Nathaniel #2
I looked around beyond the window before I responded. “I wasn’t getting nearly as much ass as y’all believe.”
“Yeah, if you say so. I don’t believe a word of that shit. The way those women have been hanging all over you for years?”
“And they not doing the same with you?”
He could grin but he couldn’t deny what I’d said.
“Whatever. You sure you don’t want me to stay around this weekend?
It don’t seem right leaving the valley open like this.
” He was putting voice to my own concerns but I refused to give in to fear.
I didn’t have the warning feeling in my gut so I was going to assume things were fine.
“There’s gonna be a gang of snipers or some shit in the Valley this weekend including the regular residents. According to the tech genius we know, the men ain’t supposed to be back down here for a few weeks. They’re trying to convince the Simpsons to sell off some of their land.”
“Damn, I knew they’d been struggling for a minute but they serious about selling?”
“I believe it’s a pride thing. Not everybody wants to be in the business. So they see it as a good solution to make some money to make their lives easier. I can’t blame them cause I get the logic, it’s just the folks the selling it to ain’t about to do right by it.”
“I didn’t want to do the family shit either but you don’t see me pressuring my daddy to sell our heritage.”
“Your cousins would probably beat your ass.”
“Shit, I thought folks were still putting clauses in their wills to prevent this from happening.” It had been the habit for generations to make sure that land couldn’t be purchased from someone outside of the Valley or their descendants.
They wanted to keep the Valley Black and we had succeeded in doing it so far.
“Maybe I’ll buy it from them.”
“You, T? Your people got land I thought you ain’t want to work it.” Maybe that chick he’d brought to the kickback had him thinking differently. I hoped not ‘cause she seemed eager to talk to everyone and Terrence needed a girl that was just for him.
“Ain’t nobody say shit about working the land. I just want to own that shit. Let smaller farmers come and do what they need to.”
“You mean to tell me that you’re out here trying to have sharecroppers and shit?” I was cracking up but that’s exactly what his ass was about to do.
“Shut the fuck up, Nate. I’m saying. The land can just sit there. Leave it protected for the next generations. Ain’t no way you want to buy more land.”
“Hell nah. But I will if it means keeping it within the families.”
He hit me in the chest with the back of his hand. “Same thing I’m saying, jackass.”
“I’m just fuckin’ with you. I think that shit will be good for you if you need to set down your own place. Whatever you want to do with it would be good because you give a fuck.”
I raised my arm and he followed suit, bumping the outside of our fists together.
“‘Preciate the faith, Bucky.”
“I’m having this girl make Charmy the girl version of my shiesty.
You want me to see if she can crochet you one with a fade and shit?
She’s already adding a ‘fro to Charisma’s.
” I was still scanning the horizon and I waited on him to answer but after about a minute I looked his way because he was silent.
This nigga was just staring at me blankly like he was questioning our friendship. “What?”
“Nate, you are absolutely a fucking fool.” He stopped looking at me and rubbed his eyes like his head hurt.
I waved his ungrateful ass off because he ain’t know what he was missing out on.
“Shiiit. You should be happy I even asked. Matter fact, I’m fucking up by not just doing what the hell I want, anyway.
That’s my fault.” I patted myself on the chest and nodding cause I really had myself fucked up there for a minute.
“It’s almost one. I think it’s good for the night.” He was clearly ignoring my ass and when I looked at him I was gauging his hat size so that I could get his order placed tonight.
“Yeah, Sampson said he was gonna ride around on his way back from the restaurant tonight so we should be good.”
“Cool. I know you eager to get back to your lady.”
“Yeah, I feel bad having her out at the house and I ain’t there. I’ll be good once I lay my eyes on her and know she’s ok.”
“We gone keep these muthafuckas from bothering us, Bucky. You ain’t got to stress about her for long.”
“You right about that shit. And then they gone pay for ever thinking about fucking with the Valley.”
“You are in love.”
I could only smile as I looked and saw Billy’s normally take no shit features softened into a smile.
She’d traveled with Sampson and Yzzy to come and watch the rodeo leaving her husband with their brood of kids.
Knowing Jacoby the way I did he’d probably sent his mother-in-law on vacation somewhere so he could have his babies all to himself.
We had a business meeting to work with a new sponsor for me and the team and she decided today was the best day to take care of it.
“It seems to be in the air. And I’m sure you know that look judging by how life is working out for you.”
Billy only smirked turning her eyes toward the arena.
Despite being here for our team, Billy wasn’t crazy enough not to watch the competition and size up who might need representation.
One thing I loved about her was that she was always about her business.
Billy was thrilled to see that Charmy had traveled with the family because she knew that brands would like that.
More than the business aspect, she was happy that there was somebody who was with me for just me and not the brand.
The rodeo circuit was one where you were taken more seriously if you were attached and looked settled.
If I were still playing the field I wouldn’t care about rumors but I had a lady now.
If it didn’t come from me they needed to know it wasn’t true.
“I have to say it feels good to be blessed. She seems to handle all the haters well.” Billy nodded to where Charmy was talking to the team and a few women were obviously trying to shake her.
She’d worn a t-shirt that said Bucky’s Bunny, with some denim shorts and turquoise knee-high cowboy boots.
I was keeping my cool despite knowing niggas were out here looking at my girl and all her ass in them shorts, but seeing some women hate so hard was crazy.
“She had practice.”
“Do tell.” Billy’s eyes widened and she leaned in like I had tea to spill.
“A few bunnies were trying to stake their claim at the family rodeo.”
“Oh, them. That was funny. Vashti showed her the ropes on that one.” Billy was back grinning and she’d apparently been treated to this information already.
“Are you handling her case?” That Devereaux case was some crazy shit.
The people turning on her were the same ones who used to beg her for money and donations from her company.
But now that her dead husband’s mama had started this smear campaign they were fucking with her.
She was the type of sista that I didn’t understand dealing with a white dude and based on rumors he wasn’t shit.
“No. I’m not spreading myself any thinner than I already have.
Two kids in school and another two learning to potty train is more than enough for me.
” She held her hands over her chest rebuking my words with the surety of a woman that wasn’t about to budge on her boundaries.
“I recommended her to someone and I think he’ll be good.
Besides, I don’t deal with family law anyway and she needs the best there is. ”
“Not you admitting you have a flaw.”
She reared back like I’d called her out her name and I was looking around to figure out what I did wrong.
“I didn’t say shit about a flaw. I have an area of expertise and that ain’t it.
Stop playing with me, Nate, before I drop you from my roster and catch a flight back home to my man.
” From the look on her face, she was dead ass and the last thing I wanted was smoke with a lady named the Mastiff in Manolo’s.
“Dang. I do have it bad.” I knew I had a goofy grin on my face and my comment came out of nowhere. Billy was looking at me like I might’ve gotten concussed and she needed to call somebody.
“What did I say that made you come to that realization?”
“That I was just about to tell you to let me know when the kids got the potty thing down so we could celebrate.”
“That just makes you a good…well hell not uncle really.” She looked just like the Phaedra in the pool meme trying to figure out what the fuck I actually was to her kids. Folks were still walking around us and I loved how she wasn’t afraid to get dirty being out here near the pens.
“Nah, I’ll claim them just as happily as Samp. Y’all not about to leave me out.”
“Cool. You’re now put in the rotation for babysitting.
We’re about to share a family member now anyway.
I won’t miss out on the chance for there to be more people to love my kids.
” Billy was laughing but little did she know, Nate loved the kids.
Their oldest daughter was a mini her, their son was laid back like his dad and the twins were like two or three so they were just cute as shit.
My mama would have a time helping me out and I could see Charisma holding the kid version of a paint and sip for Destiny with a little juice box and kid-sized easel.
Damn, this corny shit is really just me now.
“I’m good with that.”
Billy’s face held a knowing smile and I could already guess what she was going to say. “Your mind headed that way?”
“With a woman as extraordinary as Charisma, how could it not.”
She damn squealed and did the jump clappy move I thought she was too G to take part in. But I guess romance was the one thing that was a universal language to women. “Completely gone. I love to see the whores fall in love.”
I howled laughing ‘cause that was the craziest shit I’d heard ever heard anybody say. “Not a whore, Billy.”