I stifled a giggle then hid my smile behind my coffee mug.
“Did someone say donuts?”Richie, Sam and Regina’s son,asked, strolling in, eyes homing in on the boxes.
Darius’s hand darted out and he stacked up a lemon filled, acinnamon roll and a Boston cream.
He leaned back, set the cinnamon and Boston cream on thecounter by his side and handed me the lemon.
My man.
Always taking care of me.
Jacqueline swanned her tiny behind in, body swathed in ashort robe, face perfection, hair still in curlers.
Her gaze went to Darius.“Bad timing,cuz.You don’t interrupt a girl in the midst of her daily preparations.”
“You didn’t have to come down,” Darius pointed out.
“And let Richie and Dad eat them all?”she asked.
She leaned over the boxes delicately, perusing the selectionlike her decision would take hours, then snatched a jelly from right underRichie’s fingers.
“Hey!”he snapped.
“Snoozers are losers,” she said before making a show ofbiting into it, not taking her eyes from her brother.
“No wonder Tyler didn’t want to come to Denver with you forThanksgiving,” Richie verbally slapped back.
“Oh, Lord,” Miss Regina called to the ceiling.
Jacqueline swallowed her bite of donut and sniped, “My manis tight with his family.”
“He’d reach for a turkey leg, and you’d gnaw off the poorbrother’s arm,” Richie returned.
She smiled sweetly, and with experience from the last twodays, I knew Richie was in for it.
“At least he doesn’t break up with me before every holidaybecause I’m too chickenshit to commit, even after six years together.”Shelifted her hand and wriggled the big diamond on it in his face.Unexpectedly,her expression turned horrified, and she whirled on Darius and me.“I’m sorry.No offense.You all had extenuating circumstances.”
“No offense taken,” I told her.
“Kimberly understands a man needs to be ready,” Richiehuffed.
Jacqueline whirled back to him.“Kimberly right now ischecking out Chester because he’s a man who can commit.”
“Yeah, he’s proved that, with two divorces, and thebrother’s my age, thirty-two fuckin’ years old.”
“Richard!Language!”Miss Regina shouted.
The front door opened.
“Yoohoo!”Miss Dorothea called.
“In here, Ma!”Darius yelled.
Gah!
The shouting.
I blew out a breath.
