Chapter Tiana #5
When I’d asked about the animosity between the two of them he said it stemmed from his brother feeling like he’d been cheated out of being the owner of the team despite Parker buying the franchise by forfeiting his entire inheritance.
They were angry that he’d grown the team into the force that it currently was making him wealthier than they’d ever been.
Peter saw our relationship as a threat to him ever getting any semblance of ownership back of the company because of how long I’d been around.
Seeing his brother get serious about anyone meant that he would eventually have heirs to inherit his fortune and it wouldn’t revert to them.
Little did they know his living will had already cut them out explicitly and if he died without a wife or kids, the team would be run by a board of directors and the profits would fund his charitable organizations.
Can’t believe I found a trill ass white boy who stands behind every promise he ever made me.
“They get on my nerves, but Parker isn’t going to tolerate them around for long.
They irritate him too and don’t have the good sense to shut up, be grateful and sit down.
It’s a miracle he wasn’t ruined by those people.
” Rachelle fake gagged, causing me to cover my mouth again so I didn’t laugh too loudly with the baby right there.
I was sure that he was getting used to the noise because his big brothers weren’t exactly quiet, but I wasn’t going to be the reason he woke up pissed with the world.
Her hair was pulled back in the butt-length small knotless braids she insisted on having for her postpartum period.
Stew found her a braider who did house visits because he wasn’t about to have his Puddin’ sitting in somebody’s chair all day.
It didn’t matter that the salon was owned by a friend, he booked the braider for the entire weekend to ensure she’d come to the house.
“Princess, can I borrow you real quick? I wanted to talk outside, if that’s okay.”
Parker was looking at me with a smile on his face as he stood in the doorway of the den. His eyes were wavering between me and Dougie and my uterus started angrily pulsing.
Girl, chill out. I already dealt with your shit this month.
“Yeah, baby give me a second. I’ll be right there.” I turned to Ray and she was already giving me a look like I bet not fuck my man on one of their lounge chairs.
“Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do, Tay.” She shifted slightly and the cashmere lounge set I’d gifted her during the baby shower looked like the perfect backdrop for her sleeping son.
“Since this is your house and you got a baby that has Stewart DNA on your chest, I’d think there was very little I could do that you haven’t, Rachelle.” I stuck my tongue out at her before standing up and I noticed Parker looking around me toward Ray.
“It is okay if I walk around outside, right?”
Ray just shook her head at his question because no matter how hard they tried, he still did that overly formal shit not wanting to impose on their house.
“Parker I keep trying to tell you that you’re family. Just go out there. It’s a pool and some landscaping. You don’t steal.”
His eyes widened even as we laughed and I knew he was still getting used to how blunt Black people could be. Bless him. He didn’t realize that bluntness only came with love and acceptance but he was getting there.
With red-tinged ears, he smiled back at her like he knew she was teasing him but still couldn’t get over his upbringing yet.
“I love how you forget I’m white, Ray, but stealing land is kinda what we do.”
It was my turn to crack up because, hell; he wasn’t wrong.
Ray grinned at his words before she nodded in appreciation of his joke. “True. Don’t touch shit out there that don’t belong to you.”
Parker was now grinning back before he gave her a nod as he walked toward the back door to wait on me. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Girl, I hope you’re on birth control.” Ray’s eyes were on Parker as he walked through the door but her words were directed toward me.
“Uh, I am but why?” I stretched grateful that I’d packed a similar lounge set to the one Ray was wearing so I could be comfortable today. It was harvest gold in keeping with the holiday colors and Ray was wearing the cream version.
“Did you not see the way he was looking at Dougie? He’s plotting.”
I looked at the space that Parker had occupied trying to figure out what I’d missed. Damn my uterus might have been reacting to something that he was throwing out in the atmosphere.
“You sure?”
She laughed again before leaning back against the pillows snuggling her milk-drunk baby.
Being able to watch this baby come into the world and then being named his godmother was an honor I don’t think would ever be topped.
I was thankful that Stew was okay with sharing space with me in the delivery room but he wanted whatever was going to allow his Puddin’ to deliver happily and safely.
He knew I had no issue with advocating for anyone, especially not my sister-cousin, so he wanted me there to ensure everything went smoothly.
Parker volunteered to stay with the boys while their mother was in labor because my aunt and uncle wanted to be at the hospital and… damn was he plotting?
That realization hit me full force and Rachelle laughing behind me let me know I was wearing my shock on my face.
“Mmmm hmmm. Gone see what that man wants. I bet it’s going to be that he would like to have one of these little combined DNA nipple terrors for himself. I would warn you that you in danger girl, but I think you kinda like it.”
“You good, Puddin’?” Stew strode into the room without the hitch in his step that he’d had before his reconstructive surgery. He immediately kissed Ray and then his son not bothering to wait before he lifted him off his mother’s chest.
“I told you I was good, Stew, you don’t have to cater to me.” She was trying to hold Dougie’s legs but he was doing the little newborn baby scrunch that had me reach to squeal.
“You gave me three beautiful sons, Ray, I’m for damn sure going to give you everything I possibly can.
And what I can’t, I’ll figure out a way to make it happen.
” He was looking at Dougie with the same love that he looked at Jace and Javon and Ray was looking at him like he was the greatest thing in the world.
I felt like I was intruding so I made my way to where Parker had been easing out of the room when I had to throw one last shot.
“Stew, she gotta rest until six weeks, bruh. I can already tell you’ve got the fever.”
“You worry about your coochie and I’ll worry about mine.”
I threw my head back and laughed because she was gonna pop up pregnant at her six-week checkup and I wasn’t going to say shit but I told you so.
“Whatever, let me go see what my coochie minder needs from me. I stuck my tongue out at her and crossed the room.
I walked out of the arched, Spanish-style wood and glass patio doors realizing that I’d kept Parker waiting. I pulled off my mask and saw he was standing in the middle of the grassy portion of the backyard directly behind the pool looking up at the moon.
I didn’t bother to ease my way to him since he was expecting me but when I reached his side he kept his eyes on the sky.
“You taking up astronomy, love? Buying an observatory?” I wrapped my arms around him and put my head against his back.
My face fit directly between his shoulder blades and I could feel how tense he still was.
Normally he melted when I touched him and I wondered if I’d offended him with my joke.
When he finally turned to me I saw that he looked troubled which immediately set me on high alert.
“I’ve thought of a million different ways to do this but none of them seem to be right.
” He ran a hand through his hair and I couldn’t understand why he looked so upset.
The tips of his ears were flushed and he looked like he was going to pass out.
I was panicking because I’d seen this man cuss out the mayor, the chief of police and a host of so-called important members of the Dallas elite when they touched the wrong nerve with him.
I’d twirled on his dick when he did it because it was sexy as fuck to watch him in go mode.
But for him to be standing here looking like the world was falling apart had my heart breaking.
I drew in a breath that was so sharp it made my lungs hurt. He’d talked about cleaning house at the stadium and he’d gotten rid of his family. Was all that supposed to be a hint that he was getting rid of me too?
“Parker Sebastian Phillips, I know like hell you’re not about to break up with me on Thanksgiving.
Not with my mama and daddy and my fresh out the womb godson a hundred feet away!
We got all this food in the house and you’re about to ruin my favorite eating holiday? You have the game entirely fucked up.”
The only emotion I could reach for was anger. I was angry at the thought that he was trying to leave me after all the shit I’d gone through to be with him.
Immediately his eyes snapped up to mine and they were filled with confusion. “Break up with you? Wait, what does our godson have to do with anything?”
Yep, now I was going to have to co-godparent with this man because Stew wanted to name him the godfather of all three boys.
“Because you’re trying to break up the mental health of his godmama when he needs me at my best. Are you really sitting here trying to leave me? I had to break my golden rule for you!”
“What, no white boys?” He was grinning and I wanted to wipe the smirk off his face because why the hell was he teasing me at a time like this?