Can't Stop Loving You (13 page)

K
endrick hesitated before stripping off his clothes following the intense workout he'd just had with his personal trainer. The workout was exhilarating and it showed in the sweat pouring down his face.

He couldn't wait to kick off the wet T-shirt and shorts and step into his three-headed shower and then into the sauna. He could almost picture himself languishing in the relaxing warmth.

He needed to relax. The last few months had him spinning. Most people would think such tension was natural with a business less than a year old, however, his anxiety had nothing to do with Café Jireh, and everything to do with the brown-eyed girl next door.

Three days had passed since he had escorted her to her front door following their fishing trip, and with Tiki back home with Bianca, Kendrick didn't have to worry about anyone but himself. Being alone made him think about his aloneness.

As he walked down the hall to the bathroom, he passed the big portrait of Amanda and paused. Amanda had known him, loved him unconditionally and stood by him during his roughest times. If only he could have been as faithful.

She had shown him so much love. The affair during his football career had been forgiven. When he'd injured his knee during a preseason game and ended his career, she'd encouraged him to pursue other endeavors. When one night he'd felt that he wanted to end his life because of the void that weighed heavily in his heart, she'd introduced him to the peace and love that only a relationship with the Father could give.

Seven years following her death he still felt a sense of loyalty to his wife. There was a sense of comfort with her memory. However, he couldn't deny that Kaycee had a lot more in common with him than Amanda had had, which made it impossible to ignore the pull she had on him. His attentions and affections were being taken up by the young woman, and he felt guilty.

With a sigh, he took off his clothing and tossed it in the laundry bin before heading straight for a cold shower.

 

Kendrick arrived at work late in the morning. The place was already filling up with the lunch crowd along with the regulars who spent the day tapping feverishly into their laptops.

His eyes scanned the dining room, and he was grateful to not see the familiar curly brown hair. Instead he found La Jetta and Jaylen waiting on guests out front.

“Hi, Mr. Rick!” La Jetta greeted.

“Hey, Jetta, everything okay?” He asked his new assistant manager. From the beginning, La Jetta had shown herself committed to the business, and he couldn't think of a better person to promote.

“Everything is great,” she replied and proceeded to run down the list of messages for him. When she was finished, he went to the back to greet the rest of the crew before heading for his office.

On his way, he passed the small office that Kaycee occupied and he glanced inside. It was strange seeing it dark and cold.

Since their trip, Kaycee had called and told him that she had received some interest in her event-planning skills and she had a couple of new proposals on the table, so she wouldn't be in until the Salsa lesson scheduled for Saturday.

He was happy for her and somewhat relieved to have her out of the way so that he could keep his mind on his work. With her gone, he had been able to focus on detailed reports and documents that required his full attention.

With a sigh he picked up the latest stack of forms and began to pore through them, pushing thoughts of Kaycee out of his mind.

After four intense hours of work in his office, Kendrick stepped out to check on the staff. It was almost three o'clock.

The crowd had tapered down and the staff was preparing for the evening shift.

The first stop was the coffeemaker where he poured himself a cup of black coffee.

The jingling bells at the front door caught his attention and he turned around to find his daughter, Bianca, and grandson, Sebastian.

“Hi, Daddy,” she called out as she guided her son through the door.

Kendrick hurried around the counter and scooped Sebastian up in his arms, tickling his ribs. The toddler kicked and giggled with glee at the rough play he enjoyed sharing with his grandfather.

“Hey, baby girl,” he returned the greeting. He settled Sebastian in his arms before planting a kiss on her cheek. “What brings you by here?”

“Tim has to work over tonight and I have some depositions I need to clear off my desk and—”

“You need a babysitter,” he cut in.

Bianca lowered her head and nodded.

“Didn't I tell you raising kids without family around would be hard?” he gently scolded. “What would you and Tim do without me?”

“That's why I appreciate you so much!” she said hugging him. “I'm so glad you decided to move to Atlanta.”

Kendrick placed Sebastian on the floor and he ran around to the back to find his favorite person—La Jetta.

“So, how long do you need me to keep him?”

“Is eight too late?” she asked in her daddy's-little-girl voice coupled with a sweet smile.

Kendrick smiled and shook his head. “Eight is fine.”

“Thanks, Dad!”

As he watched her leave, he couldn't help but be reminded of Amanda again. Although her memory held a special place in his heart, she was slipping away. For the first time since her death, another woman was vying for his attention and gaining ground.

T
o Kaycee's pleasure, a small crowd had gathered for the free Salsa lessons on Saturday morning. There were four middle-aged couples who appeared to be friends, a group of young women who all belonged to a book club and two guys who happened to be dining in the café and had signed up at the last minute because of the girls. Charlotte served them coffee as they waited for the instructor to arrive.

Stationed at the front counter, Kaycee pored over the monthly calendar. Already she had booked something for every Friday and Saturday. She felt confident that her suggestion to offer more than a cup of coffee and a light meal at Jireh was turning out to be a good one.

The bells on the front door jingled and Kaycee glanced up to find the Peetes, an elderly couple who frequented the café. According to La Jetta, they had been the first customers and because of that, they were entitled to a free cup of coffee every day.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Peete,” she greeted with a smile. “Will you be having the usual today?”

Mr. Peete, a dapper gentleman with a full head of gleaming white hair and a thick matching mustache, chuckled with a twinkle in his eye. “Not today, dear.”

“So, you're being adventurous today, huh?” Kaycee teased.

“Actually, sweetie, we're here for the Salsa lessons,” Mrs. Peete said with a mischievous glance at her husband. “We figure that maybe we could learn a thing or two to add to our repertoire.”

Kaycee's eyes widened with surprise, “Well, alrighty then, why don't you join the others in the back of the dining room? The instructor should be here any minute.”

The door opened a second time and in walked a handsome Latino man dressed in a white dress shirt and black trousers. He had a smooth olive complexion with wide clear brown eyes, a hint of five o'clock shadow and a long wavy ponytail that hung to the middle of his back.

“Can I help you?” Kaycee offered.

“Yes, good morning, I'm Hector Reyes. I'm the instructor for the class this morning.” He said in perfect English.

Two female customers who were on their way out did a U-turn at hearing that and joined the others in the dining room.

“Hi, Mr. Reyes,” Kaycee welcomed him and held out her hand. “I'm Kaycee Jordan. I'm the one who set up the class with your assistant.”

Hector's eyes lowered as he took inventory of Kaycee with admiration before resting them back on her face.

“Ms. Jordan, what a pleasure it is to meet you,” he replied and raised her hand to his mouth to plant a kiss on the back.

Kaycee was surprised by his action. Maybe hand-kissing was the latest trend.

Apparently, Kendrick thought so, as well. During the exchange, Kaycee hadn't seen him enter the building. The look on his face was a mixture of shock and anger. She could tell by the clenching of his jaw and the muscles flexing beneath his ears.

Neither of them said a word.

Kaycee eased her hand from Hector's grasp. “Mr. Reyes, the class is waiting for you.”

Hector could obviously feel the tension between Kaycee and the man with the piercing frown standing stiffly beside them.

“Will you join us?” he asked, stepping into her personal space as if trying to establish territory.

Kaycee smiled and flushed with embarrassment under Kendrick's penetrating gaze.

“No, I have a lot of work to do.”

“Please, I think you would be an excellent partner.” Quick as a wink, he took her hands and proceeded to do a little move with a gyration of his hips.

Kaycee's brows raised and she looked over at Kendrick who was fuming to the point of blowing his top.

“Mr. Reyes, really,” she firmly stated, moving outside of his embrace. “I can't. I have a lot of work, and besides, the group has been waiting for some time. They're eager to get started.” She nudged her head toward the people waiting in the dining room. All eyes seemed to be on the three of them, making her flush with embarrassment.

“Okay,
chica
. We will meet again.” Hector strolled off with more confidence than Kaycee could bear, leaving her standing face-to-face with Kendrick.

With a frustrated sigh, she turned to look at him. “Good morning, Kendrick.”

His face softened at the sweet sound of his name on her tongue.

“You must have the best taste in all of Atlanta,” he grunted. “Every time I walk through this door, it seems like someone is kissing you.”

“Hello to you, too,” she retorted.

He just stood there, shaking his head in disbelief.

“How have you been?” she asked, wanting to step into his arms and bring to reality the embrace that she had been dreaming about since their night in the cabin.

“Apparently, not as good as you.”

“Come on, Kendrick,” she groaned, growing tired of his jealousy. She wanted to hear him tell her how much he missed her or show her by giving her a kiss, but she knew it wouldn't happen. He remained stock-still with his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

“So this is how you want it to be?” she asked.

Charlotte looked up at the sound of Kaycee's voice rising. Kendrick noticed his employee's attention was on the two of them and cleared his throat.

“May I see you in my office, Ms. Jordan?” he asked, motioning with his head that they had a spectator.

She flashed an irritated frown at him, but in a sweet voice for Charlotte's benefit replied. “Yes, you may.”

Kendrick held out his hand, allowing her to go first. Kaycee decided that she was going to make him pay for it. Her asymmetrical black-and-beige, knee-length skirt complemented those womanly assets that she knew Kendrick appreciated so much. Today he would only be allowed to look and not touch!

He said hello to the kitchen staff before going into his office. Kaycee waited for him in the doorway.

“Kendrick, why does this seem like déjà vu?” she asked.

“Why are strange men touching you all of the time?” he shot back, taking a seat.

“It was nothing but a kiss on the hand. He was just flirting.”

“That's it? He was just flirting?” He threw his hands in the air. “What if Martinique was back here giving me a neck massage, would that be okay?”

The sound of the woman's name made her flesh curl.

“Please, Kendrick, that's different and you know it. I never had a relationship with either Grant or Hector. You had an outright affair with that woman!”

“It's the same, Kaycee.”

“No, it's not,” she replied.

“To me, it is.”

Kaycee stood silently. While she wished there was something she could do to take back both incidents, she could not.

“Kendrick, I care about you, a lot,” she began. “But—”

“Have you planned the dance for this evening?” he cut her off. He didn't know if he could bear hearing anything contrary to the two of them being together.

“I have.”

“Will you be here?”

She slowly nodded while wondering why he was behaving in such a manner. “I'm going to run home for a couple of hours, but I'll be back before people arrive.”

“Good, I'll see you then,” he answered and turned his chair to face the computer screen, virtually shutting down further communication.

When she left the office, Kendrick exhaled, pressing his face into his hands.

 

After taking care of a few things, Kaycee decided to catch a quick nap before the evening festivities. About an hour into her slumber, the telephone rang. With a stretch she reached over and picked up the telephone. “Kaycee, this is Kendrick.”

Kaycee thought she was dreaming. Was he really calling her after another one of their strange altercations?

“Kaycee?”

“Yes?”

“I need you,” he said in a thick voice.

Her heart raced. Was she hearing correctly?

“Excuse me?” she asked, wanting to make sure that they were on the same page.

“I need you to come to Jireh,” he continued. “There's been an incident.”

She sat up in bed. “An incident?”

“Otis fell and sprained his ankle and I got a call that we could expect a group of thirty to come in tonight,” he rattled off. “This is in addition to the folks who signed up already. I know you said you were coming, but I really need all hands on deck tonight.”

Her first thought was to tell him to call Martinique. After all, she was the “go-to girl”, that is, until she saw Kendrick talking to other women. But the urgency in his voice prevented her from making a comment.

“I'll be right there,” she heard herself say before she could really think about it.

“Thanks, baby,” he murmured. “I'll see you in a little bit.”

Baby?
Kaycee wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly, but when she opened her mouth to ask, the line was dead.

As she placed the phone on the hook, she glanced over at the clock. It was almost three o'clock. She didn't plan on going back until six when the crowds would begin pouring in for the authentic Latin cuisine they were preparing.

With a soft sigh, she jumped from the bed and began to get ready.

 

The staff were buzzing around the kitchen and dining room in preparation for the evening's festivities when Kaycee arrived. After giving her customary greeting to Jaylen, La Jetta and Charlotte, who were managing the front end, she headed straight for the back in search of Kendrick.

The back kitchen staff, with the exception of Otis, were all on point. Food was laid out everywhere. Right in the middle of the room, barking out orders with his elbows deep in ground beef was Kendrick.

Kaycee noticed the stress lining his face the second she entered the room. However, when he turned and his eyes landed on her it melted away.

“Kaycee.” He sighed.

“What can I do?” she asked, reaching for a white button-front jacket. She quickly slipped it over her black shirt and black pants, an outfit similar to those worn by the rest of the kitchen staff.

“I'm mixing meat for the empanadas, so if you can whip up the pastry shells, that would be great.”

She saluted him and turned on her heels to gather the things she needed.

Everyone worked with concentration and limited conversation. After Kaycee finished the crust for the empanadas, she went right to work on a torte. She later learned that the special guests were from the Black Business Network. She said a silent prayer that Grant would not be one of them because she didn't know if she could take Kendrick, Grant and Hector in the same night.

A few times while she worked with relentless focus on preparing her dish, she would catch Kendrick watching her. Had she not been so busy, she'd probably wonder what was going on, but she had no time to entertain those thoughts. Not when they had a deadline to meet.

As she cracked the last egg from the clutch in the stainless-steel bowl, she carefully wiped her hands on a towel and headed for the walk-in refrigerator to retrieve some more.

She shivered as the cool air enveloped her, drawing goose bumps. She vigorously rubbed her arms and headed for the area where the eggs were located when she heard the swish of the refrigerator door. She turned around to find Kendrick standing there. They stood there for a few awkward seconds before Kaycee spoke up.

“I'm getting eggs,” she announced.

He stepped in closer. “I never thanked you—”

“It's okay,” she said with a wave of her hand.

He edged even closer. “I know that I've been acting like a jackass. The last week has been draining. And I, well, I'm sorry, okay?”

Kaycee closed her eyes and nodded slightly, calling a truce. She was getting tired of the emotional roller-coaster ride, as well. She longed for them to spend time just hanging out again.

She opened her eyes to find Kendrick grinning.

“What?” she asked.

“Is it me or is it a little chilly in here for you?” he asked.

“What?”

His eyes lowered seductively to the front of her blouse. Kaycee's eyes dropped in sync to find her nipples poking against the thin material.

With a naughty glint in her eye, she strolled closer to him so that they were mere inches from each other, chest to chest.

“Actually, Kendrick, I'm hot,” she purred, her eyes lowered seductively. “Very hot.” With that she turned and exited the refrigerator, leaving him wondering what to do next.