More Than He Can Handle by Cheris Hodges

pondering whether she should tell him the entire story about her father, at least what she knew about him.
    Noting her silence, he pressed on. “What’s so important about finding your father?”
    â€œBecause, I have to know why he left us and let us struggle the way we did. What kind of man does that?” Her voice rose several octaves as she spoke. “Growing up was really hard for us. Half of the town treated us like we were pariahs. If it wasn’t for Lillian and her family, there would’ve been days that my mother, Loraine and I wouldn’t have eaten.”
    Cleveland nodded. He knew about hard times because after his father died things were hard in the Alexander household. Margaret became the breadwinner and he and Darren had to grow up fast. They didn’t give their mother a lot of trouble growing up. But unlike Freddie, they had a support system in place. The men in their father’s battalion made sure Cleveland and Darren were taken care of, and they gave them those man speeches that Margaret couldn’t provide.
    â€œWhy didn’t people want to reach out to you and your mom?” he asked.
    â€œI wish I knew,” she said. “There are still some neighborhoods in New Orleans where you can’t speak my father’s name without someone shaking a gris-gris at you.”
    â€œA what?” Cleveland asked.
    â€œA gris-gris is a charm that people believe can bring good luck or ward evil spirits away,” she explained. “I don’t believe in it.”
    â€œSo, your dad’s a bad guy?”
    She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I feel like he’s an asshole for leaving me and my mom the way he did. We had so much debt and that hotel was like an albatross for so many years. But Mom would never sell it.”
    â€œIt’s a good thing that she didn’t. Looks like you’ve made a go of it.”
    Freddie flipped the radio on and Cleveland got the feeling that she didn’t want to talk anymore.
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    You’re doing it again, Freddie thought as she merged on to Interstate 10. You’re letting someone in and you’re going to end up paying for it.
    She was wishing that she hadn’t told Cleveland anything. She should’ve left him sleeping in her bed. What was he going to do when he found out that her father could net him a million dollars? Her mind flashed to the last night she and Marcus had spent together. It was two days before the storm and she had talked to her father. They’d planned to meet in the hotel’s restaurant before the evacuation. After hanging up with Babineaux, she’d rushed into the bedroom where Marcus was waiting.
    Happily, she leapt into his arms. “Guess what! I found him.”
    â€œFound who?” he’d asked.
    â€œMy father. He’s going to meet me at the hotel in the morning. Then we can get out of here before all hell breaks loose.”
    Marcus smiled and kissed her on the tip of her nose. “I’m happy for you. This is what you’ve wanted, right.”
    Freddie nodded. “Thank you so much for helping me find him.”
    â€œOf course. I’d do anything for you, baby.”
    Letting him go, she walked seductively to the bathroom. “Well, let me do something for you. I’ll be right back.”
    Freddie was about to change into a sexy lace nightgown when she heard Marcus walk out of the bedroom. Where is he going? she thought as she stepped out of the bathroom. That’s when she heard him talking in a hushed tone.
    â€œYes, at The French Garden Inn. I don’t know what time, but his daughter just told me that she was meeting him there in the morning. When do I get my money?”
    Money?
    â€œLook, I’ve been with his daughter for the last six months, haven’t I told you everything that she knew about him? It’s not my fault that your men are slow.”
    Freddie burst out of the bedroom. “You