“Yes,” I say as much to myself as to her, determined to rein in my thoughts and stuff away my memories. “Thatwillbe all.”
Chapter Six
Josiah
I’m not sure which of them is happier,” I say, watching Kassim and Otis run along the riverbank, both getting liberally splashed. “But I should have waited to get my car detailed. All that mud.”
“I got you.” Deja grins, patting the small backpack at her feet. “I remembered from last time and packed a towel.”
We fist-bump and chuckle as Otis leaps for the Frisbee Kassim threw, only to land in the water and sink out of sight. He breaks the surface a few seconds later, Frisbee gripped between his teeth.
“Show-off,” I mutter.
“You love him,” Deja teases.
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes and clear my throat. “So your mom tells me you’re skipping class. What’s up with that?”
“Oh, my God.” Deja groans and presses a hand to her eyes. “She keeps making it a big deal. It was one period so I could watch an important broadcast. I wish she’d just leave me alone.”
“Yeah, that’s not exactly how parenting works. No social media for the next week.”
“Dad! No. I’ve already scheduled posts.”
“Unschedule them.”
“You can take anything else,” she pleads.
“Which is exactly why we’re taking this.”
“We?” Suspicion narrows her eyes. “Did she put you up to this?”
“It was my idea.” My brows lift to the level ofnow what.“Your mother’s not the enemy. She wants what’s best for you. We both do. We’re not paying tuition for you to goof off at Harrington.”
“Who says I even want to be at Harrington anyway?” she mumbles, kicking at a pebble along the river.
“It’s one of the top schools in the state, Day. Do well there, and you’ll have your pick of colleges.”
“Who says I want that either? College isn’t for everyone.”
I don’t get to respond to that because my phone signals an incoming text.
Vashti:Hey, babe. I’m at the restaurant getting ready for the lunch rush. You coming in?
Me:Yeah. At the river with the kids now. We’re leaving soon, but Kassim has soccer at two. I should be in before the dinner crowd. Anthony’s there, right?
For so long I did a little bit of everything at Grits. Now that things have settled and we have an executive chef, a sous-chef, and Anthony, a great manager I wooed from one of Atlanta’s top restaurants, I have a little room to breathe.
Vashti:Yeah, Anthony’s here. Everything’s under control. I just want to see you and maybe we can hang after closing?
She’s dropped a few hints about wanting to spend the night. We haven’t been together long, but the attraction is there, and I like her a lot. I haven’t dated anyone in a really long time, but I do remember this is how relationships progress. I’m a red-blooded male. I want this.
Don’t I?
Me:I want to see you too. Yas is taking the kids after the soccer match. I’ll come by then.
Vashti:So Yasmen’s not coming in?
I frown, thumbs hovering over the screen. Despite the tension between Yasmen and me, I’m very clear that our business would not be what it is now had it not been for her ideas and her passion early on. We may not be married anymore, but we’re still partners.