Page 10 of Certified To Handle You 2

Then Couture pulled back up, and I had to think fast before that whole situation blew up in everybody face. I told him Sha’Nelle had gotten into a scuffle with one of our family members and needed to leave. He looked confused and asked if she was okay, but he ain’t press the issue once I assured him she would be straight. I hated lyin’ to him ‘cause he seemed to genuinely care about my cousin, but tellin’ that man what really happened would’ve turned My’Love’s birthday party into somethin’ none of us could take back.

By the time Kay’Lo pulled away from the pavilion, I was tired in every way a person could be tired. My feet hurt, my head was poundin’, and I still couldn’t wrap my mind around Renza draggin’ Sha’Nelle behind the buildin’ while the man she came with was only a few minutes away. The whole situation was a mess, and even though I knew Kay’Lo had questions, he ain’t ask me nothin’ durin’ the ride home.

That silence told me enough…

Kay’Lo wasn’t the type to talk just because somethin’ bothered him. He would sit with it, turn it over in his head, and wait until he knew exactly what he wanted to say. This man could be quiet for an hour and still have a bitch feel like she was bein’ questioned, so I kept glancin’ over at him while he drove and tried to figure out what was goin’ through his mind.

His face stayed straight, and one hand remained on the wheel while the other kept reachin’ into the back seat every few minutes to touch My’Love’s leg. He looked back at her once we stopped at a light, then turned his attention to the road again. He still ain’t say nothin’ to me, and I ain’t force the conversation ‘cause I already knew it was waitin’ on me at the house.

When we finally pulled through the gates, he parked and got out before I could finish unbucklin’ my seat belt. I watched him open the back door and lean inside, slidin’ one arm behind My’Love’s back and the other beneath her legs.

“Come here, Daddy’s baby,” he whispered while liftin’ her from the seat.

My’Love made a small sound and rubbed her face against his chest, but her eyes never opened. Kay’Lo adjusted her against him, kissed the top of her head, and carried her toward the house while I grabbed the rest of our things and followed behind them.

Watchin’ him with our daughter almost made me forget he had been sittin’ beside me lookin’ irritated for the whole ride home. Kay’Lo could be one of the most dangerous men walkin’, but My’Love had him wrapped around every one of her little fingers. He held her as if she was the most precious thing he had ever touched, and the way he looked down at her made my heart soften even though my nerves was still botherin’ me.

I locked the door behind us and followed him upstairs. He went straight to My’Love’s room and lowered her into her bed without wakin’ her. One of her pink socks had started slidin’ off,so he pulled it back over her foot before easin’ her shoes off and settin’ them beside the bed.

I stood near the door and watched while he removed the jewelry she had worn for her party, then placed it on her dresser. He pulled the blanket over her and brushed the curls from her forehead before leanin’ down to kiss her.

“Happy birthday, pretty girl,” he murmured.

My chest warmed when I heard him, but the feelin’ faded as soon as he straightened up and looked over at me. That same quiet expression was still sittin’ on his face, and I knew the sweet daddy moment had nothin’ to do with whatever he had planned for his wife.

We stepped into the hallway, and Kay’Lo left My’Love’s door cracked before followin’ me into our bedroom. I walked toward the dresser and started removin’ my earrings while he closed the door behind us. He ain’t lock it or say nothin’ right away. He simply stood near the door and watched me through the mirror.

I tried to act like his stare wasn’t botherin’ me, but my husband knew me too well for that shit to work. I set my earrings down, slid my bracelets off, and reached for the clasp on my necklace while his eyes stayed on me.

“What?” I finally asked, lookin’ at him through the mirror.

Kay’Lo pushed away from the door and walked farther into the room. He removed his watch, placed it on the dresser beside my jewelry, and took his time lookin’ me over before meetin’ my eyes.

“Why you ain’t tell me ’Nelle had a nigga?”

There it was…

I frowned and turned around to face him. “‘Cause she ain’t want you to know.”

His brows lifted, and the expression on his face made it clear that answer had landed even worse than I expected.

“She ain’t want me to know?” he repeated.

“You heard what I said.”

“Yeah, I heard you.” He rested one hand on the dresser and looked at me for a few seconds. “I’m just tryna understand why my wife thought that made sense.”

“It made perfect sense to me,” I replied. “She told me somethin’ about her life and asked me not to repeat it. That’s my cousin, ‘Lo. I can’t just be runnin’ back tellin’ people her business every time she confide in me.”

He kept lookin’ at me, but he ain’t nod or say nothin’. That almost made it worse ‘cause when Kay’Lo got quiet like this, it usually meant he was listenin’ to every word comin’ out my mouth before he decided how he wanted to respond.

I folded my arms and held his stare ‘cause I wasn’t backin’ down on this one.

I understood why he had questions, but I also understood why Sha’Nelle kept that part of her life to herself. Renza had already made it damn near impossible for her to move on in peace, and if she wasn’t ready for everybody else to know about Couture, that was her decision to make.

Kay’Lo rubbed his jaw slow before lettin’ his hand fall. “So that’s where we at?”

I frowned. “What that’s supposed to mean?”