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  Kael stopped and pressed his back to the wall when he saw Kelli leaving the kitchen carrying a metal tray with legs. She passed him and he continued on to the kitchen, happy as hell to see his plate of food already served up and waiting on him.

  Pushing aside all thoughts of Lisha Rockmon, he sat down at the round oak table, sparing a few seconds to say a quick grace, and then dug in to the meatloaf with brown gravy and mashed potatoes. He stuffed three huge forkfuls into his mouth before he even chewed, swallowed and then took a deep sip from the jelly jar filled with fresh-squeezed lemonade.

  Kelli walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from him. “Daddy thinks you want some trim from Lisha,” she said, folding her hands atop the table as she tilted her head to the side to look at him.

  Kael choked on his food and had to cough it up. His sister remained seated in that same pose waiting for him to answer. “Trim, huh?” he asked, using his tongue to clear bits of food from in between the wall of his lower cheek and his gums.

  Kelli waited.

  “She’s a physical therapist . . . not a barber,” he drawled, turning his attention back to his food.

  “I know what trim is, Kael.”

  He bit back a laugh. “Yeah, me too,” he quipped. “I know it very well.”

  Kelli held up her hands and made a face of disgust. “Okay, cool it, perv.”

  Kael just shrugged and used the side of his fork to cut another chunk of the well-seasoned meatloaf, piercing it with the prong and dragging it through the gravy.

  “I don’t like her, and after the way Donna slung her . . . trim, I would think you would be a better judge of character,” she said, reaching across the table to grasp his wrist. “I just don’t want you hurt over another woman.”

  Kael continued eating even as he felt the heat of her eyes still locked on him.

  Kelli finally stood up from the table and turned to leave the kitchen.

  He didn’t address the issue of Lisha Rockmon because there was no issue. Kael had no intention of getting involved with the woman, far less falling in love. In fact, he decided to stick to his original plan to avoid her at all costs.

  Chapter 5

  One month later

  “Amen.”

  Lisha undid her prayer hands and stretched her arms high above her, still sitting up in her bed. Old habits died hard—especially good ones—and saying her thank you to the Lord first thing after opening her eyes in the morning was something she’d done since she was five or six. Reverend Rockmon and his First Lady would not have it any other way under their roof and she now felt the same way even under her own roof—albeit rented.

  Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her cheek atop her knees as she looked at the sunshine gleaming through the sheer white curtains at her window. The room was cool from the window air conditioning unit blowing all night and she was grateful for it, knowing the summer heat of South Carolina was unforgiving. Just as unforgiving as the electric company and how high her light bill would shoot up for the privilege of that air.

  Thankfully the extra hours she earned for working with Mr. Strong had increased the size of her paycheck. When the time for his physical therapy came to an end she was going to miss the extra money and the time she spent with the man. He was strong and smart and fair-minded. He filled their two hours together with funny stories about his past, the ways of white folks or his children.

  She always thought it hilarious when Logan’s stories would upset his daughter, Kelli, whom Lisha thought to be a really cool, laid-back person. Lisha had invited her to attend her father’s church for worship service, but Kelli stayed with her father during the week and traveled home to her husband on the weekends, leaving her brother over their father’s care. But Lisha didn’t work on the weekends so she hadn’t seen much of Kael Strong in the month since she began working with his father. She may see him arriving home in his truck just as she was exiting in her car, and even that was very infrequent.

  Thankfully the smaller doses she received of the man had led to the newness of him and his appeal wearing off. Those nervous jitters at just the thought of seeing him were gone. No extra attention was paid to her hair or makeup. When she went to bed at night he was not in her dreams.

  Her mini-fascination with Kael Strong was over. Flinging back the crisp cotton sheets, she finally climbed from bed and made her way straight out of the bedroom to the bathroom for her morning ritual. Before she even relieved herself she brushed her teeth and got rid of any morning breath. Smacking her lips at the minty taste, she pulled the oversized T-shirt she wore to bed over her head and tossed it into the white wicker hamper beneath the towel rod.

  Tucking her hair under a plastic shower cap and turning the shower on to let the heat and the steam build she padded back to her bedroom and across her carpeted floor to her closet. She quickly shifted through the clothes, finally deciding on a butter yellow sundress to wear to church that morning. After retrieving and placing her undergarments and heeled sandals atop the dress, she checked her bedside alarm clock and quickly made her way back to the bathroom for a long hot shower and a facial.

  Lisha finally felt fully awake and rejuvenated.

  Picking up the phone by her bed she dialed Junie’s number. The phone rang a dozen times or more before she finally heard the rumble of the receiver being knocked off its base.

  “I’m up. I’m up,” she said, her voice still thick and hoarse with sleep.

  Lisha said nothing and just hung up. It was their Sunday morning ritual, and regardless of what or whom Junie did on Saturday night, she always made it to church the next morning.

  When Lisha emerged from her bedroom thirty minutes later fully dressed with her hair up in a loose topknot, Junie was stretched out on the couch in a floral V-neck dress, laid out on her back, her curly Afro wig twisted to the left and her glossy lips opened wide as she snored in her sleep.

  Lisha crept over to the stereo system in the corner of her living room, turned the dial to a gospel station and then turned the knob to max the volume before powering it on.

  The sound of organ music and a robust choir blasted through the speakers singing the chorus to Andraé Crouch’s “Take Me Back.”

  Junie sat up straight and looked around with wide eyes like she’d received a jolt of electricity.

  Lisha laughed as she turned off the stereo and strolled across the room to shift Junie’s wig to its proper position on her head. “Morning, morning,” she said loudly and with a lot of enthusiasm.

  Junie waved her hands away and stood up. “Go to hell,” she muttered.

  “Late night?” Lisha asked as they left her apartment.

  The heat instantly pressed against them. It was barely after nine and it was already hot as the place Junie had directed her to. They both knew there was no need wasting energy to fan themselves as they walked down the flight of stairs to the parking lot.

  Junie cleared her throat as she searched in her blue patent leather handbag. “Very,” she replied, unwrapping a stick of gum and biting half of it. She offered Lisha the other half.

  She made a face as they reached her car. “I don’t know what you had your mouth on last night,” she snapped, unlocking the car door.

  Junie paused like she was thinking about it and then smiled. “You’re right,” she said, before wrapping the piece back in its paper and pushing it back into her handbag.

  Junie was infamous for going on a popping gum tirade that could battle the sound of fireworks on the Fourth of July. She figured out ages ago that a half stick of gum was just the right amount for her to pop away.

  Once they were in the car and headed out of the parking lot of their apartment complex, Junie opened her compact and checked her face. “Ain’t we going in the wrong direction?” she asked.

  “My father’s a guest speaker in Holtsville for the church’s anniversary so we’re following him there,” she said, steering the Nova through town an
d then onto Highway 17.

  Junie made a stink face. “Holtsville?” she said. “I am not putting my shoes in mud in no woods.”

  Lisha refrained from commenting. It took them less than ten minutes to make the drive and soon she was turning onto the paved parking lot of a small brick church with beautiful stained-glass windows in deep rich colors. The mahogany double doors of the church were open directly into the small vestibule.

  Junie was looking around and finally her thin shoulders relaxed. They climbed from the car. The sounds of the church’s organ music could be heard outside as they climbed the stairs and accepted the church program and donation envelope from one of the two ushers standing at the door battling the heat.

  Lisha was thankful for the coolness of the central air when the next set of double doors leading into the sanctuary of the church closed behind them. She felt the curious eyes on their unfamiliar faces and Lisha plastered on a fake smile and locked eyes with those bold enough not to look away. She was headed for a seat in the front of the church when Junie tightly gripped her wrist and jerked her back a few steps to slide onto one of the empty pews at the rear.

  As the daughter of the visiting minster she knew her father expected her on the front pew next to her mother. She gave Junie a hard bug-eyed stare that her cousin ignored as she fanned herself with the church program. “I’m going up to the front,” she said, rising to her feet.

  She felt Junie’s fingertips on her wrist again and she snatched it away, pausing as the church doors opened. Her eyes widened in surprise and pleasure to see Logan carefully walk inside the church with a noticeable limp but without his cane or walker. He looked tall and strong and distinguished in his dark gray suit with his brown complexion and silver hair.

  Although she steadily worked with him two days a week for the last month and knew he was able to walk short distances on his own, she’d had no idea he felt confident and strong enough to tackle steps and long distances.

  I wonder if he’s having pain, she thought, her assessing eyes dropping down to his hip.

  Many people in the church applauded or loudly praised God at the sight of him. She knew it was the first time many people had seen him since his accident.

  She smiled when he paused in surprise at seeing her before giving her a wink. And then she paused at the jolt she felt at seeing Kael holding the door for his father. The lightweight deep navy suit he wore looked good on him and fit his strong build well.

  When his father paused long enough to squeeze her hands she saw his eyes shift to her and the surprise that filled his face . . . just before his eyes took her all in from head to toe in one quick glance that made her breathless.

  She forced her eyes away from him and smiled at his father instead. “Good job, Logan,” she whispered to him, reaching out to rub the back of his lower arm before stepping back and sitting down next to Junie as her knees weakened.

  She forced herself to pay way more attention than needed to the church program.

  “Ooooh. Well, will you look at the goodness of God,” Junie whispered in pleasure, her voice filled with wonder.

  Lisha already knew. Kael.

  She looked up and sure enough he was there behind his father giving him room to make it on his own to their seats, but still there ready to catch him if he fell. She let her eyes wander over his profile as her heart fluttered like it was filled with butterfly wings.

  And she was as far from being over Kael as she could ever be.

  He glanced back before taking his seat. Their eyes met. The beating and the fluttering stopped.

  She was glad when he took his seat and broke his hold on her. Even though the church was cool, she could swear she felt a drop of sweat race between the deep valley of her breasts. She crossed her legs and reached for one of the paper fans.

  “Church ain’t never been so interesting,” Junie said behind her hand just as the organist began to play as the children’s choir marched in singing “This Little Light of Mine.”

  Lisha shifted on the wooden pew and gave Lisha her back.

  “Look at them shoulders,” Junie was saying, talking aloud to herself.

  Lisha rolled her eyes heavenward, not allowing her eyes to go anywhere in Kael’s vicinity. She looked at the children in their pressed white shirts and black pants or skirts as they made their way up onto the choir stand to the left of the pulpit. She leaned a bit to her left to lay eyes on her father in his grand black, gold and white robe because the altar blocked where he sat. She searched both front pews until she spotted her mother’s wide-brimmed pink hat as she nodded her head to the music.

  “Let it shine . . . let it shine . . . let it shine,” the choir sang, the children’s voices blending well together.

  “I got something I wanna let shine, shine, shine,” Junie said, knocking her knee against hers.

  Lisha dropped her forehead against her hand. God, please forgive her.

  “Lisha looks sum’n different out that uniform, huh?”

  Kael pretended not to hear his father as they slowly maneuvered down the few brick steps of the church. Still, his eyes zoned right in to where she was walking up to them. For a solid month he had successfully avoided her and now here she was in his direct path and completely unavoidable. And completely beautiful.

  With the summer sun beaming down, the yellow of her dress was even brighter, like she had a glow around her. Her hair was up, exposing the length of her neck and emphasizing the highness of her cheeks with her round face. The dress respectfully skimmed her curves but the shape of her body showed nonetheless and her legs were toned and full—just the way he liked them.

  When he first saw her in church the surprise was understandable—but the rush of pleasure surprised him. And everything about her that thrilled him that first day came back in a hot second. Everything.

  Before he took his seat in church he had given in to temptation and turned to get another glimpse of her. When their eyes met he couldn’t look away as his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

  “Look at you, Mr. Strong,” Lisha said, reaching them, her bright eyes looking up at his father. “Are you in any pain?”

  Kael felt the fact that it smarted when she didn’t speak or even acknowledge him.

  “A little twinge here and there, but no major pain, no,” he said. “But you ain’t working today so don’t worry about me until tomorrow when you’re on the payroll.”

  “I worry about you if I’m working or not,” she told him with a smile.

  Kael frowned at the jealousy he felt at the easy rapport between them. “That’s good to know,” he said, wanting to be acknowledged by her.

  He succeeded.

  Lisha looked up to him, her smile fading just a bit. “How are you . . . Kael?” she asked.

  He bit back a smile, knowing she was referring to their last exchange in his father’s bedroom. “I’m good, Lisha,” he said, his eyes locked on hers.

  “And you are looking good.”

  Kael forced himself to look away from Lisha to the petite woman standing beside her. To be honest, he hadn’t even seen her. “Thank you,” he said.

  She extended her hand as she bit her bottom lip softly. “I’m June, Lisha’s cousin. Everyone calls me Junie, but you can call me tonight at—”

  Just as Kael reached to take her hand, Lisha walked between them and grabbed her cousin by the arm to pull her away a few feet.

  Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles would be able to see that Junie was interested in Kael. He had never been hit on so strongly . . . especially at church.

  “I used to have ’em fool just like that when I was your age, son,” his father said with a chuckle. “Back in 1945 . . .”

  Kael steeled himself for one of his father’s stories as he continued to look on as Junie and Lisha had a very heated conversation with a few furtive glances in his direction. He couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about or fight the feeling that it was all about him.

  “I was in the market b
uying some meat to grill when this woman walks up to me. Okay?” Logan asked. “And stood right in front of me and pulled her panties off and gave ’em to me. In. My. Hand.”

  Kael let his head hang to his chest as he laughed.

  “Yeah. Yeah. Yeah-yeah-yeah,” Logan said, smacking his son’s arm lightly. “Now thank God she was fresh. You know?”

  Kael rocked on his heels and looked up to the skies.

  “Because that meat market coulda smelled like a fish market . . . just like that,” Logan said, snapping his finger sharply. BAP.

  Kael frowned deeply.

  “You get where I’m coming from, son?” Logan asked, with the utmost serious expression.

  “Unfortunately, man, yeah,” he said, shaking his head.

  Lisha and her cousin turned and made their way back to them.

  “One hell of a night, son,” Logan said in a low voice like he was reminiscing on it. “Hell of a night.”

  “We’re going to be on our way,” Lisha said, looking at Kael quickly before focusing back on his father. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Kael glanced over at the cousin who instantly looked away as she hung back a few feet from them. His eyes squinted until they were almost closed as he thought on that for a second.

  “Good-bye, Kael.”

  He looked back at Lisha, but she had already turned and was walking away from them. Her cousin waved at them briefly before catching up with Lisha as they made their way to a long blue Buick. His eyes took in the swish of her hem against her legs as she moved.

  And her legs were smooth caramel with a definite feminine shape and a firmness that would make any man wonder if the rest of her body was just as solid.

  “We better get you off that hip,” Kael said, even as his eyes were still locked on Lisha as she kissed the cheeks of her parents. A preacher’s kid.

  “Yeah, my La-Z-Boy is calling,” Logan said.

  “You okay walking or you want me to pull the car up?” Kael asked.

  “Man, I’m Logan Strong. I’m good,” he said with his usual bravado.