Page 14 of A Country Hood Christmas with the Hendersons

CHAPTER11

WJ

“You need anything else, Jen, before I leave?”

“No. I think I got it. I just have to fry this chicken. Tell Reverend White don’t be all day with this ceremony so I won’t have to rewarm food. I don’t know where Chrissy is. We have too much to do this morning.”

I looked around the kitchen to see food everywhere. Somehow, they would pull all this together. Chrissy’s stepdaughter Janessa would be helping them, along with Keisha, Cass, Sharon, Vida, and Kema. Kema and Philly didn’t make it out to party last night, but I was sure they would be more than ready for the turnup today.

“I’m here! Sorry I’m late, Jen. Good news though. I’ve already done the bread. I was up all night,” Chrissy said as she rushed inside with her garment bag.

I took it from her and brought it to the dressing room where Jen’s things were. Well, it wasn’t really a dressing room, but that was the purpose it would be serving today. My baby was getting married, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. She and Jakari had taken the lead on the family business, and I knew it would be in good hands whenever I chose to retire. Christian and Jacob were learning fast, and before long, they wouldn’t need me at all.

Tiffany and Chas had been teaching Milana, Ashanni, and the twins how to handle the books and business side of things as well. We wanted to keep it in the family as much as possible. Although Philly wasn’t technically related, he was just as much family as all of us. Liv had been learning the business as well. She’d retired from nursing and just wanted to be with me all the time. Honestly, I loved the hell out of that. She’d said if learning the business would assure that she spent enough time with me, then so be it.

Olivia was everything I needed at this time in my life. I realized that I had been blessed with good women. I just wasn’t who I was supposed to be yet. Had I been, Evette and I would still have been together. If not her, then Sharon and I would have made it for sure. I abused her and took her for granted for nearly our entire marriage, taking what I was dealing with out on her. She didn’t deserve that.

As I left the kitchen area, I heard the Christmas music crank up, and I could only smile. Christmas was Jenahra’s favorite time of year. She always decorated everything and played Christmas music. She was beyond excited when Nesha chose to decorate like a winter wonderland. All the crystals and flowers were gorgeous. You couldn’t help but be in the Christmas spirit when you walked in here.

It didn’t help that we had a real-life nativity scene to the side of the family barn. The only thing fake were the people. All the animals were definitely real. I made my way to where Nesha was getting her hair done. My other daughters, Shakayla and Chenetra, were in there getting their hair done as well. When I walked in, Nesha was on the phone and laughing hard. I smiled as I stared at her. She became a beautiful, intelligent, kind woman, despite the turmoil I’d put her through. When I thought about that shit for too long, it still bothered the hell out of me.

“Girl, you ain’t never seen a barndominium? It looks like a barn on the outside, but it’s elegant on the inside! Lawd, I know you ain’t from Texas, but you finna find out. So wear whatever you were gonna wear. Ain’t no cow gon’ be moo-ing next to you,” Nesha said to whomever it was on the other end of the phone call.

She died laughing as I slowly shook my head. People had that misconception all the time. When you said barn, they immediately thought of hay and animals because, typically, that’s what barns were for. However, barndominiums were becoming more and more popular. I had plans drawn up for this one twenty years ago so we could have all our big family gatherings here instead of us renting facilities or piling up at somebody’s house.

When Nesha noticed me, she hopped up from her seat. She had huge rollers in her hair, and her skin was glowing. She gave me a big smile as she finished up her call. Once she ended it, she ran to me. I closed my eyes as I hugged her tightly. My heart was full. When she looked up at me, tears streaming down her face, I kissed her forehead. “Even with these big ass rollers in your hair, you are so beautiful.”

She giggled. “Daddy, I can’t believe this day is finally here. I just hope I can always be everything Lennox needs.”

“Listen. If there ever came a time that youweren’teverything he needed you to be, then that would be on him. Nesha… I’ve told you before. You are a reflection of everything good in me and your mother. It seems not one flaw was passed down to you.”

Before I could stop it, a tear fell down my cheek. I quickly wiped it as she broke down. “Daddy, I love you so much.”

“I love you more. These aren’t tears of sadness but of joy. Lennox is a blessed man. For me to give him one of my most precious gifts speaks to how great of a man I think he is. He didn’t try to change anything about you. He fell in love with just who you are. If neither of you lose sight of that, you’ll be just fine.”

“Thank you, Daddy. I know you don’t think you did right by me, but everything I know, I learned from you and Aunt Jen. Mostly you though. Lennox knows how to change the oil in a tractor now.”

I chuckled. Lennox was so far from being country, but he was willing to adjust to her world instead of trying to pull her out of it. That was kingly as hell. “I just wanted to dip in before y’all really get to running and say how much I love you and how proud of you I am.”

Nesha hugged me tightly, then went back to sit under the dryer. I hugged Chenetra and Shakayla, then waved at Danica. As I walked out, I nearly ran into Jessica. She had serious bags under her eyes. My eyebrows lifted slightly. “Late night?”

She gave me a slight smile. “Hey, Uncle WJ.”

She didn’t answer my question, just walked past me like I hadn’t said a word. I shrugged and made my way to the front to see Storm walk in. “What you doing here so early?”

“I needed to make sure everything was going according to plan. I turn my back for one minute and all hell breaks loose. Jasper had his ass in my shop last night and stole a tire. I ought to call the police on his ass. Then him and Chrissy came in my house while I had Aspen screaming at the top of her lungs and dropped Noni, Bali, Remington,andCJ off. They were supposed to be at Mama and Daddy house. Remington fucking walked in on us. He thought I was fighting his mama. Nigga, I almost punched my baby in the throat.”

I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. He only frowned harder. When I could finally calm down, I asked, “Nah what nah?”

That only made me laugh harder. “Fuck you, man.”

“That’s what y’all get for that newsletter Aspen put out. Did you see what she said about Tony?”

“Naw.”

“She said that nigga was perpetuating failure with that Dallas Cowboys flag stretched across the outside of his house. That’s enough to have all of Nome knocking on y’all’s door.”

“She said what? Oh, she tripping now. She know better than to bash the Cowboys.”

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