AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s that?”
“That fact that she’s already got you wrapped around her finger. That’s what.”
Jamal didn’t even deny it. In fact, it made him smile even more. “Is that how you felt when you kissed Callie?”
Kyle grinned. “Oh, man. You’re a goner.”
Jamal shrugged his shoulders. “Not a bad thing.”
Kyle clapped him on the back again. “Not a bad thing at all. But the question is have you gotten her to open up to you? I sense there’s a story in her history, even though Callie won’t tell me anything. Says it’s not her secret to tell. I even tried to hit up Aria, who usually breaks, and got nothing.”
“I don’t even care, man. She’ll tell me in her own time. I’m not going to push her. Besides, I feel the walls crumbling down. It’s like Humpty Dumpty.”
“Weird analogy,” Kyle said, giving Jamal a puzzled look.
“Not at all,” Jamal replied. “I’ll be the one to catch her when she falls, whatever the case may be. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Da-ad! Are you coming?” JJ had her left hand, encased in a softball glove, on her hip. “I wanna start enjoying my stay.”
Jamal groaned. “Where did you get that glove, JJ? I know we left yours at home for once in our lives.”
He was rewarded with an ornery, gap-toothed smile. “Callie bought it for me last time I came over.”
Callie nudged his daughter with her elbow. “You were supposed to keep it a secret, kid. Why didn’t you wait to pull it out until he was gone?”
“The question should be why did you buy her an exact replica of her perfectly good glove she has at home?”
Callie started to reply, but his daughter beat her to it. “Come on, daddy-o. It’s so I can practice my grounders. You want me to be the best, right?”
“Can’t argue with that logic, daddy-o,” Callie said in a mocking tone, a grin on her face. “You always want her to be the best.”
“I agree,” Cassie said, siding with the girls. “It can only make her better. This way, she never forgets her glove at their house when she has to play in tournaments or practice.”
Jamal looked at his best friend, willing the only other male in the room to side with him.
“Don’t look at me, buddy,” Kyle threw his hands in the air. “I’m siding with my newlywed wife.”
Jamal sighed. “Ok. You can keep the glove here. But anything else softball related goes through me next time. Got it?”
JJ squealed and wrapped him in a hug. “Got it, daddy-o. Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?”
Jamal leaned over and planted a kiss on her head. “That’s something I will never get tired of hearing, little girl. Could you say it again so I can record it and play it back to you when you’re a teenager and hate my guts for being too strict?”
“I could never hate you, dad. We’re in this thing together.”
Untitled
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“For someone who claims she is just friends with someone else that wassome kiss!” Callie grabbed Cassie and led her into the kitchen. “Now spill,” she added, plopping Cassie on one of the turquoise vintage barstools tucked under the black speckled granite island.
“I really like what you’ve done with the place, Callie,” Cassie said, looking around the kitchen. Cassie had finally put the finishing touches on the room. The cabinets were bright white and the backsplash was turquoise glass. The walls were painted a soft pale gray and Kyle had invested in top of the line, stainless steel appliances. An old, round table, painted turquoise to match the backsplash and then distressed, sat in front of the bay window that bathed the room in light.
“Stop changing the subject, missy,” Callie replied. “You were in here the other day.”
“But you didn’t have allthisdone,” Cassie said, waving her hand around the room. “Love the table.”
“You know I’m not letting you out of this room until you do what I told you to. Spill. Now,” she said, hands on her hips.
