A Brother's Honor

by Brenda Jackson

  Fontane nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  Twenty minutes later, Shep was standing at the window on the fourth floor in the library and watched as Matthew Fontane walked out of Delvers a free man. A car that Shep knew was driven by Pastor Luther Thomas was there to pick him up. Luther would see to it that Fontane was acclimated back into society as easily as possible and with strong, positive influences. And Luther would make sure Fontane got the last credits he needed to finish college. Luther had promised, and Shep knew he would keep his word. Luther himself had once been a convict but had been released after being locked up for six years after his attorney fought for and won a new trial. New evidence was submitted that proved it wasn’t Luther’s DNA on the rape victim. The real rapist was already in jail for a series of other rapes.

  Luther, even while serving time, had been instrumental in helping Shep retain his sanity during his first year being incarcerated. He had told Shep that when the world gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Being in prison didn’t make you guilty; it just meant the odds had been against you, and when you knew in your heart that you were innocent, you had nothing to be ashamed about. It had not come as a surprise to Shep that, after leaving prison, Luther had gone into the ministry. The man had a way of inspiring people and would be just what Fontane needed.

  As Luther’s car departed, another vehicle pulled up. Suddenly, Shep felt a deep pull in his gut as a sense of pride washed over him. He knew just as sure as his name was Sheppard Maceo Granger that his sons had arrived. All three of them.

  * * *

  Shep managed to grip his sons—all three of them—in a tight bear hug. He needed this. To hold them close and let them feel the love from him...just as he needed to feel it from them. They were the most important people in his life. Period. Always had been and always would be. He thought about them upon waking up each morning and said a prayer for them before going to bed each night. He could deal with the loss of his freedom but could never deal with the loss of them.

  He slowly drew back and studied each of their features as love continued to stir his insides. They were men who had grown up without him. Men he was proud of. The old man had done a great job of taking over where Shep had left off. He knew times hadn’t been easy. Richard Granger was from the old school and believed in authority, almost dictatorship. But it was only after Shep had been locked up and had to mingle with men whose childhoods had been so different from his that he could appreciate his father’s tough love. And he figured that one day his sons would grow to appreciate it, as well.

  All three had that arrogant-looking Granger chin with the dimple in the center. The Granger cleft, his grandmother would call it. All male Grangers were born with it. Dalton, although the youngest, was still the tallest, and all three looked well and physically fit.

  He shifted his gaze from Jace and Caden to Dalton. “I’m so glad to see you, Dalton.”

  “Same here, Dad,” his son said in an almost-broken voice. “I wanted to come before now but I couldn’t. There were—”

  “Shh,” Sheppard said softly, reaching up to grasp his shoulder tenderly. “I understand. I’ve always understood, Dalton. You don’t have to explain. Come on and sit down.”

  The warden had given permission for Shep to be alone in a secluded section of the courtyard with his sons. Normally, touching would not have been allowed, but Shep knew that Ambrose, the prison guard, had basically looked away.

  “This place isn’t so bad,” Dalton said, glancing around. “I like it better than that other place.”

  Shep did, too. “I appreciate the governor sending me here,” he said. “He figured I could make a difference, and I believe that I have,” he said, thinking about Fontane.

  “They trust you here,” Jace observed. “That guard over there might as well not be here.”

  Shep followed his gaze. “Ambrose is a good man, a father himself. He has three sons.” He didn’t want to be reminded that Ambrose’s three sons were the same ages Shep’s had been when he’d been sent away.

  “Here, Dad. I thought you might want to see these,” Caden said, handing his father a group of pictures taken at the repast following their grandfather’s memorial service. Shep felt tightness around his heart. His father had died, and he hadn’t been there to pay his last respects.

  He slowly flipped through the pictures. Some of the people he recognized immediately; others he did not. But then, it had been fifteen years. He lifted a brow at one particular picture and smiled. “Hey, is that little Shiloh?”

  Caden’s lips tightened. “Yes, that’s her. I was trying to take a picture of Cameron, and she got in the way.”

  Dalton chuckled as he looked down at the photo. “Yeah, I just bet she did. It looks to me as if you had the camera aimed right at her.”

  “Well, you’re wrong,” Caden said, narrowing his gaze at Dalton. He reached out for the picture. “I can toss it away and—”

  “Toss it away? Why?” his father said, eyeing him curiously. “It was nice of her to attend the services considering how her parents ended up feeling about the family once I was convicted.”

  “Yes, real nice,” Caden said as a muscle ticked in his jaw.

  Shep didn’t say anything. He glanced over at Jace, who merely shrugged. Shep glanced back down at the picture. “She’s grown into a beautiful woman, don’t you think?” He decided to probe.

  “I wouldn’t know.” Then just as quickly, Caden took the pictures from his father and put them back in the envelope. “These copies are yours, and you can look at them anytime. I think Jace wants to talk to you about the company.”

  “All right,” Shep said, turning his attention to Jace. “How have things been going at Granger Aeronautics?”

  Jace spent the next twenty minutes filling his dad in on everything, including the emergency stockholders’ meeting Freeman had called. Shep smiled. “That was a smart move to buy up that stock, and it’s a good thing you had the money to loan your brothers, Dalton.”

  Dalton, who had grown bored with the conversation, suddenly lifted an arched brow. “Loan? You mean I’ll get my money back?”

  Shep chuckled. “Yes, one day you will—when the company’s out of the red. You didn’t think you would get it back right away, did you?”

  “I figured it was for a good cause.” Dalton smiled. “Besides, Jace and Caden threatened me.”

  Jace rolled his eyes. “He’s a billionaire and has millions to spare.”

  “Yes,” Shep said. “I think you surprised a number of people, Dalton. I’m proud of you. I always knew when the going got tough you would see your way out. Dad was worried about you for a while, but I wasn’t.” Shep chuckled again. “I always knew you had a good head on your shoulders once you found your way out from under some woman’s skirt.”

  Caden laughed. “Sorry, Dad, he’s still lost. He hasn’t found his way out from under a skirt yet.”

  Dalton glanced over at Caden. “Go to—”

  He then remembered his father was sitting right there and quickly said, “Go to the bathroom and relieve yourself.”

  Shep couldn’t help but smile. It was good to see that the camaraderie between his sons was good. He was certain they got on each other’s nerves from time to time, but he knew in the end they would have each other’s backs.

  “How much do you know about Cal Arrington, Dad?” Jace asked.

  “Not much. He and Freeman were hired after I left. Dad was impressed with them, and they moved up the ranks quickly. I know Vidal had some apprehensions about him doing that, but Dad’s mind was made up. If you’re asking if I think Arrington can be trusted, the answer is no. Right now, the only persons you can trust are your brothers.” He paused a moment and then said, “So tell me about the company you’re using to reinvent Granger.”

  Dalton snickered. “Shana Bradford, Jace’s wonder-woman. She has brains and intelligence, is sharp as a tack and has a great pair of legs.”

  Shep’s lips eased into a smile. “And of course
you would notice the latter.”

  “Of course.”

  Shep shook his head. It was clear to see that his baby boy loved life and especially the opposite sex. “Why don’t you tell me about her, Jace? Dalton can’t get past her physical attributes. I want to know about this crisis management company. Do the three of you think you can pull things off with her help? Your grandfather believed that you could.”

  Jace glanced at his brothers before looking at his father and saying, “I think we can pull it off, as well.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ben Bradford came down the stairs, taking them two at a time while whistling “Sweet Georgia Brown,” and froze when his feet touched the bottom floor. “Shana? I wasn’t expecting you to drop by today.”

  Shana studied her father. He’d gotten a haircut, which wasn’t unusual since he always kept his hair cut low, neat and trimmed. She figured the chambray shirt was new because she didn’t recall seeing it before, and he was wearing jeans. Her father never wore jeans. He wore khakis all the time but never jeans.

  “Thought I would surprise you,” she said, coming to her feet. “When I got here, I heard the shower going and then later all I could hear was you whistling. I started to search the house, certain I would find a few Harlem Globetrotters around here.”

  He chuckled. “I’m in a good mood, no big deal.”

  To her, it was a big deal. Her father usually had a good disposition, even-tempered and fun to be around, but she could recall very few times he went around whistling.

  “I hope you didn’t come for lunch, because I haven’t fixed anything. Saturday is my day to go to the grocery store, and I’m on my way out.”

  “No, I wasn’t expecting lunch. I thought I’d ride to the grocery store with you. I need to pick up a few things and figured we could shop together.”

  “Oh.”

  Was that disappointment she heard in his voice? She pulled her list out of her purse and held it up. “See, I just need a few things. I skipped lunch a few times last week and figured I’d make myself a sandwich to take every day.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I thought so.”

  Her father studied her for a second, and then he leaned back against the staircase. “Okay, what’s really going on, Shana Nicole Bradford?”

  Shana tried keeping a straight face. “What makes you think something is going on?”

  “Because one, this is Saturday, and you usually don’t get out of bed before two,” he said, counting off his fingers. “Two, you never go grocery shopping. Your refrigerator would break down if you ever decided to use it for what it was purchased for. And three, you know I drive the golf cart to the grocery store, and you hate riding in those things.”

  She hated to admit that her father was right on all three points, especially the latter. He lived in a beautiful community that was established for the seasoned crowd. It was as if they had their own little city. Homes were strategically built in the center with all the convenient places circled around them. They had their own hospital, grocery stores, movie theater, mini malls and more restaurants than any group could need. The only catch was that, to eliminate gasoline fumes, everyone had agreed to purchase a golf cart to get around for shopping, socializing and recreational purposes. The little buggers were all over the place, and she wasn’t a fan of them.

  She smiled tentatively. “What if I told you I’m making today an exception?”

  “Then I would be forced to ask you why.”

  Now, that was a good question. She could tell him she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night since her lips were still tingling from a kiss she’d gotten in an elevator yesterday. Or that the guy she figured would call her for a date this weekend hadn’t done so yet. “Umm, what if I—”

  “Before you continue, need I remind you that neither you nor Jules can lie worth a damn, and I can catch you each and every time?”

  No, he didn’t have to remind her of that, but since he had, she might as well come clean. “I want to meet Mona.”

  He cocked a brow. “You want to meet her or check her out and then report back to Jules?”

  Shana’s features broke into a wide smile. Busted. “I guess you know your daughters.”

  Ben shook his head. “Yes, I guess I do.” He pushed away from the staircase. “Well come on, and don’t complain about my driving.”

  * * *

  The ride wasn’t so bad, Shana decided while browsing through the aisle of the grocery store. Instead of going to one of the major chain stores, her father had driven here to this quaint little market nestled near a pizza shop, hair salon, drugstore and phone store. She liked the architecture, finding the Victorian-style buildings that lined the cobblestone street lovely.

  The place reminded her of the general store right off the set of The Waltons, and she expected to run into Corabeth at any moment. When they arrived, she read her dad’s expression and saw he was disappointed. Had he expected to run into Mona here as soon as he arrived? Had the two talked and planned to meet up? She knew not to ask him, but she couldn’t help but be curious.

  So he wouldn’t think she was trailing him, she decided to leave him for a while and go pick up a few things she needed or pretended to need. Although she didn’t plan to skip lunch next week as she had for the prior two weeks, she wouldn’t take a sandwich to work. She would take Jace’s administrative assistant up on her offer to arrange for lunch to be delivered to her.

  Shana was about to head over to the section of the store that sold homemade ice cream cones when she glanced over to where she’d left her father earlier. Her gaze latched onto him the moment a huge smile lit his face. She then shifted her gaze to the woman walking toward him.

  She would put the woman’s age in the fifties, just as her father had said, although she could probably pass for somewhere in her forties easily. She was no taller than five-three, if that. Like Ben, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt and a pair of comfortable-looking sneakers on her feet. The shirt was tucked inside her jeans and showed off a slim waist that flared into a pair of curvy hips.

  Shana thought that Mona had a very pretty face. Creamy brown skin. Dark brown eyes. Full, glossy lips and a perky nose. Her hair was cut short, with curls cascading around her face. Shana could see why her father had taken another look at Mona when he’d met her here in this store.

  Standing unnoticed in a corner, Shana watched the couple’s interactions when they came face-to-face, right in front of the veggie bin. Shana stood there and watched, and a few seconds later, her heart caught at what was becoming obvious.

  Mona was blind.

  * * *

  “Your daughter is here?” Mona asked, smiling brightly. “I’d love to meet her.”

  “And I’m sure she would love meeting you, as well,” Ben said, smiling. He tried not to stare, but he thought Mona was simply beautiful. The grace, charm and strength in her features were enhanced every time she turned her mouth up into a smile. Long lashes swept across exotic-looking cheekbones. She told him that her grandparents had come to this country from Jamaica, and he saw a trace of the island beauty in her smooth, caramel-colored skin, full lips that rounded perfectly over even, white teeth and a slanted nose. He wished he knew how to paint, because he would love capturing her exquisiteness on canvas.

  Shifting his gaze, Ben glanced around for Shana and saw her standing near the refrigerated items, staring at them. He called out to her to join them. “Shana, come over here. I want you to meet someone.”

  Shana felt her feet moving, and the closer she got to Mona, the prettier the woman seemed to get. “Dad,” she said when she reached them.

  Ben smiled down at his daughter. “Shana, I want you to meet Mona Underwood. Mona, this is my daughter Shana.”

  Mona turned toward Shana and reached out and grasped her hand. “Shana, I’ve heard so many nice things about you and your sister from your father. I had hoped to meet you someday.”

  “Thanks, and I’ve heard a lot of n
ice things about you, as well.” But Dad hadn’t mentioned anything about your being blind, Shana thought.

  Ben then said, “I asked Mona if she wanted to join us for pizza, but she can’t do it today.”

  Mona turned from Shana and smiled at Ben. “I told my driver to pick me back up in an hour, so I can’t today, but I’d love to take a rain check for another time.”

  Shana watched her father beam all over himself when he asked, “Then we have a date?”

  Mona chuckled, and Shana thought the sound was as charming as the woman was. “Yes, Ben, we have a date. We can talk more about it the next time you call.”

  Her dad had been calling?

  “Sure thing,” she heard her father say. And then he asked, “Need help selecting any fruit and veggies today? They look mighty good and real fresh.”

  Shana knew that this was probably their private time together, and she didn’t want to intrude, so she spoke up and said, “I need to check out some meats in the deli, Dad.” She then said, “Mona, it was truly a pleasure meeting you, and I hope to see you again.”

  “You will,” Ben piped up.

  Shana had no doubt in her mind that she would.

  * * *

  Shana waited until they had gotten back to her father’s home and she was helping him put away the items he’d purchased at the store when she finally asked, “Why didn’t you mention the fact that Mona is blind?”

  Ben shrugged as he kept on what he was doing. “I don’t pay much attention to the blindness since she is so independent and all. She’s not completely blind but has been ruled legally blind.”

  Shana leaned back against the counter. “There’s a difference?”

  “In a way. Mona can see some things, just not clearly. She said her sight has worsened to where everything is becoming a shadow.”