Independent Women - the Complete BWWM Romance Series Boxset by Lena Skye Page B

wind down.
     
    “So you’re a preacher’s daughter?” Joseph asked.
     
    “I am.”
     
    “Like he has his own church?”
     
    “He does, in Rochester, New York.”
     
    “How long?”
     
    “Since before I was born.”
     
    “So is it true?”
     
    “Is what true?”
     
    “That preacher’s kids are wilder.”
     
    “I don’t think so. I’ve never been any better or worse than anyone else. It just seems like when I mess up, everything is amplified. Preachers’ kids are held to a higher standard because they’re jealous.”
     
    “I’ve never heard that explanation before.”
     
    Kalena adjusted in her seat, trying to find the best words to convey what she wanted to say. Being a PK was a huge part of who she was, although she tried to hide it. She hadn’t been to church since she graduated from college and she didn’t miss it one bit. She didn’t have to depend on her parents for anything and they could no longer make her feel guilty.
     
    Kalena still believed in God, but she felt done with all of the church drama. She didn’t trust most of the men that preached the word of God and the women were entirely too catty. They all back-stabbed one another and competed with each other. She was over all of it and she chose to be spiritual and to stay away from the crazies.
     
    Her father and mother still called her and tried to get her to come to the church. Whenever she went home, she stayed in a hotel because her parents would try and make her attend services. They could be a bit old school and they believed that if they went to church on Sunday, everyone in their house should go. She respected their rules and she decided not to stay in their home. She loved her parents with all of her heart but she found their dysfunctional relationship to be intolerable. It was a known fact that her father had been sleeping with one of the women in the church for years, and her mom chose to never acknowledge it.
     
    Kalena finally began to explain what she meant to Joseph, “A lot of the women in the church want to be the “first family.”  To be quite honest, a lot of them want my dad. Those that can’t have him take a lot of shots at his kids. Everyone is just waiting on us to fuck up so that they can point the finger and laugh. People want to feel better than those that they obsess over. I hated it.”
     
    “How big is the congregation?”
     
    “It’s about 600 now.”
     
    “Wow, your dad is doing the damned thing.”
     
    “Yeah, I guess. It’s not a small church, but it’s not a mega church either. When I was little, we only had about 30 people, so it’s pretty interesting to see the growth.”
     
    “You seem to have a pretty good head on your shoulders. Glad you didn’t let it make you bitter.”
    Kalena gave him a smile and she was impressed because he was genuinely trying to get to know her. He could have kept down the sexual path of questioning, but he took it in another direction. She appreciated it because usually men just wanted to know if she was freaky or not and all about what she did or didn’t do in the bedroom. Kalena wasn’t a prude, but she wasn’t a “ ‘ho either.
     
    Kalena and Joseph wrapped their date up and he walked her outside to catch a cab.
     
    “Are you sure that you don’t want me to give you a ride home? I’m parked two blocks down.”
     
    “I’m sure but thank you so much for offering.”
     
    He took out $40 and placed it in her hand, “At least let me pay for the cab.”
     
    “You don’t have to do that.”
     
    “I know that I don’t have to do it, but I want to, so please let me.”
     
    His words shut down her protest, “Thank you.”
     
    Joseph hailed a cab for her and opened the door, “You’ve made my day today.”
    “I’m glad to be of service. Thank you for lunch.”
     
    He gently cupped her chin and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before he looked into her eyes. Kalena felt an instant spark of electricity and kissed him again.