Blue Autumn in the Bayou (Gumbo Love)

by Clay, Ann

Travis smacked him on the back. “Well, guess it’s going to be a very long time, Ry!”

  “Yeah, I guess so. Now let’s talk about the festivities for tonight. That sounds more appetizing than marriage, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yes, indeed!”

  * * * *

  Travis picked up Michael first and then pulled up to Trae’s house. “Come on Trae. That woman will be here when you get back.” Travis honked his horn to get Trae’s attention. He and Reggie stood in the door in a lip lock and pretty much ignored Travis and his horn blowing. “Look, man. We can leave you and find someone else to join this Brooks pack.”

  “Haters,” he mumbled into Reggie’s mouth as he continued the tease her sweet lips.

  She attempted to pull away. “Go, enjoy yourself. I’ll be here when you get back.” She gave him a final peck.

  “I love you.”

  She blew him a kiss. “I love you.”

  “Goodness, would you look at this!” Travis barked as he raised both hands before landing one down on the horn once again. “Come on, slow poke!”

  “I’m coming, hold your horses.” Trae climbed into the back of Travis’s SUV. “So, where are we headed?”

  “Don’t you worry about it, little brother. Could I use your cell phone for a minute?” Michael stuck his hand out to Trae.

  Trae handed him his BlackBerry. “Where’s your phone?” he asked.

  “The same place yours will be, my little brother.” He tossed the phone into the glove compartment as Travis pulled away from the curb.

  A frown formed on Trae’s forehead. “Okay, where are we headed?”

  “Just hang tight. Your brothers will never lead you astray.”

  The three brothers pulled up to a split-level house raised four feet above the ground on brick piers. The full-width front gallery framed by six columns supporting entablature bolstered with music, friends, cousins, and fraternity brothers. They all yelled, “Surprise!” when the trio walked through the black iron gates.

  When Trae spotted Rykard standing in the wings, he lost it. He immediately greeted his best friend. “What the hell are you doing here, man? You told me you were headed to Jacksonville until Thursday.”

  “Yeah, well, what I should have told you was that I was really headed to New Orleans. It’s good to see you, old friend.” Rykard wrapped an arm around him.

  “Hey, break this crap up, man. If I didn’t know any better I would think you were whining.” Trae turned just as Corey moved into the circle.

  Trae turned to greet yet another of his college buddies, and before long, he’d greeted almost his entire college football team. Overwhelmed, he exclaimed, “Wow!”

  Before he could recover, Travis shoved a cold beer into his hand. “Enough of your damn moping, baby boy! It’s time to party. Let the festivities begin.”

  Trae forgot he’d promised Reggie that he wouldn’t be out long. But by the time strippers broke out of a large box cake, pushed in by several of his FRAT brothers, it was long after 3:00 a.m. with no end in sight for the party that continued going strong. One too many bourbon shots and beer challenges, Trae had abandoned any thought of calling home to let his bride-to-be know that he’d been kidnapped.

  * * * *

  Autumn squinted at her cell phone’s caller ID. When she’d talked to Reggie earlier, Reggie had told her that Trae was hanging out with his brothers, which gave them a chance to talk and take care of some of the last-minute details for the wedding. She now wondered if Reggie had forgotten to give instructions for her return trip later that day. Autumn had already ordered her to bring up shrimp and crabs for the gumbo supper she and Trae planned for Saturday evening.

  Autumn opened the flap to her phone case and placed the phone to her ear. “Don’t tell me you’re still ordering me around at three in morning, Pic-Wic,” she groaned into the phone. But Autumn sat straight up in bed when she heard the concern in Reggie’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. This might sound silly, but Trae is not home yet, and I’m a little worried.”

  “Didn’t you say he was hanging out with his brothers?” Autumn stifled a yawn, and pushed back the layers of covers. She’d driven to Mona’s house shortly after dropping Mer Drace off back her house after mass. Mona kept her house cool, so she supplied Autumn with several quilts to make her comfortable.

  “Yes, but if I know Trae, he had no plans to be out this late.”

  “Did he drive?”

  “No. Travis and Michael picked him up.”

  Just hearing his name made Autumn’s pulse accelerate. The more time she spent on the island, out on the beach, the more her thoughts wandered back to Travis. She remembered how vulnerable he looked at his great-uncle’s casket, and the sight of him in his mother’s backyard preparing the crab boil he’d shared with her and her friends.

  “Well, Regg, honey, did you try to call him or Michael?” She dared not call Travis’s name for fear it would reveal just how much she ached to see him again. She strongly anticipated her return to the city. She had yet to figure out how to approach him, but she decided she had plenty of time to figure things out during the long drive back to New Orleans.

  “Yes. I called all three of them, left messages, and have gotten no callbacks. Where can they be?”

  “I’m sure they’re fine, Reggie. Maybe the boys threw him a bachelor party. I can’t imagine anything has happened to them. You would have heard by now from his parents.”

  Reggie knew Autumn was right, even though the revelation didn’t sit well with her; Trae’s parents would have called her if something had really happened to him. An hour later, Trae fumbled with the key in the doorway. Reggie had camped out in a parlor chair to wait for him, and quickly went to the door to snatch it open. She glared at him. “I’ve been worried sick!”

  A stumbling Trae looked at his angry wife-to-be and grinned from ear to ear. “Hi, beautiful.” He slurred the words.

  He watched Reggie turn on her heel and bolted up the stairs without saying a single word. Her quick movement made his head spin. “Whoa, not so fast, babe. I can’t see you. Ohh. Not so loud either, baby. My head hurts.” He managed to close the door behind him, and stumbled up the stairs. He couldn’t quite make it to his master bedroom, so he pushed opened the door to the first bedroom up the stairs and crashed facedown onto the bed.

  * * * *

  Autumn had talked to Reggie when she was about forty-five minutes west of the city. “Are you okay, sugah? Don’t be so hard on him. Trae has never done anything like this before. Surely he has an explanation.”

  “What I know is that he’s hung-over and didn’t even make it to the room last night. After I’ve slammed every door, cabinet, and whatever else I could in this house, I’m certain he’ll think twice about the next time he decides to stay out all night. Hell, there better not be a next time, or I’m taking him out.” Reggie fumed.

  “It sounds like our groom had a huge bachelor party. So you can’t blame him, but you can blame the hosts. And we know who those are, right?”

  “I’m sure I can think of a few names.”

  “Well, listen. I’ll be pulling up in less than an hour. We can figure out what to do when I get there, okay?”

  “Okay. Be careful. I’ll see you soon.”

  * * * *

  Trae slept a drunken sleep, even through the door slamming, pot rattling, and music blasting. He was unaware that Autumn was in the house and had begun to help Reggie with the food preparations for the evening meal. The smell of the food was what pulled him from his stupor. He slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, hoping to dislodge the eighteen-wheeler that had fallen on his head. The lingering throb started from the back of his head and continued through to his temples. With measured pace, he pulled up from the bed and staggered straight to the shower.

  After a long shower, Trae slipped into a pair of running shorts and a shirt. His stomach growled as loud as rumbling thunder, so he padded down to the kitchen. He vaguely rememb
ered the scorn on Reggie’s face. He knew he was in trouble, but hoped with some fast sweet-talking he would be able to defend himself. Just as he stepped off the last stair, Autumn rounded the corner.

  “Well, I’d say. It’s the night crawler. I hope you feel better than you look, because you’re going to get your ass chewed this afternoon.” She smiled and kept on moving.

  Trae groaned. “Can you not yell so loud?” he mumbled at her retreating back. If Autumn heard him, she ignored him and kept going. So, he shuffled into the kitchen. “Hi, baby. How are you?”

  Reggie didn’t face him at first. Instead she continued to stir ingredients in the oversized pot on the stovetop grill. When she finally faced him, Trae knew with certainty that he regretted the night before, not just because of the hangover, but also because of the disappointment he saw on Reggie’s face. He moved farther into the kitchen and stood several feet away. “I’m sorry about last night, baby. They kidnapped me, took my phone.”

  Reggie had yet to utter a word. She just looked at him with contempt. He speculated that once she got over the fact that something horrible had not happened to him, her worry had turned to frustration and disappointment. He knew she’d planned everything to be perfect for their wedding. He could tell by the look on her face that his late night partying was not a part of her celebration plans. He would do anything to change that look right now. “Say something, Reggie,” he pleaded.

  Autumn walked back into the kitchen at that moment. “You’re lucky.” She walked past him and slapped him on the back.

  “All you had to do was call me.” Reggie finally caved in.

  “I know, sweetie. That’s just it, not only did they kidnapped me, but my phone as well. Forgive me?” He closed the space between them. “I love you. I love you so much, baby.”

  “Oh, Lord.” Autumn slapped the towel on the counter and left through the patio door. “I need some air.”

  Trae lowered his head and trailed small kisses down the sides of Reggie’s face. “I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, sweetheart, I promise.”

  “You stink.” She pushed from his embrace. “Even after a shower you reek of stale alcohol.”

  “Sorry. Do you forgive me?” He lifted her chin with his fingers. “Please.”

  “Tell me this is not going to happen again, because if it is, we can save ourselves time and money by forgetting about next Saturday.”

  “It won’t happen again, I promise. So how about it? Did I tell you how much I love you?”

  “That’s your only saving grace!”

  “Thanks, baby.” He pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “Now do you think you can fix your man something to eat?”

  Without a single word, she pointed to a covered dish on the warmer. Trae squeezed her tight. “That’s my girl, thanks.”

  “Hurry, we’re expecting company in a couple of hours and you still have chores to do.” She pulled away from him and continued with her task.

  Reggie was still in the kitchen when Travis arrived shortly after everyone else had gathered in the family room with a keg of beer in tow. She’d called him shortly after her conversation with Trae, and he told her that he, too, had just a little too much to drink; and that he had no intentions of drinking anything today. Still she reminded him that he was designated to bring the booze and had to pick up the wine and beer. When he arrived, Rykard trailed closely behind him with the case of wine snuggled up against his chest.

  “Rykard!” Reggie leaped toward him. She’d not seen him since their trip to Atlanta nearly a year before. However, she’d talked to him over the last couple of months. Rykard assured her that he wouldn’t miss their big day for nothing in the world. Reggie worried that his involvement in their wedding would drudge up hurtful memories of Valerie, his college sweetheart, but they hadn’t thus far.

  “Hi, Reggie. It’s great to see you, Lil’ bit. You look fabulous.” He hugged her snuggly.

  “I’m so happy you’re here. Trae didn’t tell me you were here. I’m going to skin him alive.”

  “He was just as surprised. I got here late yesterday afternoon. I hope you didn’t rag him too badly for hanging out last night.”

  “Well, I should have, but you know he’s got a way of making me really sweet on him.”

  “Yeah, I know, but it’s mutual.”

  “Thank you for sharing this time with us, Ry.”

  “Like I said, I had to be here, not just for Trae but for you too. Val would want it that way.” He looked into her sweet brown eyes.

  Reggie tipped up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. I know she’s here with us in spirit. I feel it.”

  * * * *

  “What’s all the fuss about?” Travis’s voice vibrated throughout the entire room.

  Autumn’s body stilled as the sound of his voice reached her; the low timbre flooded her senses with anticipation. She fidgeted with the tray of deviled eggs to keep her mind from totally betraying her overwhelming desire to turn and wrap her arms around him. Energy beamed between them, so much so that she fought to control her now trembling hand. She could smell his aftershave lotion the moment he stepped into the room. The chitchat of the others was lost on her–she didn’t hear anything they’d said. Her attention centered on him exclusively. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she turned to face him.

  CHAPTER 10

  Travis’s voice trailed off when he caught a glimpse of Autumn at the counter with her back to him. His control nearly slipped but he quickly reined it in. His dark eyes narrowed as he watched her stand with her back to him. So she wants to be off limits, she can be just that. His expression hardened to indifference. When she turned to face him, instead of meeting her gaze, he turned first to Reggie and then Denise. “Hey lil’sis.” His kissed them both on the forehead. “Where do you want me to put this?”

  “Down here.” Reggie led the way to the sunken den. “Here would be fine.” She pointed to an empty spot behind the bar. “Did you see Autumn in the other room?”

  Travis didn’t answer immediately. He connected the hose to the keg before he looked up at her. “Yeah, I did. What’s up?”

  “What’s up is that you’d been asking about her. Now she’s here and you didn’t even speak to her.”

  Travis sighed heavily before his hands got busy once again with hooking up the keg. “Your friend wants me to stay away. That’s exactly what I plan to do. We’re going to march up that aisle together on Saturday, and we’ll each provide a notable toast, and then we don’t ever have to see each other again.” He paused to acknowledge her.

  “She needs a little time, Travis. I think she likes you.”

  “I’m not interested anymore, Regg, okay?” He wasn’t surprise when Reggie’s mouth dropped open and she looked at him as if he was suddenly a stranger.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Yes, I am. I don’t have time for the games. It’s probably better this way.”

  “Okay,” Reggie’s hands dropped to her sides and she backed away from the bar. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Travis nodded at her without a word. When she turned to leave the room, he just stood there for a moment. He laid his hand on top of the bar and didn’t move. Deep in thought, he contemplated his decision. He decided to stick with his choice. If she went out of her way to avoid him, it was best if he kept his distance. Apparently she did, and he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

  Travis went back to finishing his chore. Michael came in just when he ran the first tab. “You’re just in time.” He handed the cold draft to his brother.

  “Thanks, TK. You’re not having any?”

  “Hell, nah! I had way too many last night! I still have a headache.” He nodded.

  * * * *

  Autumn’s senses went into overdrive. Not only did Travis ignore her, but everyone in the room knew he had. The tremble rose up past her neck and her body felt wobbly all over. She grabbed the back of a chair to keep erec
t. This is what happens when you leave yourself open to people. She berated herself silently. The reaction did not slip pass Trae or Reggie. Trae came to her side. Reggie led Travis into the den, but she looked back at her friend and saw the devastation on her face.

  “Are you okay?” Trae whispered closed to her ear.

  “Yes.” She faked a shaky smile. “I guess I should have eaten something. I’m good. Who’s your friend?” She attempted to take the attention away from her.

  “Ry, come meet Reggie’s friend, Autumn. I don’t think you got to meet her when she came up to Grambling.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Reggie must be alright?” Rykard smiled openly at Autumn and stuck out his hand.

  Autumn ignore the extended hand and reached up to hug Rykard instead. “The pleasure is mine. It’s great to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “And it’s all lies!” He pulled back and smiled down into her beautiful face.

  “Really, it’s been all good stuff.”

  “Well, in that case, it’s all true.”

  They all laughed.

  Reggie reentered the room at the sound of everyone’s laughter. She moved next to Autumn and stuck her arm through her friend’s. “I see you met Rykard. It really feels like old times.”

  “Excuse me, I better go and check on the food. Be back in a bit.” Autumn slipped from Reggie’s embrace and went back into the kitchen. The food was done and ready to eat. What she needed most was a place to pick up her bruised feelings. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she refuse to let them come forward. She was ready to open up to Travis, but apparently, that was a foolish notion on her part.

  Autumn offhandedly snatched up a top from a pot when someone walked in. It was Travis. She could tell without turning around. She stirred the contents but didn’t look back or acknowledge him. She heard the refrigerator door open and close, and could sense that he was watching her. However, she refused to give into this game he was playing with her. She waited, hoping he was say something, anything that would force her to turn to face him. A moment passed and then she heard his footsteps leave the room. Autumn dropped the top back onto the pot and then walked out the patio door. The humid air gave her no reprieve. She leaned on the overhang and closed her eyes. When she felt more in control of her emotions, she returned to the house and joined everyone in the den. The conversation was lighthearted and jovial.