Both of his parents had died in a house fire one day while he’d been at school. He’d been twelve at the time. After that he had gone to live with his grandfather. Grampa Henry, like most of the older black men who’d lived in Macon, had worked for the railroad and had depended a lot on his first cousin and his wife, Poppa Ethan and Mama Idella, to help in raising Michael. That’s why he had spent so much time around Taye, Rae’jean, and Alexia. And since he had been three years older than the three girls, he’d gotten charged with the task of keeping an eye out for them during their teen years. The last time the four of them had spent time together had been at the last family reunion, in ’86, a week before he was to leave for the air force. He had thought he would be doing his basic training close to home at Warner Robins but soon found out the air force had plans to send him to another base out west. By then he’d discovered he had been adopted and hadn’t cared where they sent him. He’d just wanted to get as far away from Macon as possible. And although he’d kept pretty close contact with his grandfather by phone or by sending for him to come visit him on occasion, he’d never returned to Macon until now.
“So now that you’re back with the family, son, I hope you won’t be forgettin’ us again no time soon.”
Poppa Ethan’s words pulled Michael’s attention back to the conversation. “I never forgot anyone, Poppa Ethan. I just had a lot of things I had to deal with.”
Poppa Ethan nodded his head in understanding. “Well, no matter what, you’re family. You’re a Bennett and don’t ever forget it. No one cares that your real mama was Zoe’s baby sister. That means nothin’ a-tall. If you ever feel the need to come by my place and visit, I’d love for you to just drop by and sit a spell on the porch and talk. It will be just like old times.”
Michael smiled remembering those times. Although the Bennetts had all lived within the same rural Macon community, their dwellings had been miles apart, which made lengthy visits common. Church meetings, court days, and funerals became occasions to socialize, to hear news, to gossip, or to discuss major concerns. But the favorite place he remembered where everyone liked to gather was Poppa Ethan and Mama Idella’s huge front porch. Shaded by tall trees and graced with a couple of wooden rocking chairs, it had been the ideal place to sit, relax, and watch passersby—the ice-cream man, the insurance man who went door-to-door every week, and Reverend Overstreet, who used to come visit every once in a while to discuss or debate religion with Poppa Ethan and Grampa Henry. He remembered Mama Idella’s finger-lickin’ fried chicken and iced lemonade on Sundays and her mouth-watering sweet potato pie that would put a smile on your face just thinking about eating a slice. Then he couldn’t help but remember the games he, Rae’jean, Taye, and Alexia used to play as kids out in the big backyard—kickball, red light–green light, dodgeball, and so many others. And nothing was quite like sitting on the porch chewing Bubble Yum bubble gum, sucking on Jolly Ranchers, or chewing Bonkers or Now and Laters.
Michael’s concentration shifted again when Poppa Ethan and Grampa Henry began discussing the church’s plans to expand their kitchen facilities. He glanced across the room at Rae’jean and Taye. They were standing next to the buffet table talking.
Just like old times.
Other than being older and more mature, neither of them had really changed in looks. He shook his head. That wasn’t exactly true. They both had changed and become even more beautiful. Kennedy would be stunned speechless when she discovered later tonight that Alexia Bennett of the popular singing group Body and Soul was actually his cousin, which was something he’d never told her, although he knew she had every record the group had recorded. He inwardly berated himself for not telling her about that, as well as for not keeping in touch with everyone over the years.
He had abandoned his family, but they had never abandoned him. Even after a fifteen-year absence the family had welcomed him back with open arms. His thoughts then went to Taye as he studied her. She had mentioned that she had two daughters but hadn’t said anything about a husband. He knew from a letter he’d received from Grampa Henry some years back that she had gotten pregnant her first year at college. But he’d heard nothing about her having a second child. Was she involved with anyone, and if so, was the man nice to her? More than likely if she didn’t have a husband she had a boyfriend. No woman looked the way she did and was unattached. He couldn’t help but wonder what type of man had captured her heart. Was he worthy of her affections?
Michael shook his head upon realizing he still had that protective instinct toward her as he’d always had. It was hard for old habits to die, and when it came to Taye, for some reason he had been more protective of her than the others. Maybe the reason had been that, of the three, she’d been the youngest and the shyest. But still, even as a teen she’d been the most arresting and the most intriguing. Somehow he had known she would grow up to be a woman who would draw a man’s interest. Pretty much like she was doing now.
His interest.
Cousin or no cousin, he had to admit that Octavia Bennett was a good-looking woman. The kind any man would look at twice. She still had that elegance about her that was somehow uniquely hers, and for some reason tonight he felt oddly drawn to it.
“Michael?”
Upon hearing Grampa Henry call his name, he cleared his throat and turned his attention away from Taye and looked at the older man. “Sir?”
“You’re planning to stay for the entire weekend, aren’t you, son?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I would love to visit with that great-granddaughter of mine. Especially since I’m the one who named her.”
Michael shook his head, grinning. His grandfather had been tickled pink when he and Lynda had agreed to let him name their daughter after a prominent Democratic family whose name in a lot of elderly black folks’ minds was synonymous with fairness and justice for all, especially those blacks from the South who’d struggled through the civil rights movement. “I’m sure Kennedy would like that, Grampa.”
Half an hour later Alexia entered the banquet room where the reception was being held. It was evident from all the whooping, hollering, and screaming from the younger Bennetts that she had a fan club among the teenage group.
Rae’jean, Michael, and Taye stood off to the side and watched as the teenagers crowded around Alexia. Michael shrugged his massive shoulders and grinned sheepishly when Kennedy shot him a look that clearly said, I can’t believe you never told me she’s a relative of ours!
“Should we go over there and rescue Lex?” Taye asked a few minutes later.
“No, not yet,” Rae’jean said. “I want tonight to be her night. I want all those snooty Bennetts who never thought she would amount to anything to see just how far she’s gone. I want Gramma Idella’s beautiful black pearl to shine tonight.”
Taye nodded in agreement.
A few moments later Rae’jean said to the other two, “Now it’s time for us to go and rescue her. All the love and admiration from the kids in the family has touched her deeply. She’s beginning to cry.”
And the three of them knew it took a lot to make Alexia cry.
Being the oldest, Michael led the group, making his way through the cluster of teens and coming to a stop in front of Alexia. Without saying anything he drew her into his arms.
“I’ll be fine in a minute,” she whispered to him, quietly drawing off his strength, the same strength she’d drawn from him in her childhood when he’d been her protector.
“Take your time,” he whispered back. “Tonight among your family, you’re in the spotlight. You are the shining star, and it’s about time, don’t you think?”
Turning, Alexia twisted her position in his arms to stare up at him through her wet lashes. “It never really mattered.”
He drew her back to him and whispered softly, “Yes, it did, Alexia. But me, Rae’jean, and Taye were the only ones who knew just how much it did matter.”
Rae’jean and Taye, who had been hanging back, walked u
p to Alexia and Michael. One by one the four cousins who’d once been thick as molasses embraced one another before finally holding on to one another and forming a circle of love that they intended never to break again.
Chapter 12
Alexia glanced around her hotel room. A bottle of white wine was chilling in the ice bucket waiting for her two guests to arrive. Plans had been made for Rae’jean and Taye to come up to her suite for a pajama party. The three of them wanted to spend as much time together as possible during the reunion, because when it was over they would each go their separate ways again. But this time, unlike before, they had vowed to stay in touch better.
She ran one hand through the mass of hair covering her head and took the other hand and smoothed the material of her silk pajamas. They were a deep purple, a color she would never have dared wearing as a teenager because of her dark complexion. But now she found herself not shying away from any particular colors. She wore them all.
She took a quick glance at the clock. It was almost midnight. Taye had said she would be up after she had gotten the girls situated, and Rae’jean had wanted to call and talk to Grady before coming. As Alexia walked across the room toward the bar to make sure it was well stocked, a smile touched her lips. Tonight had been special. The younger generation of Bennetts had welcomed her with open arms and had truly been proud of her accomplishments. They had made her cry, and she hadn’t cried since Richmond had walked out of her life four years ago.
Alexia forced her thoughts off her ex-husband and back to the fun she’d had earlier. As the night had drawn on, what should have been a family social gathering had turned into a full-scale party when several of the Bennetts decided to get loose. Uncle Bubba and Aunt Priscilla, both in their sixties, had gotten on the floor to prove to the younger folks that the “mashed potato” wasn’t just something to eat.
Not to be outdone, Cuzin Mavis, who was staring fifty in the face, wanted to show off her skill at doing something called the funky chicken. In the end Alexia, Rae’jean, Taye, and Victor Junior had shown everyone their ability to still do the Neutron Dance and the Moonwalk, which wasn’t easy with the outfits they had on. Michael had stood off to the side laughing at the four of them the entire time. There was no doubt in Alexia’s mind that a number of Bennetts would be too sore to move in the morning.
A moment later Alexia walked toward the door when she heard a knock. Peeking through the peephole, she saw it was Taye. After freeing the chain on the door, she tugged it wide open.
Taye looked at Alexia in her pajamas and snorted in disgust. “You would have to look good in your Persian silk when I’m dressed in my Wal-Mart cotton flannel.”
Laughing, Alexia grabbed Taye’s arm and pulled her inside the suite and closed the door behind her. “Tell me those are Sebrina’s pajamas you’re wearing and not yours, Taye.”
“I can’t do that because they are mine.”
“Hell, Taye, women don’t wear cotton flannel anymore. How do you manage to hold a man wearing something like that to bed?”
Taye was about to tell her she didn’t have that to worry about when there was another knock at the door. “That must be Rae’jean.”
It was. Rae’jean breezed into the room wearing a pair of silk PJs that were almost identical to the ones Alexia was wearing except hers were a powder blue. Rae’jean and Alexia stood in the center of the suite checking out each other’s sleepwear and trying desperately to keep from laughing. Finally, turning to Taye, Rae’jean spoke. “So we both like shopping at Victoria’s Secret. Big deal.”
Taye chuckled. “No sweat. As you can see, I happen to like Kathie Lee’s design.”
“But they’re cotton flannel,” Alexia implored, not even trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.
“Get over it, Alexia, because I refuse to get in a discussion with you regarding the material of my pajamas.”
Alexia smiled. “You don’t have to discuss it with me. Discussing it with Rae’jean will do just fine.” Turning to Rae’jean, Alexia asked, “What’s with Taye and the cotton PJs? I can’t believe her man would let her come to bed wearing something like that.”
Rae’jean returned Alexia’s smile. “What man? Didn’t Taye tell you she’s celibate and hasn’t had a man in ten years?”
“You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.”
Alexia turned to Taye. “Tell me she’s lying.”
Instead of responding to Alexia, Taye walked over to the chair and sat down. She lifted her chin at the two women. “I don’t like the two of you talking about me like I’m not here,” she said with friction in her voice.
Alexia looked thoughtfully at Taye before going over to the bed and pulling off both pillows. She tossed one to Rae’jean and kept the other one for herself. “I’d appreciate it if you would explain why you’ve been celibate for ten years, Taye,” she said, placing the pillow on the floor, then sitting on it.
Taye opened her mouth and closed it again. She had already given Rae’jean her reason, but she doubted Alexia would understand. Nonetheless, she decided to tell her anyway. “I don’t need a man, Alexia.”
“I don’t, either,” Alexia replied rather quickly. “But the real issue here is not the man but the sex.”
Rae’jean grinned as she tossed her pillow on the floor and sat down next to Alexia. “Pleeze, give us a break. Not everyone can separate the two, Lex,” she said.
Shrugging at Rae’jean’s statement, Alexia turned her attention back to Taye. “Does your lack of interest in a man have anything to do with Monica’s father?”
Taye inhaled deeply. Although Rae’jean and Alexia didn’t know the identity of Monica’s father, they did know he’d been a married man. “Yes. Even after ten years I still feel stupid for letting him sucker me in that way. Twice I’ve made bad choices in the men I fell in love with, and I refuse to do it again. I’m tired of the games most men play. I want to play for keeps, but they want to play the field. They don’t care that when they score there’s a chance some woman is left on the sidelines with a broken heart. It happened to me twice; I care about myself too much to go for a third time. I’ve decided it’s safer to take myself out of the game and leave men alone.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way, Taye. There are some men who want to play for keeps, too,” Rae’jean said softly.
“Maybe there are those who do, but I don’t plan on wasting my time digging through those who don’t.” Taye positioned her body to sprawl in the chair before saying, “There’s nothing wrong with being celibate.”
“But for ten years?” Alexia exclaimed.
“Even if it’s for twenty, it’s my choice. It’s my heart that I’m protecting.”
“But how do you get around those sexual urges?” Alexia asked curiously.
“I don’t think about them.”
“What do you think about when you see a good-looking man? Doesn’t jumping his bones ever cross your mind?” Alexia asked, grinning and staring at Taye.
“No.” She wasn’t ready to admit that she had felt a strong sexual pull toward Michael tonight. Heat had ignited in the pit of her stomach from the moment she had seen him. Deciding to turn the conversation off her, Taye looked at Rae’jean and said, “Now it’s time to get into your business, Rae. You said something earlier that didn’t make sense. Do you or don’t you love Grady?”
“Of course I love him.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Taye asked, eyeing her cousin curiously.
Rae’jean sighed. Finally, after three months, she would be able to voice her concerns aloud with the two people she trusted the most. “I love Grady, but…”
Taye lifted a brow. “But what?”
Rae’jean met her gaze. “I’m attracted to someone else.”
“Oh, is that all?” Alexia responded lightly as she rose to her feet to pour each of them a glass of wine. Cheerfully she added, “No matter who I’m involved with at the time, I still have the hots for Morris Chestnut. No big deal.�
�
“It’s not the same, Lex. I love Grady. You don’t love any of the men you’re involved with; at least that’s what you tell me. Besides, nothing will ever come of the attraction you have for Morris Chestnut, so you don’t really feel threatened in any way. The guy I’m attracted to happens to live in the same apartment building that I do.”
“Another white man?” Taye asked, throwing Rae’jean a curious glance.
“No, he’s a brother.”
Alexia walked over and handed Rae’jean her glass of wine. “That’s deep, Rae.”
Rae’jean nodded. “Yes, I know.” She hadn’t seen her sexy neighbor too often, but whenever their paths did cross they would gaze at each other and the heat that passed between them was almost unbearable.
Taye sipped the wine Alexia had handed her and regarded Rae’jean intently. “Are you sure you love Grady, Rae’jean?”
“Of course I’m sure. Grady is the kindest and most decent man I know. He’s an excellent doctor who takes care of his patients with more dedication than—”
“Forget about how well he performs in his profession, Rae’jean,” Alexia interjected, drawing both women’s attention to her when she sat back down on her pillow. “How do you feel about your relationship with him? Are you not attracted to him as well?”
Rae’jean took a sip of her wine before answering, “Yes, as well but not as deep.”
“You actually want to jump this other guy’s bones?” Alexia asked, grinning.
“Yeah, and in a big way,” Rae’jean answered truthfully. She took a long, deep breath. “I keep telling myself that it has to be my hormones acting up and that sooner or later I’ll get my head back on straight and that when December gets here I’ll be fine.”
“What if you aren’t? What happens if you find yourself even more attracted to this man come December? Just what do you know about him?”
A Family Reunion Page 11