Finally, Veda’s mind said. You see what I see.
A rustling at the door stole the attention of everyone in the foyer, and a moment later, a stout, dark-skinned African-American man with gray hair and a gray goatee stepped inside. The blue Nike sweat suit he wore looked comfortable, but he still struggled through the entryway, wrestling two rolling suitcases, two tote bags that were stacked on top of them, and two duffle bags whose straps were hanging by a prayer from his shoulders.
Veda gasped softly. “Daddy.” Before she could finish taking a breath that filled her lungs with light, she’d raced across the foyer and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.
Earl Vandyke dropped both suitcases, as well as the bags on his shoulders, letting them fall to the floor as he wrapped his arms around Veda’s waist, hugging her close and patting her back gently.
“Oh, wow. Oh Veda,” he whispered, kissing her cheek before pulling away and seizing both her arms. “It’s been way too long, sweetie. Let me look at you.”
Veda laughed softly as Earl’s eyes ran her up and down.
He lifted a hand up and stroked her hair, letting her curls trickle over his fingers. “Your hair’s longer.”
Veda gave a beaming smile. “You think so?”
“I remember the day you took an electric razor and cut it down to the quick.”
“Yeah, we all remember,” Vivian’s voice rose into the air from over Veda’s shoulder, laced with disgust. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that ridiculousness, Veda. And I still don’t forgive you now. Unless you decide to let me put a relaxer in that nappy mess before we leave.”
Earl pulled a face at Vivian as if he wanted to speak but nothing came, his eyes instead, falling to the floor.
Gage moved past Vivian, blowing a dollop of air between his lips as he came up to Veda and stroked the back of her head.
“Well, I personally love your hair, baby. It’s the first thing I noticed about you, and I think it’s absolutely beautiful.” He leaned in, giving her temple a soft kiss.
“Looks like you’ve found yourself a man who loves you enough to lie to you,” Vivian said with a breathy chuckle. “Smart choice, Veda. I wish I’d made the same one, but I suppose we all make mistakes, right?”
Gage, Veda, and Earl all turned to Vivian, looking upon her silently.
Vivian raised her eyebrows in return.
With a deep breath, Gage faced Earl, holding a hand out. “Mr. Vandyke, it’s truly a pleasure to finally meet you, I’m Gage Blackwater.”
Early took Gage’s outstretched hand and they shared a shake. “The pleasure’s all mine, Gage, and please, call me Earl. It’s wonderful to know Veda’s got such a good man taking care of her.” His eyes traveled the house, and he gave a soft whistle. “Looks like you’re giving her everything she deserves, and more. I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot in a house this big.”
Vivian chortled.
Gage bent down next to Earl and picked up the fallen suitcases. “It’d be my pleasure to give you guys a tour of the house if you’d like? Veda and I just bought it, so it’s still in the middle of renovations, but…”
“Looks pretty incredible to me,” Earl laughed.
“Why don’t you show us to the guest bedroom, Gage?” Vivian said, still on an island a few feet away from them. “We came down to surprise you for Christmas, so we’ll be staying until the end of the week.”
At those words, Veda’s soul hit the floor.
6
Hours later, Veda’s very being still hadn’t peeled itself up off the floor, her face so drawn and haggard she appeared to have aged ten years in just a few short hours. As the clank of silverware against plates filled the dining room, mixed in with the roll and crash of waves against the cliffs from outside the sliding glass doors left open behind her, she tried to take a deep breath. It came up short. Licking her parched lips, letting her eyes move over every other person at the dinner table without actually making eye contact, she finally let her gaze land on the rolling bassinet that sat in between her and Gage’s chairs.
She looked inside the white bassinet at Lincoln, who’d just been fed and was on his best behavior. The instant smile he gave her warmed her heart the moment it hit his lips. He’d just learned to smile less than a week ago, so the sight was still powerful enough to make everything in her world float away. The clatter of silverware, the shadows in her heart, and even the eyes she felt watching her from all around the circular table—it all dissipated. She reached inside and covered his soft stomach, making his smile bloom even wider and his feet kick like crazy.
Veda grinned as she adjusted his baby blue onesie, another gem Grace had purchased for him. It had a picture of a stroller on the front and read ‘They See Me Strollin’, They Hatin’. Veda’s eyes lit up right along with Lincoln’s, thrilled that, at six weeks, he was finally beginning to recognize her face. Thankfully, he seemed to like her, but she supposed he didn’t have much choice. She was the only person in the house with the leaky boobs that kept him alive, after all.
She tickled his stomach, and he mumbled and babbled in response, covering her hand with both of his as if willing her to keep it there. She realized, at that moment, that her favorite thing about her baby boy was that he hadn’t yet learned how to talk. He was just as content as she was to bask in the beautiful simplicity of absolute silence.
Unfortunately, ever the host, her fiancé felt no such devotion to the charms of silence. “How’s the food, Vivian? Is everything to your liking?”
Veda cut a look at Gage as he stood from his seat and seized the bottle of red wine from the middle of the table, refilling Vivian’s glass before she could even request it. After giving her parents a tour of the mansion, setting them up in their opulent bedroom, and cooking a delicious lamb dinner for everyone, Veda wondered how her future husband wasn’t on the verge of complete collapse.
She wondered when he’d realize nothing would ever be enough.
Vivian scoffed as Gage filled her glass to the brim. Earlier in the night he’d—correctly—filled her glass only one-third full. He’d quickly done an about face when Vivian had accused him of being stingy with his good wine. The wine he’d been saving for a special occasion for nearly a decade before he’d made the colossal mistake of popping it open for Vivian Vandyke.
“Well, Gage,” Vivian said as the trickle of wine filling her glass rose into the air. “I’m just relieved this dinner isn’t anywhere near as elementary as the breakfast you served my daughter this morning. I hope you’re a steadfast hand-washer. Otherwise, the lengths you went to, to make that breakfast food look like a Rastafarian would be downright unsanitary.”
“Gage is very hygienic, Mom,” Veda said, jumping in when the redness on Gage’s cheeks ebbed even deeper as he sat the wine bottle back onto the middle of the table and plopped back down into his seat. “And I happen to love his creative breakfast plates. I find it adorable, and I think Lincoln will love it too, once he’s old enough.”
Vivian’s spine straightened in the long-sleeved black dress she’d donned for the evening.
Gage loosened the neck of his white button-down shirt while cutting a secret look at Veda.
Earl gave Veda a look as well, still wearing his blue sweat suit, before giving a soft shake of his head.
It was a head shake Veda had seen too many times to count in her years as a child, but she couldn’t bite her tongue, shifting in her seat, her thighs suddenly sweaty in the long-sleeved hunter-green midi-dress she wore.
Veda and Vivian’s eyes remained locked across the table, the clatter of silverware against plates having come to a complete halt. Then, Vivian’s brown eyes shifted to the bassinet, where Veda’s hand was still inside, resting on Lincoln’s stomach.
“For goodness sake, Veda, you’re going to spoil him rotten. He knows you’re there. Why is it you feel the need to constantly remind him of your presence? He’s going to have to learn independence sometime.”
&nb
sp; “My son will always know that his mother is there,” Veda said. “Always.”
“I’m just suggesting… a little self-reliance never hurt anyone.”
With a heavy sigh, Veda gave Lincoln’s belly one last squeeze before removing her hand from the bassinet and going back to her plate. The moment she removed her hand from his stomach, Lincoln began to stir.
“You see?” Vivian motioned across the table at the basket. “Already making a fuss, the moment you retreat. You can’t coddle him like that.”
Veda stabbed her fork into her half-eaten lamb, keeping her eyes down as she shoved it in her mouth and began gnawing it out of existence.
“And speaking of coddling,” Vivian said, moving her eyes across the table. “Gage.”
Gage raised his eyebrows high, his lips sealed together as he met Vivian’s eyes.
Vivian leaned forward on the table, cradling her chin in her hand. “What’s the plan? Now that the cruise line is out of business and riding your father’s coattails is no longer an option? Or should I say your grandfather-father? I don’t know. I’m still a little shaky on that whole torrid story.”
“Gage is currently heading three different non-profit organizations, Mom, on his own dime. A Big Brother, Big Sister program that sets kids from the hill up with successful mentors who’ll help keep them on the right track, a low-income housing organization, he’s even started a sex workers outreach program for all of the men, women, and children on the island who were directly or indirectly victimized by all of the horrific things that went on at Blackwater Cruises for decades. He’s doing his part to ensure Shadow Rock remains economically stable now that the cruise line that was singlehandedly keeping it afloat is no longer viable.”
“And that’s wonderful. I’m all for doing one’s part, but…” Vivian looked around the house, her gaze flitting over the upscale kitchen behind her, the sprawling family room to her right, and the vaulted ceilings that looked up to the second story landing above. “Something tells me a non-profit organization isn’t going to be enough to keep the lights on around here. A massive home like this is going to require quite a bit of upkeep. Expensive upkeep. So what’s the plan, Gage? Or is the plan simply to spend every last dime your grandfather-father left you after his passing until it dries up completely? Perhaps it’s high time for a few downgrades, hmm? Perhaps a more modest home? A more humble neighborhood? Fewer cars in the driveway. I’m assuming the three luxury vehicles that were parked outside when we arrived are just the tip of the iceberg. Why on Earth would a family of three need so much—?”
“I’m sure the man is well prepared to take care of his home and his family, Vivian,” Earl cut her off, speaking up for the first time that evening.
Vivian shot him a look, and her eyes widened. “And how on Earth would a retired plumber from the northwest side of the hill know that, Earl? Why on Earth do you fancy yourself the caliber of man who’d ever find himself in the position to shoulder the kind of wealth and success the Blackwater family has shouldered? You don’t have the first clue what it takes to maintain the affluent lifestyle Gage has promised to our daughter and grandson.”
Earl’s gaze fell back to his plate, and he continued eating without another word.
Sensing his surrender, Vivian moved her eyes back to Gage. “And I’m not sure Gage does, either.”
“Mom—”
Gage covered Veda’s knee under the table when she tried to jump in, silently telling her it was okay as his chest rose in a deep breath. “Well, Vivian, as it turns out, once the FBI has finished their investigation, I have every intention of returning to the cruise line, re-branding and re-launching. Entirely new name. Entirely new operations and management plan. Entirely new marketing strategy, financials, design and development plans. I can assure you I’m under no illusions. I’m fully aware that the Blackwater brand has been destroyed, likely beyond repair, and even with a name change and staff overhaul, it’ll take a long while for the stench to wear off, if it ever does. It’ll certainly be an uphill climb. I have no doubt. But I’m fully up to the task.”
“And fully capable of taking on the challenge,” Veda said, sharing a smile with Gage. “Mom, Gage has an MBA from an Ivy League institution and has run a very busy hospital, successfully, since the day he graduated. I’d say he’s plenty capable of taking care of Lincoln and I. And even if we didn’t have this beautiful home and his sizable inheritance to fall back on, we would still be okay. His unwavering love and dedication alone would be enough to sustain Lincoln and me for the rest of our lives. Because that’s all people really need anyway, isn’t it? True, steadfast, abiding love that doesn’t tire and doesn’t quit. Gage has that in spades. So there’s no need to worry about us.”
Gage squeezed her knee.
Vivian’s jaw clenched, her eyes protruding before they blazed down to Veda’s plate. She gasped at the sight. “Did you finish your entire plate, Veda? Didn’t I always teach you that it’s unbecoming for a woman to clean her plate in mixed company?”
Veda held her breath.
“Well, I for one find it sexy when a woman isn’t afraid to eat,” Gage said.
Vivian chortled. “Well, she’d better start getting a lot more afraid if she ever plans on dropping the extra weight Lincoln’s put in her midsection.” Her laughter grew. “She’d better start getting terrified.”
Veda’s eyes dropped. She felt Gage’s gaze on her but didn’t return it. Still, as they always did, Gage’s eyes beckoned her, their pull growing stronger with every second she fought it, and she finally snuck a look at him.
He raised his eyebrows at her. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”
His whispered words entered her heart and warmed it up like hot cocoa until she was unable to stop herself from smiling back.
“Well, since Gage’s professional future is still dependent on an FBI investigation that doesn’t appear to be anywhere near its end, I suppose it’s all on you, Veda,” Vivian said. “Since you went ahead and got yourself pregnant at the most inopportune time, I suppose it’ll take even longer than expected for you to finish your residency?”
Veda held Gage’s eyes for another long moment, long enough for his light to enter her body and wash away every expletive she felt on the tip of her tongue before she moved her eyes back across the table to Vivian.
“I’ve lost half a year,” Veda said. “So, yeah, there’ll be a delay, but a short one. Nothing to get worked up about, Mom.”
A long silence fell with the two women watching each other carefully. Vivian took a small bite from her half-eaten plate and chewed slowly, her eyes running Veda’s face.
Veda’s body tensed, a wave of heat moving along her every bone and begging to explode out of her in any way she’d allow. Curse words, facial ticks, even a few right hooks to the face smirking across the table from her would be enough to tame the blast. But Veda clenched her teeth as well as her stomach, fighting to keep the detonation at bay, knowing this was just the beginning. Knowing there was more to come.
There was always more to come.
Vivian’s eyes ran Veda’s body once more, and she finally spoke. “How much time have you been spending outdoors? You’re nearly as dark as your father. You remember I never let you go outside when you were a child? That’s why you learned to love reading as much as you do. That’s why you became a doctor. You know that, don’t you? It was all because of me.” Vivian jammed her fork toward herself and then pointed the prongs at Veda. “Sometimes I feel like you forget that.”
Veda almost laughed.
Not because anything was particularly funny.
But because her mother never disappointed.
7
Later that night, Veda giggled as a huge splash of water smacked her square in the face. She leaned deeper into the tub as it did, not bothered by the soft hint of pain slowly blooming to life in her stomach where the edge of the tub was jabbing into her gut. It was worth the pain to see Lincoln smiling, splashing, and wigglin
g during his favorite time of the night.
“Yes, you wuv bath time don’t you?” she cooed as she ran the soft washcloth over Lincoln’s naked body, making sure to hold the back of his head up in the shallow water of the kiddie tub. She and Gage had long ago agreed that they’d never use baby talk with Lincoln. That they would always speak to him with the same clarity and respect as they would an intelligent adult. But at bath time, Veda could never help herself. That moment was no exception as she tickled his belly, the sound of his soft gurgles centering her entire world. “I know you wuv bath time—yes I do. I know you wuv it, Mommy wuvs it too. Let’s clean that tushy.”
As he continued wiggling and having the time of his life, Veda scooped up a handful of the warm water and thoroughly wet his hair.
“Thank God you’re here, that’s all I have to say,” she whispered, taking a pump of soap and washing his silky smooth black hair. “I think you’re officially the only sane individual in this entire house, Lincoln.”
“I think you’re probably right.”
Veda looked over her shoulder when Gage’s voice came in behind her, smiling up at him from where she was on her knees next to the tub, rubbing soap between Lincoln’s wiggly toes.
“Hey, baby,” she sighed, unable to stop her eyes from running his tall, muscular body, fitting the black slacks and white button-down he wore like a dream.
Gage leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed, returning her tender smile. “Your folks turned in for the night. After your mom made Earl move all their things from the upstairs guest room to the downstairs guest room because she absolutely must wake up to the sun rising to her east…” Gage lifted a hand to the right side of his face, stared at it, and then lifted his other hand, staring at that one as well. “And not to her west.”
Rouse (Revenge Book 7) Page 24