Page 31 of Quiet as Kept
I left my father out on the deck during Xarielle’s lesson. Something about watching dude touch her body and talk all sweet and soft to her made me want to beat his ass. Gannon was right. I needed to fire old boy and hire a white boy, but I really hated spending my money outside of the black community. Maybe I could hire a grandmotherly type black woman.
A chime came through on my phone, alerting me to the fact that somebody came on the property. When I checked the screen, I saw a truck that I didn’t recognize. I checked the time and figured it was probably Trinity, Yahirah, and Ayden. They flew in from Atlanta together, and their plane had landed about an hour ago.
I walked out to the driveway as the truck pulled to a stop. Yahirah and Trinity jumped out almost immediately.
“Your mother is in there?” I could read the shock on Yahirah’s face.
I nodded. I’d sent them a text message the second we made it to my house.
“Wearing Gannon’s what?” Trinity questioned with her hands on her hips like she was about to kick my ass. “Engagement ring? Wedding band? What?”
“Engagement ring. According to Vivienne, they’regettingmarried. They haven’t gotten married yet.”
“Oh, you’re about to be a flower girl,” Yahirah teased Trinity, giving her a small push on the shoulder. “And Kept’s about to be a ring bearer.”
“I’m the best man.”
Yahirah seemed to think about it. “Yeah, you are his only friend.”
She and Trinity cracked up.
“They’re each other’s only friend,” Trinity said through her laughter.
I shot both of them the bird. “Shut up.”
Ayden came around the truck and gave me dap. “You okay? Ma Dukes and Pops back together again?”
“Lawd, if my mama finds out, she’s going to kill both of them,” Trinity said.
“Speaking of mamas, did anybody tell my mama? She’s going to show up here and have the shock of a lifetime. You know how she feels about Vivienne.”
While we were talking, another vehicle entered the property. I checked my phone. “That must be Nee.”
We referred to Yahirah’s brother, Nehemiah, as Nee.
He climbed out of the truck with a smirk already on his lips. “So, I hear that the shit is about to hit the proverbial fan.”
I walked over and gave him a one-armed hug followed by dap. “Let’s get out of this hot sun,” I suggested. “And let me show you where you’re staying.”
My house had a total of six bedrooms. There were five on the upper level—the primary bedroom, the room my girls shared, and three additional bedrooms. I walked my guests upstairs.
“I hope you’re cool bunking with your nieces,” I told Trinity. “I’ll put them both in Destin’s bed, and you can sleep in Dakota’s bed.”
“Fifth-wheel life,” she grumbled. “I can’t wait until I get a man.”
“Well, there’s always an air-mattress in the family room. I was gonna take it since I gave Gannon and Vivienne my room. But you’re welcome to it.”
“I’ll sleep with my babies,” she said.
Nehemiah’s eyes widened as he wrapped his arm around his wife, Cecily’s, waist. “That’s crazy work, cuzzo. Your mother and father fucking in your bed? You’re gonna have to burn the sheets.”
I didn’t comment, because I pushed that thought as far out of my head as was possible. The list of things I couldn’t deal with was growing by the minute.
“Anyway, I’m giving Aunt Reese the small bedroom off the loft. Nee and Hi, you want to rock, paper, scissors to see who gets which room or what?”
They laughed.
“We’ll take whichever,” Ayden said with a shrug.