porch.
She had to admit that he was looking good even
in a dusty T-shirt with the sleeves torn off and wellworn jeans. "What are you doing here, Joaquin?"
she asked through the thin glass.
"I was dropping some of my crew home out here,
and I saw your car," he said as his eyes cruised up
and down her body in the terry-cloth strapless dress
she wore.
Garcelle made an irritated face. "And?"
He flung his head back and laughed before he
fixed his eyes on her. "Garcelle, why you always
bustin' my balls?"
"Because you wanted to play with your balls in
other chicas' playgrounds."
He pressed his hand to the door. "For real, Garcelle. Can't we start over? Can't we even be friends?
Yo, we been through a lot, and I miss your ass, baby."
Garcelle saw the sincerity in his eyes. She motioned
with her hands for him to back up; then she opened
the door and stepped out onto the porch. "Sometimes I miss you, too, but I don't trust you no more."
"All I'm saying is give me another chance, Garcelle. Let me spend some time with you. I f'ed up,
but I never cheated on you, and you know that."
`Joaquin ..."
He reached out and took her hands in his. "Nothing serious then. Just a date. Let me take you to
dinner or something."
Garcelle released a heavy breath. Joaquin was the
only man she knew. He did hurt her when he ended
their relationship, but only people you cared about
had the power to hurt you. Maybe a few nights out
on the town wouldn't be so bad. Joaquin might be
just what she needed to get over Kade.
And get over him was exactly what she needed to
do, because there was no way she could win a battle
against the spirit of his dead wife.
The phone rang, and she slipped her hands out
of his to walk into the house and answer it. "Hello."
"Garcelle, hey. This is Bianca. You busy?"
"What's up?" Garcelle turned her back to
Joaquin.
"My dad's throwing a big cookout tomorrow, and
I wanted to invite you and your family."
"You want me to bring something?" Garcelle
offered.
"Nothing but those big old legs if you feel like
dancing," Bianca joked.
Garcelle laughed. "I always feel like dancing, so
I'll be there."
"I'm glad you're coming because we haven't seen
each other in a minute."
Garcelle nodded as she turned back to eye Joaquin
through the glass door. "Listen ... Can I bring
a date?"
Kade glanced at the time on his cell phone as he
climbed the steps of his home. He and his crew had
worked double time to finish up their work so that
they would be able to attend the big cookout over
at King Ranch. He was dusty and tired. His ribs had
a dull ache, and he was starving.
He kicked off his boots at the front door and
stripped as he made his way up the stairs and into
his bedroom. Zorrie and Kadina were already at the
cookout, so he had the house to himself. He walked
through his open bedroom door.
"Kade!"
He looked up to find Zorrie walking out of his
bathroom. He quickly covered his privates with his
hands-as best he could-as she whirled around.
"Zorrie, what the hell are you doing here?" he
roared as he snatched the comforter from the bed
and wrapped it around his waist.
"I thought it would be nice if I ran you a hot bath
and got an outfit ready for you to wear to the cookout," she explained.
"Where's Kadina?" he asked, feeling annoyed.
"I left her at the cookout, with Garcelle," she said.
"Garcelle's there?" he asked. His stomach tightened at the thought of her.
"Are you still naked?" Zorrie asked.
"No."
She turned, holding a pair of his jeans and a shirt
against her chest. He frowned when he noticed a
pair of his boxers in her arms as well. She must
have seen his aggravation, because she immediately
set the items on his bed.
"The guy with her sure is good-looking."
Kade froze on his way to the bathroom. His head
whipped around, and he pierced Zorrie with his
eyes. "Garcelle brought a dude?" he asked, showing
his surprise.
Zorrie nodded before she walked to the door.
She had to admit that he was looking good even
in a dusty T-shirt with the sleeves torn off and wellworn jeans. "What are you doing here, Joaquin?"
she asked through the thin glass.
"I was dropping some of my crew home out here,
and I saw your car," he said as his eyes cruised up
and down her body in the terry-cloth strapless dress
she wore.
Garcelle made an irritated face. "And?"
He flung his head back and laughed before he
fixed his eyes on her. "Garcelle, why you always
bustin' my balls?"
"Because you wanted to play with your balls in
other chicas' playgrounds."
He pressed his hand to the door. "For real, Garcelle. Can't we start over? Can't we even be friends?
Yo, we been through a lot, and I miss your ass, baby."
Garcelle saw the sincerity in his eyes. She motioned
with her hands for him to back up; then she opened
the door and stepped out onto the porch. "Sometimes I miss you, too, but I don't trust you no more."
"All I'm saying is give me another chance, Garcelle. Let me spend some time with you. I f'ed up,
but I never cheated on you, and you know that."
`Joaquin ..."
He reached out and took her hands in his. "Nothing serious then. Just a date. Let me take you to
dinner or something."
Garcelle released a heavy breath. Joaquin was the
only man she knew. He did hurt her when he ended
their relationship, but only people you cared about
had the power to hurt you. Maybe a few nights out
on the town wouldn't be so bad. Joaquin might be
just what she needed to get over Kade.
And get over him was exactly what she needed to
do, because there was no way she could win a battle
against the spirit of his dead wife.
The phone rang, and she slipped her hands out
of his to walk into the house and answer it. "Hello."
"Garcelle, hey. This is Bianca. You busy?"
"What's up?" Garcelle turned her back to
Joaquin.
"My dad's throwing a big cookout tomorrow, and
I wanted to invite you and your family."
"You want me to bring something?" Garcelle
offered.
"Nothing but those big old legs if you feel like
dancing," Bianca joked.
Garcelle laughed. "I always feel like dancing, so
I'll be there."
"I'm glad you're coming because we haven't seen
each other in a minute."
Garcelle nodded as she turned back to eye Joaquin
through the glass door. "Listen ... Can I bring
a date?"
Kade glanced at the time on his cell phone as he
climbed the steps of his home. He and his crew had
worked double time to finish up their work so that
they would be able to attend the big cookout over
at King Ranch. He was dusty and tired. His ribs had
a dull ache, and he was starving.
He kicked off his boots at the front door and
stripped as he made his way up the stairs and into
his bedroom. Zorrie and Kadina were already at the
cookout, so he had the house to himself. He walked
through his open bedroom door.
"Kade!"
He looked up to find Zorrie walking out of his
bathroom. He quickly covered his privates with his
hands-as best he could-as she whirled around.
"Zorrie, what the hell are you doing here?" he
roared as he snatched the comforter from the bed
and wrapped it around his waist.
"I thought it would be nice if I ran you a hot bath
and got an outfit ready for you to wear to the cookout," she explained.
"Where's Kadina?" he asked, feeling annoyed.
"I left her at the cookout, with Garcelle," she said.
"Garcelle's there?" he asked. His stomach tightened at the thought of her.
"Are you still naked?" Zorrie asked.
"No."
She turned, holding a pair of his jeans and a shirt
against her chest. He frowned when he noticed a
pair of his boxers in her arms as well. She must
have seen his aggravation, because she immediately
set the items on his bed.
"The guy with her sure is good-looking."
Kade froze on his way to the bathroom. His head
whipped around, and he pierced Zorrie with his
eyes. "Garcelle brought a dude?" he asked, showing
his surprise.
Zorrie nodded before she walked to the door.
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