Not Good Enough For You

Lyric Phillips is ready for love. For the first time ever, she believes that something worth having may exist for her. She always did what made her feel good with no cares for anything else until it caught up and bit her. She ultimately changed her mindset, vowed celibacy, and tossed her bad habits. When the new Lyric falls in love again, her past trickles in with an agenda. ⁠
⁠
Elijah Grant is a youth pastor for his father’s church. He loves working with the kids but being their pastor was not his calling. After mishaps from his past, he fell in line to get back into his father’s good graces. Now, he’s ready to step down and move on. Breaking the news to his family may mean more trouble than it’s worth. ⁠

https://amzn.to/3uelZGj⁠

Sample #1 (unedited)

Elijah

I almost got out unnoticed, but my old man caught me before leaving my office. My plan to chill and watch TV fell by the wayside immediately.

Before my dad opened his mouth, I squeezed my eyes shut and carefully release my breath. “Guess I’m expected at the house later?”

“Son, I get you want your own time. I do. But your mother loves all of us together for Sunday dinner.” Of course, the mother card.

“Oh, so now it’s Mom who wants me over. I had dinner with you on Thursday. Spent all morning with you today. I just want to chill.”

Honestly, I’d prefer the whole decked-out meal my mom prepared. But that wasn’t the situation today.

“You can leave shortly after. It’s not like you have a wife making you a hot dinner, anyhow.”

I massaged the bridge of my nose. “Sir, if this is an attempt to—”

Dad lifted his hand in contest. “We want to eat with you. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

To keep it respectful, I nodded. My father wasn’t slick in the slightest. One of his buddies visited the church this morning. A buddy whose daughter was my father’s first-round pick for the draft of my wife—a draft I never put together.

Finding a good thing was a goal in my life, but not the only one. You’d swear I’d be fifty on my next birthday with the way my father pushed potential prospects on me. I stopped playing his games years ago. My wife, my timing, my choice.

After Dad exited my office with a dreadful grin, I plopped into my chair. I needed to kill some time before heading to my parents’ house. My brother, Ezekiel, texted me to be prepared for the den with a lion emoji. Childish.

***

The Grants never had a dull moment at the dinner table. Today was no exception. My dad invited Pastor Delroy Tucker, his lovely wife, Harriet, and their daughter, Dara. He ensured that I sat beside to Dara.

Dara wasn’t a stranger, but I didn’t care to converse with her. We basically grew up together, not always in the same church since Pastor Tucker has his own. As children, we had a little puppy love thing going on, but that fizzled out by the time we graduated high school.

Dara was gorgeous and could easily adorn many fashion magazines and billboards. She had impeccable skin, a toasted pecan complexion, a slim but shapely figure, and legs for days. On looks alone, I’d bite. However, Dara had a way of making others feel small. She reminded me too much of my brother Emmanuel Jr. and his wife, Kortney. That was not my cup of tea, coffee, water, or juice. It was why our puppy love never matured.

I quietly ate my meal as my family inquired about the last year of Dara’s life. We hadn’t seen her in that long. Apparently, she traveled the world, giving her time to assist different organizations in spreading the word of God. In the middle of her mission tour, she’d witnessed many of the natural beauties this world offered.

Thanks to her dad’s knowledge of the stock market, our fathers made some lucrative investments that created a level of wealth they’d pass down one day. Dara lived off her dad so far.

I had to admire that she spent an abundance of her time helping the less fortunate and volunteering. On resume, the woman was a saint who loved serving others. In-person, she looked down on most of the people she served. No one would assume as much, but I’d seen it firsthand. She had everyone thinking she had a heart of pure gold, but it was only gold plated.

“So, Dara, is there a young man in your life? Anyone we’ll meet soon?” Dad winked at her, tilting his head toward me.

“No, Pastor Grant. There’s one man I’ve had my eye on, but he keeps playing hard to get.”

“What a shame? Only a fool would play games with an outstanding young lady as yourself.”

“Don’t I know it. He acts like he doesn’t see me at all. Can’t say how much longer I can wait.”

“Hey, if he can’t see you then I think you should set your sights on someone worthy. He deserves to miss out.”

Ezekiel cleared his throat. “So, we’re gonna act like they’re not talking about Elijah?”

His wife, Savannah, nudged and shushed him. It was too late. The snickers and smacked lips fed the awkward vibe.

Once the conversation picked back up, Pastor Tucker shared a new venture with my dad while the ladies discussed Mom’s new daycare center. Well, at least the progress of its construction. She already had four grandkids and blamed her impatience for more on me and my little sister. She’d wait a long while before either of us had babies. Kierra was only twenty-three. Kids were the last thing on our minds.

Mom retired after over twenty years of teaching. Her dream was so close to reality. Owning her own daycare center was only the beginning of all the plans she had. She earned all the desires of her heart to come to fruition.

After dinner, Dara volunteered to clear the table, but my mother insisted that I did it instead. Everyone else sat on the back porch where we’d have dessert. Mom rarely prepared desserts for us as kids, but now no Sunday dinner went without one.

I rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. Mom invaded my space so she could whisper, “That girl still can’t get over you, huh?”

I bounced my shoulders. “Nothing to get over. We never dated.”

“You did. Well, I thought you…Yes, you did. I used to drop y’all off at the movies.”

“Yeah, with Zeke and EJ and whoever else.”

Mom opened the refrigerator and removed a tray of sundae glasses filled with my favorite cream cheese dessert. “I’m positive she thought of it as dating.”

“Maybe. But we were kids. Once I saw the actual person inside, it was a done deal.”

“People do change, son. Although, I still get that same energy from her.”

“Dad won’t let it rest.”

I helped her spoon the pecan crumble to top each cup. “Your father trusts Pastor Tucker and Dara. He thinks they’d be a great addition to the family.”

“I’m not for auction, Ma.”

“Of course not, sweetheart. I’m only saying why your dad wishes you’d date her.” She turned to the fridge for her homemade whipped cream and fresh cherries. “Besides, you haven’t had the best string of luck with women.”

I rolled my eyes. If there was anything to learn about my family, they forgot nothing. They forgave pretty much everything, but when they deemed it necessary, it’d pop back up.

“I’m waiting on God’s approval. I’m not rushing his timing.”

“Neither am I. Since you seem so sensitive about the subject, I’ll drop it.”

“Thank you.” We topped off each glass before she sprinkled a dash of cinnamon on them. “That looks so good!”

“I had to make your favorite so you’d see I’m on your side.” We laughed. “I knew Emmanuel was going to pull this on you.”

“I appreciate it. Now, let’s hope this is all over soon.”

Mom chuckled. “Dara’s a good woman, Elijah.” She raised her hand. “She can be a bit much, but everyone has their flaws. You won’t like every single thing about your spouse. Don’t go chasing perfection. Find someone who is a genuine friend that you can trust with your heart. When you find that, you’ll have someone you cannot live without.”

“Will do.” I kissed her cheek before picking up the tray and following her outside.

Thank you for reading!

Are you on Goodreads? Add Not Good Enough For You to your TBR list https://bit.ly/3nGLI7W

Sample #2 (unedited)

Lyric

Nina invited my mom to sell her homemade cocktails called Sip Like Kendra. It was her little side hustle that she mostly sold on weekends. Nina got her license in case she went into business with my mother full-time. For now, they put a small tent in front of the restaurant to sell Momma’s drinks.

“So, it’s really over for you two?” Momma asked Nina. We all shared similar feelings about Nina and Mekhi and wished things turned out differently.

I admit I was a cheater. I used to say it was merely sampling the dating pool. Cheating sounded so devious. Then again, I did it behind Wade’s back and led him to assume he was the only one. Confusing sexual freedom with legit freedom steered me in that direction.

Mekhi and Nina’s fallout was different. Being married for one. And my belief that he truly made a mistake. Allowing your piece to enter another woman’s holster as a married man was a devastating mistake that Nina refused to accept. She said she forgave him, but the act distorted her view of him. I understood what she meant.

Dealing with Wade the way I did was dead wrong. Even after finding out, we played the same game. Once you see a person one way and they flip the script, that original image is forever tainted. You have to make the decision to accept and move forward with this new reality or bail. Nina bounced, and we all had to adjust to a missing family member.

Nina nodded and shrugged. “It is.”

“I’m so sorry you had to experience that. I done had my share of trolls. Mekhi seemed like a great catch. You two were young, but so in love. I can’t believe you’re divorced.”

“Me either. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all his fault we had issues. I recognize my absence caused more damage than I wanted to admit. But stepping out because of it was not the way to get my attention.”

“I hear you. How is he doing? Is he with the other woman?” My mother asked.

“Ma?!” I snapped.

“It’s cool. No, he is not with her. Apparently, she targeted him once the opportunity arose.”

“Targeted?”

“That’s what he says. Some older lady who has this vendetta against happily married men.”

Noelle and I shared a glance because it still made no sense. Who did stuff like that?

My mom gasped. “Girl, no! I remember this woman back in the day who only screwed married men. Not for no vendetta, but still for reasons I didn’t understand.”

“Everyone doesn’t have to respect the marriage. As long as the married couple hold their vows with the highest regard and keep them intact, they’re good. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for us.”

Momma poked her lips to the side. “Do you still love him?”

“I do, but not enough to trust him. Marriages will have problems. It’s a given, but it’s not an excuse to act a damn fool.”

More customers rolled up on us after leaving O.C. with pickup orders. Some greeted Nina before asking her about the tent. This was only the second pop-up Momma did here, so all Nina’s customers weren’t aware. She showed her face under the tent for them. Her endorsement made the customers a lot more comfortable buying anything. She even suggested her favorite flavors.

Momma swiped a woman’s card who bought three bottles. I grabbed them and swore I noticed someone familiar. After handing the woman her order, I turned for a second glance. And there he was, closer than before.

“Hello there,” he said.

“Pastor Grant,” I let out. “Um, what are you doing here?”

“First, please call me Elijah. Pastor Grant is that old man who barely smiles.”

I laughed louder than intended because Elijah was spot on. The Sr. Pastor did not show his teeth without talking or laughing. From what I saw, he had nice teeth, but cheesing must not be his thing. From these fine-ass sons he bred, he could throw a smile out there every now and again.

“Right.” I nodded and got sucked into his smile. We should all be thankful that he didn’t have his dad’s issue with spreading those beautiful lips wide enough for a peek of those pearly whites. Why was this man so damn gorgeous?

We shared a muted moment, locked in each other’s eyes. “Lyric, can you get me a bottle of Lemon My Best Life and two Better Togethers from the cooler?” My mother’s voice broke me from my daze.

“Sure, Ma.” After doing what she asked, I returned to Elijah, who waited patiently. “So, what are you doing here?”

“Oh.” He showed me a flyer I left on the church’s nursery’s check-in desk. “Found this and wanted to support. Had to be important to you to share it. Plus, I trust your taste. It must be good.”

Hearing him say he trusted my taste being good sent a wave of prickles all over my skin. It didn’t matter that he referred to the food.

Thank you for reading!

Get Not Good Enough For You today https://amzn.to/3uelZGj⁠

Listen to the Playlist https://amzn.to/3gu2IfZ