Uncle Cat and Xavier laughed after slapping five and I imagined that Xavier would one day be just like him. X didn’t have any children yet, though. Not that any of us knew of.
Scarlet was holding onto Ian’s arm in the hallway outside the suite like they’d already walked down the aisle. She had on a cute little turquoise halter dress and hot pink patent pumps that made her look like she was sixteen. Ian was simple in blue jeans and a FAMU T-shirt.
“What happened to the suit?” I asked, hugging Scarlet and then Ian.
“I already asked,” Krista said.
I expected the same annoyance from Scarlet, but she kind of bit her lip and shrank under Ian’s arm. The best man, Ian’s only cousin and childhood bestie, was standing beside them with the matron of honor, one of Scarlet’s cousins who was a triplet and no less beautiful than Scarlet.
“Don’t get on me, Rach,” Ian said. “It’s been a long, crazy day.”
“We had to pick up my parents,” Scarlet added apologetically.
“From the airport?” I probed. “You should’ve said something. We have people here to do that. Thought I told you.”
“No . . . from Atlanta,” Ian said and I could hear the anger in his voice now.
“Atlanta?”
“They missed their flight this morning, and they couldn’t get on another one,” he said.
“There’s some kind of conference here this weekend,” Scarlet added.
“We were on our way to the airport when they called, so we all decided to just drive,” Ian said. “Seven whole hours.”
“Well, where are they now?” Krista asked.
“Mom has a headache and Dad’s returning calls from the practice.” Scarlet looked like she was hiding behind Ian. Suddenly, all of her Black Power militancy was gone. She was a little girl. I had a feeling that she wanted us to handle everything.
I reached for Ian’s hand. “It’ll be fine.”
I could feel Krista frowning beside me. “Are they coming down to the rehearsal?” She looked at her watch. “It’s in an hour.”
“Don’t know. My mother has these migraines.”
I could imagine how this was going to go over with Mrs. Dupree. This would be the story for years.
“We can fix it,” I said. “Krista, send one of the staffers to their room to get a time and explain that they must at least come down to watch the rehearsal.”
“Gotcha, boss lady.”
“And take Ian’s room key,” I added. “Go up to his room and get his brown tweed Brooks Brothers jacket. That’ll look great with what he’s wearing.”
“Done.” Krista reached for the plastic room key card in Ian’s hand.
“How do you know whether I have that jacket?” Ian asked, smiling because he did.
“You don’t travel without that jacket, Mr. Dupree,” I said.
“You swear you know me.”
“I know you better than you know,” I said and immediately regretted the intimacy in my voice.
Scarlet tightened her grip and looked like she was about to say something but felt she shouldn’t.
Once Krista came back with the jacket, I escorted Scarlet and Ian into the reception, where Uncle Cat led a hysterical toast to the weekend by telling a story about the first time Ian fell in love.
“He came to his Uncle Cat, and I told de boy, love come Sunday, leave pain on Monday!”