Love Don't Live Here Anymore (The Love Collection Book 3) (11 page)

Summer was glad to be back in Dallas. Even the atmosphere seemed different. She missed Albany too. Since she and Autumn had relocated to Dallas after their grandmother’s death, they still went back home every year to visit their family’s graves. The last time she had been to New York was last year when she celebrated her twenty-sixth birthday with her loved ones, including AJ. Before she left Dallas, she’d made a promise to stop by her old job to visit and thank everyone who had reached out to her after she’d lost Ajamaal.

She saw Autumn’s shiny black BMW approaching and got all excited. The love she and her sister shared was indescribable. Autumn had been such an amazing role model. Summer wondered where she would be or what would have happened to her had her sister not stepped up and handled things. They had an inspiring journey.

“Summy!” Autumn screeched after coming to an abrupt stop and jumping out of the car to greet her sister.

Summer couldn’t even find her voice to call her sister’s name. She just hugged her tightly and they cried together. The airport traffic control guy seemed uncomfortable about breaking up their reunion but she was parked in a heavy traffic area and he had to tell them to move it along.

“I expected you to be driving a van or something,” Summer admitted.

“Girl, please. I am too young for that soccer mom shit,” Autumn retorted.

“Ooh, Autumn Lemande is cussing?” Summer teased. Autumn didn’t like to swear but Summer had picked up on the fact that her sister was doing a lot more cursing than usual.

“I know. I think it comes from hanging out with Chaianne so much,” Autumn admitted.

Summer laughed. “Yeah, Chaianne’s mouth is a real potty.”

“But no, Abaki did buy a third-row Denali so we could transport all the kids whenever we went somewhere as a family. Of course, he wasn’t getting rid of his beloved sports car and my BM wasn’t going anywhere either. So we figured the next best thing was to get a family car. So how was the flight?”

“It went well. I am so looking forward to being back home. I miss you guys so much. It’s lonely in Georgia. Even though I’ve met some cool people, it’s just not the same.”

“I would love for you to move back, Summer. It’s weird not having my sister here. I know I have Abaki and the kids to keep me busy, but it’s a different kind of love,” Autumn shared.

Summer knew how emotional Autumn could get and lately she had been on the same wavelength. She wanted her trip back home to be about happy times and quickly changed the subject before things got too somber. “So, what’s on the menu?” she asked.

“Turkey, stuffing, baked macaroni and cheese, and yams, of course. Dinner rolls, a couple of pies, and a Jollof rice dish that Abaki says he’s been making ever since he can remember. His mother used to make it all the time; then his uncle would make it for him to offer a piece of nostalgia and now he makes it for us every once in a while.”

“What’s in it?” Summer asked.

“It’s a spicy dish with rice, chicken, green beans, onions, carrots, and some other stuff thrown in. It’s to live for,” Autumn said.

When they got to Autumn’s place, Summer gave Abaki a big hug and quickly went to coddle her niece and nephews. The love she felt for them was only a reflection of the love she held for her sister. She took her time loving the babies up one by one as her heart became overcome with emotion. She wondered if this was the same feeling she would have if she had children of her own. Better yet, would she share the same emotions with Akia, even though the little girl wasn’t hers biologically?

“So what’s up, bro? How is it being a dad of three?”

“I’m loving it. I feel so complete now. I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this moment. I have my beautiful wife, three healthy kids, a home, my health. I’m blessed,” Abaki said, wrapping his arm around Autumn.

Summer glanced at the two of them and her heart skipped a beat. She was so happy for her sister and glad that the two of them had found each other. Summer, of all people, knew how long and how much her sister had desired a man and for her to get that and then some warmed Summer’s soul.

Once Summer held all the babies for a fair amount of time, she lay them down so she could help Abaki and Autumn prepare as much of tomorrow’s dinner as they could. Some stuff had to wait until the next day to cook, but whatever they could get out of the way now, they did. By ten o’clock, everyone was drained from all the preparation. Autumn and Abaki retreated to their master suite and Summer stayed in the guest bedroom, not too far from where the triplets’ sleeping quarters were. She told her sister that if the babies woke up at night she would tend to them. That was a big treat for Autumn and Abaki because since they had become parents, sleep was something they rarely enjoyed.

As sure as the day is long, Ahmad, the oldest of the identical twin boys, awoke at two in the morning, crying. Autumn refused to breastfeed, so that made it easier for Summer to assist. Despite her offer to tend to the babies at night, both Autumn and Abaki woke up and went into the nursery. By the time they got there, Summer was already holding Ahmad while the bottle warmed in the electric warmer. Summer put her finger to her lips, letting them know to be quiet and shooed them away. Autumn smiled and blew her a kiss and Abaki smiled and gave her a thumbs up. When Summer was done with Ahmad, she changed him and laid him down, patting his back until he went back to sleep. By the time she reached the doorway, his twin brother, Ahmed, had awoken, crying too. Summer had to repeat her steps. She thought for sure Angelica would awaken but she was proven wrong.

She had to smile. She could tell that Angelica would be a force to be reckoned with and Abaki would need to stay in shape to keep up with her. Thank God for her twin brothers because even if Abaki didn’t have the energy, there was no mistaking that her brothers would be able to handle their daddy’s light work. Summer smiled at the thought. She went back to bed and checked the time on her phone. She saw she had an email from Eugene, a BBM message from Vincent, and a text message from Braxdon.

She had spent time with each of them before she’d left. Although Summer didn’t want to admit it, she was beginning to develop a soft spot for them. Eugene was everything most women wanted: a caring, loving, and attentive man, with deep pockets. If Summer wanted it, he was willing to pay for it and price was never a factor. But there was something sleazy about him that Summer just couldn’t put her finger on. She doubted if anything serious would come out of their fraternizing but she would ride this wave until the tides made it unbearable.

Then there was Braxdon. Even though he wasn’t a thug, he was hood in every sense of the word. From the music he listened to, to the clothes he wore, to the spots where he hung out, and the company he kept. But deep inside, she couldn’t deny that he was something kind of special. Every time they kicked it, he kept her laughing and entertained. The stories he would tell her were things she thought she would only hear on television. Despite his rough side, he was actually very sweet and sensitive.

Somehow, he knew when she was having a bad day. Maybe it was because he could hear it in her voice; so each time he got that vibe he would send her a nice pick-me-up text that would make her smile automatically. Plus Braxdon didn’t pretend to be something that he wasn’t. Both his parents were alcoholics and spent more time drinking than anything else but it still didn’t take away from all his great qualities. With some guidance and structure, there was no doubt in Summer’s mind that Braxdon could turn his life around and make something of himself.

Now Vincent … He was the most ideal candidate. He was focused, driven, and determined to reach his highest potential in life. He was smart, supportive, compassionate, and encouraging. He made her feel like everything would be okay. He knew when it was time to listen and when to give advice. If she had to, she would go so far as to admit that her feelings for Vincent were deeper than what she felt for the other two. But because she swore that love no longer lived in her heart, she was careful about letting any similar feelings capture her mind and convince her otherwise. They were all friends, nothing more and nothing less. A relationship was the furthest thing from her mind. And as Vincent’s mom had so uncouthly pointed out, perhaps it was way too soon for her to be dating anyway.

Summer quickly emailed Eugene a response. She would call Vincent in the morning to wish him a happy holiday. Braxdon, on the other hand, ran on a nocturnal schedule like she used to, so she took her chances by calling him instead of texting. He answered on the first ring.

“Miss Lady! What’s good, shorty?” Braxdon cooed.

“Braxdon, are you drunk?”

“Nah, I’m drunk
and
high. What you doing up so late?” he asked. She heard him excuse himself from whomever he was with.

“I just got done feeding my nephews and checked my phone and saw that you texted me. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, so I can call you later.”

“Interrupt? Please. I’m glad you called.”

“What were you doing? It’s kind of loud there and it’s late.”

“I’m at my parents’ crib. My aunts and some of my cousins are over here. We drinking, smoking, and playin’ cards and shit, you know.” He paused. “Summerrr,” he sang, letting the last letter of her name ring. “I miss you already, girl.”

“Whatever. I just saw you two days ago.”

“I know and that was two days too long. Summer, I think I gotta love jones.”

“Boy, please.”

“Nah, for real, Miss Lady. Hear me out. I thought I would be hood forever but when we started kicking it and you gave me a snapshot of where you been and how you got there, it only made me want to be where you are. I think about you all the time, yo. And to be honest, there is no one I think about more,” Braxdon confessed. “You make a nigga, oops my bad. Sorry, Miss Lady. You make me wanna get my shit all the way together.”

Summer had placed her hand over her heart because the way it was palpitating surprised even her. Braxdon was good, damn good, and his words were impacting her hormones. “Wow! That was sweet. I … um … thanks. I didn’t know I had that effect on you.”

“Well, you do. When you coming home?”

“I
am
home,” Summer said, playing with him.

Braxdon sucked his teeth. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do. I’ll be back Monday.”

“What time?”

“My flight comes in at nine in the morning.”

“Cool. Don’t make transportation arrangements. I’m coming to get you, so look out for my Honda Civic coupe near baggage claim.”

Summer laughed. “I will,” she said honestly.

She and Braxdon talked for a few more minutes. And when they hung up she felt a tug at her heart. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, something was drawing her to Braxdon Jones.

That night, she slept well, but only after she used her dildo with the clit tickler and fantasized about Eugene, Braxdon, and Vincent at the same damn time.  

Summer awoke to complete silence. She didn’t hear babies, adults, radios, or anything. The only reason she knew someone was in the house was because she smelled the food cooking. Her brother-in-law had done a tremendous job overseeing the construction of their home, including sound proofing, apparently. She smiled inwardly at the memory. The look on her sister’s face was priceless when Abaki had revealed that the home they had “rented” for their wedding venue was actually theirs for the keeping, no mortgage whatsoever. She used the guest bedroom to take a quick shower and threw on some clothes before joining them.

“Good Morning, y’all.”

“Hey, baby sis,” Autumn stated while chopping up celery at the kitchen island.

“Good morning,” Abaki greeted her. He reached for the spoon to stir something on the stove.

“Anything I can help with?”

“Yes.” Autumn pointed to one of the pots on the stove. “Can you please finish the noodles for the macaroni and cheese? And don’t forget to stir the custard. I’m going to bathe the kids real quick and then put them on something comfortable.”

“You seem to be in a good mood this morning,” Abaki said to Summer as he placed the spoon on the counter and walked to the island.

“I am. I can’t quite put my hand on it but my spirit feels well. I still miss AJ a lot; however, I think I’m starting to heal from his passing.”

“I see you’re wearing the ring around your neck. That’s a good look. That man loved you.”

“I know. I loved him too.”

“Chaianne and Karl supposed to be coming through tomorrow.”

“Really? I can’t wait to see her and the kids. How’s her daughter doing?”

“Oh man, she is so freaking adorable. She looks just like Karl.”

“Well, I’m glad I’ll get to see them before I leave. I plan to stop by my old job while I’m here. There are a few people that I want to thank and show my gratitude to.”

“They will be happy to see you,” Abaki said.

“Abaki?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for being such a good man in general and mainly to and for my sister. When I hear women talk about how all the good men are taken and then my sister meets someone like you and I meet someone like AJ, I can’t help but scream, ‘They do exist!’ Autumn deserved this so much and I really couldn’t have picked a more perfect man for her. I love you.”

“Aw. Give me a hug. I love you too,” Abaki said as he got off the stool and walked to the other side to embrace Summer.

“You better get your paws off my husband,” Autumn said, catching them off guard.

“Shut up, sis,” Summer said, wiping her eyes. “I was just telling Abaki how glad I am that you have him. I love him for that. And after losing your soul mate, you kind of appreciate true love when you see it. Even if you no longer have it or never had it, you respect it and praise it,” Summer stated wholeheartedly.

“Amen to that, sister. Love you, Blue Skies.”

“I love you too, Sunshine,” Summer said, giving her sister a hug. Together, the three of them prepped the rest of the Thanksgiving Day dinner and feasted. Summer relished in the tranquility of feeling complete. It had been a long time coming, but she was able to spend one of the most important holidays of the year in the company of the only family she had.

~~~

By five o’clock that evening, Summer realized she hadn’t called Vincent like she’d said. She went back to the guest room and closed the door. She wanted some privacy but she also needed to change out of her dinner attire and put on something a little more comfortable. She dialed Vincent’s number but there was no answer, so she left a message. “Hi, it’s me, Summer. I got your text late last night and decided that I would just call you today to not only let you know I wasn’t ignoring you but to also wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Call me soon. Later.” She hung up.

Instead of calling Eugene, she decided to just send him a text, saying something sweet and telling him to call her when he could. Braxdon, she didn’t need to reach out to him because he had texted her several hours ago, wishing her a happy and safe Thanksgiving; however, she did call her two friends.

Summer went back downstairs and saw that the babies were still awake. Autumn and Abaki entered the living room and announced that they were getting ready to leave.

“Now Aut, are you sure I’ll be able to handle this?” Summer was concerned.

“Of course you can! Just deal with one baby at a time. If they cry, it’s probably because they’re wet, hungry, or tired. Once you’ve addressed all three, let them cry.”

Summer wasn’t sold on the equation, let alone the answer. “Okay,” she said skeptically. The last time she had been around babies, something terrible had happened, something she hoped she could forget but couldn’t. That’s why she had rules of engagement when it came to children under one year of age: never remain alone with them.

“Summer, look … You’ll be fine, okay. Abaki and I both have our cell phones on and they’re fully charged. I told you what restaurant, theatre, and movie. Just remember, if it’s a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 first and then us. Got it?” Summer nodded.

Autumn looked relaxed and confident but Abaki, on the other hand, was a little more hesitant. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Summer. He just hadn’t been away from his kids for more than twenty minutes since they were born. Autumn made sure she got her mommy time often, whether she was going to her adult novelty shop, stopping by her campus office, or just meeting up with Chaianne for some girl time. Summer hugged her sister and brother-in-law and looked inside the Pack N Plays to check on the babies, who were sitting quietly.

She was in the middle of the movie
Notorious
when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Vincent. She was so into her movie that she actually contemplated sending Vincent to voicemail but changed her mind.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” she sang as she pressed the pause button on the remote.

“Same to you, Ms. Hughes. How’s Dallas treating you?”

“Dallas is good to me. I needed this. They say home is where the heart is and I can honestly say I no longer reside in Georgia.”

“Ouch! Well there is someone who lives in Georgia who would love for your heart to be there.”

Summer didn’t know what to say to that, so she didn’t. “How was your Thanksgiving, Mr. Stokes?”

“Delicious.”

Summer could sense the subliminal message in his answer. “Mmm,” Summer said, surprising even herself. Something was making her frisky and she was too shy to admit it. 

“Mmm is right, Ms.Hughes. And there is nothing I like more than to feast on a great tasting dish. And when it’s good, I make sure I eat down to the very last drop,” Vincent said suggestively.

“Boy, who you talking to?” Mrs. Stokes’s voice interrupted.

“Ma … um, what’s up?”

“Well, you know you have company here, don’t you?” Mrs. Stokes said.

“Yes, Mother, of course. Now, can you please excuse me?” Vincent asked and his mother must have walked off. “I apologize for the interruption. I could stand in my mother’s foyer all day talking to you but it’s best that I rejoin the gathering. I want to see you when you get back, so make sure you call me once settled.”

“I understand and I’ll do that. Enjoy, Vincent,” Summer said and right before she hung up, she heard a woman’s voice say, “There you are, sweetheart.”

~~~

Summer held Karl and Chaianne’s bundle of joy and smiled from ear to ear. There were so many new additions to their lives within this past year and she couldn’t wrap her mind around it quickly enough. So much had happened in the past twelve months; she felt like she was in a time warp.

“Guys, she is so cute. Hi, Kassidy! This Auntie Summer,” she sang to the baby. “Look, she smiled at me,” she said excitedly. “Quay and KJ, y’all like your little sister?” Quayvaughn smiled and nodded but KJ didn’t seem as enthused.

“So how you feel, Chaianne? You look good, girl. You getting that old thang back,” Summer said, referring to Chaianne’s shape.

“I’m trying,” Chaianne said. “Your sister got me on her pole dancing routine; so between that and pumping and dumping, I’m losing the weight.” She didn’t pump to breastfeed, but to help her body get rid of the extra calories that she’d inherited because of the routine binging she’d done during her pregnancy and after. “How are things with you?” Chaianne asked. “You look very well, considering how you sounded the last time we spoke.”

“I’ve come a long way since our last conversation. So much has happened that has changed me for the better. However, there is one thing that still makes me nervous. I know you heard about AJ’s daughter,” Summer said.

“Yeah, that shit was wild,” Karl said.

“Tell me about it,” Summer said. “I wanted to get you guys’ opinion as to whether I should adopt her.” Just in case they didn’t know all the details, Summer filled them in on how things came to be.

“I already said I think she should do it. Had AJ been here, she would’ve been with them anyway; so I don’t see why not,” Autumn stated and Abaki nodded, gesturing that he agreed with his wife’s explanation.

“And not just that but for her sake as well,” Chaianne started. “If you don’t have a good reason why you shouldn’t, and you aren’t against it, then I urge you to do it. Coming from a girl like me, who felt no love from her mother and wished at times that she were dead or her mother was dead, I can tell you that early childhood experience is vital in how we view life. My mother paid more attention to men than her only child. She acted like I didn’t exist. If you’ve ever seen that movie
Matilda
then you were just given a vivid idea of how I was treated.”

“But how could a mother want to give up her child for a man? It seems so unnatural,” Summer said.

“I know it’s unfathomable, but I respect her for that, not as a daughter but as a mother. That’s not normal and when you not only think it, but you feel it and admit it to someone else, let alone yourself, there is a serious underlying issue. And I’d rather her make preparations to place that little girl with someone who can love her like she deserves to be loved than to abuse or neglect her or send her to places where things like that are possible. Or worse … kill the little girl. I don’t even need to call out famous cases of mothers who have done some crazy shit to their kids out of depression. Shit, just watch Nancy Grace. That bitch always taking about shit like that.” Chaianne gave Summer a suggestive look.

Everyone was kind of quiet, lost in their own thoughts. Chaianne had hit the nail on the head with one swing and just enough force to make an impact. Summer knew what she had to do and decided to leave the subject alone. The next time she visited Dallas, she would have a special little someone with her. Mrs. Heyward had already given her blessings and offered her pledge to assist. She had several awesome moms in her circle and could turn to any one of them at any time to seek parenting advice.

The remainder of the night was spent talking and playing Wii. Summer noticed that she was being watched by her sister and Chaianne. It wasn’t anything bad, but because they had their husbands and Summer was the only single one, it seemed that they pitied her. When they’d first decided to play Wii for some fun, Chaianne had suggested that she and Karl compete against Autumn and Abaki, not realizing that pairing up made Summer feel like the fifth wheel. Knowing it wasn’t intentional, Summer had said that she would opt out of the game but Autumn quickly switched it up.

“No, how about we play ladies against the guys.” Autumn wasn’t trying to be obvious about the switch up, but Summer knew better. Her sister was golden and all she could do was smile and wink at her. A part of her wanted to escape to another room. Sulk in her misery.
The dream
. The image of AJ, her parents, and Grammy popped into her head.
Fight, Summer
, she told herself.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Grammy’s voice was so clear in her mind.