Free Mystic Park by Regina Hart

and the rest of my Watchers aren’t fooling me.” Ms. Helen turned to go inside. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    With that, the retired chemistry professor crossed her threshold and locked her door. Doreen turned back to the street. Leonard sat on her bottom step, waiting for her. I might as well get this over with.
    Doreen climbed down Ms. Helen’s front stairs and crossed the street. “What are you doing here?”
    Leonard rose to his feet. “It’s been a long time, Dorie. Don’t I at least get a hello?”
    Doreen stopped a little more than an arm’s length from her ex-lover. “What do you want?”
    â€œCould we talk inside?” Leonard jerked his head toward her house behind him.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI don’t have anything to say to you. And if you aren’t going to talk out here, then we have nothing to say to each other.” Doreen started to walk past him.
    Leonard shifted to block her path. “I want you back.”
    Is he kidding?
    His eyes scanned her face as though searching for a weakness. He must have thought she’d lost her mind.
    â€œHow does Yvette feel about that?” Doreen settled farther into her coat. It was the second week of April. Although the childhood poem presaged that April would come in “like a lamb,” it felt a lot like the lion of March.
    â€œWe broke up.” Leonard didn’t sound too torn up about it.
    â€œWell, good for her.” Doreen started to circle Leonard to climb her stairs.
    Leonard grabbed her left arm and raised her hand to see her fingers. He studied her two-carat Monarch diamond engagement ring with disgust. “I’d heard that the sheriff had proposed. I think condolences are in order. I’d like to rip that ring from your finger and throw it into the street.”
    Doreen fisted her hand and yanked it from his grip. “You’ve said what you came to say. Now leave. I don’t want to see you again.” She tried to step around him a third time.
    Again, Leonard blocked her way. “I wish we’d never broken up.”
    â€œStep aside, Leo.”
    â€œI miss you, Dorie.”
    â€œI won’t ask you again.”
    â€œTell me what went wrong between us.”
    Wide eyed, Doreen stared at him. “ You’re what went wrong between us. You wanted me to stay home and take care of you. I have other plans for my future and Alonzo supports them.”
    â€œI wanted to share my life with you.”
    Doreen shook her head. “But you didn’t want to share mine.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” He looked confused.
    â€œYou gave me an ultimatum, remember?” Doreen settled her hands on her hips. “Be the person you wanted me to be or you’d find someone else. When I didn’t fall in line, you started dating Yvette.”
    â€œWhy did you have to run for mayor?” Leonard pressed his hand to his chest. “I wanted you to be my wife.”
    â€œWith you, it’s either-or. With Alonzo, I can have it all.” Doreen walked past Leonard and mounted her steps.
    â€œThis isn’t over between us, Dorie.”
    Doreen waved her left hand over her shoulder, showing him her engagement ring as she continued up the stairs. “Yes, it is.”
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    Benita sat back on the fluffy pink armchair Wednesday evening and considered Doreen and Alonzo, seated beside each other on the matching overstuffed sofa. “April Fool’s Day was last Wednesday. Is this some sort of belated joke?”
    The couple exchanged a look, silent communication that reminded Benita of her and Vaughn.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Doreen asked.
    Benita blinked and Vaughn’s handsome features faded from her vision. She was back in Doreen’s family room. “You’ve just told me you haven’t reserved a church, caterer, or ballroom. You haven’t created a guest list or identified groomsmen or