Page 5 of Gaining the Heart of a Gemini (BLP Signs of Love #15)

“There goes my baby. Hey, Son.” My mother, Pamela, greeted me as I walked into her office. She got up from her desk with her arms outstretched. I embraced her five-foot-five frame, kissing her temple.

“Hey, Mama. What you in here doing?”

“Oh, just being your accountant. Numbers are steadily rising, which is a great thing. This is the highest grossing month for this year, and we’re still early in the year. I can only imagine how things are going to go for the remainder.”

Mama sat back down at her desk with her glasses resting on the tip of her nose. Her almond-shaped, brown eyes scanned the screen before she started typing again. I sat in the chair across from her, picking up the family portrait of us we’d taken last year.

“That’s a great thing. I’ve been thinking about giving everyone a pay raise for their hard work, and that just solidified my answer,” I responded.

“I think that’s a great idea. Your grandfather would be so proud to see how well you’ve been running the company.”

“It wasn’t like I had a choice. How much of the money is clean?”

Mama held her finger up as she moved her mouse around. “Over thirty million is now clean. We still have about sixty million to clean up, but with the way things are progressing, it won’t take any time.”

“Good to hear.”

Grove Shadows had some illegal dealings I wasn’t too proud of, but it was what came with it.

We took percentages of overall winnings, collected fees on certain bets, and had some designated “house” members.

All the money was considered dirty money, and we cleaned it up through the hotel and restaurant.

It was a secret my father kept from me for years.

When I figured out what was happening, I was livid.

He assured me we would put an end to it when the time was right, but according to him, it never had been.

I may have been the CEO, but Javier Ramirez made sure to let me know he was the owner and had the last say in everything.

That was another reason I didn’t want my hand in anything.

All the money I’d earned from the business had been cleaned through my transporting business.

Only my mother knew about it, and I planned to keep it that way until I stepped down.

Regardless, I was set for life, but the type of man that I was, I’d never stop growing.

I rose to my feet and stretched. “Is Papi up?”

“He is. He’s been waiting for you to get here.”

“How’s he feeling today?”

Mama removed her glasses, sat back in her chair, and rubbed her eyes.

She pushed her shoulder-length knotless braids out her face, exhaling.

“He’s so-so. Up and down, but not as bad as usual.

He’s been up for most of the day, which is a good thing, but it’s almost time for him to take his medicine. He’ll be asleep after that.”

I walked around my mother’s desk and squatted in front of her. Her umber skin held a tint of red as she took slow, deep breaths. My hands covered her trembling ones. I ran the pad of my thumb over the back of them.

Gently, I told her, “Stop being stubborn. Let your emotions out, Mama. I know this shit isn’t easy on you.”

“It’s so damn hard, Son. I try to busy myself with other things in life, but you know your father is my whole world. Watching him go through this is taking an extreme mental and emotional toll on me. I’m trying to stay strong.”

“You can only be as strong as you can. It’s okay to be weak when you need to. That’s what Karmen and I are here for. You know we got you. You’re not dealing with this alone, so stop acting like it.”

“And who are you supposed to be?” Mama giggled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Your protector. Your firstborn. Your favorite child. Want me to keep going?”

To bring a smile to my mother’s face was all that mattered. She leaned over and pecked my forehead. “Thank you, Klay. I love you.”

“I love you more. I’m about to go talk to Papi, then I’ll come find you.”

“Sounds good to me.”

I strolled down to their bedroom, which was two rooms down from my mother’s office.

The sound of the TV playing one of my father’s shows gave me a nostalgic feel.

Since I was a kid, my father loved watching the same shows over and over.

He never got tired of them, saying he got it from his abuela when he was a kid.

Javier was sitting in his recliner, directly in front of the eighty-inch television he’d gotten for his birthday a few years ago. He was watching a telenovela, one I could recite by heart as many times as I’d watched it with him. I kissed the top of his baldhead and took a seat next to him.

“Hola, Hijo.”

“Hola, Papi. Cómo te sientes (How are you feeling)?”

“Eh.” He moved his hand from side to side. “Better than yesterday.”

“Está bien (That’s good).”

When Karmen and I were kids, our parents made sure we were fluent in their native tongue. I loved how they ensured we were in touch with both sides of us. We embraced both cultures, making sure everyone knew who we came from.

Papi adjusted his posture to turn and look at me. He strolled his tongue over his thin lips. “It is done.”

“What’s done?”

“You’re going to get your wish. You’re going to be able to step down as CEO.”

I heard what he’d said, but I wasn’t fully processing it. “We both know what that entails, so what are you trying to say?”

“I found you a wife.”

“Found? You found me a wife?”

“Isn’t that what I just said, Hijo? You are set to marry so Patrick can take over. How much time do you need to get everything in order and prepared for Patrick? We were thinking between three to six months, if that suffices.”

What the fuck was happening?

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. My father was throwing too much at me at once. The fact he’d found me someone without consulting me pissed me off.

A low chortle escaped my lips. “You truly thought I was going to be okay with this shit?”

“Cuida tu boca (Watch your mouth).”

“Fuck out of here with that, Papi. I’m not marrying anyone I don’t know. I’m not marrying anyone I don’t have a connection with, so you can let Patrick know ain’t shit moving without me.”

“That’s the thing, you do know her. And unfortunately, things are moving without you, because Patrick and I have already signed the contract. You of all people know once a contract is signed, that’s the end of it. The deal is sealed.”

“And I also know there are clauses in a contract as well. There are ways out. Please, Papi. Stop playing in my face with all this legal bullshit. Send me the contract so I can look over it.”

Papi ran his hand over his baldhead and released a raspy but hearty laugh. “I’m guessing you’ve had a change of heart, eh?”

“What do you mean?”

“When it comes to running Grove Shadows. You seem very adamant about not letting it go.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” He leaned over with his lips drawing up into a smirk. “You’re scared of the commitment marriage brings, aren’t you?”

“How the fuck am I supposed to commit to someone I don’t know? Make that make sense for me.”

“You don’t listen, Hijo. I said you do know her.”

“Who is she?”

“Parrish. Patrick’s daughter.”

That piqued my interest.

Parrish was a fucking beauty. When we were younger, I would admire her from afar.

There was something about her rich, ebony skin and full figure that always drew me to her.

I’d kept it platonic for the fact she was Patrick’s daughter, but to know she was my bride-to-be made my heart change slightly.

“Ah. No rebuttal?” Papi teased, chuckling. “Parrish has grown to be an extremely beautiful woman. Quite frankly, I believe the two of you will make a stunning couple.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything, Papi. I don’t give a fuck about any contract.”

“So, you’re going to continue being CEO of Grove Shadows forever?”

“No.”

“Well, you’re going to marry Parrish. You should be grateful I’m giving you such an easy out, Hijo. I could make your ass wait until you find real, genuine love, but we both know that would take years. If you truly want to step down, you’ll do this.”

Papi leaned back in his seat and turned the TV up. It was a clear indication he was done with the conversation, and so was I. He’d given me a lot to think about.

An arranged marriage with Parrish was the last thing I ever expected.

I headed back to my mother’s office to see she wasn’t there. As I neared the stairs, I heard laughter coming from the kitchen. She and Karmen were sitting at the island, sipping margaritas, while the chef prepared dinner.

When they noticed me, Mama glanced at Karmen then back at me. With the glass at her lips, she questioned, “How did the conversation go?”

“Oh, so you knew?” I asked for clarification.

“Yes, I did.”

“So why didn’t I get a fuckin’ warning?”

“Klayton Javier Ramirez! You better watch your mouth when speaking to me.”

The mug my mother gave me brought back childhood memories.

There was something about the glare of a black woman that would put anyone in line.

I’d witnessed it too many times. I might have been grown, but I knew better than to try her.

She would pop me in my mouth without a second thought, so I bit my tongue.

Karmen’s narrow nose was scrunched as her eyes tried reading us. “What’s going on? What am I missing?”

“Go ask your father. He just sprung the shit on me.”

Mama exclaimed, “Language, Klayton!”

“Fuck this shit.” I turned around to leave before I said something I’d regret. I loved my mother, but I wasn’t in the right headspace for her to be checking me. I could only bite my tongue until it bled, then I’d say something.

“Mama, . . . don’t go after him. Leave him be,” I heard Karmen express.

I was grateful my mother listened to her. For now, I needed to be alone. There was a possibility my life was about to completely change, and while I wasn’t too fond of the idea of being forced to marry, I was intrigued by the person of choice.