Now, music played low from my phone docked on the dresser—SZA’s “Snooze” humming through the speakers while I lotioned my body. Then, I slipped into a sweatsuit and spritzed my neck with my favorite warm vanilla scent. Woods was in the living room. I could still smell the blunt he’d sparked. That and his cologne lingering was a combination that had me walking around falling even deeper.
Pulling my duffle bag onto the bed, I tossed in a couple more things and grabbed my phone to make the call I needed to make before we hit the road. It rang twice before the call connected.
“Golden Chair, this is Kourtni.”
“Hey, Kourt. It’s Autumn.”
“Oh, heyyy girl! You off today?”
“Yeah. Can you transfer me to Rhonda’s office real quick? I need to talk to her for a second.”
“Of course. Hold on.”
A few seconds passed, then I heard Ms. Rhonda’s smooth voice come through. “Hey, Autumn. Everything good, baby?”
“Yes. I just wanted to call and let you know I need to close my books until after the holidays. Something came up, and I’ll be out of town for a little bit. I know this is last-minute, and I hate missing the gift swap too, but…”
“Oh, please,” she said, cutting me off gently. “You been goin’ hard since you came through the door. If anybody deserves a little break, it’s you.”
I smiled, the guilt easing up. “I appreciate that. I’m really gonna miss y’all this year though.”
“Ain’t nothin’ to it. When you get back, we’ll do our own lil’ swap,” she said with a laugh. “Take care of what you need to handle. Enjoy your holidays and text me if you need anything at all.”
“I will. Thank you so much.”
We hung up, and I exhaled, tossing my phone onto the bed and zipping up my bag. I reached for the shopping bags from yesterday’s shopping trip, and I made sure to tuck Woods’ gifts deeper inside as I caught the tail end of his phone conversation.
“Nah, that don’t work for me. If it ain’t there before the 27th, I’m cancelin’ the order. Let’s not play wit’ my time. You hear me?”
Whew.
The way that bass rolled through his throat? That serious tone? I didn’t even know what he was talking about and still felt my damn thighs clench. That man moved like everything he touched had a purpose, including me.
Fifteen minutes later, we were both stepping into boots—his Timbs and my weatherized Uggs—and heading out the door. As we slid into his nice ass truck and buckled up, I turned to him. “I was thinking… I need to schedule an appointment. Like a real one.”
He glanced over, eyes softening just a little. “I was already gon’ bring that up.”
“I don’t even know how far along I am,” I admitted, rubbing my stomach lightly. “A week. Maybe two.”
He reached over, hand landing on my thigh. “We’ll find out. Make the call. I’ll go wit’ you.”
That made my throat tighten again, but I nodded. “Okay.”
“And we gotta start makin’ changes,” he added. “More rest. More food. Less stress. I don’t want you movin’ ‘round too much if you ain’t got to.”
I giggled softly. “You act like I’m eight months already.”
“I don’t care if it’s eight minutes. I said what I said.”
That made me laugh for real. And I was still smiling when I glanced out the window, thinking about how fast everything was moving. I reached for my phone again, unlocking it as Woods pulled onto the main street. “I’m gonna call my dad.” I clicked his name and put it on speaker as it rang. Woods turned the music down a little.
“Hey, baby girl,” my dad’s voice came through, warm and smooth like always.
“Hey, Daddy. You got a second?”
“Always. Just finishing up with a client.”
“So, quick change of plans. Instead of me coming to your house Christmas Eve… would you wanna come up to a cabin instead? Just for the evening?”
