Blueprint for Love by Chanta Jefferson Rand

Vic to
the company and the party.
    “ I’ve heard really good
things about you,” Gabe told him.
    “ Likewise,” Vic answered
politely. He thought back to the day Ronnie told him about how some
guy named Gabe had made sure she had a spare in her car now. This
was the dude he’d thought was her man. He was glad to learn Ronnie
was free and single. “Thanks for taking care of Ronnie’s spare,”
Vic told Gabe. “She told me how you handled up.”
    Gabe nodded. “Those jerks at the dealership
won’t be screwing with her anymore. She has free oil changes for
the next two years.”
    Vic chuckled. “Way to take care of
business.”
    “ Thanks. And by the way,
congrats on your promotion to crew leader. Just be careful,” Gabe
warned. “When you’re good at something, these ladies won’t let you
live it down. It’s like drawing blood from a turnip. They’ll suck
you dry, man!”
    The three sisters stood in
a circle around the two men, laughing and making good-natured
comments. Candace playfully punched Gabe
in the arm. “Don’t scare Vic away,” she teased. “You make it seem
like we keep you locked in the basement working on home improvement
projects.”
    “ Besides,” Marlowe
laughed, “you’re the one who makes us take on half the projects we
bid for, Gabe.”
    “ And you know you love
it,” Ronnie added.
    Gabe grinned. “True.” He looked at Vic. “I
forgot to tell you, you can’t win when all three of them gang up on
you.”
    Vic laughed. “So, I see.”
    “ But I wouldn’t have it
any other way,” Gabe admitted.
    Vic watched as Gabe grabbed Candace around
the waist and planted a brief but loving kiss on her lips. Anyone
witnessing them couldn’t help but see the love flowing between
them. The two made a good-looking couple. It was obvious Gabe had
fallen hard for Candace.
    Vic liked Gabe. He was obviously wealthy,
but he didn’t flaunt it. Plus, Ronnie held him in high esteem. She
had a lot of nice things to say about him, so the guy couldn’t be
half bad.
    And Ronnie’s family was nice too. Her
sisters treated him with respect. They took time out from mingling
with the other guests to chat with him. Within a few minutes, he
had their personalities figured out. Marlowe was the baby of the
family. The way she talked non-stop about clothes and the finer
things in life let him know her big sisters had spoiled her rotten.
Candace was the middle sibling, and the ringleader of the group.
Her sisters were in the construction business because of her. With
her sassy blonde bob and no-nonsense attitude, it was easy to see
how she’d become a business-owner. Ronnie was the oldest and most
levelheaded. And in his opinion, the sexiest. The more time he
spent with her, the more he liked being around her.
    Dangerous feelings for a guy who didn’t know
where he stood in life. He had to remind himself to take it one day
at a time.
    He was just beginning to relax when a
familiar face approached. Vic didn’t recall his name, but he
remembered the guy from the night he dropped Ronnie at the Eden
Roc.
    “ Ronnie, would you care to
dance?” the man asked.
    “ Vic, you remember Allen,”
Ronnie prompted.
    Yeah, he remembered him all right. He didn’t
care for the guy. Didn’t like the possessive look in his eye. Vic
grunted. Well, he was possessive too. Ronnie had invited him to
this party, not Allen. If she’d wanted to dance with the man, she
would have invited him instead.
    “ Sorry, dude.” Vic stepped
between them. “She’s with me tonight.”
    He ignored the fake ass smile on Allen’s
face as he steered Ronnie away with his hand on the small of her
back.
    “ I didn’t know you could
dance,” Ronnie whispered in awe.
    “ I can’t,” he admitted. “I
just never learned to share.”
    “ So, you have two flaws.
You’re too blunt and you don’t share well.”
    “ That guy, Allen is an
amateur stalker.”
    “ I thought I was the only
one who noticed.”
    “ I think he’s so