NO LONGER THERE

A CLUSTER

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

It felt good to be home.

After all you've learned, I know that sounds weird, but go with it.

I was over airplane seats, hotel beds and restaurant food. My feet hurt, I hated wearing heels for eighteen hours, and my camera ready smile was plastered onto my face. My small house on that fancy street in Trophy Club, Texas was the only place I could be Aves, Abrey, Babygirl, even, Avery Grace.

Weirder, I know, but... you know.

I was glad to be home. Wearing my bonnet, I rolled over in my Restoration Hardware showroom display bed in my room, the first one at the top of the stairs, and grinned. Bryce Allen Phillips was on his way to Trophy Club and I could not wait. He texted me. I text him back and smiled. I laughed when I thought about our conversation before we parted ways in Chicago, the place of my last speaking engagement before my return to Austin, then home for a much needed hiatus.

"I'm a little nervous, babe."

"Why?" I asked my fine ass man. "Clarence loves you."

"Clarence loves talking to me on the phone. How much will he love me when he finally sees me with his babygirl."

"We'll be at a birthday party. Trust me, Clarence will be too occupied with rodeo memories and Black Jack stories to focus on us."

"I'm still nervous, but I am looking forward to hearing about the infamous Black Jack and asking Mr. Reed how he got started riding bulls."

If this were on tv instead of in a book, this is the scene I would stare directly into the camera, like Will Smith would do after Carlton said something-- Carltonesque. I was Will Smith and that was my fine ass man's, Carltonesque moment. I sighed, then remembered. He sent me a bouquet of daffodils after spending only twelve hours with me, I loved Bryce Allen Phillips.

So, I did what any woman who loved her man would do. I grabbed his face and shouted, "Bryce, you are my King and the absolute love of my life. But, if you ask Clarence James Reed any question about a rodeo, you will not see me or the light of day for the three days you will be in Trophy Club, Texas. As a matter of fact, to be cautious, don't even say word that starts with a R."

Bryce laughed. I gripped his face tighter and stared into those gorgeous dark brown eyes.

"Take my advice, smile and nod during rodeo talk. For your own safety, just smile and nod."

Spoiler alert, Bryce Allen Phillips did not take my advice.

There was a knock at my door, the first room at the top of the stairs.

"Come in." I shouted.

The knocker waited for an invite. Apparently it wasn't the super house cleaning duo, or Lillian. When the doors creaked open, Hershey Kiss smiled at me. I smiled back. I loved my not so little sister. That thirteen year-old, chocolate skin, hazel eyes, long, sandy brown hair beauty melted my heart every time.

"Morning, Abrey," she said.

She still can't pronounce v's.

I replied, "Morning, Hershey."

She jumped into my Restoration Hardware showcase room bed and we snuggled for ten more minutes. There was another knock at my door. It was Roxy. She wasn't missing Clarence's birthday party nor a chance to sleep in her favorite place, Hershey Kisses' big ass rainbow room.

"Aves," she said. "Nana smells like smoke at 7:30 in the morning."

I made a quick stop by Imani's before driving up from Austin.