Free Flaw Less by Shana Burton Page B

You know how crazy I am about Uncle James.”
    â€œYou mean Miss Penelope ,” Kina corrected her. “He stopped going by James years ago.”
    Lawson rose. “Whether he’s Penelope or James, I’m still going to love him, but wrong is wrong. If the Bible calls it perversion, I do too. Do I have to remind you what 1 Corinthians says? ‘Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.’”
    Kina cocked her head to the side. “What if you’re born that way?”
    â€œWe’re all born into sin,” disputed Lawson. “You can get born-again.”
    Angel nodded in confirmation. “You better say it!”
    Kina rolled her eyes. “Well, lesbian or not, Joan seems like a genuinely kind person who I would like to get to know better. There’s nothing wrong with the two of us being friends.”
    Angel raised an eyebrow. “The same way there’s nothing wrong with a little bump and grind?”
    â€œThere will be no bumping or grinding,” maintained Kina. “Just a little coffee and conversation every now and then.”
    Angel reached for more clothes to fold. “Just be careful about what you get yourself into. . . .”
    â€œOr what gets into you!” added Sullivan.
    Lawson held up a charcoal double-breasted wool coat and pressed it against her five foot two inch frame. “I’m surprised you’re giving this away, Angel. It’s beautiful.”
    â€œYeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear this before.” Sullivan checked for the designer’s label. “And I know I’ve never known you to invest in Burberry.”
    â€œYou would see me in it if Duke had his way,” murmured Angel. “This label says Burberry, but this is actually from the Theresa King collection.”
    Lawson was surprised. “Wow, Duke finally decided to get rid of Theresa’s old things. I think that a positive step in the right direction, don’t you?”
    â€œI would if he’d thought of it! You have no idea what an uphill battle it was to get him to agree to do it,” lamented Angel. “Did I tell you that he asked if I wanted to keep Theresa’s clothes for myself?” She shook her head and continued to sort through the clothes. “The whole thing just weirds me out sometimes.”
    â€œMaybe he’s just sentimental,” suggested Kina.
    â€œMaybe he’s still in love with his dead wife!” spat Sullivan. Lawson and Kina glared at her with stone faces. “What? Was I not supposed to say that out loud? All of you were thinking it.”
    â€œDuke’s not in love with Theresa; he’s in love with me ,” contended Angel. “It’s just taking all of them awhile to grieve. You have to give people the time and space to mourn in their own way.”
    â€œYou had to know this was going to be an issue, Angel,” voiced Sullivan. “He was married to you for two years, but he was married to her for nearly ten. They have children together, and if Theresa hadn’t gotten sick, they’d probably still be married.”
    â€œHe wouldn’t have asked me to marry him and move into his home if he didn’t love me.”
    Lawson stepped in. “We’ve never doubted Duke’s love for you, Angel, but don’t underestimate his love for Theresa either.”
    â€œDang, is this what it’s come down to?” asked Kina. “I used to think women had to look out for anything in a skirt. Apparently, now we’ve got to be worried about anyone in the dirt too!”
    Angel remembered her mother’s warning given to her as a teenager. “Mama always said there are two people you can’t compete with for a man’s attention because you can never be either one of