Page 25 of When Darkness Comes Knocking
I walked away from his room and back down the stairs and out of his house. Myron was off just like Perrae thought. There wasn’t much information I could find on him, but maybe there was something on Bill and Shirley Packer.
<<<
“Hey, Perrae. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Welcome to our home,” Lina voiced excitedly.
“Thank you, Lina. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Fortune has mentioned only good things about you,” Perrae stated.
“Hey, Fortune. Nice to see you too,” Lina added.
“Dang. I’m chopped liver now that you have a buddy,” I teased her.
“Exactly,” they announced in unison then giggled just like women did.
I shook my head. “Where’s the wine?”
Right when I asked, Jason walked into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves. “Hey, everybody! You must be Perrae. Welcome to our home.”
Jason walked over to Lina and kissed her cheek. He shook Perrae’s hand then came over and dapped me up. He smirked at me. “She’s hot, man,” he whispered with a big grin.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Jason would always be Jason. I needed wine ASAP. “Thanks, man.”
Lina handed me and Perrae a glass, and I filled them. I knew her preferred wine choice, so there was no need to ask. We took our party of four outside on their deck where the kids were.
We introduced Perrae’s kids to Jason. Afterwards, the girls ran off to play, and JJ lounged in a chair with his legs up and headphones on. Jason drank from his wineglass and jumped right on their propane grill.
He grilled really good if you asked me. Tonight’s menu was grilled lemon salmon and chicken, golden potatoes, and grilled veggies. Perrae made a lemon cake for dessert. I didn’t even know she could bake.
I was glad I knew now. Lina got the music going, and Maxwell crooned throughout their backyard. Maxwell was definitely a favorite of mine.
Lina took the seat across from us. “Perrae, I can’t thank you enough for how you take such good care of Madison when she’s with you. She adores y’all so much.
“Her dad used to be her only talk, now it’s all about you, Tahari, Tahiri, and her JJ. She likes having a big brother. Nopressure on you guys, but those are her words, not mine,” Lina revealed with a chuckle.
Perrae and I looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m glad she feels safe with us and enjoys herself. You give me too much credit, Lina. Madison is a great kid. I look at her just how I look at my kids. She's a part of Fortune, and now she's in my life. You can rest assure knowing that Madison will always be covered with love and care,” Perrae professed.
“I second that,” I added. I leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“Aww. You guys are too cute. Thank you, Perrae. I hope you know that your kids are more than welcomed over here. How can I not accept them when Madison adores her new siblings. Again, her words, not mine. If we're going to be a blended family, and that’s exactly what it looks like, then we all have to be in this thing together,” Lina encouraged. She took a sip from her wineglass.
I nodded my head. “I'm with it. That was my plan all along. Perrae and I are locked in, so it's good to have you and Jason on board,” I affirmed.
“We sure are. I'm down. I'm with it all,” Jason voiced in his chipper, proper English tone.
Perrae, Lina, and I locked eyes and chuckled discreetly. I never broke out in a full laughter because I wasn't in the business of making people feel like they didn’t belong. Jason was a good guy. He was just corny, and that was fine too.
Our evening went on, and we all enjoyed our night of food, drinks, and family time. Once we wound down, I helped Jason bring out their projector and screen, and we watched a funny family movie.
Perrae relaxed between my legs while we lounged in a chair. I kissed her head and cheek repeatedly, as I cradled her body against mine. I still couldn't believe I pulled a baddie like her.She was all mine. I refused to share her with anyone other than her kids.
<<<
“JJ, you did a great job today. Now you can add fencing and plumbing to your résumé. If you'd like to come to work with me again, all you have to do is reach out.” I removed my wallet and handed him two hundred dollars. “That's today's pay.”
His eyes widened. “Oh, wow! Thanks, Fortune. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, son. You gotta get paid for working.” My phone rang. I looked at the ID. It was my tech guy, Chris.
