A Family Reunion

by Jackson, Brenda

  “No, this is,” he whispered before leaning down and kissing her.

  For some reason Rae’jean couldn’t get into their kiss like she wanted to. Her mind was too busy concentrating on things she felt should be happening to her but were not. For instance, although she was enjoying their kiss, she wasn’t feeling weak in the knees. And then, although his breathing was getting deeper, hers was not.

  Maybe if you put your heart and soul into it and not think about things that aren’t important, then maybe those things will begin happening! her mind yelled at her. She decided to take her mind’s advice, but it was too late. Grady lifted his mouth from hers.

  “That was nice, but why do I feel I didn’t have your full concentration?” he said, frowning down at her. “Something wrong?”

  She swallowed thickly. At times Grady could read her so well. “Nothing’s wrong. You’re imagining things.”

  “Am I?”

  “Yes.”

  His dark blue eyes studied her. “OK. Do you want to keep me company while I take a shower? Or better yet, do you want to take a shower with me?” he asked, bringing her closer into his arms.

  Rae’jean wrapped her arms around him. “You don’t know how to give up, do you?”

  Grady chuckled. “No.”

  Rae’jean shook her head. “Go on and take your shower. I’ll still be here when you finish.” He slowly released her and she leaned against the door and watched as he walked back in his room and pulled his robe off a hanger in the closet. He was such a good man, with a big heart, she thought. He deserved any woman’s complete love and devotion, especially the woman he had chosen to become his wife.

  He turned back to her as he began walking toward the bathroom. “Oh yeah, by the way, Lynn is staying at my place while I’m gone.”

  Rae’jean’s smile vanished. “Excuse me? What did you just say about Lynn?”

  He turned back in her direction. “I said she’s staying at my place while I’m away. The water pipe burst in her apartment and she had to move out for a few days.”

  Rae’jean instantly became livid. “Why didn’t she check into a hotel?”

  Grady lifted a brow at the anger he heard in Rae’jean’s voice. “She was going to, but I offered to let her stay at my place.”

  Rae’jean walked into the room with hands on hips. “You are an engaged man, yet another woman is sleeping in your bed?”

  Bewildered, Grady expelled a frustrated sigh, clearly not understanding why Rae’jean was upset. “Rae’jean, she’s not sleeping in my bed. She’s using the spare bedroom and will be gone when I get back.”

  “And what if she’s not gone?”

  Grady walked over to her. “Then I guess I’ll have no choice but to come stay with you until she leaves,” he said in a teasing fashion. “Maybe even share your bed, since you don’t have a spare bedroom and your sofa won’t fit me.”

  “This isn’t funny, Grady. I know you only consider Lynn a friend, but I’m not that gullible to think that’s what she wants. I know precisely what she’s all about.”

  Grady placed his arms over his chest and frowned. “And just what do you think she’s all about, Rae’jean?”

  “She wants you back.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “It’s not crazy. I’m a woman; I know.”

  “Well, you’re wrong. Lynn is not that kind of person. She knows I’m engaged to be married.” He frowned. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “This has nothing to do with trust, Grady. No black woman in her right mind would put up with another woman staying at her man’s apartment, especially if that woman happens to be his ex-fiancée.”

  Grady’s frown deepened. “I’ve never heard you refer to yourself that way before.”

  “What way?”

  “A black woman.”

  Rae’jean automatically stiffened her spine. “I am a black woman, Grady.”

  “I’m well aware of that, Rae’jean, but you’ve never felt the need to remind me of that. Why are you doing so now? The issue of race has never come up with us before. Why are you making the distinction now?”

  “Because this situation warrants it.”

  “In what way? Are you trying to tell me that you believe black women have certain standards in dealing with men that white women don’t have?”

  “In a way, yes. We’re less tolerant of certain things and more assertive. We don’t know how it feels to be privileged or protected, since we weren’t ever granted that right. So we tend to take things a bit more serious. And one thing we won’t tolerate is another woman, white or black, making a move on our man.”

  “First of all, Rae’jean, if you’re aching for a fight, I’m much too tired to oblige you. Furthermore, I’m sure there’re probably a number of women, including some white ones, who’d think the way you do if they felt threatened in some way by another woman, so I feel the statement you made was uncalled for and biased. Besides that, you of all people shouldn’t feel threatened by any woman when it comes to me.”

  “But you used to love her.”

  “Yeah, and I’m not going to deny that I did. But that was a long time ago. If I didn’t love you now I would not have asked you to marry me. Letting Lynn stay at my place while I’m gone was a favor to a friend, nothing more. I would have expected you to do the same for any of your friends, male or female. Lynn knows how I feel about you, and she knows what used to be between us is over.”

  Rae’jean wished she could have as much confidence in Grady’s words as he seemed to have. As far as she was concerned, he was too trusting when it came to people.

  “If you’re concerned about competition, maybe you ought to be nicer to me,” Grady said jokingly as a small taunting smile touched his lips. He reached out to pull her into his arms.

  Rae’jean immediately placed her hand on his arm to stop him. “I’m not worried about competition, Grady Fitzgerald. I’m a woman who can hold her own, but I refuse to get caught up in some sort of love triangle.”

  “You won’t.”

  “I’d better not.”

  Grady smiled. “You’re kind of sassy, with a little attitude, aren’t you?”

  “Damn right. If you don’t think you can handle it, then—”

  He didn’t let her finish but pulled her into his arms and captured her lips. Rae’jean tried to return his kiss with her full concentration, but deep in the recesses of her mind for some reason she felt things weren’t going for her and Grady like they should be, and she knew it involved more than just her anger about Lynn.

  Alexia was awakened from her nap by a knock on her door. “Yes?”

  “Room service. We have a delivery for you.”

  Pulling her robe together, she crossed the room and opened the door. A lady stood before her with a beautiful arrangement of flowers, calla lilies.

  “They’re gorgeous,” Alexia whispered, accepting the arrangement from the woman.

  “Yes, they are. Must be from someone special.”

  Alexia lifted a brow at the woman’s comment. She had no idea who could have sent them. To avoid the media, she had let few people know where she was this weekend. “Just a moment, please.” She walked across the room and grabbed some money she had placed on the nightstand next to the bed to give the woman a tip. “Thanks for bringing them up here.”

  “My pleasure. I hope you enjoy them.”

  Alexia smiled. “I’m sure I will.” As soon as she closed the door she pulled the card from the arrangement and read it:

  The article in People magazine said these are your favorite. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed having dinner with you Thursday evening.

  Quinn

  Alexia couldn’t help but smile. She was touched by Quinn’s thoughtfulness. And yes, she would enjoy them and think of him while doing so.

  Even though she really didn’t want to.

  She had thought about Quinn often since that evening they’d shared dinner. And what she had told Rae’jean and Taye was tru
e. He was the man she wanted to father her child.

  After placing the flowers on a table, Alexia slid back onto the bed. Lying on her back, she stared up at the ceiling as she forced her mind back on track. The only thing she wanted from Quinn was his child. She didn’t want nor did she need a loving and serious relationship with any man, especially a man who could enslave her the way Richmond had done during the two years of their marriage. Now that she had rebuilt her heart completely, after Richmond had ripped it to shreds, she would never be that vulnerable a second time. She would always protect herself from hurt and pain.

  No man was worth the agony. Not even Quinn “Drop-Dead-Gorgeous” Masters.

  Chapter 16

  “Well, there’s the white man,” Victor Junior said in a cold voice to the others standing around him when Rae’jean and Grady entered the banquet room. “He’s about to get a taste of what it feels like to be in the minority. And I can’t wait to see his reaction at church tomorrow when Aunt Sadie starts jumping a pew or two when the Holy Spirit hits her.”

  Alexia shot Victor Junior a deep scowl before moving her gaze across the room to Rae’jean and the man by her side. She smiled and so did Taye, liking what they saw.

  “He’s cute and has a nice build,” Alexia said, giving Grady a thorough once-over as they watched Rae’jean take him over to Poppa Ethan to introduce him. It seemed that most everyone in the room had their eyes on the couple.

  “Yeah, he is good-looking, isn’t he,” Taye agreed, thinking that Grady’s sharp, chiseled features and dark brown hair made him look very attractive. “He sort of reminds me of movie star Alec Baldwin.”

  “Well, no matter what the two of you think, I just hope Rae’jean knows what she’s doing crossing color lines,” Victor Junior said, frowning.

  “I take it you have a thing against interracial marriages,” Michael said to his cousin as he watched Victor Junior’s frown increase. Michael’s brows beetled down and his gaze narrowed. He was bothered by his cousin’s insensitivity in regard to Rae’jean’s engagement.

  “Yeah, I have a thing against it,” Victor Junior replied brusquely. “You don’t?”

  Michael rolled one shoulder casually. “No. I don’t have a problem with it.”

  Victor Junior met Michael’s gaze. “Yeah, I bet you’d think differently if your daughter ever brought home a white boy.”

  Before Michael could respond, Alexia, who could see the anger lining Michael’s features, cut in by saying, “Tonight should be interesting. Look who just walked in.”

  All eyes turned toward the door when Valerie and Brandy walked in. There was a nice-looking man with dreads at Brandy’s side whom she was clinging to, as well as a very attractive woman who looked to be in her late twenties.

  “I wonder if that’s Brandy’s fiancé,” Taye said, giving the man a curious glance.

  “Mmm, probably,” Alexia said, giving him a curious glance as well. She had to admit—although she really didn’t want to—that the guy was nice-looking. Even from across the room she could tell he was from the islands and was such an impressive package that she couldn’t help but wonder how Brandy had gotten so lucky. “What’s the scoop, Victor Junior? What’s going on with Brandy?” she asked curiously.

  “How in the hell would I know?” Victor Junior replied, too busy checking out the woman with Brandy to care about anything else.

  “Considering she’s your half sister, I’d have thought you’d know what’s going on with her and just how she met this guy,” Alexia said.

  “Well, I don’t. All I know is that Brandy is getting married over the Labor Day weekend, and according to Dad the guy’s family is loaded. They are paying for the entire wedding, and it’s going to be in Jamaica. All Dad has to do is be there to give her away.”

  Everyone stopped talking when Brandy looked over in their direction. She whispered something to the people with her; then Brandy, her fiancé, and the younger woman began making their way through the crowd over toward them. Valerie, with her head tossed in the air like that of some regal queen, headed in the direction of Aunt Otha Mae and Aunt Sadie, no doubt to boast and brag.

  “Heaven help me if Brandy comes over here with those boojee ways of hers. I’m in no mood for it tonight,” Alexia whispered through clenched teeth while holding her smile in place.

  “Chill, girl. There’s a possibility she’s changed.” Even as Taye said the words she knew they were a lie. Brandy still possessed her uppity-acting ways. “And if she hasn’t changed, then just ignore her. She’s not worth the bother.”

  Growing up with Brandy had always been a pain in Taye’s, Rae’jean’s and Alexia’s rear ends. They’d tried to be nice to her, but Brandy, thanks to her mother’s influence, had always acted like she had a chip on her shoulder because Uncle Victor didn’t marry Valerie to make Brandy a legitimate Bennett instead of an illegitimate one.

  “I wonder who’s that woman with her. She’s a real nice-looking piece. I hope Brandy plans to hook a brother up with her,” Victor Junior said, smiling.

  Alexia raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Pleeze, Victor Junior,” she mumbled. “Do you need to be reminded that you have a wife?”

  “I wasn’t checking her out for myself. I was giving her the once-over for Michael. I’m trying to look out for my cousin here.”

  Taye wished there was some way she could give Victor Junior a good kick in the butt just for having that thought. As far as she was concerned, Michael didn’t need Victor Junior looking out for him and certainly didn’t need to be bothered with the likes of the hoochie momma walking over toward them with Brandy and her fiancé.

  “Hi, everyone! I’m so glad to see all of you. It’s been years!” Brandy exclaimed in a high-pitched voice and with more airs than were needed. She threw her arms around Victor Junior and gave her half brother a resounding smack on the cheek.

  Taye and Alexia rolled their eyes upward and decided to play along and be just as phony as Brandy was being. They pretended to accept her hugs graciously and figured she was trying to impress her fiancé with such a warm display of family affection.

  “Heaven mercy, Alexia, I swear it’s been years, girl. I was just telling Mama last month while watching Body and Soul’s concert on HBO that you couldn’t possibly have gained as much weight as those cameras made it seem.”

  Taye took a deep breath as she eyed Alexia carefully, hoping she had the good sense to ignore Brandy’s pointed remark. Alexia was known not to take anyone’s crap. She was not one to mince words.

  “And Taye,” Brandy was now saying, bringing Taye’s attention back to the conversation. “I hear you’re still messing around with hair. Seems like you’ve been doing that forever.”

  Before Taye could respond, Brandy pulled the man next to her to the forefront. “Everyone, I want you to meet my fiancé, Lorenzo Ballentine. And this,” she said, motioning to the woman, “is my best friend, Jolene Bradford. She’s maid of honor in my wedding.”

  Lorenzo shook everyone’s hand as Brandy made all the introductions. When he got to Alexia, his smile was friendly and his voice had a rich, sexy Jamaican accent as he said smoothly, “Alexia, I’m a huge fan of yours. I saw you in the same HBO special, and unlike Brandy, I didn’t think you looked like you’d gained any weight. In fact, I thought you looked great, and now that I see you in person, I think you’re even more beautiful,” he added.

  Alexia smiled, thinking it was a shame that someone this good-looking could be engaged to Brandy. “Thanks, Lorenzo; that was such a nice thing to say. You’re too kind.” She cast a glance at Brandy and saw the deep scowl on her cousin’s face. Knowing Lorenzo’s compliment had irritated Brandy made Alexia’s smile widen.

  “And you have a beautiful voice,” Lorenzo said, recapturing Alexia’s attention.

  “Thanks again.” Alexia looked deep into Lorenzo’s gaze. There was something in the dark depths looking back at her that suddenly made her feel uneasy. That along with his lady-killer smile. Was she imagining
things or was this man checking her out, giving her a thorough once-over? No, he couldn’t be that brazen, not with Brandy standing right there watching the whole thing. Alexia shook her head. She had dated island men before and had found them to be—in addition to sexy and handsome—brash and possessive. They were also big flirts.

  Looking past Lorenzo, Alexia released a sigh of relief when Rae’jean chose that moment to come up to join them. She went about introducing Grady to everyone.

  “So, Rae’jean, when are you getting married?” Brandy asked in a tone that said it was a crying shame that she wasn’t the only one in the family tying the knot.

  “Grady and I are getting married on Christmas Day. It will be a very small wedding.”

  “Oh, well, mine will be a large one,” Brandy said excitedly, thinking she had one up on Rae’jean. “Lorenzo’s parents are covering all the expenses. They’re so happy that he’s settling down to take over the family business. They own a chain of hotels in Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Ballentine Hotels.”

  Everyone nodded. Of course they had.

  “We would love for all of you to come to our wedding,” Lorenzo said, smiling. “If you decide to do so, my family will cover the cost of your airfare and hotel accommodations.”

  “Hey, we just might take you up on that, man,” Victor Junior readily said, smiling at the invitation as he tried to keep his gaze off Jolene Bradford.

  “I’m hoping that all of you do.” Lorenzo then turned his attention back to Alexia. “I’d be honored if you were to sing at our wedding.”

  Alexia pasted a smile to her lips. “I’ll have to check my schedule first.”

  “I already have a soloist for our wedding,” Brandy cut in, protesting mildly.

  “I’m sure you can add another song, sweetheart,” Lorenzo said smoothly without missing a beat. Although he’d worded it like a suggestion, Alexia had a feeling it was understood by Brandy to be anything but.

  “If that’s what you want, Lorenzo,” Brandy said softly.