Just Can't Get Enough Read Free Page A

down.” Celina cleared some of the clutter on the leather sofa. She ignored the rips along the arms of it. The years hadn’t been kind to Thomas or the furniture that she had grown up playing on.
    â€œI don’t need to sit down. I need to walk around a little bit. I was in the bathroom when you were knocking on the door,” Thomas said. “I guess you don’t have a key, huh?”
    Celina looked at him and shook her head. “What happened to the place? And who keeps up the yard for you?” The contrast between the inside and outside was remarkable.
    â€œThe young man next door,” he said, as he finally sat down on the sofa. Thomas looked at Celina and smiled, though she thought his face was going to crack from the effort.
    â€œI’m glad you’re here. I didn’t want to tear you away from Paris, but . . .”
    â€œIt’s okay. I need to be here,” Celina said. “This place needs a good makeover. Do you pay the kid who takes care of the yard?”
    Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “He never comes in, I just hear the lawn mower going.”
    Celina began picking up some of the old newspapers and magazines that cluttered the living room. “Well, I’m going to give him some token of thanks after I get this place looking livable again.”
    Thomas snorted and chuckled. “You are your mother’s daughter.”
    Celina knew what he was saying should have been taken as a compliment, but his words enraged her. “And just what’s that supposed to mean?” she spat out angrily.
    â€œWatch your tone, baby girl, I’m still your father. And all I meant was your mother hated clutter and wanted everything in its place.”
    Celina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Have you eaten anything today?”
    Thomas shook his head “no.” Celina took the armful of papers she had scooped up off the floor and sofa, then headed to the kitchen. Just as she suspected, there was no food in the refrigerator. “I need to go to the market,” she called out as she stuffed the papers in the trash bag. “What do you want for dinner?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” he said, then broke into a fit of coughing.
    Celina decided that she was going to make something healthful. The way her father was bundled up, she knew that homemade soup was in order. But what was wrong with him? She hadn’t asked him about his illness because she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was sapping the life from her father just yet. Celina tied the top of the trash bag together and headed out the door to deposit the rubbish in the can. She had to get to the farmer’s market before it closed. The one thing she missed about living in the south was the fresh food that could be found right around the corner. The farmer’s market had always been her favorite place. She could sample the fresh fruits before buying them and the meats were homegrown and free of the chemicals that were found in the food at the local supermarket. Celina was going to enjoy her time in Elmore and her time with her father.
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    Celina returned from the farmer’s market with bags full of fresh cabbage, carrots, oranges, cucumbers, lettuce, chicken breasts, and sweet corn on the cob. She balanced the bags in her arms as she pulled the door open. She wasn’t surprised that Thomas hadn’t locked the door. In their neighborhood, everyone knew each other. But Celina was going to make sure all of the doors were locked from now on. She had been in the city long enough to distrust most people, including those she’d known for years.
    She set the bags on the countertop, and then walked into the living room to check on Thomas. He was lying on the sofa with his eyes half-closed. He was so still that she began to panic. “Daddy,” she said frantically.
    His eyes fluttered open. “What,