Lamar stared down at his daughter looking up at him. Nydia almost burst into laughter when Kendra affected a sad face. “Okay,” he said after a pregnant pause. “I’ll make certain Ramona packs enough clothes for the week and I’ll drop them off later tonight.” Kendra clapped a hand over her mouth before running away to tell her friends the good news.
Evangeline laughed. “Don’t concern yourself picking her up next Sunday. After church, Daniel and I planned to take them to Momma’s Place for brunch and then to a movie. My parents have changed their regular third Sunday in the month to the fourth for the family dinner.”
Lamar angled his head. “Are you telling me I won’t see my daughter until a week from tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She patted Lamar’s shoulder. “Not to worry. I’ll take good care of her.”
He nodded. “I have no doubt she’ll be in the best care. I just don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”
Evangeline patted her hair. “I can’t get any more overwhelmed than I am now. I keep telling my daughters that they’re going to have me completely gray before I turn forty.”
It was Lamar’s turn to laugh. “You know I’d begun graying in high school.”
Nydia held up both hands when Evangeline and Lamar stared at her. “Y’all are not going to invite me to join your gray-haired club—at least not for a few more years.”
“Wait until you have a couple of kids,” Evangeline teased.
“I still have time before I think of becoming a mother,” Nydia said.
Lamar rested his hand at the small of Nydia’s back. “Are you ready to eat?”
Her smile was as bright as the early afternoon sunshine. “I’m always ready if the Toussaints are cooking.”
* * *
Nydia sat between Lamar and Hannah at one of four long picnic tables Gage and his niece’s husbands had set up in the courtyard. Platters of barbecued ribs, chicken, and shrimp, pulled pork, hamburgers, hot links, and brisket were set on each table along with bowls of potato salad, coleslaw, red beans, rice, deviled eggs, and collard greens. There were alcoholic libations for the adults and fruit punch and lemonade for those under the legal drinking age. All of the children were seated at the same table.
Tonya and Gage had invited Toussaints, Singletons, and Gage’s bandmates from Jazzes, and several of his former colleagues from the local high school where he once had been an artist-in-residence. And judging from the laughter and frivolity among the assembly Nydia knew the gathering was a rousing success.
She stared at Kendra smiling shyly at something Cameron’s nephew whispered in her ear. Nydia estimated he was at least twelve or thirteen, and judging from the way he stared at Lamar’s daughter, there was no doubt he was taken with her.
“What are you looking at?” Lamar asked her in Spanish.
“Your daughter and Evangeline’s nephew,” she replied in the same language. “It appears as if another generation of Singletons is intrigued by a woman of color.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that, because right now Kendra thinks boys are stupid.”
Nydia bit on her lip to keep from telling Lamar that he was in denial thinking that his daughter did not like boys, but she wasn’t willing to tell him because she feared he would go off on the boy. It had been the same with her and her father when she’d mentioned she liked a boy in her sixth grade class. He told her he was going to look for the hapless kid and snap his head off. Of course she didn’t know her father was joking, but it was enough for her to keep her thoughts to herself.
“What are you going to do for a week now that Kendra’s staying with Evangeline?”
Lamar ran a hand down her back. “Spend time with my girlfriend,” he whispered in her ear, still speaking Spanish.
Turning her head slightly, she stared at him. “Can you tell me who this girlfriend is?” Nydia replied in the same language.
Lamar lowered his eyes and his voice when he said, “She’s the only woman here wearing an orange dress. After I drop Kendra’s clothes off at Evangeline’s, I’d like to come to my girlfriend’s hotel suite and hang out there for a while.”
Nydia felt a wave of heat begin at her hairline and move lower and lower until she had to press her knees together to still the pulsing between her thighs. It was as if Lamar had been reading her mind. If they were to make love, then she didn’t want it to be slam bam, thank you, ma’am when he had to get up and leave.
“How long do you intend to hang out with your girlfriend?” she questioned, still speaking Spanish. The gold glints in his eyes shimmered like polished amber crystals.
“I don’t know. I’d like to stay at least a week, but I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”
“What about work, Lamar?”
“I have to go into the office, but there’s always before and after work when I can give you my undivided attention.”
Nydia rested her head on his shoulder. “I like the sound of that. And while you’re at your office I’ll be working on my projects.”
