She opened her mouth to his kiss, drowning in the sexual heat, succumbing to the sensual spell that

made her feel as if she and the man holding her to his heart were the last two people on earth.
Gri ffi n s heart slammed agai nst hi s ri bs when he showered ki sses around Beli nda s li ps and along her jaw. Loweri ng hi s head, he fastened hi s mouth along the column of her velvety, scented neck, ni ppi ng, suckli ng, li cki ng her as i f she were a frothy confecti on. You taste and smell so good, he mumbled over and over. Bari ng her throat, Beli nda closed her eyes. She wanted to tell Gri ffi n that he felt and smelled good but the words were locked i n her throat when a longi ng she d never known sei zed her mi nd and body, refusi ng to let her go.

Books by Rochelle Alers Kimani Romance

Bittersweet Love

Silhouette Desire
A Younger Man *The Long Hot Summer *Very Private Duty *Beyond Business

ROCHELLE ALERS
has been hai led by readers and booksellers ali ke as one of today s most popular Afri can-Ameri can authors of women s fi cti on. Wi th nearly two mi lli on copi es of her novels i n pri nt, Ms. Alers i s a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller li sts, and has been the reci pi ent of numerous awards, i ncludi ng the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, the Vi vi an Stephens Award for Excellence i n Romance Wri ti ng, the Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achi evement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Li terary Award. A nati ve New Yorker, Ms. Alers currently li ves on Long Island. Vi si t her Web si te at www.rochellealers.com.

Bittersweet Love

ROCHELLE ALERS NATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR

To Mi chele Robi nson A true Phi ladelphi a pri ncess. Hear, O chi ldren, a father s i nstructi on, be attenti ve, that you may gai n understandi ng!

Dear Reader, Beli nda, Myles and Chandra Eaton come from a fami ly of Pennsylvani a teachers, but they are about to learn somethi ng about love they could never fi nd i n a textbook. I n Bittersweet Love, Phi ladelphi a hi gh-school hi story teacher Beli nda Eaton has made i t a practi ce to avoi d Gri ffi n Ri ce. Now she fi nds her future i nexorably entwi ned wi th hi s when they share custody of thei r goddaughters followi ng a fami ly tragedy. In thi s story, Beli nda encounters a very di fferent Gri ffi n when the hi gh-profi le sports attorney romances her, and proves he can be a lovi ng father and husband. In the second i nstallment of THE EATONS tri logy, law professor Myles Eaton has never forgotten the woman who ji lted hi m two weeks before thei r weddi ng to marry another man. But when he comes face-to-face wi th recently wi dowed Zabri na Cooper at hi s si ster s weddi ng, he must deci de whether to walk away or exact hi s own Sweet Revenge. In Sweet Dreams, the fi nal story of the Ki mani Romance tri logy, elementary schoolteacher Chandra Eaton returns to Phi ladelphi a after a two-year sti nt i n the Peace Corps, and i s di stressed when she fi nds that she s mi splaced the journals i n whi ch she recorded her hi ghly eroti c dreams. Her li fe changes dramati cally when celebrated playwri ght Preston Tucker i nforms Chandra that he s found her journals. She i s faced wi th the di lemma of walki ng away from the man she loves, because Preston s latest play i s based on her journal entri es. But before you enjoy the next two EATONS books, look for the next story i n the Hi deaway seri es from Arabesque. The next Hi deaway-saga book, Secret Agenda features Di ego Cole-Thomas and Vi vi enne Neale, whose romance takes them from busi ness to pleasure. Thi s summer, weddi ng bells wi ll ri ng agai n, but thi s ti me i t s the guys who fall i n love i n THE BEST MEN seri es from Arabesque. Three chi ldhood fri ends are so focused on career success that they are reluctant to gi ve up thei r carefree bachelorhood. Nevertheless, i n one unforgettable year, each man wi ll meet an extraordi nary woman who wi ll make hi m rethi nk love and marri age.

Yours i n romance, Rochelle Alers

Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12

Contents
Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

Prologue No one si tti ng i n Grant and Donna Ri ce s fami ly room had

even noti ced Beli nda Eaton s bri ttle smi le, cli pped repli es or that her deli cate chi n was set at a stubborn angle. They had come together to celebrate the bi rthday of twelve-yearold fraternal twi ns Sabri na and Layla Ri ce. The two gi rls took turns openi ng envelopes, readi ng bi rthday cards, unwrappi ng gi fts and huggi ng and ki ssi ng thei r parents as well as both sets of grandparents and thei r aunt and uncle. Beli nda, the twi ns aunt, hadn t reali zed she was gri ndi ng her teeth unti l she felt the pai n i n her gums. It was ei ther clench her jaw or spew expleti ves that were poi sed preci pi tously on the ti p of her tongue. Her eyes narrowed when the object of her fury flashed hi s Cheshi re cat gri n. Thats it! she raged i nwardly. It ends tonight. Braci ng her hands on the arms of the club chai r, she rose to her feet and made her way to where Gri ffi n Ri ce stood wi th hi s arm around hi s mother s shoulders. The expressi ve eyebrows that framed hi s oli ve-brown face arched wi th her approach. Excuse me, Mrs. Ri ce, but I d li ke to speak to your son.

Beli nda deli berately neglected to acknowledge Gri ffi n by name. Gri ffi n Ri ce s large, deep-set dark brown eyes wi dened appreci ably. Whenever he saw hi s brother s si ster-i n-law, whi ch wasn t often enough, she looked di fferent. Beli nda had a wealth of thi ck dark hai r that she d styled i n a ponytai l. The soft glow from the recessed li ghti ng i n the room flattered her flawless sable face. A li ght dusti ng of makeup accentuated her exoti c slanted eyes, hi gh cheekbones, short nose and generously curved li ps. A hi nt of a smi le li fted the corners of hi s li ps as he stared boldly at the fullness of her breasts under a burnt-orange cashmere pullover, whi ch she d pai red wi th black wool slacks and suede sli p-ons. He d always found her alluri ng, but Beli nda gave off a vi be that made her seem snobbi sh and aloof. She d been that way at ni neteen, and now at thi rty-two she was even more standoffi sh. Her request to speak to hi m was somewhat shocki ng yet a pleasant surpri se. Where would you li ke to talk? Outsi de. The response came across as a di rect order and Gri ffi n curbed the urge to salute her. He pressed a ki ss to Glori a Ri ce s forehead. I ll be ri ght back, mother. Grabbi ng Beli nda s arm, he steered her toward the rear of the house. The front porch, Beli nda ordered agai n. The back porch was too close to the ki tchen and she di dn t want anyone to overhear what she had to say to hi m. Reversi ng course, Gri ffi n led her through the di ni ng and li vi ng rooms and out to the front porch of the modest Dutch Coloni alstyle house. He held the front door open, wai ti ng for Beli nda to precede hi m, then stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behi nd them. Leani ng agai nst a thi ck column on the porch, he sli pped hi s hands i nto the pockets of hi s slacks and crossed hi s feet at the ankles. The seconds ti cked off as Beli nda sat on a cushi oned love seat. Twi n porch lanterns flanki ng the door provi ded enough li ght for hi m to make out her features. Gri ffi n glanced away to look at the large autumnal wreath hangi ng on the door. What do you want to talk about? Beli nda sat up, her spi ne ramrod strai ght. What the hell do you thi nk you re doi ng buyi ng the gi rls a PlayStati on when I told you that I planned to gi ve i t to them for Chri stmas? Nothi ng moved on Gri ffi n, not even hi s eyes as he glared at the woman who was godmother and aunt to hi s ni eces. You told me nothi ng of the sort. When I spoke to Donna and asked what the gi rls wanted for thei r bi rthday she told me to gi ve them gi ft cards for thei r favori te stores and to save the electroni cs for

Chri stmas. I also remember her sayi ng that she was goi ng to tell you the same thi ng. She d gi ven her ni eces gi ft cards to several popular clothi ng stores. Your si ster di dn t say anythi ng to me, so take i t up wi th her. No, Gri ffi n, I m taki ng i t up wi th you. Every year you do thi s. We talk beforehand about what we re goi ng to gi ve the twi ns for Chri stmas and thei r bi rthdays, and i nvari ably you do the complete opposi te. She stood up and closed the di stance between them. Thi s i s the last ti me I m goi ng to let you play Bi g W i lli e to my ni eces. Your ni eces, Li ndy? he sai d mocki ngly. How di d you come to that conclusi on when they re my brother and your si ster s daughters? He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to come back at hi m. Unli ke you, I don t have the ti me or the i ncli nati on to hang out i n the mall. Layla and Sabri na sai d they wanted an Xbox, Wi i or PlayStati on, and I gave them the PlayStati on. Beli nda closed her eyes rather than stare at Gri ffi n Ri ce s gorgeous face. As an attorney for some of sports bi ggest superstars, Gri ffi n had become a celebri ty i n hi s own ri ght. Paparazzi snapped pi ctures of hi m wi th hi s famous cli ents, glamorous models, beauti ful actresses and recordi ng stars. Hi s masculi ne features, cleft chi n and exqui si tely tai lored wardrobe afforded hi m a spot on the cover of GQ. He not only looked good, but he smelled deli ci ous. Hi s cologne was the perfect complement to hi s natural scent. Next ti me speak to me before you deci de to gi ve them what they want. Are you aski ng or telli ng me, Beli nda? Her chest rose and fell, bri ngi ng hi s gaze to li nger on her breasts. I m aski ng you, Gri ffi n, she sai d i n a softer tone. Strai ghteni ng, Gri ffi n stared down at hi s si ster-i n-law, wonderi ng i f she was aware of how sexy she was. If he d had a teacher who looked li ke Beli nda Eaton he would ve fai led, just to have to repeat her class. He di pped hi s head and brushed a ki ss over her ear. I ll He di pped hi s head and brushed a ki ss over her ear. I ll thi nk about i t. Turni ng on hi s heels, Gri ffi n went back i nto the house, leavi ng Beli nda stari ng at hi s back as he walked away. Her fi ngers curled i nto fi sts. She d called hi m out for nothi ng. He had no i ntenti on of checki ng wi th her. It was as i f they were warri ng parents competi ng to see who could wi n over thei r chi ldren wi th bi gger and more expensi ve gi fts. She folded her arms under her breasts and shook her head. There was no doubt Gri ffi n would conti nue to undermi ne her when i t came to thei r ni eces, but there was one thi ng she admi red about the man: si nce he wasn t a

father hi mself, he d spared some woman a li feti me of gri ef. Beli nda wai ted on the porch a few mi nutes longer unti l the droppi ng temperature forced her i ndoors. Affecti ng a bri ght smi le, she walked i nto the di ni ng room i n ti me to si ng happy bi rthday before Sabri na and Layla blew out the candles and cut thei r cake.

Chapter 1 The soft-spoken attorney shook hands wi th Beli nda Eaton

and then repeated the gesture wi th Gri ffi n Ri ce. Congratulati ons, Mom, Dad. If you need a dupli cate copy of the guardi anshi p agreement I recommend you call thi s offi ce rather than go to the Bureau of Records. I ve heard that they always have a two-to-three-month backlog. Beli nda sti ll could not beli eve she was to share parenti ng of her twi n ni eces wi th her si ster s brother-i n-law. Less than a year after she became an aunt, her si ster had asked Beli nda to rai se her daughters i f anythi ng should happen to her and her husband. At that ti me she d wondered, why would a happily married, twenty-two-yearold woman with two beautiful children think about dying? Apparently, her older si ster, Donna, was more propheti c than she knew. Just weeks after the twi ns twelfth bi rthday, thei r mother and father had been ki lled i nstantly when a drunk dri ver lost control of hi s pi ckup, crossed the medi an and colli ded head-on wi th thei r smaller sedan. Beli nda forced a smi le. The meeti ng wi th the attorney and si gni ng the documents that made her legal guardi an of her twelve-year-old ni eces had reopened a wound that was just begi nni ng to heal. Her si ster and brother-i n-law had di ed days after Thanksgi vi ng and i t d taken four months for thei r wi ll to be probated. Thank you for everythi ng, Mr. Connelly. Impeccably dressed i n a tai lored sui t, Jonathan Connelly stared at the young schoolteacher whose li fe was about to dramati cally change. Her ni eces were movi ng from the twobedroom condo where they were temporari ly li vi ng wi th thei r maternal grandparents i nto her modest house i n a Phi ladelphi a suburb. Although the chi ldren had been well cared for by thei r grandparents, Jonathan, the executor of her si ster and brother-i n-law s estate, felt that the emoti onal and soci al i nterests of the twi n gi rls would be best served li vi ng wi th thei r aunt. Hi s shi mmeri ng green eyes li ngered bri efly on her ri ch nut-brown attracti ve face wi th i ts hi gh cheekbones, slanti ng dark brown eyes and hai r she wore i n a flatteri ng curly style. Wi th her wool gabardi ne sui t wi th a peplum jacket, pumps and the pearl studs that matched the si ngle strand graci ng

her slender neck, Beli nda appeared more li ke a young executi ve than a hi gh school hi story teacher. If you need legal advi ce on anythi ng, please don t hesi tate to call me, Jonathan sai d, smi li ng. A sli ght frown began to creep across Gri ffi n Ri ce s good looks. I beli eve I can help her wi th any legal problem, he sai d curtly. Gri ffi n i ntended to make sure that he was avai lable for Beli nda i f she needed legal counsel. He had spent the better part of an hour watchi ng Jonathan Connelly subtly fli rt wi th hi s si ster-i n-law. He and Beli nda shared guardi anshi p of thei r ni eces, but he d be damned i f he d allow the smooth-talki ng, toothpaste-adsmi li ng, li ttle-too-sli ck-for-Gri ffi n s-taste attorney take advantage of her. Although they were related through marri age, Gri ffi n and Beli nda hadn t spent much ti me together and when they di d, they usually butted heads. Most of the ti me, he was i nvolved i n contract negoti ati ons for hi s pro-athlete cli ents or taki ng a much-needed vacati on. And whenever he i nvi ted her to hi s home for an i nformal get-together, she always decli ned. The last ti me they had been together was when the two fami li es were maki ng funeral arrangements for Grant and Donna. Reachi ng out, he cupped Beli nda s elbow. I thi nk i t s ti me we leave. Beli nda forced herself not to pull away from the pressure of Gri ffi n s hand on her arm. She di dn t li ke hi m, had never really li ked hi m, but now they were thrown together because they shared custody of thei r ni eces. She di dn t know what her si ster was thi nki ng when she and Grant deci ded on Gri ffi n as the gi rls guardi an. The hi gh-profi le, ski rt-hoppi ng sports attorney lacked the essenti als for fatherhood. She gave Jonathan a dazzli ng smi le that curved her full, sensuous mouth. If I need your assi stance, I won t hesi tate to call you. Beli nda sensed her brother-i n-law s annoyance at her rebuff of hi s offer of legal help when hi s fi ngers ti ghtened around her elbow. At fi ve-si x and one hundred thi rty pounds she knew she was physi cally no match for Gri ffi n s si x-two, one hundred ni nety pound vi seli ke gri p. Glanci ng over her shoulder, she glared at hi m. I m ready. Gri ffi n led Beli nda out of the lawyers offi ces and wai ted unti l she was seated i n hi s late-model Lexus hybri d and he was besi de her before he allowed hi mself to draw a normal breath. Di d I not say that I would take care of your legal concerns? Beli nda shi fted on the leather seat, glari ng at the cleft i n the chi n of an otherwi se i ncredi bly handsome man who d landed unceremoni ously i n her li fe. She d lost count of the

number of ti mes women colleagues had asked her whether Gri ffi n was avai lable. Watch your tone, Gri ffi n. I m not one of your di mwi tted gi rlfri ends who i s honored just to be i n your presence. Beli nda knew she d struck a nerve when she saw hi s flushed face. In case you di dn t noti ce, the man wasn t looki ng to offer legal advi ce. She frowned. Then please tell me what he was offeri ng. Hi s bed. Gri ffi n s comment caught her off guard for several seconds. How would you know that? Beli nda sai d when she recovered her composure. A subtle smi le parted Gri ffi n s li ps as hi s gaze sli pped from Beli nda s face to her breasts and back to her stunned expressi on. I m a man, Beli nda. And as such, I recogni zed all the si gnals Jonathan was sendi ng your way. Heat pri cked li ttle pi npoi nts across Beli nda s ski n as she struggled not to look away from the large dark eyes that were sendi ng sensuous flames through her body. She couldn t move or bli nk. Not every man who looks at me wants me i n that way, Gri ffi n. Gri ffi n s smi le wi dened. Wi th your face and your body, you look nothi ng li ke the spi nster schoolmarm. Wrong century and defi ni tely wrong woman, she countered. I m not a schoolmarm but an educator. And whether I m thi rty-two or si xty-two I ll never thi nk of myself as a spi nster. The fact remai ns that Jonathan wants you. So I suggest that you not lead hi m on if or when you need legal advi ce. And, the offer sti ll holds. If you need a lawyer, then I m always avai lable to you. She shook her head. Why would I need you when my brother i s a lawyer? Her older brother, Myles, had recently resi gned as partner at a leadi ng Phi ladelphi a law fi rm to teach at Duquesne, a pri vate uni versi ty law school i n Pi ttsburgh. Gri ffi n i nserted the keyless fob i n the i gni ti on slot and pushed a button, starti ng up the SUV. Just make certai n you use him. As Gri ffi n maneuvered out of the parki ng lot, Beli nda wondered i f he was as brusque wi th the women he dated or slept wi th. Other than hi s looks and hi s money, she di dn t know why any of them would put up wi th hi s atti tude. They d agreed that the gi rls would stay wi th her duri ng the week and wi th Gri ffi n on the weekends. But she doubted, wi th hi s busy soci al li fe, that there would be many weekends that the twi ns would stay wi th Gri ffi n. That sui ted Beli nda just fi ne, because what they needed more than anythi ng was stabi li ty. Sabri na and Layla Ri ce had lost both parents and si nce

then had been li vi ng wi th thei r grandparents for the past four months. Now they would be movi ng agai n when they came to li ve wi th her. The fallout after the funeral and buri al was di ffi cult when grandparents and relati ves began argui ng about who would rai se the twi ns. As an i nvestment banker, Grant Ri ce and hi s fami ly had been fi nanci ally sound. And the prospect of the gi rls i nheri tance drew relati ves Gri ffi n hadn t known or seen i n decades li ke hungry sharks to the smell of blood. The speculati on as to the extent of Grant s wealth ended when Gri ffi n announced that he and Beli nda were the legal guardi ans, and that Beli nda was the benefi ci ary of Grant and Donna s multi mi lli on-dollar i nsurance poli cy. He had i nheri ted vacant parcels of land that developers were i nterested i n. The only thi ng he and Beli nda had agreed upon was that all the proceeds and profi ts would be put asi de for thei r ni eces educati on and fi nanci al future. Beli nda had used the few months that the gi rls were li vi ng wi th thei r grandparents to decorate her house to accommodate the growi ng twi ns. She wanted the transi ti on to be smooth and stress-free for everyone i nvolved. She d had more than ten years of teachi ng young adults, but thi s was to be the fi rst ti me Beli nda would become a parent i n every sense of the word. The dri ve from downtown Phi ladelphi a to a nearby suburb was accompli shed i n complete si lence. When Gri ffi n turned off i nto the subdi vi si on and parked i n the dri veway where her parents had purchased the town house after selli ng the large house where they d rai sed thei r four chi ldren, Beli nda was out of the car before Gri ffi n could shut off the engi ne. She di dn t see hi s scowl, but regi stered the slam of the dri ver s-si de door when he closed i t. Ri ngi ng the bell, she wai ted for her mother to come to the door. Its not going to work, she thought over and over as the heat from Gri ffi n s body seeped i nto hers when he moved behi nd her. How was she goi ng to pretend to play house wi th the gi rls surrogate father when she could barely tolerate bei ng i n the same room wi th hi m? The door opened and Roberta Eaton stood on the other si de, her eyes red and swollen. Beli nda knew her mother hadn t wanted her granddaughters to leave, but the law was the law and she d abi de by her late daughter s request and the court s deci si on to have Sabri na and Layla li ve wi th Beli nda. Hi , Mama. Steppi ng i nto the entryway, she leaned over and ki ssed her cheek. How are the gi rls? Roberta pressed a wri nkled ti ssue to her nose. They re much better than I am. But then, you know how adaptable young folks are. I ve spent most of the day cryi ng, whi le they came home goi ng on about an upcomi ng class tri p.

Roberta glanced over her daughter s shoulder to fi nd Gri ffi n Ri ce s broad shoulders fi lli ng out the doorway. Please come i n, Gri ffi n. Gri ffi n moved i nsi de the house wi th expansi ve wi ndows and cei li ngs ri si ng upward to twelve feet. The elder Eatons had downsi zed, selli ng thei r sprawli ng si x-bedroom farmhouse for a two-bedroom town house condo i n a newly constructed reti rement vi llage. Unli ke hi s parents, who di vorced when he was i n hi gh school, Dr. Dwi ght and Roberta Eaton had recently celebrated thei r forty-second weddi ng anni versary. He hadn t remembered a day when hi s parents di d not argue, whi ch had shaped hi s vi ews about marri age. Hi s mother sai d her marri age was a dai ly struggle, one i n whi ch she was always the loser. Hi s father remarri ed twi ce and after hi s last di vorce he dated a woman for several years, but ended the relati onshi p when she wanted a more permanent commi tment. When hi s brother had contacted hi m wi th the news that he was getti ng marri ed, Gri ffi n had at fi rst thought he was joki ng, because they d made a vow never to marry. But wi thi n three months of meeti ng Donna Eaton, Grant had ti ed the knot. At fi rst he had thought hi s brother wanted a hasty weddi ng because Donna was pregnant. But hi s suspi ci ons had been unfounded when the twi ns were born a year later. When he d asked Grant about breaki ng hi s promi se to never marry, hi s brother had sai d promi ses were meant to be broken when you meet the ri ght woman. Gri ffi n dated a lot of women, had had several long-term relati onshi ps, yet at thi rty-seven he sti ll hadn t found the ri ght woman. Aunt Li ndy, Uncle Gri ff! Sabri na, older than her si ster by two mi nutes, came boundi ng down the stai rcase. Sorry, Gram, she mumbled when she saw her grandmother s frown. Her grandmother had lectured her and Layla about acti ng li ke young ladi esand that meant walki ng and not runni ng down the stai rs and talki ng qui etly rather than screami ng at the top of thei r lungs. Beli nda held out her arms, and she wasn t di sappoi nted when Sabri na came i nto her embrace. Easi ng back, she stared at her ni ece, always amazed that Sabri na was a younger versi on of herself. She used to ki d Donna by sayi ng that her fraternal twi n daughters genes had been a compromi se. Sabri na resembled the Eatons, whi le Layla was undeni ably a Ri ce. How s my favori te gi rl? Sabri na rolled her eyes at the same ti me she sucked her teeth. How can I be your favori te when you tell Layla that she s also your favori te? Beli nda ki ssed her forehead. Can t I have two favori te

gi rls? Sabri na angled her head, and her expressi on made her look much older. Not only was she older than Layla, but she was more mature than her twi n. She preferred weari ng her relaxed shoulder-length hai r ei ther loose, or up i n a ponytai l. It was Layla who d opted not to cut her hai r and fashi oned i t i n a si ngle brai d wi th colorful bands on the end to match her funky, bohemi an wardrobe. Both gi rls had braces to correct an overbi te. Of course you can, Sabri na sai d. Pulli ng away, she went over to Gri ffi n. Standi ng on ti ptoe, she ki ssed hi s cheek. I li ke your sui t. The charcoal-gray, si ngle-breasted, styled sui t i n a li ghtwei ght wool blend was Gri ffi n s favori te. He tugged her ponytai l. Thank you. Sabri na gave her uncle a begui li ng smi le. You promi sed that Layla and I could meet Kei th Enni s. The Phi lli es wi ll be i n town for four days. Please, please, please, Uncle Gri ff, can you arrange for us to meet hi m? It was Gri ffi n s turn to roll hi s eyes. Kei th Enni s had become Major League Baseball s latest heartthrob. Groupi es greeted hi m i n every ci ty and hi s offi ci al fan club boasted more than a mi lli on members onli ne. He d consi dered hi mself blessed when the batti ng phenom had approached hi m to represent hi m i n negoti ati ng hi s contract when he d been called up from the mi nors. The Phi ladelphi a Phi lli es si gned hi m to a threeyear, multi mi lli on-dollar deal that made the rooki e one of the hi ghest-pai d players i n the majors, and i n hi s fi rst year he was named Rooki e of the Year, earned a Gold Glove and had hi t more than forty home runs wi th one hundred and ten runs batted i n. I m havi ng a gatheri ng at my house next Saturday followi ng an afternoon game. You and your si ster can come by early to meet hi m, but then you have to leave. How long can we stay, Uncle Gri ff? asked Layla, who d come down the stai rcase i n ti me to overhear her uncle. Beli nda shot Gri ffi n an I dont believe you look. Had he lost hi s mi nd, telli ng twelve-year-olds that they could come to an adult gatheri ng where there was certai n to be not only alcohol, but half-naked hoochi es? Your uncle and I wi ll have to talk about thi s before we agree whether an adult party i s appropri ate for twelve-yearolds. She d deli berately stressed the word adult. Layla pouted as dots of color mottled her clear complexi on. But Uncle Gri ff sai d we could go. Your uncle doesn t have the fi nal say on where you can go, or what you can do. Who does have the fi nal say? Sabri na asked.

Beli nda felt as i f she were bei ng set up. Unknowi ngly, Gri ffi n had made her the bad guyyet agai n. We both wi ll have the fi nal say. Now, please say goodbye to your grandmother. I d li ke to get you settled i n because tomorrow i s a school day. Most of the gi rls clothes and personal belongi ngs had been moved to her house earli er that week. Beli nda had hung thei r clothes i n closets but left boxes of stuffed ani mals and souveni rs for her ni eces to unpack and put away. We ll see you for Sunday di nner, Gram, Layla promi sed as she hugged and ki ssed Roberta. Roberta gave the gi rls bear hugs accompani ed by grunti ng sound effects. I want you to li sten to your aunt and uncle, or you ll hear i t from me. We wi ll, Gram, the two chorused. Beli nda li ngered behi nd as Layla and Sabri na followed Gri ffi n outsi de. Why di dn t you say somethi ng when Gri ffi n menti oned letti ng the gi rls hang out at a party wi th grown menti oned letti ng the gi rls hang out at a party wi th grown folks? Roberta crossed her arms under her full bosom and angled her soft, styli shly coi ffed salt-and-pepper head. She wanted to tell her mi ddle daughter that becomi ng a mother was challengi ng enough, but assumi ng the responsi bi li ty of rai si ng teenage gi rls, who were sti ll gri evi ng the loss of thei r parents, and had just started thei r menses and were subject to mood swi ngs as errati c as the weather, would make her questi on her sani ty. I wouldn t permi t anyone to i nterfere wi th me rai si ng my chi ldren, so I m not goi ng to get i nto i t wi th you and Gri ffi n about how you want to deal wi th Layla and Sabri na. Not only are you thei r aunt but you are also thei r mother. What you re goi ng to have to do i s establi sh the rules wi th Gri ffi n before you tell the gi rls what s expected of them. Frustrati on swept over Beli nda. Her mother wasn t goi ng to take her si de. I can t understand what made hi m tell There s not much to understand, Beli nda, Roberta retorted, i nterrupti ng her. He s a man, not a father. What he s goi ng to have to do i s begi n thi nki ng li ke a father. That s not goi ng to be as easy as i t sounds. Layla and Sabri na wi ll spend more ti me wi th me than wi th Gri ffi n. Although he s agreed to take them on the weekends that doesn t mean he ll have them every weekend. Gri ffi n Ri ce i s no di fferent than your father. As a fami ly doctor wi th a pri vate practi ce he was always on call. If i t wasn t a sprai ned wri st or ankle, then i t was the hospi tal aski ng hi m to cover i n the E.R. Dwi ght mi ssed so many Sunday di nners that I stopped setti ng a place for hi m at the Sunday di nners that I stopped setti ng a place for hi m at the di nner table.

Daddy was worki ng, and there i s a bi g di fference between worki ng and soci ali zi ng. You can t worry about Gri ffi n, Li ndy. Ei ther he wi ll step up to the plate or he won t. At thi s poi nt i n thei r li ves, Sabri na and Layla need a mother not a father. Once the boys start hangi ng around them, I m certai n he ll change. Your father di d. Beli nda wanted to tell her mother that Gri ffi n Ri ce was nothi ng li ke Dwi ght Eaton. Wi th Gri ffi n i t was li ke sendi ng the fox to guard the henhouse. And, i f Gri ffi n di dn t take an acti ve role i n protecti ng hi s ni eces now, then she would be forced to be mother and father. Let s hope you re ri ght. She hugged and ki ssed her mother. We ll see you Sunday. Roberta nodded. Take care of my gi rls. You know I wi ll, Mama. Beli nda walked out of the house to fi nd Gri ffi n wai ti ng for her. He d removed hi s sui t jacket, hi s custom-made shi rt and tai lored slacks di splayi ng hi s physi que to i ts best advantage. Sabri na and Layla were seated i n the back of the car, bounci ng to musi c blari ng from the SUV s speakers. Beli nda fi xed her gaze on a spot over Gri ffi n s shoulder rather than meet hi s i ntense gaze. There was somethi ng about the way he was stari ng at her that made Beli nda sli ghtly uncomfortable. Perhaps i t was hi s earli er reference to her face and body that added to her uneasi ness. The fi rst ti me she was i ntroduced to Gri ffi n Ri ce she was stunned by hi s gorgeous face and perfect body, but after i nteracti ng wi th hi m she d thought hi m arrogant and egoti sti cal when he boasted that he d graduated number one i n hi s law school class. Subsequent encounters di d li ttle to change her opi ni on of hi m. Every ti me the Eatons and Ri ces got together Gri ffi n flaunted a di fferent woman. After a whi le, she stopped speaki ng to hi m. Even when they came together as godmother and godfather to celebrate thei r godchi ldren s bi rthdays, she never exchanged more than a few words wi th hi m. We have to talk about the gi rls, Gri ffi n. Hi s thi ck eyebrows arched. What do you want to talk about? We need to establi sh some rules concerni ng parenti ng. I ll go along wi th whatever you want. What I don t want i s for you to promi se the gi rls that they can attend an adult party, added Beli nda. I di dn t tell them they could attend the party. I sai d I heard what you sai d, Gri ffi n Ri ce, Beli nda i nterrupted angri ly. The gi rls wi ll not go to your house to meet anyone. Gri ffi n s eyes darkened as he struggled to control hi s temper. He di dn t know what i t was about Beli nda Eaton,

but she was the only woman who managed to annoy hi m. He d stopped speaki ng to her because she had such a sharp tongue. And rather than argue, he i gnored her. But i t was i mpossi ble to i gnore her now because he would have to put up wi th her for the next eleven years. Once Sabri na and Layla celebrated thei r twenty-thi rd bi rthdays he and Beli nda could go thei r separate ways. Havi ng hi s ni eces stay at hi s house on weekends would put a cri mp i n hi s soci al li fe, but he was totally commi tted to hi s role as thei r guardi an. Gri ffi n knew what meeti ng Kei th Enni s and getti ng hi s autograph meant to the gi rls. Hi s di lemma was fi ndi ng a way to get around Beli nda s demands. Are you wi lli ng to compromi se? Compromi se how? You act as my hostess for the party. Let me fi ni sh, he warned when she started to open her mouth i n protest. You and the gi rls can spend the weekend wi th me. You can be my hostess, and I ll ask Kei th to come early so that Sabri na and Layla can meet hi m. As soon as the others arri ve they can go to thei r rooms whi le you and I Wi ll meet and greet your guests, Beli nda sai d faceti ously, fi ni shi ng hi s statement. Gri nni ng and di splayi ng a mouth fi lled wi th strai ght, whi te teeth, Gri ffi n wi nked at Beli nda. Now, doesn t that solve everythi ng? The gi rls get to meet thei r i dol, I get to i nteract wi th my fri ends and cli ents and you wi ll be there to moni tor Sabri na and Layla. I dont think the girls need as much monitoring as you do, Beli nda mused. I hope when the gi rls stay over that you won t expose them to si tuati ons they don t need to see at thei r age. It took a full mi nute for Gri ffi n to di scern what Beli nda was i mplyi ng. Do you really beli eve I m so depraved that I would sleep wi th a woman when my ni eces are i n the same house? I don t know what to beli eve, Gri ffi n. Beli nda s voi ce was pregnant wi th sarcasm. What you re goi ng to have to do i s prove to me that you re capable of looki ng after two pre-teen gi rls. I don t have to prove anythi ng to you, Beli nda. The fact that my brother thought me worthy enough to care for and protect hi s daughters i s enough. And, regardless of what you may thi nklegally I have as much ri ght to see my ni eces as you do. I agreed to let them stay wi th you duri ng the week because thei r school i s i n the same di stri ct where you li ve. It would be detri mental to thei r stabi li ty to pull them out mi dterm to go to a school close to where I li ve. He took a step, bri ngi ng hi m wi thi n i nches of hi s si steri n-law, hi s gaze li ngeri ng on the deli cate features that made for an arresti ng face. What he hadn t wanted to

acknowledge the fi rst ti me he was i ntroduced to Beli nda Eaton was that she was stunni ngly beauti ful. She had i t all: looks and brai ns. Also, what he refused to thi nk about was her li the, curvy body. The one ti me he saw her i n a bi ki ni he d found hi mself transfi xed by what had been concealed by her conservati ve atti re. It took weeks before the i mage of her long, shapely legs and the soft excess of flesh ri si ng above her bi ki ni top faded completely. That had been the fi rst and only ti me that Gri ffi n Ri ce was consci ously aware that he wanted to make love to Beli nda Eaton. Okay, Gri ffi n. I ll compromi se just thi s one ti me. But only because I don t want to di sappoi nt Layla and Sabri na. Gri ffi n smi led, the expressi on softeni ng hi s face and maki ng hi m even more attracti ve. Why, thank you, Beli nda. Beli nda also smi led. You re qui te welcome, Gri ffi n.

Chapter 2 Aren t you comi ng i n wi th us, Uncle Gri ff? Sabri na

asked as Gri ffi n stood on the porch of Beli nda s two-story whi te house framed wi th dark blue moldi ng and matchi ng shutters. Cuppi ng the back of her head, Gri ffi n pressed a ki ss to her forehead. I can t. I have a pri or engagement. Sabri na bli nked once. You re engaged? Throwi ng back hi s head, Gri ffi n laughed. No. I should ve sai d that I have a di nner appoi ntment. Why di dn t you say that i nstead of sayi ng you were engaged, Sabri na countered, not seei ng the humor i n her uncle s statement. Gri ffi n sobered qui ckly when he reali zed she wasn t amused. Everyone remarked how Sabri na had an old spi ri t, that she was wi se beyond her years, whi le Layla the free spi ri t saw goodness i n everythi ng and everyone. It looks as i f I m goi ng to have to be very careful about what I say to you. Sabri na wi nked at hi m. That s all ri ght, Uncle Gri ff. I ll let you know when I don t understand somethi ng. Beli nda li stened to the exchange between Gri ffi n and hi s ni ece. It was apparent he d met hi s match. If you re not comi ng i n, then I ll say good ni ght. Watchi ng hi m dri ve away, she was grateful that Gri ffi n had elected not to come i nsi de because she wanted ti me alone wi th her ni eces, to see fi rsthand thei r reacti on to the rooms she d organi zed and decorated i n what she felt was each gi rl s personal style. Beli nda glanced at her watch. Gi rls, please go upstai rs, do your homework and then get ready for bed. I m goi ng to have to get you up earli er than usual because I m goi ng to

dri ve you to school. I also have to fi ll out another transportati on appli cati on changi ng your bus route. The si sters headed for the stai rcase, raci ng each other to the second floor. Thei r bus route had changed when they d gone to li ve wi th thei r grandparents, and i t would change agai n now that they li ved wi th her. It d taken Beli nda two months for the contractor to make the necessary renovati ons to her house when she reali zed the twi ns would have to li ve wi th her. She hadn t known that when she d moved out of her Phi ladelphi a co-op and i nto the three-bedroom house. She d ori gi nally bought the house because she d been looki ng to li ve i n a less noi sy nei ghborhood wi th a slower pace. Now she would end up shari ng the house wi th her ni eces. The house s former owners, a chi ldless couple who taught i n the same hi gh school as Beli nda, had covered the clapboard wi th vi nyl si di ng, updated the plumbi ng and electri ci ty and had landscaped the enti re property as they awai ted the adopti on of a chi ld from Eastern Europe. The adopti on fell through and the wi fe opted for arti fi ci al i nsemi nati on. After several fai led tri es, she found herself pregnant wi th not one, but four babi es. They began looki ng for a larger house at the same ti me Beli nda put her co-op on the market. She made the couple an offer, and three months later she closed on what had become her li ttle dream house. Ear-pi erci ng screams floated down from the second story. Glanci ng up, she saw Layla hangi ng over the bani ster. Are you okay? she asked wi th a smi le, knowi ng the reason for the screami ng. Layla gestured wi ldly. Aunt Li ndy, I love, love, love i t! she shri eked i ncoherently before runni ng back to her bedroom. Mi nutes later Beli nda stood i n the room, her arms enci rcli ng her ni eces wai sts. The contractor had removed the door leadi ng i nto the master bedroom and i nstalled doors to adjoi ni ng bedrooms that led di rectly i nto the space she d set up as a combi ned offi ce, study and entertai nment area. The furni shi ngs i ncluded two desks wi th chai rs that faced each other and bui lt-i n bookcases along three of the four walls. The remai ni ng wall held a large flat-screen televi si on. A low table held electroni cs for a home-theater system. Empty racks for CDs and DVDs were nestled i n a corner, along wi th a worktable wi th a streamli ned desktop and laptop computers and pri nter. Although the televi si on was equi pped wi th cable, Beli nda had programmed parental controls on both the televi si on and Internet. French doors had replaced a tri o of wi ndows that led to a balcony overlooki ng the back of the property.

I know whi ch bedroom i s mi ne, Sabri na crooned. Mi ne i s the one wi th the bri ght colors, Layla sai d, her voi ce ri si ng i n exci tement. Sabri na pressed closer to her aunt. Thi s i s the fi rst ti me we re not goi ng to have to share a bedroom. Beli nda gave her a warm smi le. She recogni zed them as i ndi vi duals and sought to relate to them as such. I have a few house rules that I expect to be followed. You must keep your bedrooms and bathroom clean. I don t want to fi nd di rty clothes on the floor or under the beds. The fi rst ti me I fi nd food or dri nk upstai rs there wi ll be consequences. Layla shot her a questi oni ng glance. What ki nd of consequences? There wi ll be no televi si on or Internet for a week. The only excepti on i s to do homework. You ll also have to gi ve up your i Pods and reli nqui sh your cell phones But we don t have cell phones, Sabri na i nterrupted, shari ng a look wi th her si ster. A mysteri ous smi le ti pped the corners of Beli nda s mouth. If you look i n the drawer of your bedsi de tables you ll fi nd a cell phone. The phones are a gi ft from your uncle Gri ffi n. He s programmed the numbers where you can reach hi m or me i n an emergency. You ll share a thousand mi nutes each month, plus unli mi ted texti ng. You Her words trai led off when the gi rls raced out of the room, leavi ng her stari ng at the spots where they d been. She d turned the master bedroom i nto a sanctuary for her ni eces, decorated Sabri na s room wi th a queen-si ze, off-whi te slei gh bed, wi th matchi ng dresser, ni ghtstands and li ngeri e chest. Wani ng dayli ght fi ltered through sheer curtai ns casti ng shadows on the whi te comforter dotted wi th embroi dered yellow-and-green butterfli es. Layla s room reflected her offbeat style and personali ty wi th orange-red furni ture and earth-toned accessori es. Beli nda had moved her own bedroom to the fi rst floor i n what had been the enclosed back porch. It faced southeast, whi ch meant the ri si ng sun rather than an alarm clock woke her each morni ng. Layla and Sabri na returned, clutchi ng Si deki ck cell phones whi le doi ng the happy dance. Gi rls, I want you i n bed by ni ne. Yes, Aunt Li ndy, they sai d i n uni son. She walked out of the study and made her way down the carpeted hallway to the stai rcase. Gi vi ng her ni eces the run of the second floor would serve two purposes: i t would gi ve them a measure of i ndependence and make them responsi ble for keepi ng thei r li vi ng space clean. Gri ffi n couldn t remember the last ti me a woman had bored hi m to the poi nt of walki ng out on a date. However, he d promi sed Renata Crosby that he would have di nner

wi th her the next ti me she came to Phi ladelphi a on busi ness. The screenwri ter was pretty, but that s where her appeal started and ended. From the ti me she sat down at the table i n one of hi s favori te restaurants, Renata had talked nonstop about how much money she d lost because of the wri ter s stri ke i n Hollywood. He wanted to tell her that everyone affected by the stri ke lost money. Gri ffi n, darli ng, you haven t heard a word I ve been sayi ng, Renata admoni shed softly. Gri ffi n forced hi s attenti on back to the woman wi th eyes the color of lapi s lazuli . Thei r deep blue color was the perfect foi l for her oli ve complexi on and strai ght ravenblack, chi n-length hai r. I m sorry, he mumbled apologeti cally, but my mi nd i s elsewhere. Renata bli nked, a fri nge of lashes touchi ng the ri dge of hi gh cheekbones. She d spent the better part of an hour tryi ng to seduce Gri ffi n Ri ce, but i t was apparent her scheme to get hi m to sleep wi th her wasn t worki ng. She d met the hi ghly successful and chari smati c sports attorney at an L.A. hot spot, and knew wi thi n seconds that she had to have a pi ece of hi m. At the ti me, he was scheduled to fly out of LAX for the East Coast. So she had followed hi m to the parki ng lot where a dri ver wai ted for hi m and got hi m to exchange busi ness cards wi th her. She and Gri ffi n had played phone tag for more than a month unti l one day he answered hi s phone. She told hi m that she was meeti ng a cli ent i n Phi ladelphi a, and wanted to have di nner wi th hi m before flyi ng back to Cali forni a. Of course, there was no cli ent and i t appeared as i f she d flown three thousand mi les for nothi ng. You do seem rather di stracted, she crooned, deli berately loweri ng her voi ce. Gri ffi n stared at hi s fi ngers splayed over the pri sti ne, whi te tablecloth. That s because i t i sn t every day that a man becomes the father of twi n gi rls. An audi ble gasp escaped Renata. You re a father? Gri ffi n angled hi s head and smi led. Awesome, i sn t i t? Pressi ng her li ps together, Renata swallowed hard. When she d i nqui red about Gri ffi n Ri ce s mari tal status she was told that he wasn t marri ed. Had her source li ed, or had Gri ffi n perfected the art of keepi ng hi s pri vate li fe very pri vate? I d say i t s downri ght shocki ng. You di dn t know your wi fe was havi ng twi ns? I m not marri ed. If you re not marri ed, then you re a baby daddy. Or should I say a babies daddy. Gri ffi n regi stered the contempt i n Renata s voi ce.

Although he wasn t remotely i nterested i n her, he was sti ll perturbed by her reacti on. After all, he d only agreed to have di nner wi th her to be poli te. Rai si ng hi s hand, he si gnaled for the check. I m goi ng to forget you sai d that. Renata concealed her embarrassment behi nd a toobri ght smi le. I m sorry i t came out that way. Please, let me make i t up to you by sendi ng you somethi ng for your gi rls, she sai d i n an attempt to salvage what was left of her pri de. Apology accepted, but no, thank you. He si gned the check, pushed back hi s chai r to come around the table and help Renata. When she came to her feet, he offered, Can I drop you anywhere? Renata was nearly eye to eye wi th Gri ffi n i n her heels. She knew they would ve made a stri ki ng couple i f some other woman hadn t gotten her hooks i nto hi m. She d met more Gri ffi n Ri ces than she could count on both hands. Most were good-looki ng, hi gh-profi le men who were wi lli ng to be seen wi th women li ke her, but when all was sai d and done they marri ed women who wouldn t cheat on them, or whom other men wouldn t gi ve a second glance. As soon as she returned to her hotel room she planned to call an entertai nment reporter and gi ve hi m the lowdown about Gri ffi n Ri ce havi ng fathered twi ns. No, thanks. I have a rental outsi de. He took her arm. I ll walk you to your car. Gri ffi n gave Renata the obli gatory ki ss on the cheek, wai ted unti l she maneuvered out of the restaurant s parki ng lot and then made hi s way to where he d parked hi s car. He wasn t as annoyed wi th Renata s i nane conversati on as he was wi th hi mself for wasti ng three preci ous hours he could ve spent wi th hi s ni eces. Glanci ng at the watch strapped to hi s wri st, he noted the ti me. It was ei ght thi rtyfi ve, and he wanted to talk to Sabri na and Layla before they went to bed for the ni ght. He exceeded the speed li mi t to make i t to Beli nda s house i n record ti me. She d bought a house a mi le from where Grant and Donna had li ved, the perfect nei ghborhood for upwardly mobi le young couples wi th chi ldren. Grant had tri ed to convi nce hi m to purchase one of the newer homes of the McMansi on vari ety, but Gri ffi n preferred the charm of the ni neteenth-century homes along the Mai n Li ne. Though less exclusi ve than i t once was, the suburb west of the ci ty was sti ll i denti fi ed wi th the crme de la crme of Phi ladelphi a soci ety. Whenever he closed the door to hi s three-story coloni al on a half-acre lot along the tree-li ned street i n Paoli , he was no longer the hard-nosed negoti ator tryi ng to make the best deal for hi s cli ent. Si tti ng on hi s pati o overlooki ng a pi cturesque landscape of massi ve century-old trees and a carpet of wi ldflowers had become hi s ulti mate pleasure. He

opened hi s home on average about three ti mes a year to entertai n fami ly, fri ends and cli ents. Li vi ng i n Paoli sui ted hi s temperament. After growi ng up i n a crowded, bustli ng Phi ladelphi a nei ghborhood he d come to appreci ate the qui etness of the suburb of fi fty-four hundred resi dents. Gri ffi n maneuvered i nto Beli nda s wi de dri veway and shut off the engi ne. Hi s dark mood li fted when he saw soft li ght comi ng through the fi rst-floor wi ndows. It was apparent Beli nda hadn t gone to bed. He rang the bell, wai ted and rai sed hi s hand to ri ng i t agai n when the door opened and he came face-to-face wi th Beli nda as she dabbed her face wi th a hand towel. Judgi ng from her expressi on i t was apparent that she was as shocked to see hi m as he to see her i n a pai r of shorts and a reveali ng tank top. And, wi th her freshly scrubbed face and headband that pulled her hai r off her face, she appeared no older than the hi gh school students to whom she taught Ameri can hi story. What are you doi ng here? Beli nda asked, her voi ce a breathless whi sper. Leani ng agai nst the doorframe, Gri ffi n stared at the ri se and fall of her breasts under the cotton fabri c. He swallowed a groan when a part of hi s body reacted i nvoluntari ly to the wanton di splay of ski n. I came to see i f themy daughters are okay. Beli nda was surpri sed to hear Gri ffi n refer to hi s ni eces as hi s daughters. It was apparent he i ntended to take surrogate parenti ng seri ously. Of course they re okay, Gri ffi n. If you hadn t run off you would ve known that. Gri ffi n strai ghtened. I had a pri or engagement. She rolled her eyes at hi m. Call i t what i t i s. And that i s? You had a date, Gri ffi n. A slow, sexy smi le found i ts way over Gri ffi n s face. Do I detect a modi cum of jealousy, Eaton? Surely you jest, Ri ce. Let me assure you I m not attracted to you, and there s nothi ng about you that I fi nd even remotely appeali ng. Gri ffi n brushed past her, walki ng i nto the entryway. Sheath your claws, Beli nda. What you should do i s channel your frustrati on i n an anger management semi nar because we re goi ng to have to deal wi th each other unti l the gi rls celebrate thei r twenty-thi rd bi rthday. You don t li ke me and I have to admi t that you re certai nly not at the top of the li st for what I want i n a woman. Beli nda affected a bri ttle smi le. At least we can agree on one thi ng. And that i s? he asked, li fti ng hi s expressi ve eyebrows. We won t i nterfere i n each other s love li ves. You re seei ng someone? Does that surpri se you, Gri ffi n? she asked, answeri ng hi s questi on wi th one of her own.

Beli nda s revelati on that she was i nvolved wi th a man came as a shock to Gri ffi n. He never saw her wi th a man, so he d assumed that she spent her ni ghts at homealone. I hope you re not goi ng to schedule sleep-overs wi th your man now that the gi rls are li vi ng wi th you. It wouldn t set a good example He ll only come when the gi rls stay at your place, she i nterrupted. Gri ffi n di dn t know where he d gotten the noti on that Beli nda wasn t seei ng anyone. Although he would never admi t to her that he was attracted to her i n that way, i t di dn t mean that other men weren t. Earli er, he d sat watchi ng Jonathan Connelly unable to take hi s eyes off her. And Gri ffi n di dn t blame the man because Beli nda Eaton was stunni ng. If she hadn t been so unapproachable he would ve consi dered aski ng her out. Even when they d come together as best man and mai d of honor for the weddi ng of thei r respecti ve si bli ngs, he d thought her shy and reti cent. But then he hadn t expected more from a ni neteen-year-old college student who d li ved on campus her fi rst semester, then wi thout warni ng moved back home, dri vi ng more than thi rty mi les each day to attend classes. When asked why she d opted not to stay on campus, her response was as eni gmati c as the woman she d become. Gri ffi n remembered why he d come to Beli nda s house. May I see the gi rls? May I see the gi rls? I m sorry. They ve already gone to bed. He glanced at the clock on the table fi lled wi th potted plants. It s only ni ne-fi fteen. Isn t that a li ttle early? No, i t i sn t, Gri ffi n. My mother had a problem wi th getti ng them up on school days, so I ve i nsti tuted a ni ne o clock curfew Sunday through Thursday and eleven on Fri days and Saturdays. That sounds a li ttle stri ct, Beli nda. Chi ldren need structure. Structure i s one thi ng and bei ng on lockdown i s another. Beli nda walked around Gri ffi n and opened the door wi der. I don t want to be rude, but you really need to go home, Gri ffi n. I m goi ng to be up late gradi ng papers, and hopefully I ll be able to get a few hours of sleep before I have to get up earli er than usual to dri ve the gi rls to school. I need to stop i n the school offi ce to update thei r emergency contact numbers and bus route. After seei ng that Layla and Sabri na had completed thei r homework, she d eaten leftovers, appli ed a faci al masque and sat i n a tub of warm water wai ti ng for i t to set. By the ti me she d emerged from the bathroom the gi rls had come to ki ss her good-ni ght. They d gone to bed, whi le she would

probably be up well past mi dni ght. Gri ffi n heard somethi ng i n Beli nda s voi ce that he d never recogni zed before: defeat. Although they shared custody of thei r ni eces, i t was Beli nda who d assumed most of the responsi bi li ty for cari ng for them fi ve of the seven days a week. And for the weeks when he had to seven days a week. And for the weeks when he had to travel on busi ness, i t would be the enti re week. What ti me do your classes begi n? Ei ght. But I have a sub fi lli ng i n for me. Gri ffi n knew he had to help Beli nda or she would fi nd herself i n over her head. It was one thi ng to rai se a chi ld from i nfancy and another thi ng completely when you found yourself havi ng to deal wi th not one but two teenagers wi th very strong personali ti es. Let me help you out. Beli nda stared at the man standi ng i n her entryway as i f he were a stranger. You want to help me. Sli ppi ng hi s hands i nto the pockets of hi s sui t trousers, Gri ffi n angled hi s head. Yes. I ll take the gi rls to school and take care of the paperwork. That way you don t have to have to mi ss your classes. It s too late to cancel the substi tute. Attracti ve li nes fanned out around hi s eyes when he gave her a warm smi le. Use the extra ti me to sleep i n late. Hi s smi le was contagi ous as Beli nda returned i t wi th one of her own. It sounds good, but I sti ll have to get up and prepare breakfast. Can t they get breakfast at school? Donna wouldn t let them eat school breakfast because they weren t eati ng enough fi ber. I ll fi x breakfast for them, Gri ffi n volunteered. It can t be fast food. He wi nked at her. I di dn t know you were a comedi an. Why would I gi ve them a fast-food breakfast when i t has a hi gher calori c content and more preservati ves than some cafeteri a food? I ll cook breakfast for them. Beli nda hesi tated, processi ng what she d just heard. You re goi ng to come here from Paoli tomorrow morni ng i n ti me to make breakfast and take the gi rls to school? The ongoi ng fami ly joke was that Gri ffi n Ri ce would be late for hi s own funeral. Yes. Beli nda waved a hand. Forget i t, Gri ffi n. I ll get up and make breakfast and take them to school. You doubt whether I ll be here on ti me? She leaned closer. I know you won t make i t. The warmth and the subtle scent of lavender on Beli nda s bared flesh wafted i n Gri ffi n s nostri ls, maki ng hi m more than aware of her blatant femi ni ni ty. For years he d told hi mself that he di dn t li ke hi s si ster-i n-law because

she was a snobthat her atti tude was that she was too good for hi m because she came from a more presti gi ous fami ly. But i n the past four months he saw another si de of Beli nda Eaton that hadn t been apparent i n the dozen years si nce they fi rst met. Not only was she generous, but also selfless i n her attempt to become a surrogate mother for her si ster s chi ldren. She had reconfi gured the desi gn of her house to accommodate the teenage gi rls. He hadn t known she had a man i n her li fe, and apparently that relati onshi p would also change now that Layla and Sabri na were li vi ng wi th her. I ll make i t i f I stay over. You can t stay here, Beli nda sai d qui ckly. Have you forgotten that I no longer have an extra bedroom? She d turned the master bedroom i nto the offi ce/entertai nment retreat for the twi ns and added half baths to the two remai ni ng bedrooms. There was sti ll a full bathroom on the second floor and a half bath off the ki tchen, but wi th three females li vi ng under one roof everyone needed a bathroom to call thei r own. Gri ffi n affected a Cheshi re cat gri n. I can always sleep wi th you. Beli nda stared at hi m as i f he d lost hi s mi nd. You re crazy as hell i f you thi nk I m goi ng to let you sleep i n my bed wi th me. And why not? he asked qui etly. Aren t we fami ly, Aunt Li ndy? Fi rst of all I m not your aunt. And secondly, you and I don t share blood, therefore we re not fami ly. If you want to stay over then you re goi ng to have to sleep i n the li vi ng room on the sofa. It converts to a queen-si ze bed and the mattress i s very comfortable. How would you know i t s comfortable? I slept on i t before my bedroom was completed. Although she d moved her bedroom from the second to the fi rst floor she li ked her new space because i t was larger, ai ry and fi lled wi th an abundance of li ght duri ng dayti me hours. Gri ffi n nodded. I ll take your word that i t s comfortable, but i f I wake up wi th a bad back then I m goi ng to hold you responsi ble for my medi cal expenses. You won t need a chi ropractor after I walk on your back, Beli nda countered confi dently. My feet and toes are magi cal. He glanced down at her slender pedi cured feet i n a pai r of thong sli ppers. Her feet were li ke the rest of her body perfect. Beli nda Eaton was physi cally perfect, yet so untouchable. He wondered about the man who d managed to get next to her. There was no doubt he was nothi ng less than Mi ster Perfect hi mself.

We ll see, he repli ed noncommi ttally. I m goi ng to head out to Paoli , get a few thi ngs. Are you sure you ll be up when I get back? I have an extra set of keys you can use. What about your alarm? I won t set i t. Set i t, Gri ffi n ordered. I d feel better knowi ng you and the gi rls are protected by a si lent alarm before I get back. Now, gi ve me the password. Please, he added when Beli nda glared at hi m. He repeated i t a couple of ti mes aloud, then to hi mself. I ll bri ng back a set of keys to my place for you, and I ll gi ve you my password. Beli nda turned and walked i n the di recti on of the ki tchen where she retri eved a set of keys to her house from a uti li ty drawer. She returned to fi nd Gri ffi n standi ng i n the mi ddle of her li vi ng room stari ng at photographs on tables and li ni ng the fi replace mantel. Hi s gaze was fi xed on one of hi mself, Grant and Donna together at an Eaton-Ri ce fami ly pi cni c. It d taken her weeks to come to gri ps that her si ster and brother-i n-law were gone and that she would never hear thei r laughter agai n. She d put away all of thei r photographs, then caught herself when she reali zed that i f she wanted to remember them, i t would be best to see them smi li ng and happy. Gri ffi n. Gri ffi n turned when Beli nda called hi s name, hi s expressi on mi rrori ng the sadness and pai n that returned when he least expected i t. There had only been he and Grant, the two of them i nseparable. Grant was two years older, but he never seemed to mi nd that he had to take hi s younger brother everywhere he went. They were always there for each other throughout thei r tri umphs and fai lures. Grant was gone, but hi s spi ri t for li fe li ved on i n the daughters he had called hi s pri ncesses. Grant had asked hi m whether he d take care of hi s pri ncesses i f anythi ng ever happened to hi m and Gri ffi n hadn t hesi tated when he sai d of course, unaware that a decade later he would be called upon to do just that. Grant had also revealed that Beli nda Eaton had agreed to share guardi anshi p of hi s chi ldren wi th hi m. He d always thought Donna s younger si ster was shy and very pretty, but that had been the extent of hi s awareness of the young woman who d been Donna s mai d of honor at hi s brother s weddi ng. Now standi ng several feet away wasn t a shy, pretty gi rl but a very confi dent, beauti ful woman who always seemed confrontati onal, somethi ng he d never accept from other women. But he had to remember that Beli nda Eaton wasn t just any woman. She was now the mother and he the father to thei r twi n ni eces. Yes?

Beli nda held out her hand. Here are your keys. He took the keys suspended from a colorful Luci te souveni r from Hershey Park. I ll make up the sofa and leave a li ght on for you. Gri ffi n nodded. Thank you. I ll lock the door and set the alarm on my way out. Beli nda was sti ll standi ng i n the mi ddle of the li vi ng room when she heard the soft beep that si gnaled that the alarm was bei ng armed. In another forty-fi ve seconds i t would be acti vated. Today she d spent more ti me wi th Gri ffi n Ri ce than she had si nce planni ng and rehearsi ng for her si ster s weddi ng. Her opi ni on of hi m hadn t changed over the years. She sti ll found hi m outspoken, brash and a ski rt-chaser. What had changed was that she saw for the fi rst ti me that he truly loved hi s ni eces. Hi s reference to Sabri na and Layla as hi s daughters really shocked her, and hi s volunteeri ng to take them to school was a blessi ng. He d stepped up to the plate much sooner than she d expected he would. Perhaps, she thought as she made her way upstai rs to the li nen closet, Gri ffi n di d have some redeemi ng quali ti es after all. What she di dn t want to li nger on was how good he looked and smelled. He d removed hi s ti e and jacket and when she opened the door to fi nd hi m standi ng there i n just a shi rt and trousers she di scovered that her pulse beat a li ttle too qui ckly for her to be unaffected by hi s presence, and at that moment she knew she was no di fferent than the thousands of other women who lusted after the sports attorney who d become a celebri ty i n hi s own ri ght. What Beli nda had to do was be carefulbe very, very careful not to fall vi cti m to hi s looks and potent charm.

Chapter 3 Beli nda woke as dayli ght fi ltered through layers of si lk

panels coveri ng the French doors. Every pi ece of furni ture and all the accessori es i n her bedroom were i n varyi ng shades of whi te. The absence of color i n the bedroom was offset by the calmi ng blue shades i n an adjoi ni ng si tti ng/dressi ng room. Blue-and-whi te stri ped cushi ons on a whi te chai se, where she spent hours readi ng and gradi ng papers, and a blue-and-whi te checked tablecloth on a small table wi th two pull-up chai rs were where she usually enjoyed a late-ni ght cup of coffee and took her breakfast on weekend morni ngs. Stretchi ng her arms above her head, she smi led when the sounds of bi rds si ngi ng and chi rpi ng to one another shattered the early-morni ng soli tude. It was spri ng, the clocks were on dayli ght savi ngs ti me and she d spent the wi nter wai ti ng for longer days and warmer weather after a

brutally cold and snowy wi nter season. Rolli ng over on her si de, she peered at the clock on the bedsi de table. It was si x-thi rtythe same ti me she woke every morni ng. She d just gotten i nto bed when she heard Gri ffi n come i n around mi dni ght. She di dn t know why, but the noti on of whether he slept nude, i n pajamas or i n hi s underwear made her laugh unti l she pulled a pi llow over her head to muffle the sound. That was her last thought before she fell i nto a deep, dreamless slumber. Si tti ng up, she swung her legs over the si de of the bed and reached for the wrap on the nearby chai r. Today was Thursday and she had a standi ng appoi ntment wi th her hai rdresser. Wednesdays were set asi de for a mani cure and pedi cure and she planned to ask her ni eces i f they wanted to accompany her. The house was qui et as she took the back stai rcase to the full bathroom on the second floor. Beli nda hadn t wanted to walk past the li vi ng room where Gri ffi n slept. Her feet were muffled by the hallway runner as she made her way past the closed doors to Sabri na s and Layla s bedrooms. She d told the gi rls to set thei r alarms, because she wasn t goi ng to be responsi ble for waki ng them up. Li ke Gri ffi n, they also li ked to sleep i n late. It had to be a Ri ce trai t. Beli nda di dn t li nger. Havi ng completed her morni ng routi ne, she left the bathroom the way she d come, encounteri ng the smell of brewi ng coffee. A knowi ng smi le parted her li ps. Gri ffi n was up. By the ti me she d made up her bed, sli pped i nto a pai r of faded jeans, T-shi rt and brushed her hai r, securi ng i t i nto a ponytai l, the sound of footsteps echoed over her head. It was apparent her ni eces had gotten up wi thout her assi stance. Donna had made i t a practi ce to wake them up and the habi t conti nued wi th Roberta. When she and Donna were that age, Roberta had i nsi sted that they set thei r alarm clocks i n order to get up i n plenty of ti me to ready themselves for school. Gri ffi n had accused her of bei ng ri gi d, whi le she thought of i t as preparati on for the future. No one would be comi ng to thei r homes to wake them up so they could make i t to work on ti me. Beli nda walked i nto the ki tchen to fi nd Gri ffi n transferri ng buckwheat pancakes from the stovetop gri ll onto a platter. The whi te T-shi rt and jeans ri di ng low on hi s sli m hi ps made her breath catch i n her throat. Her gaze was drawn to the muscles i n hi s bi ceps that flexed wi th every moti on. She regarded Gri ffi n as a ski rt-chaser, but after seei ng hi m movi ng around her ki tchen as i f he d done i t countless ti mes she reali zed he would be a good catch for some womanprovi ded he would be fai thful to her.

Good morni ng. Gri ffi n glanced up, smi li ng. Well, good morni ng to you, too. Beli nda walked i nto the ki tchen and sat on a hi gh stool at the cooki ng i sland. I di dn t know you could cook. He wi nked at her. That s because you don t know me. She deci ded not to respond to hi s declarati on. How s your back? Beli nda asked i nstead. Good. Remember when you bani sh your man to the couch that i t s not goi ng to be much of a puni shment. When I have to put a man out of my bed he won t end up on the couch but on the sidewalk. She d stressed the last word. Gri ffi n gri maced. Ouch! Beli nda sli pped off the stool. Do you want me to help you wi th anythi ng? I stopped at a twenty-four-hour green grocer and bought some frui t. I put i t i n the refri gerator, but i f you prepare i t for me I d really appreci ate i t. Worki ng si de by si de, Beli nda washed and cut melon, strawberri es and pi neapple i nto small pi eces for a fresh frui t salad whi le Gri ffi n fi ni shed maki ng pancakes. When Sabri na and Layla came downstai rs, dressed i n thei r school uni formswhi te blouse, gray pleated ski rt and gray blazer and knee socksthe ki tchen was redolent wi th di fferent flavors of frui t, freshly squeezed orange jui ce, pancakes and coffee for Beli nda and Gri ffi n. There was only the sound of a newscaster s voi ce comi ng from the radi o on a countertop as the four ate breakfast. I have an appoi ntment for my hai r thi s afternoon, Beli nda sai d, breaki ng the comfortable si lence. She looked at Sabri na, then Layla. Who would li ke to go wi th me? I do, Sabri na sai d. Me, too, Layla chi med i n. I ll pi ck you up from school, and we ll go di rectly from there to the salon. Make certai n you bri ng your books so you can do your homework whi le under the dryer. Thursday i s gi rls ni ght out, so let me know where you d li ke to eat. Beli nda s last class would end at two and the twi ns weren t di smi ssed unti l three. The half-hour dri ve would afford her more than enough ti me to pi ck them up. However, i f she ran i nto traffi c, then she could call her mother to have her meet them. Layla peered over her glass at her uncle. Even though i t s for gi rls, can Uncle Gri ff eat wi th us? Beli nda stared at Gri ffi n, si lently admi ri ng hi s closecropped hai r and the smoothness of hi s clean-shaven jaw. Mi xed feeli ngs surged through her as she tri ed to read the man si tti ng i n her ki tchen who conti nued to show her that there was more to Gri ffi n Ri ce than photo ops wi th pro

athletes, A-li st actors and entertai nment celebri ti es. Hi s success i n negoti ati ng multi mi lli on-dollar contracts for athletes was noteworthy, whi le hi s reputati on for dati ng supermodels and actresses was legendary. A tabloi d ran a story documenti ng the names of the women and a ti me li ne of hi s numerous relati onshi psmost of whi ch averaged si x to ni ne months. I can t answer for hi m, Layla. She smi led at her uncle. Can you eat wi th us, Uncle Gri ff? Droppi ng an arm over Layla s shoulders, Gri ffi n ki ssed her mussed hai r. I can t, baby gi rl. I m goi ng to see my folks before they leave on vacati on. In thei r shared gri ef over losi ng thei r fi rstborn, hi s parents had become at si xty what they hadn t been i n thei r twenti esfri ends. Now they were embarki ng on a monthlong European crui se they d always planned to take for thei r forti eth weddi ng anni versary. Lucas and Glori a Ri ce s marri age hadn t survi ved two decades. However, both were older, wi ser and sensi ble enough to know they couldn t change the past, so were wi lli ng to make the best of the present. When are Grandma and Grandpa comi ng back? Sabri na asked. They won t be back unti l the begi nni ng of May. Gri ffi n stared at the clock on the mi crowave. Layla wi ped her mouth wi th a napki n. Are you goi ng to fi x breakfast for us tomorrow, Uncle Gri ff? Your aunt and I agreed you would spend the weekends wi th me, and that means I ll make breakfast for you Saturday and Sunday morni ngs. I hope you don t expect me to make pancakes every day, but I ll defi ni tely make certai n your breakfasts wi ll be healthy, Beli nda sai d when the two gi rls gave her long, penetrati ng stares. As soon as you re fi ni shed here I want you to comb your hai r. Your uncle wi ll dri ve you to school thi s morni ng. A frown formed between Layla s eyes. She appeared as i f she d been i n a wrestli ng match, wi th tufts of hai r standi ng out all over her head. I thought the bus was pi cki ng us up. Beli nda stood up and began cleari ng the table. Gri ffi n wi ll fi ll out the paperwork today changi ng your offi ci al address to thi s house. As soon as i t s approved, you ll be put on the bus route. Layla s boyfri end ri des the bus, Sabri na crooned i n a si ngsong tone. A rush of color darkened Layla s face, conceali ng the spri nkle of freckles dotti ng her pert nose. No, he doesn t! she screamed as Gri ffi n and Beli nda exchanged shocked glances. Breena i s a li ar!

Resti ng hi s elbows on the table, Gri ffi n supported hi s chi n on a closed fi st. Do you have a boyfri end, Layla? Hi s voi ce, though soft, held a thread of steel. Layla s eyes fi lled wi th tears. Stop them, Aunt Li ndy. Beli nda felt her heart turn over. Her sensi ti ve, freespi ri ted ni ece was hurti ng and she knew what Layla was goi ng through, because she d experi enced her fi rst seri ous crush on a boy i n her class the year she turned twelve. She d confi ded her feeli ngs to her best fri end and before the end of the day everyone i n the enti re school, i ncludi ng Dani el Campbell, knew she li ked hi m. If Layla li kes a boy, then that s her busi ness, not ours. Gri ffi n sat up strai ghter. She s too young to have a boyfri end. But I don t have a boyfri end, Layla sobbed, as tears tri ckled down her cheeks. Beli nda rounded on Gri ffi n. Gri ffi n, you re upsetti ng the chi ld. She says she doesn t have a boyfri end. She held up a hand when he opened hi s mouth. We ll talk about thi s later. Sabri na and Layla, I want you to fi ni sh your breakfast then please go and comb your hai r. And don t forget what I sai d yesterday about leavi ng clothes on the floor. Layla sprang up from the table, leavi ng her twi n stari ng at her back. Sabri na closed her eyes. I di dn t mean to make her cry. Beli nda shook her head. If you di dn t mean i t then you shouldn t have sai d what you sai d. Remember, Sabri na, that your words and acti ons have consequences. Noddi ng, Sabri na pushed back her chai r. I ll tell her I m sorry. Beli nda closed her eyes for several seconds and when she opened them she found Gri ffi n glari ng at her. What? The gi rls can t date unti l they re ei ghteen. Are you aski ng me or telli ng me, Gri ffi n? He stared, not bli nki ng. I m only maki ng a suggesti on. I beli eve seventeen would be more appropri ate. Why? By that ti me they ll be i n thei r last year of hi gh school and that wi ll gi ve them a year to deal wi th the ups and downs of what they ll beli eve i s love. Then once they re i n college they ll be used to the li es and tri cks dogs masqueradi ng as men perpetuate so well. Gri ffi n s expressi ve eyebrows shot up. You thi nk all men are dogs? Beli nda ri nsed and stacked di shes i n the di shwasher. If the shoe fi ts, then wear i t, Gri ffi n Ri ce. If a woman dated as many men as you do women, people would call her a whore. I don t date that many women. Why, then, di dn t you sue that tabloi d that documented your many trysts?

I don t have the ti me, nor the i ncli nati on to keep up wi th gossi p. Resti ng a hi p agai nst the counter, Beli nda gave hi m a long, penetrati ng stare. Are you sayi ng what they pri nted wasn t true? There came a lengthy pause before Gri ffi n sai d, Yes. What about the photographs of you and di fferent women? They were photo ops. They were photo ops for whose benefi t? Most ti mes for the lady. So, all that di shi ng about you bei ng a womani zer i s bogus. Leani ng on hi s elbow, Gri ffi n cradled hi s chi n i n hi s hand. If I d slept wi th as many women as the tabloi ds clai m I have I doubt whether I d be able to stand up. Beli nda turned her head to conceal her smi le. Real or i magi nary, you re goi ng to have to clean up your i mage now that you re a father. Now that youre a father. Beli nda s words were branded i nto Gri ffi n s consci ousness as he got up to take the rest of the di shes off the table. He, who hadn t wanted to marry and become a father because he di dn t want hi s chi ldren to go through what he d experi enced wi th hi s warri ng parents, now at thi rty-seven, found hi mself playi ng daddy to hi s adolescent ni eces. When Jonathan Connolly had called to tell hi m that he had recei ved the documents legali zi ng the gi rls adopti on, Gri ffi n felt hi s heart stop before i t started up agai n. He d feared hi s li fe would change so dramati cally, that he would have to hi re a nanny to take care of hi s ni eces and that he wouldn t be able to recogni ze who he was or what he d become unti l he remembered Beli nda telli ng hi m she would have the gi rls li ve wi th her, and i f he chose he could have them on weekends. Beli nda s suggesti on had come as a shock to hi m. He d thought of her as the consummate career woman. She taught hi gh school hi story, spent her wi nter vacati ons i n the Cari bbean or Flori da and traveled abroad duri ng the summer months. He had vaci llated between i ndi fference and new-found respect for Beli nda when she d deci ded to renovate her house to address the needs and i nterests of the two chi ldren she d thought of as her own wi thi n days of them losi ng thei r parents. Beli nda Eaton had sacri fi ced her day-to-day exi stence for her chi ldren whi le he hadn t gi ven up anythi ng. When he d come to her house the ni ght before he sai d he d come to see hi s chi ldren. They weren t only hi s chi ldren or Beli nda s chi ldren. Sabri na and Layla Ri ce were now

legally the chi ldren of both Beli nda Eaton and Gri ffi n Ri ce. I ll try, Beli nda. She gave hi m a level look. Don t try, Gri ffi n. Just do i t. He nodded i n a gesture of acqui escence. I m goi ng to change my clothes. I want to get to the school early enough so I don t have to wai t to be seen. Beli nda turned back to fi ni sh cleani ng up the ki tchen. She di dn t have to be at the hi gh school unti l eleven, whi ch left her ti me to dust and vacuum. As the only person li vi ng i n the house her house was always spotless. But she knew that was goi ng to change because Donna hadn t taught her daughters to pi ck up after themselves. As a stay-at-home mother and housewi fe Donna di dn t mi nd pi cki ng up after her husband and chi ldren. Roberta Eaton had pi cked up after her four chi ldren, and Donna conti nued the practi ce. However, that would end wi th Beli nda. As a certi fi able neat-freak, the gi rls would ei ther conform to her standards or they would forfei t thei r pri vi leges. She d loaded the di shwasher and had begun sweepi ng the ki tchen when Sabri na and Layla walked i n wi th backpacks slung over thei r shoulders. Both had combed and neatly brai ded thei r hai r i nto si ngle plai ts. The fuzzy hai r around thei r hai rli ne was evi dence that i t was ti me for thei r roots to be touched up. Before you ask, Aunt Li ndy, we brushed our teeth, Sabri na announced wi th a teasi ng smi le. Resti ng her hands on her deni m-covered hi ps, Beli nda looked at her from under lowered li ds. I wasn t goi ng to ask, Mi ss Pri ssy. Who s pri ssy? asked a deep voi ce. Gri ffi n stood at the entrance to the ki tchen dressed i n a li ghtwei ght navy blue sui t, stark whi te shi rt, stri ped si lk ti e and black leather sli pons. Beli nda couldn t contai n the soft gasp escapi ng her parted li ps as she stared at Gri ffi n li ke a starstruck teen seei ng her i dol i n person for the fi rst ti me. Now she knew why women came on to Gri ffi n Ri ce. He radi ated masculi ni ty li ke radi oacti ve parti cles transmi tti ng deadly rays. Her knees buckled sli ghtly as she held on to the broom handle to keep her balance. A nervous smi le trembled over her li ps. Your daughter. Smi li ng, Gri ffi n strolled i nto the ki tchen. Whi ch one? Sabri na, Beli nda and Layla sai d i n uni son, before touchi ng fi sts. Loopi ng hi s arm around Sabri na s neck, Gri ffi n lowered hi s head and ki ssed her forehead. Are you bei ng pri ssy, Mi ss Ri ce? Ti lti ng her chi n, she smi led up at her uncle. I don t even know what pri ssy means. He ran a fi nger down the length of her short nose. Look i t up i n the di cti onary.

Sabri na snapped her fi ngers. How di d I know you were goi ng to say that? That s because you re smart. Beli nda propped the broom agai nst the back of a chai r. Come gi ve me a ki ss before you leave. She hugged and ki ssed Sabri na, then Layla. Remember we have hai r appoi ntments thi s afternoon. Yes! they sai d i n uni son. Gri ffi n shook hi s head. He di dn t know what i t was about women getti ng thei r hai r and nai ls done that eli ci ted so much exci tement. He got hi s hai r cut every two weeks, but he di dn t feel any di fferent after he left the hai r salon than when he entered. Gi rls, please wai t outsi de for me. I ll be ri ght out after I talk to your aunt. Beli nda di dn t, couldn t move as Gri ffi n approached her. The sensual scent of hi s aftershave washed over her, and she was lost, lost i n a spell of the sexy man who made her feel thi ngs she di dn t want to feel and made her want hi m even when she d openly confessed that she hadn t found hi m appeali ng. She d li ed. She d li ed to Gri ffi n. And she d li ed to herself. What do you want, Gri ffi n? Her query had come out i n a breathless whi sper, as i f she were wi nded from runni ng. He took another step, bri ngi ng them only i nches apart. I just wanted to say goodbye and hope you have a wonderful day. She bli nked. You di dn t have to send the gi rls out to tell me that. But I couldn t do thi s i n front of them, he sai d crypti cally. Do what? Do thi s. Gri ffi n s arm wrapped around her wai st, pulli ng her flush agai nst hi s body at the same ti me hi s mouth covered hers. Beli nda di dn t have ti me to respond to the feel of hi s masculi ne mouth on hers as she attempted to push hi m away. Then the ki ss changed as hi s li ps became persuasi ve, coaxi ng and gentle. Her arms moved up of thei r own voli ti on and curled around hi s neck, and she found herself matchi ng hi m ki ss for ki ss. Then i t ended as qui ckly as i t had begun. Reachi ng up, Gri ffi n eased her arms from around hi s neck, hi s gaze narrowi ng when he stared at her swollen mouth. Passi on had darkened her eyes unti l no li ght could penetrate them. Beli nda had called Sabri na pri ssy, when i t was she who was pri ssy. And underneath her pri ssy schoolteacher exteri or was a very passi onate woman, and he wondered i f her boyfri end knew what he had. Thank you for the ki ss. You ve just made my day.

Turni ng on hi s heels, he walked across the ki tchen, a gri n spreadi ng across hi s face. I di dn t ki ss you, Gri ffi n, Beli nda threw at hi s broad back. Remember, you ki ssed me. He stopped but di dn t turn around. But you ki ssed me back. No, I di dn t. Yeah, you di d. And I li ked i t, Mi ss Eaton. Beli nda wanted to tell Gri ffi n that she li ked hi m ki ssi ng her. But how was she goi ng to admi t that to hi m when supposedly he di dn t appeal to her? The truth was she di d li ke hi ma li ttle too much despi te her protests. Have a good day, Gri ffi n, she sai d i nstead. Trust me, I wi ll, he called out. Looki ng around for somethi ng she could throw at hi s arrogant head, Beli nda reali zed she d been had. Gri ffi n hadn t ki ssed her because he wanted to but because he wanted to prove a poi ntthat she was no more i mmune to hi m than the other women who chased hi m. Well, he was about to get the shock of hi s li fe. She d go along wi th hi s li ttle game of playi ng house unti l she ei ther ti red or lost i nterest. And i n every game there were wi nners and losers and Beli nda Eaton di dn t plan to lose. Beli nda stabbed absentmi ndedly at the salad wi th a plasti c fork as she concentrated on the arti cle i n the latest i ssue of Vanity Fair. She glanced up when she felt the press of a body next to hers. What s up, Mi ss Ri tchi e? she asked. That s what I should be aski ng you, Mi ss Eaton, sai d Valeri e Ri tchi e as she sli d i nto the chai r besi de Beli nda. You di dn t come i n yesterday, and when I saw a sub cover your classes thi s morni ng I was goi ng to call you later on toni ght. Closi ng the magazi ne, Beli nda smi led at the woman whom she d met i n graduate school. Valeri e was one of only a few teachers she befri ended at one of Phi ladelphi a s most challengi ng i nner-ci ty hi gh schools. Much of the faculty, i ncludi ng the admi ni strati on, remai ned at the school only because they were unable to fi nd a si mi lar posi ti on i n a better nei ghborhood. But she and Valeri e stayed because of the students. The guardi anshi p for my si ster s chi ldren was fi nali zed yesterday, she sai d softly. That was fast. The lawyer and judge are members of the same country club. Valeri e shook her head. Why i s i t always not what you know, but who you know? That s the way of the world. Beli nda stared at Valeri e, a world hi story and

economi cs teacher. Recently di vorced, Valeri e had rebuffed the advances of every male teacher who d asked her out, clai mi ng she wanted to wai t a year before jumpi ng back i nto the dati ng game. The peti te, curvy natural beauty had caught the attenti on of the grandson of a promi nent black Phi ladelphi a poli ti ci an who pursued her unti l she marri ed hi m, much to the consternati on of hi s fami ly, hi s father i n parti cular. Ti red of the i nterference from her i nlaws, Valeri e fi led for di vorce and netted a si zeable settlement for her emoti onal pai n and angui sh. I don t envy you, Beli nda. Why do you say that? It s very noble of you to want to rai se your si ster s ki ds, especi ally when you have to do i t alone. A math teacher walked i nto the lounge and sat down on a worn leather love seat i n a corner far enough away so they wouldn t be overheard. Beli nda had made i t a practi ce to keep her pri vate and professi onal li ves separate. I m not goi ng to rai se them by myself. Valeri e gave Beli nda a narrow stare. Have you been holdi ng out on me? What are you goi ng on about, Valeri e? Are you and Raymond getti ng marri ed? Beli nda shook her head. She and Dr. Raymond Mi ller had what she referred to as an I-95 relati onshi p when he accepted a posi ti on as head of cardi ology at an Orlando, Flori da, geri atri c faci li ty. They alternated vi si ti ng each other she vi si ted duri ng school recesses and Raymond whenever he could manage to take a break from the hospi tal. No. Why not? We re just fri ends, Valeri e. Do you thi nk you ll ever stop bei ng fri ends and become lovers? I doubt i t. Valeri e s clear brown eyes set i n a flawless oli ve-brown face narrowed. Are you i n love wi th someone else? Beli nda shook her head agai n. No. Gri ffi n and I share custody of our ni eces. Gri ffi n Ri ce, Valeri e repeated loud enough for those i n the room to turn and look i n thei r di recti on. Beli nda angled her head closer to Valeri e s. She d just fi ni shed telli ng her about the arrangement she d establi shed wi th her brother-i n-law when the bell rang, si gnali ng the end of lunch. Papers, magazi nes and the remnants of lunch were put away as teachers left the lounge for thei r classrooms.

Chapter 4 How i s she getti ng along, Dad? Gri ffi n asked hi s father
when he joi ned hi m at the pi cture wi ndow i n the li vi ng room of the spaci ous apartment i n Spri ng Garden, a nei ghborhood that had been completely transformed by gentri fi cati on. The ni ghtti me vi ew from the hi gh-ri se was spectacular. He knew exactly what he d look li ke i n twenty years. An i nch shy of the si x-foot mark, si xty-two-year-old Lucas Ri ce clai med a ramrod-strai ght back, slender physi que and a full head of shi mmeri ng si lver hai r. Balanced features, a cleft chi n and a sensual smi le drew women of all ages to hi m li ke sunflowers faci ng the sun. Hi s looks and chari sma posed a problem for hi s wi ves because women loved Lucas, and he i n turn loved them back. Nevertheless, Grant s death had humbled Lucas, maki ng hi m aware of hi s own mortali ty. In hi s shared gri ef wi th Glori a and hi s survi vi ng son, he d confessed hi s many transgressi ons. It hadn t made i t any easi er for Gri ffi n to hear about the number of women hi s father had slept wi th whi le sti ll marri ed to hi s mother, but he reali zed how much strength i t took for Lucas to confess. The confessi on si gnaled a turni ng poi nt for everyone especi ally Glori a. Surpri si ngly, she forgave her ex-husband, sayi ng they d marri ed much too young and for the wrong reason. They d met i n college where Glori a was a li brary sci ence major and Lucas was premed. Glori a di scovered halfway through her sophomore year that she was pregnant. And i nstead of goi ng to medi cal school, Lucas marri ed hi s pregnant gi rlfri end and swi tched hi s major to pharmacology. Most of thei r mari tal stri fe was the result of Lucas not fulfi lli ng hi s dream of becomi ng a doctor. Lucas stole a glance at hi s son s profi le. She s pretty good duri ng the day, but I found that she s a wreck at ni ght. Shi fti ng sli ghtly, Gri ffi n turned to gi ve Lucas an i ncredi ble stare. What are you talki ng about? I ve been checki ng up on her si nce wewe lost Grant. We talk every day, and several ni ghts each week we have di nnerei ther here, at my place, or at a restaurant. I always call her to say good-ni ght, but that s when I lose i t, son. A sli ght frown furrowed Gri ffi n s smooth forehead. Why, Dad? Lucas closed hi s eyes, hi s chest ri si ng and falli ng heavi ly. The sound of her cryi ng ri ps my heart out. I know she used to cry whenever we had an argument, but thi s ti me i t s di fferent. She s sti ll gri evi ng. We re all sti ll gri evi ng. Not li ke your mother, Gri ffi n. That s why I suggested taki ng the crui se. I know I can t go back forty years and ri ght

all the wrongs, but I promi sed myself that I would spend what s left of my li fe maki ng your mother happy. Do you love her, Dad? A sad smi le cri nkled the ski n around Lucas s eyes. I ve always loved her and I wi ll always love her. What about your other women? There are no other women, and there hasn t been one i n a long ti me. Gri ffi n chose hi s words carefully. Is i t because you re tryi ng to i nsi nuate yourself back i nto my mother s li fe? Lucas shook hi s head. Don t worry, son. I won t hurt her. I m not worri ed, Dad. You wi ll be sorry i f you hurt her agai n. Lucas met Gri ffi n s wi theri ng gaze, knowi ng he wasn t i ssui ng an i dle threat. He hadn t stayed to see Gri ffi n grow to adulthood, but he was proud of how he d turned out nevertheless. He was proud of both of hi s sons, and had never hesi tated to gi ve Glori a all the credi t for thei r successes. Glo has been hurt enough. I d rather walk away than cause her more pai n. Gri ffi n smi led. It d been a long ti me si nce he d heard hi s father shorten hi s mother s name. Reachi ng i nto the pocket of hi s slacks, he took out a small envelope, sli ppi ng i t i nto Lucas s shi rt pocket. There s enough on that gi ft card to buy somethi ng ni ce i n Florence or Rome for your cabi n mate. Lucas took the envelope, stari ng numbly at the value of the gi ft card. It was half of what he d pai d for two fi rst-class ti ckets for the month-long European crui se. I can t take thi s, Gri ffi n. You can and you wi ll, otherwi se I ll gi ve i t to Mom, and you know she ll buy gi fts for everyone but herself. A smi le flashed across the older man s face. You re ri ght about that. I want to bri ng somethi ng back for the twi ns. Do you have an i dea of what they d li ke? Gri ffi n pondered hi s father s questi on for several mi nutes. I beli eve Layla would love a Veneti an Carne-vale mask, the ki nd revelers wear. Sabri na li kes fashi on, so anythi ng from Rome or Pari s wi ll make her very happy. What about Beli nda? What about her, Dad? What do you thi nk she d li ke? Lucas menti oni ng Beli nda s name qui ckened Gri ffi n s pulse, as i mages of the ki ss they d shared came back wi th the force and fury of rushi ng rapi ds. He d ki ssed her to see i f she was actually a prude even after she d di sclosed that she was seei ng someone. He hadn t beli eved her. He d di scovered there was i ndeed fi re under her stai d exteri or. The revelati on had not only shocked hi m, but also made

hi m jealous of the man who was on the recei vi ng end of Beli nda Eaton s passi on. Perfume. He d sai d the fi rst thi ng that came to mi nd because he loved the way she smelled. What fragrance does she wear? I don t know. What don t you know? asked Glori a Ri ce as she walked i nto the li vi ng room carryi ng a tray wi th dessert plates of ti ny butter cooki es and peti ts fours. Gri ffi n walked over and took the tray from hi s mother. She looked better than she had i n months, and he attri buted that to the anti ci pati on of goi ng away for a month wi th the man who d been and apparently sti ll was the only one she d ever loved. In preparati on for her tri p, she d had her hai r cut i nto a close-cropped natural that showed off her deli cate features and flawless chestnut-brown ski n. Her dark almond-shaped eyes made her look as i f she were perpetually smi li ng. When she d been i nformed of her son and daughter-i nlaw s death Glori a had stopped eati ng. It was only after Gri ffi n threatened to have her force-fed that she had begun eati ng agai n, and then only small porti ons but enough to keep up her strength. Now that Lucas had come back i nto her li fe, she d managed to regai n some of the wei ght she d lost. When he d asked hi s mother whether she was sleepi ng wi th her ex-husband, Glori a had come out wi th an unequi vocal no. She clai med all Lucas was good for was compani onshi p. Do you know what perfume Beli nda wears? Yes. It s Di or s J adore. Why do you want to know? Dad s putti ng together a li st of souveni rs he wants to bri ng back. I m done wi th my li st. She smi led at Lucas. Please bri ng i n the coffee. It should be fi ni shed brewi ng. Reachi ng for Glori a s hand, Gri ffi n seated her on her favori te chai r. He sat on the matchi ng ottoman, cradli ng her feet i n hi s lap. If you come back from Europe carryi ng my li ttle si ster or brother, he teased qui etly, I m goi ng to gi ve Dad a seri ous beat down. Throwi ng back her head, Glori a laughed unti l tears rolled down her face. You don t have worry about beati ng up your father because i t s not goi ng to happen. Glori a sobered. Speaki ng of chi ldren, Gri ffi n. What about them, Mom? I know you ve adopted Grant s chi ldren, but do you see yourself havi ng chi ldren of your own? There came a long si lence as he pondered her questi on. If I were to be completely honest I d say I don t know. Playi ng daddy i s sti ll too new for me to make a deci si on. But I must admi t I m enjoyi ng what li ttle I ve experi enced. How are you getti ng along wi th Beli nda?

We re doi ng okay. It s obvi ous she s goi ng to be the stri cter parent, whi le I ll probably let the gi rls do whatever they wantexcept when i t comes to boys. If i t were up to me they wouldn t have a boyfri end unti l they graduate from hi gh school. Glori a shook her head. That s unreali sti c. Your father was my fi rst boyfri end and you see how that ended. My granddaughters should have boys as fri ends so they learn to di fferenti ate between the good guys and the ones who only want to sleep wi th them. She paused, seemi ngly deep i n thought. I beli eve i f I d had a daughter, Lucas wouldn t have been such a phi landerer. Gri ffi n wanted to tell Glori a that she was wrong. Lucas would ve cheated on her i f they d had a dozen daughters. Unfortunately, i t d taken a catastrophi c i nci dent to bri ng Lucas Ri ce to the reali zati on that he d mi sused and mi streated the best woman he d ever had and would ever hope to have. Perhaps, he mused, i t wasn t too late for hi s parents to start over. Layla and Sabri na were wai ti ng on the front porch for Gri ffi n when he maneuvered hi s SUV i nto the dri veway and parked behi nd thei r aunt s Volvo. They were bundled i n down-fi lled jackets, braci ng agai nst the rapi d twenty-poi nt decli ne i n the temperature. The past week the weather had challenged the late-March season, and won. He smi led as he got out of hi s car. Maybe i t was the profusi on of hai r flowi ng down and around thei r shoulders that made them appear older, as i f they d become young adults vi rtually overni ght. He wasn t di sappoi nted when they raced off the porch to launch themselves at hi m. The spontanei ty remi nded Gri ffi n they were sti ll young, and as they d done when they were chi ldren, they wanted hi m to catch them i n mi dai r. Whoa! he cri ed out when he collapsed to the floor of the porch under thei r wei ght. The front door opened and he looked up to fi nd Beli nda smi li ng down at hi m as Sabri na and Layla held hi m down whi le pi nni ng hi m wi th what they thought were wrestli ng holds. Lamps flanki ng the door flattered her slender body i n a pai r of fi tted jeans she d pai red wi th a chunky pullover. She d also changed her hai rstyle. Instead of the usual curly look i t was smooth, the feathered ends curvi ng under her chi n and down around the nape of her neck. Do you gi ve up? Layla shouted, ti ghteni ng her headlock. Yes! Count hi m out, Aunt Li ndy! Sabri na sai d exci tedly. Playi ng along wi th her ni eces, Beli nda went to her knees and slapped the porch close to Gri ffi n s head. One, two, three. You re out! The gi rls released Gri ffi n, falli ng back

and gaspi ng i n surpri se when he reached for thei r aunt, pi nni ng her under hi s body. Buryi ng hi s face agai nst the column of her scented neck, he pressed hi s mouth to the si lken flesh. Come wi th us thi s weekend, he whi spered near her ear. Beli nda swallowed a moan. There was no way she could i gnore the hard body molded to hers, the soli d pressure of bulgi ng muscle between Gri ffi n s thi ghs. She closed her eyes when a gush of moi sture bathed the area between her legs. II can t. She could hardly get the words out. If you gi ve her a headlock she ll gi ve up, Uncle Gri ff, Layla suggested. Gri ffi n eased hi s arm under Beli nda s neck. Gi ve up, baby, he crooned for her ears only. Are you comi ng wi th us? he asked loud enough for hi s ni eces to overhear hi s entreaty. No-o-o-o! Sabri na went to her knees. Please, Aunt Li ndy. Please come wi th us. Uncle Gri ff sai d we were goi ng to have a movi e ni ght. Pul-eeese, Layla moaned melodramati cally. Beli nda closed her eyes. Oh no! a si lent voi ce shouted when Gri ffi n ground hi s groi n agai nst hers. She couldn t beli eve what he was doi ng to heri n front of thei r ni eces no less. If she di dn t stop hi m, then she was goi ng to embarrass herself. Her long-celi bate body i ndi cated that she was on the bri nk of cli maxi ng. Okay. I ll go. Pi nky swear? Gri ffi n asked, gri nni ng tri umphantly. She nodded. Yes. Pi nky swear. Layla and Sabri na exchanged hi gh fi ves as they turned to go back i nto the house to retri eve thei r overni ght bags. They d spent most of the afternoon exchangi ng text messages wi th thei r uncle to enli st hi s help i n getti ng thei r aunt to joi n them for the weekend after she revealed she hadn t planned to do anythi ng but read and watch DVDs. As soon as the door banged behi nd them, Beli nda sai d between clenched teeth, Get the hell off me! Gri ffi n eased up, but not enough for Beli nda to escape. He di dn t want to stand up unti l hi s erecti on went down. He hadn t expected hi s body to betray hi m, nor had he expected Beli nda s response. Watch your language, baby. You don t want our chi ldren to grow up usi ng foul language. They ve heard worse, she sai d fli ppantly, and no doubt from thei r classmates. I know you hear i t at the hi gh school, but I d prefer that Sabri na and Layla not hear i t at home. Beli nda affected a faceti ous smi le. Please let me up, Gri ffi n.

He smi led. That s better, darli ng. Wai ti ng unti l Gri ffi n moved off her and helped her to her feet, Beli nda caught the front of hi s sweatshi rt. Standi ng on ti ptoe, she thrust her face close to hi s. If you ever hump me i n front of the gi rls agai n I ll hurt you, Gri ffi n Ri ce. Gri ffi n wi nked at her. Would you prefer that I hump you i n pri vate? I know I don t appeal to you, but your body i s sayi ng somethi ng else. Her fi st ti ghtened. What exactly i s my body sayi ng? That regardless of how we may feel about each other, our bodi es are i n agreement. He leaned i n closer. I could smell sex comi ng from your pores. Beli nda let her hand fall at the same ti me her jaw dropped. How dare you! Your arrogance just supplanted whatever common sense Cut the act, Beli nda! Gri ffi n sai d angri ly, cutti ng off her ti rade. It s only a normal reacti on between a man and woman, so don t confuse sex and desi re wi th love. I m not i n love wi th you, and I doubt whether you ll ever be i n love wi th me. Ci rcumstances beyond our control have forced us i nto a si tuati on we never would ve or could ve i magi ned. I di dn t ask to be a father but I i ntend to make the best of i t, and i f that means maki ng sacri fi ces to keep my vow to my dead brother then I wi ll. Pray tell, Gri ffi n, just what are you sacri fi ci ng? The seconds ti cked off as he stared at the woman who i ntri gued hi m more than he wanted. The sexy godmother who made hi m want her when everythi ng sai d that she was so wrong for hi m. Havi ng a normal relati onshi p wi th a woman. Don t you mean sleepi ng wi th other women? That, too. My heart bleeds for you, Gri ffi n. If you thi nk I m goi ng to become a replacement for your other women, then thi nk agai n, mi ster. I don t play house. Hi s eyebrows fli ckered. Do you play at all? Yes, she retorted. What I do play i s for keeps. If you play for keeps, then where i s your so-called boyfri end? Oh, youre trying to be slick and get into my business, Beli nda mused. You ll get to meet Raymond when he comes up from Flori da thi s summer. Why do I have to wai t for the summer? That s when he ll be able to get away. Don t you mean that s when he ll be paroled? Oh, no you di dn t! Yes, I di d, Beli nda. Is your Raymond i n a Flori da jai l? I m aski ng because I don t want that type of element around my daughters. Why are they always your daughters, Gri ffi n? Beli nda shot back, the ti mbre of her voi ce escalati ng along wi th her

temper. Aren t they also my chi ldren? I thought we now belong to both of you. Beli nda and Gri ffi n spun around. They hadn t heard Sabri na when she d come out of the house. They were so busy goi ng at each other that they hadn t reali zed they weren t alone. Beli nda went over to hug her. Of course you belong to both of us. You and Layla are my daughters. What about Uncle Gri ff? You re hi s daughter, too. If that s true, then why were you fi ghti ng? We weren t fi ghti ng, sweetheart. It sounded to me as i f you were fi ghti ng. Beli nda met Gri ffi n s knowi ng gaze over Sabri na s head. As new parents they d made an unforgi vable faux pas argue i n front of thei r chi ldren. There re ti mes when adults don t agree wi th somethi ng, so i t may sound as i f we re argui ng. Your uncle and I love you and your si ster. We made a promi se to take care of you and make certai n you re safe. I m goi ng to ask you and Layla to be pati ent wi th us because we re newbi es playi ng mom and dad. Sabri na smi led. You already sound li ke a mom even though Uncle Gri ff needs more practi ce at bei ng a daddy. Well, excuse me, Gri ffi n drawled. What do I have to do to sound li ke a daddy? Fi rst of all you have to learn to say thats enough, young lady. Gri ffi n forced back a smi le. He d lost count of the number of ti mes Grant had i ssued hi s favori te warni ng. What else? Sabri na narrowed her gaze. There s did you do what your mother told you to do? Beli nda pressed her palms together. I li ke that one. You would, Gri ffi n mumbled under hi s breath. Layla, carryi ng a large qui lted tote, joi ned them on the porch, frowni ng. Aunt Li ndy, I thought you were comi ng wi th us. I am. I just have to put a few thi ngs i n a bag. Don t leave wi thout me. We won t, came three voi ces.

Chapter 5 Proper atti re for movi e ni ght i n Paoli

was pajamas and fuzzy sli ppers. Beli nda, her head supported on a mound of overstuffed pi llows, lay on the carpeted floor besi de Gri ffi n, whi le Layla and Sabri na were huddled together, shari ng a large throw pi llow. They were watchi ng Akeelah and the Bee for the umpteenth ti me. The fi lm had become a favori te of the twi ns, along wi th most of the feature-length ani mated

fi lms from Di sney/Pi xar. Sabri na, who d demonstrated promi se as a buddi ng arti st, had expressed i nterest i n becomi ng an ani mator. It was only Beli nda s second tri p to Gri ffi n s house, and there were a few changes si nce her last vi si t more than fi ve years before. He d added an i n-ground pool, expanded the outdoor pati o to i nclude a ki tchen and added another room at the rear of the house that served as a home offi ce. Fi le folders bulgi ng wi th contracts, strewn over a workstati on, were a testament to a less-than-effi ci ent fi li ng system. Gri ffi n made a bi g producti on of prepari ng for movi e ni ght when he taught the gi rls how to bui ld a fi re i n the fi replace. Refreshments i ncluded popcorn, s mores, bonbons and cherry Twi zzlers. Who wi ns the bee? Gri ffi n whi spered to Beli nda. Layla sat up. Don t tell hi m, Aunt Li ndy! Beli nda ti ckled Gri ffi n s ri bs through hi s T-shi rt. I m not telli ng. Gri ffi n caught her fi ngers. Don t do that. Are you ti ckli sh? Not releasi ng her hand, he stared at Beli nda for a full mi nute before laci ng thei r fi ngers together. Yes. Smi li ng, she wi nked at hi m. Do you have any other weaknesses I should know about? Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes rather than let Beli nda see how much she affected hi m, how much she d changed hi m and hi s li fe i n less than a few weeks. How could he tell her that he li ked her because she was di fferent from the other women he d been i nvolved wi th, that he wanted what she gave Raymondher Sunshi ne State loverand li ke Beli nda, i f he had to play then he wanted i t to be for keeps? Spendi ng a Fri day ni ght at home watchi ng movi es wi th Beli nda and the gi rls was the hi ghli ght of hi s weekand somethi ng he could very easi ly get used to. That s i t, he li ed smoothly, redi recti ng hi s attenti on to the large plasma screen mounted on the wall. Gri ffi n pretended i nterest i n the movi e when i t was the woman pressed to hi s si de that he found so i ntri gui ng. Beli nda had just dozed off when she heard the soft knock on the door. Si tti ng up, she turned on the bedsi de lamp. Who i s i t? It s Count Dracula, and I ve come to suck your blood, a deep voi ce crooned i n a perfect Romani an di alect. Beli nda smi led. Sorry, count, but I m all out of blood. Curses! he snarled, thi s ti me soundi ng li ke a pi rate. Come i n, Gri ffi n. The door opened and Gri ffi n walked i n, weari ng a pai r of black pajama pants and matchi ng Tshi rt. Fri day ni ght at the movi es had not only been enjoyable but also enli ghteni ng. She had seen another si de to

Gri ffi n s personali ty, the opposi te of the aggressi ve and competi ti ve attorney who d become notori ous for holdi ng out unti l he got the best deal for hi s cli ents. He had a really wi cked sense of humor, telli ng jokes and deli berately flubbi ng the punch li nes. Sabri na and Layla had adored the attenti on he lavi shed on them and they, i n turn, reci procated i n ki nd. Is movi e ni ght over? She d found herself dozi ng off and on unti l she deci ded i t was ti me to go to bed, leavi ng before the end of the fi lm. Gri ffi n nodded. When I told the gi rls they had to brush thei r teeth before turni ng i n, they sai d I sounded li ke Aunt Li ndy. Is that a good thi ng? she teased, smi li ng. I d say i t i s. What are you doi ng? she shri eked when he ran and jumped onto the bed, floppi ng down on the mattress and pressi ng hi s back to the headboard. Crossi ng hi s bare feet at the ankles, Gri ffi n gave Beli nda a si delong glance. I came to talk. Before settli ng down to watch the movi e, he d watched as she brushed and pi nned Layla s and Sabri na s freshly relaxed hai r, coveri ng thei rs wi th bandannas before doi ng her own. Her smooth transi ti on from aunt to surrogate mother was nothi ng short of amazi ng. What s so urgent that you can t wai t unti l tomorrow? What do you thi nk about getti ng the gi rls a dog? Beli nda went completely sti ll. What ki nd of dog, Gri ffi n? Don t worry, Beli nda, i t won t be a pi t bull or Rottwei ler. What ki nd of dog? she asked agai n. A Yorkshi re terri er. One of my nei ghbors has a purebred bi tch that whelped a li tter of pups about three months ago. She s sold off all but two, and I told her that I would have to talk to you before offeri ng to buy one. A puppy, she whi spered. You want me to take care of a puppy? Sabri na and Layla wi ll take care of i t. I don t thi nk so, Gri ffi n. You re fooli ng yourself i f you beli eve gi rls thei r age are goi ng to take care of a dog. I ll wi nd up feedi ng, bathi ng and walki ng i t. And what s goi ng to happen when i t gnaws on my rugs and furni ture? Gri ffi n dropped an arm over Beli nda s shoulders, bri ngi ng her cheek to hi s chest. You ve got i t all wrong. No, I don t. Please don t say no unti l you see them. They re adorable. I m certai n they re adorable but Baby, please, he crooned softly. Grant promi sed the gi rls they could have a dog. Ti lti ng her head, Beli nda stared at Gri ffi n looki ng down at her. The soft glow from the lamp flattered the contours of

hi s lean face. Donna di dn t say anythi ng to me about getti ng a dog. Grant wanted to surpri se them. I ll buy the cage, weewee pads, food and chew toys. I ll also commi t to coveri ng the vet and groomi ng expenses, and of course the pooch wi ll need one of those desi gner puppy carri ers that cost an arm and two legs. She smi led. Why does i t sound as i f you re runni ng a con on me? He returned her smi le. I di dn t mean for i t It s okay, she sai d, cutti ng hi m off. When are we goi ng to look at the puppi es? Gri ffi n ki ssed her forehead. Tomorrow after breakfast. I must have sucker wri tten on my forehead. He laughed softly, the warm sound rumbli ng i n hi s chest. Why should you be any di fferent from me? Are we really soft, Gri ffi n? No. We re just two people who want the best for the chi ldren we ve been entrusted to love and protect. You re ri ght, Beli nda sai d after a pregnant pause. I always beli eved I d grow up to fall i n love, marry and have chi ldren of my own. Never i n my wi ldest dreams would I have thought that I d be rai si ng my si ster s chi ldren. What makes i t so challengi ng i s that they re not li ttle ki ds, but preteens who re begi nni ng to assert thei r i ndependence. I try and do the best I can, but what fri ghtens me i s what wi ll I do or say i f, or when, they come out wi th you cant tell me what to do because youre not my mother. Let s hope i t never happens, but i f i t does then I ll step Let s hope i t never happens, but i f i t does then I ll step i n. Beli nda tri ed to si t up, but was thwarted when Gri ffi n held her fast. You re not goi ng to hi t them. He frowned at her. I d never hi t a chi ld. What I can assure you i s that my bark i s a great deal louder than yours. I ll not have you yelli ng at them. What s i t goi ng to be, Beli nda? You can t have i t both ways. There s goi ng to come a ti me when they re goi ng to challenge you, because all ki ds do i t. But the di lemma for us wi ll be how do we deal wi th i t as parents. And i f I have to rai se my voi ce to get them off your back, then I wi ll. Remember, they re twi ns, so they re apt to tag-team you. Beli nda remembered when Donna broke curfew and

Roberta was si tti ng i n the li vi ng room wai ti ng up for her. Donna sai d somethi ng fli ppant and all Beli nda remembered was Roberta telli ng Donna that she d brought her i nto the world and she could also take her out. Her mother s ti rade woke up the enti re household and i t took all of Dwi ght Eaton s gentle persuasi on to defuse the si tuati on. It was after the volati le confrontati on that Beli nda made a promi se to herself: i f and when she had chi ldren she would never scream at them, because not only was puni shment more effecti ve, but also the results lasted longer. If you re goi ng to rai se your voi ce, then I don t want to be anywhere around, she told Gri ffi n. Dammi t, Beli nda, you act li ke I m goi ng to verbally abuse them. When i t comes to di sci pli ne we are goi ng to have to be on the same page, or else they re goi ng to play one off the other. I know, she whi spered, buryi ng her face between hi s neck and shoulder. What do you do when your students act out? I put them out of my class, and then wri te them up. Do you have problems wi th the boys? What ki nd of problems? Do they try and come on to you? A few have tri ed, but when I gi ve them a screw face then they usually back off. Show me a screw face. Easi ng out of Gri ffi n s comforti ng embrace, Beli nda sat up and glared at hi m. T h e r e was somethi ng i n Beli nda s gaze that was fri ghteni ng. How do you do that? he asked. She smi led. Practi ce, practi ce, practi ce. I have more problems wi th my female students than the males. Some of them outwei gh me, so they beli eve they can take me out wi th very li ttle effort. In not so many words, I tell them I can roll wi th the best of them. You re not talki ng about fi ghti ng a student? Of course not. But what they don t know i s that I have a black belt i n tae kwon do, wi th di sti ncti on i n sparri ng and power breaki ng. Myles studi ed karate for years, earned hi s black belt, but di dn t li ke competi ng. I, on the other hand, loved competi ti ons. Do you sti ll compete? No. It s been a long ti me si nce my last competi ti on. A lot of teachers refuse to teach i n rough nei ghborhoods, but the confi dence I gai ned from a decade of marti al arts trai ni ng confi dence I gai ned from a decade of marti al arts trai ni ng and the fact that these ki ds need dedi cated teachers i s why I stay. So you can ki ck my butt. Beli nda smi led. Wi th one arm ti ed behi nd my back, she sai d, teasi ngly. Ouch! he ki dded, pressi ng her back to the mattress.

When I fi rst met you I thought you were cute and I wanted to ask you out, but you were Mi ss Atti tude personi fi ed. I was ni neteen and you had already graduated law school, so I thought you were too old for me. I m only fi ve years older than you. I graduated hi gh school at si xteen, college at twenty and law school at twenty-three. That made me an accelerated student, not an older man. You seemed so much older then. What about now? When I saw you rolli ng around on the porch wi th Layla and Sabri na I had seri ous doubts as to your maturi ty. They love i t when I wrestle wi th them, Gri ffi n drawled. Fast-forward thi rteen years, and I m goi ng to ask you somethi ng I should ve asked when you were ni neteen. Beli nda Eaton, wi ll you go out wi th me? You re ki ddi ng, aren t you? Why do you thi nk I m ki ddi ng? Not only are we aunt, uncle and godparents but our ni eces legal guardi ans. We sleep i n each other s homes, you have a key to mi ne and I to yours, but ri ght now we re i n bed together. Dati ng would be ludi crous gi ven our si tuati on. si tuati on. You re ri ght about us shari ng a si tuati on. Is there somethi ng wrong wi th that, Gri ffi n? There s nothi ng wrong wi th i t, but I would prefer havi ng a relati onshi p wi th you asi de from what we share wi th Sabri na and Layla. That way I could get to know you better. Beli nda was strangely flattered by Gri ffi n s i nterest i n her. She experi enced a gamut of emoti ons that di dn t let her thi nk clearly. Ci rcumstances beyond thei r control had brought them together and the man whom she d come to beli eve couldn t be fai thful to one woman wanted a relati onshi p wi th her. I ll have to thi nk about i t. Hi s expressi ve eyebrows li fted. What s there to thi nk about? Beli nda gave hi m a long, penetrati ng stare. I have to deci de whether I m wi lli ng to see you exclusi vely. Does that mean you ll gi ve up Sunshi ne? Who s Sunshi ne? Your pen-pal chump li vi ng off the taxpayers i n a Sunshi ne State pri son. Raymond i s not a chump, she sai d i n defense of the ki ndest man whom she had the pleasure of knowi ng. He s i n Flori da and you re i n Pennsylvani a, whi ch means you li ve at least a thousand mi les apart. How often do you see hi m, Beli nda? Or better yethow many ti mes a year, i f he s not i ncarcerated, does he make love to you? How do you know i f he s bei ng fai thful to you?

Her temper flared as she sat up. How do I know you ll be fai thful to me? be fai thful to me? You don t. All you ll have i s my word. Beli nda wanted to tell Gri ffi n that she was begi nni ng to li ke hi m, i n fact, li ke hi m a li ttle too much to be i ndi fferent to hi s sexual magneti sm. When he d held her down on the porch she d been on the verge of cli maxi ng and that just looki ng at hi m made her body hot and throb wi th a need long deni ed. Gri ffi n was ri ght about Raymond. She di dn t know whether he was sleepi ng wi th another woman but that wasn t her concern because he was her fri end. She d fallen i n love only once i n her li fe, and i t ended wi th her movi ng off campus to come back home. It took years before she trusted a man enough to sleep wi th hi m. If I can t have Sunshi ne, then i t defi ni tely has to be no skanks, chi cken heads or hoochi es for you. Throwi ng back hi s head, Gri ffi n laughed. You dri ve a hard bargai n, Li ndy Eaton. It has to be all or nothi ng. Gri ffi n ran a forefi nger down the length of her nose. If you ever have to negoti ate a deal always remember to gi ve your competi tor an out. Is that how you see me, Gri ffi n? Am I a competi tor or an opponent? Nei ther. Then what am I? I m someone who s concerned about you. You d fallen asleep less than half an hour i nto the movi e. I know you re exhausted. You no longer cook, clean, wash and i ron for one, but three. Layla told me you spent more than an hour foldi ng laundry. A scowl settled i nto Beli nda s features. You have the gi rls spyi ng on me? No, Beli nda. I only asked them how thei r week went and both were only too wi lli ng to tell me. The reason I want to take you out i s to gi ve you a break. It can be one ni ght a week. We can leave Layla and Sabri na at your parents or wi th my mother when she comes back. You can let me know i n advance what you want to do or where you d li ke to eat and I ll make i t happen. Beli nda s expressi on bri ghtened. If all you want to do i s to take me out to di nner, then that means that I don t have to gi ve up Raymond. It doesn t matter because I get to see hi s woman a lot more than he does. The slow, sexy smi le that never fai led to make women si t up and take noti ce of Gri ffi n Ri ce spread over hi s face as he moved over Beli nda, supporti ng hi s wei ght on hi s elbows. Beli nda s breasts felt heavy, her ni pples swelli ng as she

leaned i nto the soli d wall of hi s chest. For years she d watched Gri ffi n wi th other women, wonderi ng why, other than hi s gorgeous face, they chased hi m and now she knew. He was i nherently masculi ne and sexy, and i t di dn t matter that she was another i n a long li ne of women who would get to sample what the celebri ty lawyer was offeri ng. She opened her mouth to hi s ki ss, drowni ng i n the sexual heat, succumbi ng to the sensual spell that made her feel as i f she and the man holdi ng her to hi s heart were the last two people on earth. people on earth. Gri ffi n s heart slammed agai nst hi s ri bs when he showered ki sses around Beli nda s li ps and along her jaw. Loweri ng hi s head, he fastened hi s mouth along the column of her velvety, scented neck, ni ppi ng, suckli ng, li cki ng her as i f she were a frothy confecti on. You taste and smell so good, he mumbled over and over. Bari ng her throat, Beli nda closed her eyes. She wanted to tell Gri ffi n that he felt and smelled good, too, but the words were locked i n her throat when a longi ng she d never known sei zed her mi nd and body, refusi ng to let her go. Wi thout warni ng the spell shattered when hi s hands moved under her pajama top and cupped her breasts. Gri ffi n, no! We can t! I know, baby, he gasped near her ear. He couldn t make love to Beli nda whi le the gi rls were i n the house, and not when he couldn t protect her agai nst an unplanned pregnancy. Her breathi ng comi ng i n uneven pants, Beli nda moaned softly. Go to bed, Gri ffi n. He smi led. I m already i n bed. Your bed, she ordered softly. Good ni ght, Gri ffi n. Buryi ng hi s face between Beli nda s breasts, Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes. He di dn t want to let her go, but he had to. Reluctantly, he moved off the bed. Good ni ght, Beli nda. It took a long ti me after Gri ffi n left her bedroom for Beli nda to fall asleep. The thrummi ng i n the lower part of her body had become a remi nder of what she d mi ssed and needed.

Chapter 6 Ill take both of them.

Beli nda turned on her heel, walki ng out of the room to wai t on the Sandersons back porch. She had to get away from Gri ffi n or say somethi ng she would regret for the rest of her li fe. Gri ffi n had called hi s nei ghbor and set up an appoi ntment to see the puppi es. He d told hi s ni eces that

they were goi ng shoppi ng after eati ng out at a local di ner. But they were totally unaware that going shopping meant looki ng for a dog. The remai ni ng three-month-old Yorki es, both males, were spi ri ted, fri endly and adorable. The only questi on was whi ch one Sabri na and Layla would choose. Beli nda reali zed the quandary when each gi rl pi cked up a puppy, cradled i t to her chest and then refused to reli nqui sh them when Gri ffi n told them to pi ck one. He d become a vi cti m of hi s own negoti ati ng ski lls when each gi rl pleaded her case as to why they di dn t want to share one dog. I thi nk your wi fe i s a li ttle upset, Ni cole Sanderson sai d i n a qui et voi ce to Gri ffi n. Why don t you go and see what s wrong. Ni cole was pleasantly surpri sed when Gri ffi n Ri ce followed through on hi s promi se to set up an appoi ntment to look at the puppi es. She, however, was more than surpri sed when he revealed that he was also comi ng wi th hi s wi fe and daughters. Paoli was a small town, wi th a populati on of fi fty-four hundred, and i t was i nevi table that most resi dents paths would occasi onally cross i n the fri endly, close-kni t communi ty. When Gri ffi n Ri ce purchased a home i n Paoli nearly ei ght years before, the town s grapevi ne hummed wi th the news that they had a celebri ty li vi ng among them. I ll be ri ght back, Gri ffi n sai d to the woman who was looki ng forward to selli ng her last two purebred Yorkshi re terri ers. Openi ng the door, he saw Beli nda wi th her back to hi m. Li ndy, baby. Don t you dare say a mumbli ng word to me, Gri ffi n Ri ce! Wi th wi de eyes, she rounded on hi m. Don t call me Li ndy, and I m not your baby. Gri ffi n di dn t understand what d set her off. She d agreed to thei r ni eces havi ng a dog, so what could be so wrong wi th them havi ng one more? What s wrong? What s wrong? Beli nda repeated, approachi ng hi m. When she closed her eyes the ti ps of her lashes touched her cheekbones, and when they opened agai n the dark orbs were awash wi th moi sture. Marri ages fai l because couples don t communi cate. They argue about money, chi ld reari ng and lack of affecti on but not necessari ly i n that order. We are not communi cati ng, Gri ffi n, and we aren t even marri ed. I agreed to one puppy. How on earth di d i t become two? become two? Gri ffi n resi sted the urge to pull Beli nda i n hi s arms. Di dn t you hear what Layla and Sabri na sai d? They sai d thi s i s the fi rst ti me i n thei r li ves they re not treated as i f they re joi ned at the hi p. You re the only one who doesn t refer to them as the twins, or who bought them matchi ng

outfi ts. They had to wai t twelve years to get thei r own rooms, where they won t grow up as copi es of each other. You relate to them as freethi nkers, i ndi vi duals, and that s what they ve become. Sabri na doesn t want to share her puppy wi th Layla and vi ce versa. Two puppi es translate i nto twi ce the mess. Taki ng a step, Gri ffi n rested a hand on the nape of Beli nda s neck. A mess you won t have to deal wi th. Each gi rl wi ll be responsi ble for her own puppy. Not havi ng to share wi ll eli mi nate arguments as to whose week i t i s to clean the crate. Beli nda tri ed i gnori ng the subtle, seducti ve fragrance of Gri ffi n s aftershavebut fai led. Why do you i nsi st on compli cati ng my li fe? How am I doi ng that? Instead of looki ng after one puppy when our daughters are away on thei r class tri p, I ll have to look after two. Gri ffi n brushed a li ght ki ss over her parted li ps. Remember, Li ndy, you re not i n thi s alone. I ll help you. When? Don t you have a company to run? He nodded. A busi ness I m currently downsi zi ng from si x to two. I ve already begun movi ng fi les from the Phi lly offi ce to Paoli . I m putti ng my marketi ng manager on retai ner, and I expect to hi re a reti red paralegal who wants to come on board part-ti me, whi ch fi ts perfectly i nto my busi ness strategy. She ll be responsi ble for typi ng contracts and fi li ng court documents. You re movi ng your offi ce. The questi on was a statement. Yes. That s why I bui lt the addi ti on onto the house. To be honest, I should ve done i t years ago. The money I ve spent renti ng a sui te of offi ces i n downtown Phi lly could ve fed every chi ld i n a small Afri can country for at least a year. Where are you goi ng to conduct your meeti ngs? In whatever ci ty the team owners call home. If i t s local, then I ll reserve a room at a restaurant wi th good food and servi ce, or a hotel sui te. The seconds ti cked off as Beli nda and Gri ffi n stared at each other. He hadn t shaved, and the stubble on hi s lean jaw enhanced rather than detracted from hi s classi c good looks. Dressed i n an oli ve-green barn jacket, jeans, black crewneck sweater and matchi ng low-heeled leather boots he remi nded her of a Ralph Lauren ad. When di d you deci de all thi s? she asked, breaki ng the si lence. It was the day I went to clean out Grant s offi ce somethi ng I d avoi ded doi ng for weeksbecause I di dn t want to admi t to myself that my brother had been ri ght when he sai d that the pri ce of success i s grossly overrated. As I stood i n hi s twenti eth-floor corner offi ce overlooki ng downtown Phi ladelphi a I could hear a voi ce i n my head. At

fi rst I thought i t was my i magi nati on, but i t wasn t because I was reli vi ng the one ti me I saw my brother drunk. He d just gotten a promoti on and a coveted corner offi ce. I ll never forget hi s face when he stared at me, then sai d, Success dont mean shit when you look at what you have to sacrifice in order to achieve it. At fi rst I thought he was just bei ng maudli n unti l he talked about how he was able to remember everythi ng about hi s cli ents stock portfoli os but he couldn t remember hi s wi fe s bi rthday or thei r weddi ng anni versary. He talked about the meeti ngs and busi ness tri ps that took hi m away from home where i nvari ably he d mi ss a reci tal or hi s daughters school plays. For Grant, maki ng i t had become all-consumi ng. I suppose i t had somethi ng to do wi th provi ng to your parents that Donna hadn t made a mi stake when she agreed to marry hi m. My parents were never agai nst your brother marryi ng my si ster, Beli nda sai d, defensi vely. I di dn t understand how Grant felt unti l I met your fami ly for the fi rst ti me. My fi rst i mpressi on was that the Eatons were snobs. You come from generati ons of teachers, doctors and lawyers, whi le my mother and father were the fi rst i n thei r fami ly to graduate from college. Grant had less than a month before he would get hi s degree and he sti ll hadn t heard from any of hi s prospecti ve employers when your father took hi m asi de and sai d that i f he ever needed money to take care of hi s daughter or grandchi ldren then he shouldn t hesi tate to come to hi m. Hi s offer cut Grant to the qui ck, but he smi led at Dr. Eaton and sai d that he wouldn t have marri ed hi s daughter i f he hadn t been able to support her. her. So, the day Grant got hi s seven-fi gure salary and all the perks that went along wi th hi s posi ti on, he warned me about putti ng success before fami ly. I never wanted chi ldren because I di dn t want them growi ng up wi th parents who fought more than they made love. And si nce li fe doesn t always play out the way we want i t to, I m commi tted to maki ng the best of the hand I ve been dealt. I promi sed my brother I would take care of hi s chi ldren i n the event anythi ng happened to hi m, and that means bei ng avai lable for parent-teacher conferences, school concerts, supervi si ng sleep-overs and chauffeuri ng them when i t s ti me for college tours. Beli nda tri ed to hi de her confusi on. She d beli eved that Grant worked long hours so that Donna could be a stay-athome mother and the envy of the other women i n thei r soci al ci rcle who were jealous because they were worki ng mothers. I di dn t know, she sai d softly when she recovered her voi ce.

I doubt i f Donna knew how Grant felt. He wasn t one for openi ng up about hi mselfnot even to hi s wi fe. In that way he s a lot li ke my dad. It has taken my father more than forty years to tell my mother that he d been carryi ng around a world of resentment because she got pregnant and he had to drop out of medi cal school to take care of her and thei r chi ld. Beli nda couldn t stop the frown formi ng between her eyes. He should ve accepted half the blame. After all, she couldn t get pregnant by herself, Gri ffi n. couldn t get pregnant by herself, Gri ffi n. You re preachi ng to the choi r, beauti ful. People always blame others when somethi ng goes wrong i n thei r li fe because i t s easi er than accepti ng responsi bi li ty that perhaps they, too, were wrong. Beli nda lowered her gaze, stari ng at Gri ffi n s strong, brown throat. I should apologi ze to you. For what? I retract what I sai d about you not havi ng any redeemi ng quali ti es. You sai d no such thi ng. Beli nda s head came up, her exoti c-looki ng eyes fi lli ng wi th confusi on. You sai d, and I quote, Im not attracted to you, and theres nothing about you that I find even remotely appealing. He placed hi s free hand over hi s heart. You have no i dea of how much you hurt me when you sai d that. Beli nda was hard-pressed not to laugh at hi s affected theatri cs. Suck i t up, Ri ce. What I sai d pales i n compari son to when you sai d I wasn t at the top of your li st for what you d want i n a woman. Gri ffi n angled hi s head and smi led. Guess what? What? I li ed. Her smi le matched hi s. I suppose si nce we re i nto true confessi ons, then I ll admi t that I li ed, too. She wanted to tell Gri ffi n that she was attracted to hi m and found hi m very appeali ng. Gri ffi n brushed a li ght ki ss over her parted li ps. Let s go back i nsi de and close thi s deal. I m certai n Sabri na and Layla are anxi ous to take thei r puppi es home. Beli nda caught the sleeve of Gri ffi n s jacket. Before we go i n I just want to remi nd you that the gi rls are leavi ng to go on a class tri p to D.C. two days before I m out for spri ng break. We re goi ng to have to make arrangements to board the puppi es for those days. They won t have to go to a kennel. They re too young to be left alone. Don t worry so much, Li ndy. I ll stay at your place unti l you come home. What i f you have to leave town on busi ness? Whatever i t i s can wai t, he sai d softly. Remember,

fami ly comes fi rst, even i f i t s of the four-legged furry persuasi on. Roberta Eaton smi led at her granddaughters, each holdi ng a ti ny puppy wi th dark fur and tan marki ngs. What do we have here? Grams, thi s i s Ceci l Ri ce, Sabri na announced i n a loud, dramati c voi ce. He s a Yorkshi re terri er. And thi s i s Ni gel Ri ce, Layla sai d, i ntroduci ng her puppy. We gave them Bri ti sh names because Aunt Li ndy told us that Yorkshi re i s i n England. Roberta Eaton pressed her palms together. They re so ti ny. How much do they wei gh? Ni gel i s two pounds and three ounces and Ceci l two pounds and si x ounces, Sabri na answered, braggi ng li ke a proud mother. Roberta shook her head i n amazement. Together they don t even wei gh fi ve pounds. She leaned over, ki ssi ng her granddaughters who were now as tall as she was. Go show your Gramps the puppi es, then put them away because i t s ti me to eat. Beli nda hugged and ki ssed her mother before headi ng toward the ki tchen. She hadn t mi ssed shari ng a Sunday di nner wi th her parents si nce Donna passed away because she knew what i t meant to her mother to have at least one of her chi ldren wi th her for what throughout past generati ons had become a fami ly day. Myles, who li ved and worked i n Pi ttsburgh, wasn t expected to return unti l the end of the school year, and her younger si ster, Chandra, was now a Peace Corps worker assi gned to teachi ng young chi ldren i n Bahi a. Roberta gestured to the tall, casually dressed man standi ng behi nd her daughter, clutchi ng the handle of a crate. Gri ffi n, please fi nd some place to put that doggy pri son, and then come eat. Gri ffi n compli ed, putti ng the wi re crate i n a corner of the spaci ous entryway. I have to go back to the car and bri ng i n dessert. You di dn t have to bri ng anythi ng. I made a coconut cake. Smi li ng and shari ng a knowi ng look wi th Beli nda, Gri ffi n sai d, I guess ours wi ll keep. No doubt, Beli nda crooned, playi ng along wi th hi m. Roberta caught the surrepti ti ous exchange between her daughter and Gri ffi n. What di d you bri ng? Carrot cake. From where, Gri ffi n? Ms. Tootsi e s Soul Food Cafe. Berti e, stop playi ng, Dwi ght Eaton called out wi th hi s approach. You know you love Ms. Tootsi e s carrot cake. But then agai n, any dessert from Ms. Tootsi e s i sn t as

good as yours, he added qui ckly, always the di plomat. Beli nda gave her father a wi de gri n. He always sai d the ri ght thi ng. Dr. Dwi ght Eaton was only a couple of i nches taller than hi s wi fe, but what he lacked i n hei ght he compensated for wi th wi t and personali ty. Hi s pati ents loved hi m as much for hi s medi cal experti se as hi s gentle bedsi de manner. Hi s dark brown face was smooth, except for a few li nes around hi s equally dark eyes behi nd a pai r of ri mless glasses. How are you, Li ndy? Wonderful, Daddy. Dwi ght smi led at Gri ffi n. Are you taki ng good care of my gi rls? I m doi ng the best I can, si r. The older man waved a hand. Please, Gri ffi n, none of that si r busi ness. Don t forget you re fami ly. Voi ces rai sed i n exci tement preceded a streak of dark fur runni ng across the li vi ng room. Roberta caught a puppy Beli nda sti ll couldn t di sti ngui sh whether he was Ni gel or Ceci l because thei r marki ngs were i denti caland Gri ffi n put the runaway puppy i nto the crate, whi le she went to retri eve the cake from hi s SUV. A quarter of an hour later, everyone sat down at the di ni ng room table to enjoy a tradi ti onal Southern di nner of macaroni and cheese, smothered pork chops, collard greens, buttery corn bread and sweet tea. Sabri na and Layla talked nonstop about school, the students who rode the bus wi th them on thei r new route and the research they d gathered from the Internet on Yorki es. It was the fi rst Sunday di nner si nce the death of thei r parents that the si sters were ani mated and thei r mood ebulli ent. Both deci ded to forego dessert to play wi th the whi ni ng, yi ppi ng puppi es that were anxi ous to be released from thei r confi nement. Gri ffi n, at Beli nda s urgi ng, sai d thei r goodbyes at si x to return home and prepare for the upcomi ng week. When Beli nda reti red for bed later that ni ght her thoughts were of Gri ffi nhow she d come to look forward to seei ng hi m, shari ng meals and the responsi bi li ty of rai si ng thei r ni eces. Beli nda stared at her reflecti on i n the mi rror, not recogni zi ng the i mage. It wasn t so much that her face had changed but the woman to whom the face belongedshe had changed. She never would ve i magi ned four months ago, or even four weeks ago that she would ve accepted Gri ffi n Ri ce s request to step i nto the role as hi s hostess. She d rehearsed for the part by maki ng hi s house appear li ved i n. Wi th the excepti on of hi s home offi ce, every room i n the large coloni al was pi cture perfect, as i f each pi ece of

furni ture and objet d art had been selected and posi ti oned for a magazi ne layout. Gri ffi n admi tted to hi ri ng a desi gn fi rm to decorate hi s house i n a style remi ni scent of grand Cari bbean plantati on homes erected duri ng the Bri ti sh coloni al peri od. Dark, heavy mahogany four-poster beds wi th posts engraved wi th decorati ve pi neapples, leaves and vi nes, tables wi th curvi ng legs, hi ghboys, armoi res, secretari es, settees, wall mi rrors and chests of drawers transported you back to an era of ruli ng-class elegance whose enormous wealth was deri ved from slaves, sugar and rum. It d taken her less than a day to transform the house i nto a home wi th large green plants i n glazed hand-pai nted vases, fresh flowers and dozens of pi llars, voti ves and tea li ghts i n decorati ve holders. The gatheri ng was small, wi th a confi rmed guest li st of fourteen. A caterer and bartender arri ved an hour before the fi rst guests were scheduled to arri ve. For the fi rst ti me i n a week, anti ci pati on at meeti ng thei r sports i dol shi fted Layla s and Sabri na s attenti on from thei r pets to the party. Much to Beli nda s surpri se, the gi rls kept thei r promi se to take care of the puppi es. They set thei r clocks to ri se earli er than usual to clean the cage and put out food and clean water for Ceci l and Ni gel before readyi ng themselves for school. Playi ng wi th the puppi es had become a pri ori ty. As soon as they came home after school the cage was opened and each puppy bounded out to pounce on i ts respecti ve owner. She d conti nued to call the Yorki es by the wrong name unti l Gri ffi n poi nted out that Ni gel had a ti ny tan spot on the ti p of hi s tai l. The di lemma of transporti ng the puppi es and thei r suppli es between households was eli mi nated when Gri ffi n bought a cage large enough to accommodate both pups and purchased an ample supply of wee-wee pads, food, treats and chew toys to have on hand i n Paoli . Peeri ng closer i n the mi rror, she checked her makeup for the last ti me, pleased wi th the results. Eye shadow, whi ch she rarely wore, and vi brant vermi li on li psti ck hi ghli ghted her eyes and li ps. And, because the gettogether was casual, Beli nda had chosen a pai r of black stretch cuffed capri s, a long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder fi tted top and added an addi ti onal three i nches to her fi ve-si x hei ght wi th peep-toe pumps. She left the bedroom and walked down the hallway to the stai rcase, shi ny curls bounci ng around her head and face wi th each step. After a week of pai nstaki ngly brushi ng her hai r each ni ght to keep the strands smooth, she d gone back to her curly hai rstyle. Her steps slowed as she looked down to fi nd Gri ffi n wai ti ng for her at the bottom of the stai rcase. Beli nda

smi led. She and Gri ffi n were dressed ali ke. He was weari ng a black pullover, slacks and sli p-ons. The recessed li ght gli nted off hi s close-cropped black hai r. Gri ffi n extended hi s hand, helpi ng Beli nda as she stepped off the last step. Hi s gaze li ngered on the curls frami ng her round face, then moved lower to her full mouth outli ned i n a shi mmeri ng, sexy red shade. However, i t was her eyes, the li ds darkened, lashes spi ked and lengthened by mascara that held hi m enthralled. Expertly appli ed makeup had served to hi ghli ght and accentuate Beli nda Eaton s natural beauty. He hadn t li ed to Beli nda when he told her that he d dated hi s share of women, although he was very di scri mi nati ng wi th whom he slept. But none of them could match her natural beauty. You look so i ncredi bly beauti ful. The si nceri ty i n hi s compli ment was evi dent. Loweri ng her gaze, Beli nda glanced up at hi m through her lashes. Thank you. He angled hi s head and pressed a ki ss to her ear. You re welcome. He di dn t thi nk he would ever get used to her smell. It was an aphrodi si ac he was helpless to resi st. It d taken Gri ffi n only two weeks to come to the reali zati on that he did li ke hi s ni eces surrogate mother, that he d changed hi s opi ni on of her and he wanted to get closer to the i ntelli gent, i ntri gui ng woman who unknowi ngly made hi m forget all the others. Increasi ng hi s protecti ve hold, he tucked her hand i nto the bend of hi s elbow and led her across the li vi ng room. Recorded musi c floated from concealed speakers throughout the fi rst floor. An outdoor fi replace provi ded addi ti onal warmth for those who wanted to di ne or si t outdoors. I asked Kei th to get here earli er than the others. That way Sabri na and Layla can talk to hi m one on one. Beli nda smi led. I m wi lli ng to bet they ll do more gawki ng than talki ng. You re probably ri ght. Reachi ng i nto a pocket of hi s slacks, he took out an ultra-thi n di gi tal camera. Evi dence, he drawled, gri nni ng. I m certai n they re goi ng to want to prove to thei r fri ends that they do know Kei th Enni s. I hope i t doesn t backfi re on them. Gri ffi n s expressi on mi rrored confusi on. Why would you say that? If they tell everyone thei r uncle s on a fi rst-name basi s wi th a major league ballplayer, some students can get jealous. I ve seen i t happen enough at my school wi th a few si tuati ons escalati ng i nto bullyi ng and fi ghti ng. I ve seen that happen, too, but thankfully most are good ki ds. Speaki ng of goodyou know the gi rls adore you,

Gri ffi n. He li fted hi s eyebrows. They don t adore me any more than they love you, Beli nda. I m sure they see me as Santa or a magi c geni e that grants thei r wi shes. It s you who must deal wi th them twenty-four-seven, but i nstead of wi theri ng they ve bloomed. I know they mi ss thei r mom and dad, but you ve saved them. Beli nda di dn t know why, but she felt as i f she was holdi ng her breath and wai ti ng for the ti me when one or both of the twi ns would experi ence a meltdown. You have to remember that they were i n therapy only days after we buri ed Donna and Grant, she remi nded Gri ffi n. I don t want to thi nk of what would ve happened to them i f they hadn t had professi onal help. Gri ffi n shook hi s head. Therapy asi de, i t s you and how you relate to them that makes the di fference. I overheard them talki ng about how much they love mani -pedi es whatever that i sand getti ng thei r hai r done every week. A mani -pedi i s a mani cure and pedi cure. I go every week, so I just take them along wi th me. Stop tryi ng to mi ni mi ze your i mportance i n thei r li ves, Beli nda, Gri ffi n chi ded softly. You re not Donna, but she knew what she was doi ng when she asked you to take care of her chi ldren. In other words, Beli nda Eaton, you are an i ncredi ble mother, and I hope Mr. Sunshi ne knows how lucky he i s to have someone li ke you. Beli nda was caught off guard by the warmth i n Gri ffi n s voi ce and wanted to tell hi m that he di dn t have to concern hi mself wi th Raymond Mi ller. I need to tell you The chi mi ng of the doorbell preempted what she was goi ng to tell Gri ffi n about the man who was her fri end and not her lover. Gri ffi n pressed hi s face to Beli nda s soft, sweet-smelli ng hai r. I ll be ri ght back. She stood i n the mi ddle of the li vi ng room stari ng at the massi ve floral arrangement on an anti que Engli sh pedestal table unti l deli ci ous wafti ng aromas comi ng from the ki tchen propelled her i nto acti on, and she turned and made her way toward the rear of the house. The ni ght before, Sabri na had admi tted that she li ked stayi ng over i n her uncle s house because i t made her feel as i f she d stepped back i n ti me. What the teenager li ked i n parti cular was that although Gri ffi n had enclosed the back porch, i t was sti ll accessi ble through the French doors. When the doors were open the space was perfect for di ni ng al fresco. Beli nda vi ewed i t as the perfect place for havi ng tea or si mply enjoyi ng the landscape whi le rocki ng on the porch. She stopped at the entrance to the ki tchen. A toqueweari ng chef, wi eldi ng a whi sk wi th a vengeance i n a large saut pan, ordered a wai ter to bri ng hi m a platter. Today,

please! he drawled i mpati ently. Leavi ng as qui ckly and qui etly as she d entered, Beli nda reversed course, passi ng the di ni ng room where the bartender was setti ng up. Gri ffi n had deci ded on buffetstyle servi ce because i t was more i n keepi ng wi th the casualness of the gatheri ng. Hi s i nvi tati ons stressed casual atti re, and anyone weari ng a ti e or sui t would be ushered out the door. Grant and Donna had been frequent guests at the soci al gatheri ngs Gri ffi n hosted at hi s house, but Beli nda always had responded by poli tely decli ni ng. At fi rst the i nvi tati ons slowed i n frequency then they stopped enti rely. Donna always called to tell her who she d met, or brag about the quali ty of the food, then ended the conversati on wi th You dont know what you were missing. Beli nda s rejoi nder was always, What I dont know, I dont miss. Avoi di ng her brother-i n-law had strai ned thei r relati onshi p. She d spent years beli evi ng what she read i n the tabloi ds, and never bothered to ask Gri ffi n i f the stori es about hi m were true. She d fallen vi cti m to a very human faultbeli evi ng what you read. A deep voi ce, on an even lower regi ster than Gri ffi n s, reached her as she walked i nto the li vi ng room. Kei th Enni s appeared taller, larger than the i mages she d seen on televi si on. She d suggested Sabri na and Layla remai n i n thei r rooms unti l the ballplayer s arri val. Gri ffi n approached Beli nda, beckoni ng. Come, darli ng. I want to i ntroduce you to a cli ent who s also a good fri end. Kei th, thi s i s Beli nda Eaton. Beli nda, Kei th Enni s. Beli nda was too starstruck to regi ster Gri ffi n s endearment as she smi led at the larger-than-li fe superstar ballplayer. Hi s sparkli ng raven-black eyes, shaved head, mahogany-hued smooth ski n and tri mmed si lky mustache and goatee were mesmeri zi ng. She offered hi m her hand. It s a pleasure to meet you. Kei th rai sed the deli cate hand that he had swallowed up i n hi s much larger one. I can t beli eve Ri ce has been holdi ng out on me, he crooned, wi nki ng, hi s bari tone voi ce loweri ng seducti vely. Where has he been hi di ng you? he asked Beli nda. A rush of heat stung her cheeks. I ve been around. Gri ffi n looped a propri etary arm around Beli nda s wai st. Sorry, man, but she s not avai lable. If the lovely lady i s unavai lable, then why i sn t there a ri ng on her fi nger, Ri ce? Beli nda gri maced when she felt the bi te of Gri ffi n s fi ngers as they ti ghtened on her wai st. She flashed Kei th a ti ght smi le. Please excuse me. I m goi ng upstai rs to get Sabri na and Layla so they can meet you before the others arri ve.

Beli nda menti oni ng hi s meeti ng Gri ffi n s ni eces remi nded Kei th why he d come to hi s attorney s home. Hi s team had played a Saturday afternoon game, and he d planned to unwi nd at hi s condo wi th the woman who usually kept hi m occupi ed duri ng home games. However, Gri ffi n got hi m to change hi s mi nd and hi s plans when he gave hi m a generous check as a donati on to hi s alma mater. Kei th s gaze li ngered bri efly on Beli nda Eaton before comi ng back to rest on Gri ffi n s scowli ng face. Look, man, I know I was out of li ne. You were. The two words were cold, exacti ng. Kei th recoi led as i f he d been struck. Wi ll you accept my apology? The seconds ti cked off, the si lence swelli ng and growi ng more uncomfortable wi th each ti ck. Gri ffi n s face was a gloweri ng mask of controlled fury. Hi s cli ent had stepped over the li ne. He d taken Kei th Enni s, a naturally talented athlete from a di sadvantaged Balti more nei ghborhood to i nstant superstar status wi th a fi ve-year multi mi lli on-dollar contract, along wi th hi gh-profi le product endorsements. Gri ffi n was normally lai d-back, qui ck to smi le, slow to anger and wi lli ng to gi ve anyone three stri kes. Unfortunately, Kei th Enni s had just used up one of hi s three. He angled hi s head. That s somethi ng I m goi ng to have to thi nk about. Can I get you somethi ng to dri nk? he asked i n the same breath. Kei th flashed a tremulous gri n. Sure. Layla and Sabri na stared at thei r sport i dol, tongue-ti ed as Gri ffi n snapped pi ctures of them shaki ng hands wi th Kei th, flanki ng hi m when they posed as a group pi cture and when he autographed thei r brag books. The ballplayer, seeki ng redempti on for hi s mi sstep, si gned autographs for thei r teachers and fellow students. Clutchi ng thei r treasured memorabi li a to thei r chests, the si sters raced upstai rs to text thei r fri ends. Gri ffi n and Beli nda became the consummate host and hostess as they greeted guests wi th exoti c cocktai ls and hors d oeuvres. The Moroccan-style meatballs, devi led eggs wi th capers, mi ni crab cakes and beluga cavi ar on toast poi nts were the hi ghli ght of the cocktai l hour. It di dn t take Beli nda long to understand why her si ster li ked soci ali zi ng at Gri ffi n s house. Excellent food, top-shelf li quor, fri endly, outgoi ng guests and an attenti ve host made for certai n success. The thi rtysomethi ng crowd i ncluded college classmates, frat brothers and three newlywed couples. She knew a few of the guests were surpri sed to see her as hostess, but they soon got used to i t. The musi c, whi ch i ncluded old-school and new-school jams, had several couples up and danci ng

when everyone fi led out of the di ni ng room to the back porch. It was ten o clock when Kei th bi d hi s farewell, sayi ng he had to get up early for batti ng practi ce. Others followed sui t over the next hour. Gri ffi n pai d and ti pped the bartender, the chef and wai tstaff, then led Beli nda out to the pati o, seati ng her on a cushi oned chai se. The outdoor fi replace emi tted enough heat to warm the mi d-forty-degree temperature. Dozens of candles li ni ng a long wooden table fli ckered, competi ng wi th mi lli ons of stars i n the clear ni ght sky. Beli nda sli pped off her heels. I m goi ng to need a throw or a blanket, she sai d, as Gri ffi n joi ned her on the chai se. Gri ffi n nuzzled her neck. I ll warm you up. Wi thout warni ng, he effortlessly li fted her so that she sat between hi s outstretched legs. Lean back agai nst me. Fati gue swept over her, and she closed her eyes. It was a ni ce li ttle get-together. It was ni ce, Gri ffi n sai d i n agreement, as he, too, closed hi s eyes. She opened her eyes and peered up at hi m over her shoulder. Some of your fri ends were somewhat surpri sed when you i ntroduced me as your hostess. Were they perhaps expecti ng to see you wi th some other woman? Gri ffi n opened hi s eyes. I don t know what they expected, Beli nda, because I ve never concerned myself wi th how other folks see me. If I di d, then I d stop bei ng who I am. And I deli berately di dn t i ntroduce you as my brother s si ster-i n-law because I felt i t was none of thei r busi ness. Di d you tell Kei th that I m the gi rls aunt? Nope. Do you plan on telli ng hi m? Nope. Why are you so monosyllabi c? Usi ng a mi ni mum of effort and movement, Gri ffi n changed posi ti ons unti l Beli nda lay under hi m. I don t feel very much li ke talki ng, Mi ss Eaton, because I d rather do thi s. She knew Gri ffi n was goi ng to ki ss her, but was helpless to stop hi m. The truth was she di dn t want to stop hi m. She d lost count of the number of ti mes she d replayed hi m ki ssi ng her over and overi n and out of bed. Gri ffi n had i gni ted a spark that grew hotter and more i ntense each ti me she saw hi m. A part of her wanted hi m to stay away the sensi ble Beli nda. Then there was the other Beli nda the sexually frustrated woman who hadn t slept wi th a man i n three years. Blood-poundi ng desi re rushed through her vei ns. Her li ps parted, she swallowed Gri ffi n s warm, moi st breath as hi s mouth covered hers i n a hungry joi ni ng that left them teari ng at each other s clothes. Beli nda grasped the back of hi s sweater, pulli ng i t up from hi s wai st and bari ng flesh

i n her journey to get to know every part of Gri ffi n Ri ce. She d become addi cted to hi m, hi s scent and the hard contours of hi s toned, slender body. Gri ffi n ki ssed Beli nda wi th an outward calm that beli ed hi s hunger to take heron the chai se and wi thout protecti on. One hand sli pped under her blouse, whi le the other sli d up her i nner thi ghs. The heat comi ng from between her legs was an i nferno. Beli nda was on fi re, the flames spreadi ng and raci ng out of control. He fastened hi s mouth over a breast, the ni pple hardeni ng when he suckled her through the cup of her lace bra. You are exqui si te, he whi spered, pressi ng hi s groi n to hers so she could feel how much he wanted and needed her. Loopi ng her arms under Gri ffi n s shoulders, Beli nda held on to hi m as i f he were her li feli ne whi le waves of ecstasy rocked her li ke a shi p i n a storm. He suckled one breast, then the other before trai li ng moi st ki sses down her belly. She was hot, then cold as Gri ffi n released the zi pper on her slacks, pushi ng them down her thi ghs; hi s head replaced hi s hands as he pressed hi s face to the apex of her legs. Gri ffi n i nhaled the womanly essence through the scrap of si lk. Hi s longi ng to be i nsi de Beli nda bordered on i nsani ty, but sani ty won out when he moved up the length of her qui veri ng body, hi s heart poundi ng i n hi s chest li ke a jackhammer. He sat up, swi ngi ng hi s legs over the si de of the chai se. One of these days we re goi ng to fi ni sh thi s, he promi sed. Beli nda nodded rather than speak. She was afrai d, afrai d that she would beg Gri ffi n to make love to her on the chai se and out i n the open where Sabri na or Layla could possi bly di scover them. Rai si ng her hi ps, she eased up and zi pped her slacks and adjusted her top. An owl hooted i n the di stance as she reached for her shoes. She stood up and stared at the outli ne of broad shoulders i n the muted darkness. Gri ffi n was so sti ll he could ve been a statue. Good ni ght, Gri ffi n, and don t forget to put out the candles. Getti ng up from the chai se, Gri ffi n smi led at the woman who d wound herself i nto hi s li fe and hi s heart. Good ni ght, Li ndy.

Chapter 7 Mi ss Ferguson, please take your seat. Mr. Evans, you

know the rules. No hats or do-rags. The hi gh school admi ni strati on had banned cell phones and do-rags for male students whi le classes were i n sessi on. Students had to wear pi cture IDs, and they d i nstalled metal detectors

because of an i nci dent i n whi ch one student stabbed and ki lled another wi th a kni fe he d concealed under hi s cap. Thei r attempt to ban gang colors was voted down by the school board, and the result was a proli ferati on of red, blue and gold bandannas and jackets. Beli nda knew her students were restless and looki ng forward to spri ng break, and she was no excepti on. She would use the week to sleep i n late, weed her flower garden, clean out her closets and hopefully catch up on her readi ng. Sabri na and Layla, who attended a pri vate school, had begun thei r spri ng break two days before thei r publi c school counterpart. They were on a week-long class tri p that would take them from Washi ngton, D.C., to Wi lli amsburg, Vi rgi ni a, and fi nally the Gettysburg Nati onal Mi li tary Park before returni ng. Wi th the gi rls away and Gri ffi n i n Chi cago on busi ness, i f i t hadn t been for Ceci l and Ni gel s barki ng the house would ve been as si lent as a tomb. The past two morni ngs she d gotten up early to take care of the puppi es, and she knew she couldn t li nger after classes because she needed to get home to see after them. Mi ss Eaton, tell Brent to get out of my seat. Beli nda let out an audi ble si gh. Mr. Wi ley, please fi nd your own seat. Brent Wi ley took hi s ti me sli di ng off the chai r to si t on another i n the next row, all the whi le glari ng at the peti te, dark-hai red female student wi th whom he had a love-hate, on-agai n, off-agai n relati onshi p si nce the school year began. Thei r enmi ty escalated when i t was rumored that Petra Rutherford was dati ng a ri val gang member. He poi nted a fi nger at her. I m gonna fi x you, ho! Petra Rutherford jumped up. Your momma s a ho, bi tch! Beli nda had had enough. Mr. Wi ley, out! Brent Wi ley knew the dri ll. Whenever Mi ss Eaton ordered a student out of her classroom i t meant a vi si t to the dean. It also meant a call home, and that meant bi g trouble for hi m. Hi s old man was on hi s back because some of hi s fri ends were i n a gang, but what Brent couldn t understand was that hi s pops had been i n a gang when he was i n hi s teens, di d a bi d i n pri son but after he was paroled found reli gi on. Pushi ng back hi s chai r, Brent stood up. He nodded to another boy, pulled up hi s baggy jeans, then gathered hi s books and left the classroom. Beli nda wai ted unti l she had everyone s attenti on. She glared at Petra. Mi ss Rutherford, count yourself lucky, because you also should be i n the dean s offi ce. Petra rolled her eyes. I ai n t gonna let nobody call me a ho, she mumbled under her breath. Leani ng agai nst the front of her desk, Beli nda crossed

her legs at the ankles. The gi rls si tti ng i n the front row glanced down at her shoes and smi led at one another. She knew the female students i n parti cular moni tored what she wore. On several occasi ons they d ask i f a jacket or blouse was new because they hadn t seen i t before, whi ch led Beli nda to beli eve they were catalogui ng her wardrobe. She felt i t i mportant to wear busi ness atti re, unli ke those teachers who someti mes wore jeans and sweats. Today she wore taupe li nen gabardi ne slacks wi th a whi te si lk man-tai lored shi rt and wai st-length tan suede jacket. Her footwear was a pai r of brown leather pumps. Not only was she an educator but also a role model for her students. In order to be a professi onal she also had to look the part. Yesterday I gave out copi es of three thi ngstwo newspaper cartoons and one photograph. I wanted you to analyze them and wri te a paragraph on what message the cartooni st and photographer are tryi ng to express. A hand went up i n the back of the room. Yes, Mr. Sanchez. The photograph wi th the man holdi ng a si gn wi th Burn All Reds i s expressi ng hi s hatred for communi sts. You re ri ght, Mr. Sanchez. But couldn t he just as easi ly been protesti ng fasci sts, i mmi grants or even the poli ce offi cers you see i n the photograph? No way, Mi ss Eaton. I showed my grandpa the pi cture and he sai d the woman holdi ng the si gn, Rosenberg Trai tors Must Di e For Thei r Cri me, was because the Rosenbergs who were communi sts sold the atom bomb secrets to the Russi ans. Beli nda smi led. It wasn t easy to engage her students about what they consi dered old news that had nothi ng to do wi th thei r li ves. Di d your grandfather tell you what happened to the Rosenbergs? Jai me Sanchez flashed a wi de smi le. They li t up the commi e bastards i n the electri c chai r. Beli nda shi fted so the students wouldn t see her smi rk as they laughed loudly. She di dn t thi nk she would ever get used to thei r colorful language. She tri ed to keep the use of expleti ves i n her classroom to a mi ni mum, but knew she was fi ghti ng a losi ng cause. Yes, she sai d, they were found gui lty of spyi ng for the Sovi et Uni on and sentenced to death by executi on. Does anyone else have a comment about the photograph? No hands went up as students lounged i n thei r seats as i f i n thei r li vi ng rooms. I need someone to analyze the cartoon from the Birmingham News dated June 27, 2002. It s a pi cture of Uncle Sam wi th a copy of the Consti tuti on, holdi ng a penci l wi th the word security stamped on i t. Uncle Sam s thi nki ng, Sowhere do I draw the line? What i s the central focus of thi s cartoon drawn after September 11, 2001? Is the cartooni st sayi ng that the Uni ted States should abandon the Consti tuti on, or

Beli nda s words stopped when she saw a student get up and open the wi ndow. Si t down, Mr. Greer, she ordered when he reached out the wi ndow. when he reached out the wi ndow. The words were barely off her tongue when sunli ght gli nted on a shi ny object i n the student s hand. Everybody get down! Beli nda screamed before an explosi on and flash of li ght changed the li ves of all i n the classroom. Televi sed footage of past school shooti ngs came back wi th vi vi d clari ty. Beli nda struggled to remember the protocol for such an i nci dent. How was i t she could remember the tragi c faces of parents and students but not what she d been told i f a si mi lar si tuati on occurred at her school? It was the second gunshot that jolted her i nto acti on as shards of glass and plaster rai ned down on those huddled under desks. She had to alert the offi ce to i ni ti ate an i mmedi ate school lockdown. The wai l of approachi ng si rens drowned out the sounds of students screams when two more shots shattered the wi ndows. The classroom was under si ege as shell casi ngs li ttered the floor. Beli nda knew i t was i mpossi ble to reach the wall phone i nstalled i n each classroom wi thout exposi ng herself to the gunman. Crawli ng on her belly, she opened the lower drawer of the desk, grabbi ng her handbag. She found her cell and punched i n three di gi ts. Her voi ce was surpri si ngly calm when she told the 911 operator what was happeni ng. The operator told her that someone else had called i n the gunfi re and fi rst responders would be there i n mi nutes. She placed another callto her motherand then prayed. Gri ffi n sat at the conference room table wi th the seni or vi ce presi dent of an upscale clothi ng manufacturer, stari ng numbly at downtown Chi cago through the wall-to-wall wi ndow i n a toweri ng offi ce bui ldi ng. Oakley Donovan wanted to offer GR Sports Enterpri ses, Li mi ted, a lucrati ve seven-fi gure deal for a flamboyant tenni s pro to model sportswear for next year s spri ng and summer li ne. He would ve agreed to the deal, yet held out because he wanted Oakley Donovan to commi t to all four seasons. A deal whi ch should ve been i nked i n one day but was now i nto i ts fourth. Before he boarded the fli ght to Chi cago, Gri ffi n and Beli nda saw thei r ni eces off as they got the bus wi th twentyei ght other seventh graders for thei r class tri p. She drove hi m to the ai rport, and hi s fli ght touched down at O Hare forty mi nutes before hi s scheduled meeti ng. Instead of checki ng i nto a hotel he took a taxi di rectly to Donovan s offi ce bui ldi ng where he was told that Oakley Donovan s wi fe had gone i nto labor, gi vi ng bi rth to a baby boy, and he

regretfully had to postpone thei r meeti ng. Gri ffi n i nformed Donovan s executi ve assi stant that he could be reached at the Palmer House i n the event that the new father wanted to set up another meeti ng. Duri ng the two days i t took for Donovan to reschedule, Gri ffi n attended a Cubs versus Mets baseball game at Wri gley Fi eld, sent Donovan s wi fe a gi ft basket for the newborn and sampled the much-touted Chi cago hot dog and deep-di sh pi zza. He became a touri st, pi cki ng up souveni r caps and T-shi rts for Sabri na, Layla and Beli nda. He d planned to spend the week at Beli nda s house i f he hadn t had the Chi cago meeti ng. Havi ng her so close whenever she slept under hi s roof and ki ssi ng her under the gui se of a greeti ng had begun to test the li mi ts of hi s pati ence, of whi ch he had very li ttle. Gri ffi n laced hi s fi ngers together and counted slowly to ten. It s unfortunate you ll only commi t to the spri ng and summer, because i f you deci de to use Keats for subsequent seasons, then the pri ce goes up exponenti ally. Oakley Donovan found i t hard to concentrate. He sti ll hadn t recovered from wi tnessi ng the bi rth of hi s fi rst son, whom hi s thi rd and much younger wi fe i nsi sted on nami ng after hi m. How much more, Ri ce? Gri ffi n s head came up and he stared at the man, who at fi fty-ni ne, should ve been rocki ng hi s grandchi ldren i nstead of a newborn. Oakley Donovan remi nded hi m of a shark he was all teeth. But he wasn t taken i n by the wi de gri n and genteel manner. Under the custom-made shi rt, handmade si lk ti e and tai lored sui t beat the cold heart of a shark. Donovan sold a li keness of a model to a ci garette manufacturer wi thout securi ng a release from the model. It took a decade for the model to settle for an amount, whi ch had made hi m qui te wealthy. He knew Oakley wanted tenni s ace Davi d Keats to model hi s clothi ng li ne and Gri ffi n was prepared to hold out unti l Oakley met hi s pri ce. Double, but only i f I m feeli ng generous. Donovan s Adam s apple bobbed up and down li ke a buoy i n choppy water. And i f you re not feeli ng generous, Ri ce? It quadruples. Streaks of red crept up Donovan s neck to hi s smoothshaven cheeks. You re joki ng, aren t you? Gri ffi n shook hi s head slowly. No. I m not very good when i t comes to telli ng jokes. He almost felt sorry for the man who was the epi tome of sophi sti cati on. It was easy to see why Oakley Donovan was able to attract women half hi s age. The door to the conference opened and a woman wi th salt-and-pepper hai r nodded to her boss. I m sorry to di sturb you, Mr. Donovan, but I thought you d want to know that there s been a shooti ng at a hi gh school i n

Phi ladelphi a. So far, the newscasters haven t i denti fi ed the school. Oakley s teenage daughters from hi s second marri age li ved and went to school i n Phi ladelphi a. The color drai ned from hi s face at the same ti me Gri ffi n stood up and pushed back hi s chai r. Gri ffi n met Oakley s wi ld-eyed stare. Do you have a televi si on? Hi s fi rst thought was of Beli nda, who taught at one of the most notori ous hi gh schools i n the ci ty. Yes. In my offi ce. Mi nutes later, the two men stood i n front of a wallmounted screen, thei r gazes fi xed on the i mages of uni formed poli ce i n ri ot gear taki ng up posi ti ons around the peri meter of the school. Fear, stark and vi vi d, sei zed Gri ffi n as he read the crawl at the bottom of the screen. A poli ce negoti ator had made contact wi th a lone gunman who was holdi ng hi s teacher and classmates hostage. Reachi ng for hi s Black Berry, Gri ffi n punched i n a number on speed di al. Answer the phone, Beli nda, he whi spered, but the call went to voi ce mai l. Hi s next call was to Roberta Eaton. Roberta, Gri ffi n. Have you heard anythi ng? Beli nda called to let me know that she s okay. She must have turned off her cell phone because i t s goi ng strai ght to voi ce mai l. I ve been on my knees prayi ng ever si nce she called. I don t know what I d do i f I lost another chi ld. You re not goi ng to lose her, Roberta. I pray you re ri ght. Where are you, Gri ffi n? Chi cago. When are you comi ng back? I ll be back as soon as I can book a return fli ght. Oakley pulled hi s gaze away from the televi si on. Thank goodness i t s not my daughters school. Gri ffi n glared at the man who was responsi ble for taki ng a small apparel company from vi rtual obscuri ty to compete wi th Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hi lfi ger. Lucky for you, he drawled faceti ously. The woman I love teaches at that school. Oakley looked contri te. Maybe I can help you out. I ll have my dri ver take you back to your hotel where you can pi ck up your luggage. From there he ll take you to the ai rport. The company jet wi ll fly you di rectly i nto Phi lly. He turned to hi s assi stant. Call the pi lot and have hi m fuel and ready the jet. He ll have one passenger goi ng to Phi ladelphi a Internati onal. Also call Leonard and have hi m bri ng the car around. He smi led at Gri ffi n. You better get goi ng, Ri ce. Call me when thi ngs settle down. Gri ffi n shook the busi nessman s hand before spri nti ng out the door. It wasn t unti l he was seated on the leather seat i n the small pri vate jet that he reali zed he d spoken hi s thoughts aloud.

He d fallen i n love wi th Beli nda Eaton. The jet landed on a pri vate runway at Phi ladelphi a Internati onal and Gri ffi n rang Beli nda s cell phone. Agai n i t went to voi ce mai l. He stopped i n a termi nal long enough to watch a reporter on CNN recap the events of the school shooti ng and standoff that lasted less than two hours. A poli ce spokesperson reported they had taken one suspect i nto custody and detai ls of the i nci dent would be made publi c at a ci ty hall press conference later that eveni ng. Classes were canceled for the next two days and counselors would be avai lable for students, faculty and staff. He called Roberta agai n, who told hi m that Beli nda stopped by to prove she was okay. Where i s she now? Home. I tri ed to get her to stay, but she sai d she needed to be alone. That s what she doesn t need, he argued. I agree, Gri ffi n. Perhaps she ll li sten to you. He smi led for the fi rst ti me i n hours. I ll take care of her. There was a noti ceable pause. I know you wi ll. Gri ffi n flagged down a taxi and gave hi m Beli nda s address. He wasn t convi nced that she was all ri ght unti l he saw her for hi mself. The dri ver pulled away from the curbsi de as i f he were taki ng a road test. Gri ffi n tapped the Plexi glas parti ti on. Hey, my man, can t you dri ve any faster? The cabbi e glanced over hi s shoulder. I take i t you re i n a hurry? Gri ffi n flashed a superci li ous gri n. Yes, I am. The taxi dri ver maneuvered around a slow-movi ng van, accelerated and took the road leadi ng out of the ai rport. Pressi ng hi s back agai nst the worn seat, Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes. Thanks. Why, he asked hi mself, di d i t have to take a li fe-anddeath si tuati on for hi m to open hi s eyes? Hi s relati onshi p wi th Beli nda had been rocky at fi rst unti l they reali zed fi ghti ng each other was not healthy for thei r ni eces. He would never replace Grant as thei r father no matter how hard he tri ed. But, on the other hand, Beli nda had sli pped i nto her role as mother as i f she were born to i t. Perhaps i t had somethi ng to do wi th her bei ng a teacher. She understood chi ldren needed and wanted boundari es i f they were to feel secure. Sabri na and Layla were gi ven a li st of chores they had to fulfi ll and i t was on a rare occasi on that a task went undone. Gri ffi n mentally rehearsed all the thi ngs he wanted to say to Beli nda but when the taxi maneuvered i nto the dri veway leadi ng to her house they were forgotten when he saw her

Volvo parked behi nd hi s Lexus. He felt li ke a mechani cal wi ndup toy when he pai d the dri ver and gathered hi s bags and mounted the porch steps. Lengtheni ng afternoon shadows shaded a porti on of the porch where Beli nda li ked to si t out i n the eveni ng to watch the sun set. She clai med i t was her favori te ti me of the day the peri od between dusk and sunset when the world seemed to settle down for the ni ght. It was only when he d joi ned her one ni ght that he felt what she felta calmi ng peace where poverty, hunger and di sease, for a bri ef nanosecond, di d not exi st. Reachi ng for a key, he i nserted i t i nto the lock and pushed open the door. A lamp on the table i n the entryway emi tted a soft glow as he left hi s bags i n the corner next to a coatrack. Placi ng one foot i n front of the other, Gri ffi n walked through the li vi ng room and down the narrow hallway that led to Beli nda s bedroom. The clothes she d worn that day were on a chai r i n the dressi ng room. Retraci ng hi s steps, he headed for the stai rcase, then stopped when he heard barki ng comi ng from the di recti on of the ki tchen. When they were home alone, Ni gel and Ceci l were gi ven the run of thei r cage wi th food and water i n an area between the ki tchen and pantry. Gri ffi n checked on the puppi es, who, when they saw hi m, started whi ni ng to get out. The bottle attached to the cage was fi lled wi th water, the food di shes fi lled and the bottom of the cage was li ned wi th clean pads. He smi led and shook hi s head. Despi te all that she d encountered, Beli nda had sti ll found ti me to take care of the puppi es. She took care of everyone, but there was no one to take care of her. Gri ffi n had promi sed hi s brother that he would take care of hi s chi ldren and he d also promi sed Roberta that he would take care of Beli ndaand he would. He took the back stai rcase to the second floor. The door to the bathroom stood open and when he peered i n Gri ffi n was stunned by the scene unfoldi ng before hi m. Beli nda lay i n the bathtub fi lled wi th bubbles, si ppi ng from a wi neglass. A half-empty bottle of wi ne rested on a low table next to the tub. Musi c flowed from a radi o on a corner shelf. Leani ng agai nst the doorframe, he stared at the moi sture dotti ng her face. Wi sps from her upswept hai rdo clung to her forehead and cheek, but she di dn t seem to mi nd getti ng her hai r wet. Would you li ke company? Beli nda sat up, nearly upsetti ng the table wi th the wi ne when her elbow knocked i nto i t. What are you doi ng here? she asked i n a breathless whi sper. Strai ghteni ng, Gri ffi n gave her a tender smi le. I came to see i f you re all ri ght. Placi ng the glass on the table, Beli nda sli pped lower i nto

the water. Of course I m all ri ght. Why wouldn t I be? A sli ght frown creased hi s forehead. Had she forgotten what had happened at her school that afternoon, or had she deli berately blocked i t out of her mi nd? Are you sure you re okay, Beli nda? Of course I am! I wi sh everyone would stop aski ng me i f I m all ri ght. I m ali ve, Gri ffi n. Isn t that enough? The tears Beli nda had managed to keep at bay pri cked the backs of her eyeli ds, but she was helpless to stop them once they fell. Fat, hot tears rolled down her face and i nto the froth of bubbles. Taki ng off hi s jacket and ti e, Gri ffi n dropped them on a chai r and went to hi s knees. He reached down and li fted Beli nda i nto hi s arms. Cry and let i t all out. I m here, he repeated over and over unti l her sobs lessened to soft hi ccupi ng sounds. It was then that he wrapped her naked body i n a bath sheet and carri ed her downstai rs to her bedroom. Placi ng her on the bed, hi s body followi ng hers down, they lay together, hi s chest agai nst her back. Feeli ng better, baby? I thi nk I m drunk, Gri ffi n. I drank more than half the bottle of wi ne. He ki ssed the nape of her neck. Go to sleep. All the ki ds were screami ng. Don t, baby. Go to sleep. We ll talk about i t tomorrow. Wi ll you stay wi th me toni ght? Of course. I ll stay wi th you toni ght, tomorrow ni ght and every ni ght after that. Do you know what? Beli nda s words were slurri ng. What, darli ng? A si lence ensued, and Gri ffi n thought she d fallen asleep. I li ke you, Gri ffi n Ri ce. There came another prolonged si lence before he spoke agai n. And I love you, Beli nda Eaton. The sound of snori ng answered hi s confessi on. She d fallen asleep. He di mmed the table lamp to the lowest setti ng, removed the bath sheet and pulled the sheet up over her body. He wanted to stay i n bed wi th Beli nda, but i t was too much of a temptati on. If and when he di d make love to her he wanted her wi lli ng and not under the i nfluence. Gri ffi n lost track of ti me as he sat on the si de of the bed, watchi ng her sleep. When he di d fi nally get up i t was to let the water out of the bathtub, cork the wi ne bottle, and turn off the radi o and li ght. He sat i n the li vi ng room stari ng numbly at the televi si on as the mayor, poli ce department and school offi ci als all took credi t for qui ckly defusi ng a volati le si tuati on wi thout loss of li fe. Reporters had i ntervi ewed students who speculated as to what had had happened but they were unable to get the

true story because the students i n the Ameri can hi story and government classroom where the shooti ng and standoff had occurred refused to speak to the press. Gri ffi n felt a si nki ng feeli ng i n the pi t of hi s stomach. He knew the student wi th the gun was Beli nda s.

Chapter 8 Bri ght sunli ght comi ng i n through the wi ndows and the
fragrant smell of coffee greeted Beli nda when she sat up i n bed. She peered down at her naked breasts and reali zati on dawned. Gri ffi n had come, and he d put her i n bed. Reachi ng for the si lk wrap at her feet, she pushed her arms i nto the sleeves and belted i t. The sour taste on her tongue was a remi nder of the wi ne she d drunk the ni ght before. Ri ght now she needed to brush her teeth and ri nse her mouth, shower and get dressed. She walked out of the bedroom and made her way to the half bath off the ki tchen. Beli nda s stomach di d a fli p-flop when she ran i nto Gri ffi n. Good morni ng, she mumbled, not breaki ng stri de. Gri ffi n smi led. Good morni ng, beauti ful. He d gotten up early to take care of the puppi es, and i nstead of goi ng back to the sleeper-sofa he deci ded to surpri se Beli nda wi th breakfast i n bed. I ll be out i n a few mi nutes, she sai d, closi ng the bathroom door behi nd her. He wai ted for Beli nda to emerge from the small bathroom, handi ng her a mug of steami ng coffee. She smelled li ke mi nt. Take thi s and go back to bed. Breakfast should be ready i n about ten mi nutes. Beli nda pressed her li ps to hi s stubbly jaw. I have a confessi on to make. Gri ffi n resi sted the urge to ki ss the full, lush li ps i nches from hi s own. If he knew i t would ve been a mi stake to sleep wi th her the ni ght before, he was more than aware thi s morni ng that i f he ki ssed Beli nda Eaton he wouldn t fi ni sh breakfast, and he would carry her i nto the bedroom, put her on her back and be i nsi de her before he d be able to stop hi mself. He closed hi s eyes, shutti ng out the i mage of her mussed hai r falli ng provocati vely around her scrubbed face. Gri ffi n knew what lay under the si lky fabri c, and i f she di dn t leavenowhe doubted whether he d be able to control the lower porti on of hi s body. What i s i t? Hi s questi on sounded angry. Tears fi lled Beli nda s eyes. I li ed to my mother yesterday when I told her I was all ri ght. I wasn t, Gri ffi n. When that ki d fi red that gun all I thought about were mothers havi ng to bury thei r chi ldren. And i f he d ki lled me, then i t would be the second ti me i n less than si x months for my

mother. Gri ffi n eased the mug from her fi ngers and put i t on the cooki ng i sland. He cradled her face i n hi s hands. If you want to talk about i t, I ll li sten. But we don t have to do i t now. You re goi ng to eat, and then pack a bag. I m bri ngi ng you home wi th me. Beli nda shook her head. I don t I don t want you to fi ght wi th me, Li ndy, he i nterrupted. Now, take your coffee and get i nto bed. She took the mug. Why are you tryi ng to sound li ke a daddy? That s because I am a daddy. Beli nda hadn t walked out of the ki tchen when the doorbell rang. The sound set off a chorus of barki ng from the Yorki es. She glanced over at the clock on the mi crowave. It wasn t ei ght o clock. Gri ffi n held up a hand. I ll see who i t i s. He di dn t want her answeri ng the door weari ng next to nothi ng. After showeri ng, he d sli pped i nto a pai r of jeans and T-shi rt. After hi s fi rst sleep-over he left several changes of clothes, underwear and groomi ng products at Beli nda s house. He opened the door to fi nd two conservati vely dressed young black men standi ng on the porch. Whatever you re selli ng we re not buyi ng. The taller of the two held up a hand. Wai t, mi ster. We re reporters and we d li ke to talk to Beli nda Eaton about the shooti ng i nci dent i n her classroom yesterday. Mi ss Eaton i s not home, Gri ffi n li ed smoothly. Now, I d appreci ate i t i f you d leave. But i sn t that her car? the other man asked, poi nti ng to the Volvo wi th her hi gh school faculty parki ng sti cker affi xed to the rear bumper. A muscle i n Gri ffi n s jaw tensed as he clenched hi s teeth. Get off thi s property before I have you arrested for trespassi ng. Look, my brother, we re just tryi ng to get a story for our college newspaper. Gri ffi n bi t back a smi le. Oh, now I m your brother. What college? Temple, they sai d i n uni son. Do you have a press badge? Sorry. I forgot mi ne. What ki nd of i di ot do you take me for, my brothers? Gri ffi n shouted. Any self-respecti ng, aspi ri ng journali st would have a press badge. I graduated Temple even before you two were zygotes, and I remember that anyone who worked on the college paper carri ed i denti fi cati on. I m Mi ss Eaton s attorney and as such I ve i nstructed her not to speak to the press. I m goi ng to gi ve you some advi ce for

whi ch I usually charge my cli ents seven hundred-fi fty an hour. He glared at the two young men. Never play the race card, because i t s i mmature and cheesy. Good day, gentlemen. Steppi ng back, Gri ffi n closed the door, leavi ng them stari ng at the door, then each other. Someone wanted an eyewi tness account of what had occurred i n her classroom and they were wi lli ng to pay to get i t. If Beli nda wanted to talk to the medi a she would ve done i t yesterday, unless she was i nstructed not to say anythi ng by school offi ci als. The school board had closed the hi gh school, gi vi ng students two extra days of spri ng break. Gri ffi n would use the ti me to help Beli nda heal, and hopefully forget that she could ve possi bly become another school shooti ng stati sti c. Why are you treati ng me as i f I were an i nvali d? Gri ffi n ti ghtened hi s hold under Beli nda s legs as he carri ed her to the pati o. Haven t you ever had a man spoi l you? NoI mean, yes. Whi ch i s i t, Li ndy? Beli nda closed her eyes, shutti ng out hi s i ntense stare. She hadn t been gi ven a choi ce when Gri ffi n told her to pack a bag wi th enough clothes to last a week, addi ng that she should i nclude a few for di ni ng out. He put Ni gel and Ceci l i nto the crate he stored i n the back of hi s SUV and called Roberta to let her know that he was taki ng her daughter to hi s house to get away from the hysteri a. They made one stopto the post offi ce to fi ll out the form to stop the deli very of her mai l. Smi li ng and looki ng qui te smug, Gri ffi n headed out i n a westerly di recti on towards Paoli . She opened her eyes when he lowered her to the chai se. I don t want to be spoi led. Leani ng over her prone fi gure, Gri ffi n ki ssed the end of her nose. What do you want? I wanted to be respected as a grown woman, Gri ffi n, and not someone who can t thi nk for herself. He folded hi s body down besi de her. You thi nk I don t respect you? If I di dn t respect you, Beli nda, I would ve taken advantage of you last ni ght. You d had too much to dri nk, and even though you clai m you can beat me up wi th one arm ti ed behi nd your back I doubt whether your marti al arts trai ni ng would ve become a factor. He leaned closer. Black belt notwi thstandi ng, physi cally you re no match for me. For a long moment, Beli nda looked back at Gri ffi n, mesmeri zed by the stubble on hi s jaw and chi n and aski ng herself whi ch Gri ffi n Ri ce she li ked betterthe urbane attorney who wore tai lored sui ts and Itali an footwear, or the lai d-back unshaven man who was vi sually deli ci ous i n a pai r of jeans and T-shi rt. Seei ng hi m dressed down wi th the

sunli ght provi di ng a backli ght for hi s ri ch oli ve-hued face answered her questi on. She much preferred thi s versi on. I know. I just sai d that to scare you. Hi s eyebrows shot up. You don t have a black belt? Oh, I have the belt. Why, then, di d you want to scare me? Beli nda hesi tated, choosi ng her words carefully. I di dn t want you to get too close to me. Why, Li ndy? Her deli cate jaw ti ghtened. Because the only man I ever let get that close hurt me physi cally and emoti onally, and I swore i t would never happen agai n. Gri ffi n placed a hand on the si de of her face. What di d he do to you? Beli nda formed her thoughts i n some semblance of order. What she was goi ng to tell Gri ffi n was somethi ng she d never revealed to anyone, i ncludi ng her parents. The i nci dent was branded i n her memory for eterni ty, changi ng and maki ng her i nto what she d become. Joel Thurman and I started dati ng i n hi gh school, and when i t came ti me to go to college he swi tched hi s fi rst choi ce so we could be together. Were you sleepi ng wi th hi m? Beli nda nodded. My fi rst ti me was the ni ght of our seni or prom. We both li ved on campus, and he slept i n my dorm room more than he di d hi s own. But everythi ng changed when I joi ned a study group and he thought I was cheati ng on hi m wi th another boy. We argued constantly because he wanted me to qui t the group. Di d you? No. The ki ds i n the group were my fri ends, and i f I d left then i t would prove I d been cheati ng on hi m. One ni ght he came to my room and found one of my study buddi es sleepi ng i n my bed. The boy had asked to li e down because he wasn t feeli ng well. Joel told me he was goi ng to the li brary to pi ck up a book. I should ve known somethi ng wasn t ri ght when he sai d I d better be alone when he got back. I woke Khaled and told hi m he had to leave. He d come down wi th the flu and I had to get several guys to help get hi m back to hi s room. Joel returned, closed the door and told me that i f he ever found me alone i n my room wi th a man agai n he would ki ll me. He threw me on the bed, ri pped off my panti es and proceeded to rape me. I started to fi ght back unti l somethi ng told me not to move. When I went completely sti ll, he pulled out, and all my marti al arts trai ni ng came back as i f I were i n a competi ti on. What amazed me i s that no one came to see what the noi se was all about. I li terally ki cked hi s ass all around the room. It was the fi rst and last ti me I ever felt li ke murderi ng another human bei ng. Joel jumped out a second-story

wi ndow to escape. After I came to my senses, I strai ghtened up my room, then called Myles, aski ng hi m to come and get me. Three days later I went back to school, cleaned out my room and moved off campus. What happened to Joel? He broke hi s ri ght arm i n the fall, but told everyone he d sli pped and fell headfi rst down a fli ght of stai rs. Di d he move off campus, too? Beli nda shook her head. He stayed whi le I commuted. Every ti me he saw me he went i n the opposi te di recti on. Now Gri ffi n had the answer to why Beli nda moved back home. You di dn t thi nk about chargi ng hi m wi th attempted rape? No. If I d told my brother that Joel tri ed to rape me he would ve ki lled hi m. He took hi s role as older brother to three si sters very seri ously. It s a wonder that Grant was able to get close to Donna after my brother s brutal i nterrogati on. That s because Ri ce men don t scare easi ly. Beli nda lowered her gaze to stare at hi m from under her lashes. Does anythi ng fri ghten you? Cradli ng her face between hi s palms, Gri ffi n leaned even closer. Not havi ng you i n my li fe fri ghtens the hell out of me. Her lashes flew up, her heart beati ng li ke that of a ti ny, fri ghtened bi rd. But I am i n your li fe, Gri ffi n. We ll be together for the next eleven years. A marri age of eleven years i sn t that long, he teased. It doesn t matter because we re not marri ed. He nodded. You re ri ght. They weren t marri ed and Gri ffi n wondered i f he or Beli nda would ever marry. In eleven years they would be forty-ei ght and forty-three, respecti vely. Not too old to marry, but i n hi s opi ni on a bi t old to become parents. But wi th the advances i n modern medi ci ne, many forty-year-olds were gi vi ng bi rth to healthy babi es. Reali zi ng he d fallen i n love wi th Beli nda Eaton was an awakeni ng and soberi ng experi ence. It left hi m reeli ng from a sense of fulfi llment that graduati ng college, law school, passi ng the bar or negoti ati ng multi mi lli on-dollar contracts couldn t match. Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes for several seconds. Would you li ke to get marri ed? he asked, stari ng at the woman who unwi tti ngly had captured hi s heart. The bri lli ant sunli ght flattered her smooth ski n, affordi ng i t the appearance of ri ch dark-chocolate mousse. Beli nda s eyebrows li fted. Are you proposi ng or aski ng a questi on? Gri ffi n would ve sai d proposi ng i f he was certai n Beli nda was i n love wi th hi m. Admi tti ng that she li ked hi m wasn t tantamount to a marri age proposal or a commi tment to

spend the rest of thei r li ves together. I was aski ng a questi on, he sai d i nstead. Beli nda shrugged a shoulder. I thi nk I would one of these days. But i t can t be unti l the gi rls are legally emanci pated. It would be unfai r to bri ng a new man i nto thei r li ves when they re so attached to you. Now youre talking, he mused. That meant she wasn t goi ng to marry Sunshi neat least not for the next eleven years. I feel the same way about other women. I thought you di dn t have other women. I used to see other women. He brushed a ki ss over her parted li ps. Do I detect a hi nt of jealousy? She wri nkled her nose. Maybe a li ttle. Now, why i s that? Gri ffi n asked as he placed li ght ki sses at the corners of her mouth. Because I li ke you. I m wi lli ng to wager that I li ke you more than you li ke me. Loopi ng her arms under hi s shoulders, Beli nda leaned i nto the man who made her ache for hi m. Whi le she d lai n on the floor of the classroom, wai ti ng for death, she thought about her parents, brother, younger si ster and her ni eces who d recently lost thei r parents and could possi bly lose thei r aunt. Then, when she least expected i t, i mages of Gri ffi n Ri ce had swept over her. She d recalled everythi ng about hi m: hi s face, smi le, the attracti ve cleft i n hi s strong chi n, hi s melodi ous bari tone, the natural masculi ne scent of hi s bare ski n that eli ci ted eroti c fantasi es and hi s touch that i gni ted a fi re only he could exti ngui sh. It doesn t matter, Gri ffi n, because I don t gamble. He gave her a wi nk. I do li ke you, Li ndy Eaton. She returned the wi nk. Why don t you show me how much you li ke me. Gri ffi n was about to fi ni sh what they d started and stopped so many ti mes. He wanted Beli nda so much that he couldn t remember when he di dn t want her. She d become as essenti al to hi m as breathi ng was to sustai ni ng li fe. Reachi ng out, he swept her off the chai se and carri ed her i nto the house. Asi de from Ceci l and Ni gel, who were huddled together i n thei r cage asleep, there was just the two of them. Beli nda buri ed her face between the neck and shoulder of her soon-to-be lover, closi ng her eyes. She needed hi m to take away the hurt and pai n that marred the good ti mes i n her li fe. As the thi rd chi ld, and the second daughter of Dwi ght and Roberta Eaton, she d grown up loved and protected. Then there was Joel Thurman, the young man to whom she d gi ven her most preci ous gi fther vi rgi ni tywho d shattered her trust i n men. It took years before she felt secure enough to become i nvolved wi th another man. Her

second foray i nto the dati ng game started well but ended badly. She learned to never date someone wi th whom you work. She was no longer a vi rgi n and she di dn t li ve or work wi th Gri ffi n. He wasn t looki ng to get marri ed and nei ther was she. They shared custody of thei r ni eces, whi ch meant they would always share a speci al bond that would conti nue beyond Sabri na and Layla s twenty-thi rd bi rthdays. The bond was further strengthened because her si ster had marri ed hi s brother. They were fami ly. Gri ffi n concentrated on counti ng the number of steps that took hi m to hi s bedroom rather than thi nk of the woman i n hi s arms. Hi s vow not to become i nvolved wi th hi s ni eces godmother was shattered the fi rst ti me he ki ssed her. He knew he d been attracted to Beli nda duri ng thei r fi rst encounter, whi ch now seemed so long ago. Yet hi s ego hadn t allowed hi m to admi t that a woman hadn t succumbed to hi s so-called charm. What had worked wi th so many women was wasted on Beli nda Eaton. Most ti mes she looked past hi m as i f he di dn t exi st, or when she di d meet hi s gaze he saw revulsi on and i ndi fference. Annoyed because he li ked her and she appeared to merely tolerate hi s presence, he thought she was stuck-up, a snob. What he hadn t known was that i f she hadn t fought off her attacker, then she would ve been a rape vi cti m. If he d known Joel Thurman at that ti me he would ve sustai ned more seri ous i njuri es than a broken arm. Gri ffi n would ve broken hi s neck. Beli nda opened her eyes when she felt the fi rmness of the mattress under her body. She lay on a ki ng-si ze bed wi th massi ve carved posts. Her gaze wi dened when Gri ffi n moved over her, supporti ng hi s wei ght on hi s elbows. Gri ffi n studi ed her i ntently. Let me know i f you re ready to do thi s. Beli nda framed hi s lean face wi th her hands as a mysteri ous smi le softened her mouth. I was ready a long ti me ago, but I di dn t know i t. She d fallen i n love wi th Gri ffi n Ri ce on si ght. She d watched her si ster wi th Grant, prayi ng she could have the same wi th Gri ffi n. It was not to be. Whi le she pi ned for hi m from afar he fli tted from woman to woman li ke a modern-day Casanova. Hi s raki sh behavi or had become a soberi ng awakeni ng to her yearni ng for what she would never have, and i n the end she concluded she hadn t been i n love, but just i nfatuated wi th her brother-i n-law. Now, she wasn t so sure.

Chapter 9

Beli nda felt a rush of desi re, anti ci pati on and a physi cal
cravi ng for the man who made her questi on why she d been celi bate and why she conti nued to deny the very reason she d been born female. Gri ffi n s hands sli pped under her T-shi rt, gatheri ng fabri c as he began the task of bari ng her body. Her breath qui ckened, her chest ri si ng and falli ng as hi s fi ngers traced the outli ne of her breasts through the sheer whi te bra. Wi th a mi ni mum of effort, he released the clasp, freei ng the fi rm mounds of flesh. Hi s heated gaze caressed bared flesh. You re more perfect than I d i magi ned. He d only caught a gli mpse of her naked body the ni ght before. Gri ffi n had wai ted years for Beli nda, wai ted whi le the world changed, he d changed and she d changed from a reti cent ni neteen-year-old college student i nto a sensual, confi dent woman who kept hi m off balance. She d had a sexual encounter that d left scars, and he knew he had to get her to trust hi m i f they were goi ng to have a fulfi lli ng love li fe. Hi s hands traced the curve of her mi dri ff, the i ndentati on of her wai st and the flare of her hi ps. Loweri ng hi s head, he brushed hi s mouth over hers, moi st breaths mi ngli ng, tongues tasti ng and fusi ng as banked passi ons sti rred to li fe. Gri ffi n wanted to take Beli nda hard and fast but forced hi mself to go slow. I won t hurt you, baby. I ll never hurt you. Beli nda di dn t know whether Gri ffi n was talki ng about physi cal or emoti onal hurt. She knew i nsti nctually that i f he di d hurt her i t would be uni ntenti onal. Hi s hands and mouth were doi ng thi ngs to her she d forgotten, and she resi sted the urge to move her hi ps. But her body refused to follow the di ctates of her brai n when she arched off the mattress wi th the i ntent of getti ng closer to hi m. Her need, the urgency to feel hi m i nsi de her, communi cated i tself to Gri ffi n. Si tti ng back on hi s heels, he released the wai stband and zi pper on her jeans and eased them down her legs, the deni m fabri c joi ni ng her shi rt and bra on the carpet besi de the bed. All that remai ned was her bi ki ni panti es. They, too, joi ned the pi le of clothi ng, and Gri ffi n was able to see what layers of fabri c had concealed from hi s i nqui si ti ve gaze. He smi led. Beli nda Eaton s body matched the exqui si teness of her face. Shapely calves, slender ankles and feet, flat belly, a narrow wai st and ri b cage he could span wi th both hands and a pai r of fi rm breasts that di dn t requi re the support of a bra to hold them up. Hi s hungry, heated gaze li ngered bri efly on her parted li ps before journeyi ng down the length of her body and then reversi ng i tself.

Beli nda closed her eyes as a slow, warmi ng desi re raced through her body. She couldn t understand why Gri ffi n conti nued to stare at her rather than make love to her. He knew she was wai ti ng for hi m, that she d been ready for hi m for what now seemed a li feti me ago. On the Fri day or Saturday ni ghts she d sat home alone because she di dn t have a date or had turned one down, she pondered where would she have been i f she hadn t rebuffed Gri ffi n Ri ce s subtle overtures. Would she sti ll be si ngle and chi ldless i f she hadn t decli ned hi s i nvi tati ons? She d loved hi m from afar, but that love was bi ttersweet because she had gotten hi m by default. Fate had i ntervened and offered her a chance to be wi th the man she loved, i f only temporari ly. They were gi ven eleven years to be together before goi ng thei r separate ways to lead separate li ves. But Beli nda was faci ng a di lemma. After shari ng her body wi th Gri ffi n would she be able to walk away unscathed? Would she become an emoti onal cri pple and not be able to let hi m go? Or would she revert to the woman who wi th a si ngle hosti le glare was able to keep men at a di stance and out of her bed? Are you certai n you want thi s? Gri ffi n asked Beli nda. Are you wi lli ng to do thi s for the next eleven years wi thout aski ng for more? Beli nda was too stunned to speak. So she di d the next best thi ng. She nodded. Why would he ask her somethi ng li ke that? She lay i n hi s bed, butt-naked, her body thrummi ng from a desi re only he could assuage, and he wanted to ask her about eleven years from now. No one knew where they d be the next day, so a decade was more than a stretch. Reachi ng for the hem of hi s T-shi rt, Gri ffi n pulled i t up and over hi s head. He felt as i f he were i n a hypnoti c trance that what was about to happen wasn t actually happeni ng, that he was dreami ng and when he awoke he would be i n bedalone. He d lost count of the women wi th whom he bedded or dated that had become Beli nda Eaton i n hi s fantasi es. It took a long ti me for hi m to ri d hi mself of the gui lt that he was lusti ng after hi s si ster-i n-law, because they di dn t share a bloodli ne. Hi s brother had fallen i n love wi th her si ster, and he, i n turn, had fallen i n love wi th her. He smi led at Beli nda. I had to ask. Hi s hands were steady as he reli eved hi mself of hi s jeans and boxers i n one, smooth moti on. He glanced down when he heard Beli nda gasp and saw the di recti on of her gaze. He was aroused. Hi s erecti on so hard i t was pai nful exqui si te, pleasurable pai n. What Gri ffi n had hoped for wasn t goi ng to happen. He d wanted maki ng love wi th Beli nda to be slow, but the i nferno i n hi s groi n threatened to i nci nerate hi m. Leani ng over, he opened the drawer to the ni ghtstand and took out a

condom. Hi s hands shook sli ghtly when he opened the packet and sheathed hi s tumescence i n latex. They shared a smi le when Beli nda rai sed her arms and opened her legs to welcome Gri ffi n Ri ce not only i nto her li fe but also i nto her body. She d had years to prepare for somethi ng she d fantasi zed over and over. Insti ncti vely, her body arched toward hi m, her arms goi ng around hi s neck. She was helpless to halt the gasps and soft moans that sli pped past her parted li ps when Gri ffi n s rapaci ous mouth explored the ski n on her neck, shoulders, journeyi ng down the length of her body to stake hi s clai m between her thi ghs. Men had touched her there, but none had ever ki ssed her there. Gri ffi n s tongue searched and found the swollen nub shi mmeri ng wi th moi sture, hi s tongue worshi ppi ng the folds between the tangled curls conceali ng her femi ni ni ty. Beli nda smelled sweet, tasted sweet. The smell of desi re became an aphrodi si ac that threatened to take hi m beyond hi mself. He pushed hi s face closer whi le i nhali ng her essence. Now he knew what men meant when they clai med they wanted to cli mb i nsi de a woman. Passi on pounded, whi rli ng the blood through Beli nda s heart, head and chest. She was mi ndless wi th desi re for a man she hadn t planned to love, a man whom she d never let know she loved hi m. She was on fi re! Gri ffi n s hands and mouth had started a blaze and there was only one way i t could be exti ngui shed. Her hands came down, her fi ngerti ps bi ti ng i nto the muscle and si new coveri ng hi s shoulders. Her body was throbbi ng, between her legs was thrummi ng an anci ent rhythm that forced her to move. Gri ffi n! Please stop. Her whi spered entreaty became a li tany of desperati on. Don t torment me. Gri ffi n pressed a li ngeri ng ki ss to Beli nda s qui veri ng thi ghs. He couldn t beli eve she was beggi ng hi m not to torment her when that s exactly what she d been doi ng for thi rteen years. Well, he was goi ng to end the tormentfor both of them. He posi ti oned hi s ri gi d flesh at the entrance to her femi ni ni ty. Li ke a heat-seeki ng mi ssi le locked on i ts target, he eased hi s sex i nto Beli nda, regi steri ng the gasps agai nst hi s ear. It was hi s turn to gasp when the walls of her vagi na closed ti ghtly around hi m, holdi ng hi m capti ve i n a sensual vi se from whi ch he di dn t want to escape. Gri ffi n pushed gently, i n and out, setti ng a strong thrusti ng rhythm Beli nda followed easi ly. He pushed. She pushed back. He rolled hi s hi ps. She rolled her hi ps. Sti ll joi ned, Gri ffi n went to hi s knees, sli pped hi s hands

under her hi ps and li fted her legs off the mattress. Together they found a tempo that bound thei r bodi es together, maki ng them one. Beli nda stared up at her lover, awed by the carnal expressi on on hi s face as she felt hi s sex swell, becomi ng harder and plungi ng deeper i nto her once-chaste body. She and Gri ffi n had become man and woman, flesh agai nst flesh. He d become her lover and she hi s. The flutters began softly, growi ng more i ntense and seeki ng an escape. Gri ffi n! She screamed hi s name i n stri dent desperati on, maki ng the hai r on the back of Gri ffi n s neck stand up. Heat, followed by chi lls and another swath of heat shook hi m from head to toe, fi nally settli ng at the base of hi s spi ne. He affected a slow, rocki ng moti on that escalated to powerful thrusts punctuated wi th groans overlappi ng moans of ecstasy when Beli nda and Gri ffi n succumbed to a shared passi on and they surrendered all they were to each other. Collapsi ng on the slender body beneath hi m, Gri ffi n wai ted for hi s breathi ng to return to normal at the same ti me Beli nda s breath came i n long, surrenderi ng moans. She was exqui si tei n and out of bed. Beli nda pushed agai nst Gri ffi n s shoulder i n an attempt to get hi m to move off her. Darli ng, you re crushi ng me. Rolli ng off her, Gri ffi n reversed thei r posi ti ons, sandwi chi ng her legs between hi s. He smi led up at her moi st face. Am I really your darli ng? She offered hi m a small, demure smi le. Yes. But that s because I m your baby. A soft chuckle rumbled i n hi s broad chest. That you are. Beli nda sobered qui ckly. If we re goi ng to sleep together, then I m goi ng on the Pi ll. You don t trust me to protect you? It s not about trust, Gri ffi n. It s personal. If I di d become pregnant, then i t becomes my responsi bi li ty. Gri ffi n di dn t have a comeback to her deci si on to take responsi bi li ty for contracepti on. It was her body, and he had no ri ght to tell her what to do wi th her body. And, he also wanted Beli nda to trust hi mwi th her li fe and her future. Are you sure? he asked. Beli nda nodded. I m very sure. I want to plan for my chi ldren. If and when I deci de to start a fami ly I d li ke to get pregnant i n the fall and deli ver as close to the summer as possi ble. Then, I ll have two to three months to bond wi th my baby before the start of the next school year. Gri ffi n stared at Beli nda i n di sbeli ef. She was more anal that he d ori gi nally thought. What happens i f you don t get pregnant i n the fall? I ll wai t and try agai n the followi ng year.

He wanted to tell her that her vi ew of fami ly planni ng was asi ni ne but di dn t want to say anythi ng to jeopardi ze the fact that they d taken thei r relati onshi p to another level. Asi ni ne or not, he loved Beli nda, enough to agree to almost anythi ng and everythi ng she wanted. Beli nda moved off Gri ffi n s body and lay besi de hi m. Turni ng on her si de, she settled back agai nst hi m, enjoyi ng the feel of hi s arm around her as she pressed her hi ps to hi s groi n and they lay li ke two spoons. The sli ght ache between her legs was a remi nder of certai n muscles she hadn t used i n a long ti me. She emi tted a soft si gh as she closed her eyes and shi fted i nto a more comfortable posi ti on. Are you all ri ght? Gri ffi n s breath swept over the nape of her neck. Beli nda frowned. I m good. I m really good. No flashbacks from yesterday? Gri ffi n hadn t broached the subject of the school shooti ng because he wanted Beli nda to open up to hi m on her own. But she hadn t, and he feared she d suppressed the horri fi c i nci dent. He wanted and needed her to talk about i t before thei r charges returned home. If Beli nda had a meltdown i n front of the gi rls, he feared i t would prove damagi ng to thei r conti nui ng emoti onal heali ng. No. That s not to say I won t have ni ghtmares later on. Do you plan to talk to a counselor? I don t know. I m prayi ng I don t lose i t when classes resume. I thi nk you should consi der seei ng a counselor. I don t need one when I have you. I ve revealed thi ngs to you about my past that I ve never told anyone. And I m counti ng on attorney-cli ent pri vi lege that you won t repeat i t. Gri ffi n laughed. What goes on i n the bedroom stays i n the bedroom. There came a prolonged si lence, as Beli nda mentally reli ved the two hours before the poli ce negoti ator was able to defuse what could ve been a massacre i f the student had pani cked. I was more afrai d for the ki d wi th the gun than for myself and the other students, she sai d i n a soft voi ce that Gri ffi n had to strai n to hear. He had become a vi cti m i n a si tuati on not of hi s choosi ng. Why would you say that? He s what I call an outsi der. He doesn t fi t i n wi th the nerds or wi th the jocks. He was taken i n by a boy who wanted hi m to shoot a female student because she wanted nothi ng more to do wi th hi m. If your school has metal detectors, then how di d he get the gun past the securi ty checkpoi nt? Someone passed i t to hi m through the wi ndow. He must

have lost hi s nerve because he fi red shots at the cei li ng and wi ndows rather than at hi s i ntended target. After I called 911, I tri ed to convi nce hi m to throw the gun out the wi ndow. He started cryi ng and fi red off another round. We lay on the floor under desks unti l a SWAT team surrounded the school bui ldi ng and a poli ce negoti ator called the classroom and tri ed to convi nce hi m to release hi s hostages. How di d i t end? Gri ffi n asked. He gave up hi s fri end who d set up the hi t, then asked to speak to hi s mother. I don t know what she sai d to hi m, but he removed the cli p from the gun and tossed both out the wi ndow. The poli ce stormed the classroom li ke mari nes hi tti ng a beach, and that was more traumati zi ng than someone wi th a gun who hadn t the nerve to step on a bug. I hope wherever he wi nds up that he ll get some help. Gri ffi n splayed hi s fi ngers over her belly. Let s hope hi s parents can convi nce a judge that he s not a cri mi nal, but a troubled youth. Turni ng over, Beli nda stared at her lover. He s a good ki d, and one of my best students. Hi s mother i s a si ngle mother wi th fi ve ki ds who works two jobs to keep her fami ly together. Do you thi nk you can Gri ffi n stopped her when he put hi s hand over her mouth. No, baby, I wi ll not take on hi s case. I m shaky at best when i t comes to cri mi nal law. What I ll do i s call a fri end who ll occasi onally take pro bono cases to see i f the boy has been appoi nted a publi c defender. Beli nda trai led her fi ngers down Gri ffi n s smooth chest to hi s belly and sti ll lower to the flacci d flesh between hi s muscular thi ghs. Thank you, darli ng. Gri ffi n felt hi s sex harden qui ckly when Beli nda caressed hi m i n an up-and-down moti on. A swath of desi re left hi m gaspi ng as he struggled to force ai r i nto hi s lungs. Her hands and fi ngers worked thei r magi c, squeezi ng and mani pulati ng hi s erecti on unti l he feared spi lli ng hi s passi on on the sheets. Somewhere between the vesti ges of sani ty and i nsani ty, he managed to extract her hand, sli p on protecti on and entered Beli nda i n one, sure thrust of hi s hi ps. He rode her fast, hard and when they reversed posi ti ons Beli nda, braci ng her hands on hi s chest and thi ghs, took hi m to hei ghts of passi on he d gli mpsed but never experi enced. It ended when they collapsed to the moi st sheets, both struggli ng to breathe. Beli nda stared at Gri ffi n through half-lowered li ds when he sli pped off the bed to di scard the condoms. She went i nto Gri ffi n s outstretched arms when he returned. They lay together, li mbs entwi ned, and fell asleep.

Chapter 10 Beli nda avoi ded watchi ng televi si on because she di dn t

want to be remi nded of the i nci dent at her hi gh school. Her mother had called to say reporters had come by when they were i nformed that the teacher whose classroom was under si ege was the daughter of Dr. Dwi ght Eaton. Beli nda, si tti ng on a hi gh stool i n Gri ffi n s ki tchen, rolled her eyes even though Roberta couldn t see her. Mama, why i s the medi a tryi ng to turn thi s i nto a Columbi ne? And what the hell are they talki ng about when they sai d the school was under si ege? I m not attempti ng to mi ni mi ze what happened but shouldn t everyone be happy that no one was ki lled? Bullets and carnage sell newspapers and commerci al ai rti me, not feel-good stori es. You should know that, Li ndy. I do, Mama. If you do, then you should know the enti re country i s looki ng at us, because most of the school shooti ngs have been i n rural areas, not a major urban ci ty li ke Phi lly. What I m afrai d of i s copycat i di ots who want ei ther thei r names i n the paper or are looki ng for martyrdom. It seems as i f there re more fools out here than sensi ble folk. I thi nk you re ri ght. I know I m ri ght, Li ndy. Now, how are you getti ng along wi th Gri ffi n? We re good. I di dn t ask about Gri ffi n. I asked about you, Beli nda Jacqueli ne Eaton. Beli nda took i n a qui ck breath. It wasn t often her mother called her by her gi ven name, and i t was even rarer when she referred to her by her full name. I m getti ng along very well wi th hi m, thank you very much. In fact, we re goi ng out to di nner toni ght. I ve always li ked Gri ffi n. It always struck me as odd why he hasn t settled down. Maybe you should ask hi m the next ti me you see hi m, Roberta Ali ce Stewart-Eaton. A soft laugh came through the earpi ece of Beli nda s cell phone. Of all my chi ldren you were always the most vocal one, Li ndy. Di dn t you rai se your daughters to speak thei r mi nds? Yes, I di d. Outspoken or not, I d li ke to see you marri ed so you can gi ve me a few more grandchi ldren. It s not goi ng to happen, Mama, unti l Sabri na and Layla turn twenty-three. Twenty-three i s not a magi c number, Li ndy. Thi ngs wi ll begi n to change next year when the gi rls turn thi rteen and become young adults. Stayi ng home wi th thei r mom and dad playi ng Scrabble or Uno wi ll no longer hold thei r

i nterest. It ll be the mall, movi es, the beach and sleep-overs. You ll have to make an appoi ntment just to see them once they start dri vi ng. After that i t ll be college, football games, fi ancs and marri age. And where wi ll you be? Si tti ng home wai ti ng for someone to knock on the door to tell you that he s the man you ve spent your li fe wai ti ng for? I don t thi nk so, Beli nda. Beli nda couldn t stop the smi le spreadi ng across her face. I get your poi nt, Mama. If that s the case, then I m goi ng to hang up because my man i s wai ti ng to take me away for the weekend. Roberta had cancelled Sunday di nner because her granddaughters were away. Have fun, Mama, and tell Daddy i f he can t be good, then he should be careful. I wi ll, Roberta sai d, laughi ng. Enjoy your ni ght out. Thank you. Enjoy your weekend. Beli nda ended the call and sli pped off the stool. She went sti ll when she saw Gri ffi n standi ng at the entrance to the ki tchen. How long had he been there, and how much of the conversati on wi th her mother had he overheard? She flashed a bri ttle smi le. I m ready. Gri ffi n approached Beli nda, hi s dark gaze unreadable. They d spent the past three days playi ng house. They slept and took turns cooki ng. He d returned to Phi lly to fi nali ze the relocati on of GR Sports Enterpri ses, Li mi ted. All of the fi les were i n cartons and labeled wi th thei r contents. He d contracted wi th a bonded movi ng company, and the cartons were deli vered earli er that morni ng. Gri ffi n knew he had to go through every sheet of paper to ascertai n what he would keep and what would be shredded. Unli ke many sports attorneys and agents hi s cli ent li st was li mi ted to si x. It was a number he could manage wi thout taki ng on a partner, and i t permi tted hi m the opti on of bei ng very selecti ve. There were athletes who d soli ci ted hi m to represent them and he d turned them downsome because of a hi story of substance abuse or run-i ns wi th the law, or those who wanted hi m to become a mi racle worker when they requested astronomi cal salari es that were out of li ne. Hi s baseball-attendance clause was legendary. If a ballplayer put fans i n stadi um seats, then they were guaranteed a share of the profi ts. He d done well for hi s cli ents, and the money he earned from negoti ati ng thei r contracts and endorsements afforded hi m a very comfortable li festyle. You look very chi c. Beli nda nodded. Thank you. When Gri ffi n i nformed her that he d made di nner reservati ons at Barclay Pri me, a popular steak house i n Ri ttenhouse, the former nei ghborhood of Phi ladelphi a s blue bloods, she d deci ded to wear a tai lored li ght gray

wool gabardi ne sui t wi th a darker gray si lk blouse. Her accessori es were a si ngle strand of pearls and matchi ng studs i n her pi erced lobes. Gri ffi n was drop-dead gorgeous i n a chocolate-brown sui t, whi te shi rt and checked ti e. He wi nked at Beli nda. She wore the strai ghter, sleek hai rstyle he favored because i t made her appear more sophi sti cated, womanly. Whenever she affected the curly style her personali ty reflected her more playful si de. Reachi ng for her hand, Gri ffi n brought i t to hi s li ps, ki ssi ng her fi ngers before he tucked i t i nto the bend of hi s elbow. We have to leave now. He d had to work a mi nor mi racle to secure a reservati on on such short noti ce. He d become a regular customer si nce he di ned there wi th hi s cli ents, thei r fri ends and fami ly members. Leani ng i nto hi m, Beli nda rested her forehead agai nst hi s ear. I have somethi ng to tell you, she whi spered crypti cally. Gri ffi n froze. Was she goi ng to tell hi m what he d been wai ti ng to hear? Each ti me they made love he had to bi te down on hi s lower li p to keep from blurti ng out that he d fallen i n love wi th her. He gave her a si delong look. What i s i t? A mysteri ous smi le played at the corners of her mouth. I could very easi ly get used to playi ng house wi th you. Gri ffi n couldn t help smi li ng. It wasn t what he wanted to hear, but i t was close enough. I m very happy to know that. Beli nda bli nked once. Do we have to stay i n character whi le i n publi c? Hi s smi le faded. What are you talki ng about? We re goi ng out together and how do you want me to relate to you? Am I a fri end or somethi ng more? We are what we are. And what s that, Gri ffi n? He glared at her. We are lovers, Gri ffi n spat out, enunci ati ng each word. We are lovers. The three words stayed wi th Beli nda duri ng the dri ve from Paoli and i nto Phi ladelphi a, whi le Gri ffi n parked hi s sport-uti li ty vehi cle i n a garage on Chancellor Street, and i t remi nded her of thei r status when she and her lover were seated i n the lounge wai ti ng for a table. Gri ffi n caressed her hai r, smoothi ng wayward strands cli ngi ng to her cheek. Have you ever di ned here? It hadn t surpri sed Beli nda that Gri ffi n was on fi rst-name basi s wi th the matre d and wai tstaff. She stared at a spot over hi s shoulder, refusi ng to look di rectly at hi m and sti ll smarti ng from hi s brusque response to her query as to thei r status. It was Gri ffi n who was the cause clbre whom paparazzi photographed wi th actresses, models or recordi ng arti sts.

Fortunately for her, her fi fteen mi nutes of fame was thwarted by the school superi ntendent s refusal to di sclose or veri fy the names of hi s teachers or students to the press, leadi ng Beli nda to beli eve i t was a student or a parent who d leaked her name. No. Thi s i s my fi rst ti me. Resti ng an arm on the bar, Gri ffi n stared at Beli nda s ti ght expressi on. I m sorry. For what, Gri ffi n? Beli nda deci ded she wasn t goi ng to make i t easy for hi m. She wasn t goi ng to establi sh a precedence of havi ng hi m snap at her, only to apologi ze later when he di dn t have to use the tone from the onset. I m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I had no ri ght You better beli eve you had no ri ght, she countered. I told you before I ll not be talked down to or yelled at. Why i s that so di ffi cult for you to grasp? Dammi t, Beli nda! I sai d I was sorry. What do you want me to do, get on my knees? Pursi ng her mouth and appeari ng deep i n thought, Beli nda gave hi m a di rect stare. The sooty shadow on her eyeli ds made her eyes look seducti ve and mysteri ous. No, Gri ffi n. I don t want you to crawl. It wouldn t be good for your i mage. What i mage? Gri ff, darli ng. Is that you? Beli nda and Gri ffi n turned at the same ti me to see a woman i n a stretch-kni t black dress that was at least two si zes too small for her voluptuous body. Her balance was compromi sed by four-i nch sti lettos, a plati num wi g ci rca 1760 and breast augmentati on; layers of nut-brown pancake makeup fai led to conceal an outbreak of adult acne. Gri ffi n moved off hi s stool, frowni ng. He loathed havi ng to acknowledge a woman he wanted to forget. Hello, Deanna. How are you? It s all good, handsome. Li ght brown eyes framed by thi ck black false lashes focused on the woman wi th Gri ffi n Ri ce. How long has i t been, Gri ff? It has to be a couple of years. Try three, Deanna drawled. You re forgetti ng your manners, darli ng. Aren t you goi ng to i ntroduce me to your little date? Wrappi ng an arm around Beli nda s wai st, Gri ffi n moved behi nd her stool. Beli nda, thi s i s Deanna Moni que, Deanna suppli ed. Remember you used to joke about me havi ng two fi rst names? Gri ffi n s expressi on was i mpassi ve. Beli nda, thi s i s Deanna Moni que, he began agai n as i f Deanna hadn t i nterrupted hi m. Deanna, thi s i s Beli nda Eaton. Deanna waved her left hand and li ght caught the fi re of a large di amond soli tai re on her ri ng fi nger. Beli nda found i t

di ffi cult to pi npoi nt the woman s age, so she esti mated somewhere between thi rty-fi ve and forty. She thought her cute i n a Kewpi e doll sort of way. It s ni ce meeti ng you, Deanna. Deanna waved her hand agai n. Let me gi ve you a li ttle pi ece of advi ce where i t concerns Gri ff Ri ce. If you re hopi ng to get marri ed, then you re wi th the wrong man. Beli nda di dn t li ke people who ki ss and tell, and apparently Deanna ei ther wanted to make her aware that she d dated Gri ffi n, or i t was a case of sour grapes because he d refused to marry her. Gri ffi n s arm ti ghtened around Beli nda s wai st. In case you re not fami li ar wi th the name, baby, Deanna Moni que i s a columni st who wri tes for a supermarket tabloi d. Peeri ng up over her shoulder, Beli nda made an attracti ve moue. I never read them. A wai ter came over to Deanna. Mi ss Moni que, your table i s ready. Wi ll you ki ndly follow me. Wavi ng to Gri ffi n and Beli nda, the reporter followed the wai ter, ti ptoei ng as i f she were walki ng on i ce. She s qui te a character, Beli nda sai d after she d di sappeared from vi ew. Gri ffi n si gnaled to the bartender. That she i s, he remarked, retaki ng hi s stool. Eccentri c but harmless. I m goi ng to order a marti ni . Would you li ke somethi ng? I ll have an apple marti ni . The bartender had just served thei r dri nks when a wai ter i nformed them that thei r table was ready. Beli nda felt the way Deanna appeared, as she attempted to mai ntai n her balance whi le she carri ed her cocktai l to the table wi thout spi lli ng i t. She placed the glass on the table and thanked Gri ffi n when he seated her. Thei r wai ter handed them menus, then stood a short di stance away, wai ti ng for them to select thei r entres. She glanced around the di ni ng room. Thi s i s very ni ce, Gri ffi n. The ground floor of a Ri ttenhouse Square apartment bui ldi ng had been transformed i nto a restaurant resembli ng a li brary wi th elegant crystal chandeli ers, marble tables and walnut bookcases. Reachi ng for hi s glass, he extended i t, and he wasn t di sappoi nted when Beli nda rai sed her glass and touched hi s. Here s to the woman who makes me appreci ate bei ng a man. Her face burned as she recalled what had passed between them earli er that morni ng. They d been i nsati able maki ng love, sleepi ng and waki ng up to make love agai n. Same here. But, of course, bei ng a woman. Beli nda took a si p of the i cy concocti on, fi ndi ng i t deli ci ous. The chi ll warmed and spread to her chest and lower, to the nether porti ons of her body. By the ti me she d had her second si p she d forgotten her former annoyance

wi th Gri ffi n and settled back i n her chai r to enjoy her dri nk and the man whom she loved wi th every fi ber of her bei ng. That i s the best steak I ve ever eaten. Beli nda had ordered the Australi an Taji ma Kobe fi let that li terally melted on her tongue. Gri ffi n smi led. Eati ng here wi ll turn a hard-core vegetari an i nto a carni vore. Shame on you, she chi ded softly, smi li ng. It made a beli ever of me. Her fork halted mi dai r. You were a vegetari an. Her query came out as a statement. Dabbi ng hi s mouth wi th a napki n, Gri ffi n angled hi s head. There was one ti me when I fli rted wi th the noti on of becomi ng a vegetari an. I d gi ven up beef and chi cken, eati ng only fi sh, veggi es and frui t. That s sacri legi ous, Gri ffi n. Why i s i t sacri legi ous? It would mean gi vi ng up a Geno s Phi lly cheesesteak. That s easy. Now, i f you d sai d Pat s Ki ng of Steaks I d have to agree wi th you. Beli nda placed a hand over her chest and pretended to swoon. The mellowi ng effects of marti ni had ki cked i n. What! You prefer Pat s to Geno s? It s been documented that Pat outsells Geno twelve-toone. I beg to di ffer wi th you, counselor. It just appears that way because i f ten people crowd i nto Geno s, i t s packed. But twenty-fi ve or even thi rty can fi t i nto Pat s wi th room to spare. Gri ffi n and Beli nda conti nued the good-natured debate over who made the best Phi lly cheesesteak over a di nner of premi um aged beef, truffle-whi pped potatoes, asparagus and shared a Barclay salad for two. Both agreed that substi tuti ng pork or chi cken for beef was truly a cri me. Reachi ng across the table, Beli nda rested a hand atop Gri ffi n s. It s sti ll not too late to convert to vegetari ani sm. I ve heard there i s a veggi e cheesesteak. How can a steak not be meat? And i s there such a word as vegetarianism? She managed to look i nsulted. Of course there s such a word. After all, I am a teacher. A hi story teacher, Mi ss Eaton, Gri ffi n remi nded her. Oh. Are you i mplyi ng that hi story teachers don t read, Mr. Ri ce? They know dates and hi stori cal facts. We also read, she i nsi sted, smi li ng. I m goi ng to gi ve you a pop hi story qui z. Let s hear, counselor. Gri ffi n s eyes gli ttered wi th merri ment. Who were the candi dates i n the He hesi tated. Presi denti al electi ons

were always held duri ng a leap year. Who were the candi dates i n the ei ghteen seventy-si x presi denti al electi on? Beli nda wanted to tell her lover that he d walked i nto a trap of hi s own choosi ng. She knew the detai ls of every electi on from Washi ngton to the si tti ng presi dent. Republi can Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohi o ran agai nst New York Democrati c Governor Samuel J. Ti lden, who won a majori ty of the popular vote, but was one electoral vote short of a necessary majori ty, whi le Hayes was twenty votes short. Ti lden had more votes, yet Hayes became Presi dent? Beli nda stared at Gri ffi n, wonderi ng how much he knew about the centenni al electi on. Yes. Charges arose of i rregulari ti es concerni ng vote-counti ng procedures i n three Southern states: Loui si ana, South Caroli na and Flori da where the electi on boards were under the control of Reconstructi on-era Republi cans. Beli nda s i ntelli gence never ceased to amaze Gri ffi n. She was very smart and she knew i t. It was why she came back at hi m whenever she felt he was talki ng down to her. I know Hayes was sworn i n as presi dent, but how di d he pull i t off bei ng down twenty votes? After the electi on board count i ndi cated these three states had gi ven Hayes the majori ty, Democrats charged the vote i n each state actually went to Ti lden, whi ch would ve gi ven Ti lden the vi ctory. The three states sent two sets of returns to Congress, one to the Democrats and one to the Republi cans. Congress then establi shed a fi fteen-member electoral commi ssi onthe Electoral Count Actto resolve what had become an unprecedented consti tuti onal cri si s. After a lot of rhetori c, the commi ssi on members agreed to accept the Republi can returns, gi vi ng Hayes a one-vote electoral vi ctory. The two parti es deci ded to play ni ce wi th each other when the Democrats agreed Hayes would take offi ce i n return for wi thdrawi ng federal troops from the last two remai ni ng statesLoui si ana and South Caroli na. The acti on offi ci ally ended mi li tary Reconstructi on i n the South. Most people are unaware the two thousand electi on wasn t the fi rst ti me questi ons as to voti ng i rregulari ti es had become a nati onal i ssue. It looks as i f our electi on process hasn t come that far i n one hundred twenty-four years. Beli nda wri nkled her nose. It s called poli-tricks. Gri ffi n stared at her and then burst out laughi ng. Speaki ng of poli -tri cks, I have ti ckets to a fund-rai ser for a local poli ti ci an next month, and I d li ke you to come wi th me. Wi ll i t be a date? she teased. Of course i t i s. Don t you know when you re bei ng

courted, Mi ss Eaton? A cauti onary voi ce whi spered i n her head that Gri ffi n was changi ng the rules of thei r relati onshi p. To her, courti ng meant a soci al i nteracti on that led to an engagement and marri age. It was apparent he was sendi ng mi xed si gnals. No, I di dn t. Well, consi der yourself warned. She stared at hi m wi th complete surpri se etched on her face. The seconds ti cked off, then she sai d, Poi nt taken.

Chapter 11 Gri ffi n peered over Beli nda s shoulder as she gathered
the i ngredi ents for Sunday di nner. Not wanti ng to break a fami ly tradi ti on, she d offered to cook rather than go out or order i n. What are you goi ng to do wi th Brui ser? A large whole chi cken rested on a cutti ng board. Beli nda smi led up at Gri ffi n. I m goi ng to put garli c butter under the ski n, stuff the cavi ty wi th carrots, potatoes and shallots and cook i t i n a roasti ng bag. He took a step and grasped the chi cken s wi ngs, li fti ng i t i n the ai r. Hey, dude, you look as i f you ve pumped a li ttle i ron. Li ndy, look at the thi ghs on thi s sucker. Gri ffi n! Put that bi rd down. I just washed i t. You thi nk you can take me? he asked the roaster, shaki ng i t from si de to si de. No? What are you? Are you chi cken? You re not a chi cken. You re a punk, Gri ffi n sai d, conti nui ng hi s monologue wi th the bi rd. He gave the roaster a fi nal shake. Tell me now. Who s ya daddy? Beli nda couldn t help herself doubli ng over i n laughter. The si ght of Gri ffi n Ri ce challengi ng a chi cken to a fi ght was pri celess. She was laughi ng so hard that tears rolled down her face. Stop i t, she ordered, hi ccupi ng whi le tryi ng to catch her breath. Gri ffi n tossed the chi cken on the board. You re an embarrassment to the poultry communi ty. I wash my hands of you. Usi ng hi s elbow, he acti vated the long-handled faucet i n one of the two stai nless-steel si nks, washi ng and ri nsi ng hi s hands. Beli nda handed hi m a paper towel. You know you re a very si ck man. Why would you say that? You were talki ng to a chi cken, Gri ffi n. A dead chi cken. Ni gel and Ceci l refuse to play wi th me, so Chi cken Bi g was next. She shook her head i n amazement. Gri ffi n was a bi gger ki d than hi s ni eces. Why won t they play wi th you? He d

gotten up early to clean the cage and gi ve the pups fresh food and clean water. I don t know. When I opened the cage door they just sat there looki ng at me. And when I reached i n to take them out Ni gel tri ed to bi te me, whi le Ceci l started growli ng and showi ng hi s teeth. You can t deal wi th two three-pound puppi es, so you deci de to take your frustrati on out on a chi ckenor should I say our di nner. Resti ng hi s hands on Beli nda s shoulders, Gri ffi n ki ssed the nape of her neck. I m sorry about abusi ng Brui ser. An i dle mi nd i s the devi l s workshop. Perhaps I should put you to work What do you want me to do? She glanced up at hi m. I need for you to make garli c butter. He brushed a ki ss over her li ps. Yummy. Sweet, Beli nda crooned, deepeni ng the ki ss. Gri ffi n enjoyed cooki ng wi th Beli nda. He wasn t a novi ce when i t came to food. Most of hi s di shes were si mple and palatable. However, Beli nda would add the pi ce de rsi stance wi th exoti c seasoni ngs and presentati on. He had to admi t they worked well togetheri n and out of bed. They di dn t agree on everythi ng, and he sti ll found her ri gi d and unrelenti ng when i t came to some chi ld-reari ng i ssues. Gri ffi n attri buted that not so much to her upbri ngi ng as to her career as a teacher. Ten years of teachi ng young adults was challengi ng. Teachi ng young adults i n one of Phi ladelphi a s most challengi ng hi gh schools was not only demandi ng, but di ffi cult. After the classroom shooti ng i nci dent he d broached the subject wi th Beli nda of possi bly transferri ng to another hi gh school, one that was less vi olent. She d calmly repli ed, When I want or need your advi ce I ll ask for i t. It was a notso-subtle way of her telli ng hi m to mi nd hi s own busi ness. What Beli nda needed to understand was that she was as much hi s busi ness as Sabri na and Layla, and he was as much her busi ness as her ni eces. The four of them were i nexorably li nked by blood and marri age. Hi s bloodli ne and Beli nda s would conti nue wi th thei r ni eces and that meant they were fami ly. Gri ffi n i nserted a clove of garli c i n a garli c press. The fragrant and di sti ncti ve aroma fi lled the ki tchen. He added i t to the di sh of butter that had been left to soften to room temperature. Is one clove enough? he asked. Beli nda stopped peeli ng carrots. It could use another one. Don t blend i t yet. I want to add a few spri gs of fresh

chopped parsley. Who taught you to cook? she asked Gri ffi n when he chopped parsley as i f he were a professi onal chef. I had a gi rlfri end who was a chef, Gri ffi n admi tted reluctantly. He di dn t want to talk about a woman or the women i n hi s past. The soothi ng sound of musi c comi ng from a bui lt-i n radi o under the ki tchen cabi net punctuated the si lence that ensued. Beli nda smi led as she spri nkled coarse sea salt on small redski n potatoes. Lucky you. Hi s head came up as he stared numbly at her. Why would you say that? You don t have to rely on a woman to cook for you. Do you know how many men hook up wi th women because they re looki ng for someone to feed them? That s a lot of bull, Li ndy. They could always pay someone i n the nei ghborhood to cook meals for them. They hook up wi th women because some of them are parasi tes. There s a guy I know who refused to commi t to one woman because he sai d he needed vari ety. There was Sandra, who was always wi lli ng to cook, whenever he dropped by for breakfast, lunch or di nner. Then he had Jacki e because she di d everythi ng he wanted her to do i n bed. And then there was Meli ssa, hi s baby mama, who opened her door to hi m even i f he stayed away for months because she clai med she wanted her son to have a relati onshi p wi th hi s father. That s ri di culous, Gri ffi n. A chi ld can t bond wi th a parent when he or she sees them only two or three ti mes a year. That s what I d tell Jerrold, but anythi ng I sai d fell on deaf ears. Although my parents li ved under the same roof, my dad s cheati ng not only affected my mother but Grant and me. Beli nda gave Gri ffi n a si delong glance. Hi s expressi on was one she d never seen before. It was obvi ous hi s father s i nfi deli ty had scarred hi m. I don t beli eve Grant ever cheated on my si ster. That s because he couldn t cheat, not after heari ng my mother argue wi th Dad because he d come home wi th the scent of another woman sti ll on hi m. Grant used to put hi s hands over hi s ears to shut out thei r shouti ng at each other. What di d you do, Gri ffi n? I sat on the back porch unti l Dad left. It di dn t matter how late he stayed out screwi ng other women, he always came home and he always went to work. Why di dn t your mother leave hi m? Gri ffi n s moti ons were slow, methodi cal as he folded the chopped parsley and mi nced garli c i nto the softened butter. Her father di ed when she was a li ttle gi rl, so she sai d she di dn t want her chi ldren to grow up wi thout thei r father.

But your father cheated on her. Yes, he di d. And the ulti mate i ndi gni ty was that he di dn t try to hi de i t. Why do men cheat? Gri ffi n s eyes caught and held hers. Why do women cheat? They don t cheat as much as men. Are you certai n about that stati sti c? Di dn t Oprah have a segment about women who admi tted to cheati ng? That the percentage of women who cheat i s a lot hi gher than most people beli eve, so let s not get i nto compari ng genders. I di dn t ask the questi on for you to answer wi th another questi on. Beli nda s voi ce was low and soft. The seconds ti cked away as they regarded each other. I wouldn t know, Li ndy, because I ve never cheated on a woman. Even i f I thought about i t I don t thi nk I would cheat because I saw what i t di d to my mother and how i t affected Grant and me. Instead of bei ng chi ldren and enjoyi ng the thi ngs li ttle boys di d, we were drawn i nto a battle that i nvolved mari tal problems. Si x-and ni ne-year-olds shouldn t have to hear words li ke pussy and dick thrown around li ke please and thank youespeci ally from thei r parents. Even though she di dn t grow up wi th her father, your mother di dn t have to stay, especi ally when you and Grant were older. That was somethi ng Grant and I asked her, and her response was that she loved her cheati ng husband. That was somethi ng I couldn t wrap my head around unti l Glori a Bai ley-Ri ce told me about the man she d fallen i n love wi th, who was not the one he d become. Beli nda knew she would never stay wi th a man who she knew was cheati ng on her. When she d di scovered the teacher she was dati ng was also dati ng another colleague she ended the relati onshi p before he could open hi s mouth to explai n. Why di d she fi nally di vorce your father? Inhali ng, Gri ffi n held hi s breath and then let i t out slowly. She di dn t di vorce hi m. He di vorced her. ButBut why? Why would he leave, Gri ffi n? Beli nda stuttered. He had the best of both worldsa marri ed man wi th a fami ly behavi ng as i f he were si ngle. Grant and I threatened hi m. Gri ffi n recogni zed shock and another uni denti fi able emoti on i n Beli nda s eyes when she met hi s gaze. I was a juni or i n hi gh school when Grant came home from college duri ng a school break and we sat down together to di scuss our parents marri age. Nothi ng had changed i n more than twenty years. My dad was sti ll sleepi ng wi th other women, and my mother was sti ll fi ghti ng about somethi ng she couldn t change or control. She d become an i nsomni ac. She stayed up half the

ni ght, hopi ng to wi tness the ti me he came home. I had no i dea what she was goi ng to do wi th that i nformati on except to use i t i f or when she deci ded to di vorce hi m. And, even worse, she d begun followi ng hi m and confronti ng hi s women. I told my brother we were goi ng to lose our mother to an emoti onal breakdown or she was goi ng to confront the wrong woman and end up dead. We set up a pri vate meeti ng wi th Dad and told hi m that i f he di dn t move out of the house we were goi ng to ki ck hi s ass and throw hi m out. To thi s day I couldn t say for sure whether I would ve actually hi t my father. Thankfully I di dn t have to be put to the test. How soon after di d he leave? It took hi m a week to get up the nerve to tell hi s wi fe he was leavi ng and fi li ng for di vorce. What was your mother s reacti on? Gri ffi n flashed a devastati ngly sensual smi le. She went to a spa i n Sedona, Ari zona, for two weeks and came back wi th a new look and new atti tude. She occasi onally goes out wi th other men, but she vowed never to marry agai n. Don t you thi nk i t s odd that your mom and dad went away together for a month? Not really, Gri ffi n sai d, shaki ng hi s head. Mom could care less who her ex-husband sleeps wi th, and because she d doesn t care, Dad knows he has no power over her. Beli nda smi led. Would you li ke for them to reconci le? Maybe I m selfi sh, but no. There s more respect between them now than there ever was when they were together. Your father i s wonderful wi th hi s granddaughters. That s because he spoi ls them. And, you dont, Beli nda thought, gi vi ng Gri ffi n a knowi ng smi le. He moved closer, trappi ng her body between hi s and the countertop. What s that look all about? he whi spered near her ear. What look? sai d she i nnocently. Gri ffi n pressed closer, hi s groi n pressed to her hi ps. The one that sai d I m also culpable. Do you really thi nk you know me so well that you can Do you really thi nk you know me so well that you can read my mi nd? Loweri ng hi s head he fastened hi s mouth to the nape of her neck, smi li ng when he felt a fai nt shudder go through Beli nda. I can t read your mi nd, but I can read your expressi ons. Your face i s li ke an open book. You d never make i t as a poker player because everyone would know when you re not bluffi ng. It doesn t matter because I don t gamble. You ve never gambled on anythi ng i n your li fe? he asked, trai li ng a seri es of li ght ki sses down the column of

her long, scented neck. Beli nda smothered a gasp when she felt her knees weaken as hi s mouth searched the flesh bared by her tank top. Gri ffi n, stop or we re not goi ng to eat toni ght. Gri ffi n s hands were busy searchi ng under her top. Speak for yourself, Li ndy. I plan to eat even i f Brui ser never makes i t i nto the oven. It took a full mi nute before she reali zed Gri ffi n wasn t talki ng about food. I happen to li ke my meat well done. And I li ke a li ttle pi nk i n mi ne, Gri ffi n countered. She bi t back a smi le. You are so nasty, Gri ffi n Ri ce. So are you, Li ndy Eaton, or you wouldn t have known what I was talki ng about. Beli nda managed to make Gri ffi n take a step back when she elbowed hi m i n the ri bs. Shi fti ng, she gave hi m a di rect stare. I wasn t nasty before I hooked up wi th you. Am I to take credi t for unleashi ng the nasti ness? She affected a moue, bri ngi ng hi s gaze to li nger on her mouth. Only some of i t. Gri ffi n li fted hi s expressi ve eyebrows. Are you sayi ng that there s more? Pressi ng her breasts to hi s chest, Beli nda went on ti ptoe. There s so much more, lover. You ve only begun to scratch the surface. Crushi ng her to hi s length, hi s li ps descended slowly to meet hers, dri nki ng i n the sweetness of her ki ss. Deepeni ng the ki ss and forci ng her li ps apart wi th hi s thrusti ng tongue, Gri ffi n wanted to devour Beli nda where they stood. He wanted to take her on the ki tchen floor. Now he understood ani mals i n heat whose sole i ntent was to mate. And that s what he wanted to do wi th Beli nda. He wanted to mate wi th her agai n and agai n to guarantee that hi s gene pool would conti nue. All he thought of was ri ppi ng her clothes from her curvy, li the body and taki ng her wi thout a pretense of foreplay, but the revelati on of her near-rape stopped hi s trai torous musi ngs. What he di dn t want to do was tri gger a flashback of the traumati c epi sode. The ki ss ended as qui ckly as i t d begun. Beli nda took a step backward, her chest ri si ng and falli ng as i f she d run a race. She glanced away. I have to fi ni sh prepari ng di nner. Her voi ce was a whi sper. I ll be i n the back, Gri ffi n sai d as he spun on hi s heels and walked out of the ki tchen. Beli nda s hands were shaki ng uncontrollably from the bui ld-up of sexual tensi on that li ngered li ke waves of heat. She knew she d been as close to losi ng control as Gri ffi n. It seemed as i f every ti me they came together the encounter was more passi onate and explosi ve than the one that preceded i t. If Gri ffi n hadn t stopped when he di d she would ve

begged hi m to make love to her i n the ki tchen, wi thout protecti on and when i t was the most ferti le ti me i n her cycle. She d called her gynecologi st and asked that he call i n a prescri pti on to her local pharmaci st for a supply of bi rth control pi lls that she would pi ck up the followi ng day. She i nformed Gri ffi n that he would have to conti nue to use protecti on unti l she went back on the Pi ll. They d agreed to play house, but havi ng a baby was not a part of the agreement. Beli nda sat stari ng at the same page i n the book that lay on her lap, seei ng but not readi ng any of the words. Thi s was to become her last ni ght i n Paoli that she and Gri ffi n would share a bed. The bus carryi ng Sabri na, Layla and thei r classmates from Gettysburg was scheduled to arri ve at the school around three the followi ng afternoon. A movi ng company had deli vered cartons of fi les from Gri ffi n s Phi ladelphi a offi ce to the one he d set up i n hi s home, and the woman he d hi red as a part-ti me secretary/paralegal spent three full days conferri ng wi th hi m whi le she set up a fi li ng system. Beli nda left Gri ffi n a note, telli ng hi m that she was taki ng hi s car to go to her post offi ce to pi ck up the mai l they were holdi ng for her. She also stopped at the pharmacy to pi ck up the three-month supply of low-dose bi rth control pi lls. She vi si ted bri efly wi th her mother, who d i nsi sted on maki ng lunch for the two of them. Roberta hadn t asked about Gri ffi n, whi ch led her to beli eve that she knew they were sleepi ng together. It d taken her a whi le to come to the conclusi on that mothers knew more about thei r chi ldren than they let on. She returned to Paoli to di scover Gri ffi n had prepared a di nner of roast salmon wi th basi l and sweet pepper sauce and a salad. Gri ffi n had suggested goi ng for a walk after di nner and when strolli ng the qui et tree-li ned streets holdi ng hands she felt as i f she d stepped back i n ti me when her father had gi ven her permi ssi on to date. Most ti mes she and her boyfri end sat on the porch, or i f they left the porch i t was to walk around the nei ghborhood under the watchful eyes of nei ghbors who were more than wi lli ng to report anythi ng that appeared i nappropri ate to the elder Eatons. When are you goi ng to turn the page? asked a deep voi ce behi nd her. Beli nda closed the novel, stood up and turned to fi nd Gri ffi n standi ng less than three feet away; she wondered why she hadn t heard hi s approach. I guess I was daydreami ng. Gri ffi n stared at the woman who d become an i ntegral part of hi s li fe. It d been rai ni ng off and on for two days and whi le the weather hadn t affected hi m because he d been busy setti ng up hi s home offi ce, i t d played havoc wi th her

nerves. She complai ned she wasn t used to si tti ng around doi ng nothi ng, whi ch i f she d been home she d keep busy doi ng housework, doi ng laundry or grocery shoppi ng. It was di fferent i n Paoli because a cleani ng servi ce kept the house spotless and a landscapi ng company mai ntai ned the yard. Gri ffi n shopped for groceri es every other month, wi th the excepti on of peri shables, at a supermarket warehouse, buyi ng i n bulk and stori ng i t i n the fi ni shed basement. Beli nda had changed i n front of hi s eyes. Her body appeared more rounded, whi ch she attri buted to eati ng three meals a day. Si tti ng outsi de on the pati o duri ng dayli ght hours had darkened her face to a ri ch sable-brown. And wi th her scrubbed face, hai r secured i n an elasti c band, faded jeans and oversi ze T-shi rt she could easi ly pass for one of her students. They d played house for ei ght days and i t would end i n less than twenty-four hours when they pi cked up thei r ni eces. Good or bad? Beli nda smi led. Daydreams are always good. It s the ni ghtmares that are bad. Gri ffi n angled hi s head. Do you ever have ni ghtmares? Her eyeli ds fluttered wi ldly. I used to. He closed the di stance between them, hi s hands sli di ng down her arms and ti ghteni ng around her wai st. I m glad they re gone. There was somethi ng i n Gri ffi n s voi ce, the way he was touchi ng her that made Beli nda want to weepnot i n sorrow but i n joy. She loved hi m. She d fallen i n love wi th her si ster s brother-i n-law, her ni eces uncle, godfather, legal guardi an and surrogate father. What had begun as a teenage crush was now fullblown passi on wi th no begi nni ng or end. Buryi ng her face agai nst hi s strong, warm brown throat, she closed her eyes. Love me, darli ng. Please make love to me for the last ti me. It s not goi ng to be the last ti me, Li ndy. Surely you re ki ddi ng, Ri ce. I m not goi ng to knock boots wi th you whi le the gi rls are i n the house. Attracti ve li nes fanned out around hi s eyes when he smi led. Are you afrai d they ll hear you screami ng i n the throes of passi on? Beli nda gave hi m a soft punch i n the mi ddle of hi s back. So, you got jokes. At least I don t sound li ke a bull. You make more noi se than I do when you re Don t say i t, baby, Gri ffi n warned. He ti ghtened hi s hold on her wai st. I get the whole pi cturesound and vi suals. Bendi ng sli ghtly, he swept her up and i nto hi s arms. Let s

go make some noi se. Gi ggli ng li ke a li ttle gi rl, Beli nda ti ghtened her hold around hi s neck. How nasty do you want me to be? she teased. Throwi ng back hi s head, Gri ffi n laughed loudly. I want you to crank that nasty meter to the hi ghest setti ng. She caught hi s earlobe between her teeth, ni ppi ng i t gently. I hope you ll be able to handle i t. Don t worry about me. Just serve i t. Beli nda stared at the sli ght i ndentati on i n hi s strong chi n before her searchi ng gaze moved up to meet hi s resolute stare. I m goi ng to make you scream li ke a bi tch. Don t you mean a bull? No-o-o, she drawled wi th so much atti tude that Gri ffi n bi t down on hi s lower li p to keep from smi li ng. She tucked her face i nto the hollow between hi s neck and shoulder as he left the porch. Let s take a shower together, Beli nda suggested as Gri ffi n entered hi s bedroom. Gri ffi n di d not drop hi s gaze as he lowered Beli nda unti l her feet touched the si sal rug under hi s feet. He undressed her then stood wi th hi s arms at hi s si des whi le she undressed hi m, thei r chests ri si ng and falli ng i n a syncopated rhythm. Beli nda closed her eyes, her breath qui ckeni ng when hi s fi ngers grazed the outli ne of her breasts. She opened her eyes and smi led. Resti ng a hand on Gri ffi n s chest, she ran her fi ngerti ps over hi s clavi cle, the muscles i n hi s shoulder and lower to hi s breastbone. He gasped audi bly when her fi ngers grasped hi s sex, holdi ng hi m fast. He hardened almost i nstantaneously. Come wi th me. Li ke an obedi ent chi ld, Gri ffi n let Beli nda lead hi m i nto the adjoi ni ng bathroom and shower stall, she sti ll holdi ng on to hi s erecti on. Don t move, darli ng. Gri ffi n wanted to tell her he couldn t move even i f hi s li fe was i n the balance. He gasped when she touched a preset di al and lukewarm water flowed down on thei r heads. Goi ng on ti ptoe, she sli pped her tongue i nto hi s mouth, whi le her hands worked thei r magi c. Then, wi thout warni ng, she sli d down the length of hi s body, her mouth replaci ng her hand. He d asked Beli nda to crank the nasty meter up to i ts hi ghest setti ng, demandi ng that she serve i t and that s exactly what she d done. Braci ng hi s palms agai nst the ti les, he closed hi s eyes and tri ed thi nki ng of somethi nganythi ng but the i mage of Beli nda on her knees, hi s sex movi ng i n and out her hot mouth. Heat, chi lls and then more heat overlapped the i ci ness snaki ng i ts way up hi s legs and settli ng at the base of hi s spi ne. A groan sli pped through hi s li ps when hi s knees buckled and i nvoluntary tremors had hi m shaki ng li ke a fragi le leaf i n a strong wi nd. The muscles i n hi s belly

contracted vi olently when a moan of helplessness, comi ng from deep wi thi n hi s chest, exploded. He threw back hi s head and opened hi s mouth and bellowed. Beli nda di dn t make love to Gri ffi n. She commanded hi m wi th a raw act of possessi on, brandi ng hi m wi th an i ndeli ble mark. He was hers and hers alone. Gri ffi n had taken hi mself out of ci rculati on and she would make certai n he would forget every woman he d ever known. She was relentless, usi ng her hand, tongue and teeth to bri ng hi m to the bri nk of release. Then wi thout warni ng, she pressed the pad of her thumb agai nst the large vei n behi nd the shaft, manually slowi ng down the headlong rush of desi re to cli max. Gri ffi n s hands moved wi th li ghtni ng speed when he bent over, anchori ng hi s hands under Beli nda s armpi ts and pulli ng her to her feet whi le forci ng her to release hi s engorged flesh. Supporti ng her back, he li fted her hi gh i n the ai r. Beli nda s small cry of shock was smothered when Gri ffi n covered her mouth wi th a savage ki ss that sucked the oxygen from her lungs. She barely had ti me to react to the rawness of hi s sexual onslaught when she found herself on her back and he i nsi de her. Moani ng aloud i n eroti c pleasure, she reveled i n the sensati on of bare flesh fusi ng. It was the fi rst ti me they d made love wi thout the barri er of latex. Her menses, though scant, had come and gone. The sensati ons of falli ng water, the feel of the coarse hai r on hi s legs agai nst her smooth ones and the unrestrai ned groans near her ear roused Beli nda to a peak of desi re borderi ng on hysteri a. Passi on radi ated from her core, spreadi ng outward to her extremi ti es and beyond. The turbulence of Gri ffi n s lovemaki ng hurtled her i nto a vortex of the sweetest ecstasy. Beli nda screamed when she felt hi m touch her womb and love flowed li ke heated honey, and she soared hi gher and hi gher unti l she cli maxed, experi enci ng free fall, as Gri ffi n, for the fi rst ti me, succumbed to le petit mort. She couldn t move, di dn t want to move as she lay drowni ng i n the li ngeri ng aftermath of pure, explosi ve pleasure. Gri ffi n recovered before Beli nda, comi ng to hi s feet. Walki ng on shaky legs, he reached over and turned off the water. A smi le ti pped the corners of hi s mouth when he shi fted and saw that Beli nda had curled i nto a fetal posi ti on. He hunkered down and eased her off the ti led floor. Her spi ked lashes fluttered when she opened her eyes. Was I nasty enough for you? Shaki ng hi s head i n amazement, he carri ed her wet body out of the bathroom and i nto the bedroom. You were beyond nasty, darli ng. Her li ps parted i n surpri se. You di dn t li ke i t? Gri ffi n smi led at Beli nda as i f she were a chi ld. I loved

i t. He placed her on the bed and lay besi de her, unmi ndful of the water from thei r bodi es soaki ng the sheets. He loved her and maki ng love to her. Stari ng down i nto the eyes the color of dark coffee, he knew thei r relati onshi p had changed wi th the wanton coupli ng. Beli nda Eaton was sexy, passi onate and i ncredi bly nastythe way he li ked her. Fati gue pressed Beli nda down to the mattress li ke a lead blanket. It took Herculean strength to keep her eyes open. She fought vali antly but Morpheus proved vi ctori ous. Good ni ght, darli ng. Good ni ght, baby. Gri ffi n, supporti ng hi s head on folded arms, stared up at the cei li ng. He lay moti onless, startled by the sudden thought that flashed through hi s mi nd. How had he forgotten about the man i n Flori da who d clai med Beli nda fi rst? And he wasn t so vai n or nai ve to beli eve that just because Beli nda opened her legs to hi m i t meant she would open her heart to hi m. After all, he d slept wi th women he li ked, but di dn t and would never love. He was i n too deep and di dn t know how to extri cate hi mself. Never had he mi ssed hi s brother as he di d now. Grant had been the levelheaded older brother, wi se beyond hi s years, and whenever he went to Grant i n a quandary he came away buoyed wi th confi dence. He closed hi s eyes when, wi thout warni ng, a wave of sadness held hi m capti ve then fled as qui ckly as i t d come. If shes worth it, then fight like hell for her, sai d a voi ce i n hi s head that sounded remarkably li ke Grant s. Thank you, brother, Gri ffi n whi spered. He had hi s answer.

Chapter 12 Beli nda and Gri ffi n wai ted i n the schoolyard along wi th
other seventh-grade parents for the bus transporti ng thei r chi ldren from Gettysburg, Pennsylvani a. She d elected to wai t i n hi s sport-uti li ty vehi cle, readi ng, whi le Gri ffi n was engaged i n a li vely conversati on wi th several men. The topi c i nvari ably turned to sports: baseball, football and hockey. What garnered Beli nda s rapt attenti on was that several women had dri fted over to joi n the small group of men. They seemed to li nger on the peri phery unti l one was bold enough to rest her hand on Gri ffi n s shoulder. What the Beli nda caught herself before she screamed out the open wi ndow that she could look, but not touch. She sat moti onless, watchi ng the woman become more and more brazen unti l Gri ffi n reached over to remove her hand. Wi thi n mi nutes her hand was back, thi s ti me on hi s back.

Gri ffi n felt the warmth of the hand pressed to hi s back, and he curbed the urge to grab her wri st and fli ng i t off. He glared at the woman who d i nsi sted on crossi ng hi s personal boundari es to touch hi m wi thout permi ssi on. Now he understood Beli nda s i nsi stence on i t. What annoyed hi m was that the others hadn t i nvi ted the peti te doll-li ke woman wi th a profusi on of neatly brai ded hai r flowi ng down her back to joi n the conversati on. Glanci ng at her left hand he noti ced i t was bare. He found her attracti ve, but whatever she was offeri ng he di dn t want or need. Cuppi ng her elbow, he led her away from the small crowd that was speculati ng whether the Flyers would make the Stanley Cup fi nals. Bendi ng closer to her ear, he affected a ti ght smi le. See that woman si tti ng i n the whi te hybri d stari ng at us? The woman nodded. She happens to be my wi fe. I told her to stay i n the car because she di dn t take her medi cati on thi s morni ng, and whenever that happens she tends to be a li ttle vi olent. So I suggest you go back and stand wi th your fri ends, because once she goes off I have a hard ti me tryi ng to control her. A pai r of round eyes wi dened wi th hi s di sclosure. You mean she s vi olent? He nodded slowly. Thanks for the heads-up. Instead of returni ng to the men he headed to hi s vehi cle and got i n besi de Beli nda. Don t you dare say anythi ng, he warned, deadpan. Beli nda averted her eyes to conceal the gri n steali ng i ts way over her face. I would ve helped you out i f you di dn t look as i f you were enjoyi ng her so much. Gri ffi n crossed hi s arms over hi s chest. You di d help me out. Shi fti ng, she noted hi s smug expressi on. What? Beli nda s jaw dropped when she li stened to Gri ffi n s explanati on for thwarti ng hi s admi rer. Medi cati on, Gri ffi n? You told her I was crazy? Aw, baby, don t take i t that way. I had to tell her somethi ng or she would ve come home wi th us. I don t thi nk so, love, Beli nda drawled. She would ve gone home wi th you, not us. Four women i n my li fe are enough, thank you. A sli ght frown furrowed her brow. Who s the fourth? Glori a Ri ce. Beli nda nodded. How could she have forgotten her ni eces other grandmother? There came a flurry of acti vi ty as parents and thei r chi ldren spi lled out of vehi cles as the tour bus maneuvered i nto the schoolyard. Gri ffi n placed hi s hand on Beli nda s arm. Wai t here. I ll get thei r luggage. What s the matter? You don t want anyone to see the

crazy woman? He rolled hi s eyes at her. Are you ever goi ng to let me li ve thi s down? I ll thi nk about i t, she teased. A smi le softened her features when she saw Sabri na, followed by Layla step off the bus. They appeared exhausted. Any semblance of a hai rstyle was mi ssi ng from both gi rls. Sabri na had parted her hai r i n the mi ddle, but i t appeared as i f she couldn t deci de whether to brai d i t or leave i t loose. Layla had half a dozen brai ds, secured wi th colorful bands, shi eldi ng her face, whi le a thi ck plai t hung down her back. They had two days to recover from thei r weeklong educati onal tri p before returni ng to classes. It would become thei r last extended break unti l the end of the school term. Shi fti ng on her seat, Beli nda smi led at her ni eces when they sli pped onto the second row of seats. Welcome home. Hi , Aunt Li ndy, they mumbled i n uni son. Are you gi rls hungry? Layla closed her eyes. No, Aunty Li ndy. I just want to take a bath and go to bed. Me, too, Sabri na sai d around the yawn she concealed behi nd her hand. We re not goi ng to stop to eat, Beli nda i nformed Gri ffi n when he sli pped behi nd the wheel. They re exhausted. Gri ffi n nodded. Home i t i s. It took a full day before Sabri na and Layla reverted to thei r chatty selves. They cli mbed i nto bed wi th Beli nda and talked nonstop about the bui ldi ngs they d vi si ted i n Washi ngton, D.C., the hi stori c preserved ci ty of Wi lli amsburg, Vi rgi ni a, and Gettysburg Nati onal Mi li tary Park and Gettysburg Nati onal Cemetery. They li stened i ntently when Beli nda related the events of the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle began on July fi rst and di dn t end unti l the thi rd of July, ei ghteen si xty-three. Not only was i t one of the bloodi est battles of the Ci vi l War, but i t was si gni fi cant because i t marked the northernmost poi nt reached by the Confederate army. It also marked the end of rebel supremacy on the battlefi eld. Layla shi fted i nto a more comfortable posi ti on as she rested her head on a mound of pi llows. Why was that, Aunt Li ndy? Beli nda smi led at her ni eces flanki ng her. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had crossed the Mason-Di xon li ne i nto Pennsylvani a for strategi c and logi sti cal reasons. The general was a student of another famous general, Napoleon Bonaparte, who had the audaci ty to use small forces agai nst larger ones. Now hi stori ans di ffer as to why General Lee ventured i nto Northern terri tory. Some say he

was foragi ng for shoes for hi s troops, whi le others clai m Lee was overconfi dent because he d defeated Uni on General Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsvi lle. Where s Chancellorsvi lle? Sabri na asked. Vi rgi ni a, Beli nda sai d, smi li ng. Her ni eces, who admi tted to not li ki ng hi story, had taken a sudden i nterest i n i t as the result of thei r class tri p. Whatever hi s reason i t spelled ulti mate defeat for the rebel forces. Why di d the battle last so long? Sabri na questi oned. I have a book on Ci vi l War battles you can read. Layla made a face. Aunt Li ndy, we don t have ti me to read other books. Please tell us. Just li ke they d done when the gi rls were much younger and slept over at Beli nda s house, she d gather them i n her bed and tell them stori es about the li ves of enslaved Afri cans and free men, the Underground Rai lroad, the Great Depressi on and the wars spanni ng the Revoluti onary to Vi etnam rather than the ubi qui tous fai ry tales. It had taken a week for the hi stori cal fai ry tales to become a reali ty when they d come face-to-face wi th the hi story of thei r country. She told of Presi dent Li ncoln s cri ti ci sm of General Meade who d chosen not to pursue the defeated Confederates, as he had thought that i mmedi ate acti on would have shortened the war; although the confli ct conti nued for another two years, the Uni on forces vi ctory at Gettysburg proved to be the turni ng poi nt i n the war, whi le amassi ng the most devastati ng roster of casualti es: fi ftyone thousand, North and South combi ned. When Beli nda s voi ce faded and she wai ted for more questi ons that never came, she reali zed her ni eces had fallen asleep. In the past she would carry each to thei r beds, but at twelve the gi rls were two i nches shorter than her fi vesi x hei ght and wei ghed more than one hundred pounds. If Gri ffi n had stayed she would ve asked hi m to take them to thei r bedrooms. Reachi ng over Layla, she turned off the lamp and then settled down to joi n her ni eces as they slept soundly. Beli nda forced herself not to dwell on shari ng a bed wi th Gri ffi n because whenever she recalled what they d done to each other her body betrayed her. A few ti mes she d asked herself i f she d fallen i n love wi th Gri ffi n after they slept together or i f she had had feeli ngs for hi m before. And the answer was always the same: she d fallen i n love wi th Gri ffi n Ri ce when she was sti ll a teenager, that she resented the women i n the

photographs who clung possessi vely to hi s arm because she d wanted to be them. She d regarded hi m as a ski rtchaser because i t made hi m more unappeali ng. How could she have been so wrong about a man thei r ni eces adored? Ceci l and Ni gel, who had been overjoyed when they saw Sabri na and Layla, no longer growled or showed Gri ffi n thei r ti ny teeth. When he had sat on the floor they jumped all over hi m as he pretended to fi ght off thei r attack. The gi rls had joi ned the fracas and pandemoni um had ensued wi th barki ng, screams from the gi rls and hysteri cal laughter from Gri ffi n. Strange feeli ngs always arose when she watched hi m i nteract wi th the puppi es and hi s ni eces. But i t had been i n that i nstant that Beli nda knew he would make an i ncredi ble father. Beli nda started up her Volvo and backed i t out of the dri veway, always mi ndful of the schoolchi ldren maki ng thei r way to bus stops. Sabri na and Layla had walked two blocks to a classmate s house to wai t wi th her and her younger si ster for the bus that stopped on thei r corner. Si nce her ni eces had come to li ve wi th her, Beli nda had begun speaki ng to many of the mothers who li ved i n the nei ghborhood. Some had i nvi ted her to come to thei r homes for coffee, and her nearest nei ghbor had i nvi ted her and Gri ffi n to a di nner party. And, wi th the warmer weather, cooki ng outdoors had become the norm. Her cell phone rang and she smi led. She knew from the di sti ncti ve ri ng that Gri ffi n was calli ng her. Good morni ng, darli ng, she crooned, acti vati ng the Blue-tooth devi ce. Good morni ng, baby. How are you? Her smi le faded. I ll let you know at the end of classes. It would be her fi rst day back si nce the hi gh school shut down two days early for spri ng break. There came a pause. You don t have to play superwoman, Li ndy. I would ve rather you sai d Wonder Woman. Her outfi t was sexi er than Superwoman s. I m not joki ng, Beli nda. A frown furrowed her forehead. Nei ther am I, Gri ffi n. I ve had more than a week to deal wi th what happened, and I m good. I don t want to have to tell you I told you so when you have a meltdown. What are you so worri ed about, Gri ffi n? Are you afrai d that i f I lose i t, you ll have to rai se the gi rls by Don t say i t, Gri ffi n warned i n a dangerously soft voi ce. Please don t say what I thi nk you re goi ng to say. Thi s i s not about the gi rls. Thi s i s about you, Beli nda. I m not a fragi le hothouse flower that wi ll wi lt i f you touch

me. I can take care of myself. Di dn t I prove that when I fought off a rapi st? Physi cal scars are not the same as emoti onal scars. Beli nda blew out a breath. She knew no amount of argui ng would get Gri ffi n to beli eve that she wasn t goi ng to suffer lasti ng effects from one of her students fi ri ng a gun i n her classroom. I thought we talked about thi s, Gri ffi n, and deci ded i t was nothi ng. You deci ded i t was nothi ng, Li ndy, not me. If you exhi bi t any behavi or that proves i njuri ous to our chi ldren s emoti onal well-bei ng I m goi ng to have to take acti on. They ve been through enough wi thout Touchi ng a button, she di sconnected the call. She would not put up wi th any man threateni ng her. The threat had begun and ended wi th Joel Thurman. Her cell phone rang agai n and she turned i t off. She di dn t want to talk or argue wi th Gri ffi n, not when she wanted to use the ti me to forti fy herself for when she met wi th her students agai n. Beli nda arri ved at the hi gh school and parked i n the area desi gnated as faculty parki ng. She nodded to the sci ence teacher she d dated, qui ckeni ng her pace to avoi d talki ng to hi m. Reachi ng i nto her handbag she removed her photo ID and hung i t around her neck. What she found strange was the absence of noi se. Students stood around i n small groups, talki ng qui etly among themselves, whi le teachers and staff members fi led si lently i nto the school bui ldi ng. The i nci dent had brought home the reali ty that, i n a moment of madness, someone wi th a gun could ve possi bly taken the li fe of a classmate, relati ve, teacher or staff. As she clocked i n, Beli nda was aware of the surrepti ti ous glances di rected her way. Valeri e Ri tchi e walked i n and punched her card. Come wi th me, Beli nda whi spered as she turned on her heels and left the offi ce. How are you doi ng? Valeri e asked when they found an empty fi rst-floor classroom. I m okay, Valeri e. I am really all ri ght, she sai d when Valeri e gave her a look of di sbeli ef. What do I have to do to convi nce everyone that I don t need tranqui li zers, or that I m not a candi date for a strai tjacket. Valeri e leaned closer. Weren t you scared? Beli nda stared at the teacher who was never seen wi th a hai r out of place or her makeup less than perfect. Valeri e had gi ven an award-wi nni ng performance as a poli ti ci an s wi fe, and although she was no longer i n that role she conti nued to play the part. Of course I was fri ghtened. But once I reali zed Sean Greer posed more of a threat to hi mself than to me or the

other students i n my class I stopped bei ng afrai d. You had to be there to hear hi m talki ng to the negoti ator. He was nothi ng more than a fri ghtened ki d who just wanted to fi t i n be accepted. Unfortunately, Brent Wi ley got to hi m fi rst. What Beli nda di dn t reveal to Valeri e was that she d been afrai d that Sean was thi nki ng of shooti ng hi mself when he d placed the gun to hi s head. And, when she d asked Gri ffi n about helpi ng to get competent legal counsel for the troubled youth, he d told her that hi s fri end had agreed to defend hi m pro bono. The bell rang, si gnali ng the begi nni ng of classes, followed by an announcement from the pri nci pal that assembli es for each grade would be held throughout the day wi th counselors avai lable to answer questi ons or talk one-on-one to students who requested i ndi vi dual sessi ons. Beli nda and Valeri e exchanged a fami li ar look. The fallout from the school shooti ng would clai m another day. Beli nda returned home to fi nd Gri ffi n s SUV parked i n her dri veway. He was seated on the chai se i n her si tti ng room, wai ti ng for her, hi s i mpassi ve expressi on reveali ng nothi ng. She flashed a warm smi le. Good afternoon. Is i t? Of course i t i s, Gri ffi n. I survi ved my fi rst day back. Spi nni ng around on her toes, she extended her arms. See, no bullet holes. She wasn t gi ven a chance to get her balance when she found herself pulled agai nst Gri ffi n s chest. Don t play wi th me, Beli nda, or I ll Or you ll what! she screamed at hi m. Or you ll take my chi ldren from me? Is that what you were goi ng to say? I don t thi nk so, Gri ffi n Ri ce. I don t care what ki nd of legal connecti ons you thi nk you have, but i f you An explosi ve ki ss stopped her outburst. Beli nda fought Gri ffi n, but she was no match for hi s superi or strength as hi s sensual assault shattered her fragi le defenses. She found herself swi mmi ng through a haze of feeli ngs she di dn t want to feel and a desi re so strong that i t fri ghtened her wi th i ts i ntensi ty. Hi s fi ngers eased around her wri sts as he pulled her arms behi nd her back, holdi ng her capti ve. Don t ever hang up on me agai n, he warned softly. Beli nda stared up at hi m through her lashes. I wouldn t have had to hang up on you i f you hadn t threatened me. Li fti ng her effortlessly wi th one arm, Gri ffi n made hi s way out of the si tti ng room to her bed. I di dn t threaten you, Li ndy. Yes, you di d, she managed to say as her back made contact wi th the mattress. I For the second ti me wi thi n mi nutes she found herself speechless.

Gri ffi n s hands were busy searchi ng under her ski rt for the wai stband of her panty hose. In one smooth moti on, her hose and panti es lay on the floor and her legs were anchored over hi s shoulders. No, Gri ffi n! Please! Pleas became sobs of ecstasy as Gri ffi n uti li zed hi s own method to defuse her anger, and the degree to whi ch she responded to hi s raw, sensuous lovemaki ng left her shaki ng uncontrollably. She surrendered completely to hi s rapaci ous tongue, drowni ng i n the passi on that left her shaki ng and cryi ng at the same ti me. Gri ffi n lowered her legs and moved up her body. He ki ssed her deeply, permi tti ng Beli nda to taste herself on hi s tongue. Now, can we talk? Beli nda pushed agai nst hi s shoulder. She di dn t want to talk. All she wanted to do was sleep. Not now, Gri ffi n. He smi led. When, baby? Later. Gri ffi n s smi le grew wi der. Maki ng love to Beli nda was the perfect anti dote for defusi ng her temper. She was snori ng li ghtly when he undressed her and pulled a ni ghtgown over her head. He retreated to the half bath, soaped a washcloth and returned to the bedroom to clean away the evi dence of thei r lovemaki ng. He d covered her wi th a sheet and blanket when he heard the di sti ncti ve chi me i ndi cati ng someone had opened a door. He met Sabri na and Layla as they dropped thei r backpacks and headed toward the rear of the house to see thei r pets. What do you want for di nner? Layla stopped, gi vi ng hi m a bri ght smi le. Aunt Li ndy sai d she was goi ng to make spaghetti and meatballs. Gri ffi n di dn t tell hi s ni ece that i f her aunt di dn t get up i n ti me to prepare di nner, he would. He had to make several busi ness calls to the West Coast, but i t was somethi ng he could accompli sh ei ther at hi s house or Beli nda s. He planned to stay the ni ght despi te the fact i t wasn t the weekend. Spendi ng ei ght consecuti ve days wi th Beli nda had spoi led hi m. Not only had he fallen i n love wi th her but mi ssed her whenever they were apart. How had i t happened so qui ckly? How had he fallen so hard for a woman he d known for years? The questi ons conti nued to plague hi m later that ni ght as he lay on the sofa bed wai ti ng for sleep to overtake hi m, when he di dn t have to thi nk of the woman who made hi m plan for a future that i ncluded her as hi s wi fe and the mother of thei r chi ldren.

Chapter 13 Gri ffi n s hands drummed rhythmi cally on the steeri ng

wheel when he stopped for a red li ght, mi mi cki ng the hand clappi ng i n Hand Ji ve, the i nfecti ous song from the classi c musi cal Grease. He d come to know most of the words from the play over the past month because Layla and Sabri na had deci ded to parti ci pate i n thei r school s musi cal producti on for the fi rst ti me. Layla had audi ti oned for a si ngi ng part i n the producti on, whi le Sabri na worked behi nd the scenes, usi ng her buddi ng arti sti c ski ll on set decorati ons. They stayed after classes to rehearse and as the day for the actual performance neared they d begun full-day weekend rehearsals. Beli nda had scoured Phi ladelphi a s thri ft and vi ntage shops for repli cas of poodle ski rts and saddle shoes. In the end she had to resort to the Internet to gather the names of collectors of 1950s memorabi li a. Her perseverance pai d off, because she d purchased an authenti c poodle ski rt and a pai r of black-and-whi te saddle shoes that were a perfect fi t for Layla. He d made arrangements wi th hi s mother for her granddaughters to spend the ni ght wi th her. Glori a and Lucas had returned from thei r month-long vacati on crui se tanned, relaxed and looki ng forward to spendi ng ti me wi th thei r granddaughters. Layla leaned forward i n her seat and tapped Gri ffi n s shoulder. Uncle Gri ff, please repeat that track. Gri ffi n pressed a button on the dashboard, tapped hi s fi nger on the steeri ng wheel whi le the i nteri or of the car was fi lled wi th the catchy tune. Layla and Sabri na shared a smi le when thei r uncle s voi ce joi ned thei rs. They d always li ked thei r Uncle Gri ff, but si nce he d become thei r stepfather they d come to love hi m as i f he were thei r father. They went to hi m to enli st hi s ai d when they wanted somethi ng they knew thei r aunt would probably not approve of. Hi s I ll di scuss i t wi th her usually predi cted success, i f not a compromi se whi ch they were always ready to accept. Gri ffi n took a ri ght turn down the street that led to Glori a Ri ce s condo. Make certai n you fi ni sh your homework before your aunt and I pi ck you up tomorrow ni ght. We wi ll, the two gi rls chorused. He and Beli nda were scheduled to attend a poli ti cal fund-rai ser later that eveni ng and Saturday eveni ng Sabri na and Layla were i nvi ted to bi rthday sleep-over for a classmate who li ved nearby. Maneuveri ng i nto a space set asi de for vi si tor parki ng, Gri ffi n shut off the engi ne. The gi rls gathered thei r overni ght bags and together they made thei r way to the modern doorman bui ldi ng. He gave hi s name to the uni formed man who rang Glori a s apartment to let her know that she had vi si tors. She s expecti ng you, Mr. Ri ce. The elevator to her

apartment i s on the ri ght. Sabri na, wai ti ng unti l the elevator doors closed behi nd them sai d, Why does he have to say shes expecting you, Mr. Rice when he already knows you re Grandma s son? Gri ffi n gave hi s ni ece a di rect stare. That s what s known as doi ng one s job. He has rules or a protocol to follow, and no matter who comes i nto the bui ldi ng he has to follow the rule that all vi si tors must be announced. It sounds li ke a si lly rule to me, Layla mumbled under her breath. Would i t be so si lly i f he let someone i nto the bui ldi ng whose i ntent i s to rob or hurt a tenant? Gri ffi n asked. No, Uncle Gri ff, that s di fferent, Layla argued. No, i t i sn t, Layla. What i f someone who looks exactly li ke me deci des he wants to burglari ze Grandma s apartment and the doorman just let hi m walk i n. Legally the owner of the bui ldi ng would be responsi ble for the loss because the doormen are hi s employees. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened smoothly. Gri ffi n stepped out, holdi ng the door whi le hi s ni eces fi led out and made thei r way down the carpeted hallway to where Glori a stood outsi de the door wai ti ng for them. Cradli ng thei r faces between her hands, she ki ssed each gi rl on the cheek. Gri ffi n wanted to tell hi s mother that her granddaughters had reached the age where they shi ed away from publi c di splays of affecti on, but deci ded to hold hi s tongue. Leani ng over, he ki ssed hi s mother. Hey, beauti ful. Glori a swatted at hi s shoulder. Save that stuff for someone who i sn t as gulli ble as your mother. Gri ffi n smi led at her. When have you known me to li e? Glori a angled her head, seemi ngly deep i n thought. Not too often. Her expressi on bri ghtened. Can you spare a few mi nutes to share a cup of coffee wi th your mother, or do you have to run? I have some ti me. Come si t i n the ki tchen whi le I brew a cup. Sli ppi ng off hi s jacket, Gri ffi n hung i t on the coat tree near the door. He d come wi th Glori a when she talked about purchasi ng a uni t ei ther i n a renovated or new bui ldi ng goi ng up i n the gentri fi ed Spri ng Garden nei ghborhood. He d wanted her to purchase the onebedroom uni t, but Glori a had i nsi sted that she needed the addi ti onal bedroom for whenever her granddaughters came for a vi si t. Layla and Sabri na loved vi si ti ng because i t was closer to downtown Phi ladelphi a wi th i ts theaters, museums, restaurants, department stores and speci alty shops. Glori a Ri ce had downsi zed her li fe and the furni shi ngs i n her apartment reflected her new li festyle. Every pi ece of

furni ture had a purpose and the pale monochromati c color scheme reflected si mpli ci ty at i ts best. Gri ffi n followed hi s mother i nto an i mmaculate ultramodern stai nless-steel ki tchen. What are you cooki ng for di nner? I m not, Glori a sai d as she reached for a coffee pod from a rack on the countertop. I asked the gi rls what they wanted me to cook and they sai d they wanted to eat out. Have you deci ded where? Glori a s eyes sparkled when she smi led. I told them i t can be thei r choi ce. You re spoi li ng them, Mom. And you don t, son? I m thei r grandmother and that gi ves me the ri ght to spoi l them rotten. You, on the other hand, don t have the same ri ghts. Gri ffi n stared at hi s mother dressed i n a styli sh li nen pantsui t. The reddi sh-orange color flattered the former li brari an s dark complexi on. As a dad I do. Reachi ng for a cup i n an overhead cabi net, Glori a placed i t under the coffee-brewi ng machi ne then pushed a button to start the process. You enjoy bei ng a father. The questi on was a statement. Bendi ng hi s tall body to fi t i nto the chai r i n the di ni ng nook, Gri ffi n nodded. I do. At fi rst I kept telli ng myself that I couldn t do i t, that I d fai l mi serably, but thanks to Beli nda I ve been holdi ng my own. Resti ng a hi p agai nst a grani te-topped countertop, Glori a met her son s di rect stare. I never thought I d say thi s, but I m goi ng to anyway. Beli nda s a better mother than her si ster. Donna was totally di sorgani zed and much too lax wi th her daughters. When I told her that the gi rls left thei r clothes wherever they stepped out of them her excuse was that was what she was there forto pi ck up after them. Beli nda changed that, Mom. I know. Layla called me when she got her cell phone to tell me about her new bedroom and study area. She also sai d she had to keep her room clean otherwi se she and Sabri na would lose certai n pri vi leges. Gri ffi n nodded. At fi rst I thought Beli nda was bei ng a li ttle too stri ct, but unli ke Donna she s not a stay-at-home mother. She has enough to deal wi th at the hi gh school wi thout havi ng to come home and pi ck up after teenagers. There was only the sound of brewi ng coffee as mother and son regarded each other. She s good for the gi rls and she s good for you, Glori a sai d after a comfortable pause. Beli nda s an i ncredi ble mother, and an even more i ncredi ble woman. I take i t you li ke her. Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes and when he opened them they were fi lled wi th an emoti on Glori a had never seen before. There was no doubt her son was taken

wi th hi s ni eces godmother. It goes beyond li ki ng, Mom. I m i n love wi th Beli nda. Does she know i t? Gri ffi n shook hi s head. I don t thi nk so. When are you goi ng to tell her? I don t know. I suppose I m wai ti ng for the ri ght ti me. There s never a ri ght ti me when i t comes to affai rs of the heart, Gri ffi n Ri ce. You wai t too long and you re goi ng to lose her. I m not goi ng to lose her. Why? Because you say so? A muscle qui vered at Gri ffi n s jaw. No. Because i t s not goi ng to happen. Glori a saw movement out of the corner of her eye. What i s i t, Sabri na? Layla wants chi cken and waffles and I want a hamburger. Don t worry, sweets. We ll fi nd a restaurant where Layla can get her chi cken and waffles and you your burger. Thank you, Grandma. You re welcome, Sabri na. I can t beli eve they re growi ng up so qui ckly, Glori a remarked after Sabri na returned to the spare bedroom she shared wi th her si ster whenever they came to vi si t. That s what fri ghtens me, Mom. What am I goi ng to do when the boys come knocki ng on the door? You ll know what to do when the ti me comes. I hope you re ri ght. Do you thi nk i t d be any easi er i f they were boys? Glori a asked. Yeah, I thi nk so. At least I d be able to tell them what not to do. Glori a added a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of cream to the cup when the brewi ng cycle ended, handi ng i t to her son. Stop stressi ng yourself, Gri ffi n. Everythi ng wi ll work out okay. Glori a s everythi ng wi ll work out okay played over and over i n Gri ffi n s head duri ng hi s return dri ve to Beli nda s house. And, when he opened the door to fi nd her standi ng i n the mi ddle of her bedroom i n her underwear, he told hi mself that hi s mother was ri ght. As long as he had Beli nda i n hi s li fe he di dn t have anythi ng to worry about. Crossi ng the room, he brushed a ki ss over her mouth. I ll be ready as soon as I shave and shower. Beli nda walked i nto the grand ballroom of the Ri tzCarlton, her hand tucked i n the bend of Gri ffi n s elbow over the sleeve of hi s tuxedo jacket. The ni ght was warm enough for her to drape just a si lk shawl over the customary li ttle black dress. The one-shoulder sati n-organza wi th a generous front sli t showed off her legs and matchi ng

Chri sti an Loubouti n four-i nch pumps wi th each step. Her styli st had cut her hai r, and i t hi ghli ghted the roundness of her face when i t feathered around her deli cate jawli ne. She d taken speci al care wi th her makeup, applyi ng smoky and raspberry colors to her li ds, cheeks and li ps. It had been a whi le si nce her last black-ti e affai r, and i t was fun to dress up for the event. Gri ffi n was breathtaki ngly, drop-dead gorgeous, and as comfortable i n formal atti re as he was i n casual clothes. He d elected to wear a plati num-tone si lk ti e wi th hi s tuxedo rather than the usual black. The event was to rai se funds for an up-and-comi ng poli ti ci an who d announced hi s i ntent to challenge the controversi al, but very popular i ncumbent mayor. It wasn t unti l Beli nda was i ntroduced to the chari smati c mayoral candi date that she learned that he and Gri ffi n had attended law school together. Gri ffi n had graduated fi rst and the candi date number two i n thei r class. Patri ck Garson s dark blue eyes took i n everythi ng about the woman besi de Gri ffi n Ri ce i n one sweepi ng glance. Reachi ng for her hands, he brought one hand to hi s mouth and ki ssed her fi ngers. Lovely. You are si mply lovely Beli nda, Gri ffi n suppli ed. Her name i s Beli nda Eaton. Beli nda, thi s i s my good fri end and hopefully the next mayor of Phi ladelphi a, Patri ck Garson. Beli nda smi led and mouthed the appropri ate responses. There was somethi ng about Patri ck Garson that was too perfect. Not a strand was out of place i n hi s wavy honeyblond hai r. Even hi s sandy-brown eyebrows were perfect, and Beli nda wondered whether he had them plucked or waxed. She approved of metrosexual men, but she beli eved men li ke Patri ck were apt to spend a li ttle too much ti me i n the mi rror. Pat, darli ng. Oh, there you are, a woman drawled wi th a thi ck Southern i nflecti on. Beli nda turned to fi nd a statuesque blonde headi ng i n thei r di recti on. The li ght from the chandeli ers overhead gli nted off the large soli tai re on her left hand. Smi li ng, she looped her arm through Patri ck s. Barbie and Ken. A knowi ng smi le touched Beli nda s li ps. Patri ck and the woman who probably was hi s fi ance were the perfect prototypes for the popular dolls. Her topaz-blue eyes li t up when she spi ed Gri ffi n. Gri ff, darli ng. How are you? Gri ffi n touched hi s cheek to hers. I m good, Jessi ca. How are you? Holdi ng out her arms, Jessi ca spun around on her desi gner sti lettos. As you can see, I m really good. It was a bi tch tryi ng to lose the last ten pounds, but I di d i t. Beli nda stared at Jessi ca, stunned. The woman was practi cally ski n and bones. She was at least fi ve-eleven i n

her bare feet, and probably wei ghed less than Beli nda. Wrappi ng an arm around Beli nda s wai st, Gri ffi n pulled her agai nst hi s length. Beli nda, I d li ke to i ntroduce you to another of my law school fri ends. Thi s i s Jessi ca Ri cci , Pat s fi ance and hopefully the next fi rst lady of Phi ladelphi a. Jessi ca, Beli nda Eaton. Jessi ca flashed her practi ced smi le, exhi bi ti ng a mouth of perfect porcelai n veneers. I m charmed to meet you, Beli nda. Please call me Jessi e. Jessi ca sounds so stai d. Beli nda couldn t help but return the fri endly i nfecti ous smi le that cri nkled the blonde s bri lli ant eyes. Then Jessi e i t i s. Are you a lawyer, too? she drawled. No. I m a teacher. Do you teach the li ttle babi es? Shaki ng her head and smi li ng, Beli nda sai d, No. I teach at the hi gh school level. How do you keep the boys from comi ng on to you? Beli nda felt the heat from Gri ffi n s gaze when he stared at her. It was the same questi on he d put to her, what seemed so long ago. I don t entertai n thei r advances. Gri ffi n s fi ngers ti ghtened. Beli nda and I are goi ng to get somethi ng from the bar, then we re goi ng to ci rculate. I ll call you later, Pat, and we ll set up somethi ng where the four of us can get together wi thout reporters and photographers shadowi ng you. Patri ck patted Gri ffi n s shoulder. I ll be wai ti ng for your call. Thanks, Beli nda whi spered under her breath as Gri ffi n led her across the ballroom to one of three bars set up around the peri meter. I should ve warned you about Jessi ca. She s a li ttle chatty, but she s perfect for Patri ck. They remi nd me of Ken and Barbi e dolls. Gri ffi n chuckled. One ti me we had a Halloween party and they came dressed as Ken and Barbi e. Does she have an eati ng di sorder? No. She had an acci dent several years back, and a doctor put her on corti sone, whi ch made her put on about fi fty pounds. She fi nally came off the medi cati on and i t took two years of di et and exerci se to lose the wei ght. Are you supporti ng hi m because he s a fri end, or because you feel he s the best candi date for the offi ce? Both, Gri ffi n stated emphati cally. Patri ck has one of the most bri lli ant mi nds of anyone I ve met or known. He would make a very good mayor. Hi s gaze li ngered on Beli nda s mouth. Patri ck had called her lovelyand that she was. Now, what can I get you to dri nk? I ll have a whi te wi ne. Hi s eyebrows li fted. Are you sure you don t want anythi ng stronger?

Very sure, darli ng. I ve appoi nted myself the desi gnated dri ver for toni ght, so I don t want to overdo i t. Gri ffi n leaned closer. I m goi ng to have to have one dri nk, so you don t have to worry about my bei ng i mpai red. I ll sti ll have the whi te Her words trai led off when she spi ed someone she hadn t seen i n years. Excuse me, Gri ffi n. I ll be ri ght back. He stood moti onless, watchi ng Beli nda as she wove her way through the throng crowdi ng i n the ballroom. He wasn t aware that he d been holdi ng hi s breath unti l he saw her talki ng to a woman who looked vaguely fami li ar. Beli nda tapped the shoulder of a woman wi th ski n the color of palomi no-gold. Surpri se, then shock froze the features of Zabri na Cooper when she turned around. Beli nda. Zabri na Mi xon. There was no emoti on i n Beli nda s voi ce. It s Cooper. I ve gone back to usi ng my mai den name. Beli nda stared at the i ncredi bly beauti ful woman who, i f she d marri ed Myles, would ve become her si ster-i n-law. But weeks before they were scheduled to exchange vows, Zabri na ended the engagement and marri ed a much older mana promi nent Pennsylvani a poli ti ci an. And when she gave bi rth to a son ni ne months later, rumors were rampant that she d been sleepi ng wi th Thomas Cooper whi le engaged to Myles Eaton. Beli nda wanted to hate the woman who d embarrassed her fami ly and broken her brother s heart. She d felt personally responsi ble for the breakup, because she d been the one to i ntroduce her then-best fri end to her brother. I m sorry to hear about your husband. Don t feel sorry for me, Beli nda. It s Adam who needs your sympathy. It s not easy for a ten-year-old to adjust to losi ng hi s father. Beli nda went completely sti ll. It was apparent Zabri na wasn t goi ng to play the gri evi ng wi dow. You never loved hi m, di d you? If you want to know the truth, Beli nda, then I m goi ng to tell you the truth. I hated Thomas Cooper as much as I loved your brother. Beli nda recalled the i mages of Zabri na Cooper stari ng blankly at photographers when they snapped frames of her stoi c face at her husband s funeral. Thomas Cooper had come from a long li ne of Afri can Ameri can poli ti ci ans dati ng back to the 1890s, and when the confi rmed bachelor announced hi s engagement a collecti ve groan went up from women all over the state. And ni ne months later when hi s young wi fe deli vered a son, rumors as to hi s hasty nupti als were put to rest.

If you hated hi m, then why di d you marry hi m, Bri na? Zabri na bli nked back tears. It d been years si nce anyone had called her Bri na, and heari ng i t come from her chi ldhood fri end took her back to a ti me when all was ri ght and pure i n her world. I can t tell you. I swore an oath that I d never tell anyone. Beli nda moved closer. You don t have to tell me i f you don t want to. I need a fri end, Beli nda. When I marri ed Thomas he made me get ri d of all my fri ends. Beli nda felt her pai n. Do you have a pi ece of paper? Why? I want to gi ve you my phone numbers. Maybe we can get together to have lunch or even di nner. Openi ng her small eveni ng bag, Zabri na took out her cell phone. I ll program your numbers i nto my phone. Three mi nutes later, the two women parted wi th a promi se to get together to talk. They couldn t change the past, but Beli nda knew Zabri na needed a fri end. Wasn t that Thomas Cooper s wi dow? Gri ffi n asked when Beli nda returned. Yes. He d heard rumors why Zabri na Mi xon marri ed a man old enough to be her father, but they d remai ned just that rumors. What he di d know was that when she ended her engagement to Myles to marry Cooper she d been vi li fi ed i n the press unti l Thomas Cooper used hi s poli ti cal i nfluence to pull the arti cles. Beli nda accepted the glass of wi ne Gri ffi n had ordered for her. We re goi ng to have lunch or di nner one of these days, she sai d after taki ng a si p of the cool li qui d. Good for you. Oh, you approve? Gri ffi n nodded. Yes. Look at us, once we were able to clear the ai r about how we feel about each other. You re ri ght, darli ng. Gri ffi n knew she li ked hi m, but what he di dn t know was how much she d come to love hi menough to want to spend the rest of her li fe wi th hi m.

Chapter 14 Sabri na leaned closer to her si ster as they sat i n front of

the computer moni tor. I don t li ke that dress. Layla rolled her eyes. You don t have to li ke i t. We re just looki ng at di fferent styles. Isn t i t too soon to thi nk of bri desmai d s dresses when Uncle Gri ff hasn t gi ven her a ri ng? Layla s hand sti lled on the mouse. Wasn t i t you who sai d you overheard hi m tell Grandma that he was i n love

wi th Aunt Li ndy? Yes, but that sti ll doesn t mean they re goi ng to get marri ed. I just want to be ready i n case they are ready. I know we ll be i n the weddi ng, but I am not goi ng to wear a dress I don t li ke. Sabri na stared at her twi n. Maybe i t s better i f we desi gn the i nvi tati ons fi rst. Then the only thi ng we ll have to do i s fi ll i n the date. Okay, Layla conceded. We ll do the i nvi tati ons. What i f we get some bri dal magazi nes and look through them. It would be easi er than tryi ng to come up wi th our own desi gns. That s a good i dea. Let s ask Uncle Gri ff i f he can take us to the mall. Layla shook her head. I don t know i f he s goi ng to take us agai n. We were just there yesterday. Sabri na pursed her mouth. I could always tell hi m that we need to get a gi ft for Aunt Li ndy s bi rthday. Let s do i t, Layla sai d, shutti ng down the computer. Beli nda s cell phone rang, and she reached over to the table next to her rocker to retri eve i t. She pushed the talk button wi thout glanci ng at the di splay. Hello. Hello, Beli nda. She sat up after recogni zi ng the voi ce comi ng through the earpi ece. Raymond. Long ti me, no hear. Where are you? I m sti ll i n Orlando, but I m comi ng up your way next week. Do you thi nk you can fi nd some ti me to see me? Where are you goi ng to be? I have to attend a conference at Johns Hopki ns, but I can stop i n Phi lly for a few days ei ther before or after. You re goi ng to have to gi ve me a date, Raymond. My ni eces are li vi ng wi th me now, and I have very li ttle free ti me. How do you li ke playi ng mother? A sli ght frown appeared between her eyes. I m not playi ng mother, Raymond. I am a mother. I m sorry about that. She smi led. Apology accepted. Look, Raymond, I m not i n the house ri ght now so there s no way for me to check my planner. Can you call me tomorrow eveni ng and I ll let you know when we can get together? You ve got i t, doll. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Raymond. Beli nda looked at Gri ffi n stari ng back at her. He d overheard her conversati on wi th Raymond. Raymond s comi ng up next week. I thought paroled cons weren t allowed to leave the state, Gri ffi n sai d, deadpan.

That s enough, Gri ffi n. Gri ffi n left the cushi oned love seat on Beli nda s front porch and came over to hunker down i n front of her. Sunshi ne s comi ng up next week and what, Beli nda? Are you goi ng to ask me to take care of the gi rls whi le you open your legs for hi m? Stop i t! Her eyes fi lled wi th tears. You have so li ttle respect for me that you thi nk I d sleep wi th two men at the same ti me? What s wi th you and thi s dude? He s a fri end, Gri ffi n. A fri end I m not sleepi ng wi th, she added i n a softer tone. Of course you re not sleepi ng wi th hi m because you re sleepi ng wi th me. But what s goi ng to happen when he comes up? Suddenly i t dawned on Beli nda that Gri ffi n was jealous jealous of a man he d never met. Nothi ng s goi ng to happen. I told hi m that I have the gi rls li vi ng wi th me, so he s goi ng to stay at a hotel. And what i f the gi rls weren t li vi ng wi th you. Where would he stay? In my guest bedroom. Gri ffi n bli nked once. You really mean that you re just friends? She threw up a hand. Yes, Gri ffi n Ri ce! We are f-r-i-e-nd-s! She spelled the word for hi m. A smi le li t up Gri ffi n s face li ke the ri si ng sun. Well, damn, Eaton. Why di dn t you say that i n the fi rst place? I di d, Ri ce, she countered. You just chose to beli eve what you wanted to beli eve, that a woman can t be fri ends wi th a man and not sleep wi th hi m. I ve had women as fri ends that I di dn t sleep wi th. Beli nda emi tted an unladyli ke snort. Yeah, ri ght. He leaned closer. We were fri ends before we started sleepi ng together. She ran a fi nger down the length of hi s nose. Wrong, Ri ce. We were i n-laws before we started sleepi ng together. We re sti ll i n-laws. True, Beli nda drawled. Reachi ng for her wri st, Gri ffi n eased Beli nda off the rocker and onto the floor of the porch. I ve been doi ng some thi nki ng about hangi ng out here duri ng the week and at my place on the weekends. You know you re dangerous when you start thi nki ng, she sai d teasi ngly. I m seri ous, Beli nda. She sobered. Talk to me. Hi s eyes were fathomless pools of dark brown when he focused on Beli nda s mouth. Why don t we blend focused on Beli nda s mouth. Why don t we blend

households? Please explai n blendi ng, because I thought that s what we ve done. Ei ther you li ve wi th me, or I ll li ve wi th you. Beli nda shook her head. Isn t that what we re doi ng, Gri ffi n? You spend more ti me here duri ng the week than you do i n Paoli . And there re very few weekends we re not i n Paoli . So, I don t know what i t i s you want. Gri ffi n took a deep breath. I want you, me and the gi rls to li ve together under one roof. For a moment, Beli nda let herself beli eve she was mi staken when she tri ed analyzi ng the complex man si tti ng besi de her. You want us to shack up together? Li ve together. Li ve. Shack. Same di fference. What do you thi nk? I thi nk you re crazy. What message would we send to our ni eces i f we shack up together? It doesn t have to be shacki ng up, as you put i t. Pray tell, Ri ce, what would i t be? We could get marri ed. Beli nda stared at Gri ffi n Ri ce as i f he d taken leave of hi s senses. He d menti oned marri age as i f he were negoti ati ng a deal. Gi ve me thi s and I ll concede that. And, she wondered, what provoked hi s spur-of-the-moment proposal? The sex was greatno, i t was better than great. It was i ncredi ble. And what about love? Di d he actually beli eve she would marry hi m when not once had he sai d or she would marry hi m when not once had he sai d or i ndi cated that he loved her? A hi nt of a smi le ghosted across her face as reali zati on dawned, just as the sky cleared wi th the sun ri si ng each morni ng. Thi s i s about Raymond, i sn t i t? Who? Gri ffi n asked, fei gni ng i gnorance. Sunshi ne. Thi s i s about hi m, i sn t i t? You sti ll don t beli eve that we have a platoni c relati onshi p and i f I became your wi fe then you d make certai n he d be out of my li fe permanently. Thanks, but no thanks, Gri ffi n. I don t want to marry you. Thi s i s not about Sunshi ne. Who i s i t about, Gri ffi n, because i t s defi ni tely not about us. Pushi ng to her feet, she stood up and went i nto the house, leavi ng hi m stari ng i nto space. The soft slam of the door caught hi s attenti on and Gri ffi n thought Beli nda had come back because she d changed her mi nd. He schooled hi s features so not to reveal hi s di sappoi ntment when Sabri na and Layla came out of the house. Sabri na stared at her si ster. Uncle Gri ff, can you please dri ve us to the mall?

He frowned. Di dn t we have thi s conversati on yesterday? Yes, Layla sai d qui ckly. But we forgot to buy somethi ng for Aunt Li ndy s bi rthday. Gri ffi n stood up. When s her bi rthday? May twenty-ei ghth, the gi rls sai d i n uni son. He wanted to tell hi s ni eces that he di dn t want to go back to a mall two days i n a row because he hated fi ghti ng the parki ng-lot traffi c. He also detested the crowds. If they d spent the weekend i n Paoli then he would ve dri ven them to a smaller mall that featured speci alty shops i nstead of the large department stores. Mother s Day had come and gone and the day hadn t gone well wi th the teenagers. They spent the day i n thei r rooms, refusi ng to go to thei r grandparents house for Sunday di nner. It ended when he sat down wi th them to let both gi rls know how much Beli nda had been hurt by thei r behavi or, but that she understood they mi ssed thei r mother, that although she would never replace thei r mother she loved them as i f she d gi ven bi rth to them. The day ended wi th the four of them crawli ng i nto Beli nda s bed and falli ng asleep. He woke hours later and carri ed the gi rls to thei r bed, then drove back to Paoli . Gri ffi n di dn t know how Beli nda di d i t. She made parenti ng look so easy when i n reali ty i t was the hardest job i n the world. Reachi ng i nto the pocket of hi s jeans, he took out hi s car keys. Let s go. We have to get our money, Layla sai d exci tedly. I ll cover you thi s ti me, Gri ffi n offered. The two gi rls exchanged a glance. Sabri na smi led at her uncle. We have to get our purses. Hurry up. Hi s voi ce was fraught wi th resi gnati on. He di dn t know what i t was wi th women and handbags. It was as i f they couldn t go anywhere wi thout a purse attached to thei r wri st or shoulder. Gri ffi n found hi mself si tti ng on a tufted chai r i n a jewelry shop whi le a saleswoman showed Sabri na and Layla gold lockets. Layla beckoned to hi m. Come, Uncle Gri ff, and look at thi s one. Do you thi nk Aunt Li ndy would li ke i t? He stood and came over to the counter. Hi s ni eces had selected a vari ety of heart-shaped lockets. Whi ch ones do you li ke? They poi nted to two lockets. I li ke thi s one, he sai d, poi nti ng to one wi th a di amond on the front. We don t have enough money for that one, Sabri na sai d. He pulled her ponytai l. Don t worry about the pri ce. Pi ck out whatever you want.

Gri ffi n wandered over to the showcase wi th di amond engagement ri ngs and weddi ng bands. He spi ed one that would look perfect on Beli nda s hand. Moti oni ng to a salesman, he poi nted i n the case. I want to see that one. Li ght from hangi ng lamps caught the bri lli ance of the di amond soli tai re. He di dn t know i f i t would fi t Beli nda, but he di dn t care. I ll take i t, he sai d softly. I don t want my daughters to know I m buyi ng thi s for thei r mother, so let s not make a bi g show of i t. Reachi ng i nto hi s pocket, he took out a case wi th hi s credi t cards. He pushed one across the counter, wi nki ng when the elderly man smi led at hi m. What di d you buy, Uncle Gri ff? Sabri na asked when she saw hi m wi th the small shoppi ng bag. It s just a li ttle somethi ng for your aunt s bi rthday. Are you fi ni shed shoppi ng? he asked, smoothly changi ng the topi c. We re goi ng downstai rs to the bookstore whi le you pay for the necklace. We ll meet you i n front of the store. Not wai ti ng for thei r uncle to agree or di sagree, the two gi rls raced out of the jewelry store. They needed to buy some magazi nes to get an i dea of what they wanted to wear to thei r aunt and uncle s weddi ng. Beli nda s palms ti ngled from applaudi ng as the enti re cast of the school producti on of Grease came back for a thi rd curtai n call. She was startled when Gri ffi n put two fi ngers i n hi s mouth and whi stled loud enough to shatter her eardrums. The spri ng concert was a rousi ng success. Beli nda had found herself si ngi ng along wi th Sandy and the Pi nk Ladi es, and she was surpri sed when Gri ffi n knew the lyri cs to Greased Li ghtni ng. Both sets of grandparents had come to see the producti on, but Dwi ght and Roberta decli ned Lucas and Glori a s i nvi tati on to come wi th them to take thei r granddaughters out to an i ce-cream parlor because they d commi tted to a di nner-dance and they would already be late, but they hadn t wanted to mi ss seei ng thei r grandchi ldren s dramati c debut. Beli nda ki ssed her mother and father, resplendent i n eveni ng atti re, and watched as they rushed out of the audi tori um. Let s wai t out i n the lobby for the gi rls, she shouted to be overheard. Slowly, they i nched thei r way down the ai sle and out of the audi tori um to the lobby of the eli te, pri vate school. Sabri na and Layla would enter the ni nth grade the next school year, and then she and Gri ffi n would have to select a hi gh school commensurate wi th thei r academi c standards. They d attended a publi c school from the fi rst to the thi rd grade, accelerati ng to the fi fth grade when they showed advanced apti tude. But at thei r present school, every

student was gi fted. They di dn t have to wai t long as Sabri na and Layla appearedboth i n stage makeup. Layla wore a cardi gan sweater, buttoned i n the back, poodle ski rt, bobby socks and black-and-whi te saddle shoes. She d ti ed a scarf around her neck and another around her ponytai l. Both gi rls squealed i n exci tement when Lucas and Glori a handed them bouquets of flowers. Lucas hunkered down and made a bi g show of ki ssi ng each gi rl on the cheek. The flowers are from both your grandma and grandpa. They had to leave. What s i n the shoppi ng bags i s somethi ng else Grandma and I brought back for you. They d bought so many souveni rs for the gi rls they d deci ded not to gi ve them everythi ng at the same ti me. Layla smi led and leaned closer to Lucas. Can we look now? No, baby gi rl. Open i t when you get home. Sabri na squi nted at Lucas. Grandpa, we re much too old to be baby gi rls. Lucas tugged on the end of her ponytai l. I don t care i f you re thi rty, you ll always be a baby gi rl to me. Gri ffi n patted hi s father s shoulder. Dad, i t s ti me we leave before we won t be able to get a seat. Noddi ng, Lucas rose to hi s feet. The gi rls can ri de wi th me and Glo. Gri ffi n wi nked at hi s mother. We ll meet you there. Your father has really mellowed, Beli nda sai d as Gri ffi n headed i n the di recti on of the i ce-cream parlor. Yeah. That s what Mom says. She clai ms goi ng away together was the best thi ng for hi m. For hi m, or for them, Gri ffi n? I thi nk i t was good for both of them. They needed ti me away to deal wi th whatever they needed to deal wi th.

Chapter 15 Gri ffi n sat i n the shi ny li psti ck-red booth wi th hi s mother
and Layla, whi le Sabri na, Beli nda and Lucas sat opposi te them. They d ordered floats and sundaes smothered wi th endless toppi ngs. Thi s i s decadent and fatteni ng, Glori a sai d, spooni ng i ce cream, whi pped cream and chopped nuts i nto her mouth. Layla pi cked colorful candi es off her sundae. My favori te i s Gummi Bears. Gri ffi n smi led at hi s mother. Di dn t you joi n a gym? I di d, but the questi on should be, do I go. Lucas stared at hi s ex-wi fe. I ll go wi th you when I m not worki ng. Sabri na patted her grandfather s arm. Do you sti ll work

at the hospi tal, Grandpa? No, sweetheart. I reti red from the hospi tal pharmacy and now work part-ti me. Is that good? He nodded. It s very good. I have a lot more ti me to do all the thi ngs I ve always wanted to do. Layla took a si p of water. Grandpa, can you take Breena and me wi th you when you go to Europe agai n? That depends on your aunt and uncle. We can t take you anywhere unless they say i t s okay. Is i t okay? the gi rls asked i n uni son. Beli nda looked di rectly at Gri ffi n. We have to talk about i t. And i t all depends, Gri ffi n added. On what? they chorused. On your grades and how well you do your chores. Layla rolled her eyes. Now you sound li ke Aunt Li ndy. Gri ffi n lowered hi s eyebrows. You di dn t know your Aunt Li ndy and I are a team? Sabri na sucked her teeth. I knew that. I heard you talki ng to Grandma and you told her that you love Aunt Li ndy. A si lence descended on the table so thi ck i t was palpable as the si x people i n the booth exchanged glances. Di d I say somethi ng I wasn t supposed to say? Sabri na whi spered, as i f telli ng a secret. Glori a glared across the table at her granddaughter. You re not supposed to li sten i n on other people s conversati ons. And i f you do, then you re not supposed to repeat i t. I wasn t li steni ng i n, Grandma. I just happened to walk i n the ki tchen whi le he was talki ng to you. Besi des, he was talki ng loud. If i t was a secret, then he should ve been whi speri ng. Beli nda s heart beat rapi dly agai nst her ri bs wi th Sabri na s revelati on. Gri ffi n had told hi s mother that he loved her and he hadn t told her. The nerve of hi m! The absolute nerve of hi m! Glori a touched a napki n to her mouth. I don t know about anyone else, but I m ready to turn i n. Beli nda, would you mi nd i f the gi rls stayed wi th me toni ght? After all, there s no school tomorrow. Yes, Mom, they can stay. Gri ffi n had answered for Beli nda. He knew she wanted answers, answers only he could gi ve her. And, i f she went off on hi m he di dn t want the gi rls around to hear them argui ng. He di dn t want to subject them to what he and Grant had gone through as chi ldren. I asked, Beli nda, Gri ffi n, Glori a admoni shed softly. I m sorry, Mom. Beli nda bli nked as i f shocked back to reali ty. Yes, Mrs. Ri ce, they can stay over.

Glori a gave her a sacchari ne smi le. I thi nk i t s ti me you ei ther call me Mom or Glori a. It s up to you. Beli nda returned her smi le. Thank youMom. Sli di ng out of the booth, Gri ffi n reached i nto hi s pocket and tossed a bi ll on the table. Extendi ng hi s hand, he gently helped Glori a out of the booth. We ll bri ng over a change of clothes when we come to pi ck them up tomorrow. Don t rush, son. I ll gi ve them somethi ng to wear. It may not be thei r style, but i t ll keep them clothed. Ti ptoei ng to reach hi m, Glori a ki ssed Gri ffi n s cheek. Good luck wi th Li ndy. Thank you. Gri ffi n had thought he was alone when he d told hi s mother that he was i n love wi th Beli nda and wanted to marry her. He was wai ti ng for the end of the school year to tell her, but hi s ni ece had let the cat out of the bag. He had to deal wi th i t nownot later. Not a word passed between them duri ng the dri ve from the i ce-cream parlor to Gri ffi n s house i n Paoli . He had wanted to tell Beli nda that he loved herloved anythi ng and everythi ng about her. It wasn t just her passi on, that she held nothi ng back when offeri ng herself, but i t was also her strength, i ntelli gence, determi nati on, dedi cati on and devoti on to her students and to thei r daughters. There was also the playfulness and wi t, the way she shed her i nhi bi ti ons when she was rolli ng on the floor wi th Ceci l and Ni gel. He loved her even when they di dn t agree on chi ld reari ng, because they were totally commi tted to the twi ns well-bei ng. Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes rather than watch Beli nda pace the length of the pati o i n Paoli . It wasn t that long ago that she d ordered hi m to meet her on the porch at Donna and Grant s house so they could talk. That ti me i t d been about hi s buyi ng gi fts for thei r ni eces, and now i t was about them. He opened hi s eyes at the same ti me a frown furrowed hi s smooth brow. Li ndy, please si t down and talk to me. Why, Gri ffi n, di d you have to tell your mother before you told me? I planned to tell you, but I wanted to wai t. She stopped long enough to gi ve hi m a hosti le stare. When? Eleven years from now? No, darli ng. Fi rst, I wanted to wai t unti l the school year was over. I di dn t want any di stracti ons when we sat down to plan our future. Then, I changed my mi nd and wanted to tell you on your bi rthday. You can t plan a future wi th me i f you don t tell me how you feel about me, Gri ffi n Ri ce. You told your mother that you loved me. Don t you thi nk i t s ti me you tell me to my face? Gri ffi n went to Beli nda, pulli ng her gently i nto hi s

embrace. I love you, Beli nda Jacqueli ne Eaton. I ve loved you for a very long ti me, but you wouldn t let me get close to you. It took a tragedywhen I reali zed I d lost my only si bli ngto shake me to the core. But I wi ll fi ght li ke hell to hold on to the only woman I ve ever loved. Beli nda couldn t stop the tears that were welli ng up i n her eyes from flowi ng. Her lower li p trembled. I should ki ck your behi nd, Gri ffi n Ri ce, for wai ti ng all these years to tell me thi s. What happened to the bi g-shot, hard-nosed lawyer who wi ll go to the mat for hi s cli ents, but can t tell a woman that he li kes her? Cradli ng her face i n hi s palms, Gri ffi n wi ped away her tears wi th hi s thumbs. I don t like you, Beli nda. You li ke me. I love you! No, Gri ffi n. I don t li ke you. What! A trembli ng smi le found i ts way over her face. I love you, Gri ffi n Ri ce. I love you, she repeated i t over and over as he pi cked her up and swung her around. Gri ffi n stopped, loweri ng her feet to the pati o floor. I m goi ng to ask you to do somethi ng for me, not toni ght, but soon. Easi ng back, Beli nda stared up i nto the eyes of the man she d loved for so long that she couldn t remember when she di dn t love hi m. What i s i t? Call Sunshi ne, and tell hi m that i f he ever comes wi thi n ten feet of my fi ance agai n I m goi ng to hurt hi m real bad, he sai d, emphasi zi ng the last four words. Beli nda smi led through the tears that were turni ng her eyes i nto pools of smoky quartz. I told Raymond about you, and he says that exchangi ng Chri stmas cards wi ll be the extent of our fri endshi p. He di dn t thi nk he would be as understandi ng i f you were my fri end, and I was sleepi ng wi th hi m. I ve changed my mi nd about Sunshi ne. I thi nk I li ke hi m. And I m sorry that I called hi m a chump and a con man. Movi ng closer, Beli nda ki ssed the cleft i n hi s sexy chi n. You were jealous, when you had no need to be. It was you I was sleepi ng wi th, not Raymond. Lucky me. I m the one who gets the nasty gi rl. You turned me i nto a nasty gi rl, Gri ffi n Ri ce. Gui lty as charged. Bendi ng sli ghtly, he swept her up i n hi s arms. Let s go i nsi de and test the nasty meter agai n. But, before we do that we should talk about a few other thi ngs. What other thi ngs? When do you want to get marri ed? Do you want to li ve closer to Phi lly or here i n Paoli ? Do you want to i ncrease our fami ly Beli nda placed her hand over hi s mouth. Stop talki ng, counselor. I can answer all those questi ons for you ri ght

now. I d li ke to get marri ed someti me thi s summer, preferably before the end of July. I d prefer li vi ng i n Paoli , but of course that means our daughters wi ll have to change school di stri cts. And yes, I d li ke to begi n i ncreasi ng our fami ly as soon as possi ble. Are there any other questi ons? He shook hi s head. That s enough for now. Gri ffi n locked the door and carri ed Beli nda up the stai rcase to what would become thei r bedroom. There was only the sound of measured breathi ng as she and the man holdi ng her to hi s heart placed her on the bed. Leani ng over, he brushed a ki ss over her parted li ps. Don t move. I know your bi rthday i s a couple of days away, but I d li ke to gi ve you your gi ft now. Beli nda leaned over on her elbows, her chi n resti ng on her hands as she watched Gri ffi n walk to the tri ple dresser and open a drawer. He returned to the bed and sat down next to Beli nda. Reachi ng for her left hand, he sli pped the ri ng on her thi rd fi nger, exhali ng audi bly. It was a perfect fi t. Beli nda couldn t stop shaki ng. The bri lli ant emerald-cut di amond ri ng surrounded by baguette di amonds was magni fi cent. For the second ti me i n a matter of mi nutes her eyes fi lled wi th tears. II don t If you don t li ke i t, then I ll take i t back and you can pi ck out one that I love i t, Gri ffi n. I love you, she sai d, i nterrupti ng hi m. Putti ng her arms around hi s neck, she pressed her face to hi s warm throat. When di d you buy the ri ng? I don t remember. Beli nda gave hi m a skepti cal look. I don t beli eve you. I bought i t almost two weeks ago. You were that certai n I d marry you that you bought me a ri ng? No. I bought i t, hopi ng and prayi ng that one day you d accept i t. Before you told me that you loved me? I was goi ng to do thateventually. What am I goi ng to do wi th you, Gri ffi n Ri ce? Leani ng back agai nst the headboard, Gri ffi n stared di rectly at Beli nda. You re goi ng to marry me and gi ve Sabri na and Layla a few brothers and si sterstechni cally they ll be cousi ns. And we ll grow more i n love wi th each other as we grow old together. I m never growi ng old, darli ng, and I don t want to stop bei ng a nasty gi rl. He trai led a seri es of ki sses down the column of her neck, whi le unbuttoni ng her blouse. Even when you re ni nety-two and I m ni nety-seven you ll sti ll be my beauti ful, preci ous, nasty gi rl. Beli nda s breathi ng qui ckened as i f she were panti ng, whi le Gri ffi n stri pped her of each arti cle of clothi ng. She

wanted hi m to go faster, but he seemed determi ned to take hi s ti me. Her blouse, slacks and bra lay i n a pool at the foot of the large bed. Once he d taken off her panti es, she lay completely naked and vulnerable to hi s ravenous gaze. Goi ng to her knees, she undressed her fi anc as slowly as he d undressed her. And, when he lay on hi s back, all of hi s masculi ne magni fi cence was on di splay for her hungry gaze. A look of heated passi on passed between them. Thi s comi ng together would be di fferent from all the others. The ri ng on her fi nger symboli zed a shared commi tment, a conti nuous bond of love that had no begi nni ng or end. Thi s ni ght wasn t hers or Gri ffi n s, but thei rs. Supporti ng herself wi th her hands, she lowered her body unti l her breasts were molded to hi s broad chest. Do you want i t nasty, or do you want i t ni ce? Smi li ng, Gri ffi n closed hi s eyes. I ll take i t any way and any how you choose to gi ve i t to me. It was Beli nda s turn to smi le. Li ke Ti na Turner sang i n Proud Mary, I m goi ng to gi ve i t to you ni ce before i t gets rough. Gri ffi n opened hi s eyes as an expressi on of un-abashed carnal i nsti nct spread across hi s face. Serve i t, Eaton. Hi s ri ch, deep voi ce had dropped an octave. Oh! he bellowed wi thi n seconds of i ssui ng the challenge when Beli nda s mouth branded hi m her possessi on, swallowi ng back the expleti ve. Her tongue took hi m to a place where he d never been, and he surrendered all he was, had been and ever hoped to be. Her hot breath seared hi s loi ns and he went sti ll, unable to protest or thi nk of anythi ng except the exqui si te pleasure Beli nda offered hi m. Clampi ng both hands over hi s mouth to muffle the groans crowdi ng hi s throat, Gri ffi n arched hi s pelvi s off the bed. Hi s passi ons were bui ldi ng qui ckly and he knew i t was just a matter of ti me before he wouldn t be able to control where they d be spent. He sat up qui ckly, reachi ng for Beli nda s hai r. She emi tted a small cry of surpri se when he forced her to release hi s erecti on. Not gi vi ng her the opportuni ty to protest, he fli pped her over and entered her i n one, sure moti on that buri ed hi s sex so deeply i nsi de her that thei r bodi es ceased to exi st as separate enti ti es. Beli nda s arms went around Gri ffi n s wai st as ri vulets of sweat bathed hi s back and dotted her hands. She couldn t thi nk of anythi ng except the hard body atop hers as together they found a rhythm where they were i n perfect harmony. The contracti ons began as flutters then i ncreased i n i ntensi ty unti l the hottest of fi res swept over her, leavi ng ti ny embers of ecstasy that li ngered long after she d returned from her free fall. Reachi ng down, Gri ffi n cupped her hi ps i n hi s hands,

li fti ng her hi gher and allowi ng for deeper penetrati on, then qui ckeni ng hi s movements and bellowi ng out her name as he spi lled hi s passi on i nsi de her hot, wet body. There was only the sound of thei r labored breathi ng i n the sti llness of the bedroom as they lay moti onless, savori ng the aftermath of a shared, sweet fulfi llment. As they lay i n bed, thei r sexual passi ons momentari ly sated, Beli nda thought of her si ster. She wi shed her si ster could have been there to see her exchange vows wi th Gri ffi n. But she knew Donna was smi li ng. Darli ng? Gri ffi n smi led. What i s i t, baby? If we have a gi rl I want to name her Donna. But, i f i t s a boy then i t ll be Grant. Gri ffi n felt a rush of tears behi nd hi s eyeli ds. He d cri ed when told of hi s brother s death, and there was no doubt he would cry agai nat the bi rth of hi s and Beli nda s chi ld. It di dn t matter whether i t was a boy or a gi rl. It would be loved, cheri shed and, of course, spoi led. He would make certai n of that. Turni ng hi s head, he fastened hi s mouth to the si de of her neck. Those are wonderful names. Beli nda smi led. I di dn t thi nk you had i t i n you, but I thi nk I m goi ng to gi ve you a passi ng grade i n the daddy category. Gri ffi n chuckled. Does thi s mean I m goi ng to get an A? Don t push i t, Ri ce, she teased. What grade wi ll you gi ve me? She wri nkled her nose. B-plus. If I gi ve you an A then you ll end up wi th a swelled head. You keep cranki ng up that nasty meter and another head wi ll remai n swollen. Beli nda landed a soft punch on hi s shoulder. You are so nasty, Gri ffi n Ri ce. Li fti ng hi s head, he flashed a wi de gri n. I know, and you li ke i t, don t you? Hell, yeah! That s my gi rl! Gri ffi n wi thdrew from Beli nda and pulled her agai nst hi s chest. Di d I tell you that I loved you? She wri nkled her nose agai n. I don t remember. But you can tell me, just to refresh my memory. And Gri ffi n knew he would tell Beli nda that he loved her every day for the rest of thei r li ves together. ISBN: 978-1-4268-2661-0 BITTERSWEET LOVE Copyri ght 2009 by Rochelle Alers All ri ghts reserved. The reproducti on, transmi ssi on or uti li zati on of thi s work i n whole or i n part i n any form by any electroni c, mechani cal or other means, now known or hereafter i nvented, i ncludi ng xerography, photocopyi ng and

recordi ng, or i n any i nformati on storage or retri eval system, i s forbi dden wi thout wri tten permi ssi on. For permi ssi on please contact Ki mani Press, Edi tori al Offi ce, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A. Thi s i s a work of fi cti on. Names, characters, places and i nci dents are ei ther the product of the author s i magi nati on or are used fi cti ti ously, and any resemblance to actual persons, li vi ng or dead, busi ness establi shments, events or locales i s enti rely coi nci dental. and TM are trademarks. Trademarks i ndi cated wi th are regi stered i n the Uni ted States Patent and Trademark Offi ce, the Canadi an Trade Marks Offi ce and/or other countri es. www.ki mani press.com
* The Blackstones of Virginia

* The Blackstones of Virginia

* The Blackstones of Virginia