"Talking to your man?" Nolan asked.

"No, my lawyer."

"Didn't mean to interrupt you. I'm finished bringing in the boxes."

"Hungry?" Milandra asked.

Nolan patted his six-pack. "Oh yeah!"

Milandra insisted that he go in first, but Nolan, being a gentleman, said, "Ladies first."

He watched her from behind. He feasted his eyes on her curves. He would have to do overtime to get with her.

Milandra felt his eyes on her. Never had she felt so uneasy in front of a man. She had been around many of her father's workers, but none brought her this much tension.

Back in the kitchen, her sisters' plates were left with chicken bones on them.

"Thanks for the food. The chicken is good," Kenley said.

Noelle got up and disposed of her plate.

Kenley left hers on the table. "We should have brought some help with us."

Milandra agreed. "I'll make a call and start interviewing help tomorrow."

Nolan listened to them. He went on and made himself a plate of food.

"Are you going to eat?" Nolan focused his attention on Milandra.

"Yes. Kenley, prepare me a plate of supper."

"Me? I'm not one of the help."

Nolan placed his plate on the table. Next to his seat he pulled a chair out. "Have a seat, Miss Houston," he said as he flagged Milandra.

Kenley playfully went to sit down.

"I forgot there're three Miss Houstons in this kitchen. I meant you, Milandra."

"Excuse me." Kenley giggled.

Noelle pulled her by the arm. "Come on, baby sister, I think you need to go with me. Let's start unpacking."

Milandra sat in the seat. Nolan's mannerism was the cla.s.s act she loved. As fast as she took a seat, she went to get back up. "I haven't cleansed my hands."

"Don't move," he said.

Nolan ran over to the sink and wet a paper towel. He brought it back to her. Milandra wiped her hands while he made a plate of food for her.

"What part of the chicken would you like, Miss Houston?"

"I'll take a leg. That'll be fine."

Nolan placed the plate in front of her. He folded a napkin in front of her with a fork on top of it. "Enjoy your meal," he whispered in her ear.

Nolan sat down and took charge, blessing the food.

Milandra sat erect eating her food. Taking small bites of the chicken, she constantly wiped any food particles from around her mouth. She had never felt so nervous eating in front of a man. Her father would have forbidden it. She was defying him at this very moment, but her inner being led her to stay put in the seat.

Nolan noticed the trembling in her hands, that she wasn't relaxed. He broke the ice by making small talk. "My belly has been waiting for a meal all day."

"You haven't eaten today?" Milandra asked but kept her eyes on her plate.

"I drink water all day in this heat. It keeps me hydrated."

"Speaking of drinks, I have to hire help right away. A Southern table must always have a pitcher of cold homemade iced tea."

"No problem, I'll be your temporary help." Nolan got up and went to the refrigerator. "You can have iced tea, but it's not homemade." He held up a gallon of store bought lemon tea.

"I never had iced tea from a container. I'll try it." She smiled.

Nolan filled two gla.s.ses for them. He placed one in front of her.

She took a sip of it. "It's nice and lemony." She smiled. "I'll buy several containers for the house."

Nolan grinned. "You should only buy a couple at a time. You want it nice and freshly brewed."

"Will do."

Nolan saw that Milandra became somewhat more relaxed around him. But more work had to be done to get her to want him as much as he wanted her.

"Is there anything else you need done around here?"

"Well, starting tomorrow, I'll have help around here. I won't bother you, unless I need something moved."

"Oh, that's no good." Nolan wondered what he could do to keep coming to see her.

"I offered you a job that you don't need."

Nolan laughed. "Yes, you did."

"I promise, if I need your help, I'll call you."

"That's it; you wouldn't call a friend just to say h.e.l.lo?"

Milandra looked up at him. "We're friends now?"

"I thought you knew that," Nolan teased. "I'm not the type of guy you would have for a friend?"

"Nolan, I have no male friends."

"You have one now. Me."

He got up out of his seat and cleaned his spot. "Finished?" he asked, looking over at her empty plate.

Milandra handed her plate to him. She got out of her seat. "I guess I'll go help my sisters unpack. I'll walk you out."

Nolan made his way to the front door. "Milandra, you made my day."

"With all that my sisters and I have been through, you have alleviated some of our problems. So I graciously thank you." Milandra bowed her head.

"Speaking of problems, your Jacuzzi in the backyard is malfunctioning. Also, out near the ramped walkway to the lake, there's a slope in the ground. Come, I'll show you."

"How do you know all of this?"

"Let's just say I made sure everything was safe for you ladies to move in."

Nolan led the way out back. The walk to the lake gave them a peaceful view of the sun starting to disappear among the clouds. He came to the slope in the ground. "Right here," he said as he tapped his shoe on the spot. "It needs some filling in with dirt." Nolan looked down at her ankle to see a diamond anklet. "I wouldn't want you to twist your ankle."

"I'll have it fixed. Kenley would be the main one to trip in the hole."

"We wouldn't want that," he said. "I'll take the job, if you don't mind. It won't take long to get it filled, and I'll fix the minor problem with your Jacuzzi."

"You're a mover," Milandra reminded him, but happy that he volunteered.

"That's my day job. This will be my evening project."

"My sisters say I'm stubborn. But I see I have a twin," she joked.

Nolan took his ultimate chance and extended his hand out to her. "Friends."

Milandra's hand got lost in his. Nolan caressed her hand as he shook it. He stared into her brown eyes. Milandra felt guilty and let go of his hand. Her eyes began to water.

Nolan could see the tears forming. "I feel so bad. I'm making you cry."

"It's not you. Don't flatter yourself. I'm overwhelmed-just a worn-out day," she said, but the tears started flowing.

Milandra hurried inside the house. It was like she had come down with the flu and her body ached for him, or better yet, the comfort of any man.

Nolan ran after her. He wanted to console her and break the hard sh.e.l.l that Milandra hid behind.

Inside the house, Milandra ran right into Kenley watching television on a leather sofa. Nolan came in behind her. Kenley could feel there was more heat between them than outdoors.

"Humph! It looks like the cat is chasing the mouse. But the mouse doesn't want to be caught," Kenley observed.

"Hush such talk. What are you doing in here?" Milandra asked.

Kenley smirked. "What were you doing out at the lake?"

Nolan could tell Milandra was embarra.s.sed by how outspoken her sister was. He interjected, "Good night," and found his way out the house.

"Talk about being humiliated-what's wrong with you?"

"Did he try to kiss you? That's why you came running into the house?"

"I wasn't running." Milandra wiped her face to show no signs of her tears.

"He kissed you, and you ran from him. Is he a good kisser?" Kenley asked as she puckered her lips.

"Aren't you supposed to be unpacking boxes?"

"You did kiss him. Please tell me, is he a mushy or juicy kisser?" Kenley asked as she got up from the sofa and pulled on her sister's arm.

"Let go of me. I didn't kiss any stranger." Milandra pushed away from her sister.

"Gosh, Milandra! You're an adult. You met him, you like him, and then you smack him on the lips," Kenley said as she puckered up her lips.

"Father would slap you if he heard you talking and acting in such a way."

"I wish I was older. I would have such pa.s.sion with him-like what I see in romance movies."

"Kenley Houston, stop such talk."

"I bet if Miss Half sees him, she'll scoop him up as if he was ice cream."

"Good night, Kenley," Milandra said and left the room.

Milandra went into her new bedroom and fell across the bed. After meeting Nolan, she yearned for him to come back and visit.

Chapter 15.

Aniyah called Baron constantly until he agreed to escort her to the Houston Estate. She dropped her bag in the backseat of his car, then made her way to the front pa.s.senger seat. Without warning, she reached over and landed a kiss on his lips.

Baron pushed her away. "Please, we're in the public eye."

"That's okay, sugar," Aniyah said as she pulled down on the spandex dress she wore.

Baron kept looking straight ahead. He didn't want to get distracted from the spillover coming out of the top of her dress.

"After today, we won't be seeing each other. I'll help you get settled at the Houston Estate and that's where it ends."