Free All Up In My Business by Lutishia Lovely Page B

ask?”
    “Girl, don’t even try it. I’ve loved you over half my life and know you probably better than I know myself. Now, talk to me, baby. What’s wrong?”
    Candace sighed.
Everything and nothing
. Crazy mood swings that she blamed on the change. But she didn’t have the energy to verbalize all of what she was feeling. So she shared what she could. “Victoria stopped by today.”
    “Oh, really? She finally decided to rejoin the Livingston clan? What did she have to say for herself?”
    “More than either you, me, or definitely Malcolm wouldever want to hear.” Candace waited a beat and then continued. “She’s pregnant.”
    Adam calmly absorbed this news. He placed Candace’s right foot down and reached for her left one. “Again?” he finally asked. “I thought they were done having babies.”
    “Yeah, so did Malcolm.”
    “What is he saying?”
    “That’s just it. He doesn’t know yet.”
    Adam’s hand stopped in midstroke. “What in the hell is she waiting on to tell him?”
    “Courage. She’s afraid of how he’ll react, since he was so adamant that they stop having kids two kids ago. Now, here comes another one … and more weight gain.”
    “Why does she keep doing this, letting herself get pregnant? The girl’s got a head on her shoulders. She knows how babies are made. So what exactly is going on here, Candace? Did she tell you that?”
    “I think she’s still trying to figure that out.” Candace shifted her body until she lay in Adam’s arms. During their conversation, Victoria had opened up more than she had in the ten-plus years she’d been a Livingston. And now Candace was called on to break the news that Victoria could not.
    “I remember when those two got married,” Adam said.
    “Who could forget? Valarie Saunders just about drove us all crazy …”
    “Wasn’t that her prerogative as the mother of the bride?”
    “If you say so.”
    “What was it, five hundred guests?”
    “Fifteen bridesmaids and groomsmen on top of the best man and maid of honor—and don’t get me started with that seven-course sit-down dinner and the orchestra flown in from Japan.”
    “Ha! But the doves that flew away at the end, that was a nice touch.”
    “It all was beautiful, really. Victoria was a stunning bride. And she and Malcolm were so happy. They could have floated to Barbados.”
    “It used to be you couldn’t separate those lovebirds. I wonder what happened?”
    “You mean besides four kids and another one on the way?”
    “We had two, and it didn’t change us.”
    Candace looked at Adam sideways. “We had our dry spells.”
    “Yeah, but we’ve always been happy.”
    “Umm. Speaking of happy,” Candace whispered, reaching into her husband’s boxers and massaging the treasure inside. “Let’s go to bed. I want some of this … long and strong.”
    “I’ll give it to you strong, but I don’t know for how long.” Adam laughed. “Am I going to have to start taking Viagra to keep up with you?”
    “You just might,” Candace answered. She rose from the couch and reached for her husband. “But now, for tonight, I’ll take what I can get.”
    “And I’ll give it to you, baby.”
    “Mmm, that’s what I’m talking about.”

13
    T oussaint tried to focus on the expansion plans he’d worked on all morning, details he hoped would eventually materialize into the first Taste location on the West Coast. That he’d been staring at the same page for the past ten minutes without really reading it proved he was failing miserably at this attempt. No matter where he rested his eye, all he could see was what had made his heart almost stop the past Saturday night—Alexis walking into the dinner party he’d attended, on the arm of Councilman Jon Abernathy.
    Toussaint had almost passed on the invitation. Ongoing developments at Taste had his schedule crammed full. On top of that, being temporarily housed at a one-bedroom condo in Buckhead while Alexis tore apart his living and