His Substitute Wife... My Sister Book Two

by Sylvia Hubbard

  “Parker!“

  He put a finger up as he walked over to the doorway. Everything in him wanted to get mad at her and he really wanted to beat her.

  Not just because of her deceit. Why’d she have to be like them?! Why’d she have to ruin it for him?!

  He wanted to beat her for having the same cursed damn blood of the two other women who screwed with his life.

  But at the same time, he wanted to relive every damn memory of the exquisite dream and he knew if he looked at her, felt her touch or even heard her voice, he wouldn’t want to stop himself.

  ‘And there’s a bed right there! Right there!’

  Parker gripped the doorway and leaned his head against the wall. Four days he convinced himself it had all been a dream and now all she had to say was that it wasn’t.

  Chyna could have come to check on him at the office. That’s what Chyna had said and then came back home and told Charisse to say this. Yes! That was it! Chyna was only doing this to make up for the hurt. That was what she meant by not denying him his happiness.

  ‘She knew I wanted happiness. She knew I wanted Charisse.’

  And Charisse was only helping because she cared. Because Chyna had convinced her sweet innocent sister to make him happy, just like she had convinced her to have the baby.

  ‘If all that is true, why can’t you just turn around to face her?’

  Because he had no damn control on the lust that was gripping him and every fiber of his being knew that damn dream was true.

  This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this and whether it was true or not, Parker didn’t know if he could stand to be around Charisse right now.

  Without another word, he stormed out of the room, down the stairs and out to his car, but not before he set the alarm to lock to doors of the house. Charisse could get out, but hopefully she wouldn’t leave.

  He called Rochelle and asked her to return to the house, but he had also taken Onyx’s advice and made sure Charisse was looked after even when she didn’t know she was.

  Right now, he needed to get some air. Get some fresh air, but he found himself driving in the direction of Jaelen’s house.

  Chapter 32

  Charisse wasn’t sure how long she had stood there, but the sound of a car pulling up made her run to the window to look for Parker’s car.

  Rain had started to fall and there were lights on around the house enough for her to see that it wasn’t Parker pulling up.

  Soon as she realized that, she ducked down enough that she knew whoever it was didn’t see her watching them. After a few moments, the driver exited the vehicle.

  It was Joanie.

  The woman was still overweight and of course, stuffing something in her mouth. She went over to Chyna’s car and used a flashlight to look inside before looking around the perimeter of the home.

  Charisse stayed as far back from the windows as possible but was still able to watch Joanie case the house, receive a cell phone call and then jump in the car to drive away.

  The rain had increased to a light shower by then. Her first inclination was to call Parker, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t want to speak to her. So she called Chyna’s cell phone, but was routed to the voice mail.

  “Chyna, this is Charisse. Joanie was just here at the house after Parker and I came from dinner with Cheyenne as if she were following us. Parker’s probably told you what happened tonight. Whether he did or didn’t – call me.”

  Hanging up, she briefly wondered where would Parker go and should she call Kimberly and let her know of the events that had transpired. It was too late and Jaelen might answer the phone. She didn’t want to take that chance of even speaking to him.

  She decided to spend the rest of the evening in the guest room where she could watch television and didn’t have to worry about anyone knowing if she was in the house or not. Chyna had gone through a lot of planning to make sure once she left on her trip, Cheyenne wouldn’t suspect a thing about Charisse’s whereabouts.

  All this for a baby. . It seemed weird, but then Charisse was starting to be more and more aware that life was growing inside of her and despite all the things that she was going through, it made a difference in all decisions that she made.

  ‘What about future decisions?’

  She’d push thoughts of suicide to the curb until after the baby. There was still the decision to stay with Parker after the baby was born.

  Hell, if Parker never came back home, there was no doubt of the decision that he wanted nothing to do with her. He had enough money to hire a wet nurse and a nanny to take care of the baby. That seemed like something he should do after the deceit she had done.

  Justifiable punishment for her evil deed.

  ‘Why’d you have to tell?!’ she scolded herself as she laid in bed.

  Yet Kim was right. She had a clean conscience.

  ‘But even before that, he wanted you. He didn’t confuse you with Chyna or Cheyenne. It was you he wanted.’

  The idea was arousing and in a way, she hoped Parker forgave.

  Picking up the divorce decree he had left, which she had brought from her room, she looked at it again to read the terms and then saw Chyna had signed it today.

  Most likely her sister had gone by there before her flight.

  Going over to the bathroom, she looked in the mirror to notice the slight swelling of her lips. Slowly rubbing her fingers over her lips, a pleasurable smile crept over them and a glow brightened her eyes.

  Now that Chyna had divorced him and she knew he’d go along with the divorce, she would be able to do more touching. But he’d have to take the initiative. Yet how could she get him to touch her more?

  ‘He’d have to be here first in order for you to accomplish that!’

  Taking a deep breath, she moaned in frustration. Why hadn’t she listened more to Nevada when she was talking all that junk about getting a man?

  The doorbell rang. Secretly checking to see if any familiar car was outside, she didn’t see any car out there. Whoever had come had walked up to the house.Walking down the stairs quietly, she saw it was a woman standing out there.

  Charisse knew to just be reckless and blow months of planning by Chyna to make it look as if Charisse isn’t there would be stupid.

  Yet, her gut told her to answer it.

  Suddenly lightning cracked in the sky and the heavens opened up to unleash torrential rain suddenly.

  If it had been Cheyenne, she definitely wouldn’t have stayed on the porch and Joanie would never be this skinny ever!

  Charisse proceeded to the foyer to answer the door.

  ** *

  Arriving at Jaelen’s house, Parker stayed in the car for a moment to gather his thoughts. He noticed that the house was still up and about by way of the noise coming from it. Five children, one brother who although was older but still acted like a fifteen year old and Jaelen would drive any other woman crazy, but not sweet Kimberly. The woman had a temperament to rival all others.

  Parker noticed Ethan’s car in the front as well, but that wasn’t unusual. Ethan had a sick sense of humor and when he couldn’t be around Parker, he usually made his way around Jaelen until Parker showed up.

  ‘Be honest with yourself and stop fighting the truth. True, she really had no evidence to support her being in the library, but if you think about it, there’s the coat and then the burnt fabric Onyx found that most likely was from her bedroom shoes because Chyna doesn’t wear any. Then it was just the experience itself. You’ve never had that experience with Chyna, nor any other woman. Plus, why would Charisse lie like that? Yet, it was too far fetched to believe she would go along with this and Chyna had planned it?!’

  So how long had Charisse been over her phobia? And why hadn’t he noticed it? Had anyone else known?

  He knew once he explained everything to Jaelen, his friend’s negativity would overwhelm him, but Parker just needed somewhere or someone who could give him a different light to the si
tuation that he hadn’t thought of yet.

  He really had intentions of going home because he didn’t want to miss one moment of the pregnancy experience and just because he was pissed as hell over everything that concerned Charisse in one kind of way or another, he wasn’t going to deny the joy of the experience he’d waited forever to be part of.

  The door to Jaelen’s house opened and a little boy nearing ten years of age with an angelic face just like his mother skipped out the house. It was one of the youngest twins, but Jaelen had so many damn kids Parker wasn’t sure which one it was. He could tell the oldest ones because they were fraternal siblings with Jaelen’s face. The girl was sweet, but the oldest boy acted so much like his father, Parker couldn’t wait until the little shit turned twelve so he had permission to whoop his ass.

  Parker rolled the window down just as a light midst of rain started to fall.

  “Hi Uncle Parker,” he said delightedly.

  When he gave the boy a quizzical look, the young man helped him out.

  “I’m Thor. Can’t you tell us apart by now, Uncle Parker?”

  “Nope,” he said honestly.

  “Daddy said you’d be by.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, he said you were in some mess up to your neck with women and you would need an ear to chew on.”

  “You were listening in on a conversation again, weren’t you, Thor.” Even though he couldn’t tell the boys apart, he knew one was nosey and the other could care less unless it had something to do with the present video game he was playing.

  Thor only chuckled at this.

  “Where’s your brother?”

  “Mother just got him a new game so I don’t expect to converse with Wesley until some time next week.”

  “Thor! Get in this house!” a voice boomed from the porch that sounded just like Jaelen’s except it was the younger version now a strapping teenager and looking even meaner than his father. He wore his hair in cornrows just like his father did often and his frown was grim.

  Parker and Thor walked up to the porch.

  “Jason, I was helping Uncle Parker.“

  “Bed,” Jason sneered.

  “G’night, Uncle Parker,” Thor said.

  “It’s past your bedtime too, Jason,” Parker said.

  “I’m too big to be told to go to bed.”

  “You aren’t too big for a beating,” Parker sneered.

  Jason’s frown immediately disappeared and a quizzical look of interest came over his face. “You came over for a fight, Uncle Parker.”

  “Are you willing to give me one?”

  “He who angers you conquers you, Elizabeth Kenny.”

  Parker really hated that Jason acted like his father, but he really hated the game Jason and his sister Jaenae constantly played. It was a quotation game and last he heard Jason had been on a roll.

  Digging into his resources, he retorted, “Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody's power, that is not easy. Aristotle.”

  Jason’s frown returned and behind him in the doorway, Jaenae giggled. “Shut up,” he sneered at his twin sister.

  “Shut don’t go up, prices do,” she shot back.

  “Who said that?” Jason asked.

  “I did. Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win. Jonathan Kozol.”

  “Mind your own business,” Jason muttered.

  “Who said that?” she inquired.

  “I did.” He pushed past his sister and stormed up the head.

  “He’s a sore loser, Uncle Parker,” Jaenae said.

  “Bout time he was kicked off his own pedestal.” Parker gave her a hug in greeting. Although she was a version of her father, she was an older version of Jessica with the kindest eyes and quick smile.

  “And I so love kicking my brother whenever I can. Where’s the crazy lady who called earlier? Momma saw you pulling up and said the woman who called earlier might be with you.”

  Unfortunately, she was harsh as her father in her words, but said it with a smile. “Don’t call her crazy.”

  “She’s the one that called earlier having a nervous breakdown.”

  “Charisse called here?” he questioned.

  Jaenae nodded. “She asked to speak to Momma earlier.”

  “To bed, Jaenae. You’ve opened your big mouth enough,” Kimberly said.

  Jaenae kissed Parker on the cheek and then skipped off to her room.

  “Were you going to tell me that Charisse called you?“

  She carefully answered, “Parker, I must let you know that Charisse and I are friends. Despite my husband’s disagreement with that and I don’t think that what we discuss is going to make a difference to the price of tea in China, let alone your own conclusions you’ve already drawn. So don’t ask me to reveal anything that she tells me because I won’t. She confided in me as a friend and I didn’t listen to become Parker’s spy. By the way, where is she?”

  “I dropped her at home.“

  Kimberly promptly walked out the room mumbling that she had kids to put to bed.

  Someone must have finally told Jaelen that he had arrived because Jaelen came out of the library he often sought refuge in and motioned him inside.

  Parker followed him greeting Ethan who was sitting back with a cigar in hand by the window. Kimberly would freak if she could smell any part of tobacco and Jaelen had just recently had the office remodeled so it had a great ventilation system to enjoy this vice of his in his own home.

  When the door was closed, Jaelen turned to Parker and asked, “So have you had any strange dreams lately, Parker?”

  ** *

  “Bout damn time!” Nevada said shivering and stepping in the house.

  She was drenched from head to toe and the make up she had over her face was hideously scrawled like a preschooler had decided to do an extreme makeover.

  After quickly closing the door, Charisse quickly found a towel and handed it to her, while also helping her take off the light jacket that was just drenched in water.

  “You walked here?” she asked.

  “When one don’t have a car, yeah, I had too,” Nevada said doing a horrible job at wiping the make up off. “I know I shoulda called but I was worried you would say no.”

  Charisse led her over to the guest half bathroom on the first floor and Nevada gasped in embarrassment at the site in the mirror.

  “Good lawd, gurl!” Nevada exclaimed. “I’ve seen crack heads look better than that.”

  “Use the hand towels and I’ll see can I warm us up some hot cider.”

  “Don’t you have any coffee?”

  Shyly, she said, “I don’t think my guardian took the house off of restrictions. I barely get to use the kitchen. This is the first time he’s left me by myself.”

  “That fine ass man you were with tonight was your guardian?”

  Charisse blushed. “Yes and he’s also my brother-in-law.”

  Nevada shrugged and Charisse went to the kitchen to find some paper cups and the apple cider out of the refrigerator. She popped two cups in the microwave and then found some cookies in the cupboard reserved for her with “safe” things she could eat. Placing them on a paper plate, she checked around the corner to see Nevada coming out of the bathroom and looking around. There was an expensive gold statue on the table in front of her and she picked up.

  After weighing it in her palm and then looking at the front door, she put it down and wistfully looked around some more before heading toward the kitchen. Charisse hurried and slipped away from the doorway, so Nevada wouldn’t see that she had been watched.

  “Nice house. Brother-in-law has bank.”

  “What makes you think this is his?”

  “You don’t and I figure since you’re in his care, he looks like the kind of man that wouldn’t just let you go off on your own. He’s a business man wh
ich means he knows how to take care of what he cares about.”

  Charisse challenged, “What makes you think he cares about me?”

  “Any man who looks at a woman like that takes care of her. That’s why I was shocked when you said he was your brother-in-law. He wasn’t lookin’ at you brotherly when I saw you go back to the table.”

  “You saw that scene?”

  “Who didn’t?!” Nevada questioned.

  Charisse took a good look at Nevada’s face as she sipped her tea and was blown away at how really beautiful the woman was. Nevada caught her staring and smiled.

  “I know.”

  “Know what?” Charisse asked.

  “You’re staring at me. My mother’s a full-blooded Cherokee and my dad’s black. Trifling low life Negro that would sell his mother if he could get a penny. That’s why I ran away when I was only nine and been living out on the streets before I found out that if I played crazy I could get a good meal and a good home.”

  “If you’re trying to convince me you only played crazy, you’ve got another thing coming,” Charisse said. “I’ve seen you in action sistah, and that was crazy.”

  Nevada sipped her cider and then took a large bit of the cookie before then stuffing the rest in her mouth and quickly swallowing it. Instead of using the napkin to wipe her mouth, she used the back of her hand. “In a way, I had to be crazy to want to get in that place, but I do have a temper. It was just exaggerated for effect. Living crazy was much better than living on my back, which I would have had to do in order to survive with a face like this on streets. Even after I got some education with my associates, I still couldn’t get a job because of this face.” There was a lot of disgust in her tone.

  “But you’re beautiful, Nevada. I mean gorgeous super model material. Why would your face hold you back from anything?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Jealousy and lust comes into mind. I know I probably sound crazy saying I wouldn’t mind looking ugly some days just to see how it’s like. That’s why I keep that make up on all the time and even then it doesn’t take away this face. My mother died in a drug overdose shortly after my baby sister was born and I was like six at the time. That left me to take care of her and put up with fighting off my dad’s friends until I was nine and my little sister could walk. I couldn’t stay there.”