Rock Chick Reborn (Rock Chick #9)(27)

I added one more choice. “Or is it that you’re just a smartass?”

“That last one,” Roam answered for Sniff, coming in from outside where he’d been firing up the grill.

He already had the spatula in his hand even if no meat was over the heat.

My boy was on a mission.

I stared at him as he sauntered into the kitchen, all long legs, loose hips, eighteen and entirely in control of his own body.

And so handsome.

Lord.

He was beautiful.

I looked at Sniff.

He’d put away the Doritos but now his hand was on the side of the deep fryer, checking the temperature even though the light went off to tell us when it was ready and that light was still on.

He got all As.

Didn’t even try. Studied, but didn’t like it much so did the least he could.

I wondered what he’d do if he’d try.

I wondered if he’d be a doctor or an engineer or an architect.

But I knew in my bones, whatever he wanted, he’d be able to do it.

Roam got As too, but some Bs. He was a reader. He got math and science stuff that was way beyond me.

But he had no patience for writing. English Comp irritated the hell out of him. And if he had a report to write, Lordy. Watch out. That put my boy in a mood.

But they were so much more than good-looking.

So much more than sharp.

Smart.

They were funny.

They were loyal.

They were mine.

Right then, in my kitchen, it was not the first time I wondered about their parents, even if I knew the greatest penance they could endure was never knowing the men they’d made.

Never knowing how beautiful those two boys turned out.

Never knowing the goodness they put on this earth.

And worst of all, not caring.

But that was what I was thinking right then in my kitchen.

Somehow, some way, I got the chance to know all that.

Feed it.

Nurture it.

Hold it in my heart.

“Sniff,” I whispered.

“Yeah, Shirleen,” he answered the deep fat fryer.

“I love you, boy.”

His body shot straight and turned to me.

I felt the air in the room go electric.

I also felt Roam’s attention hone in on me.

So I looked to him.

Right in the eye.

“I love you too, Roam. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me. In my entire life.” I included Sniff in my look. “Both you boys. Blessings. I can count my blessings on two fingers. But they’re the best ones I coulda ever got.”

“You okay, Shirleen?” Roam asked quietly.

“You’re in my kitchen, son, and so’s your brother. So yeah. I’m the best I’ve ever been,” I replied.

Sniff looked to Roam.

Roam didn’t take his eyes off me.

Sniff stopped looking at Roam and moved my way, muttering, “Gonna hit the shower real quick before dinner.”

But as he was about to walk by me, he leaned in and down and kissed my cheek.

Then he hit the stairs to the basement where both the boys had their big TV room and bedrooms.

Roam just went to the fridge, got the platter of burger patties, closed the fridge and walked right by me to the doors to the outside.

He stopped inside them after he’d opened one.

And he turned to me.

“You know we love you too, yeah?” he asked.

I clenched my teeth together real hard and nodded.

“Yeah,” he said and walked out the door, sliding it closed behind him.

I watched through the windows as he moved to the grill, plate of burgers in one hand, grill spatula in the other.

I wasn’t sure I’d saved them.

Jules was on a mission to do that before I came into the picture.

But I had a hand in that.

A good strong hand.

God gave me that shot.

So maybe He hadn’t given up on me.

Maybe He believed in me enough to give me a second chance.

And then, when I refused to let Him down . . .

Upon me He bestowed His blessings.





Wonders

Shirleen

THE NEXT NIGHT, as the Uber came to a stop at the curb in front of the walk up to Moses’s front door, I checked out his place.

Newish build. Three stories. Attached on both sides to other units. Since we drove by the alley that ran behind his place, I knew the bottom floor was the garage, so the top two floors had to be the living area. The trees around the development had not filled in yet.

Still, it was nice. Neat. Attractive.

And Moses had some big pots on his front porch, already filled with flowers.

I started up the walk as the Uber driver took off and Moses’s front door opened.

He leaned against the jamb.

Okay, changed my mind.

His house was da bomb.

His eyes weren’t on me.

They were watching the Uber take off.

“Hey,” I called.

His gaze slowly came to me. “Hey.”

He didn’t move from his door as I took the two steps up his stoop, off of which was his cute little porch with its flower pots, which also had two red Adirondack chairs on it with a table in between.

Seeing as he was in my way and not moving, I stopped.