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Chapter Twenty-five
Sloan had the hamburgers and pork cooking just fine on the barbecue. The kebabs, filled with peppers, mushrooms and onions, gave the grill a colorful appearance that started his mouth watering. The smells of the meat wafting everywhere drew a lot of expectant looks his way.
The table had been arranged earlier by Roy and Don, who were setting out some of the food now, though a few of the women present rearranged things as soon as the guys put the dishes down. It made Sloan smile when he saw Roy furtively fix the just re-arranged plate back to the way he’d had it in the first place, then smirk at Don who sent him a thumbs up.
Sloan’s glance swung from one group to another. His neighbors were having fun and interacting the way of people who already knew and liked each other, creating a real party atmosphere.
To his left, the Newmans, a black couple adored by everyone on the street, were laughing with friends from further down—a Hawaiian male and his wife, a well-endowed blonde Swede, who often acted as bartenders. They were lovers of Mai Tai cocktails, guzzlers who tottered off a little tipsy at the end of every party. Both couples had small children who loved swimming, and were happily playing and making a lot of noise in Sloan’s pool.
There was another group milling around closer to the house on his newly renovated patio. The wicker furniture had been bought online and delivered just the day before, with yellow-flowered cushions and glass table tops to impress Sloan’s house guests.
The Chinese wife of another Hawaiian friend, who’d loved the dishes brought to last week’s barbecue, was talking recipes with Janna Aman, while her husband chatted with Sam, both laughing uproariously at Anya, the Amans’ beloved toddler.
Happy at being the center of attention, the little doll-like child performed for them. Swaying to the music while trying to move her hips and tap her feet at the same time proved too much for the precocious child. Tripping over and stubbing her bare toes, she ended up in a heap of wails.
Sloan quickly set down his meat flipper and rushed over to pick her up before the others could. He knew just how to bring back her smiles. She was his favorite of all the kids, and the rainfall of tears pouring down pudgy cheeks that only seconds ago were full of laughter couldn’t be allowed.
He lifted her high, lowered her belly so it rested on his head, then jiggled her in the way she loved. This made her laugh as he knew it would. Her chubby arms wrapped around his head hugging him, while her face lit up with adoration and her tears changed to giggles.
Suddenly the noise level lessened. A model-like female stood looking as if she’d just walked off the cover page of Cosmopolitan. At a complete disadvantage with a small child draped over his head giving him slobber-kisses, Sloan watched her approach.
Sweet Jesus.The woman was striking and way too much for these laid-back neighbors of his. They needed her to fit in, not stand out.Shit!
Les was with her, his grin stretching his face out of its normal sardonic expression. And so was a small boy who looked like he was heading straight into a pit of flames. His mama-blue-eyes were wide and terrified of rejection.
Just then, a ball of slobber dripped off Sloan’s hair and landed on the end of his nose.
Shit! Seriously?
