Come Share My Love (20 page)

     “Calm down Shyla.”  Essence said.

     “I am calm, dammit.”  Shyla warned, “You talk to your bitch ass husband.  The only reason I tolerate his punk ass is because of you.”  Shyla turned to leave.

     “Who in the hell-” Felton didn’t need to say more because Shyla turned around as quick as her legs would carry her.

     “You have one more time to come at me sideways or anyway you please and I promise you on my parents death that your ass will regret the day that you every met Shyla Wilkes.”  She stood toe to toe with him but he was taller so she had to stretch her neck to look into his face.

     “So please, please give me a reason.”  She closed her eyes as if meditating.  “I can have you on your
knees in less than five second, ten seconds after that and just the right amount of pressure, oh baby, your wife here will be burying you by the middle of next week.  Now keep screwing with me, Felton, I’ll make it happen.  That’s a guarantee.”  She winked at them both and went to her room.

     Felton wiped the sweat from his brow.  “Your cousin is crazy,” he whispered.

     Essence went walking towards their room.  “I told you to leave her alone.  You just have to keep bringing up what Gloria did to Zackary.  Zackary can take care of Zackary, he’s a big boy.  It’s best that you remember that or you’re going to dig a whole around you so deep that you can’t get yourself out of.”

     “Brennan why are you always up on Zack’s woman?”

     “Zack knows I’m just teasing.  I don’t remember it getting this serious when he used to do it to me, or even to you, B.”

     “We were younger then.  We’re men now and the teasing needs to stop.” He then turned to Zackary.  “And why aren’t you saying something, man.  After a while she’s going to think that you don’t care.”

     “She knows that’s not true.  If Brennan thinks he can get her, let him go for it.  Besides I refuse to fight my brother over a woman.”

     “That’s the stupidest sh-”

     “Watch your mouth Braxton.”

     “Sorry mom, baby.  Z, do you know what you’re saying?”

     “Sure I do.  Now I need to get the girls to Mrs. Peterson.  I’ll see you guys at the club,” he grabbed one sleeping girl while Braxton scooped up the other and took them to the car.

     “Z, you can’t be too, understanding about this.  If you like this woman like you say I would think you would put Brennan in his place.  He’s our brother and all and I love him dearly but if he can on to Venice like that I’d have to break some bones.”

     Zackary laughed.  “And mom thinks you’re the quiet one.  Boy is she ever wrong.  Don’t worry about me and Shy.  We’re good.  Bren isn’t going to stop us from reaching our goal.  Besides I think I have someone who came keep him home at nights.  He’ll be too busy running behind her to think about another woman.”

     “Who is she?”

     “She is one of Shyla’s friends but let me do some research and some work on it and I’ll get back to you with the details.

     “Sweet!  Maybe if he had someone of his own he’d stop being in our relationships.”  Braxton kissed his nieces goodnight before Zackary jumped in the car to take them to the sitter.

C
hapter Thirteen

     “Hey man, you okay?” Felton asked when Zackary rushed through the door.

     “Yeah I’m fine.  Is Shyla in her room?”  Felton began scratching his head.  “What happened?”  Zackary knew something was up.  Everyone had a way they react when they’re nervous.  Zackary had known Felton for years.  Scratching his head was a dead giveaway that something was wrong or he was nervous.

     “We had some words about what happened at your parents place and she’s pretty upset.  Ess is trying to talk to her.”

     “I know I’m not going to like this but let me have it.  What kind of words?” 

   Felton told him everything including her threats to kill him and dispose of his remains.

     “Felt I love you like a brother and if you weren’t around when Gloria did the things she did I don’t know if I could have survived.  Yes I had my parents and family but you were there to see me at my worst when I knew that I couldn’t be that around my family, but this isn’t Shyla’s fault.  None of this is.”  Felton started to say something but he stopped him.  “Just hear me out.  Brennan likes to antagonize me, trying to get me back when I use to do it to him.  That’s the reason I don’t trust him.  He may or may not have been sleeping with Gloria.”

     “No bullshit?”

     “I don’t know how true that is.  Gloria hinted but I don’t want to believe that my brother screwed my wife.  After she left us I took the girls and got paternity test done.  It was as much for me as it was for them.  I wouldn’t have given them up but I needed to know.  She was running around with lord knows how many different people.  And if there was a chance that they were my brother’s then I would have had to do something about it.  Brennan doesn’t even know that I know this.”

     “Damn man.  You’ve been keeping this in all this time?”

     “Yeah, I felt stupid.  I was supposed to be her husband and she took our vows and trashed them.  I don’t think Shyla’s like that and I don’t think you do either.  From now on just let me take care of things with Shyla.”

     “Okay man.  I’ll step aside and let you do your thing.”

     “Appreciate it.  Oh and I found out that she only spent about twenty minutes alone with Bren, she was with mom and Brax the rest of the time.”

     “I know that’s a strain off your back.”

     “You don’t know how much.  I’m going to get dressed,” he says but Essence walks back into the living room before he takes his leave.  “Is she going?”

Essence shrugged her shoulders and flopped down on the couch.
“Your guess is as good as mine.  She said she was going but she hasn’t attempted to get dressed.”

     “Should I go talk to her?

     “Ask yourself, “Do I feel lucky“, then, do the very opposite.”

     Zackary chuckled.  That was his Shyla.  “I’m getting dressed.  Give her another few minutes.” 

     Zackary was still in his room when Shyla resurfaced.  She was wearing a yellow blouse and a pair of black jeans and yellow ankle high eel-skinned boots.  Her hair wasn’t curled as it had been earlier that day it was flying freely over both shoulders with freshly cut slanted bangs covering a good portion of her left eye.  It looked good on her.

     “Don’t you look nice,” Essence said.

     “Thanks.  The boots okay?  I thought about sandals but wasn’t sure.”

     “It’s perfect.

     “I guess I’m ready to go then,” she opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch.  She wasn’t ready for another altercation with Felton, Essence or anyone else.  The best thing for her to do was stay out of everyone’s way.  She called Kemah and asked her that if she got a flight out tomorrow would she pick her up and she told her yes, but asked her why she was letting them spoil her time with Zackary.  She didn’t have an answer.  Kemah told her to think about it and if she still felt the same way tomorrow then call her and she’d be there.

     Zackary was finally dressed.  He had on a pair of black slacks with a black muscle shirt and a tan suede jacket.  He definitely looked different when he went to work.

     “Have you talked to her?  Is she going?”

     “Yes she’s going.  She’s outside waiting.”

     “Well we don’t want to keep her waiting, let’s move out.”

     She was standing by his car looking like an orphan when they exited the house but she looked beautiful.  Zackary reached her and unlocked the automatic doors.  Felton and Essence got in back.  He held the door closed before he opened it for her.  “Are you alright?”

     She looked around and then back at him.  “Yes.”  She wasn’t ready to leave him.  People were making it more difficult for them.  “I’m fine.”

     He kissed her on her nose then opened the door for her.  “You look very nice.”

     She smiled.  “Thanks, and so do you.  I really love that shirt.”  It was nice and fit him like a second skin.  She pulled him by the jacket and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, then slid into the car.  He closed the door after she was situated.  Now that was the kind of greeting he wanted and needed from her.  They were well on their way
at least he hoped they were.

     They found an empty table near Zackary’s parents.  She was introduced to several people including Zackary’s Uncle Alonzo, who was quite a character.

     “Hey boy, how you been?”  He pounded Zachary on the back.

     “Just fine, Unc
.  How’s life been treating you, sir?”

     “You know your
uncles old boy, but I can still hang with the best of you all.”  He eyed Shyla twirling his hips to the music.  “And who is this pretty young thing?”

     “Uncle Alonzo.  This beautiful woman is my friend Shyla.  Shyla, Uncle Alonzo.  We call him Lonnie.”

     She held out her hand, he took it and kissed it.  “Friend huh?”

     “So you still don’t know how to work it,” he winked.  Shyla hide her smile.

     “We’re working on it.”  He pulled Shyla’s hand from his uncle’s grasp and his wandering lips.

     “You remember Felton and his wife Essence.”

     “Of course I remember this pretty little lady.”  He kissed her cheek.  “And how are you doing young timer.

     “I’m good Uncle Lonnie.”  They shook hands.

     “Now back to you.  Shyla are you, shy?” he chuckled at his own silly joke.

     “Not at all, sir.”

     “Call me Uncle Alonzo or Lonnie, darlin’.  Can you dance?”

     “Uncle Alonzo, is that a challenge?” he nodded.  “Well, I just love
a challenge,” she said in her best southern drawl.

     “Well get yourself up from
that there sit down and show Unc whatcha workin’ wit.”

Shyla looked over at Zackary to see if he minded.  He just smiled.  “Come on darlin', he doesn’t mind a’tal.  Y
ou’re safe with ole Uncle Alonzo.”  He took her purse from her hand.  “Take care of this for her, young blood.  I’ll have her back in a jiffy.”  And he did.

     Shyla danced circles around his uncle and pretty much everyone else on the dance floor.  Neither of them looked exhausted but Alonzo was feeling it.  He heard Big Zack say, ‘little brother, you need to sit down before
you fall down, trying to be young again.  It’s not going to happen.’

     He walked Shyla back to her table.  “Thanks for the dance ma’am.  See I brought her back in one piece.”  He was still trying to catch his breath. 

     “What about me Uncle Alonzo?  Don’t I get a dance?”

     “Not if you dance anything like her.  She’s going to be the death of me.”  They all laughed.  “When I get my fifth wind, I’ll take you for a spin on the linoleum.”

     “Okay Uncle Lonnie.  I’ll be waiting.”

     He tipped his imaginary hat and found a chair to rest his old bones.  He was tired.

     “I can’t believe him.  He actually thought he could out dance my girl,” Zackary said pulling Shyla to him.

     “Not a chance,” he and Felton hit fist.

     Before she could say anything else Braxton came to get her.  “You ready to show these folks what you got, gal?  They’ve already seen you dance.”

     “Sure,” she excused herself from the rest of the group.

     “Venice and Traci will be back-up depending on what you sing.  I have four songs if that’s okay with you.”

     She shrugged her shoulders.  “That’s fine.  What are they?

     “Impossible, baby come to me, and at last.”

     “That’s only three.”

     “I know.  Can you do a little blues for the old crowd?” 

     She laughed.  “Braxton, your parents are going to kick your backside if they hear that coming from you, but yes, I guess I can do that.  Down Home Blues alright?”

     “Yes,” he praised.

     “Good.”

     “I want you to do, At last, last.  It’s Zackary’s favorite and I’m sure he’ll love that.”

     She turned and looked at him.  He waved, she waved back.  “Really?  I didn’t know that.  Why don’t you get the music cued for my guy before the last song?  I have an idea.”

     “You want him to know that he’s your guy and that you’re dedicating his favorite song to him?”