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“That sounded so much better.”
He laughed, causing me to laugh as well. He grabbed my hand and gently caressed it between his large ones, then asked, “So where are we headed?”
“To my place to put your luggage down. My mama wanted to see you, so I told her we would come by. She’s supposed to be cooking to welcome you to Chi-Town.”
“Hell yeah, ’cause I’m starving. I only had a blueberry muffin and coffee for breakfast.”
“You can get a bag of chips from my house or some other snack to hold you over in case she isn’t done.”
“A’ight. Hopefully, I won’t choose to have another snack and end up hungrier.”
I frowned until I glanced at him and saw him licking his lips as he scanned my body. “Mm. Well, you won’t hear any objections from me, baby.”
Just that quickly, I was gushy. I was turned on the minute I laid eyes on him, but him insinuating a good time had me on overflow. He slid his hand to my thigh and gripped it, causing a tremble to go through my body. This young nigga had turned me the hell out.
“Nate!It’s so good to see you, baby. How have you been since your concussion?”
“I’ve been good, thanks to your daughter taking care of me.” Nate went to Mama and gave her a hug as she blushed. “Now, what you cooking in here? It smells good!”
I twisted my lips to the side as I watched my mama gush over Nate’s fine ass. I rolled my eyes as my mama said, “Baby, I did some smothered turkey wings, pinto beans, cornbread, cabbage, and potato salad.”
“All that for me? Shiiiid, I’m in love.”
My mama laughed so hard her entire face was red. I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. “Kenya, don’t be hatin’ on my second mama. She gon’ spoil me, huh?”
“Hell yeah,” I said. “Just like she spoils Noah.”
Out of Taryn and me, I was closest to my mama. Taryn was always on the road as TAZ, trying to make a name for herself, and I was at home with Mama, making sure she was good after her dialysis. Since I was a nurse, it benefitted her for me to be the one to see after her anyway. I didn’t fault Taryn one bit for chasing her dreams. She did that shit, and when she made it, she took care of us. That was why I was able to quit my job and become a background singer.
“Noah is the son I never had, and I believe Nate will be my son as well. You remind me so much of Noah anyway. Not in the looks department, but your personality. You’re so humble and down to earth. I appreciate that. I hate to bring up Kenya’s ex, but that negro was so uppity it was ridiculous. Had I cooked this meal for him, he would have declined a plate.”
“Mama Eunice, I’m from Houston. This is how we get ‘dine’ all the time. I wish I would turn down this food.” He hugged her, then said, “Let me go love on Kenya before she starts throwing a fit.”
I laughed sarcastically as Nate made his way to me and lifted me in his arms. “You know it’s possible for me to shower both of you with attention, right, baby?”
I chuckled as I nodded then kissed his lips. Honestly, I was beyond happy that he and my mama were getting along so well. They’d spent time together whenever we all were in Baltimore, but not enough time to really establish a bond like they were forming now over this food. He lowered me to my feet, being sure to allow my body to slide against his.
We didn’t get that snack in before coming here, because I told him I needed a full-course meal.Fuck a snack.It had been a week, and I needed our first time reconnecting to be explosive. I needed that shit to feed me physically and emotionally. “Don’t start no shit, Nate.”
“Oh, I’m starting shit? I’m getting you ready for the festivities after our nap.”
“Nap?”
“Hell yeah. You see all this food your mama cooking? Ain’t no way I’m gon’ be able to stay awake after eating all that. Plus, I’m gon’ be too full to do anything anyway, and so will you. We won’t have a choice but to sleep that off.”
I slowly shook my head then grabbed his hand and led him to the front room to have a seat while my mama glanced at us with a smile on her face. She was so happy that Taryn and I were happy. Although my relationship with Nate was extremely fresh, she felt the intensity of it, just like I did.
Once we sat, his phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at it, then slid it back into his pocket. “That’s your brother-in-law. I’ll call him later.”
He leaned over and kissed my head then put his arm around me. I snuggled against him and took a deep breath. “I hate that we are going to have to open this case against the record label. Not because of my feelings but because of my mama’s. I realized the other day that she was still hurting about my father’s death. It’s been thirty-five years, but she is still grieving him. She didn’t get the closure she needed. Although they weren’t together at the time, she still loved him.”
“I hate that for y’all, too, but at least y’all will have what’s rightfully yours, plus some, since they were keeping it from y’all. Evilness never wins in the end. Hurtful secrets, shadiness, and underhandedness have a way of coming to light. How did your ex find out about all of that?”
“He has a friend that has been researching my daddy’s brilliance. He loves my dad. Plus, I found out that he worked for the label at some point. Nate…”
I sat up and angled my body to where I could stare into his eyes. “I was so torn up about everything Arik revealed to us, I fell on him, crying my eyes out. I felt so guilty afterward, although I don’t have an ounce of love for the man inside of me. I’m sorry.”
Nate looked away for a moment. Maybe that was something I should’ve kept to myself. He grabbed my hand as he nodded. “It’s okay. He was there and the one giving you the information. I understand it was the situation. I just wish you would have allowed me a chance to console you.”
