.

those words the minute they left her mouth. Hated that she’d even had the thought and had given it life. Every ounce of doubt and fear she had about their relationship manifested in those words, already rationalizing why them being together was destined to fail. Instead of thinking how to tell Paul she loved him back, Simone was reasoning why they shouldn’t be together.

      Mama Hill fanned a dismissive hand. “Girl, please! If you want it badly enough, you make it work. My late husband and I were like oil and water. That man worked my good nerve on a regular basis, but I loved everything about him. I fought hard for our marriage. Giving up would have been easy but the fight was so much sweeter.”

      “So how long were you two married?”

      “Thirty-eight years. He passed on back nine years ago. Was sitting right here in this kitchen fussing at me when he had a heart attack and never woke up.”

      “I’m so sorry.”

      Mama Hill passed Simone a dry towel and then she turned toward the sink. “We was good as gold while we lasted, even with the challenges we faced. I missed him something awful. Wasn’t sure I was going to make it when I happened upon Liza. She was just a little bitty thing and smart as a whip. Her mama was lost out here in these streets and her daddy was incarcerated. I became her foster mother and she’s been here raising hell ever since.” The woman chuckled, joy shining in her eyes.

      She continued. “I fostered a few other strays over the years. Then last year they said I was too old. So, now it’s just me and Liza and I can’t get her away from them computers long enough to meet a man. I keep telling her I want to see some grandbabies around here before I die.” She laughed as she rinsed suds from a dinner plate.

      Simone smiled. “My mother says the same thing. My brothers will probably give her grandkids before I or my sister do.”

      “How long have you and that pretty doctor been playing games with each other?”

      “Games?”

      “Yes. Loving on each other one day, then mad about absolutely nothing the next day.”

      Simone blew a soft sigh. “Since we were in college together. It’s been off and on over ten years now.”

      Mama Hill shook her head. “Like my Douglas use to say, that’s enough time to piss or get off the pot. What are you waiting for?”

      Simone pondered the question, dropping the dishrag in her hand down to her side. She had often asked herself that question. When Paul had been overseas the answer had seemed obvious. Now he was back, proclaiming to still be in love with her, and she had no answer that would make an ounce of sense to anyone else.

      If Paul had been solely responsible for their future, they would have been married with a dozen kids. He had always been open about wanting marriage and a family to balance his medical career. Simone hadn’t needed either and earnestly believed she would be happier without the picket-fence fantasy. She had routinely stalled his quest to move their relationship forward, convinced she didn’t need a piece of paper to validate her commitment to him. She had fought him at every turn and he had still loved her. She was feeling pretty crappy about the whole thing as she brushed a fall of moisture from her cheek.

      She lifted her eyes to find Mama Hill staring at her. Simone shrugged, forcing a smile to her face. She couldn’t find the words to answer, struggling once again not to cry.

      Mama Hill clasped a hand to her hip, the look she gave Simone scolding. “Let me give you another bit of advice you didn’t ask for,” she said. “Love ain’t easy. In fact, it’s damn hard work! But as long as that love isn’t toxic, it’s worth every ounce of effort you can give it. You love him and he loves you. Stop fighting it and just let yourself enjoy whatever it has for you.”

      Mama Hill untied the apron from around her waist. She crossed to the other side of the room to hang it on a hook near the door that led out to a rear deck. “I think I’m going to go watch me some Dr. Phil. I may fall asleep and if I do, don’t y’all wake me up. Whatever trouble you two done found yourselves in will work itself out. Just trust your instincts and hold tight to each other and everything will be okay.”

      “Thank you, Mama,” Simone said softly. “Thank you for everything.”

      The matriarch laughed. “Baby, thank the Lord! Pay me—advice ain’t never been cheap!”

      Simone laughed with her and when she disappeared behind a closed door at the end of the hallway, Simone turned toward the basement.

      “How do you not test a drug? Federal regulations demand they test any product they put on the market. There have to be test results and research data somewhere besides the damn brochure!” Paul snapped, irritation blessing his words.

      He was sorting pages into individual piles and then slipping them into manila folders. With a permanent marker he jotted notes on the front of each, his scribblings only making sense to him. He met Simone’s stare as she eased her way to his side, her expression questioning as she peered down at the papers in his hand. He gave her a slight smile as he turned his attention back to Liza.

      Liza tossed her hands up in frustration. “I’ve looked in every file I could get into. There’s nothing there before it hit the market.”

      “And you looked everywhere?”

      “Everywhere I could without setting off any alarms that would let their IT department know I was there snooping. I ain’t interested in going to jail!”

      Paul closed his eyes, falling into thought. Clearly, what he had fathomed was turning out to be true. But there were still questions that needed to be answered. Things that didn’t make sense and he wasn’t sure if he was even asking the right questions or searching for the correct answers. Mostly, he needed to understand why.

      Mingus cleared his throat. “You two need to get a move on it,” he said. “It’s starting to get too hot for you to hang around here much longer. The police superintendent wants to see you both for questioning.”

      Simone gasped. “Daddy called you?”

      “Not yet. Parker messaged me so it’s just a matter of time.”

      “Where should we go?” Simone asked, a wave of anxiety washing over her.

      Her brother tossed Paul a look. “I’m told it’s handled. Just send me a text when you get there to let me know you’re safe.”

      Paul had opened his eyes, looking from Simone to Mingus and back. “You can still stay here with your brother,” he said. “I’d understand. It might actually be the best thing for everybody.”

      “That’s not an option,” she snapped.

      Silence rose full and thick between them. Paul finally nodded. “We’ll be okay,” he said, throwing Mingus one last look. Despite his uncertainty about what might come next, he was happy to know he hadn’t run her off and Simone was as determined to be with him as he was determined to be with her.

      He changed the subject. “Liza, can you give me all the info they have on the drugs they’ve manufactured over the last ten years?”

      Liza nodded. “That’s a lot of paper but if you want it, I can get it for you.”

      “Please,” he said. “I would really appreciate it.”

      “You know I can put it on a flash drive.”

      “I know. I’m going to need hard copy. And this, too, please.” He reached into his back pocket for the storage device he’d taken from the hospital. “If you can print out everything on here and then give it to Mingus for safekeeping.”

      “What’s on it?” Mingus asked, eyeing them both with a raised brow.

      Paul took a deep inhale of air. “Proof. Data I’ve been collecting since I first suspected