The Real Thing by J.J. Murray

Author:J.J. Murray [Murray, J.J.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp
Published: 2010-03-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

While Red tears off in the ski boat to get Evelyn and I fight off panic attacks on a couch in front of the fireplace, Lelani slides through the great room with a suitcase.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” I ask.

“Didn’t Red tell you?” she says. “When Evil Lynn’s here, we go. By the way, you’ll have to return her clothes to her. You wore so many, and I had to wash one pair of sweats twice.”

Oh, that’s just great.

“Your clothes and her clothes are in the dryer at our cottage. I didn’t find much in the way of underwear, though. I wonder why.” She giggles and gives me a hug. “Thank you both for last night.”

“Che?” I seem to be saying that a lot lately.

“It was kind of like listening to porno, you know? Fired Red and me right up. You have to come around more often.”

I am so embarrassed. “You were listening to us the whole time?”

“Let’s just say that when I finally wore out Red, and he went to sleep, I, um, had a little fun out on our couch while you two were humping.” She raises her eyebrows. “You must be gifted or something, Christiana. You worked him good, girl.”

I’m more than embarrassed now. I am mortified. “You can’t leave, Lelani.”

“I have to.”

“Why?”

“Evelyn has always been trouble, and the two of you will be nothing but more trouble. I don’t want no trouble. It’ll be much quieter in Montreal.”

I grab her arm. “Lelani, you can’t leave. I’ll have no one to protect me.”

“DJ will protect you.”

“He’s not here now,” I say, squeezing her arm. “He’s still over at the island.”

“He’ll show up, and he will protect you.” She looks down at my hand. “You have huge hands.”

I withdraw my huge hand from her arm. “Why would he side with me over his own mama? No child would do that.”

“C’mon, girl, DJ likes you. I’ll bet he even has a little crush on you.”

“How do you know?”

“I watched some of your workout, and DJ couldn’t take his eyes off you. And Dante is genuinely happy. I doubt DJ has seen him this happy ever.”

That might be true, but…

“You are also so much more the mother DJ wishes he had. You have encouraged DJ more in two days than Evil Lynn could do in two years. She never goes fishing or hiking with them, and there you were, catching lots of fish and climbing a mountain. Evelyn also doesn’t want DJ boxing at all.”

The witch! “Why not? He’s a natural. He’ll probably be better than his father.”

She looks around. “I wouldn’t say that too loudly if I were you.”

You’re not me. “Has she said as much to DJ?”

She shrugs. “It’s mostly in the face she makes whenever DJ works out with Dante.” She makes a severely mean face, her eyes fierce. “She wants him to become an accountant or lawyer or doctor or something.”

I shudder. The doctor and lawyer wish I can understand, but an accountant? What sixteen-year-old boy wants to push numbers his entire life?

“Where’s Dante?” Lelani asks.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.