Page 21 of The CEO's Christmas Wife

“Is that what he does for a living?”

“What he did. He retired.”

“That’s cool that you wanted to emulate him rather than your father. It was a positive image for you to adopt.”

“That’s not all true.”

“What do you mean?” Kandi turned sideways on the couch and stared into my eyes. I wanted to reach out and touch her so damn bad, but I had to coach myself into keeping my hands to myself.

“I did both. I worked with my uncle during school breaks and on the weekends. At other times, I was running the streets whenthey thought I was hanging with friends. I was out there selling drugs.”

“In this cute, little postcard town?” she asked in disbelief with wide eyes.

“Nah. I was riding out with some friends of mine by the time I turned sixteen to the closest major city, which was half an hour away. I was heading over to Jonestown every chance I got. It was putting big money in my pockets too. When I bought a car, Uncle JR hit the roof. I tried telling him that I’d used my savings from landscaping to purchase it.

“He didn’t buy that shit. He’d gone through my things while I was gone and found some drugs and the money. Then I exploded about him going through my things. I felt violated and like he didn’t trust me. He gave me two options: quit doing what I was doing and get rid of the drugs and make an honest living like a decent man or get the fuck out of his house.”

“What did you do?”

“What you think I did? I got the fuck out of his house and never came back until the other day.”

“Oh my God. So, I came back in the middle of a war?”

I reached out my hand and caressed her cheek.

“No, beautiful. You came and brought peace.”

I almost leaned in and kissed her again, but thankfully, her phone rang, and it was a vendor for the party. I was losing myself in the illusion of Kandi, and nothing good could come of that. Her happiness and joy weren’t the reality that my life was built upon.

11

EMMANUEL SCROOGE

Kandi

“Hey, I didn’t expect you guys would make it,” Frances greeted.

“We almost didn’t, Ma. But Libby insisted we couldn’t miss it, so we all put on our snow boots and hoofed it,” a tall, dark-skinned man with dreads confessed.

He stepped into the house, followed by a short, dark-skinned woman with dreads and two boys who looked just like the man but with a smile that belonged to the woman. They weren’t alone. There was another woman and a man who stepped inside after them. The woman looked exactly like Frances’s doppelganger, and the man was a mixture of Frances and Uncle JR. I had seen pictures of both men and the second woman throughout the home, so I knew it was their children.

We had been able to see them long before they saw us. When they spotted us, there was a look of confusion on their faces and then disbelief.

“Emmanuel!” the tall, first man exclaimed as a large smile came upon his lips.

Kayn nodded almost absently, and I could feel the tension emanating from him. I wondered about his relationship with theman. But the man didn’t seem to notice or either he chose to ignore it.

“Boy, get yo’ big ass up. It’s been too many years,” he stated, opening his arms and cupping one hand, preparing to give dap.

Kayn stood, and the two men embraced. Kayn appeared to be stiff, but the first man wouldn’t let go until Kayn relaxed. Then the second woman declared, “Hey, let me get in on this loving too.”

Kayn bent down to hug her because she was much shorter than him. She kissed his cheek and then stared at him for several long seconds as her eyes teared up.

“You doing too much, My,” Kayn stated.

“Am I? Or maybe I just miss my cousin who I thought I’d never see again.”

Kayn shook his head, and the taller man chuckled.

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