Bayou Stix Series: Bayou Stix Limited Edition Box Set (131 page)

I
’m so involved in Cruz, in his toe-curling kiss, that I forget where we are. All I want to do is straddle him. I want him so badly my blood is like fire in my veins. He’s occupied my thoughts, my fantasies, for months and I’ve wondered about his kiss. Now, I’ve experienced it and it’s like nothing I could have ever imagined. It’s far superior to anything I even dreamed of.

I can’t help but wonder why he’s such a fantastic kisser. How many women have tasted these perfect lips?

Actually, I don’t want to know that. It’s not my business, yet I know damn well I don’t want anyone else to
ever
taste them again.

Nope, I want them. I want exclusivity and I want it now. I want to mark him, to brand him. I’m scaring myself with the depth of my feelings. Dear lord, it’s just a kiss. But holy shit, what a kiss it is.

Cruz occupies every atom of my being. The feelings he invokes in me have me unaware and uncaring of our surroundings. He breaks the kiss and I feel him stiffen. It frustrates me. How dare anyone or anything disturb my euphoria? But then… I comprehend the tone of the disturbance.

Standing tall, I straighten my shirt where it’s ridden up from Cruz’s hands on my sides. Looking around him, I gasp. I take in the perfectly pressed, expensive Alexander McQueen suit, pointy-toed Christian Louboutin heels, pearls, and not a hair out of place coiffed blonde updo. I take in the wrinkled nose as if something foul smelling is in the elevator, before settling on the frosty hazel eyes of… my sister.

My back instantly straightens as I match her frosty gaze with one of my own.

The next words out of her mouth infuriate me. “Honestly, Tifanie. You can’t bother to show up at events or even answer your phone, yet, here you are… consorting… with this
gentleman
in a hospital elevator. A
public
elevator?!”

She speaks with disdain and it pisses me off. How dare she talk down to Cruz like that! She doesn’t even know him.

Cruz is looking from me to AnnaBeth in confusion. He opens his mouth to say something again, but I throw my hand out and stop him from talking. “Excuse me, AnnaBeth. I’d say it’s lovely to see you, but we both know I’d be lying and you know I pride myself on not doing that.” Cruz stares at me with a frown on his face. “Yes, I got your calls. But since I didn’t answer, one would deem that I wasn’t interested in a conversation. At least most people would… after the first ten unanswered calls and unreturned messages.”

She gasps as her eyes widen and she touches her pearls in feigned shock.

I roll my eyes and link my arm with Cruz’s. “Yet, you continue to call me. And, I continue to ignore you. As far as not showing up at events, I am busy. I have a life and a career and I’m not a puppet on a string, again, unlike
some people
. Furthermore, this
gentleman
you are so rudely labeling is a friend of mine. A
very good
friend and you’ll do well to keep your judgments to yourself.” I step up to her and drag Cruz with me. She steps back as we approach. “Now, excuse us. We have things to do.” We step off the elevator.

She calls out just before the doors close. “Well, I’m sorry you’re so ashamed of all of us puppets, but perhaps you can put that aside and at least show up to your grandmother’s eighty-fifth birthday! It’s this Saturday at Chateau du Bellaforte. That’s why I’ve been calling you.” The doors close behind her.

I lean back against the brick walls of the hospital and take a deep breath. My family gets my hackles up.

Opening my eyes, Cruz is staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest. His arms are bulging in his long sleeved t-shirt. They’re so defined I’m mesmerized. Finally, I focus on his face and realize his eyes are narrowed on me and his lips are tight. He asks flatly, “Care to share what that was about and who exactly that was?”

I sigh and straighten from the wall. Here we go. “Not really, but I will. That was my sister… AnnaBeth… Bellaforte.”

His mouth goes slack and his arms fall limply at his sides. “
Bellaforte?
Did you just say Bellaforte?!”

“I did. I’m a Bellaforte.”

He takes a step back and when I try to walk toward him, he holds his hands out to ward me off. “Bellaforte? Like the political family Bellaforte? One of the richest families in the South?!”

My stomach drops.
Great. I knew this would happen.
I glare at him. “Yes, that one. My name is Tifanie Jeffries-Bellaforte. I don’t use Bellaforte for obvious reasons.”

He takes a few steps back and turns his back to me. What is he thinking? This is why I don’t use my family name! I don’t want the shit that comes with it. I’m not like them. I don’t give a shit about money or titles. I only care about hard work and earning what you deserve. He keeps his back turned to me and I can see him taking deep breaths.

I walk over to him and touch his back. The muscles are so tight. He’s as stiff as a board. “Cruz? Hey, I’m not like them. I don’t use the name because I’m not like them. I’m still me. I’m just me.”

He turns to me and his eyes are once again bleak. Whatever ground we’d gained, we just lost. His walls are back up.

He steps forward and my hand falls. He says, “We need to get Liam’s grandfather. It’s why we’re here. We need to get them up there to see the baby.”

I nod as my chest hurts. I hold it in and push it down. This is not the time to hash it out about who I am. Or who he thinks I am. I’m me. I’m the girl he knows. The girl he’s spent time with over the past few months. He
knows
me. I just need to remind him of that. Who I am is not my name. Who I am is who I choose to be!

I look at the parking lot and see an older couple slowly making their way to the entrance. I ask Cruz, “Is that them?”

He looks at me briefly and in his eyes I see a hint of something I can’t explain, but he masks it before he looks to the parking lot. He nods “It is.” And he jogs to meet them. I don’t know what else to do, so I head into the parking lot too and meet them all.

Cruz introduces me. “This is Tifanie. She’s a paramedic and a friend to everyone.”

Wow, ok then. I’m a friend to everyone. Nothing personal at all there. Son of a bitch. I could kill AnnaBeth. She’s such a fucking snob. I can’t stand to be around them. It’s why I’m NOT around them all. My grandmother is the only one I can stomach. I do feel bad that I might have missed the party but why couldn’t AnnaBeth just send a damn invite like a normal person?

Oh, that’s right, she’s not a normal person. She’s a fucking Bellaforte!

La-Di-Fucking-Da!

I shake myself out of my mood. These are Liam’s grandparents and this is a happy occasion. I put it aside for now, but Cruz and I are talking about this. He’s not going to just push me away because of something like this. It has no bearing on me and no bearing whatsoever on what’s happening with us! He’s not getting away over something I can’t control.

Nope, not happening. You might be stubborn, Cruz Edwards, but I have you beat!

I’m the queen of stubborn!

Cruz

W
hat the fuck?! Tifanie is from the richest and most influential family in Louisiana?! Are you shitting me right now?

I can’t even deal with that. I can’t deal with that on top of the bullshit with my felon sperm donor and the upcoming tour. Not to mention that we’re at the hospital and two of my best friends, my family, are having their first baby. I’m not dealing with this shit.

I can’t be involved with her. She’s a Bellaforte. I’m the child of a black woman and a white rapist. No, any illusion about Tifanie and me was just firmly shattered. People like her don’t get involved with people like me. It doesn’t happen. It can’t happen.

It’s not happening.

Thankfully, Paw and Ms. Verna showing up allow me to leave the conversation with Tifanie. I run across the parking lot to meet them and leave her in the entrance to the hospital. Maybe it was shitty, but I can’t handle all this right now.

I see her face when I introduce her to Paw and Ms. Verna. It falls and the hurt is visible before she hides it and smiles at the older couple. “Hi. I’m Tifanie. It’s nice to meet you. We just came down and things are progressing rapidly up there. I think Baby John will be here very soon.”

Paw looks at Tifanie and as he takes in her appearance, he smiles. “Hello, Miss Tifanie. Aren’t you a pretty thing?! Did you know that John was Liam’s brother’s name?”

I can see the wheels in her head spinning, but she smiles and says, “Thank you, sir. I did not know that. But, that’s awesome.”

Paw looks at me and then at Tifanie. “It is. John is here with us today and that baby has one hell of a Guardian Angel.”

I can see the confusion on Tifanie’s face. I decide to enlighten her. “John was a soldier. He was killed in action in Afghanistan years ago.”

She gasps. “Oh my. I’m so sorry. I—I didn’t know.”

Paw pats her hands. “Walk with me, pretty girl.” Tifanie takes his hand and they walk ahead with him telling her stories about John. I hear Paw say, “It’s alright. God knows what he’s doing. We don’t always understand the why when it happens, but eventually it makes sense to us. John was a good boy. A good man. He’s left quite a legacy.”

His words send a pang to my heart.

Before I can dwell on them, Verna takes my arm. “Walk an old lady up? Nothing like having a good looking man on your arm to make everyone jealous.” She winks at me.

I chuckle lightly. “Yes, Ma’am. Of course. How are you, Ms. Verna? How was traffic on the Basin?”

She tells me about their trip and how excited they are to see the baby, Liam, and Clove. Tifanie has held the elevator for us and we all pile on. As the two elderly people talk back and forth and bicker, I look at Tifanie across their heads. She’s looking at me and she looks sad. I rapidly look away and I think I hear her sigh.

I’m sorry, but it has to be done. I’m no good for her. She’s better off with someone in her own class. Someone more… like her.

I can’t think about all of the “what could have beens.”

It’s just after 4PM when Liam pops his head into the hall and says, “He’s here! John Zachariah Christianson is here! Seven pounds, seven ounces, and seventeen inches long! He’s gorgeous! He looks just like his momma, but he has blue eyes!”

We all cheer and cat-call our congratulations as he mutters that he needs to get back in, but he’ll be back out with photos shortly. He also says that in a few minutes they’ll let people in to see Clove and the baby after they clean him up and get her situated.

We’re all so elated. Blue and Lexi say they are running to the Gift Shop and tear off toward the elevators with Bradi and Erik hot on their heels. All the other guys high-five and Dade passes out cigars he bought just for the occasion.

Looking around, I see Tifanie off by herself, leaning against a wall. I watch her while she stares at the floor and come to a decision. I cross the hall. As I approach, her head rises and she looks at me. It’s been a long day and some of her hair has escaped her ponytail, so wisps are here and there. She looks gorgeous. I tamp that back and stand next to her, propping my foot against the wall.

She turns her head. “So, a healthy baby boy. That’s great. I’m happy for them.”

I smile. “Yeah, they’ll be amazing parents. I’m proud of them both.”

She nods and taps her fingers on her pants legs before she straightens. “I’m going to head out. I know this is private and I don’t really fit in here.”

I know I should stop her, but I can’t. I think it’s best that she goes.

She pauses like she expects me to stop her, and then she smiles sadly. “I’m also going to give you some space. I know that my name is a big deal… to you.” I stare at her. “It’s not to me. I don’t use it. I don’t. I’m not a Bellaforte, Cruz. I’m Tifanie Jeffries. I’m the same girl I’ve been. I still want what I want. And that’s you.” My mouth pops open. She holds her hand out to silence me. “No, you don’t talk right now. I’m leaving. I’m going to go home and drink some wine. Or Fireball, I could probably use the whiskey. But I’m not staying away. You and me… that’s something real. We have something and my name doesn’t change that. You know me.” She reaches out and touches my face. I let her. “You know
me
. Whatever is going on,” she taps my forehead, “in here. I’m going to give you a night to stew on it. But tomorrow, tomorrow I’m coming back… guns blazing. I’m not walking away. You’re not pushing me away.” She leans up and gently brushes her mouth against mine before stepping back. “I’m going to fight for you, Cruz Edwards.” I can’t speak. I just stare at her. She smiles at me. “Be ready.”