Page 6 of Quiet as Kept

Life at Gannon’s house was awkward because he was on the road a lot. I spent a lot of time with Priscilla and my half-siblings. Their children basically ignored me, but to her credit, Priscilla was good to me. She didn’t treat me badly or blame me for being conceived. She was kind and fair. She just wasn’t very maternal. Even her own girls weren’t showered in hugs, kisses, or attention. Priscilla was the type who liked to throw money at problems. And since Gannon had a lot of money, Priscilla didn’t behave like she had too many problems.

What was a problem, though, was the fact that Gannon’s youngest child had been conceived with a groupie. Gannon owed her for that. So, she got her marriage, and she got to wear the last name Boudreaux just like the rest of us. And Gannon got one more shot at adding a son with his now wife to the family. Once they found out that baby Trinity would be a girl, Priscilla decided to let me rock as the only boy.

I was four when Trinity was born, but from the moment they brought her home, she was my baby. Even at the age of thirty, she was still my baby. I hated to let her go. I had been hoping and praying that she would find a job in South Carolina, but I knew the chances were slim. When she was offered the job in Atlanta, I encouraged her to take it. She would have more opportunity for growth in Atlanta, and she could command a higher salary. I was proud of her and happy for her, but I could admit that I was also sad for me and my girls. Dakota and Destin loved their Ti-Ti Trinni.

“Oh my goodness.” Yahirah put her hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles.

Ayden looked around to make sure the girls couldn’t hear. “Ass out? In your bed, dog?”

“Naked as the day she was born,” I confirmed.

“And playing with herself?” Ayden was mystified.

Shit, I was traumatized. I nodded.

“Did your room stink?” Yahirah cracked.

Trinity dissolved into a fit of chortles.

“Shut the hell up, Hi.” I told her.

“What? I’m just asking.”

There had, in fact, been a little stench, but I wasn’t about to tell Yahirah that.

“How’d you get her out of there, brother?” Trinity asked, taking a big sip of the frozen margarita Yahirah blended up for her.

“Right, because your ass don’t really talk,” Ayden agreed.

“Did you motion with your thumb?” Trinity demonstrated giving somebody the thumb gesture for “you gotta go,” then she giggled.

“Aye, not too much on my cousin.” Yahirah defended me in between chuckles.

I looked around to make sure my daughters were otherwise engaged. “Fuck all of y’all.”

“For real though. Did you yell at her?”

I cocked my head to the side and gave Trinity the eye. “My daughters were asleep. You think I wanted to yell, have them come in there to investigate, and see their beloved nanny in the . . . raw?”

“This dude said ‘in the raw.’” Ayden laughed.

“Sorry. I guess I should’ve said that I didn’t want them to see their beloved nanny wrist deep in her own?—”

“They didn’t love her, Kept.” Trinity broke in. “I think Dakota was kind of scared of her.”

“My poor Dakota.” Yahirah made a pouty face. “She’s just as skittish as a puppy in a thunderstorm.”

“She does not take easily to people.” Ayden nodded his head.

“Damn, your nanny situation is falling apart right when I’m relocating.” Trinity acknowledged the unfortunate timing of the situation. “What’re you going to do?”

“Is there a reputable nanny service that you can contact?”

“Paisley was from the most well-known nanny company in the county,” I told Ayden.

“You need a nanny ASAP.” Yahirah tapped her chin with her pointer finger.

“I need a nanny like yesterday.” I concurred.