Page 14 of Playing for Love
Untitled
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cassie let out a gasp of surprise when she followed Jamal into the driveway of a gorgeous Tudor-style home. The cream siding and brown brick house sat back from the road, with professional landscaping following the brick walkway to the solid oak front door. “Wowzers,” Cassie muttered to herself. “I didnotexpect this.” She got out of her car and followed the brick walkway to the front of the house. Jamal and JJ met her at the front door.
“One of the negatives about buying an old house is the lack of a garage,” Jamal told her with a smile. “This one was built in 1921. Not much need for a garage back then.”
“So you leave your caroutside?” Cassie asked skeptically, eying his fancy Mercedes.
“No way,” JJ stated. “He built a four car garage behind the house.”
“Four car garage?”
“What can we say? Daddy loves his vehicles.”
Cassie laughed at the embarrassed expression on Jamal’s face. “I have my sports car, the car I use when JJ’s with me, Irma’s car and a place for our ATVs.”
“Yeah, Cassie, you shoulddefinitelycome with us on those!” JJ responded enthusiastically. “They areawesome!”
“I think I might pass on those for the time being,” Cassie said with a shudder. “At least until my face heals.”
“Suit yourself, L7 wienie,” JJ said, holding what looked like a box made with her fingers on her forehead. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“L7 wienie? What in the heck doesthatmean? I’m assuming it’s an insult.”
Jamal laughed and patted Cassie on the back. “You’ll understand what it means in about an hour and a half when we got finished with the movie. And yes, it is kinda an insult.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “I assumed as much. So are we going to go inside or are you bringing the TV out here?”
“Sarcastic much?” Jamal said, a twinkle in his eye. “I might not let you in now. But if you go home, you’re on your own with that eye.”
“Ok, ok,” Cassie grumbled. “I’ll come in and watch the stupid movie.”
“Stupid?!I can’t believe you called The Sandlotstupid!You’re gonna wanna take that back when it’s finished, Cas,” JJ said incredulously.
“Forgive me if I’m a little jaded about the sport of softball right now, kid. I kinda got hit in the face with one fifteen minutes ago.”
“Well,thatwas a softball. This movie is aboutbaseball,so you should be good.” With a grin, JJ turned and walked in the front door.
“Is she always that sarcastically funny yet honest?” Cassie asked Jamal.
“Welcome to my world, Bambi. It’s probably why you guys get along so well. Now, let’s go take care of that eye.”
Grabbing Cassie’s hand in his, he led her to the rounded front door. “After you,” he said smiling, placing his hand on the small of Cassie’s back, leading her into his home.
Upon entry, a massive staircase with a wood and iron banister curved toward the second story and a beautiful iron chandelier dropped down from eighteen foot ceilings. A breathtaking eleven by fourteen canvas of Jaydence, who looked to be about four years old, was hung on the wall above an entry table that held a small vase of tulips and a Scentsy that filled the foyer with the smell of spiced pumpkin. In the picture, JJ was sitting in a field of tulips wearing a white lace dress. Her curls framed her beautiful face as she looked toward the camera smiling, a bright red tulip in her hand.
“That’s my all-time favorite picture of her,” Jamal said, coming up behind Cassie to look at the picture. “It was right after I got my signing bonus with the Super Sonics. Irma had always wanted to go to this tulip festival in Holland. It was the first big thing I ever did with my money.”
“Irma?” Cassie asked. “Is that your mom?”
Jamal smiled. “More or less. My mom died when I was in high school and JJ’s mom took off right after she was born. I was in the grocery store, lugging a screaming baby and trying to find the right kind of formula. Irma came up to me and took JJ from my arms. She immediately stopped crying. It was the craziest thing. She then told me that JJ and I could come live with her until I finished school.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he replied with a shrug and sheepish smile. “She said any kid my age that would be looking for formula for a baby and addressing her as ma’am instead of going out and getting in trouble deserved a chance. Her husband had died and she was all alone. Me and JJ moved in with her and the rest is history.”
“Wow. Sounds like an amazing woman. And probably the one responsible for the tulips and Scentsy if I’m guessing.”