Crystal Caress

by Zuri Day

  “What are you going to do?”

  “About being written about in the Paradise Cove Chronicle? Absolutely nothing. It’s part of being a Drake, Monique. We make news. And not only that. We report it.”

  She gave her sister-in-law a hug and headed for the door.

  Monique followed her. “Where are you going?”

  “To call a very private man and tell him that once again he’s in our paper, and to warn him that there’s more to come. Then—” she opened the door before turning once more to face Monique “—I’m going to beat Bill Brook at his own game, do a little blogging, and tell my own story.”

  The call to Atka didn’t quite go as she’d planned. His reaction had mirrored her earlier one. But she got over being angry. He did not. The next day, he was in Paradise Cove.

  “You shouldn’t have come here.”

  The statement had become a broken record, but within seconds after entering the car and getting a quick kiss, Teresa felt the need to tell him again.

  “I needed to come here. I needed to see you, look into your eyes and know you’re okay. I also phoned the Chronicle for an appointment with Benny Campbell.”

  “Please tell me you didn’t.”

  “I did.”

  “After I asked you not to?”

  “You asked me not to contact them about what Bill did to you. I didn’t. My meeting with Benny is about me, my company and the Sinclair name. Paul and his father have had it in for me for years. They are angry because my partners and I have the power to not only slow down their plans, but also to grind them to a halt. They’re afraid we’ll be successful. They are right to be afraid. Because we won’t stop until we win. Since he and, in turn, his paper are so focused on Alaska and the goings-on there, I thought the timing perfect to set him straight on this matter and to let him know that for me there will be no backing down. Of course, should things get heated and I have to knock him on his ass...oh, well.”

  “Atka.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, I’d have to hit him, not once but twice. I would tell him that one was for me, and one was for my woman whom he disrespected. Then I’d let him know that every time they printed something about you, he’d get punched again.”

  “How can a man so unlike the men in my family be so opposite in some ways and exactly alike them in others? You’re as stubborn as they are and, like them, not very good at following directions.”

  “Isn’t not following directions why you don’t have a job right now? That sounds like a pot-and-kettle comment right there.”

  “I guess so, huh? Are you hungry?”

  His eyes darkened as he looked at her. “Starving.”

  “I meant for food.”

  “I know you did.”

  “So you’re not hungry for food?”

  “Not as hungry as I am for Teresa. We can eat afterward.”

  They went to the condo in the Seventh Heaven condominium complex. They walked slowly, with their heads high, laughing and hugging in the middle of the day, a show Teresa had suggested, for anybody watching.

  * * *

  The next night, Jennifer insisted that Atka stay at the Drake estate. Dinner had been just the four of them: Teresa and Atka, Jennifer and Ike. Afterward, the two men had closeted themselves away in Ike’s study. Terrell came home. When the parents turned in, the twins and Atka chatted another hour. Teresa excitedly told Terrell all about the northern lights before back-to-back yawns from Atka led her to call it a night.

  Once in bed, Teresa scooted up next to him, laid her head on his chest and began running her hand down his stomach to his shaft.

  “Babe, don’t do that.”

  She lifted her head. “Why not?”

  “We’re in your parents’ home.”

  “Atka, they’re way on the other side of us with tons of space between us. It’s almost like they’re in another house.”

  “But they’re not. We’re not married, so to make love to you in their house...it wouldn’t feel right.”

  Teresa lifted herself up farther, balanced her weight on an elbow. “Are you serious?”

  “Very.”

  “Atka, that’s so old-fashioned. Do you think my parents aren’t assuming that we’re making love right now? That’s if they’re even thinking about us. They’re probably getting their own groove on.”

  “Eww. Thanks for the mental image.”

  She laughed. “You’re welcome. What, did you think they were celibate? Seven kids later, surely you jest. If that’s not enough to convince you, you’ve met my brother. Terrell has gotten more discriminating as he’s grown older, but I’ve run into my share of his female conquests out in the hallway.”

  He raised up on his elbow, too. “Have you brought a lot of guys here?”

  “Is that a question you really want me to answer?”

  He arched a brow. “Probably not.”

  She flopped back on the pillow. “There is something you might like hearing. You’re the first man my parents have ever invited here, and when you politely refused, they insisted you come. That didn’t even happen with George, the man before you who I thought I would marry.” She turned to him. “They like you, Atka. They see something special. And so do I.”

  * * *

  A lot can happen in forty-eight hours. The next morning, Atka went to the Paradise Cove Chronicle offices, only to be informed that Benny Campbell was out of town. No one knew when he’d be returning. Bill Brook was MIA as well. Both men rarely took a vacation, so that both were gone on the one day that Atka Sinclair visited the office was more than a little suspect. Teresa couldn’t prove it, but she felt that her dad may have had something to do with their convenient disappearance and, if not with that, definitely with the fact that the Q&A section in the paper never ran again. A stern conversation Teresa had with Atka and her father made it clear that she’d put the Paradise Cove Chronicle behind her, and she wanted them to do so, as well. She posted her blog about finding hot love in the cold Pacific Northwest, hit up her contacts, and by the following morning, had over a thousand hits. Business prevented Atka from staying any longer, so less than a week after returning to the place she’d called home for twenty-five years, Teresa found herself once again on a seat in first-class, bound for Alaska. However, this time was different. This time Atka was sitting beside her and in a week, there would be a Drake convergence on the last frontier.

  Chapter 28

  The pilot came on, informing the Drake family of their descent into Fairbanks International Airport. Julian was back in New York, London was still overseas and Niko and Monique had stayed behind to run the business and the town. But the rest of the Northern California bunch—Ike Sr., Jennifer, Ike Jr., Warren, seven-months pregnant Charlie and Terrell—had all accepted Atka and Teresa’s invitation to witness the northern lights.

  Jennifer turned to look at her brood. “Isn’t this exciting? We’re about to land in Alaska, one of our country’s most beautiful states! I’m so glad all of you decided to join us. Ike and I had discussed coming here on a cruise, but flying here is even better, because it’s with all of you.”

  “The decision wasn’t without a fair amount of pressure,” Terrell said, not looking up from his satellite phone. “I’m still wondering why the pilot ignored my request for a change of flight plan and why we’re not about to touch down in Tahiti right about now.”

  Warren tapped Terrell on the shoulder. “Our sister is worth it, baby bro. And since the two of you are so close, I’d say the timing is perfect to see where you might be living for the rest of your life.”

  “It is true that I love her dearly, and would do just about anything for my twin.”

  “But moving to Alaska isn’t one of them, huh, son?” Ike Sr. laughed. The others joined him.

  “Not at all, Dad. Not at all
.”

  Ike Jr. spoke up. “How many of us really think Teresa would leave all that she’s accustomed to, especially her proximity to San Francisco with its designer boutiques, fancy restaurants, et cetera, and move to this barren state?”

  No one raised their hand.

  Except Jennifer. “I do.”

  “Well, I don’t,” Terrell said. “Teresa loves our lifestyle too much, a way of life that’s more than nice homes and cars and stuff. It’s being an hour from Vegas and five from New York. Like Ike said, it’s all the comforts with which she loves to be pampered. It’s being around family, and not far from friends. Even the most upscale, swankiest neighborhood in Alaska isn’t going to compete with what she can get in the lower 48.”

  “Listen to him sounding all Alaskanish,” Warren said to Charlie, placing his arm around her. “What about you, baby? If we decided to open an office in Anchorage, would you move there with me?”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  The answer surprised all but one of who heard it.

  “I, too, believe that Teresa would move here, if her love for Atka is as strong as I and, I believe, Jennifer suspects. Love will make you do many things.”

  “Yes,” Terrell drawled, looking pointedly at Warren’s shoes. “Even become a cowboy.”

  “Oh, I was Lone Ranger before woman danger,” Warren quipped.

  Teresa and Atka met her family at the airport. At Ike Sr.’s request, a private dining room in their five-star hotel had been booked and invitations sent to the Sinclair family, requesting their presence at the dinner. Jennifer had written Atka’s mother with a personal invitation, thanking her for the kindness—in theory—shown her daughter and the love that Jennifer felt for her fine son. The Drakes came downstairs promptly at seven o’clock, were served drinks and patiently waited. Teresa kept up a stream of small talk to cover her nervousness. Atka paced, and eyed his watch. The two Ikes went outside for a cigar.

  At seven-twenty they returned. No one else had arrived. Ike Sr. clinked his glass to quiet the room. “Atka, don’t feel bad, son. Even though our invitation to dinner was not accepted, we are very happy to have accepted your invitation to visit the northern lights.” He turned to Terrell. “Please go and inform the staff that dinner can be served.”

  Terrell walked to the door. He opened it, and stepped back. In walked Panika and Vera, followed by Anna, Max, their spouses and the children. A second later, Stu and Agatha appeared in the doorway.

  “We are sorry to have kept you waiting,” he said, bowing slightly. “Thank you for inviting us to dinner.”

  Agatha said nothing, stared straight ahead.

  “The pleasure is ours,” Ike Sr. said, stopping when Terrell held up his hand. He reached out and took the hand of the little woman who shuffled into the room, wearing beautiful beaded moccasins and a woven shawl.

  “Emaaq! Apaaq!” Atka rushed over and hugged them, then looked at his father. “Is this the package that you said kept you waiting?”

  His father nodded, glassy eyes mirroring those of his son. Teresa walked over and hugged his grandparents.

  “Waqaa,” she said softly, in greeting. “Quyana.”

  “You are welcome,” the older lady slowly replied in English, before reaching out to hug Teresa again.

  Ike Sr. and Jennifer walked over to where Stu and Agatha still stood by Teresa and Atka. Ike greeted Stu. The two men shook hands. Jennifer followed. Her greeting to Agatha was returned with a curt nod.

  Teresa took a breath, determined not to let this woman ruin her family’s first evening in Alaska. “Mrs. Sinclair, this is my mother, Jennifer. She and Dad had been planning to come here on a cruise and they’re falling in love with the state.”

  “Jennifer, I am sorry your family has come all this way only to learn that there is no way my son will ever stay with your daughter.”

  “Mother, that’s enough!” Atka’s voice was low, his anger evident only by the tick in his jaw. He turned to Teresa. “Please excuse us.” Then to his parents, “Mother, Dad, please come with me.”

  He left the room without waiting to see if they followed. The room was quiet as the three retreated to the hallway. Terrell, brows raised in question to his twin, closed the door.

  Teresa shrugged, looked at the closed door and wondered what was happening on the other side of it.

  * * *

  Atka used the length of the hallway to rein in his temper. He’d never spoken disrespectfully to his mother, but she was making it very hard for him to maintain this record. When they reached the end of the hallway, he whirled around, took a breath and released it slowly.

  “Mother, you have made it crystal clear how much you dislike Teresa, and how strongly you oppose our being together, even though I’ve told you she is the love of my life. You’ve gone so far as to fake an illness just to separate us.”

  “Son, I never—”

  “Yes you did, Aggie,” Stu interrupted. “Now, I’ve been quiet about all this foolishness, but now you need to be quiet and hear what our son has to say.”

  “Are you turning against me, too? You know why I’m doing this. It has nothing to do with her personally. I just want him to marry a native girl.”

  “Like you married a native boy?”

  “Stu, that’s not fair. We were different.”

  “How so?” Atka asked. His mother’s lips tightened. He looked at his dad. “Dad, how is what you and Mom share different from Teresa and I?”

  “Well, son...” Agatha shot him a warning look. He ignored her. “Your mother was pregnant with Panika when we wed.”

  Agatha punched Stu on the arm. “I can’t believe you just did that. How could you share my shame with my son?”

  “It was a different time, Aggie. What happened with us has nothing to do with that girl in there. And for the record, I have never been ashamed of you, any of our children or our love.”

  “That’s it. I’m leaving!” Agatha turned to go.

  Atka caught her arm before she could get away. “Mom, I don’t care about that. Do you think any of us would love you less because you are human?”

  She snatched her arm away and continued down the hall.

  Atka caught up with her, placed his hands on her shoulders. “I love you. I want you here more than anything. But I cannot allow you to disrespect Teresa and her family, who’ve come this long way. The woman I love is in that room, along with most of her family. They’ve come to meet my family—you, Dad, my brothers and sisters. On my trips to Paradise Cove, they’ve welcomed me into the family and treated me like a son. Do you think they love their daughter any less than you love me? Do you not think they want the best for her, and with their trip to meet you are saying they think that I’m it? To leave now, you will basically be saying that you don’t want me happy, and that what I want doesn’t matter at all.”

  His voice softened, as did his grasp. He switched to their native tongue. “I’m only asking that you go in, be kind, and try to get to know the woman who has warmed your son’s heart, who has brought sunshine back into a world that I thought losing Mary had darkened forever. She is the one for me, Mom. If you give her a chance, you’ll see why, and I believe you will love her, too.”

  He waited. She said nothing. “Dad, I hope to see you inside.” He kissed his mom’s temple then turned, head high, and walked back to the dining room.

  * * *

  Teresa turned, her heart racing as she heard the door open. Thank God! They came back. At least Atka did.

  She hurried over and gave him a hug. “They left?” He nodded. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”

  Max and Anna stood to join them, Ike Sr. and Warren hot on their trail. Atka held up his hands. “I’m sure everyone is wondering what happened. I’ll explain later, but right now, let’s have dinner and get to know each other a littl
e bit. We’ve already kept the staff waiting and I think everyone could benefit from a nice glass of wine. Terrell, would you mind letting the staff know that we’re ready to order? Meanwhile, I’ll start the introductions.” He placed an arm around his sister. “This is Anna. Her husband is the jolly red giant by the window.” A bit of laughter pushed some of the tension from the room. “This is my brother Max.”

  One by one, the Drakes and Sinclairs traded introductions. “So now that we’re no longer strangers, let’s eat! One last thing,” he continued as Terrell returned with the waiter, ready to take orders for appetizers and refill drinks. “No two family members can sit by each other. A Sinclair must sit next to a Drake. Let’s get to know each other.”

  Teresa had kept a smile firmly in place, but inside, her emotions were somersaulting. What had happened between Atka and his parents? She knew how close he was to them, and how much he loved his mother. The smile on his face came with effort. Of this she was sure. She had to be strong, too. So like him she smiled, and watched the social Drakes easily insinuate themselves between the Sinclairs until Atka’s orders had been accomplished. When almost everyone was seated, Teresa and Atka exchanged a quick kiss and then parted to find their own seats at the table. Just as both were about to sit down, the door opened. As one, they turned and watched Stu and Agatha enter the room.

  Tension followed them in. At the atmospheric shift, the waiters stopped taking orders. The room that had been buzzing with casual conversation became quiet enough to hear snow fall on sugar.

  Stu cleared his throat. “Looks like I’m doing a lot of apologizing this evening. But, uh, there was a bit of a misunderstanding that needed to get cleared up. But it’s all taken care of now, right, Aggie?”

  Agatha stood erect and proud, her face a mask. Until her eye twitched and her mouth trembled. Her eyes blinked rapidly, holding back tears.