“Just a minute!” she screeched back.
“Mommy is going to ring my neck if we’re late.” He looked up and groaned his heart in his throat as she climbed a leg over the banister and slid down the rail with a loud cackle, her Disney princess underwear flashing him the entire way down. He caught her before she hit the knob at the bottom and swung her squealing into the air. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
She clutched his neck, squeezing it tightly. “Throw me again, Daddy.”
Ever since he told her he’d gotten approved to adopt her, Uncle Royal no longer existed. It had been two months since he and Famke gained sole custody of her, and he was thrilled. He was Daddy all the time. His brother was probably rolling in his grave, and it made it even sweeter. He threw her up in the air and caught her. “Come on, we have to hurry. Mommy is off work in twenty minutes, and it takes thirty minutes to get there. What were you doing up there anyway?”
“No.” She scowled, her nose wrinkled as if the thought disgusted her thoroughly.
“You tell Mommy everything,” she rubbed off the kiss he put her on her nose.
“I want a sister like Amala but since Mommy said no, I want a puppy.”
“A puppy?” this was news to him, he thought as he put the car in drive, ignoring the sister comment. “Where did this come from?”
“Keshaun has a puppy.”
“It’s not the same.”
The rest of the ride was quiet of conversation as the wind picked up on the drive. By the time he parked the car at Keshaun’s coffee shop Precious was asleep in the car and he unbuckled her and carried her sleeping form into the shop. Famke was still behind the counter serving a customer, a wide smile on her face. Like every other time he saw her, his heart thudded in his chest. She was beautiful and every single day he spent time with her, he was grateful for her. He caught her eyes and the way her smile widened when she saw him made him grin broader. He wiggled his coffee cup in his hand as he approached the counter.
“I need the second most important elixir for my day.”
“Second most?” she laughed as she took the mug and rinsed it out.
“Uh huh, your kisses are the most important ones. Better than any drug on the market to make my day better.” He was rewarded with a blush and her cheekily leaping forward a bit on the counter to place a kiss to his lips. He winked at her, “now this is service!”
Keshaun standing behind her chuckled, “I feel like if I offered the same service, you wouldn’t be as happy.”
He pointed at him and nodded, “true story.”
“Oh, he’s back,” Keshaun leaned sideways to look out the glass windows of the coffee shop. “He came in yesterday and tried to flirt with her.”
Royal looked over his shoulder and grimaced as Jack, Famke’s previous boss entered the shop with a swagger the man should not possess. His oily hair was slicked back and despite the fact he clearly put a clean shirt on today, his body odor preceded him into the shop. He bit back a gag and then covered his nose. He couldn’t wait to see how Famke dealt with him. He took his thermal mug of coffee with a big grin and moved to the end of the counter where Keshaun was already positioned.
“I don’t know your usual, Jack. What do you want?”
“Right.” She punched it into the till, “six-fifty.”
“True,” he passed her a ten-dollar bill and then pulled it back, “you can keep the change if I can get your number. I’ve tried to reach you on your old number and it’s out of service.”
She passed him back the change, “three-fiftyis your change.” She moved to make his coffee, “and my phone number has never changed.”
“I’ve tried reaching you multiple times and I can’t get through.”
“That would bebecause you’re blocked Jack.”
“Why? I did you a favor. I set you free of all the hours and you are free to date now.”
“Yeah Famke,” Keshaun motioned, “you don’t even work at the diner anymore because I pay you so well.”
“I should have spit in it,” she hissed at him.
“Aw, baby girl, don’t be like that.” He laughed at her.
Jack shifted in front of the counter as he waited for his coffee. “Um, so Famke, would you like to go to dinner with me?”
“I didn’teven saywhen yet.”
“I’ll be busy whatever day you pick, Jack.”
Famke looked to her daughter and slid the espresso across the counter.She unwrapped her apron and tossed it at Keshaun’s head, “clown.” Keshaun laughed as she took Precious out of Royal’s arms. “Give me my kid.”
“You don’t have a kid,” Jack blurted out.
“Yes, she does,” Precious snarled at him. She pointed to Famke, “that’s my mom. This is my dad.” She looked at his fingers as he picked up his coffee. “Why are your fingers yellow?”
Jack looked to Royal who continued sipping his coffee with a wide grin. Royal, lowered his cup, “sorry dude. She’s mine. I even put a ring on it.”
Famke grimaced, “no you didn’t. There’s no ring on this finger.”
“Oh,” he looked to Keshaun, “I was sure I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.” He tapped his chin, “I moved you in and everything. Did I dream it?”
Keshaun took a black velvet box from under the counter, “you must have dreamed it. Did your dream involve you picking her up at work on her birthday and your best friend and ultimate wing man having your ring at the ready while her best friend, brother and sister-in-law and Dad all watched from the back room?”
Royal took the box from Keshaun smirking as he stalked towards Famke, “yeah. That was it. I heard her telling Nyx on the phone shethought I was going to propose at dinner tonight and I don’t like when my surprises get ruined, or I become too predictable.” Heopened the box and pulled out a diamond ignoring the complaints from the swinging doors about who couldn’t see what was happening.
“You’re going to propose when I just got hit on my by my old boss?”
“I needed to know you would stay loyal. You passed the test. He’s tough to pass up with his millions and all.” At her scowl he laughed, “you areso beautiful Famke. Marry me and make me the happiest man on the planet.”
“What do you think, Precious,” Famke asked the giddy child inher arms. “Should I marry him?”
“Yes!” she squealed loudly. “Put the ring on her finger, Daddy! Do it.”
Famke leaned sideways, her eyes luminous with unshed tears. “Nyx,Bram? Am I going to regret this?”
“Yes,” Bram called out, “but don’t worry. I’ll remind you every day we warned you not to do it and you stupidly went and fell in love with him anyway.”
As he pulled her into his arms he laughed atthe collective cheers from the group around the café and he smiled at her. “Surprised?”
“Very.”
“Good. Ilove you, Famke.”
“I love you, Royal.” He placed his lips against hers and kissed her and like every other time he’d ever kissed her, immediately his entire body came to life, and he wound his arms around her waist and hugged her to him.
She broke the kiss and pulled backwards, “I was wondering why they were all here but none of them were talking to me.”
He shot a smug smirk at Jack, “you need to leave Jack before I think you’re trying to steal my girl from me, and I have to steal something back from you.”
“Youcan’t –”
As Jack stumbled out of the coffee shop Famke giggled in his arms.
“Too much?”
“Withpleasure.”
Royal carried her out wrapped around his frame happier than he had ever been in his life. This was what life was all about. The woman of his dreams in his arms while his entire family cheered him on. It didn’t get better than this.