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meltdown. And there was no telling what he’d do. 
    He stuck out his hand and Claude shook it. “I’m Braylon Wexler.”
    With a fist on his hip, Claude tilted his head back as if he were thinking. “Wexler. Wexler.” He snapped his fingers. “You kin to Willa and Drake?”
    Braylon  smiled. “Yes, sir. I’m their grandson.”
    “You that Marine Willa’s been bragging to everybody about. I tell you fella, you got you a mighty fine gal, here. They don’t make them like Sandella no more. Well, I got to get back to work before they fire me. Tell Kane I said hello and I’mma try to make my way to Beaufort to see him one day real soon.”
    Sandella’s fingers fanned the air waving goodbye. “Okay. I will.”
    “Y’all two take care now. And don’t let nobody get in the way of what you got.” He reached in his pocket, took out a pack of cigarettes, and headed down toward the ocean.
    “I can’t believe you!” Sandella snapped.
    “You’re not mad about the boyfriend thing are you?” He laughed as if his lie was funny.
    She grabbed Royce’s hand. “You’re darn right I am,” she spat, hurrying for the car, walking vigorously in front of him. Please don’t let Claude tell Dad he saw me with my supposed Marine boyfriend .
     
    BY THE TIME they drove up to the estate Sandella had cooled off. It’d been mighty cocky of Braylon to tell Claude he was her lover. By the same token, once he’d apologized, she’d found his outburst of a joke sort of charming. Besides, if her intuition was correct, any woman would be lucky to have a man like him to call her own.
    Sandella stood at the bottom of the staircase watching Royce ascend the steps toward his bedroom so he could go take a nap. The entire way home from the restaurant he’d mentioned how sleepy he was. Once he reached the top and rounded the corner into his room, she sauntered inside the kitchen.
    Braylon was standing by the counter where her caramel pecan pies were. “I’m ready for that dessert you promised.” He lifted the caramel pecan pie she’d made earlier that morning right after the fire and sniffed it. “It sure smells good. How about we have dessert outside under the tree?”
    How romantic. I’d love to. She gestured toward the door. “Lead the way.”
    Once outside under the tree, she sat on the ground next to him. She carved out a slice of pie, placed it on a round ceramic dish, and handed it to him. She then cut a piece for herself.
    Braylon halved the pie with his fork and tasted it. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. This is delicious, Sandella.”
    She flushed. “Thank you.”
    “The best I’ve ever had. Have you thought about selling your pies in a store?”
    “No.”
    “Well you should.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You have such a nice smile. I like you better when you’re not mad at me.”
    “If you hadn’t done what you did, then I would’ve never gotten mad at you. That was pretty cocky, you know?”
    “I don’t call it cocky.”
    She tilted her head. “Well, what do you call it?”
    “Confident. You have some pie in the corner of your mouth. Is it okay if I get it off?”
    “Yes, please do.” She leaned her head forward thinking he would wipe the dessert off with his finger. Instead, he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her. Cupping her shoulders, he slipped his tongue deeper into her mouth, and a husky groan escaped her. The sweet caramel flavoring of her pie rolled off his probing flesh and into her mouth where she gladly tasted it.  
    As he feasted hard on her mouth she felt like she was floating. Moist heat gathered in her core. At last, at last. He’s kissing me at last.
    He broke their heated kiss, leaving her mouth scorching like a raging wildfire. He swiped a piece of hair behind her ear, and breathed huskily against her swollen lips. “That was beautiful.”
    A hard pulse beat at the base of her throat as she sought to regulate her erratic breathing. His tender ministrations had her eyes misting. “Yes, it