Loretta rolled her eyes. “Guessing games are for kids. Out with it, Tanya.”
Tanya frowned. “You certainly know how to take all the fun out of things, Loretta. You really do need to lighten up. You’re going to end up with high blood pressure or a heart attack.”
Loretta drummed her fingers on the table and stared at Tanya, saying nothing.
“All right, already. I’m hosting a cookout for Preacher and his church friends this weekend.”
“That’s it? I don’t see why you’re bragging about it. You’re supposed to be getting Preacher away from those folks, not entertaining them, or have you forgotten? Maybe you’re turning like Preacher did?”
“No way,” she said. “I’m only trying to keep things lively. I thought it might be fun to have them over. Get to know them a little bit. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Loretta considered Tanya’s words. The airhead might have a point. It’d be nice to check those jokers out. Preacher was so blinded by them that he couldn’t see them clearly. She, on the other hand, could spot a faker from a mile away. “So who all’s coming to this cookout of yours?”
“I knew you’d be interested.” Tanya leaned forward, a gleam in her eyes. “Preacher’s sponsor, the guy who worked with him at the prison, and his wife. The guy’s sister and her man. And me and Preacher. So there’ll be six of us.”
Loretta began shaking her head. “No,” she said. “There’ll be eight of you. Add me and my date to the guest list.”
Tanya sat back. “You and a date? Who is he? I knew there was somebody.”
Loretta rolled her eyes again. “Focus, Tanya. We’re talking about this cookout of yours. I’m coming and I’m bringing a date. I hate to admit it, but you had a good idea about getting to know these people. We need to help Preacher see them for who they truly are.”
“I know what you’re talking about, girl. I had to put one of those church sisters, that Natalie, on blast. She was pushing up on Preacher.”
Loretta wasn’t sure she believed Tanya, but it was an interesting development. She’d have to watch this Natalie. She remembered Andre telling her that Dante was dating the woman. What an interesting little gathering this was going to be. “You’d better watch out,” she told Tanya just to irritate her, “Preacher is into all things church these days. His finding a church woman is the logical next step.”
“No man steps out on me, Loretta. Preacher is no different. Besides I have something that church woman doesn’t have.”
Loretta eyed her. “And what’s that?”
“Jake and Mack. Preacher might think—and I do mean think—about another woman, but he won’t think long because those boys are mine, and if I go, they go, too.”
Loretta leaned across the table. “Don’t push it, Tanya. Those boys are my nephews. You’ll regret it if you even think about taking them from their father. You got that?”
Tanya smirked. “I’m just saying.”
“Well, you’ve said enough. Now I’ve got to go. Keep me updated on the cookout and don’t tell Preacher I’m coming. Something tells me he’d try to talk me out of it.”
As Loretta moved to slide out of her seat, Tanya touched her arm. “There’s one more thing,” she said with a smile.
“What?”
“The cookout. You know I don’t like to cook.”
Loretta started to roll her eyes, then stopped herself. She’d be cross-eyed if she spent too much time with Tanya. “So why’d you offer to host a cookout?”
“You know church folks and cookouts. I knew they’d go for it.”
“And you’re telling me this because…”
“I was thinking about catering the event. You know, we want something nice. We don’t want those people feeling sorry for Preacher.”
Loretta felt a bitterness like lemon twist her lips. She should have known. She pulled out her checkbook. “How much?”
CHAPTER 15
You’re looking good today.” Sean did a double take at the normally snooty secretary sitting outside the Boss’s office. Since the woman had never given him the least personal of comments, he took a quick glance around the reception area to make sure she was talking to him. Still unsure, he said, “I beg your pardon.”
“You’re looking good,” she said, with what could only be described as a flirty smile. “I like that suit.”
Sean cast a wary eye at her. Like any man, he wasn’t immune to the flirtations of a pretty woman, but her sudden interest struck him as odd, especially since the suit he wore today was no different than the suits he’d worn on his previous visits. “Thanks,” he said. If the woman hadn’t been so pretty, he might have called her on her past behavior, but he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “You’re looking good yourself,” he said. “You always do.”
“Thanks,” she said. “But you seem to be the man of the hour.”
Sean leaned against her desk. “Do you know something I don’t know?” he asked, hoping for a bit of inside information. Who knew the Boss’s plans for him better than his secretary?
She gave him a coy smile. “If I told you,” she said, “the Boss might ship me off to Third Hades.”
Sean laughed at her wit and she laughed with him, though both of them knew there was a lot of truth in her words. When they stopped laughing, she scribbled something on her note pad. She tore off the top sheet, and handed it to him. “Call me sometime,” she said, with a wink.
Sean grinned as he took the sheet of note paper. “Jessica Bell,” he said looking at the name and number she had scribbled. “A pretty name for a pretty woman.” He folded the paper carefully and put it in his wallet.
“My friends call me Jessie.”
“Well, then, Jessie Bell,” Sean said. “Is it all right if I call you tonight?”
“Don’t tease me, Sean,” she said, batting her eyelashes. “Now you’re going to have me sitting by the phone all night waiting for your call.”
Despite his uneasiness about her sudden interest in him, Sean puffed out his chest a bit. It had been a long time since a woman had come on to him so strongly and it felt good. “I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “I’m definitely calling you tonight. Maybe we can go out sometime soon.”
“Definitely,” she said. “Now you’d better head in the Boss’s office. He’s ready for you.”
Sean had a bounce in his step when he entered the Boss’s office. He realized that, unlike on his previous visits, the chatter with the secretary had kept his mind off the meeting with the Boss. As a result, he wasn’t as nervous today as he’d been on previous visits. He’d have to thank Jessie for her help, he thought, as he took his regular seat in front of the Boss’s desk.
The Boss cleared his throat. “So what’s happening with Preacher?”
Feeling a confidence he knew was rooted in his conversation with Jessie, Sean slipped open the buttons of his suit jacket and relaxed in his chair. “It’s all good,” he said. “That Serena is playing right into my hands. For someone who is supposed to be a strong Christian, she’s falling fast. Looks like we can count her as collateral damage.”
“Not so fast, Jones. Tell me more about this.”
“Well, Serena and her husband are supposed to be guiding Preacher in his new life, but because of the secret past Serena has with Preacher, that plan is not working too well. The more I bombard her with thoughts of the past, the more she refuses to accept Preacher and his new life. She’s so far gone that now she’s pushing her sister-in-law into the arms of one of ours and away from Preacher who belongs to our enemy.”
The Boss laughed. “Some of those church people really are easy prey. It can be fun to watch them fall into our arms, but we can’t get too confident. You have to keep on top of her. Keep up those negative thoughts of her past with Preacher. The more she focuses on the past, the less likely she’ll be to see Preacher as the godly man he is.” The Boss eyed Sean. “That brings up a question, Jones. Why is Preacher s
till a godly man? He’s supposed to be falling into our hands as well.”
Preacher was a major irritant that Sean couldn’t wait to see fall—hard. His confidence slipped a bit as he gave the Boss his status. “Preacher is falling and he doesn’t even know it yet.” Sean rubbed his hands together and licked his lips, as he’d seen the Boss do. “I’m squeezing him from all sides. He’s not going to know what hit him. My strategy is to go for the collateral damage first. After Serena, I’ve got my eye on Natalie. She already thinks she’s in love with Dante. Since Serena’s helping, all I have to do is keep supplying Natalie with negative comparisons between Dante and her old boyfriend, Benjamin. Serena will do the rest. Once Natalie marries Dante, she’s all ours.”
The Boss stared at Sean for a long moment, a slow smile forming on his face. “You may be on to something, Jones,” he said. “You’re about to make a believer out of me. Be careful though. When we get this close, the enemy sends in reinforcements.”
“I’m being diligent,” Sean said, very familiar with how the enemy operated at this point in the battle.
“Good work,” the Boss said, causing Sean to do his second double take of the day. He’d gotten an actual compliment from the Boss! Then the Boss turned stern again. “Now get back to it.”
Sean slid out of his chair. “Yes, sir,” he said. He thought about saluting, but he didn’t want to press his luck. He strode out of the office with an extra bounce in his step.
He’d have to buy flowers for Jessie. Winning her to his side could be very helpful in his ongoing relationship with the Boss. Just because the old man was complimentary today didn’t mean he wouldn’t be threatening Sean with Third Hades at their next meeting. Yes, he reaffirmed to himself, he needed someone like Jessie on his side.
CHAPTER 16
Jake! Mack! Calm yourselves down and stop all that screaming,” Preacher called to his sons, who were running around the backyard playing horse with some old plastic horse heads on a stick Tanya had dug up from somewhere. He sat back in the redwood chaise lounge in his fenced-in backyard and closed his eyes. They’re driving me crazy.
A soft hand squeezed his shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Tanya drop down into the chaise next to his. She sipped from a glass of iced tea. “You’re really worried about this cookout, aren’t you?”
Worry didn’t adequately describe how Preacher felt. It was as though he were sitting on a keg of dynamite waiting for it to explode. “What makes you think I’m worried?”
She eyed him skeptically. “Your impatience with the boys. It’s a beautiful sunny day and they’re playing the way kids play. I can’t believe I’m saying this because I’m usually the one who’s hard on them, but give them a break, Preacher. It’s summer and they’re having fun.”
Preacher knew she was right. He looked over at his boys. They’d stopped running for a moment while Jake doctored Mack’s horse. Preacher was about to offer his help, when the boys galloped off again, whooping and hollering. He smiled. “I didn’t realize I was being impatient with them.”
“I know you didn’t. So tell me why you’re so worried about this cookout? These people are your friends, right, your new Christian family? I’d think their coming over would make you relaxed, not anxious.” She leaned toward him and nudged him with her shoulder. “I promise not to do anything that will embarrass you.”
He cut a glance at her. “What? You won’t accuse Natalie of trying to steal me away from you?”
She sat back in her chair and sipped her tea. “I don’t know why you were embarrassed by that. Natalie is a woman. She understood where I was coming from. We’re straight. There are no hard feelings on either side.”
Preacher didn’t respond because he knew there was no sense engaging Tanya in a conversation on the topic. Besides, Tanya’s turf issues with Natalie were the lesser of his concerns today.
“I can’t wait to meet this man of hers,” Tanya said. “The man a woman picks tells you a lot about her.”
Preacher couldn’t resist asking, “What does your picking me say about you?”
The doorbell rang and Tanya got up. “Saved by the bell. Besides that’s a bedtime question. Ask me the next time you’re with me in bed.” She winked and then opened her palm to him. “Come with me. Let’s greet our guests as a family.”
Preacher stared at her hand a long moment before taking it. He wasn’t sure he was ready to greet guests. He got up anyway. He turned and called to the boys, “Come on, boys, let’s go greet our guests.” Horses and all, the boys galloped after him and Tanya.
Instead of going through the house to answer the bell, they came around the outside of the house and through the gate. Natalie and Dante stood on their front porch, with Dante playfully kissing Natalie along her neck.
“You’re hurting my hand,” Tanya said to Preacher, her voice tight. With a smile pasted on her face, she added, “You’d better not embarrass me by acting jealous over a woman being kissed by her man. I won’t have it.”
Before Preacher could respond, Tanya called to the couple, “Hey, you two, there are kids around here.”
Dante flashed them a smile and Natalie blushed. The couple walked toward her and Preacher. Natalie leaned in and kissed Tanya on the cheek. “It’s good to see you again,” she said. “Thanks for having us over.”
Tanya accepted the kiss, though she didn’t give Natalie one in return. “And who’s this handsome man with you?”
Natalie stepped back. “This is Dante Griggs. Dante, this is Tanya, Preacher’s fiancée. And you and Preacher have already met.”
Dante stepped forward and gave Preacher a two-fisted shake. “Good to see you, again, man. I hope you got everything all worked out with your car.”
Tanya extended her hand to Dante. “So you’re the guy who helped Preacher get rid of my vehicles,” she said in what Preacher recognized as her flirting voice. “Shame on you.”
Dante lifted his open palms in her direction. “Hey, I’m innocent. A man comes to me and tells me my girl says treat him right. I give him what he wants.”
Tanya laughed, that open laugh of hers that was meant to enthrall a man. Preacher wanted to tell her to ratchet it back a notch. He glanced at Natalie, whose face told him nothing of her assessment of the situation. She only smiled at him, a smile with nothing hidden. He smiled back.
“Where are the boys?” Natalie asked.
Preacher turned and saw them standing by the gate. Jake apparently doing more doctoring on Mack’s horse. “Boys,” he called to them. “Miss Natalie is here.”
The boys got on their horses and galloped toward Natalie. “Look at us, Miss Natalie, we’re riding horses,” Jake said.
“Riding horses,” Mack chimed in.
“So I see,” Natalie said, leaning down to press a soft kiss on each head.
Preacher smiled down at her until he felt Tanya bristle up next to him. “Let’s head out back,” Tanya said, “where we’ll be comfortable.” She took Dante’s arm, Natalie followed with a boy on each side, and Preacher pulled up the rear alone.
“What a lovely home you have, Tanya,” Natalie said, after the boys had gone back to their play. “This yard is wonderful. Did you do the landscaping yourself?”
“Please,” Tanya said. “I’m not one for getting dirty. We hired a guy from Lithonia.”
“You’ll have to give me his name and number. My yard needs help.”
“I’ve volunteered to get a little dirt under my fingers for you,” Dante said, pulling Natalie close.
Natalie patted his shoulder. “You work all day the same as I do. I don’t want you working when we’re together. Besides, I think Tanya has the right idea.”
Tanya put an arm around Natalie’s shoulder. “See, Preacher, I told you Natalie and I would become fast friends. Come on, Natalie,” she said. “Let me show you the rest of the house.” She turned to Dante. “Something tells me you’d rather sit here with Preacher and talk sports or something equally boring.”
Dante pressed his hand to his heart. “You wound me. What man would rather stay with an ugly mug like Preacher when he could follow two beautiful women?”
Natalie and Tanya laughed. “He’s a keeper, Natalie,” Tanya said, her eyes on Dante.
Natalie leaned up and brushed a kiss on Dante’s jaw. “I know.”
“Uh-oh, Preacher,” Tanya said. “They’re in love and it’s new. We may have to get towels to cover Jake’s and Mack’s eyes.”
Dante and Natalie laughed, but Preacher could only force a smile.
Tanya tugged Natalie away. “Cold drinks are in the cooler on the patio,” she called back to Preacher and Dante. “Have at ’em.”
Giggling, the two women entered the house. Preacher didn’t know quite what to make of either of them. He supposed Natalie had bounced back from her run-in with Tanya and was displaying her typical Christian charity. He wasn’t sure what Tanya was up to.
“I think I will have something to drink,” Dante said. “You want something?”
“Where are my manners?” Preacher said. “I’m the host. I should be asking you.”
“No problem,” Dante said, following Preacher to the patio. “It’s a cookout. The only rule is every man for himself.”
Preacher laughed, but it sounded hollow to his ears. He wondered how it sounded to Dante.
“So did the car thing work out?” Dante asked again after they reached the patio.
“Yeah, it did.” Preacher lifted the top off the cooler. “Help yourself.”
Dante reached in and pulled out a soda can and Preacher did likewise. “So what did you end up getting?” Dante asked.
“A Lexus.”
Dante laughed. “I thought you were scaling back.”
“Well,” Preacher said, “there’s scaling back and then there’s Tanya scaling back.”
“I know what you mean, man. The good news is she’s worth it. I have to say it. I think we both did extremely well in our selection of women.”
“Yeah,” Preacher said. “Sometimes we get more than we deserve.”
Up Pops the Devil Page 18
