A Good Excuse To Be Bad Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Good.”
    My heart raced as his arms moved around me. Wow, the cologne he wore made me swoon in a good way until I noticed his eyes weren’t on me, but my seat belt buckle.
    â€œMay I?” he asked.
    â€œSure.” I sucked in my tummy and chided myself for thinking the man was about to kiss me while he removed the safety belt from around me.
    When he was done, he helped me out of the car and up my steps. He even unlocked the door for me. I shook my head and chuckled. I had had the pleasure of two gentlemen’s company tonight. Maybe this was God’s way of telling me that my prince may come after all.
    I turned toward him. “Justus, I don’t know how to thank you.”
    â€œStop sitting on the back pew in church.”
    I shuffled my feet. “That might be hard.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause most of the time I don’t feel like I belong there.”
    â€œAngel, if you’re so self-conscious about your job, then why do you do what you do?”
    â€œJustus, I do what I do to take care of my family. Let me throw you a lifeline . . . I made five thousand dollars tonight. That’s my mortgage for three months, and it took me all of one week to track that guy down and bring him in. What other work outside of degrading myself would allow me to do that?”
    â€œDressing up like a go-go dancer to lurk in nightclubs for bail jumpers doesn’t seem to shine a spotlight on what’s so incredible about you either. Explain to me how such a dangerous and dirty profession empowers you?”
    â€œYou think I’m incredible?”
    â€œDon’t avoid my question, Angel.”
    I wasn’t avoiding the question. I was wondering—hoping—he crushed on me, too. Then I wouldn’t feel so foolish. But the look in his eyes didn’t suggest longing for me, just for an answer.
    I huffed. “Every time I bring a lowlife who can’t respect women to justice, I feel like the world is becoming right again.”
    â€œVengeance will not bring Bella’s father back.”
    â€œWhat did you say?” I stepped back. I felt dizzy and swooned for real that time. Just before I stumbled off the porch, he caught me. “Let go.” I scrambled out of his arms. “Did Whitney tell you my business? Because that’s not cool.”
    â€œI apologize. This is not how I meant for this conversation to go. I just want to understand you better. I didn’t mean to offend.”
    I walked across my threshold, but didn’t turn around. “Let’s just call it a night. I’ll see you at Thursday Communion, Justus.”
    â€œYou will be there?”
    â€œYes, good night.” I nodded, then closed the door behind me.
    Â 
    Â 
    Whitney had fallen asleep on the living room couch while waiting on us to arrive. Before I awakened her, I stood by the foyer window and watched Justus return to his truck and back out the driveway. I didn’t want to be so cold to him, but that’s exactly how I felt, cold and distant after he said what he did. His words and the tone of judgment in them was why I sat on the back pew in the first place. I wanted to wrestle my own demons in my own time, especially what happened to Bella’s father. I had no intention of dealing with that demon anytime soon. It was too much. It still stung.
    I waited for Justus to turn out of my yard, but he didn’t. He stopped short of the curb, got out the truck, and marched back to my front door.
    I opened the door before he could ring the doorbell and wake up the house. I stepped onto the porch and closed the door. “What in the world are you doing?”
    â€œDo you like to read?”
    I frowned. “What?”
    â€œPearl Cleage is reading at the Margaret Mitchell House tomorrow night. Would you like to go with me to hear her?”
    My heart skipped three beats. I loved her writing. Yet, I was confused by the question and where it came from.