A Baby for Christmas (Love at The Crossroads) Read Online Free PDF

longer hungry.” She paused and gave him a defiant look. “Nor do I want to be in a relationship that has no future.” She nodded as if to put a period on her statement.
    Frowning, Hershel had to check his attitude. “Who says it’s not going anywhere?”
    The timing couldn’t be worse as the waitress brought their plates to the table.
    “Can you make that to go?”  Solae said, confusing the woman.
                  When the first tear fell, Hershel grew concerned. When she wouldn’t let him touch her, Hershel was irked. “Baby, help me here. I’m clueless. What are you looking for?”
                  “A taxi if you don’t take me home now!” Her voice was low, but Hershel didn’t doubt it was deadly, so he reluctantly obliged when their carryout arrived.
    The ride back to Solae’s was filled with an eerie silence. How did they go from “I miss you” to “This relationship has no future”? Now, he was getting irked. He interrupted his sleep for this petty foolishness?
    As Hershel parked his car, he made one last attempt to see what was going on with her, but Solae stepped out without waiting for him to come around. She stormed to her front door without looking back.
    “Baby, please. What did I say?”
    She twirled around and almost growled. “I don’t hand out answers. And for the record, my favorite game is Monopoly . I don’t play games in relationships, either...you want—never mind. Good night.” She had worked herself up as she unlocked her door and stepped inside. Before Solae slammed the door in his face, she added a footnote. “I hope you find what you’re looking for in a woman because apparently I’m not it!”
    Was she on medication that was causing her mood swings or something? “Baby, I love you. Tell me what you want?” That seemed to fill her eyes with sadness.
    “If I did, then it wouldn’t mean as much,” she said softly. “Good bye, Captain Kavanaugh.”
    “Good-bye?!” Now he was ticked, but if he began to act as irrational as Solae, he might say the wrong thing. “Ah, what about your dinner?”
    “Your boys can have it.” She closed the door in his face.
    Hershel was fuming as he spun around and headed back to his car. It dawned on him as he slid behind the wheel that this was the second time that night that Solae referred to Harrison and Brandon as “your boys” instead of “her boys”.
    What did I do? Pounding the steel wheel with his fist, he drove off, confused.

Chapter 4  
     
    “Whoa.” It was on the tip of her tongue to come out and ask if Hershel planned to marry her, but she couldn’t bear it if his body language showed uncertainty.
    In a tantrum, Solae stomped around her house as she undressed. “Either you have thought about permanency with me or you haven’t,” she fussed as if the man was in her presence. When the tears overwhelmed her, Solae flopped on her sofa and had a good cry. Whoever said a person would feel better after a good cry evidently had never been in love.
    Somewhat composed, she stood and inhaled, then exhaled as she made her way to her bathroom. While she removed what was left of her makeup, her stomach growled. The soul food dinner she gave away would sure come in handy at the moment. Rolling her eyes, Solae walked into her kitchen in search of peanut butter and jelly.
                                              ***
    Hershel had been in a crummy mood since the night he left Solae. He definitely wouldn’t call it a date. It was Monday and he was back at the station. Although he had missed service the day before, because he wasn’t in the mood, he craved comfort from God, so he logged online and pulled up one of his pastor’s archived sermons.
    Maybe it’s a good thing that Solae didn’t come out and ask what he thought she was asking. He would have crushed her with his hesitation. Hershel never thought he would marry again, so what he felt for Solae was tugging