Love Becomes Her Read Free

out a bark of nervous laughter. If that was the worst of Ann Marie’s problems, she ain’t heard nothing yet. Tonight was going to be more than a little interesting.

Chapter 2
    B arbara wasn’t quite sure what to say to Ann Marie at the moment, while she gulped down her drink and quickly refilled her glass without taking a breath. So Barbara opted not to press the issue. Knowing Ann Marie, she’d spill it all before the night was over.
    “I’m going to start putting the stuff out. Ellie and Steph should be here any minute.”
    “I’ll help you.” She put the top back on the bottle, shoved it back down inside her purse then pushed herself up from the chair. “Oh lawd.” She slapped her palm to her forehead.
    “What?”
    “Left de damn curry chicken right in de car. Chile got me so upset, can’t t’ink straight.”
    Barbara chuckled as Ann Marie snatched up her umbrella and darted back outside. She took the salad out of the fridge and put it on the counter next to the dressings. She always did a buffet-style dinner, so everyone was on their own to get what they wantedwhen they wanted it. She took a quick look around. Ice filled the ice bucket, there was a case of Coors Light in the cooler for Stephanie and four bottles of wine to supplement the wine that Stephanie had promised to bring, for everyone else. But apparently Ann Marie had other plans. Hmm. She’d never known Ann Marie to be a hard drinker and certainly not one to actually carry a bottle of liquor stashed in her purse. The sudden arrival of Raquel must have truly rocked unshakable Annie.
    Raquel had been out on her own right out of high school, which Barbara personally thought was much too young, but Ann Marie was adamant about Raquel standing on her own two feet and being a woman. “Can’t be having no two grown-ass women in one house,” Ann Marie had said. “Make for bad business. I’m the only queen in me castle. Ain’t sharing no throne.”
    From the day Raquel moved into a small studio somewhere in Brooklyn, Barbara had seen her maybe five times in all those years. One of which had been at her wedding. She’d been a beautiful bride. It appeared as if her husband, Earl, loved the ground Raquel walked on. What was so odd about that day was that Ann Marie seemed more relieved than anything else, as if now that Raquel was a married woman, whatever semblance of care and responsibility she had for her daughter was no longer anythingshe had to concern herself with. Ann Marie barely spoke of her, as if she were no more than some distant relative as opposed to her only child.
    Sad, Barbara thought. It was the one thing she’d always wanted in her life, a child of her own. Someone to love and nourish and watch grow up and become a wonderful human being. In her case, that was never to be. She knew that if she’d ever had children she would have spoiled them rotten and bragged about them to everyone who would listen. Ann Marie, on the other hand…
    The doorbell chimed.
    Ann Marie held a large tray in her hands and the mouthwatering aroma seeping out from beneath the foil made Barbara’s stomach knot in anticipation. If there was one thing Ann Marie could do and do well, it was cook. The girl put her foot in it every time. And right behind her was Elizabeth.
    Elizabeth hurried in with her tray, as well. “Red velvet cake tonight, ladies.”
    “Oh my. What’s the occasion?” Barbara stepped aside to let her friends in. “You only do red velvet for something major.” She shut the door and the bell rang again. She snatched it back open.
    “Damn, just close the door in my face. I know I only bring wine but I still can beat all y’all in spades.”
    Barbara laughed. “Sorry, girl, I didn’t see you.”
    “Yeah, yeah.” She stepped in and took off herBurberry trench coat and hung it up on the rack in the hall.
    She looks much better than this morning, Barbara quickly observed, shutting the door for the final time. Maybe it was just the rain