Reno Gabrini: A Family Affair Read Online Free Page B

She noticed his fixation too.   “Don’t you look refreshed.”
    “Thanks, Ma,” Reno said with a sheepish smile, as
he, too, realized he had completely neglected her presence.   He leaned over, despite carrying two
children, and kissed her on the cheek.   “Don’t you look gorgeous.”
    Earnestine blushed.   “Oh, go on!” she said with a grin on her face.
    “Yes,” Cecil responded, “go on with those
lies.”   Then he laughed and Earnestine
hit him.
    But Reno began moving toward Trina, the one he most
needed to see.   “Hey,” he said as he
approached her.   His heart was hammering
as they leaned into each other and kissed on the lips.   And although he knew it wasn’t the time or
the place, he couldn’t help it.   His kiss
lingered.   It was the taste of her, and
the smell of her, that refused to let him peck and go.   He wanted to tongue her, to smother her with
love, but knew he couldn’t.   Not
here.   Not yet.
    “Everything okay?” Trina asked when their lips
finally parted.   Her heart was hammering
too.   But not just because she missed him
and he looked so good, although he did look superfine to her.   But because she couldn’t see him coming all
this way unless something was wrong.   “Jimmy and Val okay?   Maddie
alright?”
    “They’re good.   I spoke with Jim on the plane.   He
was acting upset when I saw him earlier, but he’s usually upset about
something.   But he said he’s alright.”
    “I hope he and Val aren’t at it again.”
    “I asked that too.   He says they’re good,” Reno said, as he sat his children back on their
feet.
    Sophie immediately began to cry.   “Daddy,” she said, reaching her little arms
up to him again.
    Cecil picked her up.   “Give your daddy a break, sweetie,” he said.   “He just got here.   He’ll pick you up again.   Okay?”
    “Okay, Grandpa,” Sophie said so tenderly that
Cecil’s heart melted.   And he held her
tighter.
    “So what brings you to Florida?” Trina asked Reno.
    This was the part Reno knew he would struggle
with.   He wanted to tell her the truth:
that he missed her and needed her, but he didn’t want to sound like a chump
either.   “No biggie,” he said.   “I was just passing through.”
    Trina knew he didn’t have any out of town business
trips on his itinerary before she left, and he didn’t bring up any trips when
they spoke a few nights ago.   She started
to ask where he was headed while passing through Florida, but she saw that look
in his eyes.   Reno couldn’t hide shit from
her.   His eyes always told his story.
    “Wanna talk?” she asked him.
    Reno’s heart soared.   He knew that phrase so well.   It
was the term they used around the children whenever they wanted to make
love.    He loved the fact that she was
making it easy for him.   He loved the
fact that she didn’t find a man who would travel this far just to make love to
his wife pussy-whipped.   Although, if he
were to be honest, he was.   “Yeah, I need
to talk to you,” he responded to her.
    Trina rinsed out the milk-soaked dish cloth, placed
it across the sink, and dried her hands.   “You guys excuse us,” she said, as she and Reno headed toward the guest
bedroom in the three bedroom condo.
    Dommi began following behind them like the man he
took himself to be, but Cecil, still holding Sophie, managed to grab Dommi by
the back of his shirt and pull him back.   “They’re going to talk privately,” he said.   “As difficult as this may be for you to
believe, I honestly don’t think they need your input.”
    “What does that mean?” Sophie asked.
    “It’s code,” Earnestine said, “for your brother to
mind his own business.”
    Dommi leaned against his grandmother.   He was missing his father already.

 
    Reno missed his children too.   He couldn’t recall a time when they had been
away from him this long.   But when he and
Trina walked into that guest bedroom, and he closed and