Read Online Blood Relations by Michelle McGriff - Free Book Online

take Junior out of the school that Reggie attended. No way was she going to build on the family bridge that Rashawn was trying to create—adding more distance between her family and Chance’s. No way. This coming summer Reggie would graduate, and right after that Rainey would start her freshman year, so yeah, Junior was staying in this school. Now if only she could get Junior to realize how important it was for him to stick with the program! “Being all late, actin’ like I don’t have other plans,” she barked, thinking about her Thursday morning belly dancing class. “God!” she screeched, running back into the house. “Junior, please come on!” she called up the stairs. Junior descended the staircase slowly. His head was buried in a book and his ear buds were no doubt, tightly in place. He looked up at her, his dark eyes piercing. For just a second, Juanita had to do a double take, for the resemblance to someone other than Chance Sr. was almost frightening. She shook her head free of the thought. Surely one time with a lunatic didn’t deserve a haunt like this, she reasoned.
    There would be no way she would accept anyone other than Chance Davis as the father of her son. Even Dennis, her ex-husband whom she was married to at the time, was put out of the running years ago. And there was no way she would even consider the man who had briefly crossed her path via her therapy couch—the madman, crazy nut that Chance Jr. looked like right now.
    â€œCome on!” she fussed, motioning for him to follow her out to the car, jingling the keys hurriedly as if he really couldn’t hear instead of just choosing not to. She forcefully emptied her head of all thoughts other than how much she needed a trip to the spa, and climbed behind the wheel of her Toyota Cressida. The engine sounded terrible.
    This business of being broke all the time is for the birds.
    Now she would have to find a way to get Chance to pay for the work on her car.
    As if I don’t have enough going on in my life.
    Her mind wandered as she jumped on and quickly off the freeway toward the Palemos, where Chance and Rashawn lived. It was a small, “up from down” area between and just east of Milbrea and Daly City. It was an old area and in need of some redevelopment. They had rebuilt Palo Alto—turning it from a drug-infested slum into a bustling and expensive community—that’s where she lived. So how come they can’t do that to the Palemos? she thought, turning onto the block where Chance and Rashawn lived.
    Suddenly, she slammed to a halt at Junior’s shriek and the sickening sound of metal crunching. “Shit!” she screamed, realizing that she’d run right into the back of some dude’s expensive looking imported sports car. “Why now?” she bellowed, smacking her forehead against the steering wheel.
    She quickly looked around for witnesses, or maybe some do-gooder cop too busy filling his quota to be interested in seeing what had really happened. This wasn’t at all what it probably looked like. The immediate area was empty. This fool who had caused this accident was moving at about ten miles per hour as if he didn’t know where he was going ... or else just didn’t know how to drive.
    Jumping out of the car, she was about to give him a serious piece of her mind. Bracelets and coins dangled everywhere on her getup, showing from under her coat, and clanging as she slammed her hands on her hips. “The speed limit is thirty-five, moron!” she yelled while quickly approaching the car from behind. Sometimes Juanita could be fearless.
    The man behind the wheel stepped from the car, and her eyes scanned the full length of him—which didn’t require her to even look up. They stared at each other nearly eye to eye. He had broad shoulders, a thick neck, and a fabulous smile. He was small, sure, but truly compact and fully equipped with all