Page 155 of Certified To Handle You 2

I glanced toward Couture. “Everybody keep tellin’ me that.”

His grandfather reached for my other hand. “Welcome, young lady.”

“Thank you,” I told him. “Y’all got a beautiful place.”

His grandfather looked out across the field and smiled. “Been in this family a long time. Every year it look more crowded.”

We stayed with them for a few minutes until more family walked up to speak. Couture kissed his grandma on the forehead, promised his grandfather he would come back before we left and then led me toward the other side of the yard.

We found Ms. Emoree near one of the food tents with Justice beside her. Soon as she saw us, her face opened into a smile.

“There y’all go,” she said while settin’ down the cup in her hand.

I hugged her before she could say somethin’ else. “Hey, Ms. Emoree.”

“Look at you,” Ms. Emoree replied as she stepped back and looked at my dress. “You look pretty, baby.”

“Thank you,” I told her before turnin’ toward Justice.

He was already lookin’ at me, and his whole face lit up when I stepped closer. I smiled and leaned down in front of him.

“Well, look at you,” I said while touchin’ the front of his blue shirt. “You done came out here dressed better than everybody.”

Justice kept smilin’, and I tilted my head while lookin’ him over like I was really studyin’ his outfit.

“Don’t be out here flirtin’ with all these women either,” I told him. “I know how you move.”

Ms. Emoree laughed while Justice’s smile got even bigger. I rubbed his shoulder before standin’ back up, and somethin’ in my chest softened when he kept lookin’ at me like he was happy I came.

Couture moved closer to his mama while she asked him about the drive and whether we had ate. Before he could answer, I told her I was hungry, and Ms. Emoree grabbed my hand like that was all she needed to hear.

“Come on, baby,” she said while pullin’ me toward the tables. “These people gon’ talk your head off and let you starve.”

Couture looked at me and shook his head, but I followed his mama.

Ms. Emoree walked me down the whole table and told me who made every dish as if I needed that information before choosin’ what to eat. I ended up with ribs, chicken, macaroni, greens, potato salad, baked beans and more bread than I planned on takin’.

“That’s good,” I told Ms.Emoree when she tried to add another spoonful of macaroni.

I carried my food toward one of the tables while Couture brought drinks. We sat with a few of his cousins and ate while conversations moved around us. Somebody asked how we met, and we answered at the same time.

The food was good enough to make me forget I said I wasn’t goin’ back for seconds. The ribs came right off the bone without no work, the greens had enough seasonin’ and the macaroni tasted like somebody’s grandma had guarded the recipe for forty years.

After we ate, one of Couture’s cousins caught me watchin’ a spades game and asked if I played.

“I play,” I told her.

“You good?” his cousin asked while narrowin’ her eyes.

“I ain’t gon’ sit down and embarrass myself if I wasn’t,” I replied.

She laughed and pulled an empty chair toward the table. “Come on then. We need one more.”

Couture looked at me before I sat down. “Don’t start no argument.”

I laughed, sat down and picked up my hand while Couture walked away shakin’ his head. Within ten minutes, I was fussin’ at my partner for cuttin’ me when I already had the book. Everybody around the table started yellin’, and two more people came over to watch.

“You ain’t say she was like this,” one of the cousins called toward Couture.