“Come to think of it, I was supposed to propose there.”
She offered a teasing smirk while climbing into bed. “So, you did that second-rate proposal?”
“Please. That was Big Country first-class service. You’d say yes again.”
“A million times,” she murmured against my mouth.
“Let’s get to it.”
“Ugh. I’m talking about saying yes. You’re talking about sex, Montana.” She cupped my beard with her hands and kissed me like I was trouble, then pulled away. “My dress is torn. What story will we tell everyone?”
“I got you another dress … but I had expected when we said we were leaving to put Darius to bed, people might get the hint. Damn food and dinner got them thinking they can stay the night or something.”
“Yep.” She chuckled. “Too much food and drink. So do we sneak back or tell everyone it took Darius and them too long to fall asleep?”
“Bébé,”—I blinked at her—“Genèse’s boys and even Shanice’s little girl know not to fall asleep at a Mardi Gras party. They’re waiting on that king cake.”
She swatted my chest. “They saw through us?”
“Too the seams,bébé.” I leaned up, tasting her lips.
She jumped out of bed. “We gotta return to the party.” She picked up scraps of the purple dress and tossed them. “Useless! Montana, where’s the other dr?—”
Knock.
I put my finger to my lips. “Shhh … get back in bed. I’ll tell you later.”
“Miss Zuri?” A little voice called out.
She wrapped herself in a throw blanket and went to open the door. “Yes, honey?”
I stared at one of Genèse’s sons.Always messing up a good thing. “Da man took Darius and told us to be quiet for king cake. I ain’t want nothing from him cause he was scary.”
I jumped from the bed, the linen around my lower half. “What you talking about?”
Zuri’s trembling hand dropped to her chest. “You’re-you’re kidding, right?”
The kid shook his head. He held up a piece of paper. “Da man gave me this.”
zuri
. . .
Strength evaporated, and dizziness overtook me. Edwin’s letter ordered me to meet him. Alone.
“Where is St. Tammany Regional Airport?” I asked, jamming one foot into the other dress Montana had purchased. I couldn’t see straight. Just a blur of bright colors and itchy-ass material.
“Close,bébé.” He winced.
“You said close?—”
“Iknowthat, Zuri.”His Southern accent came out rough, soothing as he pulled his long-sleeved black Henley down. It dropped just over his sweats. “Remember when I told you Darius would be close by when asking to take him to the community center?”
“You-you came into my life.” At this point, I was turning around so he could zip up the tube dress while bad mouthing him. I couldn’t stop. “You should’ve just left me alone!”
The zip snapped upward, then Montana turned me around. “Listen, you gotta get out your feelings, Zuri. Like I told everyone, they weren’t eating my food for no reason. That was me telling my closest fam you’re mine. Darius’s mine, too.”
“I know!” I yelled. Instantly, the anger disappeared, and I wipedhot tears from my cheeks with palms that moved like a broke-down windshield wiper. “I love you, Montana. But you can’t come …” I shook my head, slipping back into my heels. “I mean … it can’t look like you’re with me, okay?”
