Digest to keep up with you.”

  She laughed. “My life is not nearly that eventful.”

  Alma smiled. “I’ve missed having you over.”

  Dawn felt her eyes fill with tears. “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “And as to your dating a white guy, I don’t care if he’s purple, so long as he loves you and treats you like you deserve.”

  Chapter 10

  When she arrived at work Monday morning, Jenna Mae and Marshall were waiting at her desk. Dawn shook her head and laughed at the two of them. “You all are some nosey folks,” she declared before continuing on to her seat. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there’s not much to tell.”

  Jenna Mae glanced at her empty ring finger. “Darn.”

  “I said no. End of story.”

  Marshall arched a brow. “This new man must be something special.”

  “Nope,” she said, taking a seat and booting up her computer. She swallowed to speak past the lump in her throat. “That’s over, too.”

  A second brow rose to meet the first. “Really?”

  “You move fast,” Jenna Mae said. “Love the new cut, by the way.”

  “Thanks. I’m learning to love it, too. It’s so much more manageable this way.”

  “Well, I’ve got calls to make, e-mails to send, yada.” Jenna Mae waved. “Meet you guys for lunch?” she called over her shoulder.

  “Sure thing.” She glanced up, surprised to see Marshall still standing there. “Is there something you wanted?”

  “A date with you,” he said without preamble.

  Her mouth dropped open. She’d always thought of Marshall as nothing more than an office buddy. She was barely aware that he was a man. He hung out with her and Jenna Mae so often that he seemed like one of the girls. When she’d discovered that he wasn’t gay, she’d assumed he was warming up to Jenna Mae. “Um….”

  “Think about it, okay?”

  She halted him before he could leave. “Marshall, I can’t.”

  “Still hung up on Reggie?”

  “No, not at all.” If anything, she was having regrets about Evan. If she hadn’t been so angry with him, she would have assured him that Reggie and she were history. “I really like you but—”

  “You see me as only a friend.” She nodded and he sighed. “Okay, but you can’t blame a guy for trying.” He leaned over and dropped his voice. “Just so you know, the sex would have been out of this world.”

  Her brows arched. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  * * * *

  Friday evening saw her driving up to Kayla’s house with one of her mother’s classic New York cheesecakes, a bottle of champagne she’d picked up, and some fresh strawberries. She saw no reason for the couple to end their honeymoon the second they returned. She hoped to inspire some romantic moments.

  Evan’s black Volvo was already parked in the drive. Dawn sighed. She was tempted to come back later, but she had to face him eventually. Might as well get the awkward first post-affair meeting out of the way. She placed the wine bottle on the porch railing and fished Kayla’s key out of her pocket. Before she could insert it in the lock, Evan opened the door. His expression showed his surprise at seeing her there before he quickly hid all emotion. His dark eyes flicked over her hair, but he said nothing.

  He nodded at her and stepped out of the way, holding the door for her. “Thank you.” She put the cheesecake box and strawberries on the table at the entryway and turned back for the champagne only to see
Evan retreating to his car. “So that’s it?” she called. “You’re not even going to speak to me?”

  He paused before turning. He shrugged broad shoulders. “There’s nothing to say.”

  She gripped the slender neck of the bottle and approached him. She really shouldn’t let him go on thinking she was with Reggie again, but anger over the way he’d callously dumped her on the phone held her tongue. Damn it, she had her pride. “Look, this whole thing was your idea. We can avoid each other whenever possible, but I’m not going to cease to exist to convenience you.”

  He arched a black brow. “I don’t expect you to.”

  “The least we can do is . . .be civil to each other.”

  “I agree.”

  She studied him. He seemed bored by this entire conversation. She sighed. He was evidently an old pro at severing ties with lovers quickly and efficiently. His emotions were untouched. She’d had some hope when she’d received the package from him on Wednesday. She’d been tempted to call him, but she could see nothing had changed for him. He was resolute in ending their fling. She bit her lip. “Thank you for the emergency kit.” When she’d opened the Amazon.com box and seen the kit, she’d immediately known who it’d come from. She hadn’t needed a card to know the gift was from Evan.

  He shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

  “Well…”

  He gave a brisk nod. “See you around.”

  She returned the gesture. Not wanting to appear like a lovesick fool, she turned on her heel and went into Kayla’s house. She put the cheesecake and fruit in the fridge and left the champagne on the counter next to a large basket of cookies and a pile of Josh’s mail. For now, the newlyweds would be sharing Kayla’s house. They had plans of selling both their houses and purchasing a home together. She went back out to the mailbox, collected Kayla’s mail, and added it to the other assorted letters and magazines.

  Chapter 11

  Dawn was wrapped in her cousin’s embrace the second the door was opened. She laughed. “I missed you, too.” She hugged Kayla back. It was Sunday morning. Kayla had called her last night to tell her that she and Josh had arrived home safely. They’d invited her over to breakfast. “I can’t wait to hear all about your trip.” Kayla’s skin glowed from a tan, but Dawn knew it was more than that. Her cousin was truly happy with her new husband.

  “Well, as you know, we stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower. It was so beautiful, Dawn. I wish I’d thought to take my art supplies. I’ll have to rely on memories and photos, but I still don’t know if I’ll be able to do it justice.” They entered the kitchen where Josh was flipping pancakes. Josh was also tanned and happier than she’d ever seen him.

  He groaned. “You’re still complaining about that? I thought I kept you well occupied.”

  Kayla blushed and Dawn laughed. “Anyway,” Kayla continued, “Josh gave me more swimming lessons. Not enough to get me on a kayak, but I did go sailing.”

  “Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll go some day.”

  “You could go for your honeymoon.”

  Dawn bit her lip. “Um, I guess I might as well tell you that that may be a long time in coming. I broke up with Reggie.” She held up her hand as they both made sympathetic noises. “I know what you’re thinking. I ended it the night of your wedding rehearsal. He moved out the next day. So, yes, it’s truly over. This is not yet another temporary separation. And I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to ruin your wedding with my issues.”

  Kayla’s eyes had widened steadily as she talked. Josh, for some reason, was grinning widely. Kayla shot him a glare and he turned back to the stove. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Sure, I wasn’t thrilled and it wasn’t easy. But it was so time. I-I think this has been building for a while.” She soon found herself wrapped in her cousin’s embrace again.

  “Come through to the dining room with me,” Kayla said with an arm lingering around her shoulders. “Josh, bring in breakfast when it’s done.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You have him so well trained,” she said as she took a seat in the dining room. Plates and silverware were already on the table.

  Kayla studied her. “Are you really okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. I missed him at first, but I’m not in love with him anymore, Kayla. I probably haven’t been for some time. It’s one of those cases of hanging onto a man because of what was and not because of what is.”

  Kayla sighed and sat. “I really appreciate you helping me see that I wanted Josh. We’re so happy.”

  “I can see that.”

  “I want that for you, too. I was so worried about you marrying Reggie because I didn’t know if he could make you happy.”

  Dawn felt herself tearing up. “The break up was quite a scene, but I knew it was just going to be more of the same from now until eternity. I’m done with that.”

  Kayla gave her another quick hug. “Good. You can do so much better.”

  “You have to admit he was cute though.”

  “Who’s cute?” Josh asked, bringing in a platter of pancakes and sausages. He held pancake syrup in the other hand.

  “Nobody,” Kayla said briskly. “What do you want to drink? Milk?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Dawn said, and Josh agreed.

  “All right. I’ll be right back.”

  “Wow, this looks really good.” She eyed the platter of food.

  Josh cleared his throat. “So, um, did you happen to see my brother yesterday when he was here?”

  “Sure,” she said, not meeting his gaze.

  “How did he seem?”

  “Usual, I guess.” She shrugged. “Why?”

  He leaned back in his seat. “He left us a basket of cookies. Evan bakes when he’s working on a project…or if he’s upset. With the three dozen cookies up in that kitchen, I’m guessing it’s the latter. Have any idea what could have him donning his apron?” He arched a golden brow at her in question.

  Her mouth dropped open. “Your brother has serious issues. Baking? Really?”

  His lips curled into a bit of a smile and he shrugged a shoulder. “You’d have to ask him why baking. He makes a killer chocolate chip. They’re seriously addictive. You’ll have to take some with you.”

  Kayla returned with goblets and a pitcher filled with milk. She gave her husband a knowing look. “Is he grilling you about Evan? He thinks there’s something wrong because he brought us cookies. How can cookies be a bad thing?”

  Dawn smiled but refrained from commenting. She sipped her milk when she was served. She eagerly dug into her breakfast. “Josh, these pancakes are delicious.” When silence greeted her, she looked up to find the couple staring at her. “What?”

  The two exchanged a glance. “Well, I wanted to ask you to Thanksgiving dinner.”

  She sensed hesitancy in Kayla’s words. “And?”

  “We’re going to invite Evan. The two of you haven’t been getting along the last few months. Is that going to cause a problem?”

  This was nothing less than what she’d expected. Her mother had plans to spend Thanksgiving with her sister Catherine in Atlanta. So she could either spend the holiday alone or spend it pretending not to be disturbed by Evan’s presence. “Of course not,” she answered, but realized her response wasn’t nearly quick enough. The two of them locked gazes again. Dawn wanted to grind her teeth. “Really. I’m fine with it if he is.”

  * * * *

  “Are you okay with that?”

  Evan grunted. The situation was less than ideal, but not completely unexpected. What were unexpected were his lingering feelings for Dawn. He’d made so many batches of cookies that he was running out of supplies. He found the process of baking therapeutic. There were no surprises. It was at once engrossing and precise. He knew what would happen each time. And if it went wrong, he always knew what he’d screwed up. Not so with his relationships. Somehow, they were all inevitably fucked.

  “Care to commit to a statement?” Josh asked.


  He held the phone tighter until he could hear the plastic of the cordless creak. “I don’t know why you’re even asking me. I don’t care one way or the other.”

  “Really? What happened to your plans where she was concerned?”

  “I never had any plans,” he denied.

  “Good. Then you’re dining with us Thanksgiving?”

  “Sure. Wouldn’t miss it.” They said their goodbyes and hung up. “Damn it,” he muttered. The last thing he wanted was to spend Thanksgiving sitting across from Dawn and that ass of a boyfriend of hers.

  He remembered how she’d looked so sexy and sassy on Friday with her new haircut. He’d wanted to take her in his arms and lick her all over. He’d walked away to keep from grabbing her and doing just that.

  He heard his cell ring and located it at the bottom of his gym bag where he’d left it earlier after playing basketball with friends. Caller ID showed that it was Sylvia. Her calls had been more frequent of late. She served as a constant reminder of why he shouldn’t let himself become entangled in another relationship.

  His reasons for marrying her had been sound. He’d been young, only twenty-five, and raising a teenage Joshua all on his own. Their parents were older and surprised when Josh came along. Evan was ten years Joshua’s senior. He’d been dating Sylvia for over a year and he felt Josh needed a female influence in his life after their mother’s passing. It was only after they married that he learned that Sylvia had married him because she believed he would come into a substantial inheritance. She hadn’t expected him to use the money to send Josh to college.

  He winced at the mere memory of the fight that ensued when she’d found out he was paying Joshua’s tuition. She’d called him every name in the book and even hurled an object or two at his head. He’d been quiet and let her rant, thinking she would calm down once she’d had her say. His patience only infuriated her more. That altercation had been the beginning of the end.