Chapter Seven

Quinn approached theoffices and passed the glass front entrance of the school hoping to catch Amanda before she left. It was almost fifteen minutes after the last bell rang for the day. Jamaal Biel stood on the sidewalk outside beside a Hummer talking to an older gentleman.

Jamaal took a step back and folded his arms over his chest. She watched them talk before the man opened the passenger door and motioned for Jamaal to get inside. The boy shook his head and backed away.

An alarm raced through her. She set her tote bag down and opened one of the doors. "Jamaal!" she called. "You're not ditching tutoring are you?"

He turned toward her.

"Did you think I'd forgotten?" She put her hands on her hips.

"I've got tutoring." Jamaal started toward the school.

Quinn held the door for him, not looking at the gentleman.

"Thank you," Jamaal murmured as he entered the school.

A few students and teachers lingered in the halls, most slowly ambling this way and that. She snatched up her bag, taking note of the Hummer driving off.

On his phone texting, Jamaal's hands visibly shook. He abruptly stopped, a pensive expression on his face. "My dad has two flat tires. I tried my mother and grandmother, and haven't heard back from either. Uncle Dre's driving into town today for my game tomorrow, so I texted to ask if he could pick me up, but he hasn't answered."

"Why don't I give you a ride?"

"Would you?"

She wasn't going to leave this kid so upset. "Tell your dad the school will call him shortly. He needs to give permission for me to take you home." Although it was technically illegal for teachers to give students a ride, and even though she'd put her job on the line to help Jamaal, this seemed like an easy workaround. "Come on." She motioned to the front office, and he followed as he texted.

Ten minutes later, they were on their way. Jamaal gave her directions, and they ended up at Chasing Time. "You live here?"

"With my grandmother. She runs the place." He waved to the uniformed man in the gatehouse. The guard returned a wave with a smile as the boom barrier rose.

She didn't realize Mrs. Biel lived on the premises.

Jamaal pointed to a street leading to the left of the welcome building and told her to keep going. After passing the medical center, he instructed her to take a right onto a street where houses and duplexes lined each side. He directed her to the last house on the cul-de-sac.

Dressed in black basketball shorts and a Scorpions red tank top, Dre walked behind a lawn mower with headphones over his ears.

Quinn pulled into the driveway. Before she even put the car in park, Jamaal hopped out and rushed toward his uncle, leaving the car door wide open.

She punched the off button on the dash, got out, and walked around to the passenger side to shut the door.

Dre let go of the lawnmower handle, killing the loud engine. He slipped off the headphones and let them settle around his neck. "What's up?" he asked as Jamaal hurried his way. Then he waved to Quinn, a confused look on his face.

"I've been texting you," the boy practically shouted.

"I've been out here since I rolled into town. My phone's in the house."

"Grandpa Mac came to my school."

"Shit." Dre engulfed him in a hug.

Jamaal's voice sounded unsteady as the embrace ended. "Dad had two flat tires, and Grandpa Mac showed up at my school. That can't be a coincidence."

Dre kept his hand on Jamaal's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"He tried to convince me to get into his Hummer." Jamaal turned his head toward Quinn. "Ms. Weldon made up a story about tutoring and called me back into the building."

Concern etching in his features, Dre nodded to her. "Thank you."

She bobbed her head.

He hugged Jamaal again. "Go inside. I'll be right there."

The boy's shoulders relaxed as he started for the house.

"Please don't think I'm not grateful you helped Jamaal," Dre said as he approached her. "But why did you involve yourself?"

"When I saw Jamaal backing up and shaking his head, I thought he might be in distress. I just gave him an out if he needed one."

"I appreciate it. And if you ever see that man again, call the police immediately."

Her heart jumped.

A car screeched to a stop on the street, and a tall man in a Tool Time shirt and hat jumped out of the back seat. "Where's Jamaal?"

The car drove off, more than likely an Uber.

"In the house. Knox Pinster..." Dre pointed to her. "This is Quinn Weldon."

The man hustled up to them. "I appreciate you driving Jamaal home."

"Of course."

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He hastily shook her hand and ran toward the house.

A lot was going on here. "I better go." She walked back around her car.

Dre beat her to the door and opened it.

They stared at each other for a few heartbeats.

She wanted to somehow ease the worry in his eyes like he'd done for her with a look or a touch of his hand. Without another word, she stepped forward, raised her hand to his chest, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek.

~

Dre wondered what hadpossessed Quinn to comfort him with a kiss. He still felt the warmth of her fingers on his chest and the press of her lips on his skin. He watched her drive away until her Mini Cooper turned the corner, then he entered the house.

"I'm sorry, son," Knox's voice carried from the kitchen. "We'll file a restraining order."

Dre stepped into the kitchen, regretting not having mentioned the man he'd seen driving the Hummer weeks ago. It had to have been Mac.

"Grandpa Mac said he wanted to get to know me again."

"The man says a lot of things."

Jamaal sipped from the bottle of soda on the table in front of him.

The backdoor opened, and Tracy hustled inside and over to Jamaal. "Are you okay?"

Mom came in the open door next with a man behind her. "You all know Mac."

The old man's black eyes glanced at Knox then Jamaal, and he smiled. Mac had aged over the last eight years, his hair more white than black, the lines on his face deep grooves.

Dre's gut twisted. Mac had caused his family more grief than anyone had the right to inflict.

Knox spun toward his father and widened his stance. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I invited him." Mom set her purse on the kitchen counter.

"I told her this was crazy," Tracy interjected, her hands on Jamaal's shoulders.

"This is my home," Mama B said with finality and gestured to the table and chairs. "We should sit—"

"Do you know he flattened two of my tires today so I couldn't pick up Jamaal?" Knox interrupted. "Then he showed up at his school."

"He told me." Mom went over to the fridge, grabbed a handful of water bottles, and set them on the table. "When we spoke weeks ago, Mac—"

"Weeks ago?" Tracy stepped over next to Knox and put her arm around him. The two stood facing Mac and Mom. Jamaal sat at the table observing everything. Dre took the seat next to his nephew. Right now this was not his fight. He'd deal with his issues with Mac later.

Mom continued, "When he returned to town, Mac called and asked me to meet him to discuss how best to approach all of you."

"You agreed?" Tracy asked.

"I want peace in my family."

Knox replied to Mom without a hint of hesitation, "He's not part of this family."

"Whether you want him to be or not, he is." She opened a water bottle and took a sip. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

Dre figured Knox and Tracy were thinking exactly what he was. Mac had blown too many second chances.

An ominous silence hung in the air.

Mac cleared his throat. "I wanted to see you all and get reacquainted."

"You've been surveilling us since you returned, haven't you? That's how you knew to sabotage me on a Thursday afternoon, so you could approach Jamaal alone. Or did Mama B tell you his schedule?"

Mom shook her head. "My suggestion was he come to dinner one night to ease into this reunion."

"That's true." Mac heavily exhaled. "I did flatten your tires and go to the school. I thought if I won Jamaal over, you might be more accepting of me."

As a kid, Jamaal worshipped his grandfather. But seven years ago Mac had done the unthinkable. By the boy's skeptical expression, Jamaal understood he shouldn't trust the man. This must be hard for him. Not to mention Knox. Hell, it was hard for Dre.

"You're trying to use him as a bargaining chip again. Each person in your life serves you somehow." Knox crossed his arms.

"Not anymore. I'm a different man." Mac looked past Knox at Jamaal. "I'd never use you."

"I know what you did," Jamaal responded. "How you manipulated Dad his whole life. And how you held me for ransom. I even know what happened with Uncle Dre. He explained everything."

Mac glared at Dre. "Everything?"

Dre nodded.

The man's face fell.

"All of that is in the past," Mom said. Dre knew she wouldn't give up trying to smooth things over. Belief in the decency of people was one of the things he'd learned from her. Except forgiving Mac wouldn't be easy for anyone in the room. "We are all different people now."

"Don't be so sure, Mama B," Knox warned. "He's using you to convince us to give him a chance."

Dre had to give it to the old man, he appeared genuinely contrite when he muttered, "I want to spend some time with the only family I have left."

~

Dre parked on Quinn'sgrandparents' drive, knocked on the front door, and waited. The porch light flickered on before the door opened. Ivan unlocked the glass storm door. "Come in, my boy. Come in."

"Good to see you again." Dre stepped inside. "I didn't mean to interrupt if you're busy."

"You didn't interrupt." Ivan patted his back. "We just finished eating. Are you hungry?"

"No, sir. I stopped by to speak to your granddaughter if she's here."

Appearing in the hallway, Quinn was a vision. Blonde hair slightly messy, she wore blue jean shorts with a fitted Beatles T-shirt. Every time he saw her she got more beautiful. "Hi."

Ivan started toward the hallway. "I'll go help Estelle."

Quinn moved forward, and Ivan passed her on his way to the kitchen.

Dre couldn't take his gaze from her beautiful green eyes.

After what happened with Anita, he wasn't sure he could ever trust another woman, but something about Quinn's innocence, her vulnerability, told him he could trust her. She wouldn't be like the women who just wanted to be seen with him or wanted a rich guy to take care of them.

"What you did for Jamaal today meant a great deal to me and my family. I would like to explain."

"You don't owe me an explanation. I understand it's a family matter and your private life is made public too often." She held her hand out toward the living room.

He entered and took a seat on the couch. She perched on the recliner arm.

"That's true, and I appreciate your consideration, but you deserve an explanation." He told her about the first time he met Knox and how after that night, Knox worked with his father selling drugs, landing him in jail time after time. "On Jamaal's seventh birthday, he vanished from the yard at my sister and brother-in-law's home. Knox's father, Mac Wallace, the man you saw today, had taken him."

Quinn gasped. "Oh, no."

"Jamaal knew him, of course, and Mac made it seem like staying with him for a few days was his birthday present. After two days, Knox got a call from Mac threatening to disappear with Jamaal unless Knox agreed to run drugs for him again. A few days prior to the kidnapping, Knox refused to do it anymore because he wanted a better life for Tracy and Jamaal. When his father gave Knox an ultimatum to work for him or never see his son again, Knox agreed. Mac returned Jamaal, but when Knox went on a drug run that night, he was arrested and got four years behind bars." Dre didn't explain his involvement in the whole affair.

A scowl crossed her beautiful features.

"Mac went to jail as well and recently got out. None of us had seen or heard from him until today. Well, my mother had." He shook his head. "That's a whole different matter."

"You never know what others go through," she softly uttered. He suspected there was more behind her words, something personal.

"Mac claims he wants to make amends. My mother thinks he's in earnest. The rest of us are skeptical. As part of his parole, Mac wears an ankle monitor. It tracks his location."

Her eyes widened.

"Although Jamaal said he didn't say your name when you called him into the school today, I'd like to hire private security to protect you."

"That's not necessary, especially since Mac has a monitor. I'd feel awkward having security around me all the time. I appreciate the offer, though." She leaned over and placed her hand over his.

He clutched her fingers between his hands.

Agnes distracted them as she sauntered into the room like she owned it. She paused and studied Quinn and Dre. Then she carefully walked over and rubbed her side against Dre's leg. The next second, the cat scurried away.

"That's a positive sign. I've never seen her do that, not even to Grandma and Grandpa." Quinn smiled, her beautifully pink lips reminding him of the innocent kiss she'd planted on him earlier.

"I better go." He stood without releasing her hand.

She came to her feet in front of him.

He greedily inhaled her cherry scent. Encouraged by the earlier kiss, he pressed his lips to her cheek. Once done, he kept his face close to hers. She glanced at his mouth and quickly back to his eyes.

Needing no other encouragement, he kissed her. She instantly responded, returning the pressure. He closed his eyes and released her hand. When her arms snaked around his neck, he placed his hands on her hips, tugging her body the slightest bit closer to his, ready to deepen the kiss.

"Quinn," Ivan called.

Dre lifted his head, breaking the all-too-innocent kiss that felt like the beginning of something important, essential.

"What kind of ice cream do you and Dre want? We have rocky road and chocolate mint?"

She grinned at Dre. "What's your pleasure?"

You.

"Just being there for someone can sometimes bring hope when all seems hopeless."

~ Dave G. Llewellyn