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from her seat and pace back and forth raving in a mix of English and Spanish. Her rash decision to hang up on Gates seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, as she watched Liyah wearing a path in the carpet, she questioned her tactics.
    “Liyah, I’m sorry, but listen, I-”
    Liyah stopped and faced Sloane with the most serious look Sloane had ever seen and she cringed at the intense fury in Liyah’s eyes. “No, Sloane, you listen. We’ve been working our butts off on this and I’m not going to sit by and let you sabotage our jobs because of the personal crap you and Gates have going. It’s not fair. Call him back!”
    “Wha—no. No! I’m not calling him back. If Gates wants to be a jerk, then let him, but we’ll figure out a better way. I can’t believe I let you talk me into calling him in the first place.” Sloane sat forward. She wasn’t about to give in again and call Gates back. She didn’t think she could take much more of his condescension. She just wanted him to go away.
    “Sloane, what do you propose we do then? We have no other way but through you.” Liyah’s shoulders slumped as she stood there wringing her hands. “Antony and Isabella are going to bury us up to our necks in a red ant hill and pour honey on our foreheads.”
    Sensing her friend’s apprehension and worry Sloane walked around the desk. She placed her hands on Liyah’s shoulders and turned her to face her. “We have a project people believe in and we’ve got to make sure we make it that much more evident. Grassroots kind of stuff, you know? Make him see the community won’t take it lying down.”
    “Sloane, you know that’s not going to work.” Liyah tilted her head to the side and Sloane knew deep down, Liyah was right. Ugh, why did she have to be right? She knew her own stubbornness was getting in the way of clear thinking, but she had to try something.
    “I just don’t want to roll over and let Gates win.”
    “Hon, we may not have much of a choice. If you don’t talk to him,” Liyah looked at her friend with unmistakable fear in her eyes “you and I may be out of a job soon.”
    “I won’t let that happen.” Sloane said, giving Liyah a furtive smile.
     

Chapter 3
     
    “How was he today?” Reaching out, Sloane took her squirming little boy from her aunt’s arms. She was so tired and the only thing she wanted to do was lie down and sleep, but something about seeing Brayden reenergized her spirit. It never failed, seeing his soggy grin and the way his eyes seemed to light up when he saw her was enough to give her goose bumps. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and he dissolved into a fit of giggles.
    “An angel, like always.” Avery smiled at her great nephew and smoothed the baby’s unruly curls.
    “You’re too generous. I know this little one and he’s too much like his father to be an angel. Aren’t you, baby boy?” Sloane kissed the baby on his temple and laughed at his gurgling attempts at speaking. The day’s events with her call to Gates and her disagreement with Liyah seemed to melt away as she hugged the little boy to her.
    “Speaking of his father, have you talked to him?”
    “Aunt Avery, don’t start.” Sloane was devoted to her baby and she never got tired of watching him as he discovered new things. At the moment, he was engrossed in the necklace she had on and was trying his best to get it as close to his mouth as possible.
    Watching her niece balance the baby on her hip while trying to keep her jewelry out of his mouth, Avery shook her head. “Look, I’m concerned. Just how long do you think you can keep Brayden from his father? Honey, at some point, he’s going to ask where his daddy is and what’re you going to say?”
    “Auntie, don’t you think I’ve thought about that? I have. I don’t know. I…I don’t want Gates to hurt Brayden.” Her son’s innocent face melted her heart as he looked up at her. She couldn’t fathom putting him in a situation to