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She shrieked as I picked her up and backed her against one of the big trees shading the road. I wrapped a hand around the front of her throat and tilted her head back.
“Call either one of them niggas and let them find you getting nailed to one of these trees,” I whispered against her lips.
Okay, I guess I wasn’t feeling that no reaction shit with her. I wasn’t perfect.
She sighed. “Real. If I show you something, can we talk?”
I kissed her hard and fast before backing up and nodding.
She surprised me by taking my hand and leading me a little farther until we came to a pathway between two of the trees. I followed her into the woods a little bit, then stopped when we came to a clearing on the left side. My mouth almost fell open.
“Damn, that’s nice,” I mumbled, looking at the space. It was surrounded by trees, but not like the ones along the road. There were trees heavy with summer fruit—I saw some peaches and cherries and plums. In the middle, there was a riot of plants—strawberries on circular supports, sage and blueberry bushes, all kinds of flowers. I could hear insects buzzing, attracted by the sweet scents permeating the air. Someone had placed a bench in the center of it all, making this a small escape from what looked like a busy farm.
“My great grandmother designed two of them on the farm. My granny and her sister call them thinking spots,” Love said softly, pulling me toward the bench.
I could see why someone would love to sit here. Shit, if I had a blunt right now, I’d sit my ass down and maybe think through what the fuck I was doing in North Louisiana. I settled into a spot next to Love and waited.
“My cousins and I are going to have to come pick fruit this week before it goes bad. The other one has apples and pecans and other stuff that won’t be ready til fall,” Love said before her gaze tangled with mine. “Real, what are you doing here?”
Exhaling hard, I dropped my head back as I rubbed my hands above my knees.
“The way you left was suspect, Love. I had to find yo’ ass.”
She turned sideways, her knee pressing into my thigh.
“You did. You talked to Prime, and you saw me. You can’t possibly still believe?—"
“You’on know what I believe, girl,” I murmured.
She sighed. “Okay, fine.”
A small pout played around her lips and I smiled as I lifted my fingers and tugged on that juicy bottom one.
“Stand up,” I ordered.
She rolled her eyes but did as I asked. Her dress stopped right above her knees, so I didn’t have far to push it before I could work my legs between hers, making her widen her stance or fall. She tilted her head to the side, giving me a fake shocked expression.
“All up in my great granny’s strawberries and sage,” she said as I pulled her to straddle my lap.
“Be quiet.”
She laughed softly, her fingers toying with the neckline of my t-shirt.
“Tell me the right answer to your question,” I said.
Frowning, she leaned back enough to look up into my face.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t believe I’m here to investigate your ass for some snake shit, so what will you believe? Because if I say I missed you, you ain’t trying to hear that either.”
“Is that what it is?”
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer to me. For a moment, I just held her. She felt so good that not even the heat made me want space between us.
“Some of both,” I eventually admitted.
I hadn’t been lying when I told Granny Nette how I’d missed her.