“I don’t like you either, but we gotta eat, and you gotta feed your mother,” I shrugged.
“Fine, but only because I got snot on your shirt.”
“Oh yeah. You definitely owe me!”
MADALEE
Tiberius Vesey was one car behind me, following me to my house. I wasn’t sure if I’d lost my mind or what.
“Just go with it, girl. When was the last time a good-looking man cooked you and your mother a nice dinner?”
“Never!”
I responded to myself and burst out in laughter.
Marigold was not going to believe this. I checked the rearview mirror and made sure Ty made it through the light I’d just driven through. He made it.
“This is a nice house,” Ty said after parking behind me and getting out of his car.
I owned a small two-bedroom, one bath, fifteen-hundred-square-foot bungalow. It wasn’t huge, but it was mine, and I worked hard to keep it in good shape.
“What did you think I would live in? A shack?”
“No, it suits you.”
“Thank you… I guess.”
“It’s a compliment!” Ty said with a chuckle.
“Look, the groceries met us here.”
I motioned to the car, pulling up behind Tiberius’ car.
“I got it,” Ty said.
After tipping the delivery guy, Ty started up the driveway carrying four reusable shopping bags. He followed me to my front door.
“Wait,” I said before opening the door. “How do I know I won’t have some angry girlfriend of yours at our job trying to bust the windows out of my car or something?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend. If I did, I wouldn’t be here. If there was someone at the job trying to hurt you or your property, I would deal with them.”
“What if I have a jealous boyfriend?”
“Then he’s got competition.”
“You cocky like that?”
“No, confident and determined,” Ty replied.
I smiled and unlocked the door to my house.
“Momma?” I called out after entering the house. “We have a visitor.”
“Okay,” she responded from her room. “Here I come.”
“You can put those bags in the kitchen,” I said to Tiberius.
Walking past me, Ty placed the groceries on the kitchen counter. My mother emerged from her room wearing a purple and green kaftan. Her teal turban complimented her kaftan with a peacock brooch in the middle.