Page 70 of Leave It to Us
TAMI
With shaking gloved hands, a dirt-smudged face, and sweat rolling down her back, Tami ended the call and let out a squeal of delight. She pumped a fist in the air and then danced around in circles until she almost toppled over onto the pile of trash that needed to be hauled out of the little blue house. It was late afternoon, and she’d been working in the house alone, while Deacon, Yvonne, and the rest of the crew continued with projects over at the summerhouse. But next week was the beginning of August, and if they wanted everything finished by the end of summer, she needed to get started over here now.
Still, the timeline didn’t stop her from continuing her celebration. With her lips spread into a huge smile, she jogged out of the house, stopping on the rugged front porch. She had to call Gabriel.
Staring down at her phone, she kept trying to swipe over the screen to get the call going, but the big work gloves she was wearing hindered the process. How she’d been able to swipe to answer the call that had just come in about ten minutes ago and wasn’t able to make a call now, she wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t going to let that kill her joy either. So she pulled the gloves off and dropped them to the tattered planks below, then made the call.
“Come on, come on,” she said, and she wanted to dance around some more but considered the possibly unstable foundation she was on at the moment and just continued to grin. “Pick up! Pick up!”
“Hey, beautiful,” he finally answered.
“I got the job!” she yelled. “They just called me, and I got the job!”
His deep, rumbling laughter filled her with even more glee, and she thought her heart would jump right out of her chest. “Congratulations, babe! That’s what’s up!”
“I’m so excited I can hardly breathe!” she told him. “They said there was a big launch they had to get moving—that’s why they hadn’t called back sooner. And then they expressed that this is the reason they need someone in the position, so that important things won’t have to take a back seat while current staff is juggling two and three jobs. The salary isn’t fantastic, but I knew that going in. It’s just the opportunity, you know; I’ll be at a record company, learning more about the industry, getting hands-on experience. I just can’t believe it! I can’t believe I really got the job!”
When she finally stopped talking, she was out of breath, heart still racing, eyes stinging with happy tears.
“You deserve this, Tam. It’s the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, and you deserve it,” Gabriel said. “I’m so proud of you.”
That’s when she stopped near one of the beams barely holding up the dilapidated porch roof. She leaned on it regardless of the fact that it might fall and take her ass out with it. This was too good of a moment for that to happen—she hoped. Her head tilted until it was also leaning on the beam, and she closed her eyes, replaying the last words he’d just said.
“Thank you,” she said in a much calmer voice. “Thanks for listening to me go on and on about this job and my dreams. About my two-steps-away-from-being-broke status, the jobs I had and hated, my family, this renovation ... everything. I feel like I’ve been dumping so much on you for so long and I just—I just appreciate you always listening.”
“Always, Tami,” he said without hesitation. “I’m gonna be here whether you’re laughing or crying, happy or sad.”
“A part of me wants to say thank you again because I feel like I don’t deserve that type of dedication or unmitigated support from you—or anyone else, I guess.” She blinked and stared out at the majestic house across the yard, with workers coming and going, painters standing on ladders, landscapers digging up weeds, and the sounds of banging and clanking mixing with the screech of birds and the warm summer breeze.
“But another part of me knows that this is exactly what I deserve. The job of my dreams and ... the guy that I never dared to dream about.” It was an admission that had been haunting her daily since Gabriel had expressed his desire to be in a real relationship with her. She was afraid of that, afraid that a commitment to being his woman would taint the friendship that she’d come to cherish. She’d also been afraid to take a chance on herself all these years, to go out and get the job that she wanted instead of trying to walk the path that others wanted for her. But look at God.
“You deserve everything that makes your heart happy and your voice sing with the excitement I hear in it right now. Damn, I wish I was there to hug you and take you out to dinner to celebrate. When are you coming home?”
She sighed. “Oh, yes, I wish I was there right now because you’d definitely be making reservations at Del Frisco’s for us tonight.”
He laughed again and she joined in. “Wooow, so it’s like that. You’re ready to break a brotha’s pockets for this celebration, huh?”
“Absolutely! This is a special occasion.”
“You’re right, you’re right. And I’d make those reservations in a heartbeat. In fact, the first night you’re home, it’s a date.”
Butterflies danced in her stomach at the sound of that, and she couldn’t help but giggle. “Okay,” she said softly. “It’s a date.”
Fifteen minutes later, she’d hung up with Gabriel and was running across the yard to get to the summerhouse. She almost plowed into oneof the landscapers pushing a wheelbarrow full of fresh dirt, but then she laughed and yelled, “Sorry ’bout that!” when he scowled.
She ran up the new steps leading to the new deck, the teak prefinished composite tiles she’d selected gleaming in the sunlight. The kitchen was still a minor mess, with the backsplash just being installed and the appliance shipment still on the mainland. Her goal was to find her sisters—one or both of them, it didn’t matter. The news was burning in her throat to spill again.
“Have you seen Yvonne?” she asked Frank, who was coming down the foyer when she stepped out of the kitchen.
“Upstairs, in the primary bedroom with Deacon,” he said with a nod.
“Great! Thanks!” Then she was off again, maneuvering around more of the crew and a weird piece of plastic that seemed to be hanging from the ceiling in the upstairs hallway for a reason she didn’t know and couldn’t be bothered to stop and figure out at the moment.
She bolted into the room only to come to a quick stop when she saw them in the sitting area near the big window. Grandma Betty used to have a hot-pink love seat in that area, with a purple shag rug. The Tiffany lamp and the huge ottoman had an array of the same bright colors, and the small shelf that had sat in one corner boasted a collection of books as vibrant and eclectic as her grandmother’s style had been in that small space. Now Tami knew exactly where she’d gotten her decorating sense from as a flash of her apartment and her bright-yellow couch had her connecting instantly to Grandma’s space.
But all those things had been moved out now. New floors were being installed in here at the end of the week, so Yvonne and Deacon were standing in an empty space. That didn’t seem to matter to them, because with the way they were looking at each other, they didn’t have room for anything else. For a moment, Tami just stared at them.
The sun was streaming in through the window, giving Yvonne’s skin a sun-kissed glow. She looked extra cute today in her light-blue denimcapris and green Celtics T-shirt—the one NBA team they could agree on supporting. Her hair was in that damn ponytail again, but at least she’d added a green headband and gold stud earrings. Deacon was his usual fine self, in work boots, jeans, and a gray T-shirt. As he lifted a hand to run a finger along the line of Yvonne’s jaw, Tami resisted the urge to release a hugeAawwwww.She’d never seen her big sister with a guy before, and she had definitely never seen that look on Yvonne’s face as she stared up at Deacon. It didn’t matter what he was saying to her—that look said it all. Yvonne was falling for him, and Deacon had clearly fallen for her. And that, combined with the news about Lana’s baby and her news about the job, had Tami’s heart overflowing with joy.
