Page 17 of Beck & Coll

My mother stood in the floor-length mirror, combing her hair. I sat on the bed applying moisturizer to my legs. We were meeting Beckham at the stage on Second Street for the concert in less than an hour. We wanted to get there a little early to explore.

“You seem really happy, toots,” she said, calling me by a familial term of endearment. “Happy and relaxed.”

“I am,” I confessed. “This break has been so good for me—taking time for my mental health, not stressing over my plans for the salon, or if there’s even gonna be a salon, breathing in fresh air, looking up at the stars at night. This vacation has been everything I hoped it would be.”

“And it’s even included the companionship of a man, huh?”

I smiled involuntarily. “Yeah. I think you’re gonna like Beckham. He’s kinda like Bayliss. I mean, he’s not pushy or super flirtatious like Bayliss.”

We both laughed.

“Is he warm and gentle like his brother?” she probed.

I cut my eyes at her. “Lady, please don’t be falling for nobody you just met two seconds ago.” I chastised her. “How do you know that Bayliss is warm and gentle?”

She sighed heavily before patting the neat ponytail she made.

“Listen, when you’ve been around the block as many times as I have, when you’ve dealt with as many men as I have, you’d be a fool not to start picking up on the cues…

good and bad. Now, that youngin’, Bayliss?

That’s a good man. Some woman is gonna get a hold of him and be loved down. And man, is she gonna be spoiled.”

“You don’t want to be the woman he loves down and spoils?” I twisted the top back onto my moisturizer and picked up the jeans I was wearing.

“Yes, I do. But Bayliss is younger than me, Collins. Plus, I’m way out of my baby-making stage.

That man deserves children… a house full of them.

Besides, we just met. He’s taken with my looks.

Having a man flirt based on physical beauty comes a dime a dozen.

He would have to stick around once he found out all the drama I come with—four daughters, a different father for each daughter, needy daughters, grandkids, minimal education.

I mean, all I know how to do is drive a city bus. ”

“Unh uh.” I shook my finger back and forth like I was correcting an unwanted behavior.

“None of that. I’m not about to sit still while you talk down on yourself.

Do you have drama? Yes. Does every human on earth have a measure of drama?

Yes. Do you have four daughters? Yes. Did you raise them mostly by yourself and produce four law-abiding, productive members of society? Yes.

“You did good, Mama. Your girls are raised, and you raised us well. You didn’t have time for college, so what?

You had girls to raise. You went out there and got a good paying job.

You’ve been on it over twenty years, and when you get ready to leave it, you’re gonna have a hellafied pension.

You won’t be a burden to your daughters because you’ve secured your retirement bag.

You’ve done a better job than most of these parents out here. ”

I jumped into my jeans before crossing the room to hug her.

“I love you, Coll, baby.”

“I love you too.”

She positioned the pink cowboy hat on her head. She looked cute in a pink graphic tee, pink shorts, a long denim-colored cardigan, and my denim, peep-toe thigh high boots. The pink cowboy hat set everything off just right.

I wore jeans, a white button-up topped with a caramel-colored leather bustier, and caramel-colored thigh high boots.

“We look cute but do you think we’re overdressed?” she asked as I packed my cross-body bag with everything I would need.

“Nope. There will be a lot of tourists there, and tourists that come to this resort… they have money. And I know they’re gonna dress the part. You ready?”

“Ready.”

Beckham told me to meet him at the food trucks. I figured he knew the chances were that I would be hungry. I was only a little surprised to see him standing there with Bayliss.

Bayliss’ face cracked with a wide grin when he saw us. I could only guess that it was because he was able to see my mama’s thigh meat.

I ignored him and went straight to Beckham, giving him a big hug that I finished with a kiss to his lips. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

I turned to my mother, who wore a smirk.

“Beckham, this is my mother?—”

“The future Mrs. Strong,” Bayliss interrupted. “Your future sister-in-law.”

Beck chuckled as he shook his head. “I apologize for my brother.” He reached out a hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you. Should I call you Ms. Kingsley?”

“I just told you that her name is Mrs. Strong. Stop playing with me.”

My mother gave Bayliss what I considered a “love tap” on the bicep.

“Relax,” she told him before turning to Beckham. “Hi, Beckham. It’s nice to meet you. You can call me Alisha.”

Beckham nodded. “Sounds good.” He turned his attention to me. “You hungry?”

“I could eat,” I said before giving him a grin.

I watched Bayliss thread his fingers through my mother’s. “Let me feed you, Ms. Alisha,” he told her. “Tell me what looks good.”

“And on that note, let’s get tacos,” I told Beckham.

After we’d eaten, the four of us headed to the stage to catch Londynville Steele . They were my mom’s favorite country band, so I knew that we would be at that stage for the duration of their performance.

“Aye, Bay told me that he showed you some of Jackson Falls and the surrounding area today,” Beck told me, while my mother and Bayliss had their own private conversation.

“He did. He showed us the big box stores and an apartment complex and stuff.” I looked up at him. “Thank you for having him do that, Beck.” I pushed some hair behind my ear. “You make me feel heard and seen. You make me feel like you listen to me.”

“I definitely listen to you, Coll. Check it out. I don’t know what you’re used to, but I’m a man who was raised by a man. I don’t know any other way to be other than the way my dad raised me.”

“He did a good job.” I sank into his embrace.

After about thirty minutes of Londynville Steele , I was kind of over it. My mother, on the other hand, was still grooving. She seemed content to enjoy the concert with Bayliss by her side, so Beckham and I blew the spot.

“What do you want to do?” he asked.

“I’ve never been to a ‘fall festival,’” I told him. “I want to do everything.”

He looked up at the sky. “The sun is setting. It’s too late to do the corn maze. You have to do that during the daylight. You wanna get hot cider and go on a hayride?”

My face lit up with a smile. “Yes, I do.”

“Coll.” His tone was serious.

“Yes?” I matched his energy.

“Don’t fall off the damn tractor.”

“How’d you fall off the tractor, Coll?” My mother questioned as the two of us crossed the threshold back into our hotel suite later that night.

“Ma, I didn’t fall off the tractor. When I was getting off after the ride, my boot got stuck in some hay or something, and I stumbled a little bit. I didn’t fall. Besides, Beck was right there to catch me.”

“Beck is handsome,” she commented, taking off her cowboy hat. “Sweet, too. Seems like the type that would make a good son-in-law.”

I eyed her. “Not you trying to give me away to some man you’ve met once.”

Her shoulders bobbed in a quick shrug. “I’m just calling them how I see them.”

“And you see Beck for me?”

“I see my daughter smiling and glowing. I see her relaxing in the arms of a man, looking like she feels safe… comfortable. I like how you are with him, toots. But even more important than that, I like how he is with you.”

“I’m surprised you noticed Beck and me with the way you were all wrapped up in Bay.”

She winked at me. “Don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Ma. You run around wearing so many hats—mom, bus driver, grandmother. When do you get to just be Alisha?”

Tears formed in her eyes.

“Mama.” I rushed over to her and wrapped her in my arms. “Are you okay? What did I say?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” She pulled away from me and wiped furiously at her tears. “I’m sorry. I’m just… tired. And it’s good to get away from home and let my hair down. Thank you for sending for me, Coll. Thank you for thinking of me and giving me this weekend.”

“You’re welcome. Did you enjoy the concert?”

“I did. And I enjoyed it even more since I had some strong arms wrapped around me, making me feel cherished. Bayliss is really good at that. I don’t know this man from a can of paint, but somehow, he made me feel cherished and safe in his arms.”

“I think it’s a family trait.” I giggled. “It’s okay if you want to spend time with Bay while you’re here. Don’t feel like you have to spend all of your time with me. It’s your vacation, too.”

“I might take you up on that because I think I like the way that young man makes me feel.”

On Sunday, my mom, Beckham, Bayliss, and I decided to skip the fall festival.

Instead, the guys took us ATV riding on the back forty acres of their family’s property.

After tearing through the forest that backed up to their property, the four of us had a picnic lunch in an open field on a blanket under the clouds.

That night, my mom and Bayliss went to dinner without us. I went to Beckham’s house.

I scooted over next to him and rested my head on his shoulder as we chilled on his couch.

“I wish I could stay,” I said, meaning it with my whole heart. “But this trip was always meant to be temporary.”

How did one pick up their entire life and move it 2,000 miles away from everything they knew? For a guy they met thirteen days earlier? That was insane. Wasn’t it?

The lovemaking was soft and sweet that night. Beckham was gentle with me as both of us tried to show the other physically what our words weren’t able to express verbally. I cried as our bodies connected, dropping hot tears on his shoulder. I think his eyes might’ve watered a little bit, too.