Love In Strange Places (2 page)

At that moment
Sherry sashayed into the venue with a dark, attractive man on her arm, but even so, attracting the stares of single and married men from around the room. Her elegant blue silk dress showed off her cleavage, her back, and her toned legs.

Andrew almost didn’t recognize her. “Damn.” And
rew said above a whisper. That’s all he could say as she walked up to them.

He noticed that the blue color of her dress made her chocolate skin look radiant. He eyed every inch of her body. Her
hair was slightly different, with blonde highlights.

“Hi, Matt. Where’s Shannon?”
Sherry asked and then gazed at Andrew. “Hi Andrew.” She smiled.

He said, hi with a nod of his head, but didn’t smile back.

“Shannon’s in the bathroom with Makayla. She spilled her drink all over her dress.” Makayla was Shannon and Matt’s three-year-old daughter.

“
Where are my manners? Dean, you already know Matt, but this is Matt’s brother Andrew.”

As soon as she said, Dean, Andrew looked at her in surprise. What was she doing with that prick after what happened between them?

Matt extended his hand and shook Dean’s. “How are you?”

“Can’t complain,” Dean answered.

Dean extended his hand to shake Andrew’s, but Andrew glared at him and then at his hand for a few seconds before finally shaking it. “So you’re Dean?” Andrew asked with annoyance in his voice, squeezing his hand.

Dean pulled back and gave him a dirty look. “What does that mean?”

Sherry grabbed Dean’s arm. “I’ll see you guys around.” She glared at Andrew. “Come on, Dean, let’s go find my sister so I can help.” She pulled him toward the restrooms.

“What was that all about?” Matt asked his brother. “I know you guys have issues, but….”

“What are you talking about?” Andrew took another sip of his drink.

“I know you, and you were being rude.”

Andrew’s date, Leann Mitchell, strolled up to him. Her tall, slender body looked sexy in the pink spaghetti-strap dress he helped pick out. She wore her blonde hair down just the way he liked it. “Your father looks so happy.”

“Yes, my father-in-law is in love,” Shannon said, walking up behind Leann. “Love does that.”

Matt put his hands around her waist and pulled her forward. “That’s why I’m happy.” He kissed her cheek.

“You better be.” She placed her hands around his neck.

“Sherry’s here,” Matt told her.

“I saw her. She’s over there with Makayla and Matthew.” She sighed. “I can’t believe she brought him here,” Shannon said, looking at her sister and Dean.

Andrew also stared at her.
Why would she give him a second chance?

He took Leann’s hand. “Let’s dance.”

“No…no…no….” She said, shaking her head. “I can’t dance.”

“I’ll teach you.” He tried pulling her out to the dance floor, but she wouldn’t move. And worse, he couldn’t help but gawk at his sister-in-law from afar.

Sherry
couldn’t stop staring at Andrew. She understood how women fell to their knees for him. He was more than handsome, he was gorgeous, standing there in his black designer tux, looking like a GQ model. She smiled to herself. His brown hair was a little longer now. It stopped at the collar of his shirt and damn, those green eyes, were like emeralds, but lighter. Yes, he was her brother-in-law but his lopsided smile made her insides melt, not that she would ever let anyone know that. She watched as his date refused to dance with him.

“Dean, I’ll be right back.” She marched toward Andrew.

Andrew, the woman he was with, Shannon, and Matt stared at her as she approached.

“Do you mind if I steal your date for a dance?” she asked the woman.

She smiled. “No, I don’t mind. He’s been wanting to dance.”

Andrew cleared his throat. “Leann, this is my sister-in-law,
Sherry.”

They shook hands. “Nice to meet you,”
Sherry said and turned to Andrew, grabbing his hand. “Come on.” She pulled him toward the dance floor. She could see Dean watching them, but she didn’t really care, after what he’d done. Their relationship had become purely physical now. She wasn’t ashamed of using him because he used her too. She’s an educated, intelligent, strong woman that knew what she wanted, and went after it—and she’d finally realized Dean wasn’t it, but she still had needs.

They reached the dance floor and he wrapped his large hands around her waist and leaned in. “You look beautiful,” he said, quietly.

They began moving together. She placed her hands behind his neck. “Thanks.”

“You’re not going to tell me…I look good too?” He stared at her.

She gazed into his eyes. “So your head could get bigger.” She giggled. “Why should I tell you something you already know?”

“Maybe I want to hear it from your lips.” He said, rubbing his fingers on her bare back. She stopped moving and looked into his eyes.

She ignored him. “How many girlfriends do you have?”

He laughed. “None. I have friends.”

“If you say so.”

“Is our truce still on?” He twirled her around.

She followed his lead flawlessly. “I didn’t know you could dance so well.”

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” He said, as he dipped her and then brought her up. “Why are you back with that Dean character?”

“I’m not back with him. We’re just friends with benefits.” He spun her around. “I get an itch and he scratches it, plain and simple.”

Andrew started gently scratching her back, giving her goose bumps. “What are you doing?”
Sherry asked, giggling. “You’re tickling me.”

“Scratching your itch.” He said, with a deep, naughty voice, continuing to scratch her back.

She looked up at him, and what she saw scared her it looked like desire. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to think you’re flirting with me.”

He slowed his tempo and leaned down to her ear. “What if I am?” he whispered, making her shiver. He pulled her as close as he could. “If I were you, I would be careful around me.”

“Why?” She whispered.

“Forget I said anything.” Andrew now stared straight into her eyes. “Wait, I take that back. I meant what I said.”

Oh God, those eyes. I wonder if he can see what he’s doing to me
. They continued dancing in silence.

Someone cleared his throat and tapped Andrew’s shoulder. “May I cut in?” Dean took the opportunity to glare at Andrew.

He scratched her back one more time and released her. “Remember what I said.” Without another word, he stepped off the dance floor.

Dean grabbed her waist and began dancing. “What was that about?”

She stopped watching Andrew and gave Dean her attention. “Nothing. We were just talking about the kids.” She said, placing her hands on his shoulder. She could still smell Andrew’s cologne.
What the hell is wrong with me?

“What’s the deal with that dude? He’s nothing like Matt.” He looked down at her.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Matt seems like a good guy, but he’s brother looks like he has an issue with me.”

“Huh…Dean, he doesn’t know you.”

“It’s just the way he shook my hand.”

“You’re reading too much into it. He acts like that until he gets to know you.” Sherry said glancing Andrew’s way.

Andrew, Matt, their father Javier, and their uncle Victor all stood together, posing for a picture. They all wore black designer tuxes and had three things in common—they were all over six feet tall, they shared the same olive skin color, and they all had piercing green eyes. But the older Johnston’s had silver-and-black hair. Matt’s was black and Andrew’s brown. Watching the photo being taken was like watching a Spanish model magazine.

“This day is so bittersweet.” Mr. Johnston said with tears in his eyes. “Today I married this beautiful woman.” He said, taking Maria’s hand in his and kissing it. She was a Columbian in her early fifties, with black-and-gray hair and hazel eyes. She wore a long, flowing ivory dress. “But I’m also saying goodbye to my two boys, my daughter-in-law, and grandkids.” He said, looking over at his family, this time with tears running down his cheeks. He had been offered a job out of the state, and couldn’t refuse. “Sons, I’m so proud of the men you both turned out to be, and I know if your mother was alive, she would feel the same.” He took a deep breath. “Even though I will not be here, if you ever need me I’ll come running.”

Andrew and Matt hugged their dad. “
Te amo
.” Andrew said.

His dad hugged him tighter. “
Los amo mas
.”

“Dad, I’m going to miss you.” Matt said, getting emotional. “I love you.”

“Me too.” Their dad leaned away. “Andrew, can we have a moment?”

Andrew and his dad walked away from the others.

“Yes, Dad?”

“
Hijo
.” His dad said, placing his hands on his son’s shoulders. “It’s time for you to find a good woman and settle down. I want you to be happy.”

“Dad, I honestly want that, but I haven’t found her yet. I haven’t found the woman that makes me want to give up everything, like you did when you met mom.” He smiled, remembering the story his dad had told them.

“When you do find her, make sure you don’t let her get away, because you’ll regret it like I did. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“I should’ve fought for your mother, but I didn’t because my pride didn’t let me, but up to the day she died she was the love of my life.” A tear escaped his dad’s eyes, and he wiped it away. “And now I’ve been given a second chance. Maria makes me happy. She makes me a better man, but no one can replace your mother’s place in my heart.”

He hugged Andrew one more time, and Maria called him for their last dance. Andrew stood there, thinking of what his father had just said. He didn’t know his dad still loved their mother, after everything she’d done to him.

His parents met when they were young, and got married against his mother’s family’s wishes. Her parents thought his dad was beneath their family’s social status. He and Matt were born, but that wasn’t enough for his mother. She was used to a lifestyle that his dad couldn’t give her. His father worked many long hours, trying to make her happy, but she needed more. Then she met John Phillips and fell in love with his money and the life he offered her. The life she was used to. Their dad found out she was cheating and asked her to stop, but she didn’t. She divorced him and gave him custody of the boys. They went to see her occasionally, but soon everything changed. She stopped seeing them.

More than two decades later they learned the reason she left was because she had lung cancer and didn’t want her sons to see her die, so she decided to die alone, but she went into remission and survived. Eventually, they both forgave her and were reconciled. Just a year and a half after that, she passed away from cancer.

As he remembered his mother, he smiled watching his dad dance with his new bride, and then his eyes met with Sherry’s and her mouth curled up to a smile, and for some reason her smile caused his heart to race.

“Hello.” Irritated Sherry answered her work phone, maybe a little unprofessionally because it was after hours, and because no one should have known she was there.

“That’s how you answer your work phone?”

“Who is this?” She was a little annoyed, until she heard an unmistakable voice in the background, crying her lungs out.

“I! Want! My daddy!” Makayla screamed. “Dad…dy!”

“It’s Andrew.” He answered, his voice a little rattled.

“Andrew!”

“Your brother-in-law!” He sounded as irritated as she felt.

“I know who you are. How did you get my work number?”

“Does it really matter?”

“Yes, it does.”

She heard him take a deep breath. “I tried calling your cell, but you didn’t answer, and since I was told you’re a workaholic, I took a chance at calling you at work.” He sighed. “I need your help. Makayla has a ear infection and she won’t stop crying.”

He still hadn’t answered her question, but she would leave that alone. “
Where are her parents?” She asked shutting down her computer.

“They had a late meeting and I told them I would babysit.” The little girl cried even louder. “I regret it now.”

“Take her to the hospital.” She said, grabbing her purse and keys.

“Shannon already took her and gave her medication. I think I’m doing something wrong.” She could hear the despair in his voice.

“So you want my help?” She said, smiling.

“You know what
Sherry, forget it. I should’ve known better.” He hung up on her.

She stared at the
phone, and threw it. “No, he didn’t.”