Read Online Breaking All The Rules (Book 1 - Second Chances Series) by Rhonda McKnight - Free Book Online Page B

God, I think I need to pee.”
    “I’ll help you,” I shoved my purse in Ethan’s hands. “You can hold that since you made her have to go.”
    Terrance and I helped Janette down from the bed, unstrapped her monitor and I walked her into the ladies room. Upon her arrival there she realized she didn’t have to go after all, so we made the way back to the bed. The men stepped out of the room while I helped her back into bed.
    “You and Ethan look friendly,” she said.
    “That’s because we’re friends.” 
    “He’s not looking at you like he’s thinking about friendship.” Janette wagged a finger. “Be careful with him or you’ll end up like me without the ring.”
    “Stay in your lane, little sister.” I reconnected her monitor. Then before she could utter another warning I yelled toward the door. “Guys you can come in!”
    After another five minutes of very few words, I finally asked the question that had been floating around in my mind since I’d entered the room. “The wedding? Will you still be having it?”
    Terrance answered for Janette. “No reason we can’t still have it, but the running around…well let’s just say we’re glad you’re here, Nec –,” he raised his hand to cover a fake cough. “—Deniece.”
    Terrance’s eyes met mine for a moment. For the first time in our adult lives, I couldn’t get a read on him. Every time we were in the same room I felt his presence pressing me for something, but I had no idea what it was. It was an energy that I couldn’t put my finger on, but for the most part it felt negative or at least that was how I was channeling it.
    Ethan cleared his throat. “I’m double parked. I’m going to go move the truck before it gets towed.” He handed me my bag. “I can wait for you out there.”
    I stopped him with a hand on his arm. I didn’t want to be alone with the two of them. Janette I didn’t mind. She was my sister. She’d always been my sister and as much as she sometimes worked my nerves, that was nothing new, but this feeling of uneasiness that I had around Terrance was and I wasn’t going to subject myself to it. “Janette is there anything we can do? It’s seven forty-five. They’ll ask us to leave soon.”
    “Could you make sure there’s some Butter Pecan in the house from Dolans? I’ll be wanting some when I get home.”
    I looked at Ethan and we both looked back to Janette and nodded. “Is that it, honey?”
    Janette was thoughtful for a moment. “I think that’s it.”
    I let go of her hand and gave her thigh a little squeeze. “Okay, then we’re going to go. I’ll be at the house when you get there.”
    “Okay,” Janette said. “Thanks for coming Ethan.” She turned over to her side and closed her eyes.
    “We’ll get that ice cream,” Ethan offered. Then he extended a hand. “Terrance.”
    Terrance hesitated, but then swallowed and shook. I thought it odd for him to hesitate when they were in business together to the tune of nearly a million dollars, but some things never changed. Terrance had always been jealous of Ethan. At first it was because of the attention Mother Wright doted on the poor motherless child, then later for his stardom and now I suppose it was the money that came with the stardom.
    We turned to walk out of the room and Janette said, “Wait. Before you leave, we should have prayer.”
    Terrance cracked a tentative smile.
    “Of course.” I reentered the room.
    Ethan did not join me. He merely nodded and said, “I’ll meet you at the truck.”
    ***
     
    Ethan and I stopped at Dolan’s Ice Cream shop and made it in right before the owner, Joe Dolan closed for the evening. Garrison was a quiet town and businesses didn’t stay open very late. Dolan’s turned the closed sign around at eight-thirty during the week giving folks who had after dinner cravings an opportunity to finish the dishes and still make it there in time.
    We purchased a quart of Butter Pecan for Janette and our favorites