Page 66 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings 2: The Finale
“She’s always good with me. You should know that by now. I made one slip the entire time I’ve been her parent, and it was during a very dark time. She was never in danger though.”
“I know,” Juke sighed. “That’s what this is.” He shrugged and looked around. “Us figuring this out, so that we can co-parentlike we were before all this happened. I want that for you too. I’m not trying to keep her from you. She adores you. She talks about you and asks about you every single day. I think Ashley is a little salty about it because she’s been with us full time for almost a year, but you’re still the first thing on her mind when she wakes up and the last thing when her head hits the pillow. My moms taught her how to say her prayers, and her mommy is at the top of the list every single night.” Those words left my throat tightening while I tried to catch my breath. Juke wasn’t playing fair.
It would be so easy to get lost in him, remembering that he was the first man I let in after finally letting go of Ivo.
“She’s at the top of mine too.”
“So even when you’re apart, the two of you are together. I tell her that all the time, and that you love her and miss her like crazy.”
“All truth,” I snickered.
“Mommy, my room is so pretty!” Jury appeared at the top of the stairs, looking over the glass encasing with Sapphire grinning behind her. “Everything is my favorite color, and it’s so many toys!”
“All for you, my baby girl! I’m so glad you like it. I wanted it to be perfect for you.”
“Daddy, my name is on the door in gold letters!” she squealed.
“That’s what’s up, Jury. Why don’t you come down so we can go eat? I’m starving. I already forgot about those snacks from the plane.” Juke rubbed his stomach and laughed.
“Let’s go, Sap. I could eat too.”
“Aight, let me grab my phone.” My brother and Jury started down the steps together and she skipped ahead of him to me and Juke while Sapphire went to grab his cell.
“I can drive if you want,” he offered.
“Okay, now you offer to pay, and we might be on to something.”
“I got you.” Juke ran his tongue across his lips.
“Let’s go. I’m hungry.” Jury grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
Stopping near the accent table beside the door, I grabbed my purse and keys along with a light zip-up hoodie to throw on over my casual look. Juke had rented a black Chevy Tahoe, which we all loaded up in. Jury talked our ears off most of the drive to the restaurant, and I didn’t mind it one bit. It had been so long since I’d been able to talk to my baby in person that she could go all night if she wanted. Once we got to the restaurant, we were seated at a booth with Jury and Juke on one side and me and Sap on the other. Appetizers were flowing, and surprisingly, we had a good time. I forgot how easy it was to just be with my child’s father. He was grounded and naturally funny. It was obvious that Jury also adored him. I could never take that from her.
I noticed he put his phone facedown halfway through dinner though, after it had already gone off a few times. I assumed Ashley was checking on him, but Juke seemed to be keeping her on ice, leaving me curious as I sipped the last of my iced tea. It was nearly seven p.m. and I was stuffed. The only thing I wanted to do now was get my daughter tucked in so we could watch movies and fall asleep together. It sounded so corny and simple, but it was all I’d been thinking about since knowing she was coming to visit. It was our thing, and I’d missed it.
“Jury, let’s go over to the dessert bar and see what we can find,” my brother suggested.
“You had me at dessert.” My baby grinned, and Juke got up to let her out while Sapphire slipped out on the open end of our side.
My heart was instantly full, watching them together as they walked off.“She ain’t missed a beat.” Juke’s juicy lips had curvedinto a natural grin as well. “I haven’t seen her this excited in a long time.”
“You have no idea. I am so ready to sit up in bed with her watching movies and eating snacks while she tells me all about her life,” I voiced. Juke’s phone went off again, and he hit the side button to stop it but didn’t bother picking it up.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked, squinting.
“Nothing,” he sighed, slowly easing back into the cloth fabric of the booth.
“Juke,” I poked. “You can answer your phone. I’m not your girl. Just the mother of your child. I’m sure Ashley wants you to check in.”
“I’m just not with all this keeping tabs on a nigga shit. She been on some bullshit since I told her about this visit and that I wanted to be here.”
“Why? She knows there isn’t anything going on with us. This is why you need to go home. Like tomorrow. Don’t spend this whole trip here and leave her back home hot as fish grease. Is that what you want to go back to?”
“I honestly don’t know what I want,” he mumbled.
“Get your shit together,” I scolded, shaking my head. “You don’t get to do this. Not now.”
“Do what? What you talking about?”
