IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN (17 page)

The moment the silver-haired man with the green eyes walked into the room, Ray drew to his feet. That was one thing his late mother, Angelique, had instilled in each of her children. Always stand to acknowledge someone’s presence when they entered the room.

If he hadn’t considered this to be a vetting process before, he did now. He studied Charles. His face went from flesh to stone in all of thirty seconds.

“Raphael, have a seat.” Charles poured a Scotch and water into a shot glass and followed with a question without bothering to look up. “I understand this conversation involves Laney.”

Ray nodded. “Yes, sir. I’d like your permission to date her.”

Charles arched a gray brow and offered an appreciative nod. “I don’t need to remind you that Laney is the only living blood relative I have.”

“No, sir,” Ray replied, noticing the way Charles’s eyes smiled, but not his mouth. “I know that.”

Charles lifted his shot glass to his lips, tilting his head slightly. “Laney has been a fighter all her life. Did you know she weighed just a little over a pound when she was born?”

“No, sir.”

“She was born just shy of thirty weeks gestation. In fact, doctors didn’t expect her to live. It was over three months before we could even hold her. For the longest day I live, I’ll never forget the moment she was placed in my arms. She was absolutely breathtaking.” Charles swirled the liquor in his glass and took a liberal sip. “I’ve always admired her resilience and tenacity. She’s never needed a crutch except for one time. Has she shared that part of her life with you?”

“Yes, sir. She told me about the breakdown.”

“Clarisse’s death nearly destroyed her. It took a while, but she found a way to bear the load and move on. You know, most teenage girls look forward to high school, or their prom night, or having a sweet sixteenth birthday celebration with their best girlfriends. Did you know that by the time Laney was sixteen, she was going into her junior year in college?”

Ray nodded, again. “Yes, sir. She told me.”

Charles placed his empty shot glass on the bar. “Well, I guess there’s really not a lot you don’t know about Laney Olivia.” He chuckled softly. “And I think this is one time I’ll take Zamora’s advice and stay out of grown folks business.” He braced a finger to his temple and aligned a razor sharp gaze with Ray’s. “Raphael, you’re a very special man for Laney to have shared the most painful part of her life with you. I hope you know that. Whenever Laney is happy, I’m happy. However, make absolutely no mistake about one thing.”

“What’s that, sir?”

“Your fault, Laney’s fault, or a combination there of, if she sheds as much as one tear of unhappiness, I give you my solemn vow you’ll shed ten. Are we perfectly clear?” 

“Yes, sir. Perfectly clear.”  

“
M
on frère
…” Ray stood in front of Alex and held up two sample swatches. “Which color you like best?”

Alex rubbed his jaw. “That one.” He pointed to the one in Ray’s left hand.

Two months ago, Ray had hired a team of contractors and interior designers to oversee the home he was building in Cordova, a small community east of Memphis. Time was of the essence. He wanted it near completion before his family came to meet Laney’s extended family the following week. He studied the swatches for a moment. Then he turned to the interior designer next to him and handed her the one in his right hand.  “Let’s go with this one.”

“Why did you bother to ask me if you weren’t going to go with my choice?” Alex fussed.

Ray grinned. “My bad. I forgot you’re colorblind.”

Alex pointed to Ray’s waist. “Where’s your cell phone?”

“Daaayuuum,” Ray muttered, glancing down at his empty belt. “I was in such a hurry I left it on the nightstand. As soon as I finish here, I’ll call Big Eddie and ask him if he’ll bring it to me.”

“Why go through all that trouble?”

Ray shrugged. “Red might need to reach me on her cell.”

“You mean she finally moved into the twenty-first century and brought a cell phone?”

“No,
I
brought her one. Got her a Blackberry.”  Ray released a long whistle. “Trying to teach her how to use all the functions ain’t been easy.”

Alex raised his voice to be heard over the contractor’s hammering. “Where’s Laney at now?”

“Since she’s still off work, she figured it was a good time to go to lunch with Nicki.”

Alex sighed. “God, that woman irritates me at times.”

Ray grinned and tucked his pen behind his ear. “Well, you didn’t look all that irritated Sunday when you had your big behind parked at her
mère’s
table. You ate like you hadn’t seen food in all your life.”

“There’s a perfectly good explanation for that.” Alex explained. “Ida Mae is a great cook and—” he broke off when his cell phone rang. He pulled the phone from the case clipped to his belt and answered
. L
istening for a moment, he chuckled. “He forgot to bring it.” He held his phone out to Ray. “It’s Marcel. He’s been trying to call you. ”

Ray shook his head. “Ask
mon frère
if I can hit him back later.”

Alex placed the phone back to his ear. “Partner, he said—”

“I heard him,” Marcel chuckled. “Tell
petite frère
not to worry about calling back. I just wanted to check in to see how he’s doing.”

Ray glanced up and noticed two men from the furniture company struggling with the custom-made sofa he’d ordered as they came through the door. One end of the couch slipped and hit the floor with a thud. He raced over, crisscrossing both arms in front of him. “Whoa, player, be careful with the sofa now. I can’t have you messing up my baby’s stuff. And be sure you don’t scratch up her floors, either.”

~ ~ ~

The entire Baptiste clan flew in from Oakland to Memphis Friday afternoon for the housewarming party Ray had planned to celebrate the completion of his new home. The next day, Ray invited everyone over to his house for dinner. While they waited for Laney’s arrival, he’d lined them all up against the wall like suspects in a drive-by shooting. His gazed roamed over them from the crowns of their heads to the soles of their feet.

“
Mon frère
,” Ray said, referring to his oldest brother, Marcel. With his knuckle, he tapped the knot in his brother’s tie. “C’mon and straighten yourself up. I don’t want Red to come in and see you looking all raggedy.”

“Listen, Ray,” Marcel shot back. “There’s nothing wrong with my tie. My God, you act like Laney doesn’t know us.”

Ray ignored the jab. He stepped to his right and landed in front of Caitlyn, Marcel’s wife. “Little Bit, help your man out for me.”

Caitlyn planted her hands on her hips. “Now you listen to me, Ray Baptiste. My husband looks just fine.”

If Ray heard Caitlyn’s comment, he didn’t respond. His second oldest brother, A.J., was next in succession. “Where is she?”

A.J. smiled. “Who?”

“Don’t take me there,
mon frère
. You know who? Where is she?”

A.J. nudged his wife, Vic, who stood next to him.

Vic released a hard sigh and turned around with her back to Ray. She spoke over her shoulder. “Satisfied now?”

“Yeah. And keep her there.” Ray breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his eighteen-month-old niece, Valerie Angelique, in the baby carrier strapped to Vic’s back. “If she ever gets loose, she’d tear this house up!”  

Ray thought back to the day Valerie Angelique took her first breath in this world. The entire family had been thrilled at her arrival. As the newest member of the family, she’d immediately captured his heart. His niece looked like a light-skinned China doll with an angelic look, much like Laney’s, and that’s what had him worried. Plus, she was a hellion. She’d skipped crawling altogether, walked at eight months, and the entire family had been on guard ever since. He shook his head and wondered how someone so tiny with such a limited vocabulary could cause such destruction.

Vic turned back around to face Ray. “Listen, Ray, if you think I’m going to stand here and let you talk about my child like that—” she broke off and glanced up at her husband. “Baptiste…he’s lost his mind. You’re a doctor. Do something.”

A.J. patted Vic’s shoulder. “Settle down, Honey.” His gaze focused on Ray. “
Petite frère
—”

“Hold that thought for me,
mon frère
.” Ray moved down the line until he landed in front of his three sisters, Brie, Moni, and Aimee. He shook his head. “Only God can help the three of you.”

“What?” Brie shouted.

Aimee crossed her arms over her chest and cut her brother a sideways glance. “I know you’re not talking about me.” She looked down the row at Alcee. “Daddy, talk some sense into him.”

Alcee simply smiled and shrugged.

Moni stepped forward from her place in the line, waggling her schoolteacher finger back and forth. “Now you listen to me, Raphael Armand Baptiste—”

“Hold it a minute. I got something just for you.” Ray raced out the room and returned a few moments later. “Here,” he said and held a muzzle out to his brother-in-law, Zach. “Maybe we’ll have a little peace and quiet during dinner.”

Moni grabbed her husband’s arm and shook it hard. “Zach, are you going to stand here and let Ray treat me this way?” 

“Now, wait right there, brother-in-law. My baby ain’t uttered a word…yet.” The Oakland chief of police stared at his wife’s mouth then glanced at the muzzle. “But when she does, this one ain’t gonna be big enough.”

“Zach,” Moni cried out in disbelief.

“Everybody quiet,” Ray interrupted, waving his hands up and down. “Red’s coming.” He rushed over to the door when he heard the lock on the door turn. Grinning, he puckered his lips the moment Laney stepped over the threshold.

“Oooh, I’m so happy to see you again.” Laney strolled in with Smitty and Wesson at her heels and headed straight over to the female members of the family, exchanging a sisterly hug with all of them.

Ray stood, dumbfounded. Laney had breezed past him so fast, if she’d been larger, she would’ve knocked him against the wall. He went back to the door and peeked his head outside, then closed it shut. “Where’s Mama Z and Charles?”

“They’re parking the car now.” Laney reached in her purse and pulled out a swatch of material and held it in front of her. “This pattern would go well with the color scheme for Raphael’s office. Don’t you think so?”

Ray frowned. It was bad enough she hadn’t even offered him a kiss when she walked in. Now she was soliciting the opinion of his sisters and sister-in-laws for what
his
office would look like. “Red…”

Laney turned around and smiled sweetly. “Yes, darling?”

Ray walked over and stood in front of Laney. “The only one deciding the color scheme in
my
office is me.”

“What do you mean
your
office?” Moni butted in. “You told us you built this house for Laney. So she gets the final say in how it’s decorated.” 

Ray tossed a hard glare at his middle sister. “Shut up, Moni. I’m not in the mood to hear you jaw jacking tonight.”

The battle of the sexes was on. All the females stood together in support of Laney. The men surrounded Ray to lend whatever assistance they could.

Laney’s angelic expression made a grand appearance. “Well that’s not what you told me last night, darling.”

Marcel eased up to Ray, snickering. “Exactly what did you tell her last night,
darling
?”

Ray tossed his brother a hard glare. “Listen,
mon frère
. We’ve got an A and B conversation going here. We don’t need you in the mix.” Ray couldn’t recall the conversation verbatim, but apparently Laney had. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at her. “All right. Exactly what did I say?”

“You told me,” Laney explained, “to decorate each room in the house anyway I wanted. Remember?”

Exasperated, Ray held his arms wide open. “Baby, I didn’t mean my office.”

Laney smiled sweetly. “You said every room and your office is a room.  Am I correct, darling?”

Zach walked up, turned Ray around, and took him off to the side. “Listen, brother-in-law, let me help ya out here. Might be wise to backup off this one. Ya going down in defeat anyway.”

“Like hell,” Ray shot back.

Zach chuckled. “Brother-in-law, ya woman just delivered a TKO. Plus, she’s got her posse backing her up. Even got your two best friends on her side.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Look at ‘em.”

Ray turned around and faced his sisters and sister-in-laws who all stood with their arms folded over their chest, daring him to say something. Then his gaze landed on Smitty and Wesson who’d heeled in front of Laney. He had another name for man’s best friend—turncoats. Laney stood calmly and her mouth had taken on that stubborn set, which meant she wouldn’t back down. He felt a twinge of amusement because she had the ability to cut a person down to the quick and not utter a word, and that included him. It wasn’t going to work today. “I not backing off of nothing,” he said with finality.