Free Any Man I Want by Michele Grant Page B

joyously.
    â€œHow’s the only woman to ever steal my heart doing?” he asked and smacked a noisy kiss on both her cheeks, still holding her aloft. I held back the urge to clear my throat and roll my eyes.
    My sixty-plus-year-old mother giggled like a schoolgirl and took his cheeks in her hands and kissed him back. “If I was twenty years younger, bel homme , you wouldn’t have to ask!”
    Carter kissed her again and hugged her tighter before setting her back on her feet. “If Pops didn’t own so many guns, I’d have to fight him for ya.”
    â€œYou may have to dodge a few bullets yet.” She slid a glance from him to me and back again.
    He held his hands up. “I’ve been a perfect gentleman with his baby girl.”
    â€œThis is true. He has kissed you more in the last thirty seconds than he has kissed me all week.” Yes, I was a little testy about it.
    Alanna looked slowly between us again and her smile widened. “ C’est vrai ? How noble of you, Carter. And how very disappointing for you, ma fille .” She turned toward me with arms outstretched.
    â€œHi, Mommy.” I was almost a full ten inches taller than my mother, but I still loved being wrapped in her arms. Somehow, getting the hug from Madere brought back all the stress and drama of the week and tears sprang to my ears.
    She pulled back, looked into my face, and patted my hands. “None of that now. You’ve had a long week. Not your best. Name in the papers, face on the television, and for all the wrong reasons. But you’re a Montgomery and we weather storms, yes? Come out stronger on the other side. Consider this a wake-up call.”
    â€œA wake-up call?” What did she mean?
    â€œNot every pretty man with a fat bank account and a bucket of degrees is worth your time, bébé .”
    I slammed my hands on my hips and scowled down at her. “I break up with a guy and he decides to make up lies about me and it’s my fault?”
    â€œShouldn’t have been with him in the first place. You give an imbécile a fancy gun with shiny bullets and you’re surprised when you get shot?” she asked matter-of-factly and gave a classic Madere Gallic shrug. Carter choked back a laugh and disappeared into his room on the far side of the suite. The door closed behind him with a decisive click .
    â€œAm I the gun or the bullets, Mom?”
    â€œDon’t get smart with me, Katrina. Own up to your lack of judgment and let’s talk about what’s going on with you and Carter.” She turned toward the other bedroom in the suite. “Separate rooms, eh? That boy’s no fool.”
    I sighed, picked up the suitcase, and followed her into my room. I kicked the door shut behind me and collapsed onto the bed. Madere sat down beside me and stroked my hair. “I’m tired, Madere.”
    â€œChile, you been sunnin’ and surfin’ for a week, whatchu tired from?”
    â€œMentally tired,” I clarified.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œToo many thoughts crowding my brain.” I sighed wearily.
    â€œLet’s take it from the top, ‘tite chou .”
    â€œAre you and Pops ashamed of me?” I asked the thing that weighed most heavily. “For the sex thing?”
    She gave me a tender, but rebuking, look. “Trina, you know better. We know you. We know what you would and wouldn’t do. You’re a beautiful woman and people don’t always deal well with that. You’ve never caused us a moment’s shame in your life. You are almost thirty years old; we know you’ve had sex before. From now on, maybe you pick a man a l’il more worthy of your favors?”
    Well, she certainly had a good point there. “Yes, ma’am.”
    Her expression turned fierce. “Dat Delancey boy better hope I don’t see him in the streets.”
    I did not laugh because she meant it. Alanna Montgomery was tiny, but