5. Colony Miles
My fingers rapidly tapped against my steering wheel as I waited for the light to change.
In the passenger seat, Serenity danced to the music and peered out the window without realizing how nervous I was.
We were headed out for a weekend lunch date to celebrate the good news of our father’s test results coming back clean.
He was in the clear for everything, but he needed to switch his diet up some to keep it that way.
Our mother had turned into the health police, and Daddy hated how Serenity and I backed her up.
It was all out of love. We needed him around for the long haul, and if it meant being strict with him, then so be it.
Serenity and I were going to eat at Daily Fix.
It was my choice, and the closer we got, the more I began to second guess my decision.
To Serenity, I made it seem like I only wanted to go for the food.
While the food looked delicious, so did Keondra.
The way he interacted with Kehlani melted my heart.
Their bond was like mine with my father’s.
Knowing Keondra was a single father heightened my curiosity about him.
Kehlani mentioned he worked all the time, so there was no better place to see him again than his place of business.
“Oh, wow. It’s packed here,” Serenity stated as we pulled up to the restaurant. “The food better be good with all these people here.”
“I know that’s right. If the wait is too long, we can go somewhere else.”
Serenity hunched her shoulders. “I’m fine with whatever. Jacob is on a work trip this weekend, so I have nothing but time. This place seems like it’s worth the wait.”
Just wait until you see the owner.
Nodding, I killed the engine, and we got out.
I locked my arm with my sister’s, leading her inside.
Immediately, we were greeted with low music playing in the background of the restaurant.
Purple, black, and gold were the theme colors, and I knew Keondra had chosen them with Kehlani in mind.
As we waited in the small line, I looked around and saw a wall covered with pictures of Kehlani.
Each small frame was formed into a flower.
Whoever created that possessed some real talent because it was stunning.
There was a bar area far in the back while booths and tables were strategically placed throughout the remainder of the restaurant. The place gave off royal vibes. From the crowns to the quotes, it was all so nice.
Just as Serenity and I walked up to the hostess stand, I heard my favorite little voice call out my name.
“Ms. Miles!”
All eyes were on Kehlani as she dashed toward me with her tablet in one hand while the other arm swung with each step.
She almost ran into one of the servers, but from the way she stopped upon seeing Kehlani, it was obvious she was used to it.
I crouched down the best I could in my dress and caught her.
Her tight grip around my neck brought the biggest smile to my face.
She bounced on her toes as if she hadn’t seen me all week.
“Hey, sweet girl. What are you doing here?” I asked, letting her go and observing her.
“My daddy didn’t have anyone to watch me, so I got to come to work with him.”
“Oh, really? Are you being good for him?”
The hostess chimed in. “She’s been running around when she knows his rules.”
Kehlani placed her finger to her mouth. “Don’t be a tattletale, Amber.”
“She’s not being a tattletale, Kehlani. What would your father say if he knew you weren’t following his rules?” I interrogated, and Kehlani pouted.
“I’m bored here. It’s no fun.”
“It’s no fun for me either, KeKe, but that doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want.”
The sound of Keondra’s voice caused Kehlani’s eyes to buck as her little body froze.
I stood up, and my gaze found him. My goodness.
The way his white chef’s coat fit his muscular frame was far too enticing.
It gave a small peek at his tattoos and veins running up those thick arms of his.
Absentmindedly, my tongue got a full taste of my lip gloss as it traced over my lips.
It wasn’t until Serenity nudged me with her elbow did I realize I was openly checking Keondra out.
Clearing my throat, I brushed my hair behind my ear and turned back to Amber with heated cheeks. “How long is a wait for two?”
“About thirty minutes.”
“Is that fine, Serenity?”
“It is. Like I said, I don’t have anything else to do.”
“Perfect. We’ll wait.”
Keondra walked over to Amber and whispered something in her ear.
She carefully listened before nodding her head.
She spoke into a small mouthpiece, jotting something down onto her notebook.
Turning his attention to me, Keondra pushed his glasses up on his nose and studied me from head to toe.
I could’ve sworn I saw his head slightly nod in approval, but I had to look away.
His stare was too intense, and the heat from my cheeks was traveling all throughout my body.
“It’s nice to see you, Ms. Miles. Y’all can come with me.”
Without waiting for us to respond, he gently grabbed Kehlani’s hand and started toward the back. He led us to a secluded area that appeared to be for larger parties. On one end of the table, I saw Kehlani’s things sprawled all over it. It must’ve been where he was keeping her.
When Keondra turned around, the stress lines creasing his forehead were prominent. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, releasing a frustrated sigh. Kehlani stared at him the entire time.
“Are you okay, Daddy?” she asked ever so softly.
“I will be, KeKe. I know you don’t like being here, but I need you to listen to me and stay back here. This is the only place I can keep an eye on you and make sure you’re okay. Do you understand?”
Kehlani’s head and shoulders dropped. “Yes, sir.”
Even though it was obvious Keondra was frustrated, he was still gentle with Kehlani. Whatever was going on, I felt the urge to help. I glanced back at Serenity who winked, silently encouraging me to do whatever I felt was right. She could read my mind without me saying a word most times.
“Mr. Daily?” I called out, and his eyes met mine.
“Keondra.”
“Keondra. Please, let me know if this is overstepping, but I don’t mind taking Kehlani off your hands while you work.”
That was like music to Kehlani’s ears. Her entire mood shifted as she shuffled closer to me and eagerly bobbed her head which seemed to radiate down her entire body. Keondra looked back and forth between Kehlani and me before scrubbing his hands down his face.
Hesitantly, he expressed, “I don’t know, Ms. Miles.”
“Colony.”
“Colony . . .”
The way my name rolled off his tongue sounded so damn good. His voice was low but rough, giving off Robert Riley vibes. I could only imagine how good he sounded talking a woman through it.
“I can sense you’re hesitant,” I started and laced my fingers with Kehlani’s sweaty ones. “If you want, I will sit here with her all day to give you a peace of mind.”
Kehlani stomped her foot. “But I don’t want to sit here.”
“I know, but we need to make sure your father is comfortable, Kehlani. I want to help him and spend time with you, but it needs to be okay with him.”
“We spend time together at day care.”
“We do, but that’s a little different, sweet pea.
” I glanced back up at Keondra who was intently watching my interaction with Kehlani.
He placed his glasses back on, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind.
His gaze went to Serenity, so I quickly introduced them.
“This is my sister, Serenity. We came here to celebrate my father’s clean bill of health. ”
Keondra held his hand out to Serenity. “It’s nice to meet you. That’s a big thing to be celebrating.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Keondra. And yes, it is.” Serenity agreed, beaming. “Uh, do you mind if I chime in on this conversation?”
“Sure.” Keondra shoved his hands in his pockets.
I held my breath, unsure of what Serenity was about to say. She could be a bit forward, and not everyone was a fan of that. While I didn’t want her to mess up anything, I wasn’t going to silence her.
Serenity stepped closer to me and connected our arms. “It’s obvious you’re a little stressed, Keondra.
It’s extremely busy in here, and you can’t successfully multi-task like this.
Your daughter will be in great hands with my sister.
She was blessed with the gift of being an angel to children, and she adores your daughter.
I know it’s different with it not being at Center of Love, but I can assure you, Kehlani will be fine. ”
Thankfully, Serenity summed up everything I wanted to say as well. I could only imagine how hard it was for Keondra to even consider trusting me outside of Center of Love, but he had nothing to worry about. I loved all the kids, but his daughter held a special place in my heart.
After seconds of silence, Keondra agreed. He stared me square in the eyes and said, “Thank you. I need this help but know I don’t play when it comes to my daughter. I don’t just allow anyone this close to her, so know I am basically trusting you with my life. Where will y’all be?”
“I can take her to the center for the day if that will ease your mind,” I offered.
“It would, but it wouldn’t be fair to either of you. She’s already there all week. I wouldn’t want to do that to her.”
“Can we go to your house, Ms. Miles?” Kehlani inquired.
“Only if it’s okay with your father.”
“That’s fine,” Keondra decided and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Y’all have a seat. I’ll be back out to check on y’all and bring y’all some food.”
With that, Keondra kissed Kehlani’s forehead and disappeared to the back. Serenity and I sat at the table, and she wouldn’t stop staring at me with a goofy grin. I tried ignoring her, but she got all in my face.
Giggling, I playfully mushed her head. “Get out my face, Serenity.”