Chapter 35 Montana
montana
. . .
Similar to New Year’s Eve, I waited for my woman to enter. Hugged the family I gave a damn about. To be honest, some folks narrowed that list real quick. Their absence said a lot. Either I didn’t trust ‘em, or they didn’t have my number since I signed with the major leagues.
I made my rounds—shook a few Dodger hands, hugged my bruh Lachlan and his beautiful new bride—but my eyes?
Remained on the entrance where Tennessee handed out masks, with the honey he swore wouldn’t give him the time of day.
Maybe she remembered too much? Boy peed so much, you could smell the damage two rooms away.
They were in the same class when he was clowned in the third grade.
Kids said his name should’ve been Mississippi.
Middle name River. Me and Wash whooped some ass and laughed in secret too.
The Scot blocked my view from the door. Lachlan grinned. “So, you offered your best mate—me—a five-dollar funeral, in the event Natasha’s dad murdered me at the altar.”
“And?”
Lach glanced around the party as if the free-flowing champagne alone made his point.
I blinked.
“Is Big Country chained in the cellar, muttering, Marriage is the Sunken Place? Did Montana finally repossess his body? Because no version of you pulls this nonsense for a woman. I would. You? Nae.”
“Lach, bruh.”
“Explain the madness. Next thing I know, we’ll be ring shopping.” His blue eyes lit up.
“First,” I whispered, “you owe me bodies. I come to collect. Just need help with one.” Maybe. If I couldn’t get to Edwin.
“Chat after the party?” he replied under his breath.
I nodded.
Then he beamed, rubbing his hands together. “But where should we go ring shopping?”
“Bruh, I’m not going ring shopping with you.” I snatched a passing chocolate truffle and tossed it back like a shot.
He scoffed. “Ye said that the last time too. Still helped me pick Natasha’s ring.”
“And watch you cry over a cushion cut again?” I shot back just as Natasha walked up, her brows climbing. Yeah. She heard.
I shrugged, keeping a straight face. Dude was my brother. I was allowed to fabricate an entire emotional breakdown if it amused me.
“Did you really cry over the ring?” she whispered as I walked away.
I approached Momma as she sipped the Mardi Grits like it was communion.
I’d almost settled on “Montana’s Manchac Midnight” for a signature drink.
It fit my brand, sounded smooth—but, nah.
Had to remind Zuri of her stealing grits.
Her drink “Zuri’s Kiss” had strawberry puree, gin, and rosewater.
Auntie Peaches clutched a drink in each hand, worried the open bar would end.
Mental note: tell servers to cut her off before those feathers made her believe she could fly.
“Where’s Tex?” I asked, glancing around. That fool hadn’t answered me since pissing off his twin.
Washington walked up, holding a powdered beignet as if it were evidence. “He went MIA after our chat. Momma, he call you?”
“Non.” She rubbed her index and thumb together like she was counting sins.
“If he does something stupid”—Washington bit the beignet—“I’m gonna—”
“Hush,” she muttered. “He’ll be here.”
I rolled my eyes when Darius shot off, a thunderclap.
I turned around.
Zuri.
Time folded right here. The music, chatter, laughter—all of it faded.
She stood beneath the draped archway. The purple gown hugged her like sunlight over deep water, gold glittering where it embraced her curves and caught the light of her skin—rich and radiant.
She’d done her hair up like God Himself shaped it into a crown with patience and pride. Every curve of her? A prayer answered.
My chest tightened. This was love. The thunder in your chest. The stillness that humbled you. Like watching royalty walk in.
My soul whispered, God have mercy!
Darius tugged her hand, brontosaurus bouncing in his other hand, its little mask still taped on.
We had to rig it. When we hatched this plan, Little Dude brought out the pop quizzes.
Had me remembering the names of ten different dinos.
If I forgot, I’d have a special mask for Brody.
Hell, I hadn’t forgotten, but he’d stared at me like he could toss some craps.
Now the little bébé was dragging my big bébé toward me. Her hips swayed as Darius had her move faster than the brass band.
“So.” She grinned. “You love Valentine’s Day enough to throw a party?”
“I don’t give a damn about anybody enjoying this party. I just had to show you off to the people I love—some of em? Just a little.” I measured with my fingers.
Tennessee shouted, “Dude used money to outdo me, Zuri!”
“Yeah, definitely in front of that one. Ten, you better loosen them cornrows! He thought since he saw you first, he might have dibs. Ain’t nobody got rights to you but me, Zuri,” I said, voice steady but rough around the edges.
“I could’ve asked you anywhere. But here?
With my family standing around. My roots.
Where I can show you who I am and take off my mask.
” I removed my mask and handed it to Darius, just like we practiced.
He fumbled with it. Least it wasn’t glass like Zuri’s. He snatched off his mask and threw it on the floor.
My head tilted. Little Dude?
“Oh, oh, I didn’t forget!” Darius held Brody high, tearing off the dinosaur’s mask.
“Hold up there, bébé,” I told him before he threw away what was underneath the mask.
I removed the diamond ring from the tape, letting it fall onto my pinkie finger.
“Now you know this part was his idea.” I handed the dinosaur back to him and helped her remove her mask. She held it to herself nervously.
“What are you doing, Montana?” Zuri’s gasp fluttered through her lips.
“My bad. Dinner was supposed to come first. But I saw you. Couldn’t wait for this part.” I dropped to a knee and held up the ring, the diamond on fire beneath all the light.
She whispered beneath her breath, still clinging to the mask like she had with those napkins when we first met. But then, she’d been trying to clean me up. Damn, she’d cleaned me up alright, changed my mindset when it came to women. Her.
“Say, bébé”—I winked—“I knew you were the one when you tried to undress me at the Hot Chicken & Peach Pit Maison. You ain’t care if little eyes saw you loving on me.”
That brought a tight chuckle. I was gonna open her up in every way that mattered, make her smile, laugh.
“You clowned me so bad, if I wasn’t Big Country, I would’ve developed a complex.”
“Even bigger than his ego,” Auntie Peaches chimed in.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “And I helped you get past those scary antics, turned you into the world’s funniest person.”
A voice cleared nearby.
Her brows shot up.
Yep. Nico Roman.
“But this ain’t the funny part in the story.
It’s the part where the man wises up. He found a treasure he ain’t never letting go of.
I value every part of you, Zuri. That protective mother in you reminds me of Momma.
Makes me want to uplift and honor the stubborn in you.
Love you. And your son. My son. You and Darius are my family. ”
“Aww …” She chewed her lip, eyes looking like she couldn’t believe she won the lotto.
“Don’t overthink this, bébé. You’ll realize I get on your last nerve.”
Her hands, slender and quivering, covered her face as she laugh-cried. Man, she had never looked so beautiful to me.
“Coz if you think on it, you’ll realize you can do better than me. But Big Country? He gone flatline in these good shoes if you don’t say yes. So, say yes!”
She giggled softly, wiping tears from her face with her hands. “Yes, then! Because I don’t know if I can do CPR in this tight dress.”
Her mouth was soft as I pressed against those lips. Tasted of champagne and her own kinda sweetness. Woman kissed me like she meant to bring me back to life for good. I half expected her to step back and call it a successful resuscitation. Her laughter in my mouth was a final amen.
Acouple of hours later, Zuri’s naked body was a silhouette from the balcony doors as I lay in bed. She snuck closer toward the glass, then she gasped.
Lying propped in bed, I put my hands behind my head. “Relax, it’s dark in here. They can’t see you.”
“I know,” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “I just didn’t notice the million floating lanterns in the river. It’s so beautiful.”
“Come to think of it, I was supposed to propose there.”
She offered a teasing smirk while climbing into bed. “So, you did that second-rate proposal?”
“Please. That was Big Country first-class service. You’d say yes again.”
“A million times,” she murmured against my mouth.
“Let’s get to it.”
“Ugh. I’m talking about saying yes. You’re talking about sex, Montana.” She cupped my beard with her hands and kissed me like I was trouble, then pulled away. “My dress is torn. What story will we tell everyone?”
“I got you another dress … but I had expected when we said we were leaving to put Darius to bed, people might get the hint. Damn food and dinner got them thinking they can stay the night or something.”
“Yep.” She chuckled. “Too much food and drink. So do we sneak back or tell everyone it took Darius and them too long to fall asleep?”
“Bébé,”—I blinked at her—“Genèse’s boys and even Shanice’s little girl know not to fall asleep at a Mardi Gras party. They’re waiting on that king cake.”
She swatted my chest. “They saw through us?”
“Too the seams, bébé.” I leaned up, tasting her lips.
She jumped out of bed. “We gotta return to the party.” She picked up scraps of the purple dress and tossed them. “Useless! Montana, where’s the other dr—”
Knock.
I put my finger to my lips. “Shhh … get back in bed. I’ll tell you later.”
“Miss Zuri?” A little voice called out.
She wrapped herself in a throw blanket and went to open the door. “Yes, honey?”
I stared at one of Genèse’s sons. Always messing up a good thing. “Da man took Darius and told us to be quiet for king cake. I ain’t want nothing from him cause he was scary.”
I jumped from the bed, the linen around my lower half. “What you talking about?”
Zuri’s trembling hand dropped to her chest. “You’re-you’re kidding, right?”
The kid shook his head. He held up a piece of paper. “Da man gave me this.”