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was becoming a bad habit that couldn’t bode well for the future.
    If she wasn’t snapping at Terrill, she really had no idea how to talk to the man, especially when he was staking claims and stuff.
    She cleared her throat and opened and closed her mouth, happy that Terrill wasn’t there to see just how he was affecting her.
    “Well, thank you for putting me on notice. I…errr…appreciate it. I guess…” What was she supposed to say? “I should let you know that I don’t think this is a good idea at all.”
    “I know you don’t. That’s why I’m going to change your mind,” he offered with that sexy chuckle of his. “I’ll let you go so you can continue to stress and fret about it. But you should know that it’s going to happen. I’m serious about this, about us. I’m tired of wasting time. If I learned anything from what went down between Penny and Jason, it’s that you can never get the wasted time back and you are never really going to be happy without the person who was meant for you. And I think that you are that person for me, Maritza. I plan to see if I’m right about that.”
    “I don’t think—” she started, finally working up her indignation.
    “Yes,” he cut her off. “It’s probably best if you didn’t do that where I’m concerned. Your objectivity is off. I’ll handle this. And I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
    “But—” she started again.
    “Just save all your objections till tomorrow. I’ll be calling to hear your voice again. Goodbye, Maritza.” He hung up.
    She stared at her phone for a full minute before finally hanging it up. She had no idea what had just happened. But she was starting to think she wanted to find out.

Chapter 2
     
    “Y ou just won’t stop will you? If you can’t cut Penny some slack on the day she buried Big Mama, then you need to leave.” Terrill spoke in a calm tone that gave only the slightest hint of his increasing level of irritation with Jason.
    Jason just watched angrily as Penny walked away before turning his glare on Terrill.
    For the life of him, Terrill really didn’t know what the hell Jason kept popping up for. If he really hated Penny as much as he claimed and really believed that Penny had betrayed him all those years ago, he must be a glutton for punishment or something to show up at Penny’s grandmother’s home after the interment.
    Terrill could totally understand Jason’s need to pay his respects to Big Mama. Hell, that was why he was there as well. They had spent a lot of time as kids running around Big Mama’s house and eating her good food. Big Mama’s house and the Hightower place had been Terrill’s second and third homes growing up. But Jason was taking it to the extreme, showing up where he wasn’t wanted and clearly didn’t want to be.
    Enough is enough.
    “You need to mind your business, Terrill,” Jason snapped.
    This guy!
    Terrill wondered if Jason knew he was about five minutes shy of a serious beatdown.
    “Penny is my friend. And you used to…” Terrill paused before hissing in disgust. “Jason, this just isn’t the time or the place. You should leave if you can’t see that.”
    Forget this!
    If Jason wants to play the sulking angry teenager who’d lost his girl and stays stuck in the past, he could do it someplace else. Terrill sneered in disgust and placed any lingering guilt he had about the way things went down fifteen years ago behind him. If Jason had half a brain he could have Penny back. But if he wanted to walk around wounded, glowering and striking out at folks, then that was on him.
    “You gonna make me?” Jason’s shoulders arched and he was clearly spoiling for a fight.
    Terrill narrowed his eyes as he remembered the sucker punch Jason landed on him fifteen years ago. What he wouldn’t do to take it to the grass and finish that fight. But it was neither the time nor the place.
    “We’re grown men. I’m not going to resort to fisticuffs here.” Terrill shook his head and turned