Or maybe I was just looking for a reason.
“What happens from here?” I wasn’t really asking him for, or expecting an answer, just posing a question I’d asked myself countless time out loud. “You know… mama told me that he willed the restaurant to us? I thought it was messed up, at first, that it wouldn’t automatically go to her, but she said they’d talked about it. She doesn’t want it, not without him, she says.” I stopped, blinking back fresh tears as I laughed a little. “Says she’d rather spend her days in her garden. But… I don’t want it either, without him.”
I tried to swallow the sudden lump in my throat as Harlan pulled me back into his arms. I laid my head on the smooth surface of his chest, and willed myself – in vain – not to cry.
“It wasn’t just about working there, you know? It was about being there with him. Making him proud, getting to do what you did. Getting to be one of the boys. So it’s like… yeah, he finally understood, and he was going to give me the position. Yeah, now that he’s gone, Stacks is half mine anyway. But it’s so… hollow. It’s so fucking empty that it hurts.”
Harlan’s hand was threaded in my hair, his fingers grazing my scalp as he moved it back and forth. When I said that, his hand stopped for a moment, and his chest sunk in underneath as he let out a deep breath. “I know, darlin’.”
“So what do I do?!” I asked, suddenly sitting up. “What do I do, huh? And don’t tell me to just do what feels good, or what makes me happy, or whatever, because… that doesn’t work. There has to be a yes or no, right or wrong answer. So what is it? What do I do?”
He shook his head, then reached to cup my face. “I don’t know. I wish I knew what to say to you that could make this okay, but… I don’t. I don’t think there’s anything that makes this okay. It’s just… not okay. Learned that the first time. We’re just… not gonna be okay for a while.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand as he sat up too, pulling me between his legs. “You know what I do know though?”
I sniffled, then turned to face him in the dim light. “What’s that?”
“Stacks didn’t raise any punks. And that’s from his own mouth, so… you know.”
I rolled my eyes at first, but slowly, my mouth spread into a smile. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying we’re gonna be okay. Not… now, but… eventually, right? Never stops hurting, but as time goes by… you adapt to it. You take the things they taught you, and you… thrive. Cause that’s what they would have wanted, right? None of this,” he said, playfully swiping tears from my cheeks.
I shook my head. “No. Definitely not this. Can you imagine how much of your ass he would shoot off if he could see us right now?” I waved a hand over us, glancing down at our naked bodies pressed together.
“Don’t remind me,” Harlan joked, shifting in his seat before he laid back on the bed. “C’mere.” I didn’t hesitate. I lowered myself into his waiting arms, and snuggled against him as he pulled the covers over us. “I love you,” he said, then pressed his lips to my forehead.
“I love you too.”
There was a short moment of silence, and then he spoke again. “Tomorrow is gonna be a shitty day.”
“I know.”
I smiled as he nuzzled my head with his chin until I pointed my face up toward his. “Just stick close to me,” he said, then planted a soft kiss on my lips. “I’ve got you.”
I giggled, then reached out, running my fingers over his tattoo again. “Is that right?”
“Yep. And don’t you forget it.”
“Welcome to Stacks, pretty ladies. What y’all havin’ today?”
The two women on the other side of the counter exchanged grins as they sat down. “Short stacks. Three orders, please.”
“Bourbon cream and pecans?”
“Of course.”
“Thick cut maple bacon?”
I got a frown in response to that, and a frantically shaken head. “I do not consume animal flesh, thank you. Just the pancakes please.”
“Girl, speak for yourself. Give me her bacon.”
I shook my head, chuckling as I turned away to deliver their order to Jamar. I’d just finished when the bell over the front door chimed, and I looked up to give the customary Welcome to Stacks greeting to the woman who’d just walked in.
Easily the baddest chick on the planet.
She had a big smile on her face, and a bigger box tucked under her arm as she approached the group already sitting at the counter.
“What can I get for you today?” I asked, looking her over as I approached the counter again. Pretty brown skin, that gorgeous face, her hair a mass of blonde-tipped coils pulled back with a headband… damn she was fine.
“We already ordered for her,” one of her friends said with a smirk in my direction.
She smiled, then shook her head as she met my gaze. “Not everything.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
“Not everything. I’m pretty sure they forgot one little thing I need to add to my order.”
I stood right in front of her, nothing separating us except two feet of counter space. “Not a problem, darlin’. Tell me what you need.”
She leaned across the counter. “If I could get you… to give me just a little bit of sugar…”
I chuckled, then leaned across the counter too, meeting her halfway. “Well, that’s not exactly on the menu, but I do value giving the customer a great experience, so…”
I gently grabbed her by the chin, holding her still as I pressed my lips to hers. She broke into a smile mid-kiss when somebody whistled, then somebody else yelled get a room, so I slipped my tongue into her mouth.
Sydnee swatted me on the shoulder, and I pulled away, ending the kiss with a grin.
“Ugh,” Astrid said, shaking her head even though she was smiling. “Y’all are so sickeningly sweet I can feel my foot tingling, about to fall off.”
Quinn nodded. “Right? You’re gonna give all of us diabetes.”
“Talking about you need some sugar. More like you’re gonna end up with the sugar.”
Sydnee laughed. “Okay, enough, haters. I haven’t said anything about that little late night ride-along last night – emphasis on the ride – with Cason,” she said to Quinn. “Or you,” she looked pointedly at Astrid, “And your little aura-aligning experiments with Eddie.”
Astrid smiled. “Alright, alright, Short Stack. You and Hot Cakes over there just be as syrupy as you want.”
“We will, thank you.” Sydnee shot her friend another grin, then turned her attention back to me. “Come to the office for a second, will you? I wanna show you something.”
She stood up, bringing the box from the counter with her. As soon as she crossed into the kitchen, I took it from her, then followed her to the back.
“How are you today?” she asked, once the door was closed us, and I’d put the box down on the desk.
I grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her up to sit down on the edge of the desk, and then moved to stand between her legs. “Better now,” I answered, dipping my head to kiss her again. The flavor and aroma of cinnamon sugar lingered on her lips and tongue. “You went to the bakery this morning. Those muffins?” I pulled her lip between my teeth, making her close her eyes as I sucked it into my mouth.
“Yeah,” she replied, with a smile. “But don’t try to change the subject. How are you?”
I pushed out a heavy sigh, and then stepped back a little, dropping into the chair behind me. “I told you already.”
“You said better now. Which implies…”
“Nothing except that I’m glad to see your face. Happy you’re here. Eager to feel on you.”
“Harlan.”
I sighed again, then closed my eyes as I dropped my head back against the chair. “What do you want to hear from me, Syd?”
“The truth.” I opened my eyes as she lowered herself into my lap, and I slid my arms around her, pulling her close. She cupped my face in her hands, meeting
my gaze. “I know you like to be all laid back, and chill, but… I also know what today is.” She dropped her eyes, indicating my left arm, where the tattoo for my father was. “I know you purposely came to work today, and didn’t want the time off, but… I just want to be sure you’re okay. I know it’s hard for you.”
I smiled, then leaned in to taste her lips again. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she murmured, countering my kiss with one of her own. “Now answer the question, please.”
“You’re relentless.”
“Damn right.”
Laughing, I pulled her tighter against my chest. “Alright, fine. I’m good, Syd. Seriously. It’s still not an easy day, but, it’s been nine years. I’m used to it. And… I’ve learned over the years that distraction works well, so that’s what I do. All about distraction.”
A wicked little glimmer sprang into her eyes, and she shifted positions to straddle my lap. “I’m… pretty good at distraction.”
“Is that right?” I pushed my hands under her dress, making her squeal as I grabbed her thighs and pulled her closer.
She nodded. “Mmhmm. But…” she wrinkled her nose, and then climbed out of my lap, rolling her eyes when I groaned my disappointment. “First… look at these!” She opened the top of the box she’d had with her, and pulled out a glass jar with the Stacks logo imprinted on the top, and the label. She held the jar, filled with a deep purplish-blue substance toward me with a smile. “You wanted them ready to sell before we added it as a menu option, so here we are. Our first box of blueberry citrus compote – ready to go home with lucky customers today.”
My eyes went wide as I took the jar from her, turning it in my hands. “No shit… you got this done fast!”
She shrugged. “Well… you know how it is when you need a distraction, right?” When I looked up from the jar to meet her gaze, her eyes were glossy, and she reached up, pressing the corners of her eyes to try not to cry.
“Hey now,” I said, putting the compote down on the desk to pull her into my arms. “He would be so proud of you. You did this in a month, Syd. And it looks great, like something I would get from the store. You did great.”
Sydnee nodded, then sniffled. “Yeah. I just… this was the type of thing I wished he could see me do. I even got us shelf space at the organic market, which was not easy. And he’ll never even know.”
“But I know.” I tipped her chin up, to meet her eyes. “And Mrs. Natalie knows. And the customers will know, and the people who buy it in the stores will know, and we’re all looking at you, saying… damn, that girl is making the most of her father’s legacy. He’d really be proud.”
Tears dripped down her cheeks as she stared up at me, then shook her head. “This was supposed to be the other way around,” she said, smiling as she wiped her face with her hands. “I’m supposed to be comforting you today.”
I shrugged. “We don’t have to take turns, darlin’. Just remember what I told you.”
She nodded. “You’ve got me.”
“That’s right.” I kissed her forehead, then grabbed her hand to pull her out the door. “Now, I’m excited,” I said, opening the door before I moved to grab the box of jars. “Let’s start selling some official Stacks original recipe toppings.”
Sydnee shook her head, pushing the door closed and locking it before she moved my hands away from the jars. “First,” she murmured, “We had something else we were going to take care of. Remember?”
I lifted an eyebrow, but then she grabbed my belt. “Oh,” I said, grinning. “My distraction.”
“That’s right.” She pulled her lip between her teeth, looking me right in the eyes as she easily undid my belt buckle, letting my pants drop to the floor. “Open one of those jars.”
I would love you know what you thought about Harlan and Sydnee’s story! You can share with me by leaving a review, visiting me at my website http://www.BeingMrsJones.com/ (you can email me there from the contact page), liking my Facebook page, at https://www.Facebook.com/BeingMrsJones or connecting with me on Twitter, at @BeingMrsJones.
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Christina C. Jones is a modern romance novelist who has penned more than 15 books. She has earned a reputation as a storyteller who seamlessly weaves the complexities of modern life into captivating tales of black romance.
Prior to her work as a full time writer, Christina successfully ran Visual Luxe, a digital creative design studio. Coupling a burning passion to write and the drive to hone her craft, Christina made the transition to writing full-time in 2014.
With more than 17,000 books sold or borrowed, Christina has attracted a community of enthusiastic readers across the globe who continue to read and share her sweet, sexy, and sometimes scandalous stories.
Most recently, two of Christina’s book series have been optioned for film and television projects and are currently in development.
Other titles by Christina Jones:
Standalone Titles:
Love and Other Things
The Trouble With Love
Mine Tonight
Friends & Lovers:
Finding Forever
Chasing Commitment
Strictly Professional:
Strictly Professional
Unfinished Business
Serendipitous Love:
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love — Roman and Simone’s story
Didn’t Mean To Love You – Carter & Viv’s story
Fall In Love Again – Charlie & Nixon’s story
The Way Love Goes – Sean & Fallon’s story
Love You Forever – Harlan & Sydnee’s story
If You Can:
Catch Me If You Can
Release Me If You Can
Save Me If You Can – October 2015
Love You Forever (Serendipitous Love Book 5) Page 14
