prompted Jeremy.
Jeremy struggled to wipe the grin off his face. “Aah… I think I was six years old and I found this box of puppies that someone had abandoned in the woods.”
“So genius here decided to bring all of them home,” Eamon cut in.
Xavier bobbed his head. “Only our dad said that we couldn’t afford to keep them and that we would have to take them to the pound.”
“Only I didn’t like the idea of them going to the pound, so I ran away with the whole box of puppies and was gone for, like, two days.” Jeremy continued shaking his head.
“It sent the whole family into an uproar. We were all over the news and everything.”
Q frowned, thinking back. “Yeah, I think I do remember something like that happening. My mom was really upset and was convinced that Atlanta had another serial killer, snatching up little boys.”
Roy jumped into the story. “Only, Jeremy and his puppies were hiding out in my tree house.”
“Yeah, and you squealed me out,” Jeremy reminded him.
“No, I didn’t,” Roy said, defensively. “My mother got a little curious about all the peanut-butter-and jelly sandwiches I kept making and sneaking off with and taking to the backyard. You know I would never drop dime on a friend—let alone a blood brother.”
“Y’all are blood brothers?” Q asked.
The men held up their hands and showed tiny identical scars across the center of their wrists.
“Blood brothers for life,” they said together and then looked at each other.
“Oh, there goes my agent.” He stood up.
Jeremy was disappointed to cut their reunion short. “Well, we’re going to have to get together and play catch up.”
“Most definitely.” They smacked palms and then gave each other a one-shoulder hug. “Oh, as a matter of fact, you should come to my engagement party.”
Jeremy’s eyes rounded. “Do what? You’re engaged?”
“And the epidemic continues,” Quentin mumbled, and then received a quick jab from Xavier’s sharp elbow. “Oow.”
“What woman did you knock over the head and convince to put up with your Milk-Bone-addicted ways?” Jeremy asked.
“Aah, man. You ain’t never lied. I had to bust out the ring or lose the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Meet her on the road?” Jeremy asked, knowing Roy’s propensity for groupies.
“Nah, nah, man. This is my good girl. Salt of the earth, the kind you want to start producing a string of Mini-Mes to continue the family name.”
“Aah, don’t tell me it’s that one chick you been seeing off and on for, like, forever.”
Roy dipped his head and blushed a bit. “The one and only.”
“Aah, snap. So you’re really going to make this legit and become a one-woman man?”
“Whoa, now. I didn’t say all that. A playa is always gonna have a little dirt on him. You just have to wipe your feet off before you walk through the family door.”
Jeremy’s and his brother’s smiles shaved off a few inches.
He elbowed Jeremy. “You feel me?”
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”
“Well, I better go. I’ll catch up with you later.” Roy turned to leave but then stopped. “Wait. Tell you what. I’m going to make sure that I shoot you an invitation to the engagement party. I’d love for the future Mrs. Roy DeShawn Carter to finally meet my best friend.”
Jeremy’s smile bounced back. “I certainly can’t wait to meet this woman.”
Chapter 8
S heree Matthews tossed up her hands. “Oh my God, Leigh. Would it kill you to smile? How am I’m going to be able to picture how you’ll look coming down the aisle if your bottom lip is constantly dragging on the floor?”
“I’m sorry, Momma,” Leigh whined. “It’s just that we’ve been at this for weeks. I must’ve tried on a thousand gowns.”
“And you haven’t liked any of them,” her mother reminded her. “I don’t know why you just don’t wear my wedding dress,” she said, pressing a hand against her chest. “After all, that’s supposed to be
Jeremy struggled to wipe the grin off his face. “Aah… I think I was six years old and I found this box of puppies that someone had abandoned in the woods.”
“So genius here decided to bring all of them home,” Eamon cut in.
Xavier bobbed his head. “Only our dad said that we couldn’t afford to keep them and that we would have to take them to the pound.”
“Only I didn’t like the idea of them going to the pound, so I ran away with the whole box of puppies and was gone for, like, two days.” Jeremy continued shaking his head.
“It sent the whole family into an uproar. We were all over the news and everything.”
Q frowned, thinking back. “Yeah, I think I do remember something like that happening. My mom was really upset and was convinced that Atlanta had another serial killer, snatching up little boys.”
Roy jumped into the story. “Only, Jeremy and his puppies were hiding out in my tree house.”
“Yeah, and you squealed me out,” Jeremy reminded him.
“No, I didn’t,” Roy said, defensively. “My mother got a little curious about all the peanut-butter-and jelly sandwiches I kept making and sneaking off with and taking to the backyard. You know I would never drop dime on a friend—let alone a blood brother.”
“Y’all are blood brothers?” Q asked.
The men held up their hands and showed tiny identical scars across the center of their wrists.
“Blood brothers for life,” they said together and then looked at each other.
“Oh, there goes my agent.” He stood up.
Jeremy was disappointed to cut their reunion short. “Well, we’re going to have to get together and play catch up.”
“Most definitely.” They smacked palms and then gave each other a one-shoulder hug. “Oh, as a matter of fact, you should come to my engagement party.”
Jeremy’s eyes rounded. “Do what? You’re engaged?”
“And the epidemic continues,” Quentin mumbled, and then received a quick jab from Xavier’s sharp elbow. “Oow.”
“What woman did you knock over the head and convince to put up with your Milk-Bone-addicted ways?” Jeremy asked.
“Aah, man. You ain’t never lied. I had to bust out the ring or lose the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Meet her on the road?” Jeremy asked, knowing Roy’s propensity for groupies.
“Nah, nah, man. This is my good girl. Salt of the earth, the kind you want to start producing a string of Mini-Mes to continue the family name.”
“Aah, don’t tell me it’s that one chick you been seeing off and on for, like, forever.”
Roy dipped his head and blushed a bit. “The one and only.”
“Aah, snap. So you’re really going to make this legit and become a one-woman man?”
“Whoa, now. I didn’t say all that. A playa is always gonna have a little dirt on him. You just have to wipe your feet off before you walk through the family door.”
Jeremy’s and his brother’s smiles shaved off a few inches.
He elbowed Jeremy. “You feel me?”
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”
“Well, I better go. I’ll catch up with you later.” Roy turned to leave but then stopped. “Wait. Tell you what. I’m going to make sure that I shoot you an invitation to the engagement party. I’d love for the future Mrs. Roy DeShawn Carter to finally meet my best friend.”
Jeremy’s smile bounced back. “I certainly can’t wait to meet this woman.”
Chapter 8
S heree Matthews tossed up her hands. “Oh my God, Leigh. Would it kill you to smile? How am I’m going to be able to picture how you’ll look coming down the aisle if your bottom lip is constantly dragging on the floor?”
“I’m sorry, Momma,” Leigh whined. “It’s just that we’ve been at this for weeks. I must’ve tried on a thousand gowns.”
“And you haven’t liked any of them,” her mother reminded her. “I don’t know why you just don’t wear my wedding dress,” she said, pressing a hand against her chest. “After all, that’s supposed to be
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