Knowing that trying to sleep was futile, Dominique climbed out of bed, wrapped her robe around her, and padded barefoot downstairs. Today would be her day to handle the boys all alone. After so many weekends of Justin staying in Inglewood, Faith had left Alexis with Anita so that she and Aaron could spend a much-needed weekend alone. They’d gone to a spa in Palm Desert and Tessa had left a message saying her sister in Tucson had had her baby three weeks early and she’d be gone for several days. So even if Jake had wanted her to go, it would have been difficult.

Dominique put on a pot of coffee and then started browsing her fridge and pantry, seeing if there was anything she could put together as breakfast for the boys. She thanked God for Tessa as she noted eggs, turkey bacon, and frozen French toast. Sure that the boys had stayed up half the night, she decided against starting to cook until she heard them up and about. In the meantime, she poured herself a cup of coffee, sat at the counter, and reflected over how her life had changed since Jake had walked into it.

She was just about to pour her second cup of joe when the phone rang. “Jake, how is he?”

“Still with us,” Jake replied, his voice raspy with weariness and emotion.

“Thank God,” Dominique whispered, clutching the phone.

“Thank God is right. If the hospital hadn’t had the records from his previous heart problems, they wouldn’t have been able to react so quickly. They wheeled him straight into surgery. He was there for five hours. They just wheeled him down to ICU. It’s still touch and go.”

At this moment, there was no place Dominique would rather be than in Alabama with her arms wrapped around Jake’s waist. “Baby, how are you? You sound exhausted.”

“It don’t matter how I am,” he responded, in a harsh voice.

Dominique wisely chose not to respond to this stress-induced comment. “Tessa’s sister had her baby, but I can take the boys over to Mama’s and catch a plane this evening ... if you want me to.”

Jake’s emotions were clearly roiling. “It’s crazy down here, baby,” he said at last. “Stay up there and handle your business. I’ll keep you posted.”

“You’ve been here for me, Jake,” Dominique countered. “Now, I want to be there for you.”

“I gotta go. I’ll call you later.” The click of being disconnected was his good-bye.

Throughout the rest of the day and into the evening, Dominique warred with her thoughts. This side of Jake—subdued, curt, vulnerable—wasn’t one she’d seen before. She tried to rationalize his behavior, put herself in his shoes. Should something happen to Faith, heaven forbid, Dominique imagined that she’d be clinging to Jake like white on rice. But men are different, she reasoned.