Chapter 20

20

D ali

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I should have known Dynasty was going to be on some bullshit by the syrupy grin on his face. We’d just had dinner with our parents, and as Mama put individual sized peach cobblers in front of us, Dynasty cleared his throat and rubbed his palms together. My eyes rolled toward the ceiling as I grabbed the French vanilla ice cream from the center of the dining room table.

“So, Dali, where did you go last week on your trip?” he asked, knowing good and damn well Kassadee and I hadn’t told anyone about our relationship.

He also knew I didn’t lie to my parents.

“I went to Chicago and Vegas.”

“I know you didn’t go to Vegas without us,” Pops said.

“If he did, I’m sure it was for a reason,” Mama replied.

“Who’d you go with?” Dynasty asked.

It took everything in me not to toss my cobbler in his face. Instead, I took a deep breath and admitted, “Kassadee.”

The cobbler Mama was holding for Pops slid from her hands as she squealed. “Does this mean what I think it means?” She plopped down in her seat. “Tell me this means what I think it means.”

“What do you think it means?” I asked with a smile.

“I think it means you’re finally about to make Kas my daughter in law and love.”

As Mama clapped, I held back my laughter. “Because we went out of town together?” was what I said, though she was absolutely right. I still wanted to make her sweat.

“Oh, please.” Her eyes rolled as she dismissively waved her hand. “If you went out of town, it was a date. And if y’all are dating, y’all are getting married.”

Before I could ask her to explain her logic, Pops was setting his spoon down and asking me, “What are your intentions now that you’ve finally gotten my daughter?”

“Uh, I think you got it backwards, Pops,” Dynasty said. “Kassy ain’t your daughter yet; Dali is your son.”

Pops looked over at him. “She might as well be.” He returned his attention to me, pointing his spoon in my direction as he said, “Don’t you fuck her up. She’s a good girl. If you realize you can’t handle what it means to be a man, her man, you give her back to me and Lincoln.”

There was no point in me telling him he didn’t have to worry, so all I did was nod and agree. “Yes, sir.”

“Ooh this is so exciting! I can’t wait to get with Carolyn so we can start planning the wedding.” She hopped up from her seat. “And grandbabies! I’m finally about to get me some grandbabies!”

Pops laughed and shook his head as I stood to go after her.

“You dan done it now,” he said before he and Dynasty laughed even harder.

I found Mama in her bedroom, and I quickly yet gently took the phone from her hand.

“You can’t call Carolyn. She doesn’t know about us yet.”

“Ugh.” Palming her forehead, she groaned. “How long do I have to hold this in? Because I can’t promise you more than a day.”

“A day? Ma, you will have called Mama C by the time I leave this house unless Pops tells you not to.”

Her pout was cute and didn’t faze me at all as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I can keep a secret.”

“No you can’t, but I really need you to, Ma. We agreed to wait a little while before telling anyone. Please… let her tell her parents like I was able to tell you.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything.”

“Aight.” I kissed her temple and headed out, pulling my phone out to text Kas and tell her she had a smooth twenty-four hours to tell her parents about us before my mother did it for her.