“You told me,” Laney explained, “to decorate each room in the house anyway I wanted. Remember?”
Exasperated, Ray held his arms wide open. “Baby, I didn’t mean my office.”
Laney smiled sweetly. “You said every room and your office is a room. Am I correct, darling?”
Zach walked up, turned Ray around, and took him off to the side. “Listen, brother-in-law, let me help ya out here. Might be wise to backup off this one. Ya going down in defeat anyway.”
“Like hell,” Ray shot back.
Zach chuckled. “Brother-in-law, ya woman just delivered a TKO. Plus, she’s got her posse backing her up. Even got your two best friends on her side.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Look at ‘em.”
Ray turned around and faced his sisters and sister-in-laws who all stood with their arms folded over their chest, daring him to say something. Then his gaze landed on Smitty and Wesson who’d heeled in front of Laney. He had another name for man’s best friend—turncoats. Laney stood calmly and her mouth had taken on that stubborn set, which meant she wouldn’t back down. He felt a twinge of amusement because she had the ability to cut a person down to the quick and not utter a word, and that included him. It wasn’t going to work today. “I not backing off of nothing,” he said with finality.
“Huh, Ray…” A.J. grimaced. “I hate to tell you this, but you don’t have a room whether it’s your house or not. What’s theirs is theirs and what’s yours is theirs.”
Marcel overhead the exchange and added his two cents. “Petite frère, A.J.’s right. You may not be aware of this, but you’re experiencing your first ‘yes baby’ moment.”
Ray frowned at Marcel. “What’s that?”
A.J. chuckled. “It’s when sanity prevails so your woman doesn’t go on strike by telling you sorry dear, I’ve got a headache, tonight.”
It took a moment, but Ray finally comprehended the meaning. “They do that?”
Marcel, A.J., Zach, and Alcee said simultaneously, “Yes!”
“Brother-a-law,” Zach said, and placed his hand at the back of Ray’s head, moving it back and forth. “This here is how ya respond. G’on head a get a little practice in.”
Ray glanced at Marcel, A.J., Zach, and Alcee with his mouth wide open. They simply smiled and the unspoken male exchange meant it was time for him to concede defeat. He left the room, grumbling under his breath. “It’s a shame…just a doggone shame a man can’t decorate his own office.” He lifted up the index finger on his left hand. “One room, that’s all I asked for. One room.”
~ ~ ~
Thursday night, Ray sat in the room he’d turned into a game room, brooding. He’d invited all the men in his family as well as Charles and Big Eddie over to his house. Laney’s grandfather and uncle volunteered to handle the fish fry duties and were outside putting the finishing touches on the meal. He stayed behind with the rest of the family for a game of poker. He’d hoped the company would lift him out of his funk. The soiree Laney planned for the women Tuesday evening was now in its second day and she’d been MIA. Even worse, she hadn’t called him.
Leaning forward slightly, he clasped his hands between his legs. He’d missed her not being with him, had missed seeing her lazy grin or smelling her baby-fresh scent whenever she walked into the room. Since the night she’d return to Olivia, he’d accepted the fact that Laney was his. He knew it with a primal sense of possession that overrode everything else.
Marcel walked in with a bottle of Corona in his hand. He held it out to Ray. “It’s nice and cold, just the way you like it.”
Ray waved off the offer and sulked even more.
Confused, Marcel placed the bottle on the tale and glanced over at A.J., Zach, Alex, and his father, Alcee. “What’s wrong with petite frère?”
“I’ll give you one guess.” Alex chuckled.
Marcel threw his head back, roaring with laughter. “Umm-hmm. Didn’t I tell you this was going to happen to you one day?”
“Shut up, mon frère,” Ray snapped.
“I will not.” Marcel rubbed at his jaw as if deep in concentration. “Let’s see, weren’t you the same man a couple of years ago who teased me about being in love when I invited Caitlyn to family week?”
A.J. chuckled. “Oh, he’s the one, all right. He did the same thing to me when I was chasing after Honey.”
“Brother-in-law,” Zach said, “Ya don’ told her yet?”
With a little more compassion than the others, Alcee smiled. “Listen, Ray is human and humans make mistakes.” He peered over his half-rimmed glassed. “I’m sure he’ll correct his error before long. Right, son?”
Alex snorted. “If he can ever come up for air. Every time Laney comes anywhere near him, he starts to hyperventilate.”
“What!” Ray exclaimed and was on his feet in an instant. “Don’t let me put you on blast. Don’t think I haven’t spotted you trailing behind Nicki like a lost puppy dog trying to find its way home.”
A.J. nudged his brother-in-law, Zach, who sat next to him. “He’s worst off than I thought.”
“Yep,” Zach nodded in agreement. “Got it bad, too.”
Reaching inside his pocket, Ray fished out his car keys.
The other men glanced at each other for a moment and burst into laughter.
Finally, Marcel settled down enough to pose a question as he wiped away tears of mirth. “Huh, petite frère, where are you heading off, too?”
Ray shot his brother a hard glare. “You know what, mon frère? You can pack your bags and book right on back to Oakland. Tonight!”
Ray whirled around and headed for the door, ignoring the laughter erupting behind him.
~ ~ ~
Laney was ecstatic when Raphael’s sisters, sister-in-laws, and Mama Z accepted her invitation for a soirée at Olivia Tuesday evening. She walked into the main salon followed by Nicki carrying a tray with a big pitcher of ice tea and several glasses and sat it on the coffee table. “Thank you all so much for coming to Memphis and celebrating Raphael’s housewarming party.”
Brie waved a dismissive hand. “Sweetie, there’s no need to thank us. We should be thanking you for taking care of Ray and doing what you did to keep the paparazzi away from him.”
“That’s right.” Moni nodded in agreement. “Your plan was brilliant. Besides, I’m sure you’ve learned by now that Ray’s not the easiest person to live with.”
Aimee snorted. “And on top of all of that, he’s spoiled!”
“Hush up, all of ya,” Mama Z said. “That there boy ain’t no mo’ spoiled than all of y’all.” She winked at Laney. “Ya keep on doing what ya doing, child.”
Laney smiled at the family matriarch and nodded. “I plan to do just that.”
Moni waited until Nicki took her seat next to her, then posed her question. “Is it my imagination or are you and Alex a little more than friends?”
Brie rolled her eyes. “Here we go, again. Moni, for once, can’t you stay out of other folks business?”
Moni placed her hands at her hip. “Listen, Brie, I’m just looking out for the well-being of our brother. That’s all.”
Yeah, right,” Aimee mumbled under her breath.
“Well,” Moni coaxed. “You never answered my question, Nicki.”
Nicki glanced over at Laney who simply offered a half smile. She turned to face Moni. “Since you’re so interested in my social life, I assume I have the same freedom to get into yours. Right?”
Brie exchanged a high five with Aimee and said, “Checkmate.”
Caitlyn and Vic covered their mouths with their hands, trying to contain their laughter.
Mama Z chuckled. “Monique Desiree Baptiste Tate, I think ya don’ finally met your match.”
“Well,” Moni huffed.
“So, Laney,” Brie said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. “When’s the wedding?”
Laney pondered the question in silence. She was fully aware of her feelings for Raphael. She loved him so much, at times it
frightened her. Although he’d told her how much he needed and wanted her, he’d never mentioned the word love.
She knew from the day she invited him into her home that it wasn’t a temporary arrangement for her. Everything she’d done for Raphael had been worth it and then some. She’d never felt even the slightest twinge of excitement with any other man as she felt for Raphael Baptiste. There were a lot of people who only experienced love once in their lifetime. She was one of them. Laney glanced over at Brie. “Raphael hasn’t asked me to marry him.”
“What?” Vic exclaimed.
“Laney,” Caitlyn said, “Trust me, he will. Sweetheart, Baptiste men love deep.”
“How do you know that,” Laney asked.
“Laney,” Caitlyn said, “Marcel almost beat my ex-boyfriend to death because he threatened physical violence against me in front of him.”
“Well, I can go one better,” Vic quipped. “Baptiste was on the verge of giving a lethal injection to the man who rear-ended me and sped away without stopping to help. Zach locked all of us in jail when we interfered with his police investigation.”
Laney looked straight ahead with a concentrated look. “Was Raphael involved in either incident?”
Caitlyn and Victoria looked at each other and answered in unison. “Yes.”
Vic scooted to the edge of the sofa. “Listen, there’s a sure fire way for you to know when to start making plans for your wedding.”
“And that is,” Laney asked, her gaze bouncing between Caitlyn and Vic.
“Baptiste men have nicknames they call the woman who’ve captured their hearts.” Vic pointed to Caitlyn. “Marcel calls her Cat Eyes.”
Caitlyn pointed to Vic. “And A.J. calls her Honey.”
Before Laney could respond, she heard the front door open and a voice call out to her. “Red…where are you, baby?”
Laney smiled. At that very moment, she knew without a doubt she’d accomplished the goal she’d set out to achieve four months ago, which was to win Raphael Baptiste’s heart.
~ ~ ~
Ray and Laney walked down the staircase at Olivia with their fingers entwined on the last day of his family’s visit. While they waited for his family to arrive, Ray figured it would be a good time to introduce himself to Laney’s family. Why was he getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach? “Now tell me again about your cousins.”
Laney smiled, her eyes going soft. “Relax, darling. You know everything there is to know. They’re harmless.”
Ray and Laney spotted Alex in the hallway and joined him. The trio stood at the entranceway to the main salon. Suddenly, the friendly chatter ebbed to a deafening silence.
Harmless hell, Ray thought. He eyed the family members he’d never met. With military alertness, they stood with their feet braced apart, hands folded at their back. Five stone faces stared him down like he had a contagious disease. Big Eddie had placed his marked on all his sons. They were all dark, tall, and burly. He caught a glimpse of Big Eddie out the corner of his eye. His ally over the months gave him nothing more than a shrug and one of those “you on your own” looks.
The man dead smack in the middle got Ray’s immediate attention. His gaze roamed over the grayish temples and rock steady hands. This had to be the world-renowned neurosurgeon. Okay, which one was a farmer, he wondered? There he was to the left, wearing jeans and thick-soled boots. The other three, the identical triplets, were the ones who made him swallow real hard. Laney had told him about the ex-navy SEALS who now worked in intelligence for the government. All of them looked like they included steel in their diets. He was certain they could kick some serious ass, too.
“Oh shit,” Alex mumbled under his breath.
“You got that right.” Ray nudged Alex in the side, his tone just above a whisper. “You packing, right?”
Alex nodded.
“Keep your trigger finger ready just in case,” Ray joked.
Nicki strutted across the room and took her place next to Alex. She swept her hand out. “Detective, I’d like to introduce you to my brothers.”
Laney scanned her cousins, assessing their demeanor. She peeked around Ray and glanced at Nicki and Jewel with a worried look.
Nicki walked over and stood in front of her brothers. With her arms folded over her chest. “Stop it, right now. Are you all crazy?”
The neurosurgeon said, “Sis, you didn’t tell us there was another one we needed to worry about.” He pointed at Alex. “Who is he?”
Nicki frantically cried out, “M’Dear!”
Ida Mae burst into the room from the kitchen. “What’s wrong, child?”
Nicki pointed across the room. “They’re doing it, again.”
Ida Mae pivoted her petite frame and faced her five sons. With one hand on her hip and the other waggling in front of her, she issued a stern warning. “All of ya, go sit down somewhere. Ain’t having this kinda behavior from ya today.”
The neurosurgeon’s eyes flickered and his voice sounded like deep, rolling thunder. “We’re not doing anything, M’Dear. We’re just trying to find out a little more about Raphael…and his friend.”
“Now hold up,” Ray said, defensively. “That friend is my brother.”
Ida Mae held up her hand. “No need to worry, son. I got this.” She glared at her oldest son. “Ain’t nothin’ mo ya needs to know ‘bout Alex. Nicki likes him. And if he’s good enough for her, he’s good enough.”
The farmer spoke his peace. “We’ll deal with Alex later. Let’s get back to Raphael. All of this seems awfully fast to me. Laney Olivia, when did you start dating him? Does Uncle Charles know about this? Raphael, exactly what are your intentions?”
Laney strolled over and grabbed her aunt’s arm and hung on for dear life. “Aunt Dorothy, they’ve always listened to you. Do something. Hurry.”
“Laney Olivia and Raphael are two, grown, consenting adults,” Dorothy responded in a crisp voice, walking up to her nephew. “Now I want you and your brothers to show some respect and welcome this boy and his family to Olivia.”
The situation had been successfully diffused to some degree. Alex had been ushered out into the hallway by Nicki’s two older brothers. Ray prayed he was holding his own. Suddenly, he was surrounded by the triplets. After they introduced themselves, the conversation took on a friendly tone. A few moments later, he walked out the room and into the hallway. His gaze settled on the neurosurgeon as he asked Alex, “So, just how well do you know my sister?”
Ray blew out a hard breath. This was going to be a very long day.
~ ~ ~
A week later, Ray paced the length of the main salon at Olivia. He’d prepared a scrumptious meal of roasted tenderloin with homemade sausage and marinated cabbage for Ida Mae, Big Eddie, Nicki, Dorothy, and Jewel as a token of his appreciation for all the support they’d given him while he’d gone through chemo. It seemed as though they’d all waited hours for Laney to finishing changing into the new outfit she’d purchased for the occasion. At the rate they were going, he hoped they ate dinner before midnight.
Big Eddie chuckled and settled back in his seat with one leg crossed over the other. “Son, sit down. No need of wearing a hole in the carpet. All that movin’ back and forth ain’t gonna make her move no faster.”
“That little bitty tack head—” Ray broke off, glancing at his watch—“Red is the slowest woman I’ve met in my life.”
Ida Mae chuckled. “Ya can’t blame her for that now. She got it honest. Her mama was the same way.”
Ray sucked his teeth and glanced at his watch again. Why did it take so long for women to get ready? He’d showered, shaved, and dressed in a little under thirty minutes. He stood, walked to the bottom of the staircase and cupped both hands to his face. “Red!”
“Yes, darling?”
“You almost ready, baby?”
“Almost,” Laney answered back.
Ray headed back to the living room and sat with an arm braced along the back of the sofa.
&nb
sp; “Raphael,” Jewel whispered. “You do know that Laney’s birthday is next week, right?”
With a wide grin, Ray nodded. “Next Friday.”
Big Eddie shifted the toothpick in his mouth from the right side to the left. “Yep. She’ll be thirty-three.”
Ray spoke above a whisper to everyone. “I found the perfect present for Red.”
Dorothy Mae sat on the sofa next to Ray and beamed with delight. “What is it, son?”
“A matching convertible just like mine.” Ray was thrilled he’d found a red 1941 BMW 327 Cabrio vintage convertible with a manual transmission because only five models like it stilled existed. He’d even gotten them matching personalized license plates. “Do you know if she knows how to drive a stick shift?”
Nicki sat on the arm of her father’s chair and shook her head sideways. “Well if she does, I never seen her drive one.”
“Well, tomorrow,” Ray advised. “I’ll take her out in my car and teach her.”
Big Eddie stretched his legs in front of him and put both hands on top of his stomach. “Don’t do it.”
From across the room, Ida Mae gave her husband a pointed look. “Why not?”
“That boy don’t need to be trying to teach that gal how to drive a stick in his good car.” Big Eddie slid his eyes shut, then added, “Boy, I’m telling ya, don’t do it.”
Dorothy patted the top of Ray’s hand. “Son, don’t listen to Big Eddie. Laney Olivia’s got a good head on her shoulder. She won’t have trouble learning to drive a stick shift.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ray glanced at his watch again. He went back to the edge of the staircase. “Red!”
“Just a minute, darling,” Laney sang out sweetly.
Ray returned back to the living room and motioned with his hand to everyone. “C’mon let’s head to the dining room.”
Big Eddie pried one eye open. “Why?”
“You heard Red,” Ray explained. “She’ll be down in a minute.”
Big Eddie snorted. “Betcha she won’t.”
Jewel settled her back to the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest. “Uncle Eddie’s right on this one.”
IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN Page 13