Nathaniel #3
I should’ve assumed she was in there based on the time of day.
Despite having people who cooked for the men who helped work the land, my mother still wanted to provide something to them at each meal.
Whether it was cookies in the middle of the day or the biscuits to go along with whatever was being served in the bunk cafe, she added something to it and had for as long as I’d been alive.
She knew she didn’t have to, but it made her happy.
Especially when her husband or her sons were going to be out there working hard.
When I rounded the corner into the kitchen, she was rolling out dough for what I knew were cinnamon rolls. We had about twenty men that lived and worked in the multiple components of our family ranch so I knew she was making at least three dozen.
My mama looked up and the smile she gave me was on her face.
“How’s my favorite son?”
She would always ask me that and tease Sampson that I was her favorite.
But I knew it wasn’t true. If my parents had a favorite kid it was probably Reecie and then Sampson with me bringing up the rear.
I always felt like they would say I was the favorite because I was the middle kid and they didn’t want me to feel left out.
I appreciated the extra love and the fact that they didn’t want me to get lost in the shuffle.
“I’ll have to ask Samp when I head out there and check fences with him.”
I leaned over to give her a side hug and she slapped me in the side with her dish towel.
“Ha ha. What brings you by? I thought for sure that lovely Charisma was going to have you forgetting your rotations over here.” Her eyes were sparkling and I wondered if she’d been by to visit Charmy without me knowing.
“Never that. I know stuff is picking up but I never shirk my responsibilities.”
“You don’t, baby, I’m teasing.” She kissed the side of my face before she went back to rolling out her dough. “You still haven’t told me why you came by to see me.”
One thing about my mama was that she knew her kids. Even the slightest change in how we walked or a shift in our tone and she’d be reading us like an open book.
“I want to buy something for Charisma.”
I knew that would get her to stop moving and I was right. Her rolling pin stopped and she forgot all about that dough. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I want to get her something nice. I pay her well but that’s not a gift because she works for that.”
The twitching of her lips meant she was trying not to get too excited.
My coming to her like this was monumental.
I never purchased things like that for women.
Especially not lately. If I give them anything it would be money but I never wanted to be thoughtful the way I wanted to now.
She knew what it meant and didn’t have to put words to that knowledge. “What does she like?”
“Art. Always art. Painting. She reads a lot, too. That dress she wore to dinner the other night I’m almost a hundred percent positive she painted it.”
“Oh, then she’s incredibly talented. I’ll have to get her to do something for me if she has the time.”
“I’ll make sure she has it whenever you want her to create something. But I want to give her something that’s…special.”
That word made my mama’s face light up with the pride you waited your whole life to see as a man. “I’m glad you’re wanting to look out for her like that, but that still doesn’t give me much to go on, baby.”
I ignored the roundabout way she called my ass a dumb muthafucka and sat down at the bar stool in front of the working island. It had been installed years ago for the specific purpose of giving my mama more room to work when she cooked in large batches.
“But that’s what I have to go on. I can’t buy her a piece of art because what if she hates it? I’m happy to take her to an auction and see what she likes but I’m almost positive she’d do something ridiculous like refuse whatever I bought her and make me hang it up at BCL.”
“I’m glad you finally got a name for that place.
I was tired of thinking of it as the previous owner’s place.
” Her nose wrinkled like she smelled something stank and I knew she couldn’t help it.
That family had done a number on ours including stealing from us and trying to smear our reputation.
My buying their land was a giant fuck you to them and I was happy that I benefitted from it the way I did.
“Thank her for that. She absolutely came in whippin’ tail and putting me in my place.”
That megawatt grin was back on her face as she pointed her rolling pin at me. “I knew I liked her. She puts your ass right where you belong.”
“Why does everyone think I needed to be humbled?”
She gave me that boy have you met yourself look that mama’s perfected. “Because you did. When your brother asked you questions about the business what did you tell him?”
“That I had it together.”
“And did you?”
“Not really. But Sampson is so busy with stuff here and he just got married the last thing I wanted was to have him worrying about me when he could’ve been focusing on what really matters and that’s the bunch of businesses he’s already got on his plate.”
“Have you ever thought that helping you is part of your brother’s love language? That he wanted to feel included and also supporting you at the same time?” Her face had softened like she was trying to be gentle with my feelings while telling me I’d fucked up.
Her words didn’t fuck with me as much as they would have because I knew my brother almost as well as she did.
“Yeah, I did. I know Sampson and I know his heart. But I also know he would’ve devoted time he didn’t have to this instead of letting me handle it. I love him enough to make him leave me to it. I come to him when I have questions now so give me at least some credit.”
“I’ll give you some. But with your lady friend—”
“Your mouth to the ancestors’ ears so they can grant me the desires of my heart—”
“Charisma is a unique girl. She won’t want you to go to the store and buy her a bag the way some women you’ve…seen previously would. She’d be happier with something personalized than with something that a few thousand other women couldn’t say they have.”
“Ma, my body count ain’t that high, gotdamn!”
She snatched her dish towel off her shoulder before smacking me in the arm with it. “I’m talking about a gift you could get at the mall, boy, watch your mouth.”
“Sorry, ma. You seemed to be referencing something else. And just so you know I haven’t been doing any of that either.
” I grinned proudly, omitting the fact that I had cleaned Charisma’s pussy like it was a plate of neck bones.
My mama wasn’t a prude but I didn’t want her thinking anything weird about Charmy.
Especially since that nigga Trent was in the picture. Kind of.
“Good. I know that girl has a boyfriend so you can woo her but at least you know your limits.”
I knew my limits and taken women had always been a hard one. But right now I was looking at my morals and was ready to light them on fire for Charisma.
“Are you trying to warn me away?”
That look of disappointment was on her face and I swore I needed Maureen to pick a lane. One second she was beaming at me like I was her son shine the next she was wondering if the stork dropped off the wrong kid.
“No, boy, I’m telling you to try harder.
You got some man out here claiming the girl you say is yours?
You need to do something more to win her over.
Where the hell is Noah? I don’t have time to deal with his damn son.
This boy has been slinging his lil’ dick all over eleven counties for longer than I care to know and now he’s failing at getting the girl of his dreams. Just wasted all that charm on some whores and now look atcha!
Failing when the game is on the line. We need Jordan in the fourth quarter effort and you’re over here chokin’, Bucky!
” My mama was shaking her head and talking cash shit as she spread the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the dough she’d rolled out.
“I hear you, Mama. Imma get it together.” I put my hand over my heart so she knew I wasn’t joking but she was still shaking her head about something.
“I have to say this girl is a miracle worker. I truly never thought I would see the day that you were so eager to think of someone outside of yourself.”
“What do you mean? I’m not that selfish, ma.”
“Not selfish but slightly self-centered. And as a man who’s single there’s nothing that’s wrong with that.”
“You definitely make it sound like it’s bad.”
She contemplated my words before shaking her head.
“No, it’s bad if you’re in a partnership and aren’t thinking of their needs.
But that’s how I know Charisma is someone special.
You’re still the same Nate, but you’re thinking differently.
You’re thinking of her and what she would want and how she would feel.
That hasn’t ever crossed your mind before so I can be proud to see you change. ”
“I have feelings for her.”