Page 50 of Can I?

“Dad, this is Milana Semien. She’s a phenomenal barrel racer and is gearing up to bareback at the next rodeo.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Hello! I’m Royston Botley. Nice to meet you. Are you kin to the guy that used to bull ride? Legend Semien?”

“Yes, sir. That’s my cousin. His dad and my grandfather were brothers. It’s nice to meet you also.”

They shook hands as I smiled. We’d come to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner. Milana and her cousins had been with me over a week, but Bali and Noni were about to head back to school for a mini-session or something, and Ashanni and Maui were going to be going back to Nome this evening. They were having another family meeting. I’d overheard her conversation with her cousin Ace, saying that things were dying down out there.

I was shocked as hell to know all that shit was going down out there and no one had been arrested. Milana informed me that the guys that were helping them were staying out of sight like snipers. So, whenever a cop questioned a Henderson, it seemed like self-defense. Sometimes it truly was, but other times, itwasn’t. They were literally trying to wipe that family off the damn map.

Watchful Eyes’s job was to always make sure they were prepared. They researched that family and dug up all kinds of shit. It was like they knew the moves they were going to make before they even knew. When they got that information, they fed it to not only the Hendersons but to Ryan and his crew as well. Milana said Ryan had made a trip to the apartment complex in China and fucked some people up in their sleep. I wasn’t no punk, but I was nowhere near the level they were on.

We sat on the couch as my dad watched TV and played on his phone to wait for dinner to be ready. I was grateful my siblings weren’t here. While I knew Milana wouldn’t have a problem meeting them, I wanted to attempt to clear the air between her and my mama. She said that my mama didn’t like her, and I hated that she’d picked up that vibe from my mama. She’d never behaved that way toward anyone I chose to talk to.

I knew the family situation and me getting shot over a week ago played a huge role in why she felt the way she did. However, that was no reason to feel the way she did about Milana. That shit felt personal, and I didn’t like it one bit. However, I wanted to give her a chance to redeem herself. Milana did nothing to deserve her shade, but here we were anyway.

“When is the next rodeo, Miss Milana?”

“Next month, so I have a lot of work to do to make sure I’m ready.”

“I know you have to be nervous. Barebacking isn’t easy, nor is it easy on the body.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve hit the dirt more times than I can count, and now that I’ve mastered not getting bucked off, I realize my body is still taking a beating, especially my back.”

“Oh, I can imagine with all the jerking. You have to be in really good shape to do that, right?”

“Yes. Your core has to be strong to endure it. I normally work out at my cousin’s gym at least twice a week, but I haven’t been in the past couple of weeks.”

He nodded as he glanced at me. “Ferris, you better not piss her off.”

I chuckled. “As intimidating as she sounds, she’s as meek as a lamb. I couldn’t dream of pissing her off though.”

I slid my fingertips down the side of her face as the goosebumps appeared on her skin. I could see my dad smiling in my peripheral, but I could also see my mama approaching us and rolling her eyes. While I wanted to address it, I would pretend I didn’t see it since I wasn’t supposed to see it. If she stepped out of pocket, though, especially where Milana could hear her, I would definitely put her in her place, and we would leave.

“Dinner is almost ready, y’all. The table is set, so we can go in the dining room.”

I stood and helped Milana from her seat as her phone chimed. She glanced at it, and her eyebrows lifted slightly. After sliding it back to her pocket, she said, “The meeting is at four, because Ryan, Shawn, Dice, Shepherd, and Nathaniel will be flying out tonight.”

“Okay.”

I glanced at my watch to see it was already two. We would have to get a move on. It would take us thirty minutes just to get to Nome from here. I wasn’t sure who all those people were, but things had to have gotten better if they were leaving. I knew who Ryan was because of him being at the graduation party and how the famous rapper, Noah, was his brother. Her cousin Jessica had been in one of his music videos, and he did a whole premiere of the video in Nome, since that was where they shot it.

I knew Ryan owned an architectural firm, and she said her uncles and cousins were talking about bringing his firm in fornew construction. He was based in Baltimore and had a branch in Florida, but that nigga said he would gladly put a substation in Big City Nome, Texas. She said they had all laughed at the thought of having a whole ass architectural firm in Nome. That shit was hilarious. He would surely do well in Houston though.

Once we sat at the table, my mama brought the rice, corn on the cob, smothered okra, and mac and cheese to the table. “The yams are almost done.”

We all nodded as she glanced at Milana. I knew what she was thinking. Milana never once offered to help her, and I knew that shit was intentional because they’d already gotten off on the wrong foot. I was learning Milana more and more, and it seemed she was petty as hell. Since her cousins had been at my house, I could clearly tell that was a Henderson trait. Maui was the only one who didn’t seem to have it.

Her aunt Chas had only stayed two or three nights, but she hated being away from her husband. She called him and told him she was going home and fuck what he thought about it. My eyebrows had risen when she ended the call, and she quickly told me to fix my face then laughed about it. She wasn’t a Henderson by blood, but her ass was just as rowdy as those niggas. Within twenty minutes, somebody was at my house picking her ass up.

When my mama brought out the yams, she sat next to my dad and stared right at Milana. “Milana, would you mind blessing the food?”

“Not at all,” Milana said with a smile, looking unfazed.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I knew that shit meant she was giving me her frustrations. She bowed her head and began. “Thank You, Lord, for this meal. Thank You for the cook who worked hard to assure her efforts were filled with love. We ask You to bless it for the nourishment of our bodies and the satisfaction of our taste buds.”

She giggled. “We love You and thank You. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

I kissed the side of her head. “That was good, baby. I’m gon’ have to pray that one more often, especially when I don’t know the cook.”

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