Seasoned

by Delaney Diamond

  “That is not true.”

  “You, you, you. Our entire marriage has always been about you, Addie. You and the kids. You know why we’re divorced? Because you were unhappy. And me, I keep trying to fix every goddamn thing to make you happy. You didn’t want to be with me, so I left, even though I was gutted by the thought that you’d stopped loving me. That I’d somehow fucked up and some other man was going to take my place in your life.

  “The only thing that made me feel even remotely good was that I’d done my best all these years. I made sure we had shelter, food, the kids could go to the colleges they wanted and had everything they ever needed, but all you can do is tell me what I’m doing wrong. Did I do anything right? You want to spend time with me, and I’m giving you that now. I’m meeting your needs. But what about my needs?” He slammed his fist against his chest. “Do they matter? Can I get a damn thank-you, just once? Good job, Hector. No, that would be too much to ask, wouldn’t it? Because it wouldn’t be about you.” He huffed and shook his head. “You want your own job, then fine, have at it. Show the world how little you need me. Show the world that I can’t take care of my own wife.”

  “That’s not what—” He pushed past her out the door. “Hector!”

  He kept moving.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Out.”

  “We need to finish this conversation.” She followed him to the garage.

  “We’re done talking. We’ve said everything we need to say to each other.”

  “Where are you going?” she asked again.

  “Home.”

  That single word pained her. He hadn’t referred to the apartment as home in weeks.

  “Fine! Go! Maybe Rita can keep you company tonight.” She gasped, wishing she could take back the words. She didn’t mean them because she didn’t want that woman anywhere near her him.

  Hector glared at her and then pulled out of the garage.

  Adelaide didn’t move, staring after him as the door slowly lowered. When he was gone, she went back into the house.

  She stood in her pristine kitchen, the one he’d rightly accused her of asking for. It had been a consolation prize when she’d given up the idea of starting her catering business, something she’d only recently admitted to herself.

  Hector’s angry words forced her to see him with new eyes. The gruff, macho head of the family had been quietly resentful, just like her.

  Had she been that dismissive of his feelings? She had let him know that she appreciated the kitchen remodel, but he was right—the words “thank you” hadn’t left her lips frequently. And he’d given her a life that many women didn’t have. Perhaps she’d taken his hard work for granted.

  A man took care of his family.

  Those were Papi Flores’s words and words that Hector not only lived by, they were the source of his pride. She did complain about his job—a job that he saw as an extension of himself. A job that he took very seriously.

  “Oh, Hector.” Adelaide’s heart ached.

  He’d been gone less than ten minutes, and she already missed him.

  17

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, honey. Don’t you look nice.” Adelaide paused in the middle of wiping down the kitchen counter.

  “Thanks.” Daniel adjusted his tie and straightened his jacket.

  He’d cut his hair, wearing a fade with longer curls on top. Her baby was definitely growing up. He looked so mature.

  “Did Dad tell you the good news?” Daniel asked.

  “What good news?”

  “He said if I keep up the good work, in another year I might be ready to take over the Carlsbad store.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Adelaide pulled her son into a tight hug. “When did he tell you that?”

  “Yesterday, when he and I went to lunch together. He also plans to hire this guy away from one of our competitors—a real go-getter, he called him. Funny thing is, even with all this good news, Dad doesn’t seem as happy as I thought he’d be.” Daniel frowned thoughtfully. “Are the two of you okay?”

  Adelaide and Hector had always agreed not to involve their kids in their fights, and she intended to keep it that way. However, she did want to let him know a little bit of what was going on. “Your dad and I are good, but we need to talk.”

  “You guys aren’t splitting up again, are you?”

  “No,” Adelaide answered, though that statement might be premature. Hector had been very angry, and they hadn’t spoken in the past couple of days. “Listen, your dad may not say it much, but he’s very proud of you. He wanted one of you to go into business with him, but the twins weren’t interested. From what he’s told me, he’s really enjoyed having you work with him, and the fact that he’s already thinking ahead to having you manage the Carlsbad store says a lot.”

  “I like working at Solar Beams, and I’ve learned a lot from him, Martin, and the other guys.” Daniel cleared his throat. “Dad and I had a long talk about me and Jamie and the baby, and Jamie and I have decided we don’t want to get married. I mean, if later on down the road we think we love each other, we’ll do it. But right now, we just want to be good parents, and that doesn’t include being husband and wife.”

  “I understand. We’ll support you, whatever you decide.” She squeezed his hand and picked up her shoulder bag. “I have somewhere to be.”

  “Where are you going?”

  If she hurried, she could catch Hector. “To Carlsbad.”

  Adelaide pulled into the vacant parking lot and watched her ex-husband from a distance. He stood leaning against the front of his SUV, legs crossed at the ankles, his eyes locked on the Solar Beams III building. He was all alone, and she hated that he’d come here by himself when they were supposed to make this trip together. She was supposed to celebrate this momentous occasion with him.

  She walked toward him, and before she arrived by his side, he turned his head in her direction. He frowned briefly in confusion, but then his expression cleared and he simply watched her approach.

  Adelaide stood beside him and took his hand. His fingers curled around hers. “What time are they putting up the sign?”

  “In about ten minutes.”

  Adelaide stood very close to him, so close that their thighs touched. They watched the workers, neither breaking the silence, hand in hand the way they’d been together for over twenty years.

  After about ten minutes, the men hoisted the blue and white sign onto the front of the building and secured it in place. Hector let out a breath, and a faint smile crossed his lips.

  Adelaide clasped his hand in both of hers and kissed his shoulder. “You did it,” she said, tilting back her head to gaze up at him.

  He glanced down at her. “Yeah.” His smile broadened.

  “Danny told me that you want him to take over this location.”

  “Not right now—maybe in another year or so when he has more experience.”

  “He also told me that you’re hiring away a competitor to work with the company.”

  “He’s the best in the business.”

  “Better than you?”

  “Nobody’s better than me,” he said mildly.

  Still holding Hector’s hand, Adelaide stood in front of him. “There’s so much I want to say to you and I don’t know where to begin. But I guess the best place to begin is at the apology. I’m sorry that you felt unappreciated, too. You’re right, I never thought about what you might need from me or your feelings regarding the work you do, and I’m very sorry.”

  “I didn’t mean to come down on you and complain.”

  “You meant what you said, and you’re right. I’ve never said thank you for taking care of me. For our beautiful home and making sure the kids and I have everything we need. Thank you for going out there every day and facing traffic and angry customers and dealing with the stress of regulations and employees and financial statements and everything you’ve had to put up with to give us a comfortable life. Thank you for being
such a good husband, because God knows there are some terrible ones out there.” She let out a short laugh and stepped between his legs. She kissed his chin, then his mouth. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I will always need you, and I want you to know that my decision to go back to school doesn’t mean that you’re lacking in any way. I want to continue celebrating your accomplishments, but I want accomplishments of my own. I want to have a celebration for the project that I complete. The work that I do.”

  “And that makes sense. And I want to celebrate with you instead of acting like a jealous fool.”

  “You’re not a fool, and neither am I. It’s just that somewhere along the way, you and I changed. We became slightly different people.”

  “Which is to be expected after twenty-five years of marriage.”

  “Exactly. Growing doesn’t mean we have to grow apart. We can grow together.”

  He nodded and sighed. Then his arms enveloped her and squeezed her against his chest.

  “Why didn’t you call me to make sure I was coming today?”

  “I felt like an ass, and I wasn’t sure if you’d still want to come.”

  “Hector, of course I wanted to come.”

  “Even after that comment about Rita?” He arched an eyebrow.

  Heat filled her cheeks. “It was a stupid thing to say. I was angry.”

  “She doesn’t mean anything to me, Addie.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you really?”

  She nodded. “I felt a little insecure, that’s all. Only for a minute.”

  “You have nothing to be insecure about. What happened between me and her was a mistake and it ended as soon as it started.”

  “She has feelings for you.”

  “But they’re not reciprocated,” Hector said in a firm voice.

  “Okay.” She played with a button on his shirt.

  Hector kissed her temple. “I was going to call you after I got through here. Martin told me about this book, The Five Love Languages. Ever heard of it?”

  “Yes, but I’ve never read it.”

  “Maybe we can read it together, but anyway, I thought the five love languages was foolishness at first and never bought a copy. Since our fight, I downloaded the audiobook and listened to it to and from the store and while I worked out at the gym. It actually makes sense. I believe your love language is quality time and mine is words of affirmation.”

  “Interesting.” She tossed around what he said for a bit. “Which means we weren’t expressing our love in each other’s love language.”

  “Exactly. And over time, that created a rift.”

  “Twenty-five years and we still have a lot to learn.” Adelaide sighed.

  Hector rubbed her back and she snuggled closer against him. She’d missed his warm hugs and being held against his solid body.

  “When do you start classes?” he asked.

  “September. I’m nervous about going back to school after all this time.”

  He looked into her eyes. “You’ll be fine. You’ll be making As and Bs and kicking everybody else’s ass in those culinary classes. I’m glad you decided to go back to school, and I know your catering business is going to be a success. I’m really looking forward to all those homework assignments and the different recipes you’ll be making.”

  “You’re willing to be my guinea pig?” she teased.

  “I was happily your guinea pig for years. Why not?”

  Adelaide raised up on her toes. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you.”

  Hector cupped her face and gazed into her eyes. “Will you marry me again?”

  Adelaide grinned. “Of course. I thought you’d never ask.”

  Jackie & Tyson

  1

  “Jackie, your guest has arrived and I’m heading out.”

  Jackie Bryant looked up from taking inventory of a shipment of bedroom slippers in the back room of her store. One of her salesclerks, Cindy, stood in the doorway, her flaming red Afro sitting on her head in a huge puff.

  “See you later, hon. Let him know I’ll be out in a few minutes, and lock us in on your way out.”

  Cindy stepped farther into the room and dropped her voice. “Okay, but just know, I’m jealous of that tall chocolate god you managed to snag.” She arched a brow and a small smile appeared on her face.

  Jackie laughed. Of course Cindy would find him attractive. They shared the same taste in men. “Have a safe trip with your husband.”

  She let Cindy leave at the end of her shift instead of staying behind to close down the store. She and her husband were taking a trip to celebrate their anniversary tomorrow, and Cindy wanted to go home early to pack and get ready for their morning drive.

  “I will. I’ll see you next week, and have fun this weekend.” She winked and left.

  Jackie definitely intended to have fun. She had a hot date tonight with a younger man, not one of those stuffy older men who thought life ended in their thirties. As a woman in her mid-fifties, she had lots of life to live and no intention of slowing down anytime soon. Since it seemed men her age couldn’t keep up, she’d been quite pleased when she ran into a younger one who not only appreciated a more seasoned woman, but a full-figured one to boot.

  She finished up in the back and stepped onto the brightly lit floor space of Bodacious, the flagship location of three stores she owned that exclusively sold lingerie and sleepwear for women with big, bodacious curves. Owning this store wasn’t just a business for her, it was a cause. Her greatest challenge wasn’t finding the right size for her customers, but getting a fair number of them to reject the media’s perception of their body type and accept that they were sexy in their own right.

  She placed a few of the shoes on the display hooks and walked onto the sales floor to greet Kendrick Pafford. Twenty-seven, gorgeous dark skin, and a big curly Afro.

  At six feet eight, she’d initially assumed he played basketball or some other sport, but according to him he’d never been the athletic type and had hoped to become a model but gave up a while back. His height was one of her favorite attributes, considering she easily reached six feet in heels. Lord, how she loved a tall man. As a plus, the man knew how to dress and tonight looked scrumptious in a long-sleeved black shirt and black pants.

  Jackie’s face broke into a smile. “Hey, you.”

  Kendrick strolled over. “Hey there.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. His lips were warm and soft and made her body tingle.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m famished and looking forward to that excellent meal you promised me.” After dinner at the restaurant, she planned to have his tight, muscular body for dessert. She’d already picked out the perfect lingerie set—a sheer lace teddy with a plunging neckline.

  “Um…about that.”

  Jackie pulled back and gazed up at him. “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s been a slight change of plans. We’re still going out, but instead of us spending the evening together alone, we’re going to have company. Remember I mentioned my father was coming to town?”

  Jackie nodded.

  “Well, he came early and wants us to do something tonight.”

  Well, damn.

  Jackie resolved not to let the disappointment show on her face. This was, after all, the father he’d had a difficult relationship with for years, but Kendrick had recently confided that he very much wanted a reconciliation.

  “We can cancel tonight,” she offered. Their relationship was still young, and meeting his father made her uncomfortable. No telling how this man, whom Kendrick wanted to impress, would react when he saw his son with a woman old enough to be his mother.

  “No, it’s fine. I told him about you and he wants to meet you. But if you’d rather not…”

  The words dangled in the air, and though she wanted to cancel, she could tell he’d prefer if she agreed to come with him. “No, let’s all go to dinner and have a great night. I’m sure you’ve
picked a wonderful place for us to eat.”

  “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “Positive.”

  “Thanks, baby. He’s meeting us here and should arrive any minute.” Kendrick glanced at his watch.

  “In that case, let me hurry up and get my bag.”

  Jackie left him alone, still uneasy but figuring she’d go with the flow. Besides, Kendrick might welcome the buffer between him and his father.

  While in the back, the door chimed, indicating Kendrick had opened it. His father must have arrived.

  She fluffed her wig, dotted her forehead with a tissue to get rid of the shine, and touched up her purple lipstick. Taking a deep breath, she strutted toward the front with her large purse slung over her shoulder. The voices of both men wafted to the back, but she couldn’t clearly hear what they were saying.

  As she approached, Kendrick’s father said something about having a taste for steak.

  Jackie raised an eyebrow. Nice voice, though a bit muffled by the distance. Deep and very sexy. She couldn’t wait to see the man attached to that sound.

  She passed by the register and stopped.

  Oh, damn. She knew this man.

  Bald-headed and dressed in a dark blue pinstriped suit, he had a mustache and well-groomed beard with gray sprinkled throughout. Normally, she didn’t go for men with full beards—and ten years ago, it had been more of a goatee—but with his looks and body, exceptions could be made.

  His skin looked like he’d been dipped in the deepest, darkest chocolate, without a hint of cream. His lips were full and luscious, and those eyes—when he lifted them to observe her approach—were the color of the blackest garnet stone. The man was absolutely breathtaking, and the way he wore his suit let her know that he still had the same hard body she’d licked all over during the hottest week of her life.

  Kendrick flashed a welcoming grin to Jackie, and she gulped and walked slowly over to them.

  “Jackie Bryant. Well, I’ll be damned.” Tyson’s eyes sparkled with interest.