Page 3 of Calculated Kisses with a Scorpio (BLP Signs of Love #10)

“I should sue the pants off her stankin’ ass.”

My mother giggled, and I cut my eyes at her.

There was absolutely nothing funny about almost getting arrested. If Mr. Moore hadn’t shown up when he did, there was no telling what Camille and the cops would have done to me. I was so angry, my head was spinning.

For as long as I could remember, Camille had it out for me, but today, she went too far.

“I’m not laughing at you or the situation, Munchkin. I’m laughing at the phrase you used. You sound just like Nannie.”

I smiled as I thought about the woman who used to be my partner in crime before God called her home.

“I guess that’s okay.” I smiled, slumped down in the seat, and sighed. “I’m sorry you had to leave work to come get me. None of us are in a position to miss work, and I’m sure Jacob is going to fire me after missing my shift. This whole year has just been crap.”

“Just talk to him, Munchkin. That’s all you can do.

If he lets you go, we’ll figure out the rest. You had a crazy day and need to rest your soul.

Maybe spend some time in your garden to recharge.

Since I’ll be home with you, I can make your favorites for dinner, and we can binge one of your favorite documentaries until Daddy gets home. ”

I smiled at my mother because she was my greatest comfort.

She’d been present for all the drama Camille put me through in middle and high school.

I never envisioned she’d be an issue as an adult.

We didn’t even run in the same circles anymore and hadn’t since our friendship ended in seventh grade.

Camille had her eyes on me the moment I crossed the threshold, and instead of listening to my gut and going to another Diamonds & Moore location, I stayed.

I was thoroughly embarrassed, and it would take God himself to get me off her if I caught her in the streets.

“I would love that, Mommy. Maybe you can join me in my garden.”

Before I could finish speaking, she was already shaking her head.

“No, ma’am. You’re not tricking me into being out there with you all afternoon. I have the rest of the day to relax, and you will not be putting me to work.” She cut her eyes at me again, and I put my hands up. “You recharge while I cook, then you come relax with me.”

“Sir, yes, ma’am!” I saluted her.

She rolled her eyes, and I stared out the window, trying not to give Camille any more space in my head.

The ride from Diamonds & Moore should have been a seven-minute drive, but traffic turned it into a twenty-minute one.

Mommy always had to jump on the freeway instead of taking back roads.

Granted, there were more lights the back way, but Lorriane White liked what she liked, and nobody could talk her out of it.

When we pulled into our driveway, I was shocked to see my father was already home.

His days off were Friday and Saturday, so he definitely shouldn’t have been home this early on a workday.

He must have been waiting by the front window because as soon as my mother cut off the car, he opened the front door.

“How’s my little felon doing?” He reached out for a hug.

I gasped and knocked his arms away. “Daddy, that is not funny! I’ll probably be all over the Rushin Springs Chronicle tomorrow.”

He laughed deep from his stomach, and my mama side-eyed him.

“I know it’s not funny, Munchkin, but you know I had to mess with you. We all know once Kemi finds out, he’s going to be ten times worse.”

I groaned, allowed him to pull me into his arms, and buried my face in his chest.

He patted my back then put his arm around my shoulder to walk me in the house. For the last year, I’d been living in my childhood home with my parents. My older brother had offered me his guest bedroom, but he was a newlywed, and I didn’t want to put strain on a marriage that had just begun.

My parents had opened their arms to me, and I was forever grateful.

“Go change and tend to your recharge. I’ll come get you when dinner is ready.”

“Yes, ma’am. And, Daddy, please do not tell your son. I’ll call him and let him know what happened if someone doesn’t get to him first.”

“We might be too late.” He held up his cell phone, and Kemi’s wedding picture and name showed on the screen. “Go get yourself together, and I’ll deal with him.”

I squinted at my father because he and his son played too much.

Instead of grilling him, I went into my bedroom and closed the door. With my back against the door, I slid to the floor. Seconds later, tears rolled down my cheeks, and I buried my face into my hands. Lately, it felt like one thing after the other, and I just wanted some relief.

There were so many things for me to be grateful for, but at the same time, I was drowning.

“This too shall pass.”

I’d taken a shower before leaving for the jewelry store, but I needed a minute to decompress, and as a water sign, the water was the perfect place to do it.

I grabbed my shower caddy and went to the hall bath.

Growing up, I used to hate sharing a bathroom with Kemi, but our parents worked hard for our three-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch style home, so I never complained out loud.

However, I prayed that he was a better bathroom mate to Alana than he was to me.

“Munchkin, I set out some snacks for you. Hurry up because you are not going to trick me into working in your garden!”

I cackled and cut on the shower.

“If you don’t love me, just say that.”

To decompress, I took an everything shower and felt like a new woman when I got out.

By the time I made it out of the bathroom, forty-five minutes had gone by.

Although still irritated, I felt better.

As I went through my skincare routine, thoughts of my day slowly slipped away, and I actually had a smile on my face.

I slipped into my dark green spaghetti strap maxi dress from Nae’s Threads .

It was a cute boutique that got all my money when I could afford to splurge.

I left my bedroom for the kitchen and saw my parents cuddling together at the kitchen table.

“Y’all do know this is where we eat, right? We’ve had that table for years, and it would be a shame to have to burn it. No funny busy, children.”

I giggled and popped a grape into my mouth from the fruit tray Mommy had set out for me.

“I don’t know, Munchkin . . . This is where you were conceived, and we’ve been eating here pretty fine for?—”

My jaw literally hit the floor, and the half-chewed grape tumbled out of my mouth.

“Bo, I swear I will be on the next true crime documentary if you keep lying.” Mommy turned toward me with a flushed face. “Pick up the grape and ignore your father. That table is probably twenty years old. You and Kemi picked it out, remember?”

I did remember . . . now, but she was too flustered and currently over explaining.

That table may not have been where I was conceived, but something definitely happened on it. Frowning, I snatched the grape from the floor, trashed it, and washed my hands. Now I would never be able to eat at that table.

I’d moved out at seventeen for college, and this was the first time I’d been back as a resident, so my parents had plenty of time to use that table for something other than its intended purpose.

“Daddy, you need help. I’m about to call that lady so you can sit on her couch.”

I grabbed my fruit tray and padded out of the kitchen.

“Don’t be a hater, Munchkin!” Daddy called behind me.

“Bo, cut it out. I can’t believe you said that to our daughter.”

I giggled, hearing my mother chastise my father because I knew what would follow: him sweet-talking her until she was smiling and giggling again.

Even after so many years together, my parents were very much still in love.

It was the kind of love that you could feel just being around them.

I thought I had that in my ex-boyfriend, Benny, but it turned out whatever I had been feeling was all in my head.

Just one year ago, if someone had told me that Benny and I would be broken up, I would have laughed in their face.

Now though, the joke was on me.

“Alright, little beauties.” I squatted down to peer into my flower bed. “Let’s see what you have for me.”

My schedule had been so jam-packed that it had been a long minute since they had a good pruning. Every morning, I came out here to have my coffee, but it had been a while since my babies got the care they were used to. I went over to my chest to grab my apron, gloves, and shears.

“How have you guys been this week? Are you enjoying your new shade, because that was a big purchase, so hopefully, it’s doing its job in this Texas sun.”

I started near my hibiscus—they could stand up to eight hours of sun, but the mechanical shade felt like a good purchase on those extra brutal days.

I smiled at their growing beauty.

“Are y’all thirsty?” I picked up the spritz bottle I kept near their planter and sprayed the soil.

I continued to spend time with my babies and talked to them about my crazy day.

There was just something so peaceful about being out here in my garden.

Once everyone got the attention they deserved, I rinsed my hands at the outside sink my daddy built me.

I’d worn my gloves, but they always made my hands sweaty.

I watched as the water ran over my feet and between my toes.

The visual gave me a thought, so I patted my hands dry, grabbed my fruit tray, and walked over to my small fountain.

I sat on the edge and placed my feet inside of the water.

Every Saturday, Daddy changed out the water, and I appreciated him so much for it.

“Knock, knock.” Mommy stuck her head outside and said, “Munchkin, you have a guest.”

Frowning, I turned to face her and was confused by the googly eyes that stared back at me.

“Oh, God. It’s not Benny, is it?” I could feel my anger bubbling because I just got to a calm place and would probably murder him if he showed up to my parents’ house unannounced.