Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
“Please let me help. I feel bad just sitting here while you get all of this together,” Alami insists.
“You are our guest and this is a barbecue for you. I’m not letting you do anything but sit back and relax,” I reiterate.
Today is the day she’ll finally meet all of her brothers.
She’s been working for Quintus for two weekends now and she already met Shiro but the others have only seen pictures of her.
This barbecue will change that dynamic. To make her more comfortable, I suggested that she arrive an hour before her brothers get here and Quintus agreed. She did too.
She arrived at one and we have been talking casually.
She was clearly nervous at first but now, she’s looking more relaxed, at ease.
Spending time with me and Niya seems to have helped.
While my husband finishes the ribs, chicken, and corn on the grill, I’m handling the sides.
My baked beans with hamburger meat are in the oven, almost done, and I’m chopping onions, celery, and boiled eggs for the large pan of potato salad.
My husband’s brothers can eat. I want to make sure we have enough of everything.
“You can draw with me, Auntie,” Niya suggests and I agree.
Niya is thoroughly intrigued with her new, young auntie. She’s been under Alami since she warmed up to her. Right now, she’s on the stool next to Alami at the island.
“That would be fun. You can show her your room and your drawing wall,” I say with a smile.
“A drawing wall?” Alami asks with curious eyes.
“Yes. I can draw on my whole wall,” Niya gushes. “I’ll show you.” Alami stands when Niya starts to climb out of the stool. When Alami grabs her large tote from the other stool, Niya excitedly says, “I like that.” She touches one of the many charms on the tote then looks back at me. “Can I get one?”
“One of what?” I ask, curious if she means the actual large tote, the patches on it, or one of the charms or pins.
“This,” Niya stresses while holding the fuzzy looking ball hanging on one of the tote’s chains.
Before I can answer, Alami does. “You can have this one. I have another one at home,” she says, then detaches it from her tote. “Do you have a purse? We can put it on that.”
“Yes!” Niya squeals as she excitedly leads Alami out of the kitchen.
I can’t stop my smile from forming because Niya’s vibrant personality is so infectious.
How can I not love her? Her presence alone has been a huge factor in Alami’s comfort level.
God knows I can’t imagine what’s going through her mind.
In a matter of months, Alami’s entire world has been turned upside down.
The father she has known has a whole other family and she has five, grown ass, big ass brothers.
Life is hard enough as a teenager; this has to be a big pill to swallow.
After mixing my potato salad and sprinkling a little sugar over the top, I cover the pan with foil then turn the oven off. The beans will finish in the oven because it’s still hot then I’ll transfer them to the outdoor warmer.
Right out from the grand living room, there’s a poolside kitchen with a state-of-the-art grill, a small fridge, and an oven along with a dining area.
They are sheltered from the sun and weather above by stone walls and beams and a pitched steel and glass skylight.
Two fire pits provide warmth during the cold months.
Since it’s the twentieth of November and winter is quickly approaching, the temperature is cool enough to light both.
Right as I’m about to take the potato salad outside, Quintus walks into the kitchen. He looks so damn sexy in plain black sweats and a black tee. Something about his neck and shoulder tattoos always sends a shiver down my spine when they are on display.
God, my husband is fine.
“I was just about to bring this potato salad out there. You need something, baby?” I ask as he approaches.
“I just needed to be all up on my kyau before these negroes get here.” From behind, he wraps his arms around me and I naturally ease back into his chest. After peppering tender kisses on my shoulder and neck, he says, “Where are they?”
“Drawing,” I answer.
“Niya is letting her draw on her wall?”
“Yep. She likes her little auntie. I think Niya thinks they are the same age,” I say jokingly with a grin. “It’s so cute.”
“Thank you,” he says before rubbing his hand across my neck.
“For what, baby?”
“This. All of this. Suggesting this barbecue here in the first place. Getting Alami here early so she can get comfortable. Everything.”
“Niya made her comfortable. She has a way of welcoming people into the family. As for everything else, don’t thank me.
You never have to thank me, baby,” I tell him.
His hand rubs up my chin then he grips it lightly, angling me perfectly for a slow, deep kiss.
When our lips part, I’m pretty sure I pout from the disconnect because I’m obsessed with the way he captures my lips with the perfect blend of aggression, need, and passion.
“I changed my mind. You can thank me like this every time,” I admit and he smirks arrogantly.
“I’m going to thank your sexy ass better tonight,” he says and I shiver at the thought. The chiming of the doorbell unfortunately breaks our moment. “I’m sure that’s Shiro. He’s always early as fuck.”
As he heads to the front door, I turn and take the beans out. When I place them on the trivet, Niya and Alami enter the kitchen.
“It’s my uncles, Shiro and Ace,” Niya announces enthusiastically before running back out.
“She’s crazy about her uncles and her auntie,” I say with a smile. Alami returns it but hers is wry.
“You’re about to take those outside?” she asks, practically begging for a yes, so I oblige her.
She’s stalling.
“I am. You want to help me before everyone gets here?” I ask
“Yes,” she answers while nodding. “Let me wash my hands.”
“Okay, then after you wash, you can grab this potato salad.”
She steps to the sink and I grab my potholders for the beans. When we walk through the living room, we see Shiro and Ace with Quintus and Niya. All three men hop up and try to take the pans and open the door. When I see Alami’s eyes get as big as golf balls, I intervene.
“No, no. This is hot and we got this. Give us a minute and we’ll be right back so we can properly say hello and introduce her,” I say and I hear Alami release a loud breath of air.
“You need help, Mommie?” Niya asks.
“We got it, sweetheart and we’ll be right back,” I tell her before looking over at Alami. “You go first.”
She hurries out of the door and I’m right behind her. Quintus closes the door once we are out. As soon as we reach the kitchen area, we place our pans on the counter.
“Wow! It’s so pretty out here. I would never be inside,” she gushes as she takes it all in.
She’s absolutely right; it’s beautiful out here.
The sky is just starting to darken and Quintus has the blue pool lights on, making the water more brilliant and vibrant.
That backsplash against the stone structure, beige and brown furniture, and brown cabinetry in the kitchen area make the space warm, inviting, and just gorgeous.
“I love it out here too and I need to enjoy it more,” I say.
As she takes a small walking tour of the space, I place the beans on the smoker rack in the grill.
The ribs and chicken look perfect and it takes my entire ounce of will power not to grab a wing or rib.
After I place the potato salad in the beverage-stocked fridge, I turn and ask, “Are you ready for that in there?”
“I thought I was until I saw the other one,” she admits.
“Ace. He’s the oldest.”
“He looks just like my dad. I mean, they all do, but especially him,” she says.
“And you. You’re just the pretty version of them of course,” I say with a grin to lighten the slightly heavy mood.
“Quintus is so nice. He’s great and Shiro seemed cool, but what if they all aren’t. I mean… I am the outside child,” she says, then shakes her head. “I don’t know; this is weird. I mean, they are all grown with kids older than me. What am I supposed to say to them?”
After stepping closer to her, I place my hands on her arms and look into her eyes.
“They are your brothers. No matter what, you share the same father and you’re blood.
Because they are grown with families of their own, they know things like this happen, and no matter how they feel about what their father did, you don’t shoulder the blame.
You’re innocent and they know that. The mere fact that they are here to meet you says it all. ”
Her shoulders drop and her eyes hood before she mumbles, “Or they’re here for the food.” She laughs and I join in.
“My husband can grill,” I tease and she smiles with her entire face. “But the food is just the added bonus. Meeting their sister has them sitting in that living room. You will be fine. I promise.”
“Okay. I’m ready,” she says with a resolute nod.
We walk back to the door and I stop dead in my tracks and my heart drops to the damn floor after we enter.
Niya is flying across the room, giggling and squealing.
When she lands in Tre’s arms, Ace yells ball, and Tre tosses her to him.
These grown ass men are tossing her through the air in the living room like she’s a damn ball.
Deuce comes from around the corner with Quintus.
After placing his drink on the table, he holds up his hands and yells, “Ball!”
Niya comes flying over to him.
What the fuck!
“Oh my God! Stop before you drop her!” I yell, absolutely mortified.
“Sis, we not gon’ drop her. Ball!” Ace yells and Deuce sends Niya his way.
While she is screaming and giggling, I’m in full blown panic mode. What if they don’t catch her? What if her head hits the ceiling?
“Kyau, it’s fine. She loves this and they’re her uncles. They are not going to miss,” Quintus says, so calmly, like this dangerous game of ball is okay.
It’s not okay. At all.