Back Nana Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title page
  2. Prologue
  3. Part One
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. Part Two
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. Part Three
  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. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. Get on the Mailing List!
  69. Also by Brandon Massey
  70. About Brandon Massey

But Liz only smiled at him, as though she knew his game and had something better in mind.

“Come on, baby, don’t you at least think about us having something more?” she asked softly. Her hand crept across the table, found his. She rubbed her thumb across his palm in a slow, circular motion. “Remember what I did for you on Saturday? What if I admitted that I was holding back?”

“Holding back?”

Nodding, she ran her tongue across her lips. “We could have gone further. A lot further. But I reserve that level for a man who agrees to give me an emotional commitment.”

“You’re lying,” he said, because he couldn’t think of any other response. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the possibility of what she could have been holding back, because it had already been so incredibly good. “Don’t try to play me.”

“Am I?” she asked, eyebrows arched. “Is that your final answer?”

He didn’t say anything.

She winked. “Thought so. Think on it, Troy, and text me later.” She rose from her seat, and tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Have a nice lunch.”

Silently, he watched her strut out of the restaurant.

Every player gets played eventually, he realized. As long as he’d been doing this, he was overdue to run into a woman like Liz. He couldn’t give her what he was asking for—the notion of taking a day trip with her was ludicrous—but was he willing to walk away from what she was promising him in return?

His main cell phone vibrated, like a bell signaling the end of a round.

It was the private investigator, finally returning his call.

24

Monica spent the day with her mother. Girl time, as her mom called it. She welcomed the opportunity to enjoy several uninterrupted hours in the company of her mother, one on one. They had a lot of catching up to do, and over the course of the week, Monica intended to pack in as much quality time as possible.

In the morning, after dropping off the kids at elementary school, they had breakfast at J. Christopher’s, a local restaurant chain that served quasi-organic entrees such as blueberry pancakes sprinkled with granola, omelets stuffed with chicken and avocado, and turkey sausage paired with egg whites. Monica picked at her Belgian waffle and scrambled eggs, not having much of an appetite. A dose of Aleve taken earlier reduced much of the joint soreness she’d experienced, but she was still mystified as to the cause of the discomfort. The pain, along with her dramatically graying hair, had given her reason to worry that she was suffering from some underlying ailment. She’d booked an appointment for the next day with her primary care physician.

In spite of her concern for her own health, she was determined to put on a happy face and enjoy her mother’s company.