BooksBarbecue
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

Troy ended the call. He rubbed his hands together. He had no idea how he was going to implement his next steps, but having a list of purposeful actions to execute boosted his mood. He spun around in his chair, planning to grab a beer from the basement fridge and mull over his strategy.

Monica was standing in his office doorway. Arms crossed over her chest, her eyebrows were knitted with suspicion.

“Who were you talking to?” she asked.

26

He’s hiding something, Monica thought.

Puzzled by Troy’s avoidance of the family at dinner, she had come downstairs to see what he was doing. She had a hunch that he was up to something, and it wasn’t work, as he’d claimed. When you had been married for eight years, you noticed the signs of something amiss. Troy loved to eat, and for him to pass on a hot, delicious dinner in favor of a cold sandwich was completely out of character.

She arrived at his office door as he was concluding a call on his cell phone. All she caught were the concluding words: I need answers . . .

When he saw her standing there in the doorway, he blinked with surprise, and it struck her that his expression matched how their daughter looked when she was caught misbehaving. Lexi had inherited her father’s traits in so many ways.

“I’ve been working,” he said. Quickly, he closed the lid of his laptop; she hadn’t been able to decipher the text on the display.

“Oh.” She glanced at his workstation. “But your work computer is off.”

He frowned, clearly annoyed at the continued line of questioning. “I was about to turn it on after I finished my call. Is there something pressing you needed to talk about, baby? Something on your mind? I’ve got some things I need to check out.”

He gently tugged on his left earlobe as he spoke. It was one of his tells, and she wasn’t sure he realized it.

What is he hiding from me?

“You’re missing out on an amazing dinner,” she said. “A cold turkey sandwich seems more appealing to you?”

“Can you save me a plate? I might grab a bite later on. Probably I’ll be working late and will get hungry again. Appreciate it, hon.”

He turned to his workstation, pressed the power button, flipped open a folder beside the computer. An obvious sign that she had been dismissed.

But Monica didn’t budge from the doorway.

“Do you have a problem with my mother?” she asked.

He spun in the chair, nostrils flared. “What?”

Bingo.

“I know that Pat has an issue with my mother,” Monica said. “That’s obvious. I’m getting the feeling that you don’t appreciate her being here, either.”

Troy leaned back in his chair, opening up to the conversation. His emotion was all over his face. He appeared relieved that she had broached the subject.