He dipped his chin, holding onto me for a second before finally releasing me. “Thank you. It means a lot that you came.”
“You know Liv didn’t give me much of a choice. She said it was gonna be a Gray family dinner, not a Gray family reunion.”
He chuckled, flashing me a glimpse of his bright, white smile. “So, she hit you with the okey doke too, huh?”
“Yup, pretty much.”
“How have you been, though? Life treating you good?”
I looked up at him while nodding. “Yeah. It’s good. Really good, actually.”
“I can see that,” he said, glancing down at the diamond engagement ring wrapped around my finger. “You’re getting married?”
“Mm-hmm. In three months,” I announced.
“Well, look at you, all grown up and shit. That’s what’s up, Lex. I’m happy for you.”
The deepness of his voice danced on my nerves for some reason. I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely happy for me or just saying shit people felt like they were supposed to say when good things happened to others.
“Thanks. So, do you have big plans now that you’re out of the Navy?”
“I’m stayin’ with Liv for the next few months while my house is being built. Then after that, who knows? I’m taking things one day at a time right now.”
“Gotcha.”
“Since I’ll be around, does this mean I get an invite to the big day?”
“Oh, um. I wasn’t sure that was something you’d want to, er, um, y’know, come to.”
“Why not?” he inquired, his cocoa-brown eyes peering down at me.
I flashed my eyes up at him, a bit stunned that he didn’t already know the answer to his question. Or maybe he did and wanted me to state the obvious.
“Oak, . . . I think we both know why.”
“I mean, that was a long time ago.”
“I know that.”
“Does Liv . . .” he started to ask before his voice trailed off.
I quickly shook my head before cutting him off. “No. She doesn’t. No one does, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Then it’s no problem. I just wasn’t sure if after all these years, you’d slipped up and told her that I?—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Liv opened the sliding door. “Hey, Mama’s ready for you to cut your welcome home cake and make your speech,” she interrupted with her eyes dead set on her brother.
“Speech? What speech?” Oak quizzed.
“Y’know, all you gotta do is say thank you for coming, and eat, drink, and be merry. I don’t know. Think of something on your way to the mic! Let’s go! Mama’s getting antsy, and I don’t wanna hear her mouth,” she griped.
“You’d better get out there,” I told him.
“You’re coming too,” Liv insisted.
“Okay, okay. I’m right behind you,” I told her.
“Everything good, girl?” she quizzed as we walked back outside behind Oak.
