Page 15 of Keyoni & Sage
Instead of taking the bait, he took the conversation on a U-turn. “I can’t tell you all that.” He tapped his badge. “Official police business.”
I twisted my lips at his response. “Youbrought it up.”
His tongue slid across his bottom lip as his hand swiped across his neck. “I guess I did, hunh?”
“Sure did,” I said with much attitude. “And since your job duties include maintaining public safety, I have a right to be informed of any potential danger in this building?—”
“You ain’t from around here, are you?”
“Excuse me?” I let the hands crossed over my breasts fall. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Nothing.” Smirking, he pushed off the doorframe. “It just proves you’re naïve. It’s cute though.” Backing up, he glanced toward a closed door. “Mind if I use the bathroom?”
“Go ahead,” I told him, taking the opportunity to change my clothes.
Once he was done, I was almost done too, except for socks and shoes which wouldn’t take much time at all. Keyoni went back to posting up in the doorway until I waved him in and pointed for him to sit.
“On the bed?” he asked.
“Where else?”
Shaking his head, he took a seat. I plopped down not too far away, lifting a foot onto the bed to slide a sock on.
“Are you ready to talk now?” I asked, wanting him to expound on the dangers of the building. Although I wasn’t overly judgy of people I didn’t know, I was starting to think about the questionable people I’d encountered. “Likereallytalk?”
I glanced at his phone before answering. “No. But Jami is.” He tapped the screen. “She’s asking what’s taking so long.”
I stopped stalling and put on my shoes. We took the stairs since Jami’s apartment was one floor down, all the way at the end, right next to the staircase. Keyoni opened the door and walked in with me, trailing behind. As soon as I heard Big Girl’s cry, I sprang toward the back room, instantly reverting to doctor mode.
A quick exam revealed a puppy stuck in the birth canal. I intervened in an attempt to save the puppy’s life, but it died minutes later despite my aggressive resuscitation efforts. I was so frustrated by the situation that I didn’t even check to see what it was. Big Girl had three more puppies without complications. I stood off to the side, letting things happen naturally, not feeling like I was much help in my somber mood.
In my feelings, I didn’t notice Keyoni had walked over. I turned his way when he nudged me with his elbow.
“Snap out of it,” he requested. “Shit happens. It ain’t your fault.”
“Yeah, well?—”
“Nope. I don’t want to hear it.” He turned to his gorgeous daughter hovering over the whelping box with a grin on her face. “Three out of four ain’t bad.”
“It ain’t good either.”
“It is from my vantage point.” His voice turned serious. “Who knows? If you weren’t here, it might’ve been over for all of ’em.” I took a few seconds to let his words marinate. When I did, I looked at the situation differently. “Thank you…for putting a smile on my baby’s face.”
Keturah hadn’t stopped smiling since puppy number two entered the world.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“Yes I do. And considering the fact that I bought you food, I think I deserve the same courtesy?”
“Food?” I felt my eyes get big. “Where?”
I forgot I was hungry.
“In the kitchen.”
Jami was in full conversation with Kyree when we bypassed her for the kitchen. It felt weird being so comfortable withherdaughter’s father inherapartment, but she didn’t seem to mind. She glanced our way a few times while Big Girl was in labor, but ironically I never picked up on any weird vibes.
And thank God for that because there was something about Keyoni Green.
