Page 14 of Sweet Surrender
6
JUDAH
TWO WEEKS LATER
“Inever thought that I would say this, but I’m ready for wedding season to be over with.” Alex groaned.
“What are you going to do then?”
“Probably plan retirement parties and birthday parties for old folks. They’re a lot less dramatic.”
I laughed. “I wouldn’t count on that, baby girl. They can be a bit to handle too.”
“Yeah, but nothing like our families.” She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes.
“Listen, you have to realize that these attitudes are coming from a place of concern. If they didn’t love and care about you, then they wouldn’t react the way that they are.”
“We’re just sitting together like we did at the ceremony; we haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Not yet,” I mumbled.
She lifted her eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Shrugging, I replied, “I’m just saying, if this night ends anything like the wedding night of my brother, you’ll be doing awhole lot of wrong, but you’ll do it oh so right.” She dipped her head, and I reached out and lifted her chin with my fist. “Stop blushing, beautiful.”
“I just don’t know how to receive a compliment about my sexual performance, especially not when I’ve been ridiculed in the past.”
“And now you doubt your abilities.”
“Doubted,” she stated, pointing a fork at me before she stuck it into her au gratin potatoes again.
“Glad to be of service,” I replied with a wink and then cut into my steak.
“We’ve spent a lot of time together this week.”
“Mostly because you’ve planned your brother’s wedding to a tee, and you oversaw everything. I just volunteered to be the assistant.”
“I think that I deserve to have a good time without my brother, your brother, and your ex-wife giving us the stink eye. I didn’t realize that she would be here.”
“I did. She’s Tyra’s best friend. Still, I hoped that she wouldn’t show up.”
“Miracles have been known to happen,” she responded.
“Are you two all right?” her mother asked with her father on her arm.
We both looked up from our plates and stared in confusion. “Is there a reason we wouldn’t be, Mama?” she asked.
“It’s just . . . there are appropriate times for things and there are inappropriate times for things.”
“Mama, would you stop beating around the bush and say what you mean,” Alex scolded.
“Honey, let’s leave them alone. They aren’t bothering anyone.” Her father chimed in.
Her mother shook her head and hissed. “I thought that I raised you better than this, Alexandria.”
“It depends on what you mean. There were quite a few things that I raised myself on,” Alex stated.
Her mother gasped and hurried away from the table. Alex rolled her eyes, and I reached out my hand to take hers. “Are you good?”
