Page 2 of Kandi's Crush: A BWWM Sweet Billionaire Romance

“Don’t stop! Keep going!” I parroted, giggling.

“Kandi? I am going to murder you!”

I’d run for the stairs, and my nerves caused a brief struggle to open the screen door. After what felt like minutes, I jetted for the interior French doors.

“Wait until I get up there! I will kill you!” he screamed.

“Don’t you need to control your snake? I can’t wait to tell my mama!”

He ran along the garden pathway with Regan jogging close behind. I’d closed and locked the interior doors behind me, watching as Chadwick bound up the stairs and into the sunroom. He’d stalked over to the glass door and glared down at me. I stuck my thumbs in

my ears and wiggled my fingers.

“That’s what you get, you ol’ nasty boy.” I sang the classic rhyme. “Chadwick and Regan sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love. Then comes marriage . . .”

I won!

I had cheered inwardly, grinning with satisfaction. After years of trying, I’d annoyed him and get away with it. For a minute, I’d held my arms up like a champion. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a key, but I was sprinting down the hallway toward the kitchen before he could open the door.

I ran down the hallway until I reached the kitchen and collapsed in my mother’s arms.

“Kandi, what is all of that commotion? Did you see a spider?” I was afraid of spiders, and it was my mama’s job to take care of them.

“No, Mama. Chadwick’s bothering me.” The corners of my mouth curled at the satisfaction of winning. For the first time, I got away with teasing Chadwick.

On cue, Chadwick plodded into the kitchen. Red-faced from embarrassment and anger, he bent over and placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“Hi, Celeste.” His words came out in a rush. “Kandi disturbed me and my . . . friend.” He gestured toward the front window, and we watched Regan stomp through the wrought iron gate. Her blonde hair bobbed as she hurried down the sidewalk toward her house. Chadwick threw his hands up in frustration. “Great! Look at what she did! Regan’s going home.”

“Did your mom give you permission to entertain in the house?”

“We weren’t in the house. We were outside.” His expression showed no emotion. Even I knew he was being less than truthful.

Mama rolled her eyes. Since I no longer had their attention, I snuggled in closer to her, taking shelter in the warmth of her body and embrace. I turned to look at Chadwick. You could light a fire with his expression.

“Young lady, I told you to stay out of trouble,” Mama scolded me. “Chadwick, run after your friend. Wait for me in the garden dining area. I’ll bring sandwiches, lemonade, and iced cookies.” She spun to face me. “Kandi, you stay where I can see you.”

“Thanks, Celeste.”

When Mama turned her back to me, I stuck my tongue out at him. He groaned in response, glaring at me again. I followed him as he walked to the front door. I was afraid that he was very angry with me. I watched from the front window as he hurried down the stairs, running a few yards before catching up with Regan.

“Kandi, why did you do that?” Mama looked at me

“Because it was fun,” I shrugged.

Mama would never get it. Chadwick was so cool.

I didn’t understand his friendship with Regan. Why was she such a big deal? Was she the top reader in the library’s summer book club? Could she recite pi rounded off to twelve digits? Did she break the school’s record by rotating a hula hoop around her waist one hundred and fifty-seven times in a minute? I was smart. I was funny. What did Regan have that I didn’t?

Kandace

Today

My mother, Celeste Alexander, wouldn’t know subtlety if it slapped her across the face.

I’d thought it was odd when she confirmed my attendance to our weekly Sunday dinner. I should’ve known something was up when I learned that Goody and Pop-Pop, my grandparents, had spent all day preparing for an old-fashioned seafood boil.

“Bonjour!” I called out as I entered the decorated backyard. My grandparents stood over a large stockpot boiling on an open fire while my mother arranged a cake carrier on a card table. My favorite aunt, Marie-Therese, placed small aluminum buckets on a long picnic table. The group greeted me with a chorus of hellos and waved with their arms held high.

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