BooksBarbecue
Back Love in Play
Chapters (65)
  1. Dominique’s attraction to Jake was not only undeniable, but almost frightening in its intensity.
  2. Also by
  3. Title Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. LOVIN’ BLUE
  65. Copyright Page

Dominique put up her hand, effectively cutting off Tessa’s statement. She didn’t want to hear about Coach Mac, she wanted to talk to his overpresump-tive ass. Surprise, anger, guilt, and confusion roiled around in Dominique’s head, making the formulation of sentences challenging in the present moment. She appreciated that Jake was helping her son and other students embrace math. Teaching decimals, fractions, and formulas was one thing—trying to come in and run her household was quite another. Surprise and confusion faded, while guilt took a backseat to the anger that propelled Dominique out of the kitchen and towards the purse that held her phone. She grabbed up the items she’d placed on the foyer table and with a quick good-bye to Tessa, headed up the stairs. She emptied her arms, reached for her cell phone, and sat down on her bed in a huff. As soon as her butt hit the plush, silk comforter, memories flooded in—memories that lessened her ire just a little, but did not deter her from the plan to speak her mind.

Flipping through her address book, she quickly found and tapped the desired number. Her chest heaved with indignation as she waited for an answer on the other end and as soon as it happened, she jumped right in. “Jake, this is Dominique. You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

16

16

Jake had been expecting this call all evening. “Hello, Dominique.”

“Who do you think you are buying groceries for my house?”

“A thoughtful man helping a friend who I know is busy but who just might grow attached to the idea of having real food in her fridge.” Putting it that way, he hoped, might take some of the wind out of Dominique’s angry sails. “From your greeting, I take it that you think differently?”

Though less angry, Dominique sounded firm. “I’m not used to things happening in my home without my knowledge. It would have been nice to get a call asking if this was okay.”

“I’m not used to getting people’s permission to do them a favor.” Dominique remained silent. She’s really mad at me for stocking her fridge with food? Jake took a breath and tried to see the situation from her point of view. “If what I did offended you, Dominique, I apologize. What started out as a casual conversation with your son, followed by a call from your assistant, led to what you now have in your kitchen.”

“How so?”