Mystic Park (Finding Home 4)

Alonzo’s footsteps stopped in the kitchen’s doorway. Doreen turned from the counter where she was cutting vegetables for the salad.

“Hello, mi amor.” His smile made her toes curl in her fuzzy pink slippers.

He was as handsome as ever despite the clouds in his eyes. When was he going to tell her what was causing them? She hated to pile one more thing on him. But the sooner she told him about Leonard, the sooner they could put the other man and his jealousy behind them.

Doreen crossed the kitchen to welcome Alonzo with a kiss. He drew her closer to deepen their caress. Doreen caught her breath as he swept his tongue over the seam of her lips and teased them apart. Oh, my. Leonard who?

Alonzo lifted his head and gazed down into her eyes.

Doreen’s body pulsed with awakening desire. She cleared her throat. “How was your day?”

Alonzo gave her his slow smile. “It’s getting better.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Doreen rested her hands on his biceps. She had the feeling his arms were the only things keeping her upright.

“Something smells delicious.”

“We’re having chicken for dinner. It should be ready in a few minutes.” Doreen locked her knees, then eased out of his loose embrace. “There’s something I need to tell you first, though.”

Alonzo let her go. His smile dimmed but didn’t fade. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Everything’s OK. I handled it. But I wanted you to know that Leo stopped by today. He was waiting for me when I got home from Ms. Helen’s.” She tried for a casual tone but didn’t quite pull it off.

Alonzo’s expression grew cold. “He was in our house?”

“No, no.” Doreen rushed to reassure him. “I spoke with him in the driveway.”

Some of his anger dissipated. “What did he want?”

Doreen shrugged as she wandered back to the counter. “He wants to reconcile with me. I told him that would never happen, even if I weren’t marrying you.”

“Did he accept that?”

Doreen shook her head with her back to Alonzo. She resumed cutting vegetables for their salad. “He kept saying that I don’t know the real you. He said you have secrets.”

“He said the same thing to me.”

Doreen dropped the knife she was using to slice carrots and turned to her fiancé. “You spoke with Leo? When?”

“He came to my office last week.” Alonzo braced his shoulder against the entryway to the kitchen.

Doreen’s eyes widened. “What did he want?”

“To warn me against marrying you. He said I wasn’t good enough for you.” His gaze was hooded, as though he wanted to hide his expression from her. Why? What was he thinking?

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d spoken with him?” Doreen braced her hips against the counter and crossed her arms.

Alonzo shrugged again. “It wasn’t important.”

She expelled an exasperated breath. “Yes, it was. If I’d known Leo had spoken to you, I’d have been better prepared when he showed up in our driveway.”

“Why would you need to be prepared to see him?”

Doreen scowled. “How would you have felt if I hadn’t told you that I saw Leo today?”

“That’s different.” Alonzo straightened from the entryway. “I’m not the one Leo wants to marry.”

“That’s not the point. We shouldn’t be keeping secrets from each other.”