“But what if she wants something more? It is her first wedding, Bleu,” Pookie replied. “When she looks back at the wedding photos, it should bring tears to her eyes how gorgeous everything was on her special day. Not a bunch of men sitting around with sausages in their mouths.”
“I thought you’d like that kind of thing,” June Bug said, with a sneer.
“Not as much as your Mama does,” Pookie snapped.
“You get off my Mama!” June Bug said.
“Oh honey, I bet you grew up saying that to your Uncles and the men in the neighborhood, too,” Pookie said, turning up his nose as if he smelled an imaginary rotten egg.
Isiah’s phone rang and June Bug, disturbed at being the butt of the joke at the table, turned on him. “Bleu, no phone calls at the table. I know your Mama taught you better!” June Bug said.
He looked down at his phone, spotted the number, and tried not to smirk. “Too bad your Mama didn’t teach you the same thing,” Isiah said.
“You leave my Mama alone, all of you,” June Bug said, his face getting red.
“She’s the one calling me,” Isiah replied, taking the call.
“That is not my Mama calling you,” June Bug said adamantly.
Isiah spoke into the line, gave a few clipped answers, then said, “Yes ma’am he is right here. I don’t know why he is not answering his own phone. Of course. Of course.”
Isiah passed the phone across the table.
“Hello?” June Bug said, his eyes wide hearing his mother’s voice on the line. He mouthed to the table, I hate all of you.
Laughter filled the air as Chef brought out the chocolate cheesecake, coffee, and a special tea for DeShondra. Pookie announced the patio and decks got sprayed down for mosquitos just before their arrival if everyone wanted to venture outside with desserts. Isiah pulled June Bug to the side.
“Where’s your phone?” he asked the young man.
“It fell in the pond when I was adding some more fish the other day,” he said. “Bleu, I didn’t have the money to get another one, which is why I hadn’t called her. I should have said something, but I was waiting for a payday this Wednesday to get another one.”
“Or you could have borrowed a phone, which means you also haven’t checked in with your parole officer,” he said.
“I was gonna tell you when you came out today,” he said.
“Gonna, fixin’ to, and planned to ain’t going to keep you out of jail,” Isiah said. “Get Pookie to get you a new phone tomorrow, call your PO, let him know where you are and make this right. I don’t like your Mama calling me.”
“Will do Bleu. Thanks,” June Bug said.
“I’m counting on you to make this business work. Do your part, because I’m doing mine,” Isiah said.
“Yessir,” June Bug replied. “I won’t let you down.”
“You never have, and I know you won’t,” Isiah said, going out the back door. He found his soon-to-be-father-in-law leaning against the railing, watching Maya visually decorate a massive backyard with an invisible tent standing beside a huge gay black man.
“I want a chair for right here,” Xavier said.
“Your own special chair?” Isiah asked.
“Yes,” Xavier said. “This spot right here, you can clearly see all the grass, the pond, and I can almost see the horses grazing in the backfield. This spot would be perfect for my chair.”
Isiah handed him two fingers of Bourbon in a glass—with Isiah’s hands, it ended up being a three-fingered serving—which Xavier accepted. They would have to ride back with DeShondra to the house, but this moment required a stiff drink. Buster came outside as well with makeshift chairs, cigars, and more Bourbon from Isiah’s stash. In silence, they fired up the stogies, puffed lightly, and sat sipping.
Xavier inhaled moderately, looking at the man who had stolen his daughter’s heart. “Why do the men call you Bleu?”
“Unlike my brother’s, I got my Daddy’s blue eyes,” he said. “I also have a thing for bleu cheese.”
“He has a thing for bourbon, too,” Buster said.
“And cigars,” added June Bug.
Ray-Ray, who had been quiet the whole evening, spoke up. “He’s fanatical about his bluegrass in the yard as well.”
Xavier inhaled again, “I think I understand my son-in-law. Bleu, grass, and bourbon pretty much sum you up.”
“I’m much deeper than that, but yeah, it’s a good start,” Isiah said.
“A nice start, son. Welcome to my family,” Xavier said. “All of you. Welcome to the family.”
Glasses raised high, the clink of rattling ice cubes rang out as DeShondra watched from the kitchen window. Tears welled in her eyes that she’d finally found the right man with which to share her life. Well, he was found for her and then the oddest thing happened. She silently quoted her mother. “Tomato, potato,” she said laughing.
We are going to be happy here.
OCCASIONALLY, AS SHE drove, DeShondra would check in on the passengers in her back seat by looking in her rear-view mirror. Each turn she made, her Bourbon soaked father would slide in the seat, landing on Isiah, who politely would push him back to an upright position. After the fourth turn and drifting of a slightly inebriated dentist, Isiah didn’t bother to shift the man but allowed his head to rest upon his shoulder. Xavier’s mouth hung open from one too many tokes on the cigar and confusion as to why he accepted the second glass of Kentucky whiskey even though he wasn’t a drinker.
“You alright back there?” she asked her fiancé. In the rear-view mirror, a pair of wide blue eyes stared back at her in disbelief when his soon-to-be-father-in-law’s arm gripped him like a small child holding on in fear.
“No,” Isiah said. “I think your Daddy likes me a bit too much.” Dr. Leman, comfortable in his position, rested easily, half lying upon Isiah.
“He’s harmless,” Maya said from the front seat. Her sticker clad planner in hand, she jotted notes, added Pookie’s number to her phone, and began one of her infamous lists of things to do. “Baby, we need to discuss the wedding dress. Are you buying something new or do you trust me to handle it?’
“If possible, I would like to see three choices,” DeShondra said.
“Two makes it easier,” Maya responded. “I still have my wedding dress. A few alterations to your style and we could save money to put elsewhere. Plus, I need a budget.”
“Spend what you need,” Xavier mumbled. “I’m paying for this wedding.”
“Thank you, Sir, but that is not necessary,” Isiah replied.
“My baby is marrying a fine man. Doc X got you,” Xavier said, shifting in the seat, his head lolling. “I think I’m drunk.”
“I think you’re right,” Isiah said, getting a whiff of cigar and whiskey breath.
To DeShondra, it was adorable. Her father never let his guard down with anyone, let alone drank to the point of resting his head on another man’s shoulder. It spoke volumes about Isiah, who helped her father into the house. He loaded the man onto his bed, even removing his shoes. On the way out of the bedroom, he paused, noticing a photo on the dresser of Maya and Xavier on their wedding day. The dress, simple in design, highlighted the small figure of the bride, yet displayed grace and elegance. He imagined the dress with a few hints of blue in it on DeShondra and took the photo to the living room.
“Mrs. Leman, is this the dress you were talking about?” he asked.
“Yes, it is. I still have it. I kept it in case she wanted it for her wedding,” Maya said with a smile.
Pointing at it, he wanted to know. “Can the train be modified with hints of blue and maybe blue lace around the neckline?”
“Listen to you,” she said, “a man who wears plastic shoes talking fashion. Yes, I can do that easily.”
He grinned, running his hands over the hairs smothering his chin. “I can get my Mom to make the veil and bouquet,” he said. “Normally, I know men don’t get involved in this stuff, but this dress...on ‘Shondra...wow
. I can just see that baby blue train...she would look so amazing.”
The man’s attention to small details touched Maya. “I will make it happen,” she said, touching his shirt sleeve. Isiah noted the deep brown eyes Maya Leman had bequeathed to her daughter. In that instant he felt a sense of peace. Considering himself to be the lucky one, he would also inherit this woman as a mother, but law. He liked the idea of having her watchful eye over his family.
In response, he enveloped her in his arms, lifting her off the floor in a bear hug with a wet kiss on her cheek. DeShondra had made a beeline for the bathroom when she entered the house came out to find her Mom and man in the odd embrace. There was a story there, but she reserved her comments because she desperately needed her bed.
“Goodnight, Mom,” she said, as the embrace broke. Giving her mother a kiss, she pulled her fiancé out the door to the car. “What was that about?”
“She gave me a coupon for some shave gel,” he said chuckling.
“Funny, funny man,” DeShondra replied, backing out of the driveway and heading home. They rode in silence as he stared out the window, imagining her in the pretty white dress with a long flowing blue train. He didn’t know why the image made him so damned happy on the inside, but it did. “Penny for those happy thoughts?”
“Nope, mine,” he said. “Don’t want to share, but I can’t wait to marry you.”
“Fair enough,” came the response followed by, “Glad to know when you think about me it makes you smile like that.”
“It feels good to be...happy. This feels good. You and me and I mean,” he told her.
“Right there with you,” she replied, pulling up to the home she would be leaving soon. Her parents did need more space. The upstairs workroom could be her mother’s new sewing den and coupon clipping station versus the space she worked out of currently. It would make a nice gift for them along with hiring the one and only Pookie Jenkins to help her mother decorate.
“Now you’re smiling,” he said. “I hope you are thinking of me as well.”
“No, just this new life you’ve dropped in my lap.”
“I hope you’re liking it,” he said.
“I am loving it,” she told him. “You never realize the rut a body is stuck in until someone comes along and pulls out the stuck tires.”
“Same here,” he said, unlocking the front door with his new keys. Inside, he made them both cold glasses of water with a few ice cubes.
“I have bottled water in the fridge,” she told him.
“Bottled water is waste of money and increases your footprint on the planet,” he said. “I added a water filter system for the entire house and changed the filters on the fridge. You’re paying for the water to come into your home, no sense in paying to drink it out of a plastic container.”
He left her in the kitchen holding the glass as he made his way to the bedroom. Searching high and low for his dirty clothing, he called out to DeShondra in concern. “Where are my dirty clothes?”
“The housekeeper did the laundry today and put everything away,” she said, coming into the bedroom, noting the scowl on his face. “Is everything okay?”
“I can wash my own clothes,” he said.
“Understood, but she washes mine, so I told her to do yours as well,” she told him.
“Just feels weird, some woman I don’t know, handling my dirty drawers. It creeps me out,” he said. “She was here today and I didn’t even see her. I took a shower and came out of the bathroom and the bed had been made. The bed delivery people had just dropped the damned thing off. I’m telling you, it creeped me out.”
DeShondra undressed, washed her face, and prepared for bed as she listened to him. Isiah slid in between the covers, holding onto the remote for his side of the bed. He adjusted his side to a level of comfort, still talking about her creepy vampire-like housekeeper. “It just ain’t right. What if I had too much bourbon along with some Mexican food and couldn’t make it to the pot. Then Invisahousekeeper would be talking about me. I don’t know what Shondra sees in Mr. Peanutbutter poop pants,” he said and there was silence. She turned around and he was sleep. The gentle hum of the vibrating bed became the only sound in the room as her sleeping giant had succumbed to a bed which bragged on the perfect night’s sleep.
“Well, at least I know another way to shut you up that won’t give me rug burns,” she said, smiling as she watched him sleep. She touched the beard, still curious as to how the man looked without it and made a note to bring it up later in the week.
THE WEEK SPED BY QUICKLY and before she knew it, they were loading up in his monster truck, driving back to London on Thursday for the night, and then on to somewhere in Ohio that she could barely find on a map. So many questions ran through her head but she didn’t want to come across as a spoiled ass. However, in her mind, she saw no reason why they couldn’t fly to Ohio. Or why they were driving the truck which more than likely got 5 miles to the gallon instead of taking her car. More importantly, why were they going to London versus driving straight to Ohio so she could meet his family. I have a wedding in three weeks. My Mom plus a Pookie equals a color exploding disaster.
“I need to get home to check on the horses, talk to Jacob, change vehicles and get some things from the house to take to Gabe,” he said as if he’d equated the expressions on her face with the contents of her brain. “The movers are coming next week and I want to go over what to take and what to leave, based on your opinions.”
“Sounds good, but who is Jacob?” she asked as the monster truck rolled down the highway.
“You’ll meet him and rest of the family on this road trip to Hell Yeah!” he said with a loud, redneckish whoop.
DeShondra reached for the door handle, trying to get away, but Isiah had no intention of ever letting the little lady get away from him. He loved her and couldn’t wait for his parents to meet his intended. They were going to love her as well.
Chapter 16 – Mom, Dad, this is DeShondra
Isiah pulled the monster truck up in front of a freestanding three car garage. She waited inside as he climbed out to open the garage door, returning to pull the truck inside of the constructed building. Inside, she spotted a utility truck and a large SUV. Four ATV’s lined the far back wall and everything was neat, orderly, and labeled on the walls which held yard equipment, tools, and small machine shop equipment. Is he planning to move all of this?
“Come on, Baby, we need to talk to Jacob, check on my horses, and get the stuff from the house. I’m hoping to be out of here within the hour,” he said, coming around to help her down from the truck.
She was curious about the Jacob person, where he lived, but more importantly, if he needed or would be required to live with them once the horses were moved. Isiah led her around the side of the house towards the barn but detoured slightly to come to a trailer that she never knew existed. He rang the doorbell. The call of visitors at the door brought forth a young, good-looking black kid with a high and tight haircut, loads of teen muscles, sad eyes, and freckles across his nose.
“Hey Boss,” the kid said.
“How ya doing, Kiddo? Come on out and meet my lady. DeShondra, this is Jacob Wallace. He takes care of the horses and keeps the grass from getting overgrown in the fields,” Isiah said. “Jacob, this is my intended, DeShondra Leman.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said, giving the young man a smile, but he did not return the pleasantry. He gave her a nod, looking at her with those intense sad brown eyes.
“Jacob, the movers are coming next week for the horses and this trailer. Please make sure you box up anything on the shelves—glasses, dishes, and those kinds of things,” Isiah told him. “You ready to roll?”
“I guess,” the young man said, shifting his stance. “Tom Welling came by again yesterday. He still is interested in bringing Brutus to sire a foal with Lady. He upped his price.”
“No,” Isiah said. “That stallion is mean and he will not get his hooves on my Lady. Tom’s horse is
an asshole, and so is he. I don’t want to be horse related to that man. Anything else I need to know?”
“Just the ducks and chickens, do they ride with me?” Jacob asked.
“I’ll be here to take the horses, so they can ride along with me,” Isiah said, looking at the sallow cheeks on the young man. “Have you been eating right since I’ve been gone?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Jacob said.
“No kindas are accepted in my world, Jacob,” Isiah said. “You can’t take care of my horses if you can’t take care of yourself. We had an agreement. I don’t respect a man who can’t keep his word.”
“I keep my word, Boss. I just, well, it’s kinda lonely without you here,” he said. “Don’t like eating by myself.”
“I’ll be back in a couple of days,” he told him. “In the meantime, you eat right, and we will move you out next week.”
A slight smile came to his face. “Okay, but you need to go say hi to them. They miss you, too,” Jacob said.
“Come here,” Isiah told the young man, embracing him briefly with a fatherly type of hug. “I count on you, but you are no good to me if you are sick. I’m lining you up a counselor in Louisville to continue your sessions. I can’t worry that every time I’m gone you won’t do right.”
Isiah let him go as Deshondra watched the interaction between the two. Jacob was too old to be Isiah’s son unless he was a prom night baby. Maybe another felon he’s hired?
“I’m getting better,” Jacob said.
“Getting better is a term used for people who aren’t convinced they can be the best,” Isiah said. “You need anything before I go?”
“Naw, I bought groceries and more feed already,” he said.
“Good enough. I added more funds to the account this morning,” Isiah said, patting Jacob’s shoulder, his eyes turn towards the barn. Jacob pointed to the red building, encouraging Isiah to head in that direction. “I’m going to see them now.”
DeShondra had seen the two horses grazing in the fields but had never been up close and personal to either animal. She didn’t ride and had no interest in it, but these animals meant a great deal to her intended. As they entered the barn, she found that the horses felt the same way about their owner. Hooves kicked at stall doors, trying to get out for a moment of attention with their owner.
Bleu, Grass, Bourbon Page 15
