Thick Love (Thin Love, #2)(89)

“And this is Ransom’s folks Keira and Kona.”

“Sekonsa! I heard about them,” she said, pulling Kona down to kiss his cheek even before he offered it. “Oh! Li ansent! Bien!” she said, waving a hand over Keira’s large stomach, her eyes sparkling.

“Millie, pinga ou fè sa!” I told her, narrowing my eyes at her when she looked a little too eager to touch Keira’s belly. Keira had complained often enough about hating how even total strangers felt entitled to patting her stomach, often without even asking first.

The old woman stopped smiling, but brushed off the small reprimand by shrugging and pulling on my wrist. “You see your papa today?”

“Non,” I told her, warning her with a glare. “And I’m not going to.”

“Aly…”

“Mind your own business, old woman.” My tone was teasing, but firm.

Millie was good natured, but a little too aggressive when it came to what she thought was giving out good advice to broken up families. And my family was as broken as one could ever be.

“Well, then, cheri, you be well.” She finally caught my hint and nodded to us with a brief “se te on plezi” to Ransom and his parents—I doubted she’d really enjoyed meeting them, especially when she couldn’t get any dirt on me or them or what I was doing with Ransom—before Ransom ushered me down the side walk. Still, there was that Hale charm…

Ransom’s smile was ridiculous and when he kept throwing it my way, I jabbed him in the rib. “What?”

I shook my head when he pulled me to his side with his arm around my shoulder. “You’re full of surprises.”

I shrugged. “You know I speak the language.” I squinted, mocking a frown. “Did you think I was cursing in Spanish or something all those times Koa tried my patience, or… um, whenever?”

“I guessed Creole,” Kona interrupted, smiling at Keira like he’d won a bet.

“He did,” she started, pulling me free of Ransom’s large arm. “And now he’s going to be all superior.” Keira looped her arm in my elbow and ignored her smug-looking husband. “Kona spent time in Tremé before I came around because he had a crush on the barmaid at the Candlelight,” she whispered to me conspiratorially.

“Oh?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at the man in question. He couldn’t hear us, I knew. “You think he’s gonna go check if she’s still there?”

“Nah,” Keira said through a laugh. “Luka told me once that the girl’s brother chased Kona out with a shotgun in his hand.”

“What’s so funny?” Kona asked when our laughter pulled his attention away from whatever animated story Ransom was telling his father.

Keira was cool, and merely gave out a sing-songy whistle and glance towards the sky in an “I’ll never tell” tease.

The woman was legendary.

“This your place?” Keira asked after leveling a saucy wink at her husband.

I knew she meant the neighborhood. Ransom and Kona often asked me about my people, my childhood, but Keira wasn’t one to pry. Her curiosity about my neighborhood surprised me, and I liked her wanting to know more about me.

“Yeah. I grew up here before Leann let me take the loft.”

Keira stopped, glancing back to where Millie had disappeared as though something had just occurred to her. “We can leave if you’re worried about running into your father.”

“No, Keira.” It was a sweet suggestion, but the day was too beautiful and I felt comfortable with Ransom and his family. “I’m not gonna let anyone spoil the day, especially not that mean old man,” I told Keira, patting Ransom’s hand when he came up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

The smell of gumbo was thick in the air, with its aroma of Cayenne pepper, garlic and bell peppers so heavy that my mouth watered. I quietly pulled Ransom behind me as Keira walked toward a long line queuing for bowls of that delicious concoction.

It had been a relaxing day, laughing with Ransom and his family, forgetting about the struggles I’d endured in Tremé, and Ransom not once looking away from me. He stood in front of me, those dark eyes roaming my features, and I thought that nothing but his look and the slow smile he gave me could make the moment more perfect.

“I didn’t know you could speak Creole,” he teased, stepping closer as we waited in line, ignoring everyone around us.

“Just a few things my grann taught me. I can get by.”

“You know,” he said, “I have some language skills.” I cocked an eyebrow at him and Ransom glanced at his parents. “Other than those…”

“Jesus,” Keira cried, disgusted.

“Don’t let him fool you, Aly,” Kona said.

“Who’s fooling?” Ransom glared at his father but I knew the look was forced. “I can speak my language.”

“Says the boy raised in Nashville.”

He waved off his parents’ teasing, moving his attention back to me and licked his lips. “Piha?ū o?u mokukauaheahe i nā puhi,” Ransom said, all proud, as though he liked how big my eyes widened. It was an impressive mouthful, but then Kona laughed, and I spotted the way Keira rolled her eyes.

“What?” I asked them, then looked back up at Ransom when they didn’t answer me. “What does that mean?” I asked Ransom.