Page 74 of Widow Mayker

He leaned over and softly kissed my lips. “Just for clarification, I haven’t been spoiling you. I was getting warmed up.”

“Oh—”

Someone knocked on Lewis’s window, startling me and interrupting our moment. He chuckled and opened the door. My mouth fell open at who stood there. Lewis got out of the truck and hugged the woman. Her eyes keenly assessed me, then she disappeared around the truck with Lewis. I remained with my mouth open until Lewis came around to my side and opened my door.

“Shyah, this is my mama, Navé. Mama, my girl.”

Lost for words, I got out of the truck and continued to stare. Navé, however, grabbed me and hugged me tightly. Her big smile and infectious giggle made me instantly comfortable. I hugged her back and smiled, too.

Leaning back, she took a once over of me and looked at her son. “Now I see why you were burnin’ up all that fuel.”

Lewis scoffed, and I burst out laughing.

“Lewis talks about you quite often, but he could’ve led with my mom is thee Navé Winston,” I said, still a little shocked. Navé starred in one of television’s highly acclaimed drama series. Her naturally stunning face and tall, elegant physique were everywhere.

Navé smacked her teeth. “He thinks telling people about me is going to somehow dim his shine—"

“Naw, now. Don’t lie to my girl,” Lewis interjected. “I wanted this to be a surprise. Plus, when’s the last time I introduced you to anyone?”

Navé thought for a second, then said, “You’re right.” She whirled on her heels and headed towards the house while I giggled and Lewis shook his head.

We followed his mother, and I was surely still a little stunned that this man stemmed from royalty.

“Shyah Winston,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped over the threshold of his abode. “It does have a nice ring to it.”

Lewis’s first display of spoiling me came in the form of a room full of roses, diamonds, and too many gift bags to count. Lewis would mess around and be stuck with me.

LEWIS

With a frown resting on my face, I stood at the entryway of the kitchen, wondering when the hell my mama was going to let go of Shyah so that I could actually spend some time with my girl. Night had already peeked through, and they were in the kitchen laughing it up while making dinner together. I loved my mama to death, but I was about to put her ass out.

Shyah had an entire room full of gifts she knew nothing about simply because she was cackling and swapping stories with my mama. They hadn’t checked on me once, and I was a little salty about that.

Done listening to them cackle about one of my mama’s co-stars, I entered the kitchen and grilled them.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m ‘bout to put both of y’all out.”

They burst out laughing and slapped hands like I was gnat telling them to build me a pile of shit.

“Oh, that’s funny?” I was around the island in a second. I threw my mama over my shoulder and carried her towards the front door. She squealed and laughed harder. Shyah was right behind me and jumped on my back. If I wasn’t built like a tank, we all would’ve fallen to the floor.

I placed my mama on her feet, then they proceeded to jump my ass. Of course, their little punches didn’t feel like anything but feathers, but I fell and pretended like they were beating my ass.

“Soon as I get up, y’all done for,” I warned them. Mama ran back into the kitchen and Shyah took off towards the living room. I followed her. Before I could catch her, laughter had her doubled over and clutching her stomach.

I lifted her small ass up and playfully body slammed her on one of the couches. Tears were now falling from her eyes, and I was sure her cheeks hurt too. I fell on top of her and tortured her some more. I tickled the shit out of her.

“Okay! Okay!” she shouted in defeat.

I rolled over onto the floor and gave her a break. She sat up and wiped her tears as she continued laughing.

“You supposed to have my back,” I said.

“I do,” she answered. Her voice was hoarse from laughing.

“Yeah, aight. Let me find out you don’t fuck with me for real.”

She scoffed, then giggled. “Aw, baby, come here.” Her hands cupped my jaws, and she brought me close for a kiss.