package had
been left on Kade's step, Garcelle had intercepted
letters, cards, phone calls, and even more risque
packages from the single women of Holtsville,
South Carolina. She swore, if she laid eyes on one
more nudie shot, she would retch.
All of it smelled of man-hungry, desperate
women. Not to say there wasn't a good woman out
there for Kade, but so far these women, who were
trying to lure him with sex, were hardly great candidates to be Kadina's stepmother. No, these
women only wanted to lie up in Kade's bed and
probably send Kadina to her room or outside to
amuse herself.
She was the type of active and smart little girl
who needed someone to talk to her and spend time
with her. Take her to the parks and museums she
loved. Take her to the bookstore to carefully select
the next book she would read. Tell her about little
boys when the time came. And do all the things
women knew that a man didn't do, such as help her
through her first menstrual cycle.
Kadina needed someone patient, loving, and fun
like ... Garcelle herself. Garcelle literally shook her
head at the thought. She definitely was not throwing herself in the running to be the second Mrs.
Kade Strong. In the last two weeks, they had settled
into a cool friendship. They joked with each other.
They asked each other for advice. They laughed at
the antics of the women.
Yes, she thought Kade Strong was hotter than a
dozen Playgirl centerfolds combined-she could
admit that-but the last thing she wanted was to get
involved with a man who was so deeply in love with his dead wife. Besides, she enjoyed their newfound
friendship, and after the Joaquin BS, she wasn't
looking for love right now, anyway.
Kade Strong was her friend and nothing more.
She was more than fine with that.
"Garcelle ... Garcelle?"
She turned her head and focused her attention
on her father, who was handing her the cordless
phone. Did it ring? she wondered as she took the
phone from him.
"Hel-"
"Garcelle, this is Kade. You're on a speakerphone, okay?"
Garcelle placed her fork on her plate as she sat
back from the table a bit. She furrowed her brow.
"Okay," she said, with obvious hesitation.
"Long story short. I fell off a horse during a
race-
"You fell?" she shrieked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm more than fine. That's my whole
point."
"You call breaking two ribs fine?" Garcelle heard
a woman say in the background.
"You broke your ribs?" Garcelle gasped in horror.
"What is going on, Garcelle?" her father demanded in Spanish.
"Kade fell off a horse and broke his ribs," she
told her father, holding the mouthpiece away from
her mouth.
"I ... didn't ... break ... anything," Kade roared
into the phone. "I bruised my ribs."
"Oh, he bruised his ribs," Garcelle relayed to her
father. She frowned as she focused again on the
phone conversation. "And why were you horse
racing at your age?"
"For the love of God, Garcelle-"
"Okay, okay. Go ahead." She placed the phone
between her cheek and shoulder so that she could
use both of her hands to twist her hair atop her
head-a nervous gesture of hers.
"I know looking out for a grouchy injured man
in his midthirties isn't a part of your baby-sitting
duties, but I need a favor."
Garcelle rose from the table when she saw three
sets of velvet brown eyes resting on her in open curiosity. "I'll do it," she said before he could even ask.
She waved her hands to let her family know to continue with dinner. She left the kitchen, then walked
through the living room and out the front door to
sit down on the top step of the porch.
"Garcelle, are you sure? Because he could stay at
Strong Ranch until he's better," Lisha Strong called
out.
"It's no problem at all," she assured Kade's mother.
"Garcelle, I'm taking you off speakerphone,
okay?" said Kade.
She heard the background noises disappear.
"Kade, are you really okay? Just say yes or no."
"No. Hell, no," he said, with emphasis.
She bit back a
been left on Kade's step, Garcelle had intercepted
letters, cards, phone calls, and even more risque
packages from the single women of Holtsville,
South Carolina. She swore, if she laid eyes on one
more nudie shot, she would retch.
All of it smelled of man-hungry, desperate
women. Not to say there wasn't a good woman out
there for Kade, but so far these women, who were
trying to lure him with sex, were hardly great candidates to be Kadina's stepmother. No, these
women only wanted to lie up in Kade's bed and
probably send Kadina to her room or outside to
amuse herself.
She was the type of active and smart little girl
who needed someone to talk to her and spend time
with her. Take her to the parks and museums she
loved. Take her to the bookstore to carefully select
the next book she would read. Tell her about little
boys when the time came. And do all the things
women knew that a man didn't do, such as help her
through her first menstrual cycle.
Kadina needed someone patient, loving, and fun
like ... Garcelle herself. Garcelle literally shook her
head at the thought. She definitely was not throwing herself in the running to be the second Mrs.
Kade Strong. In the last two weeks, they had settled
into a cool friendship. They joked with each other.
They asked each other for advice. They laughed at
the antics of the women.
Yes, she thought Kade Strong was hotter than a
dozen Playgirl centerfolds combined-she could
admit that-but the last thing she wanted was to get
involved with a man who was so deeply in love with his dead wife. Besides, she enjoyed their newfound
friendship, and after the Joaquin BS, she wasn't
looking for love right now, anyway.
Kade Strong was her friend and nothing more.
She was more than fine with that.
"Garcelle ... Garcelle?"
She turned her head and focused her attention
on her father, who was handing her the cordless
phone. Did it ring? she wondered as she took the
phone from him.
"Hel-"
"Garcelle, this is Kade. You're on a speakerphone, okay?"
Garcelle placed her fork on her plate as she sat
back from the table a bit. She furrowed her brow.
"Okay," she said, with obvious hesitation.
"Long story short. I fell off a horse during a
race-
"You fell?" she shrieked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm more than fine. That's my whole
point."
"You call breaking two ribs fine?" Garcelle heard
a woman say in the background.
"You broke your ribs?" Garcelle gasped in horror.
"What is going on, Garcelle?" her father demanded in Spanish.
"Kade fell off a horse and broke his ribs," she
told her father, holding the mouthpiece away from
her mouth.
"I ... didn't ... break ... anything," Kade roared
into the phone. "I bruised my ribs."
"Oh, he bruised his ribs," Garcelle relayed to her
father. She frowned as she focused again on the
phone conversation. "And why were you horse
racing at your age?"
"For the love of God, Garcelle-"
"Okay, okay. Go ahead." She placed the phone
between her cheek and shoulder so that she could
use both of her hands to twist her hair atop her
head-a nervous gesture of hers.
"I know looking out for a grouchy injured man
in his midthirties isn't a part of your baby-sitting
duties, but I need a favor."
Garcelle rose from the table when she saw three
sets of velvet brown eyes resting on her in open curiosity. "I'll do it," she said before he could even ask.
She waved her hands to let her family know to continue with dinner. She left the kitchen, then walked
through the living room and out the front door to
sit down on the top step of the porch.
"Garcelle, are you sure? Because he could stay at
Strong Ranch until he's better," Lisha Strong called
out.
"It's no problem at all," she assured Kade's mother.
"Garcelle, I'm taking you off speakerphone,
okay?" said Kade.
She heard the background noises disappear.
"Kade, are you really okay? Just say yes or no."
"No. Hell, no," he said, with emphasis.
She bit back a
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