“Girl, I’ve been slaving in the kitchen. Your mother and grandmother came here to literally just be guests.” She cut her eyes in my mama’s direction.
“You damn right. When you come to my house, you’re just a guest. So as uninvited as I am, I’ll settle for the guest role.” She sipped from her drink.
My sister shook her head.
“Wait, since those people know where you’re staying, I don’t want you going back home. Stay with me and your grandmother for a while,” my mother said, making me think back to what Indiri said in the car.
“I didn’t think about it like that. If it doesn’t die down by the time we come back from vacation, I may take you up on that offer.”
“Vacation. Where are you going? And why am I just now finding out about it?”
I laughed. “Belize with Indiri and his family.”
Both my sister’s and my mother’s faces contorted into wide grins.
“Stop looking at me like that. Both of you.”
My mother shrugged. “I like him already.”
I tilted my head to the side, looking at her. “You haven’t even had a real conversation with him. How do you know you like him?”
“Because he likes you. And before you ask how I know, just know I know. When a man looks at you like he worships the ground you stand on, that says something. I also like him because he is not that big headed boy.”
Chapter
Twelve
Indiri
Dinner with Selah’s family was straight and her grandmother was funny as hell. She reminded me of my own big mama. They loved her deep as fuck and hated ol’ boy’s ass. They’d tolerated him for her because they saw what she hadn’t. I learned that much from Owen when we were in his office. He didn’t come out and say it, but he talked around it, asking about my intentions with her and where I saw us going. I kept it a buck with him, sure enough to tell him how we’d met and what I saw in her. I didn’t bullshit anything, especially because this was new for me, but I knew for a fact nothing in me could hurt this woman. I felt a way for her that would have my brothers clowning me this weekend.
When we left her peoples’ house, she had us get ice cream, then we went back to the house. While she retired to the bed, I found my way to the built-in theater in the basement. I needed a moment to hear myself think, or so I thought until Jordyn’s name was across the Caller ID.
“Are you sure she didn’t know?” Jordyn asked, bringing my mind back to the moment we were in.
“Yeah, I am. She didn’t. Selah doesn't pay any of this attention and she hates attention being on her.”
“Yeah, about that. Those people are online dragging her for filth, even though there is no proof of her and ol’ boy being together besides a now deleted post of him congratulating her for opening her second bakery. I hate that for her, especially because he sent them her way.”
I shook my head at the thought. “She’ll be good.”
“Maybe, but this is not the moment to be silent. Her story needs to be heard, especially since this fool is bad mouthing her to keep his own drama from finding its way back to the front page.”
“Selah ain’t like that. She doesn’t do social media.”
“Well she needs to before this gets out of hand and starts affecting her businesses. I’m not saying bare her soul, but figh—You know what? Let me talk to her. I’ll tell her.”
“She’s slee?—”
“Whose sleep? Why are you down here?” Selah’s voice made me look up from my phone. She was standing in the doorway in my T-shirt, which swallowed her frame, and a pair of pajama pants that damn sure weren’t hers. She liked my shit. Then wrapped around her shoulder was a baby blue microfiber blanket.
“You’re asleep,” I repeated.
“No, I’m not. I’m standing right here.” She moved toward me and climbed into my lap, laying her head against my chest.
“Exactly. She isn’t sleeping. Can she hear me?”
“She hears you, but I’m telling you, she isn’t interested in any of that shit.”
