Midnight Kisses by Wayne Jordan

child. The photo accompanying the article focused on Daniel. He wore a black suit, but what she noticed most about him was his face. He was still handsome, but he looked haggard and devastated. He also looked angry. She could feel the anger emitting from the pages of the paper.
    It was obvious Daniel still carried much anger inside. She wondered if she could help him deal with it. She knew she shouldn’t interfere, all her good sense told her not to, but she had to do something. She’d call his brother, that’s what she’d do. She’d call the hotel when she knew they were scheduled to be there.
    No matter what Daniel thought, she knew that the only way he could heal completely was to resolve the conflict between himself and his family. He needed to love again—and it had to start with his family.
    Renée lifted the papers from the printer’s tray and carried them into the bedroom. She flopped onto the bed and started to read.
    An hour later she was done. The articles had given her greater insight into the Buchanan family, and althoughthere was not much about Daniel, she found the family fascinating.
    Daniel’s older brother Taurean had spent seven years in prison for euthanasia. His younger brother, Corey, had contracted AIDS and Taurean had helped to put him out of his suffering. Soon after Taurean’s release from prison, their father had passed away. Daniel had married Lorraine Harvey and Taurean had married the then-unknown artist, Alana Smyth-Connell.
    There was a photo of Daniel at the funeral of his dad and his appearance seemed so at conflict with the person he was now. Though he still rarely smiled, the stoic expression on his face reminded her of those fire and brimstone pastors, whose sole goal in life was to scare people away from hell. She could see what he meant when he told her about the person he’d been. The photo showed that man clearly. The Daniel she knew now was softer, kinder, and though his eyes hid his deeper feelings, the glimpses of gentleness she sometimes saw were definitely of a changed man.
    Was she falling in love with him?
    Love was a complicated feeling and one that often wreaked havoc. She wanted to approach this relationship—no, friendship—without any complications. And she needed to stick to her plan for the relationship. That’s what she would tell Daniel. Let them be friends. Friendship was what each of them needed. Lovemaking brought too many other variables into what they had right now. Each of them had problems to resolve before they could be anything more to each other.
    She needed to go to the store, pick up some groceries and come back to make some plans for tomorrow. Her obsession with Daniel Buchanan was making her lose focus on the important things in her life.

Chapter 9
    J erome dropped the basketball, turned and walked away. The other boys began to jeer, but he kept on walking. He glanced across at Daniel, the anger in his eyes like flares. Daniel felt his pain, but he knew he could not follow him. Jerome needed to work on his own self-control.
    The practice session ended half an hour later and Daniel headed to his office. Jerome was standing outside. He assumed the boy had left the premises. He opened the door and invited Jerome to enter. Jerome followed, the scowl still on his face. Daniel indicated a chair and Jerome sat.
    â€œYou all right?” Daniel asked.
    At first, Jerome didn’t answer. “Man, I’m fine,” he finally said.
    â€œYou’re sure about that. You don’t look fine to me.”
    â€œOkay, I’m angry, man. Those boys just piss me off at times. So I decided the best way to deal with it is to walk away. I don’t have time for nonsense.”
    â€œThat’s good.”
    â€œIsn’t that what you told me is the right thing to do?”
    â€œYou did it because you thought I expected you to behave that way?” Daniel said, leading him into further