37/Renee
It had been a long week, but I made sure I saw Kenny every night.
I'd been pulling out all the stops to get that man. I'd spent so much time at the adult store buying flavored oils, costumes, and sex toys that I was starting to think they should put me on the payroll. I did everything possible to show him exactly what life with me could be like.
One morning, I called and told him to be at my house at five o'clock sharp.
No ifs.
No ands.
No buts.
A smile curled my lips when I pulled into the driveway and found him already waiting.
"You're late," he greeted with a wink.
"And you're early."
We barely made it inside before he pinned me against the wall. Things got hot really quick. One minute we were in the living room, and the next we were stumbling toward the bedroom, shedding clothes along the way. Later, while we lay tangled in the sheets, I noticed he seemed distracted.
"What's on your mind?"
He hesitated.
"I'm just thinking about this wedding. I know I'm making a big mistake, but there's nothing I can do about it now."
Yes, there is. But I kept that little nugget to myself.
When Kenny drifted off for a quick nap before his night shift at FedEx, I went into the living room and gathered our clothes before the kids got home and stumbled across the evidence.
I wasn't hiding our relationship from them anymore. Kenny had taken me and the kids out to dinner the week before, and we'd had a great time.
The more time we spent together, the more convinced I became that he belonged with me.
He'd even admitted that being with me was nothing like being with Reese.
I still couldn't figure out why he felt obligated to marry her. Then again, I'd spent years feeling sorry for John.
Sometimes being too nice was a disease.
A glance at the clock told me it was almost three. Time to wake Sleeping Beauty and send him on his way.
My kids knew we were dating, but that didn't mean I wanted them catching us in bed together. What I did behind closed doors was my business.
I kissed his cheek. "Get up."
"Is it that time already?" he mumbled.
"Yep."
I headed to the bathroom, wet a towel, then came back and cleaned him up.
Hey, don't judge me.
A woman takes pride in her work.
A few minutes later, fully dressed, he followed me toward the front door. And that's when we walked smack into Quinton and his hot-ass girlfriend coming through it.
Kenny jumped so hard you'd have thought the police were standing behind us.
The girl dropped a hand onto her hip and smirked. "Daddy? What you doing here?"
Daddy?!
"I'm visiting a friend." Kenny laughed, but it sounded nervous as hell. "What are you doing here?"
She smiled and touched Quinton's arm. "This is my boyfriend."
"Oh yeah?" Kenny looked amused.
His daughter looked downright entertained.
The smirk on her face told me she was enjoying every second of this.
"Well, I was getting ready to leave." Kenny moved toward the door to put on his work boots while his daughter stood there studying us like she was putting together a puzzle.
"What's going on with y'all two?"
He frowned. "Don't worry about what I'm doing."
That only made her grin wider. Quinton looked just as amused.
"Mom, we're going to the family room to do homework."
I rolled my eyes. "You know how I feel about company on a school night."
My son was forever trying his luck. "Mom, just for a little while. Then I'll take her home. She's helping me with math."
Quinton knew I hated being put on the spot.
My son should've asked first. But the look on Kenny's face stopped me from arguing. Instead, I followed him outside.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Kenny rubbed a hand across his receding hairline. "I wish I'd known my daughter was dating your son."
"I didn't know either." Then I studied him. "You think she's going to tell on you?"
He opened the truck door and climbed in.
"Alicia's got a big mouth. As long as I give her what she wants, she'll keep quiet. But the minute I make her mad, she'll run straight to Reese."
I fought hard to keep a smile off my face. His daughter might be exactly what I needed.
One little push.
One little argument.
And chances were good she'd go running to Reese and tell her future stepmother she'd caught me sleeping with her daddy.
But judging by the look on Kenny's face, he wasn't seeing opportunity. He was seeing disaster.
"Do she and Reese get along?" I asked.
"Not really. But Alicia talks to Reese whenever she wants something."
I shrugged. "I guess you'll have to pay her off."
"Yeah. I guess." He sighed. "I better get going."
Trying to cheer him up, I said, "Maybe you should ask her not to say anything."
He shook his head immediately. "If I do that, she'll definitely tell so don't say nothing to her about it."
As much as I hated it, I respected his wishes.
For now.
I waited until he'd driven away before heading back inside. The moment I walked into the family room, I caught Quinton and Alicia kissing.
"Uh-uh. Y'all need to take that somewhere else."
"Mom," Quinton groaned. "I'm eighteen."
"And from what Kenny tells me, his daughter is only sixteen." I crossed my arms. "I don't want or need any problems. Go sit at the kitchen table and do homework. Then you can take her home before dinner."
Alicia rolled her eyes and pouted as she followed my son out of the room. I didn't care who her daddy was. Her hot little tail could go home.
That evening, I waited until Quinton got back before bringing up the subject again. The second he walked into the kitchen, I pointed a spatula at him. "This is the last time I'm telling you not to bring that fast-tail girl to my house."
He blinked.
"Mama, but that's Kenny's daughter."
"And that's supposed to make it better? He didn't even raise that girl."
He mumbled something under his breath.
Sounded suspiciously like, "Uh-huh."
I waited until dinner was on the table before asking the question I’d been itching to ask. "What did Alicia say about seeing her daddy here?"
A slow grin spread across his face.
Like he knew a secret.
"She thought it was funny. She told me her daddy's getting married next month. Is that true?"
I took my time answering.
"Yeah." Then I shrugged. "But he ain't married yet."
And as far as I was concerned...
He never would be.