Logan winked, waiting for her to reveal her little plan. London didn't have one, but she didn't need one either, based on what she'd witnessed earlier between the two of them.
"How about we just let nature take its own course? No matchmaking." London groaned as her brother pulled her toward his chest once more, and he kissed the top of her head.
"I'm tired. Let me call it a night. My husband's pretending to be asleep, but I know him."
What London didn't say was how Cain had requested pictures anytime she was out and about, catching up with her mother and brothers, or picking up items for the funeral. If she didn't respond, she had to be careful who she was around when she opened his messages. The last one was a video of herpleasuring herself to the point where she wondered if Starlah or Swift had heard her.
"Say less, sis, but I did try to warn you that Cain was crazy as hell." She lightly jabbed him in the arm. "Still, I wouldn't trade that nigga for the world when it comes to you though. He's good for you."
"And me, for him. One more thing." She touched Logan's hand. "Creed's baby? That's an entirely different ordeal. The young lady came and introduced herself. Braelyn, I believe. The rabbit hole is getting deeper and deeper. You want me to reach out and see what that's about before I head back home?"
Logan scratched the back of his neck, still uncertain whether this was a ploy to get money or not. Braelyn approached him too, whispering in his ear as she revealed she was pregnant with Creed's child. Before she left, he agreed to call her, but he wasn't sure how to approach it without telling her how he really felt.
"I need to set up a DNA test."
"Logan?" she gasped.
London couldn't imagine if Cain's family had challenged the paternity of their children if something had happened to him before they were born.
"Is that necessary?"
"The farm is at stake, and while it would be great to have an extension of Creed around, I have to protect and do what is in Starlah's best interest."
"Understood." London pushed out a frustrated breath, feeling the weight of what those around her were feeling.
Maybe she needed to pull Swift out, and instead of him staying in Pellum, she'd worked on getting Starlah to Cedar Spike to spend time with her aunt.In her eyes, some family was better than no family, and Chevy, while very close to Starlah, couldn't be her entire support system.
"So you tradedin city life for cow and horseshit, huh?" Money asked Swift.
"Fuck you, Money."
"Naw, fuck you. You took Papa from me. My feelings hurt, nigga."
They both laughed, all the while Swift was kicking himself for bringing Chevy and Papa with him at the same time. He asked the associate at Barks and Meows to put them in the doggie park section out back while he shopped. Still, he could hear Papa barking and whimpering the entire time.
"I couldn't leave him after you guilt-tripped me about not putting in time with him. He's smart, though, catches on fast, and he matches my fly."
"What? Big, dark… scary too?"
"Sounds like your ass is struggling with how handsome I am. Papa will be pulling all the hos out here. You know those country girls are sneaky as fuck, giving it up in the barns and bars," he teased.
"Naw, Papa cries too fucking much, but I won't lie. I did want his ass."
"I knew it, but maybe you can come out here in a few weeks. Moms roped me in for a little longer, but at least I get to see Granny and your dad."
"That nigga already told me I was coming. He said Granny's been asking, and that I chose your damn dad and mama over him. How, when my mama lives in Cedar Spike, too? It's why his ass comes back and forth. My dad claims he ain't pressed but wanted to know if my mama's been posting her new nigga on social media since she'd blocked him. I can't say I feel sorry for his ass since that nigga stayed cheating."
"Uncle Law loves Auntie Octavia," Swift replied. "She loves him, too. She just doesn't like his ass. My mom's been over there, but I've been back and forth between the house and the mechanic shop."
Swift wasn't sure how much to share because he and Starlah had sort of been passing each other by, with no words in between, short of a simple "good morning" or "good night". He couldn't explain it, but at night, it took him hours to fall asleep as he listened out for her. Still, Money talked too much, too, so he decided to keep it to himself.
"Damn, putting in that work."
"I'm just helping out like Unc asked me to but let me hurry and get what I need from this pet store. Shit's been crazy out here with two dogs."
"I heard about Chevy. Cute name but big like that damn Papa, huh?"
"Almost. Dark-gray with gold eyes, though."
