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“Good afternoon, and how you doing, Mr. Boss Man? Yo’ manners are impeccable—" he started.
“Julien.”
“I ate all that good ass food this afternoon—swear we gotta get these people together with Mama Rachel. My ass gon’ have a recurring role on ‘My 600-Pound Life’ fucking with y’all.”
“Julien!”
“Okay! I got ready to wash it all down and Granny and PawPaw ain’t even have no Sunny D. How am I supposed to have brunch with no Sunny D? How can I make a decent mimosa? The agony!” he whined dramatically.
“You gotta grab yo’ chest,” I heard Markel direct his silly ass. “Maybe let one tear drop.”
“From the corner of my eye or let it roll down my cheek slowly?”
I rubbed my temple and sighed.
“Juvie, for one, you ain’t old enough for no mimosa?—"
“Shiii. I ain’t old enough for these trees Markel be providing either, but I done smoked a forest of that good today! I’m feeling higher than a?—"
“For two, they had orange juice.”
“Sunny D just gives that little something extra, OG,” he insisted.
“What? Extra sugar and extra food coloring?” I asked wryly.
“And it be bussin’!”
This was why this little nigga made me want to rock his shit. I was all off-topic.
“I need y’all to make a detour. I got an address.”
And just like that he was serious. I relayed my instructions carefully, glad to hear they were only two minutes away from their new destination. Targen walked up as I was talking. He didn’t say anything, just started texting.
“One thing shorty gon’ do is try you,” he said as I hung up.
“One thing shorty gon’ do is try to get somebody fucked up,” I corrected, moving toward the front yard.
I waited the few minutes it must’ve taken McKinley to drive down the farm road to the main house, giving Love her space, lulling her into thinking this shit was okay. Finally, he parked across the roadway and climbed out and Targen and I rounded the house. Theory was there a second later, and I paid them minor attention as he let his shorty know everything was good. Love was sitting on an Adirondack chair on the front porch, near her grandparents who slowly swished back in forth in rocking chairs. She stood when she saw me, her eyes flickering from me to the man striding across the yard like he was on a mission, still in his good church clothes. She stepped forward like she was going to go meet him, and I shook my head.
“Sit back down, Everly,” I said calmly, jogging up the steps to take the seat next to hers.
Her eyes narrowed as she shook her head. “No. Real?—"
She froze as I gave her a look. Shorty was stuck. She didn’t want to give in to me, but she didn’t want the possible consequences if she didn’t.
“He right. Let that man come to you. If he too scared, you ain’t got no business wit’ him,” her PawPaw said before turning his gaze on me. “Thought you was gon’ shoot his weak ass?”
“PawPaw!” Love gasped as Theory laughed softly.
I shrugged at him. “See? She be trippin’ just ‘cause I had to rumble with a few people. Don’t worry. You gon’ like my second chance at a first impression.”
My eyes went back to the yard. McKinley marched forward but did a double take when he saw me. He swallowed and then kept coming. I felt a smile split my face.
“You not winning no points with me, Hamilton. This man still walking while my grandson still limping,” Lee Earnest fussed.
“Targen threatened to shoot one of your grandsons, and you gave him a pat on the back,” I reminded him.
“Damn, you really just pushed me off the curb and right under that bus,” Targen muttered.