Reaching His Heart by Tressie Lockwood

Author:Tressie Lockwood
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 10

“You kept me waiting, Solette,” Joe Sr. griped. “You know I don’t like that.”

Solette squirmed on the other side of the table. She glanced at her son, and Joe Sr. looked too. He forced a smile and visibly tried to relax.

“Never mind. You look good though. I guess you were worth the wait.”

Being so used to bandying comments back and forth with Cason, her first thought was to say, “You guess?” She thought better of it and offered a soft thanks instead.

Joe Sr. waved his arms with dramatic flare, encompassing the menu. “Get whatever you want. My treat. You too, Joseph. But not steak. That’s a little expensive.”

Joseph frowned. “I was going to get the thickest one they got with blood.”

“Shut up, boy. That’s gross!”

“Joe, don’t tell him to shut up. He’s fine.”

Her son’s father looked at her as if she’d just cursed at him, but once again he reined in his emotions. She sat in stunned silence when he apologized to their son and began teasing him about being too small to handle a steak like a man.

While they joked, Solette took in Joe Sr. At one point, he had permed his hair and wore it slick and straight against his head, but now he wore it natural. Most of his head was covered in tight coils, but the front he had grown out so it stuck straight up in the air. A small silver ring hung from one ear, and the scent of cologne wafted across the table. Joe Sr. always carried himself as if he were a gift to the eyes of anyone looking at him.

The two Joes settled down and ordered. Solette chose grilled chicken breast topped with mango glaze and pico de gallo. She indulged in a creamy mac and cheese but added mixed veggies to psych herself into thinking she was keeping it mostly healthy.

Halfway through the meal, Joe Sr. set his fork down and picked up his glass of cola. He didn’t drink much alcohol funny enough, so he couldn’t blame his past anger issues on booze. “Solette, let’s make a toast,” he said.

She picked up her glass of strawberry lemonade with a nervous twitter in her belly. “What are we toasting to?”

“You and me.”

She froze. “Excuse me?”

A grin stretched over his face, and excitement glittered in his eyes. “Come on, Solette. You already know you’re going to give in to me, girl. Stop fighting it.” He reached across the table and grabbed her wrist with too much force, but he lightened his hold immediately. “I’ve turned over a new leaf. I’m a good man now.”

Did a good man call himself that, or did he let others do it for him? She wasn’t about to ask out loud.

“I never stopped loving you, baby.”

She felt a little something in her throat and chided herself. Joe Sr. wasn’t all bad. He took care of his responsibilities for the most part. She had never had to borrow from family or friends because she didn’t have diapers for Joseph.

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