Free When Love Comes Around (Love Conquers All) by Victoria Wells Page B

to keep it from bursting wide open from laughing so hard.
    Fury curled her hands into tight fist as Summer snapped her fingers and sang, “Mmmm, Mack Daddy, Mack Daddy…mmmm, Mack Daddy, Mack Daddy.”
    More laughter bounced off the walls as Summer’s petite body did the old school dance, the Whop, as she sang.
    Oh, okay. I’ll fix these little immature heifers. I’m trying to have a serious heart to heart about my sorry, pitiful life, and they got jokes.
    Casually walking over to the sink, Starr turned on the cold water. Lifting the spray nozzle, she aimed her weapon… and fired. They never saw it coming. All clowning came to a screeching halt as laughter turned into screams and squeals.
    The stampede of running feet in the direction of the narrow doorway, sounded like a heard of wild buffaloes. Starr sniggered at the comical sight of the women pushing, shoving, elbowing, and squeezing their way out of the space. Her kitchen would be a wet mess, but she didn’t care. It felt good playing the childish prank on them.
    Starr’s face held a smug, satisfied smirk. That’ll teach them to mess with a Queen Bee in her own hive!
    Twenty minutes and three frizzy, wet heads later, Starr pleaded with the disgruntle young women, “Come on, y’all suppose to be my girls. Don’t do me like this. I was only playing.”
    “Playing my foot! You got us looking like a bunch of wet rats!” Karen snapped, throwing her an evil glare as she touched her damp hair.
    “Look, I said I was sorry.”
    “Okay, okay, we forgive you.”
    Summer rolled her eyes at Ava. “Speak for yourself, suck up. I just got my hair done today.”
    Ava roughly nudged Summer in her side with her elbow.
    “Ow! Girl! Your boney elbow hurts!” Summer hissed.
    “Whateva.” Ignoring Summer, Ava shifted her hips to face Starr. She was given another chance to be there for her friend. This time around, she wouldn’t mess up by saying something that was insensitive. If anything, she learned from her recent ordeal with Starr that ill spoken words hurt, and had the potential to kill a friendship. Getting back to the purpose of their meeting, she asked, “So what is it you really want?”
    Hunching her shoulders, Starr didn’t know what to tell them. Should she be completely honest and tell them she’s been attracted to Kevin since NJ’s christening? Should she tell them how he made her feel attractive, sexy and desirable? Something a man hadn’t done in years. Or how being in his presence for that short period of time made her forget all about her worries, simply because he was there?
    In spite of his womanizing ways, Starr was honest about her feelings for Kevin. If they didn’t like it, that was their problem. She was grown and any decisions she made she ultimately had to live with them. “I really want to get to know him.”
    Taking a few deep breaths and counting to ten, Karen was trying to get her thoughts together. No way was Starr serious. Getting involved with Kevin was asking for trouble…big time. She had seen her sister go through enough heartache behind a man. “Starr, are you sure about this? What if―”
    “What if what?” Starr interrupted a little on the unnerved side. She wasn’t about to let Karen pull her big sister act on her.
    Quickly wanting to diffuse the tension before it had a chance to build; Ava gently rested her hand on Starr’s thigh. “Honey, please don’t get upset. Your sister is only concerned for you, just as we are.” As she spoke Ava looked to Summer, who nodded her head in agreement.
    “I appreciate your concern, really I do. But none of you know or understand what I’m going through.” Turning an unshed tearful gaze to Karen and Summer, she pointedly accused, “Both of you have children.” She let out a pent up breath of frustration. “And Ava, you’re always talking about you don’t care one way or another if you ever have any.”
    Before she could go on, her sister challenged, “You’re right. I