Charisma
NATE PULLED UP to the concierge section of the airport, something I didn’t know existed, before he parked. Since we were only here for pickup, no one came over to the car to hurry us along.
“You ready for this?”
He looked and smelled as good as he always did especially since he’d put extra effort into his appearance.
Between training and business and competing, he’d been running himself ragged since the start of the rodeo season.
I was happy that he had a few weeks off and could relax and give his body a break.
We’d gotten dressed together and he’d requested that I do his hair.
I tried to tell him he was doing too much but he didn’t care.
Instead of his normal t-shirt he’d pulled out a polo shirt to go with his jeans.
He’d brushed his hat, which was now sitting between us, and wore a dressier pair of boots.
He’d made me feel like I was underdressed so I put on a maxi dress and some makeup.
I understood how he felt. To me it was just my mama and daddy but he wanted to make a good first impression.
I appreciated it so much because I’d been the same way when meeting his family for the first time.
He leaned over and gave me a kiss and I knew it would be the last one I would have for a while and I hated it.
He insisted on giving them some time to get settled in before we discussed our relationship.
Nate’s reasoning was that starting the trip off with something heavy might overshadow the next few days and he wanted to give me a chance to spend time with them before things got serious.
“Stop looking at me like that, Charmy, because my dick is getting hard and if I meet your mama with my shit on swole you’re going to be mad at me for her falling for me the same way you have.” He lifted his hips to adjust his dick like that would make any kind of difference.
“Not you trying to be my stepdaddy.”
“Nah, no matter how fine your mama is she’s never going to compete with you in my heart. Now she might be lusting after your future husband but there is nothing I can do about being fine. Long as she doesn’t cross the line then I’m good.”
I flushed at how easily he placed himself in my future but I couldn’t let his words go unchallenged. “You’re so arrogant.”
“Nah, I just know me. Mamas love me because I have good manners. You love me for the same reasons.” He looked confident and so at ease; I hoped the rest of their visit would be this easy.
“You’re right, I do love you. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met and the bar was set pretty high with my daddy.
But you’ve managed to far exceed every ideal I thought made a man perfect.
You’re my new standard of love, Nate.” This was the wrong time to get choked up but I couldn’t help myself.
This man had shored up parts of my heart that had been bruised and carried my dreams in his heart like they were his own.
“Charisma, you doing this shit right now?” It was sweet how my being emotional with him caused him to get all mushy. I was laughing to keep myself from getting weepy as he had a faux tantrum in his seat trying to fight his emotions.
“It seems to be the right time. We agreed to ease them into it but I don’t ever want you to doubt how I feel. The past is going to come up and then we’ll move on so they know and understand that Trent is firmly in the past.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive. My parents are going to have their feelings but it’s already done.
I’m not na?ve enough to think we’re going to dance away in the sunset and they won’t feel negatively but that’s for them to work out.
So come on. My mama said they were heading out of the door in a few minutes.
We need to go and meet them.” I kissed Bucky again but knew better than to open my own door.
Instead, he grinned like a kid who got to meet his hero before he hopped out of the car.
He put his hat on before closing the door and coming around to my side.
Bucky got the door open and held his hand out to help me out of the SUV. He’d driven the same one that he’d used to take me out and it was still odd not seeing him in his truck or on the back of a horse.
“I love you too, Charisma. Real shit, you turning me into a bitch.”
“I already knew that but thank you for saying it.” Instead of holding hands, he had his arm slung casually around my shoulders until we reached the airport doors that opened automatically. We walked closer together but were cognizant of keeping a distance from one another, which felt unnatural.
I started to look around for my parents at the carousel they stated they’d be at and I saw the top of my father’s head. It was bald and shiny like a lightbulb and I immediately got excited to see them.
I turned to Nate and pointed in their direction so we could help with their bags. “There they are!” My joy must’ve been infectious because he returned my grin and put a hand at the small of my back to steer me in that direction.
“Who is that with them?”
I almost tripped over my feet when I saw my mother standing next to my father with a tagalong that I hadn’t expected. “You can’t be serious. What the fuck is he doing here?”
“Oh, that’s him? I told you, Charmy, that nigga was gone make this move.
You better be glad that my brother already gave me the green light.
” Nate rubbed his hands together and laughed and…
it was not the reaction I expected at fucking all.
I was battling my anger at this shit but now I wondered why this man looked so damn happy.
Be for real Charisma you know why he’s happy.
“The green light?”
“Yeah, I was worried that if I beat that nigga’s ass for doing the wrong shit that I would get charged for a hate crime or some shit ‘cause he gay. But Samp let me know I was just gone beat his ass for being a fuck nigga and it ain’t have nothing to do with where he sticks his dick.
If he wanna make it out of Texas without needing some type of corrective surgery, he better keep that shit cute like y’all be saying.
” His face had been calm while he was explaining to me his thought process.
But when he looked back at Trent I could see he looked at him like wounded prey.
I looked up at the sky pleading with whomever was up there to give me an assist. “Lord, I need you now.”
“You need to be trying to calm me down. You don’t even believe for real so you really asking for a favor from a phantom. You’d have better luck trying your case with me than him.”
I wanted to laugh so badly at how he was cutting up but I couldn’t cause my mama took that moment to throw her arms around me and give me a hug. It was a hug that rocked you from side to side and made your soul feel at ease and I would’ve melted in her arms if she hadn’t pulled away.
“Look who we brought with us!”
I tried to keep the anger off my face as he popped out from behind my father like he would be welcomed.
“Surprise, baby!” He opened his arms broadly like he was going to hug me and I took a step to one side right before I heard Nate clearing his throat to hide his laugh.
“What are you doing here?”
Trent had the nerve to look hurt like I hadn’t told him the deal and then had him blocked for weeks.
“Charisma, why are you talking to him like that?”
I should’ve polished up my words, even practiced for this possibility because Nate had warned me. I foolishly thought I knew this man better than he did but I was wrong.
Never going to admit that to him.
“I’m not being mean. He and I had a conversation about—”
“Why don’t we go ahead and get y’all’s bags to the car so you can get settled in.
” Nate interrupted what I was going to say.
It wasn’t the time to blast him but I didn’t feel any remorse about doing so.
His trying to keep up with the flow of their trip instead of letting my anger get the best of me was another reason he was one of one.
“I’m sorry about my manners but who are you? Are you the driver?” Trent had his suitcase in his hand as he spoke like he were trying to pass it to Nate. I was sure he knew who he was but was trying to assert some type of dominance in the situation.
And he was going to fail.
Where Nate was dark-skinned, long-haired and rugged, Trent was the opposite.
His hair was closely cut with waves on the top and he was dressed in slacks, loafers and a button up.
He had the shape of a point guard, slim but muscular, while Nate looked like what he was.
A gotdamn grown ass man that wrestled animals for a living and won.
“Nah, I’m not the driver. And even if I was you the youngest one here.
Surely you’d let the driver look after Charisma’s folk’s stuff and not yours.
” Nate easily put Trent in his place before turning to introduce himself to my parents who looked awed and mildly confused.
“Nathaniel Chisholm-Love. Pleased to meet you.”
“Nate volunteered to drive us back out to the ranch. Mama and daddy this is my boss. I told y’all you’d be staying on the family’s property.”
“We can rehash history when we get back to the ranch, right, Charmy?” Nate gave me a wink after he finished shaking my father’s hand that had me blushing about exactly what we were going to rehash.
“Charmy? Why is he not calling you by your name?” Trent’s sourpuss ass was still trying to insert himself into the conversation and I needed him to shut up before I snapped.
“It’s a nickname. One that I like.” I smiled at Nate who had my mother’s checked bag and her wheeled carryon. He refused to let me take my father’s suitcase instead handing it to Trent who was standing there like he expected someone else to carry his things for him.