“None of your business and none of your business.” Grace smiled as she remembered holding Dakota in her hands. Shuddered as she remembered the feel of Dakota’s hard clit pulsing between her fingers. She brought her hand to her nose. Her fingers still smelled like Dakota. Did they taste like her, too? She resisted the urge to take her fingers into her mouth. She wanted to taste Dakota’s essence direct from the source, not secondhand. Would one taste be enough, or, as she suspected, would it prove to be addictive? “Did you call just to harass me, or did you have a real reason for reaching out?”
Faith suddenly turned serious. “Come home as quick as you can. Dad wants to have a family meeting.”
“At eleven o’clock on a Saturday night?”
“That’s what I’m screaming. He said it’s a last-minute thing and he didn’t set it for earlier because he wanted to give Hope time to get home from her shift. She’s on her way and I didn’t have anything planned for tonight except cramming for an exam in one of my summer school classes. That just leaves you. When can you be here?”
“As soon as I catch the next train. What’s the meeting about?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing. You’re a lot closer to Dad than Hope and I are. I thought maybe he’d told you he had finally decided to retire and was planning to use the meeting to make the official announcement.”
Even though she and her father worked side by side, Grace wasn’t privy to any of his secrets. That was her mother’s role. One she had no desire to take on. Yet she couldn’t help feeling as if she had been left out of the loop. If something was going on with the business, shouldn’t she already know what it was instead of being forced to hear about it the same time as everyone else? “If he has decided to go that route, he didn’t say anything to me. I doubt that’s what the meeting’s about. If Dad planned to turn the company over to me two years ahead of schedule, I think he would have made sure I had all my ducks in a row, don’t you?”
“Yes, but what else would he have to talk about other than work? He and Mom have been together way too long and are still too crazy about each other to even think about getting a divorce. And they’re both as healthy as horses, so I don’t think he plans to say either of them is dying from some dreaded disease. Be honest. Are you being straight with me right now, or are you blowing smoke up my ass so you can act all surprised when Dad hits us with his big news?”
“Trust me, whatever he has to say will be just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you.”
Grace turned toward home, wondering—and dreading—what would be in store for her when she arrived.
Chapter Sixteen
“What makes you think something’s wrong?” Brooke asked.
After she followed Brooke to the kitchen, Dakota pointed to the bottle of pale pink liquid sitting on the granite counter. “Because you always break out the Strawberry Hill whenever you’ve done something you wish you hadn’t.”
“What can I say? I learned from the best. You used to live on this stuff back in the day.” Brooke opened the screw-top bottle and poured a generous amount of the contents into a red plastic cup. “Would you like some?”
Dakota wrinkled her nose. “No, thanks. My tastes have changed since high school.”
“I noticed. They’ve gotten a lot more expensive. And varied.” Brooke looked past the high-end kitchen appliances and cut her eyes toward the bedroom. If she hadn’t dropped in out of the blue, Dakota would be in there right now acting out a few of her favorite fantasies. “So who’s Grace?”
“My tailor. She’s making me a suit to wear to your wedding.”
Brooke leaned against the counter as she sipped her wine. “Why do you need a new suit when you have a closet full of them? Don’t look so surprised. I’ve been here for almost two hours. I had plenty of time to raid your closet. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything I might want to wear. Kevin, on the other hand, would kill for one of your suits. If he were two inches shorter and about forty pounds lighter, that is. Did you buy all those?”
“No, they’re essentially hand-me-downs. Freebies from photo shoots and runway shows. I didn’t want to wear any of them on your big day. I wanted something special. That’s where Grace comes in.”
“You’ve been outshining me all my life. You’re not planning to do it on my wedding day, too, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Brooke looked skeptical. “Is Grace going to be your plus-one? If she is, Mom and Dad will freak.”
“Why? Because she’s African American?”
“No, because you’ve never bothered to bring anyone home before.”
“I know, and there’s a good reason for that.”
“Which is?”
“Don’t play dumb, Brooke. You know the score. You, Mom, and Dad have made it perfectly clear how you feel about my ‘choices.’ I’m used to the drama, but I would never subject someone else to it. Especially someone I care about.”
“So you’re serious about her? I probably should have guessed that from the expression on your face when I walked into your bedroom tonight. If looks could kill, Kevin would be planning my funeral right now instead of our wedding. Not that he’s done much help with the wedding planning. The organizer and I have done the bulk of the work. The only things he’s done are buy the ring and pop the question.”
Dakota sidestepped Brooke’s question about the status of her relationship with Grace because she didn’t know the answer. She was starting to develop feelings for Grace, but she didn’t know where they would lead. Before she and Grace were so rudely interrupted, tonight’s encounter was shaping up to be much different from all the others she had experienced in the past. Not a quickly forgotten one-off, but an experience she would remember for the rest of her life. She could still feel Grace’s hands on her. See the look in Grace’s eyes when she explored her body. Hear the sound of Grace’s voice when she paused on the landing and said, “I can’t take another step until I kiss you.” The kiss that followed had been a revelation. It had made Dakota realize why people wrote sappy love songs or broke into tears when they finally got a chance to say, “I do.” Despite Grace’s assurances that they would pick up where they left off, Dakota wondered if she would ever get the chance to feel that connected to someone—to Grace—again.
“We’re supposed to be talking about you, not me,” she said. “And I do have actual wine glasses if you’d like to use one. And real wine, too, instead of that antifreeze you’re drinking. Would you prefer red or white?”
“You don’t have to put on airs for me. I’m good.”
“Are you sure?” Dakota arched an eyebrow after Brooke drained her cup and refilled it close to overflowing. “If you think you’re going to hurl, make sure you aim for a hard surface, okay? Because that shit is impossible to scrub out of anything porous.”
“I’ll keep that in mind if I start to feel the urge.” Brooke looked her up and down. “God, you look more and more like Dad every time I see you.”
“And you look just like Mom.” Like Townsend, Dakota had their father’s dark hair and lanky body. Brooke had inherited their mother’s blond hair, short stature, and soft features. Dakota’s and Brooke’s personalities were as different as their appearances. Dakota had a tendency to shock while Brooke had always aimed to please. Yet another reason why Brooke’s visit was so out of character. “Do Mom and Dad know where you are? Does Kevin?”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“What?”
“I’m kidding,” Brooke said as she headed to the living room. “I just wanted to see the look on your face when I finally managed to pull the rug out from under you for once. Since you asked, yes, I told everyone where I was going. I just didn’t say how long I planned to stay.”
“How long do you think you’ll be here?” Dakota asked warily. As Benjamin Franklin famously said, fish and houseguests had a tendency to stink after three days. When the guests were family, it usually didn’t take that long for the odor to start.
>
Brooke sat cross-legged on the couch. She had been a cheerleader in high school. Seven years removed from her last split-lift, she still had both the perky attitude and the required flexibility. “I’m not sure. I always heard that planning a wedding was stressful, but I didn’t know it would be this bad. I needed to get away for a while. I needed to take some time for myself that didn’t involve cake tasting, dress fittings, menu planning, or seating arrangements. Do they have paintball up here? If they do, maybe we can play a few games tomorrow to blow off some steam.”
“If you don’t slow down, the only thing you’re going to be doing tomorrow is nursing the world’s worst hangover.” Dakota took Brooke’s half-empty cup from her and placed it safely out of reach. “Let’s get down to business. Are you here because you came to see me or because you’re having second thoughts about getting married?”
Brooke looked at her, mouth agape. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“I haven’t seen you face-to-face in almost six months—we’ve barely spoken during that time—but you’re able to talk to me for five minutes and know exactly what’s on my mind? I lived in the same house with you for eighteen years and you’re still as much of a mystery to me as you ever were.” Brooke plunged her hands into her hair. She looked like she wanted to tear her long locks out by the roots. Instead, she pulled them up and away from her face, then slowly let them fall. “Why is it that you know me so much better than I know you?”
“I don’t mean to be harsh, but when did you ever try to get to know me? All I ever got from you was judgment and recrimination, not understanding. You never wanted to know what I was feeling. All you wanted to do was tell me how what I was experiencing adversely affected you.” Dakota liked being in control. At the moment, she had a decided lack of it. She hugged her knees to her chest while she rode out an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. “I know you because you’re my sister and I love you, Brooke. Can you honestly say the same thing to me?”
“Of course I can. I might not know how to show it, but I love you more than anything in this world, Dakota. Mom and Dad do, too. They’re just too set in their ways to accept anything out of the norm. And you are definitely out of the norm.”
“I’ve never aspired to be just like everyone else, Brooke. I just—”
“Wanted to be you. Yes, I know,” Brooke said with a melodramatic eye roll. “I’ve heard that more times than I can count.”
“Because it’s true.”
“I’m not saying it isn’t. Stop being so defensive. I’m on your side.”
“Are you? Because it doesn’t look that way from here.”
Brooke sighed and closed her eyes, taking a mental break from a conversation that was growing heavier by the moment. “When I was a little girl,” she said when she finally opened her eyes again, “you were my hero. I wanted to be you when I grew up. But when you came out to everyone and I saw how Mom and Dad reacted to the news, I didn’t want to be anything like you.”
Dakota had never wanted to be anyone’s role model, but Brooke’s words had unexpected sting. She flinched involuntarily when they hit home. “I can’t blame you for trying to protect yourself,” she said shakily, “but I wish you’d had my back. No matter what was going on between us, I always had yours.”
“I know.” Tears welled in Brooke’s eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better sister, but I didn’t want Mom and Dad to turn their backs on me like they did to you.” She picked at the frayed hem of her jeans. “Now I’m wondering if I’m still doing the same thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Am I marrying Kevin because I love him?” Brooke hesitantly met her eye. “Or, even after all these years, am I still trying to prove that I’m not you?”
* * *
Grace climbed the steps of her brownstone and opened the front door. Her parents and sisters were waiting in the living room when she walked in. Faith met her in the entryway. “It’s about time you showed up.” Faith dragged her toward the couch practically before she had time to close the door. “Let’s get this party started.”
“I’m so glad I have your permission to commence.”
Faith sank back onto the couch. “Sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to steal your thunder.”
Grace examined her family members’ faces. Despite Faith’s attempt to lighten the mood, everyone looked much too serious. She set her purse on the side table and tried to ignore the knot of anxiety taking up residence in her gut. “What’s going on, Dad?”
“Well,” he said, sounding like a long-winded preacher who was just getting warmed up, “I have some news.”
“What kind of news?” Hope asked. “You’re not sick, are you?”
Grace’s spirits sank. Like Faith, she had discounted that possibility. Even though her parents moved slower than they once did, in her mind, they would always be indestructible. Had a doctor’s diagnosis confirmed that they were mere mortals after all?
“Nothing like that,” her mother said. “Stop beating around the bush, Clarence, and get to the point.”
“I had a visitor today,” he said. Grace found it telling he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye. “A developer came to see me.”
“What did he have to say?” Grace asked. She had been dreading an announcement like this, yet it seemed about to come to pass.
“His company wants to buy the building and convert it into luxury condos. He made me a rather substantial offer.”
“How much money are we talking about?” Faith asked pragmatically. “Enough for you to buy a nice car and pay off a few bills, or enough for you to retire on?”
“If I accept the offer, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of your respective futures because they would be secured. He offered me ten million dollars.”
“Split five ways, that’s two million apiece,” Hope said.
“Ooh,” Faith said. “Look who showed up for math class. But why are you assuming an even split? Dad and Grace have put in more work at the company than we have. And you don’t want to leave Lillie or any of the other employees out in the cold, do you?”
“Of course not,” Hope said rather unconvincingly, “but family comes first.” She turned to their father to seek his support for her theory. “Isn’t that what you’ve always said, Daddy?”
“That’s why I called this meeting tonight. I didn’t say yea or nay today. I just listened. A decision this important shouldn’t be made by one person. I wanted to put it to a vote.”
“I vote yes,” Hope said almost as soon as he got the words out.
“And I second that emotion,” Faith said.
“What about you, Grace?” her mother asked.
“Majority rules, remember?” Grace felt the couch—and the world—shift on its axis as Hope turned to look at her. “If you make the right choice, you can cast the deciding vote.”
“Don’t pressure her. Give her time to think.”
Grace’s heart raced as she weighed her decision. Even though her sisters were practically bursting at the seams, she didn’t share their enthusiasm. She wanted to do right by them, but she had to do what she felt was best. Not just for her. For the whole family. “I vote no.”
“Why?” Hope sounded like she was about to cry.
“That building—that company—is our family’s legacy. That’s something you can’t put a price on.”
“Shoot,” Hope said. “Ten million dollars sounds like a pretty good price to me.”
“I agree with Grace.” Her mother flashed a wink of solidarity while Hope pouted like a petulant child.
“That means you have the deciding vote, Dad,” Grace said. “Which way are you going to go?”
“I’m not sure yet,” he said with a weary sigh. “I started my own business for two reasons: to provide for my family and to leave something behind after I’m gone. I have a chance to do both those things, but not at the same time.”
“Which of your go
als is more important to you?” she asked.
“That’s what I have to take time to figure out. I told Mr. Phillips I’d get back to him in a few weeks. This is something I’m going to have to sleep on for a while.” He pushed himself to his feet with a grunt of effort. “Pray on it, too.”
“While he’s on his knees,” Hope said after the meeting adjourned, “I hope he reaches out to all the saints and apostles, too. God knows all the things I could do with that check.”
“I hear you,” Faith said. “Money might be the root of all evil, but I’d love to show the devil how good I could be with two million dollars in the bank.”
Grace turned to go upstairs so she could try to absorb all of the night’s events in peace, but Hope blocked her path.
“Why didn’t you say yes when you had the chance? If you had, the decision would have been made and we wouldn’t have to wait two weeks just to hear Dad say he’s chosen to side with you as usual. I could have gotten paid instead of having to keep busting my ass for the next thirty years.”
“Dad’s put his blood, sweat, and tears into the company for forty years. Are you really willing to watch everything he’s worked for vanish with the stroke of a pen?” Grace asked.
Hope answered the question with one of her own. “Do you want him to work for the rest of his life? You might think he’s Superman, but he’s not. He’s getting older every day. If he accepts this deal, he and Mom can finally do all the traveling they’ve always wanted to do but were never able to because he couldn’t drag himself away from the shop. Let Dad rest on his laurels, Grace. I know he promised the company would go to you one day, but this decision isn’t about you.”
“It’s not about greed, either.”
“I don’t have to explain my motivations to you.”
“Then why are you asking me to explain mine to you? Even though you’re the oldest, that doesn’t mean you can bully me into bowing to your will.”
“And being Dad’s favorite doesn’t mean you can sweet-talk him into bowing to yours.”
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