Page 23 of Objection

“You act like I got a whole head full of gray hair,” he countered through his laugh. “I only have eight.”

“You counted the strands?” I screeched, laughing even harder at his serious tone.

“You damn right I did.”

I yelped when he hovered over me and tickled me, threatening me with what would happen if I teased him about his gray hairs again. I laughed until I had tears in my eyes, begging him to stop.

“I’ll stop when you promise not to tease me again.”

“I can’t promise that,” I confessed. “I like your gray hairs. They make you look so mature and sexy,” I complimented, running my fingers over his hair before scratching his scalp.

“Mm,” he moaned, lowering himself to my lips.

Just as our kiss deepened, his phone rang. He cursed under his breath as he grabbed his phone. “Let me get this, princess.”

“Hurry or I’m going to take care of this myself,” I cautioned, spreading my legs so he could see the wetness that had pooled at the opening of my pussy.

“Touch my pussy and you’ll be punished for it.”

“Sounds like a good time to me.”

He smiled as he answered the phone and walked out of the room. While I waited for him, I checked my phone too and noticed I had a call from my sister. My heart dropped instantly as I leaned against the headboard and called her back.

“Hello?” she answered softly, sounding like she was crying.

“Who did it?”

Taylor laughed. “Your damn daddy.” She groaned. “I told him I wanted to take a weekend off and he was cool with it until Ma mentioned I was trying to come see you. Now all of a sudden we’re too busy for me to take off.”

I squeezed the bridge of my nose and shook my head. “Are you serious?”

“Yep.”

“Have you asked anyone to cover your shift?”

“There’s no one for me to ask really. The only other cashiers at the store are Rodney and Kiara. Both of them are alreadyscheduled for next weekend, and Daddy doesn’t want them to work double shifts because he doesn’t want to have to pay them for the overtime.”

“Fuck that. That is not your concern. If either of them are willing to cover your shifts, let them. And if they won’t, quit. I got enough money saved to help you out until you find another job . . . or if you want to go back to school. Maybe you can work as my receptionist part time when I open my staffing company. For now, though, I got you for whatever you need.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking; I’m offering.”

“Well . . . okay. Let me see if I can get the shifts covered. If I can’t, I’ma quit. I’m so tired of working my ass off for what feels like nothing. The harder I try to please him the unhappier I feel with the choices I’m making. I think you’re right, Sissy. I think it’s time for me to focus on what I want and go back to school.”

It took everything in me not to yell hallelujah. God knew I wasn’t trying to take her away from my parents, but I did want her to live her life for herself. There was no future in her working for our parents.

It would have been different if that was what she truly wanted, because then it would provide stable financial security that she never had to worry about running out, but Taylor had always had one dream since childhood—she wanted to become a lawyer because she loved arguing and defending people and she hated when people got away with doing wrong. Watching her lose her voice over the years and shrink into herself bothered me and was another reason I wanted to leave home.

I didn’t think me leaving would lead to her working more and giving up on her dreams. If she wasn’t going to spend her twenties in college working toward her career, she should have spent it traveling and creating memories and life lessons. After Iexpressed that to her, we made plans to talk again after she tried to get her weekend shifts covered.

A part of me hoped she wouldn’t be able to so she’d quit, but I knew Daddy would blame me for that too. Either way, I prayed God kept her aligned with His will for her life, because that was truly the safest and most fulfilling place for anyone to be.

Kaos

Two Weeks Later

There had been a light in Serenity’s eyes that hadn’t been there for a while ever since her sister arrived in Rose Valley Hills. I remember the moment as if it happened yesterday. One minute, Serenity and I were at my home getting her things set up in what would be her closet, and the next, Taylor was calling asking where she was, because she was in front of her apartment.

---