Page 50 of Gator
We spent the next half hour or so eating and talking with the people around us. Julius and I had just finished our food when Miranda plopped herself down in the empty chair beside me with a plate of her own.
“So, Harlan,” she said, dragging out my name with a grin. “Or do you prefer Gator?”
“Either one’s fine,” I said, sipping my sweet tea. “Gator’s what most folks call me.”
“Alright then, Gator.” She leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand like she was getting cozy. She didn’t look like she had any intentions of eating the food on her plate. Like maybe she’d come over here just to interrogate me, something I found insanely endearing. “How long have you been seeing my baby brother?”
Julius, who was sitting on my other side, groaned. “Miranda, please don’t start.”
“I’m just being friendly!” she said innocently, then turned back to me. “You don’t mind, right?”
I shrugged. “I have a sister. You’re gonna have to try harder than that to rattle me.”
“Oh, I like him.” Miranda pointed at me like she was awarding me a medal. “So, how’d you meet? Let me guess, it was at one of those Daddy/boy things.”
I choked on my tea, and Julius turned roughly the color of a ripe tomato. “Miranda!”
She waved him off. “What?”
“I told you he was the one who’d been protecting me since I saw that guy get grabbed at the club.”
I didn’t mention that ithadbeen at one of thoseDaddy/boythings she’d asked about, but I had to fight hard to keep from laughing.
“That’s kind of romantic. Big strong bodyguard falls for the pretty boy he’s supposed to be protecting.”
“Well, Iampretty.” Julius grinned.
I leaned over and kissed him on the temple. “Yes, you are,mon petit.”
“Aww, that’s sweet.” She locked gazes with me. “But you should know that if you hurt him, I will one-hundred percent slash your tires. And not even feel bad about it.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I said sincerely. “But you don’t have to worry about that. He’s safe with me.”
Julius reached over and laced his fingers with mine under the table. Miranda clocked it and gave me a softer smile than before.
“Good,” she said. “Because he deserves someone who’ll treat him right.”
“I’ll do my best.”
I stood and picked up mine and Julius’s empty plates and carried them to the trash where Yaya found me. Her smile was as warm as the summer sun, but her eyes were sharp, and I could tell she had something to say. First his sister, now his yaya. Julius’s mother might not have been what he deserved, but he had some seriously strong women in his corner, and I loved that for him.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said, reaching for the stack in my hands. “You’re a guest.”
I shook my head. “It’s your birthday party, so you’re the guest of honor. Besides, I don’t mind. I like keepin’ my hands busy.”
She gave me a knowing look. “You’re the kind that needs to keep movin’ when your mind’s churnin’, aren’t you?”
I chuckled softly. “Maybe a little.”
“He told me about you, you know. My Julius. He said you made him feel safe. Said you saw him. Not just the glitter and sass, though I quite like that part, too, but the boy under all that sparkle.”
My throat tightened a little at that. He was right, but it was nice to hear that he knew it. “He’s special,” I said simply.
“He is,” she agreed. “Always been. Sensitive, too. He felt everything more deeply than the others. His mama never knew what to do with that. Still don’t, far as I can tell.”
I glanced toward the table where Julius was sitting with his sister and his niece. “I don’t mean to speak ill of her, but I don’t get it. He’s…” I stopped, not quite sure how to put it into words.
“A joy?” Yaya supplied. “A firework? A damn treasure?”