My mouth dropped open in shock and Jonah had to cover his laugh with a fake cough.
Mama Kerri came bustling around the kitchen counter and narrowed her gaze at Blessing.
“Don’t be mad at me for telling the truth. I call ’em like I see ’em.” She sipped her wine and fluffed her hair as though she were queen of the castle. Then again, Blessing couldn’t have looked more regal with the black corkscrew ’fro she dialed in perfectly, her impeccably tailored clothes, and always stunning accessories. It definitely paid to be a sought-after fashion designer.
From the hallway, Charlie bustled in cutting off Mama.
“Hey, sister,” she said, then stopped and looked me up and down the same way that Blessing had. She walked over to me with a huge smile on her face, and lifted her hand for a high-five. I had no other choice but to play along. Everyone knew you didn’t leave a high-five hanging. I bet it was bad luck or something. Either way, I wasn’t going to risk any form of potential bad juju. I’d had enough for a lifetime already.
“Right on, Si. You’re absolutely glowing.” She lifted her hand to Jonah who chuckled but dutifully high-fived her. “Good man. Sealing the deal. I like it,” Charlie added for Jonah’s benefit.
“Mama,” I groaned.
She smiled and waved me into her arms. I went straight in and nestled my face against her strawberry blonde hair. The floral scent I associated with her filled my lungs and I instantly felt a sense of peace flow over me.
Mama Kerri eased back and cupped my cheeks. “How’s my chicklet doing?”
“Oh, you know, besides a serial killer coming after me and my family, I’m hanging in there.”
She grinned and kissed my forehead. “Good.” She let me go and then went over to Jonah and pulled him into a hug too. My heart swelled and I tried not to show how much it meant that she was accepting my new boyfriend into the fold.
“And how’s our favorite FBI hero? Feeling better, I see. Your skin certainly has more color too.” She kept her hands on her shoulders to assess him. “Any residual pain?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I’m doing well. Your daughter has been taking good care of me. Except I did hear something about homemade pizzas from a little princess running around here…” He let the words trail off.
“Pizza!” Rory screeched from the other side of the room where she was sitting by Liliana playing Barbies.
I waved at Liliana and she smiled and made the Barbie wave on her behalf. This made Rory giggle which I assumed was the point.
“We have plenty of pizza. I’ve got a large cooling and two more larges ready to go. Would you like a beer or wine?”
“Wine for me, Mama, but I can get it. Jonah?”
“Beer me, sweetheart,” he rumbled and followed me into the kitchen.
“Where’re Sonia and Addy?” I didn’t even ask about Tabitha. We all knew she was avoiding us due to her relapse.
Jonah took a load off on one of the high-backed white barstool seats at the large curved counter. I pulled a Miller Lite from the fridge, popped the top, and handed it to my man.
“Thanks, baby.” He winked. I swooned. My heart pounded a happy rhythm in my chest as I smiled and danced over to where the glasses and wine had already been set out.
“I see someone is in a good mood.” Mama grinned and handed me her glass to refill.
“Sonia and Addy?” I asked my question again.
“Sonia is right here and in desperate need of wine…stat!” My sister entered the room wearing a form-fitting black suit with a gray silk blouse. She shoved off her blazer and hung it over the chair next to Jonah. “Hello, Jonah. You’re looking chipper today.”
He grinned then his gaze cut to mine as a sexy as sin smile slipped across his face. “I’m doing good. Thank you. You seem rather frazzled?”
“Ugh. The media is going bonkers over the Backseat Strangler and my family connection. Ryan did the press release with me today and updated the public the best we could. They’re still ravenous.” She sighed long and deep. “Simone, that wine got a funnel? You could just put it in my mouth and pour.”
I chuckled and used a heavy hand pouring her glass. Instead of the standard four ounces, I went with a solid seven. I carefully brought it over to her and set it down. It barely touched the counter before she murmured, “Bless you,” and picked it up, sucking back a wallop of wine. She winced but did it again.
“We could probably break out the tequila if your day was that bad,” I teased.
She shook her head and took another large drink. “Nope. I’m good. Just needed to get a head start on numbing the many voices swirling in my head.”
I nodded, poured Mama’s wine and my own, then handed Mama hers.
Mama had just cut the pizza and was serving slices to Jonah and Sonia. She set aside a slice of cheese she’d cut into three really skinny pieces then took the plate over to the glass table where Rory’s booster seat already was buckled into one of the chic dining chairs. “Come on, baby, pizza’s done.”
“You spoil her, Mama.” Genesis entered the space, her long dark hair hanging beautifully down her back in a perfectly flat sheet, the white romper she wore with a gold belt tied around her waist giving her a golden goddess appeal. She kissed Mama on the cheek and then came to me and wrapped me in her arms.
I held on to her while Mama fussed over Rory.
“Why do you think I had eight daughters? Multiply that by one or two and you’ve got eight to sixteen grandchildren. I have the rest of my life to spoil my grandbabies and there is nothing any of you can do about it.” She patted Rory’s cheek and gazed at her granddaughter as though she made the sun set each day and the moon rise each night.
There was no “adopted” in Mama Kerri’s world. We were just her girls. Her baby chicks. And any children we had would be her grandchildren. And not a word would sway her differently.
“How you really doin’, Si?” Genesis asked.
I hugged her tight. “Good. Really good.”
“Simone, you haven’t told them your news?” Jonah reminded me as he took a monster bite of pizza and closed his eyes as though he had just tasted a little bit of Heaven.
My temperature rose and excited butterflies took flight in my stomach. “Oh my God! Guess what?”
Blessing entered the kitchen, snagged a plate and a cheesy piece of pizza, and shoved an unladylike amount into her mouth. “What?” she asked around a mouthful.
“I got a new job! One with a real salary and medical benefits. And they are going to let me finish up my last course to get my Associates degree…get this. While on the job! Can you believe it?”
Sonia set her wine glass down. “Does this mean you’re quitting the bar and the waitressing job?”
I nodded excitedly. “Yep! Well technically I already quit the greasy spoon but I’ll be calling Tracks tomorrow. Probably during my lunch break as the office manager in training at A+ Construction.” I let my voice rise with my joy.
Blessing held out a fist and I bumped it with my own. We both allowed them to explode. Genesis held me tight. “That’s amazing, Simone. I’m so proud of you. I know you’ve been having a rough go of it, even before all this stuff,” she waved her hand in the air for emphasis, “was happening. This is awesome.”