A Touch of Fate (BWWM)

16 | Dinner Party

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Imani

By Friday night, Imani was completely drained. And the sad part? Garrett's recent actions had left her confused and abandoned once again.

It made no difference that it was exactly what she wanted. His challenge to win her back, as well as his responses to her, were what mattered.

Imani gently traced her finger across the illuminated phone number. Andrew Fisher called, but she didn't answer. She should have, though. He invited her out, and she should have gone. But contrary to Garrett's expectations, Imani had no interest in playing with people's emotions. She didn't see any reason to date someone she couldn't love.

She didn't care to enter into a relationship with someone different. While having a dinner companion would have been nice, being the only single person in a group didn't bother her in the past. But tonight? Being the odd one out made her unhappy.

She grimaced as she parked her car behind Isaiah's Jeep.

Her brother had been planning this dinner party for weeks, and she had no reason to cancel other than being tired. She spent the entire day painting and redecorating her living room. Her back and shoulders hurt, so taking a hot bath sounded like the perfect way to relax. She quickly washed up and came here.

She grabbed the white wine from the passenger seat and slid out of the car, shaking her curly hair and shivering in the damp air. The atmosphere around the creek was always cool.

Isaiah and his wife, Bethany, never moved out of their small house. Originally a studio building, the stone structure was charming and had an expansive lot. The waterfront property, with plenty of forest on both sides, was ideal for raising a family, and it was only eight minutes away from town.

Imani spotted Isaiah's, Bethany's, and the Cunninghams' cars in the driveway. She climbed the porch steps and opened the door, hoping that the dinner party she was about to attend was actually small.

Sounds from the back of the house caught her attention. She looked in the kitchen, but it was empty. Her stomach growled at the scent of lemon chicken and roasted potatoes.

She casually removed her coat and hung it neatly. Then she straightened her black silk top. Imani considered buttoning the top of her blouse but decided to tighten her belt instead. Her black leggings were soft, vintage, and comfortable. This was as dressed up as she could get for the weekend.

Isaiah suddenly appeared with a precious bundle of brown curls and infectious laughter. Fiona Grace Washington was her father's shining star, and who could blame him? The two-year-old was incredibly cute.

He declared, "I thought I heard a car pull up."

"It's me," Imani said as she bent down to kiss her niece. Chubby hands grabbed her cheeks, and Imani laughed as she handed the wine to her brother and hugged Fiona. "You've grown five inches since I'd last seen you, sweetheart."

"It has only been two days, Imani."

"Which is two months in toddler terms," she replied, unsure of where her joke was going.

Fiona snuggled into her auntie's neck, and Imani's heart melted a little more. She gazed up at her brother. "Who else did you invite? I see Rhett and Addison's cars, but I don't recognize the other two."