“You’re definitely burning the candle at both ends with teaching, catering, working out, and playing at the club on weekends. Careful you don’t overdo it,old man,” she said teasingly.
Gage dipped her again. “Did anyone ever tell you that you have smart mouth?”
Tonya nodded. “Yes, my grandmother. She used to call me ‘miss sassy.’ I was never disrespectful, just outspoken.”
She didn’t tell Gage that it was her straightforwardness that irritated Samuel whenever she refused to go along with whatever decision he made without first asking her input. In the end he would sweet-talk her, and in order to keep the peace she would give in to him.
“What about your mother?”
Tonya chose her words carefully. “My mother was born in Florida and came of age during the civil rights movement. As a high school student, she was involved in a number of peaceful demonstrations. The one time she was arrested for unlawful assembly, my grandfather bailed her out, and then warned her it was the first and last time he would go to the bank to withdraw money to get her out of jail. The ordeal left her traumatized, because she’d witnessed one of her classmates clubbed to death.”
“That’s something no one, regardless of their age, should have to experience.”
Tonya nodded. “It took years before she was able to talk about it without breaking down.”
“How did she meet your father?”
“They met at Bethune-Cookman College. He was a math major and my mom was a nursing student. After graduating, they moved to New York and lived with Dad’s sister and her husband until they saved enough money to buy their own home. They liked living in Queens, so they bought a place in St. Albans. My mother had a job at a city hospital and eventually became a nursing supervisor, while Dad taught math at a community college.”
“Do they still live there?” Gage asked.
“No. After Daddy retired, he decided to move back to Daytona Beach. He fixed up the house where he’d grown up, sold it, and then he and Mama moved to a retirement community. One of the reasons I decided to accept Hannah’s offer to go into business with her is to live closer to my parents and my daughter.”
“Did you ever think you would become a Southerner?”
“No. I really love the Big Apple and all it offers, but I’m finding myself slowly falling under the magical spell of NOLA.”
Gage cradled her face in his hands. “Good.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m going help you clean up before I leave.”
Tonya held onto his wrists. “There’s not much to clean up. Everything can go into the dishwasher.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He dropped his hands, and in that instant she felt his loss even before his leaving. “Go and get some rest before you have to get up tomorrow to deal with a bunch of rowdy high school students.”
“They’re not as rowdy as they used to be, but I’ll tell you about that when I see you again.”
Tonya walked Gage to the door, watching as he sat on an oak bench in the entryway to slip into his shoes. Rising on tiptoe, she pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Thanks again for helping me with dinner.”
“I should be the one thanking you for covering for me at the restaurant.”
“Please let’s not get into that again.”
He dipped his head and kissed her cheek. “You’re right. Good night, Tonya.”
She nodded. “Good night, Gage. I’ll activate the gates so you can get out.” He was there, and then he was gone. Tonya reached for her cell phone. Hannah had given her the remote device for her car and also sent her the link to download the icon to her phone.
Tonya walked into the living room and flopped down on the loveseat. She half listened to Kool & the Gang playing the hauntingly beautiful “Summer Magic.” A smile parted her lips when she realized Gage would have been an incredible therapist. He unknowingly had gotten her to open up enough to talk about her family. Fortunately for her, he hadn’t asked whether she had siblings, which meant she would have had to talk about her brother—a topic that usually left her in a blue funk for days. It had taken her years before she was even able to mention his name without crying. Not only had Ian been her older brother, but also her protector. Boys in the neighborhood knew not to mess with Ian’s sister, or they would have to deal with him.
It was years before Tonya discovered her brother was living a double life. He worked as an occupational therapist during the day and sold heroin and cocaine at night. However, the lure of the streets and fast money proved too much for Ian, and he began a downward spiral once he became hooked on the drugs he sold to other addicts.
The ringing of her cell phone shattered her dark mood; she saw the name and number come up on the screen. “Hola, Señorita Santiago.”
“Your Spanish accent sounds French.”
“At least I’m trying, Nydia.”
“And you get an A for effort. I wanted to give you a few days to settle into your new spot before calling you. How are you?”
