“Good.” He nodded while going to grab a beer. “You sent your lady friend over here. She seems smart.” He scoffed. “I always told you a good woman could help you get your mind right. I guess you listened to me foronce.”
“Law,” Mama bear grumbled.
“I ain’t said nothing wrong, Terri. I haven’t seen this boy in a month of Sundays, and he showed up because some?—”
“Her name is Essen,” Loso cut him off to say.
Mr. Lawrence smirked as he squared his shoulders. “Essen. You came running over here because of Essen.”
“Are you jealous?”
My eyes sprang wide. “Loso!”
His eyes found me, and I mouthed the words,calm down.
“I don’t know if you’re insulting me or giving me props.” Loso spoke to his father with more respect.
“That’s always been your problem. You think I’m your enemy when I have always been on your side.”
“I can’t tell. No matter what I do, you press me like I’m the same seventeen-year-old kid messing up. Nothing is good enough for you.”
Mrs. Terri treaded into the center of the half-circle. “How about you two take this conversation to the garage, baby?”
The men mugged one another, triggering an awkward silence that made me leery to breathe too loud.
“Yeah, baby. I can do that. Let’s go, boy.”
Even with a full beard, I could see anger grab Loso by the jaws. His eyes raced over to me, and I made sure to smile. I knew Loso wouldn’t move if he sensed I was uncomfortable.
Despite the tension between the Bricks men, Mrs. Terri never parted from her cheerful demeanor. Questions about their history convened on the tip of my tongue, but I wanted to hear the story from Loso’s perspective.
“Don’t worry yourself, Essen. They’ll be all right. Trust me,” Mrs. Terri stated as if reading my mind. “Now, let’s get back to work.”
Cooking wasn’t my forte, but Mrs. Terri was patient with me. She giggled when I struggled with cinnamon measurements and praised my cutting skills. I thought a strawberry and banana buttermilk cheesecake was a mouthful, but as Mrs. Terri progressed around the kitchen, I was sure she knew what she was doing.
Our culinary lesson lasted another forty-five minutes. By the time we were done, Loso and his father were back in the house. They didn’t seem chummy, but the heaviness weighing on Loso’s broad shoulders was gone. He gave his mama a kiss goodbye, and I did the same along with scheduling a time to speak before the party.
When we made it outside, Loso’s quiet spell lasted longer than I liked.
“Are you good? Did things go well with your dad?”
He gave me a one shoulder shrug. “We talked. That’s more than we’ve done in a very long time.” He roped his around my shoulder and pulled my head into his chest. “The three wise men visited Jesus, but a wise woman spoke to me. You said I need to have an open mind. I guess it’s working out for me.” He kissed the top of my head. “You got plans for the night? I have something reserved for us.”
“What about my car?”
“I’ll make sure it makes it home.”
“Ooh. Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere you’ll love,” he said confidently. “Get on the bike. Let’s ride.”
I batted my lashes. “Mm. That’s all I need to hear. I have an extra helmet in my car.” I leaped from his arms. “I’ll be right back.”
At lightning speed, I raced to my trunk. Plans of going home and getting in bed became an afterthought. Time with Loso left a mark on my heart every time we were together. I was excited to see what he came up with, but honestly, it didn’t matter what we did. His effort counted for everything.
Comfortable with my arms wrapped around his body, my head rested on Loso’s back. The big man had gained muscles, yet his frame was soft. Safe. He didn’t speed or do tricks like I was used to seeing. Loso cruised, being gentle with the steel. Surprised at the sense of euphoria that packed my bones, I rolled my eyes at a fleeting thought. I preferred to be on my bike and used to curse my brothers out when they tried to make me ride with them. Yet here I was ready to ride to the North Pole with Loso being my driver.
When the highway view turned into a familiar setting, I bolted upright. Memories of the first time we kissed in the downtown restaurant came to mind when we sped down a nearby block. Loso didn’t give any details about where we were going even once he parked his bike, but after a few steps down the street, I didn’t need him to. A line of horse and carriages tugged my lips back.
