“I’m not anyone’s dream.” Carter’s jaw tightened. “Just a man who loves hard and treats the woman in my life well because my mother taught me that. I will fuck up from time to time.”
“Duh, you human, Carter.” I looked at him. “Can you let me compliment you? Because I will not hesitate to tell you when you mess up. Trust.”
A reluctant grin spread across his face. “Go ahead.”
“No man has ever treated me like you do, and we’re just getting started. It feels like a dream because I’m not used to being taken care of. All my life, I had to work hard for everything...and that’s okay... because ain’t nothing wrong with hard work and I wouldn’t be the person I am if I didn’t. It’s been three weeks, and you act like my comfort is your purpose on this Earth. Just wanted to tell you I appreciate you more than you could ever know.”
Carter gripped the wheel in one hand and opened my mouth with his tongue.
“Mmm, baby,” I moaned as I enjoyed his kiss. “I need you to pay attention to the road. People are in the parking lot.”
“Then stop kissing me.” He grinned and captured my tongue with his once more before he entwined our hands and refocused on getting us out of the parking lot safely.
I stared out the window at the passing twinkling lights of the holiday season, feeling unbelievably blessed to have the man by my side. Even if somehow Carter and I were a moment, it wouldn’t be regrettable like my two-year relationship with Bishop had been.
Thank God, I hadn’t responded to any of his texts or calls and finally blocked him. I was totally free of my past with him and more and more ready for a future with Carter.
The sounds of a basketball game blasted from the TV, and Carter’s elated or disappointed yells traveled through the house. Mama and I stood around my table full of red, green, and gold tissue paper and stocking stuffers like hand lotion, fuzzy socks, chocolate mints, and pretty, chunky pens.
Mama whispered, “Does he always watch TV this loud?”
“You don’t have to whisper. He can’t hear you. And yes, it makes him feel that he’s there. He’s worse when we’re watching a football game. If we ever live together, I’m buying earplugs.”
Mama nudged my shoulder. “You mean ‘when’, that man so sprung over you. He’s just as busy as you, yet you haven’t spent a night home since he got back from that weekend with his children. I was sold when you told me he’d taken his children skiing. Ain’t nothing sexier than a man who takes care of his kids.”
I glanced over at the other room, and Carter’s eyes were glued to the screen. “Mama, you were sold when I told you he was an ex-NFL player.”
She chuckled. “A mother has dreams for her daughter, too.” Mama looked over my shoulder toward Carter and then back at me. “Love this man. Don’t take out what happened with Bishop on him.”
“I’m not.”
Her lips formed a tight line. “I know you. You’re so used to being stuck up in this house when you’re not working, the minute he does something you don’t like, you’ll justify why you should be alone.”
“You never married again.” I pointed out.
“Not because I didn’t have the opportunity. I made a vow to myself that while you were a child, I wouldn’t bring a man into the house, and until you were married, I wouldn’t have a husband.”
“Mama, what if I never get married? If you meet the right man, I want you to go for it.”
She shook her head firmly. “It’s been you and me since you were four. If I were married, no husband would have allowed me to uproot and move to California to be with you.”
“I didn’t ask for you to come here.” I reminded her pointedly as I stuffed Hershey’s Kisses in a little cotton elf’s shoe.
“Yet, you needed me. You were never a social butterfly like me, but you weren’t a hermit either.” She held one of my twists in her hand. “Even wearing your hair like this is your way of neglecting your appearance. You barely make time to get it redone. If I didn’t move in with you, no telling how you would be now.” She picked up a basket. “You wouldn’t even be doing these baskets to give out to the community center if I weren’t here.” My mother used to run a daycare out of our home back in Birmingham, and now volunteers to babysit children, while their parents participate in various activities at a center in Compton.
“The residency takes up more time than I realized.”
“No, you take on extra work to forget.”
Carter jumped up and shouted at the game. “What the fuck are you doing?” He then quickly apologized to my mother. “Sorry, Mama Gwen, I get caught up.”
“I can tell.” She teased with genuine warmth. Mama liked Carter the moment she met him when he picked me up for a date at a rooftop theatre and had asked my mother if it was okay for me to spend the night with him. She’d been tickled pink that he was upfront about how the night would end and that he really wanted her permission since she did live with me. “Carter, don’t you have some Christmas party or event that my daughter can get all pretty for?”
“Mama,” I warned. “Between his businesses and his children, he doesn’t have time.”
“She’s already pretty,” Carter smirked at me.
“Oh, then you’ve never seen her at her best.” She marched to him, swiped through her cell, and planted her screen in front of his surprised face.
