Nathaniel #2
“You know better than to think like that. You’re good people and good people sometimes go through bad shit.
Y’all battled your feelings for years and now here we are.
But one thing we won’t do is borrow trouble.
We’re not going to speak any negativity over her.
She’s young, healthy and we’re blessed. Stop stressing that damn girl out and let her breathe.
You want her to enjoy having your kids, right? ”
“Yeah.” He looked almost hurt that he was potentially stressing his wife out and it once again made me proud to be his brother.
“You want some more of them after this one, right?”
My brother’s face got this grin on it that was dreamy and I could see the love he felt for the parasite growing in Yzzy’s stomach right now. Wild how you can love someone you ain’t never even met before so much.
“Yeah.”
“Then stop holding on too tight, Samp. You squeezing the fuck out of her. Yzzy is a whole vet. She knows how to handle what she needs and how to balance everything. Her sister has four kids, her mama had two our mama had three. She will absolutely be able to handle this.”
Their two dogs stirred from where they were laying at our conversation but they settled back down.
“When you start being so damn insightful?” He looked more relaxed now and I could hear the pride in his words. I knew he was already attributing it to Charisma but that wasn’t the whole story.
“I like new Sampson. The way that you’ve been able to let your hair down—well the hair you got left, is refreshing. You not solely focused on achieving and I know Yzzy is the reason for that. So don’t fuck that up because you wanna be overly Type A and shit.”
“I had fun.”
My face was blank because he was only able to fool himself with that lie. “You had limited fun and even then you were probably secretly yelling at yourself that something business related needed your attention. She’s made your life better and there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that.”
“And is that what Charmy does for you?”
I almost launched my whole body at his ass because now he was playing too much. “Her name is Charisma.”
“I can remember a time or two where you had the gall to call my wife Black.”
“Yeah well I ain’t as balanced as you are. I’ll be around here using my pistol to make a nigga dance if they smile too hard at her.”
“You’ve got it bad.”
“Hell yeah. I love that girl. And my ass ain’t gone wait years to get what’s mine.”
He rolled his eyes but I hoped he knew I was gone always tease his ass about being stupid.
“The jabs, bruh. Ease up off me.”
“Hell no. Yzzy might have forgiven you but I don’t. We had to deal with that pure Spanish blood bitch for far too long.” I hated Ana María and I never hesitated to make her visits to the ranch as uncomfortable as possible so she wouldn’t linger.
“Yeah, but I made it right and you ended up with an impressive parcel of acres with a fully equipped business for a song. I think that’s more than enough thanks, ungrateful.”
I couldn’t say shit because he had a point. Him dealing with her and fucking her life up was pivotal to mine going the way it was right now. And I might eventually have to give him credit for me running into Charmy since I needed help with the business and had a place for her.
“I’ll think about it. But for right now, you’ve got to hear my mouth.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less, little brother.”
“How do I fix this?” He knew without a doubt my mind had drifted back to my own problems and he was more than happy to have the attention off of him.
“Charisma seems like the type of woman who knows her mind. You’re not going to be able to change it just because it’s what you want.”
“And your suggestion?”
“Patience.”
I shook my head abruptly before wagging my fingers for him to come up with something else. “I don’t like that. What else you got?”
“Bucky!”
I stomped my foot because he thought way too much of me if he imagined I would be at all mature right now. “I’m not like you, Samp. I don’t have any patience. I am too ready to claim what’s mine and start being openly happy and shit.”
“But maybe that’s the lesson that you’re meant to learn right now.
That your ass needs to slow down. I hate to say it but this last year was a lesson in forcing you to chill.
You were racing full speed ahead with work and not focusing on your business.
As soon as you got injured and you were forced to sit your ass out, look what happened.
You found the perfect place for your team and others to train.
Whatever you’re running around the Valley doing at night has obviously taught you patience because we know nothing about it.
There hasn’t been an exposé or anything like that so you’re just holding onto the information.
Doing that allowed you to meet this girl that you’re currently getting on my damn nerves about.
Don’t fuck that up by trying to rush what y’all have going on.
She has to feel like she’s deciding, Nate.
Forcing her won’t make you any better than him. ”
My brows dipped because he’d gone too far with that. He was comparing me to a bitch nigga holding her hostage in a fake relationship and there wasn’t an ounce of bitch nigga in our blood.
“Well, that was mean as fuck.”
“We know you’re a better man but just because your motives are pure doesn’t mean they’re any less selfish than his.”
I snarled at him, which made him laugh in my face. My brother was a formidable opponent but I had the righteous anger and the brattiness of being denied what I wanted on my side. We’d be breaking the furniture in this bitch if he kept on teasing me.
“I hate when you make sense.”
“Only when it’s not something that you want to do. Any other time you’re singing my praises about being the best big brother out there.” He leaned back with the ease of a man who knew he was right and even if he wasn’t, could hold his own in a fight.
“I never said you weren’t the best, I just hate when your ass is right and it’s against what I want to do.”
“Been hating from the sidelines for a minute then, huh?”
I shot him the bird and stood up because I wasn’t about to waste anymore energy when he was being playful and shit. “I’m about to go and find her.”
“I’m sure Yzzy has her over at the big house.”
“Speaking of, when are you moving in there?”
He rubbed his chin contemplatively. “I don’t know if we will. Mama has that place exactly like she likes it and Yzzy and I don’t want to disrupt her life. If we make a move, we’ll be looking to add on to this place or build something entirely different.”
“And let the big house go to waste?”
“Mama and daddy are still spry as hell. Kicking them out of their home doesn’t seem to be the play no matter if it’s what we’ve always planned.
Besides, them having to come up and down the stairs here won’t be the best idea when they get older.
Yzzy and I are still trying to work it out but I can’t imagine her wanting to move them out.
If anything, we’d just live there with them until we figured out something more permanent. ”
“And to think you took two years to get that girl. Damn shame.” I couldn’t think of another woman who’d be willing to share space like that with her in-laws.
It didn’t hurt that she was big on family so our being as tight knit as we were didn’t bother her.
Hell, I was sure my daddy would want to move out the second he heard Sampson make that girl holler.
“Well, don’t be like me, be better than me.”
I threw my hands up because now he was sending mixed signals. “You were just preaching about patience.”
“Patience not passiveness. She still has to know you want her. That your end goal is her. You can apply pressure without taking the damn reins. Shouldn’t the damn Cowboy Casanova know this already? Out of the two of us you are far more knowledgeable about this kinda shit.”
“I know about romancing a woman into my bed not keeping her permanently in my life.”
“From where I’m sitting, you’re doing a pretty good job of that.
She’s working for you. Living on the family land and you’re getting her to dump the boyfriend.
I’m sure she’s told you that she loves you because she was rooting for you even louder than me and Ma at the rodeo.
That’s a lot of positives in your favor. ”
I grinned like a little kid cause it was just like Sampson to give me a pep talk even if he was just talking shit. “Let’s pray it stays that way.”
“You feel better?”
“Yeah, I guess. I should go scoop her up and take her out on a date or something.”
“Sounds like a plan. You staying local or going into the city?”
“Maybe the city.”
“Cool. I’ll have them hold a room for you at the restaurant.” Samp stood and ain’t even bother confirming I wanted something that damn fancy for dinner. As much as I wanted to see Charisma get all dolled up, she might not be on that type of vibe tonight.
“That’s a big deal.”
“Isn’t she? I ain’t think you were gonna be moving half-assed when you telling a woman you love her. Was I wrong?” The smug look on his face was warranted because he made a damn good point.
I picked up my hat before pushing it down over my hair. “Touché, my nigga. Guess we’re going fancy tonight.”
“I’m proud of you, Buck. I knew when you found her you wouldn’t play around. I appreciate you proving me right.”
He knew without me saying that his words did something to me. Instead of speaking immediately I just leaned over and pulled Samp into an embrace. The force he was using to pat my back damn near cracked my spine but it was his way of showing his emotion without saying a word.
“If Yzzy being pregnant got you emoting like this, it’s gonna be a long nine months.”
“This place is beautiful.”