Chapter Ten #3
“Okay.” I smile, letting him lead me into the kitchen. The afternoon is eventful, to say the least. Connie and Cora are hilarious to watch as they fuss over Braxton.
Kierra and I never had a family like this when we lived in Cuba, and when we came here to the states, we were nothing more than a paycheck to the Jones’. As I sit here at Connie’s table enjoying the delicious food she’s prepared, my heart feels at peace.
Sensing the shift of the water behind me, I lean forward and paddle as hard as I can. At that pivotal moment when the pressure shifts, I pop up and plant my feet on the board. I shift my weight to adjust my speed and thrash my hips, keeping my balance as I ride the wave onto the shore.
“That was awesome,” Cora says as she drags her board onto the sand behind me.
“Thanks. You were amazing, too.” Cora is awesome on the water. She had everyone cheering from the beach when she caught a wave and managed to stay in the pocket without it curling onto her.
“Thanks. Connie always said I was part mermaid because she could never get me out of the water when I was little.” She laughs before asking, “So . . . What do you think about Chief?” I knew it. I could feel the chemistry between the two of them last night.
Wrapping my towel around my waist, I think through what I know about the man, which admittedly isn’t much.
He doesn’t tolerate bullshit, which was made evident when he chewed out that Tonya chick yesterday.
He was very funny at lunch when he was flirting with Connie and Cora to annoy Braxton.
He’s good-looking. Not as handsome as my man, but I’m probably a little biased.
“He seems nice enough. The real question is, what do you think about him?”
“He seems sweet, and he’s hot. He’s built like a brickhouse. I mean . . . I don’t know. I was burned not too long ago by my ex, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to put myself back out there yet,” she admits.
Before I can say anything, the prospect from yesterday comes jogging toward us. “I’ll take that, ma’am.”
“Thanks, Havoc.” I smile, handing him the board and waiting for Cora to spike hers into the sand.
Linking arms, we bump hips and laugh as we make our way up the beach.
When we make it to the pavilion, we find Braxton and several of the Jacksonville brothers huddled around the smoker.
The smell of BBQ rents the air, and my stomach rumbles when I remember the ribs they stuck on there a couple of hours ago.
“Hey, babe,” I say, wrapping my arms around Braxton’s waist as he lifts his arm for me.
“You were great out there, baby.” I smile at his praise.
“Not as good as your sister. She’s amazing. Why isn’t she on a team?” I ask, noticing that Tonya and two other blondes have gathered behind us.
“She was until a few months ago.”
“What happened?” If I didn’t know that my man would never hurt me, the look on his face would scare the hell out of me.
“That’s hers to tell, babe.”
“Y’all ready to eat?” Chief asks, stepping in front of Cora.
“Starving!” Cora says, biting her lip as she stares at Chief like he’s going to be dessert.
“Who the fuck is this bitch?” Tonya shouts.
“Tonya, back the fuck off,” Chief growls.
“Is that any way to talk to your wife?” she asks, smirking at Cora as the bomb she just dropped hits its mark.
“Fuck,” Chief hisses.
“Uh, I’m going to get out of here. Tonya, was it? I apologize. I wasn’t aware he was married. Braxton, don’t be a stranger. Sierra, it was so good to meet you. Keep my brother in line. Yeah?”
“Cora . . . ” She completely ignores Chief and heads for the beach to get her gear.
“I’ll be back.” Yanking my hand free, I jog down the path to catch up with Cora.
“Hey! Cora, wait!” She’s throwing her stuff in her bag, trying to hide her face, but I can see the tears.
“I’m so sorry, sweetie.”
“God. I’m so stupid. I’m always attracted to the assholes.” She laughs humorlessly.
“I didn’t know. I swear. I would have told you if I did. What a jerk.”
“No. It’s not him that has me upset. It’s . . . never mind. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Are you going to be, okay?” I’ve only known her for two days, but I feel a kindred spirit in Cora.
“Definitely. I’m an Allen woman. We always land on our feet.” Her smile is watery, but her eyes are determined.
Nodding, I grab her bag and walk with her to the parking lot as Braxton is coming around the building.
“You good, Cor?” he asks, giving her a hug and helping her into her car.
“Always, Brax. Call me when you guys get back to Miami, so I know you made it home safely. Okay?”
“Will do, sis.” He smacks the roof of her car, and we wave as she pulls through the gates.
“I’m going to kick his ass for making my sister cry,” he growls.
“I’m not sure it was exactly him that was making her cry. I think maybe there was something else going on there,” I admit.
“I’m not sure what’s going on with her, but I plan on finding out,” he says.
Hand in hand, we make our way back to the pavilion to get some lunch, and thankfully there’s no sign of Chief or Tonya.
The rest of the weekend goes smoothly, and thankfully my man doesn’t have to kick anyone’s ass.