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“How’s tomorrow morning? Early, say, around seven?”
“Works for me, Laylah,” he said, sounding nearly out of breath.
Loving the way Chancellor had breathlessly said her name, Laylah wrote her address down on the back of one of the shelter’s business cards. Without further comment, she got into her car and fired the engine, waving to him as she drove off.
Chancellor Kingston was pleased that Laylah had been right about the motel. It was very clean and well tended. The bed was comfortable but nothing to write home about. He often missed his extremely comfortable digs, but this was his lifestyle now. Drifting from pillar to post wasn’t as easy as he had imagined.
Chancellor’s twin brother, Chandler, had made drifting sound glamorous when it was anything but. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about his twin, who he hadn’t seen in a couple of months. He’d give anything to find Chandler. He wouldn’t allow himself to even think that some harm may have come to him. If his brother was still in southern California, he’d locate him. He had to find him. Chandler was all the meaningful family Chancellor had left in the world and he just couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without his very best friend at his side.
The ageless photographs were more than compelling, darn near tangible. The greatest memories of their lives were all through the pages of the photo album he’d pulled out. Tears were hard to hold back. The pain in his heart was searing.
Chancellor and Chandler Kingston had accomplished so much in their thirty years of life. One had rarely been seen without the other. When had so many things changed…and so drastically? If he took the time to do so, Chancellor was sure he could chronicle all the weird changes, since they hadn’t been very subtle ones.
As Chancellor forced his thoughts to a brighter spot, the effervescent Laylah, he couldn’t help smiling. He had never met anyone quite like her. As beautiful as she was, it wasn’t just her outward appearance he was so darn attracted to. This woman had a pure, selfless heart. She didn’t know him from Adam, yet she had had a desire to help him out.
The fact that Laylah hadn’t asked him a lot of personal questions was astounding to him. He wasn’t used to being so readily accepted for who he was. Not in this world or the fictitious world he’d just arrived from. Living as a homeless person was so new to him, as was his meeting with a perfect angel of mercy. Laylah was every bit that.
After he stretched out on the bed, he looked up at the cracking ceiling, wondering how he had gotten from there to here. Where would his journey take him next? How far would he have to travel down this rocky path before he got the answers?
He had no clue about the future, which was unusual for someone who had always had a solid plan for his life. However, he was pretty certain about one thing. Knowing he’d see the lovely Laylah tomorrow helped him close his eyes and relax just enough to give his soul a break from all the terrible sorrow he felt.
Dressed in jade-green silk pajamas trimmed with pink satin piping, Laylah was stretched out across her king-size brass bed watching the ten o’clock news, dismayed that there still hadn’t been any clues or the least bit of news about little Ashley.
It was so disheartening for her to think of that precious little girl somewhere out there in the world desperately wanting to be at home with her loving mommy. Since everyone around the country was also praying for Ashley, she was filled with the hope that she’d soon be found. Prayer worked, lots of it worked even better.
Once the news was over, she surfed through the channels. When she didn’t find anything interesting to view, she turned off the television. Rarely did she go to sleep this early, but her body felt completely worn down after putting in serious hours at both her jobs. She wasn’t complaining. Working long hours kept her from being too lonely and helped to keep her mind off the fact she hadn’t a decent relationship in a long while.
Laylah wanted nothing more than to find Mr. Right and settle down in a nice cozy home, one a bit bigger than her current town house, and then eventually start a family. All the men she’d met over the past year had been totally into self. These guys could’ve cared less about her, let alone about her dreams and future aspirations.
When had guys stopped opening doors for women? Not to mention their refusal to occasionally spring for dinner and a movie. She had met some real pieces of work in the dating world. Some of these modern-day men seemed to be looking for a woman to take care of them and to enhance their lifestyle through monetary and material gifts.
Many of the guys Laylah had gone out with had been kind of disrespectful in general. Pulling out a chair for her to be seated in had rarely occurred. Most of her dates had been blind ones arranged by mutual friends. Never again would she go on a blind date. The last one had turned out to be a date straight from hell.
Maybe it was her, Laylah thought as she pulled the white and deep lavender comforter under her chin. Perhaps she simply didn’t fit the bill as Miss Right.
As the alarm clock crowed annoyingly, right at 6:00 a.m., Laylah moaned and groaned with displeasure. A couple more hours of sleep would work wonders for her fatigued body, but it was an impossible desire. Her schedule was full. Another hour of rest might have been doable had she not invited Chancellor over to tend her tiny yard.
All she had to do was hit the shower since she’d laid out her clothes the night before. Dragging her tail out of bed was done in dramatic fashion. After trudging into the bathroom, she turned the water on full blast and stepped inside the clear glass cubicle. Once she’d thoroughly washed her body, she reached for the thick white towel to dry off.
The doorbell rang at six-thirty, just as Laylah poured a cup of hot coffee. How the visitor had gotten through the gates was her first concern. If it was Chancellor, she realized she hadn’t told him about the security measures. After setting her mug down on the kitchen table, she ran toward the front of the house. A look into the safety window gave her a full view of Chancellor. He appeared to have cleaned up a bit, but his baggy jeans didn’t fit his powerful physique and his jacket wasn’t pressed.
Did she let him inside her private space or what? Laylah then realized she hadn’t thought everything through. Well, for sure, she couldn’t leave him outside. Praying she was doing the right thing, she put on a bright smile before opening up. “Good morning. Gee, you’re more than prompt. You’re about a half hour early.”
Smiling gently, Chancellor nodded. “I’d much rather be early than late.”
“I’m an advocate of promptness myself. Do you drink coffee?”
A look of surprise briefly flashed in Chancellor’s eyes. Her offer had shocked him. “I do, but are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“If I let you in, you’re not going to kill me, are you?” If only she knew how to hold her tongue. While Laylah had always had the nerve to speak her mind, she wished she hadn’t done so in this instance. Even if she had been joking, the comment was inappropriate.
“I’m not a dangerous person. You don’t know that for sure, so maybe I should just get to the gardening. Perhaps you can hand me a cup of java outside the back door.”
Laylah sucked her teeth. “That’s not happening. Come on in. Please.”
Feeling the awkwardness of the moment, Chancellor seemed reluctant to cross the threshold. This entire situation made him nervous despite that he’d never bring any harm to her. Only he knew that for sure. He in fact planned to warn her not to ever do something like this again. If she were to let the wrong type of person into her home, it might prove hazardous to her health. A male neighbor had let him in the walking gate.
Still regretful over her offhand comment, Laylah extended her hand to him. “It’s okay. Really, it is. Please come inside.”
Not wanting to hurt her feelings in any way, Chancellor took her hand for a brief moment. He then came inside. At her suggestion, he followed her back to the kitchen, where she gestured for him to take a seat at the table. Upon noticing where her mug had been placed, he sat on the opposite end.
He liked the feel of her warm, cozy kitchen. It was a cheerful place and was a comfortably accommodating size. Equipped with stainless-steel appliances, everything was shiny and bright. A stainless-steel bowl of sunny lemons and fresh limes served as a centerpiece for the round maple table and accompanying six chairs.
After filling another mug with steaming hot coffee, Laylah carried it to the table and handed it over to Chancellor. She then pulled out a chair and plopped down onto it. “How’d you do at the motel last night?”
“Good. The room was nice and clean. Thanks for asking.”
“You’re welcome. Glad you had a good night. Did you get to talk to Arlie?”
“Just for a minute or two. He seems like a nice guy. He also offered me work.”
“Doing what?”
“A few odd jobs, nothing major. I just happen to be a great handyman.”
“That will certainly work in your favor. How long have you been out there?” She couldn’t bring herself to use the “homeless” word to describe his situation, not to his face. In her opinion, the term itself was fraught with desperation.
“Not long. I’d imagine a minute or two is too long for most folks. Stuff happens.” Because she had been so nice to him, he wanted to share more of his story with her, but he didn’t think the timing was right. He lifted his mug. “You make a great cup of coffee.”
Laylah blushed slightly. “Thanks. Would you like some breakfast?”
“No, thank you. I’d just like to get to work before it gets too hot out there.”
“I know what you mean. If you want to bring your coffee along, we can step out the back door so I can show you what needs to be done around the place.”
Chancellor grabbed his mug. “Mind if I ask for a refill?”
“Not at all. I’d be happy to get it for you.” Laylah took the mug and marched right over to the stove and refilled it. She then again summoned Chancellor to follow her.
The small patch of lawn wasn’t even half the size Chancellor had expected. There were only a few ornery weeds in the flower beds, nothing overwhelming. Living in a town house offered limited space for a yard and such, but he could see that Laylah had made the most of what she had. All her plants and shrubs were evergreen, giving her greenery year-round. The colorful flowers were perennials rather than annuals.
“I can knock out this job in no time. Where do you keep the mower?”
“In the garage.” She pointed at a side door. “I’ll open it for you to get the mower out. All my other gardening tools are hung on the walls inside the garage. They’ll be easy enough to spot. Knock on the back door when you’re finished.”
“How much time do I have?”
“An hour and a half before I have to get off to work. Is that okay?”
“That’s ample time. There’s not that much to do.”
“Let me know when you’re finished.” She turned to go back inside, only to turn back around. “By the way, there’s plenty of bottled water and lots of other cold drinks in the fridge inside the garage. Help yourself to whatever you want.”
Overwhelmed again by Laylah’s generosity, he nodded his understanding. Other than his deceased grandparents and a few folks from their generation, he hadn’t run into too many people as kindhearted as her. In the dog-eat-dog world he had lived in, mostly everyone had looked out for number one, hardly ever caring about the needs of others.
Laylah felt hot all over by the time she finally opened the side door. What was it about this guy that had her acting so out of character, so insanely weird? She wasn’t the kind of person who lied to herself—and she wasn’t about to start now. She was hot for Chancellor, homeless or otherwise. The man made her pulse race and she couldn’t even put a name to what else occurred to her physically. She just knew she felt flushed all over whenever he was around. No one but no one had ever made her feel this out of control.
Laylah’s parents, semiretired television news correspondents Jack and Selma Versailles, would think their youngest child had totally lost her mind. Brandon, her television entertainment correspondent brother, would rib her unmercifully if he ever found out about the man she secretly admired. And her uppity, well-to-do sixty-seven-and sixty-nine-year-old aunts, Cora and Gertrude, might be stunned to learn that their niece was hopelessly infatuated with a homeless man.
“Tell Cora and Ask Gertrude” was the name of the newspaper column her two spinster aunts wrote, which just happened to be a write-in column to seek advice for the lovelorn. She was already entertaining the idea of anonymously writing in with her dilemma just to see what sagacious advice they’d offer her.
How would someone go about presenting a weird situation like this one to their very own family members? What would she say when questions were asked about Chancellor, like what profession was he in and where did he reside—and what were his future aspirations? Laylah knew this was much too serious a situation for her to continue making light of it. She was too smitten.
“Whoa!” Laylah suddenly began to realize she had gotten way ahead of herself…and way ahead of Chancellor, too. Sure she was wildly attracted to him, but was he even remotely interested in her on a romantic level? If so, she hadn’t seen an inkling of such. The man had been nothing but polite and friendly toward her, yet she had been going on and on in her mind about him since the first moment she’d laid eyes on him.
There was nothing at all in Chancellor’s demeanor to suggest he was hot for her, so she really needed to cool off. The only way she could find out for sure if he was interested in her romantically was to ask him, which was something she wouldn’t dream of doing. She was outspoken, frank and to the point, all right, but she wasn’t nearly as bold in speech and in deed as she’d like to be with men. She had already pushed the envelope by inviting him to her home under the guise of him working for her. She had gotten him there easy enough, but how was she to keep him coming back?
Laylah wailed inwardly as she anxiously peered out at Chancellor through the half-open slats in the plantation shutters covering the half window on the back door.
Slick with sweat, Chancellor’s muscled arms bulged as he easily pushed the mower around the small yard. His jacket had been discarded and thrown over the back of a lounge chair. Laylah couldn’t help wondering what the rest of his anatomy looked like naked. More than that, she had to wonder if she’d ever see him in the buff. No doubt it would be a mind-blowing experience.
Continuing to watch Chancellor’s every move, Laylah’s mind began to take her places she shouldn’t dare let it wander. A moonlight stroll in the nearby park seemed like an ending to a perfect night out on the town; what might occur after the stroll had her libido reacting wildly. Although she could only imagine those strong arms holding her close, she was sure he would treat her to an unforgettably seductive encounter.
The moment Chancellor turned off the lawn mower, Laylah knew she had to get moving. Although she was already dressed for work, she hadn’t done anything but watch and lust after him. The coffeepot needed cleaning and the table had to be wiped off. She didn’t want him to come inside and see that everything was just as it was before he’d gone outdoors. That would be embarrassing.
Laylah rushed around the room as she did her best to put it back in order before Chancellor knocked to say he was finished in the yard. After dumping the coffee grounds, she lifted the removable basket, carried it over to the sink and gave it a good washing. Sponging off the table with an antibacterial spray cleaner was done quickly.
Hoping Chancellor wouldn’t knock before she made it back to the kitchen, Laylah rushed down the hallway and sped into her bedroom, where she rustled through her purse to come up with enough money to pay for his services. She wasn’t sure if she should offer him twenty or thirty dollars for the lawn, but she was sure he could use whatever she paid him. She settled on thirty dollars in the next instant, hoping she wasn’t over-or underdoing it. The man had to eat, and he’d need another night in the motel.
Just as Laylah skidded into the kitchen Chancellor firmly knocked on the back door. Her heart fluttered wildly as she reached for the knob. Calm down. You need to stop making a fool of yourself in front of him. She hated talking to herself, but she had no one else she could trust with her deep secret. At least no one that wouldn’t think she was absolutely stark raving mad. Her best friend, Kelly, would think she had gone daft.
As though she hadn’t already observed his every movement, Laylah stepped outside the house. “You did a great job. I’m very pleased.”
“Thank you. As I said before, there wasn’t much to do. I’m pleased that you’re pleased.” He pointed at a row of hedges. “Those plants seem to have some sort of infestation. Probably mealy bugs. You might want to treat them. You can pick up something at Home Depot to take care of the problem. If you’d like, I could get it for you. I can then treat the plants whenever it’s convenient for you to have me come back.”
Without knowing it, Chancellor had just solved Laylah’s dilemma of finding a way to keep him coming back to her place. She really did want to get to know him better, almost sure that his personal story was a fascinating one. No matter how crazy it seemed, she was simply attracted to him…and she still didn’t know his last name.
Laylah quickly decided that she wasn’t going to try to fight her attraction to him. Nothing may come of it, but she wouldn’t know one way or the other if she didn’t explore the possibilities. “That would be great. Maybe we can go to Home Depot together since I’ll have to pay the bill with a credit card.”
Chancellor shrugged. “Whatever works best for you. I’m at your disposal.”
Thinking Chancellor should be mindful of his loose tongue, Laylah blushed at the very idea of having him at her beck and call. It certainly worked for her. “Thanks for taking care of things. If you’re looking for a job, you can keep this one until you get something permanent. You can do it weekly if you’re interested.” Though she’d been nervous about how to present him with the money, she went ahead and pressed it into his hand.
Chancellor frowned. “I can’t take this from you. You already paid for the motel last night. I did the lawn to try to show you my gratitude for your kindness.”
Laylah wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t expecting repayment for the motel. That was a gift. This money is for the work you did. I won’t have it any other way.”
Suspecting that it would be hard to win an argument with Laylah, Chancellor rapidly decided not to go against the grain. Since she had also sounded pretty adamant about her decision, he’d let it go for now, but he had no intention of sponging off her. She’d definitely get it all back. “Thanks again. You’re too kind.”
“If I were down on my luck, I’d hope that someone would treat me with kindness. Some people in this world just aren’t caring enough. Glad I could help you out.”
“Glad you offered.” He stroked his chin. “Hope you’ll take what I’m about to say in the spirit in which I intend it. Never let a stranger into your home. I’m not a killer or rapist, but I could’ve been both. Promise me you’ll never do that again.”
“Not if it means I can’t let you in when you come back,” she boldly flirted.
Chancellor grinned. “You can make me the exception. You’re safe with me.”
Drats! She wanted to feel anything but safe with him—and in a delicious way. On the other hand, she’d love to find herself snuggled safely into his strong arms. Chancellor looked strong, as if he could make her feel protected in so many wonderful ways.
“I actually believe I’m safe with you. When can we go to Home Depot?”
Chancellor folded his arms against his chest. “When do you want to go?”
“I get off work around three. Is three-fifteen okay with you?”
“Fine.”
“I can pick you up at the shelter. Can you meet me there?”
“Three-fifteen. I’ll be there.”
“How’d you get here today?”
“Bus. By the way, I gained entry through a walking gate, by your neighbor.”
Interesting, she thought. “On my way to work, can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“You can just drop me off wherever you’re going. I can find my way from there.”
“Let me grab my purse. We can go out through the garage.” She bit down on her lower lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t give you a chance to wash up. Would you like to do so?”
“I’m fine. I washed my hands off with the garden hose. I’ll clean up later on.”
“I’ll be right back.” Deciding she should tread lightly, she made direct eye contact with him. “By the way, what’s your last name?”
“Kingston,” he responded, smiling, hoping his name didn’t ring a bell for her.
“Chancellor Kingston.” The prestigious name sounded slightly familiar, Laylah thought as she rushed off to the back of the house, where the master bedroom was located. She quickly grabbed her purse off the bed and shot back up to the front.
“Ready?” she asked him, giving him a hundred-watt smile.
“Ready.”
Despite how busy Laylah had been, the day still dragged. She had accomplished quite a lot of work, but she had a lot more to do. The phone calls put through to her desk had been incessant, but she had handled each one with her usual aplomb. The woman was patient beyond belief and was known to have nerves of steel, more so in the face of adversity.
A quick glance at the clock let Laylah know it was time for her to wrap things up if she was to meet Chancellor on time. They’d have to hurry through their shopping at Home Depot so she could get him back to the shelter before the lines began to form. Because she had thought of that scenario before she’d dropped him off earlier, they had changed their meeting time to two o’clock. She had plenty of comp time on the books.
Just as Laylah pushed back her swivel chair from the desk, she caught a glimpse of a figure entering her office door. A slight turn in her seat brought her face-to-face with the formidable-looking March. What now? She had to wonder. As sure as she breathed air, he was there to mess up the end of her day. “You need something?”
