Propensity For Love (A Brooks' Family Values Series Book 3)

by Iris Bolling

  A smile appeared on her face. She didn't have to make a choice after all. The smile faded as she heard Bobby on the phone.

  "Damn it," she seethed. "Let him die, Bobby, just let him die," she said quietly to herself. But she knew he wouldn't. He just wasn't that kind of guy. That's why she loved him. Bobby Kennedy just had a good heart. Always had.

  See, she met Isaac five years ago. At first she thought he was just an old man looking for a good time. He was rich and good-looking, so what the hell, she thought. Let's have some fun. Then he started asking questions about people she knew, like the Brooks. And of course she knew them. Hell, everyone knew the Brooks. But as his questions became more detailed, that raised her curiosity.

  "Okay, who are you and what do you want from me?"

  When Isaac told her his plan and requested her help, it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. A chance to tell her parents and her so-called friends to all kiss her ass once and for all. Hell yes, she would help him.

  "Well here's what you need to know about the Brooks."

  Her job was an easy one. She led him to Trish Hargrove, a woman Nicole had been battling with since high school. Running into Nicole at the auction, well that was just good old fashioned luck. She had no idea Nicole would be there. Her purpose was to get close to Bobby Kennedy. Hell, that was the cherry on top of her cake. She’d always wanted to get up close and personal with Bobby. As for Stacy Crane, well, Trish gave her that little tidbit on the paternity of Stacy’s son.

  Now she was working both sides of the fence, kind of like Cannon. The difference was she knew all the pieces to the puzzle. She knew that Isaac killed Felecia Kennedy. How? She videotaped him entering and leaving the house. Why didn't she save Bobby's mother? Why would she? As for Isaac's mother, well, she did not see that happen, but he called while he was still in the house. She was the one who told him to get the will. The dumb ass. Isaac lost her loyalty when he lost his cool as he always did and tried to run Bobby over. That was where he messed up real bad. Nobody hurts Bobby. It was that day that she knew on which side her bread was going to be buttered. When she realized Cannon McNally was working for Vernon, she knew the end was written for Isaac. She just had to find a way to get rid of him.

  She watched Bobby walk out the front door and sit on the porch. "Hmm." She looked around the kitchen, then the den. She saw Isaac's basketball trophies on display on different shelves in the den. Smiling, she took down the one with the statue holding the ball above his head. "This should do it," she said as she checked to make sure Bobby was still outside. She could hear the faint sounds of the ambulance approaching. She was going to have one shot at this. She raised the trophy and came down with all her might colliding with his head, once, twice then again.

  "That should do it." She looked down at her clothes. Blood had splattered on her shoes and skirt. "Aw, look at my shoes." The sound of the ambulance was closer. She walked back into the den, used the bottom of her skirt to wipe the trophy clean. Then walked out of the back door the way she had come. As she walked the few blocks to her car, she stripped off the skirt, blouse and shoes. If anyone saw her they would wonder why she was walking in the cold in her bra and panties. But hey, it was a matching set, so what the hell? She got into the car, put the clothes on the floor mat, put the keys in the ignition then pulled off singing I'm Every Woman.

  A few hours later, Bobby arrived home to find Patrice sitting on the patio with a glass of wine in her hand and the fire pit going.

  "Hi, honey." She stood and kissed him. "Have you eaten?"

  "No." Bobby held her. "I have some bad news."

  Patrice stepped back in her cute A-line dress with a pair of 3-inch pumps and held his hand. "What is it, darling?"

  Bobby squeezed her hand. "Isaac Singleton is dead."

  Her hand flew to her chest. "Oh my." She took his other hand. "You come right over here. Now sit down." Bobby did, then she sat on his lap, put her arms around his neck and held his head to her breast. She looked into the fire pit where the clothes she’d had on previously had burned to a crisp and said, "You tell me everything that happened, my love."

  Epilogue

  Gwendolyn Brooks was in her element. Every room in the house was filled with family and friends. She knew after this weekend the house would be empty. Lord, what was she going to do then? Vernon had purchased a new home for him and Naverone. What an ordeal he had been through. But all in all, he came out a better man.

  "Gwendolyn Brooks, what are you doing?" Avery asked from the doorway. "I can see that mind of yours working from a mile away."

  Gwen laughed. "I was just thinking after 40 years Vernon has his own place. Can you believe that?"

  "It is a little unbelievable, isn't it?" Avery laughed with her. "After all this time I am thoroughly going to enjoy having you to myself." He walked over and kissed her on her neck. "I've been dying to experience making love to you in every room in this house."

  "That could take us all of about one month and then what are we going to do with the rest of our lives?"

  "Oh, I was thinking a trip to Paris." He dropped two plane tickets down on her vanity. "A trip to Switzerland." He dropped another set of plane tickets on the vanity. "A trip to Australia." Another set of plane tickets hit the vanity. "A trip to Africa." He smiled. "A trip for every child you blessed me with."

  Gwendolyn looked at her husband in total shock. "Are you serious?" She picked up each ticket, looking at them separately. They were open-ended tickets. There was a look of total elation on her face. She placed the palm of her hand against his cheek and looked lovingly into his eyes. "Avery Brooks, I will love you till the day I die."

  #

  "Good morning, Mr. Chief of Staff." Ashley threw her leg over her husband's.

  James smiled as he pulled her on top of him. "Good morning, gorgeous." He kissed her as he did each morning, as if it was the first time.

  "We have to get up." She rested her head on his shoulder as she stretched out on top of him. “Nicole gets married at noon, Nick at three and then Vernon's party is at six."

  James smiled. "Who would have thought six months ago we would be at this point?"

  "With you as his attorney, I did." Ashley kissed his nipple. "There was no way you were going to allow Vernon to go to jail."

  "No." His hand roamed her back and naked behind. "Not for something we knew he did not do."

  "I still worry about James Jr."

  "Why?" James held up his head and looked down at her.

  "If he never questioned it before, he certainly is now."

  James rested his head back on the pillow. "I have to believe he knows to come to me if he ever needs to talk about it."

  Ashley nodded. "You know I will never forgive Kirkland for doing that. But I do feel sorry for him. He beat the charge, but his political career is over."

  "It's no less than what he deserves. He was willing to ruin our family to get revenge on Vernon. I don't feel sorry for him. I'm just happy we were able to stop him before he destroyed anyone else in the family."

  "Hmm, speaking of happy. Are you happy to see me, or is that your morning rise?"

  "I'm always happy to see you." He nudged between her thighs until he felt her opening. Then he eased inside. "I can't believe after all these years you still feel this good."

  #

  Nicole stretched and reached for her cell phone as I'm Gonna Make You My Wife, by The Whispers filled the quiet of the room. The tune indicated Xavier was calling. Her smile was bright as she sat up in bed. "Good morning."

  "Hello, beautiful, it's our wedding day."

  "Yes, it is, Mr. Davenport. Are you ready to make your words come true?"

  "You remember our song. Good. Do you remember the first night at my place? I looked at you and was filled with a burst of sensuous energy."

  Nicole’s smile widened as she listened to his smooth voice. "Sinergy, the sinful energy that takes place when we look at each other." She laid back down. "And you were right.
The first time and every time since there’s been an uncontrollable explosion."

  "There’s more to come. I once told Grant, that the thought of making love to one person for the rest of my life was foreign to me. That was before I met you. Now I can't imagine loving anyone but you. I found that miraculous human being who keeps my blood pumping at an immeasurable rate. I found that person who creates a desire so deep only touching our souls will quench it. That person is you."

  Nicole sat up as her niece Taylor walked into her room and hooked a device to the television monitor on the wall. She took the remote, turned the television on and set it to an auxiliary station.

  "Is Taylor there yet?"

  "Yes, I'm here, Xavier, and ready when you are.”

  "What are you two up to?"

  "This is so cool." Taylor smiled. "Just watch.”

  Nicole heard another voice in the background on the phone. "Who's there with you?"

  "Adam. He's testing a new invention."

  "Is it going to blow up?" She laughed.

  "Ha ha," Nicole heard Adam say through the line. "I'm ready. Are you ready, X-man?"

  "Ready."

  Taylor hit the button to close the blinds, covering the room in darkness. Suddenly a hologram of Xavier appeared in the middle of her bedroom floor.

  Xavier was standing there singing a verse from The Whisper's song they’d danced to.

  I'm going to make you my wife, you're my everything, all my hopes and dreams come true. I can spend my life with you.

  Tears formed in Nicole’s eyes as she watched him. He finished and said, "I love you, Nicole Brooks." He blew a kiss and the hologram disappeared.

  "Did it work?" Nicole heard Adam call through the phone.

  Taylor took the phone because Nicole was unable to reply she was so overwhelmed with emotions.

  "Yes, tears are flowing everywhere."

  They heard Adam cheering in the background.

  Xavier came back on the line. "See you at noon."

  #

  Xavier and Nicole said their 'I do's' precisely at noon surrounded by five hundred guests and celebrities including the first family, sports figures and performers. The ‘Who's Who’ list was the media's holy grail. The Brooks knew how to entertain and this was the golden ticket of the year.

  Nicole was dressed in a beautiful lace gown, with a low cut back and spiraling train that followed as she walked down the aisle. Xavier stood at the front with his brother Zack as his best man. As Nicole reached the front, her friend Alice took her bouquet. Xavier took her hands in his and they recited their vows together.

  "We come together today to acknowledge our love one to the other. We vow to share our lives from this day forward. I accept Nicole as my wife. I accept Xavier as my husband. We promise to love, cherish, and respect each other as individuals. May our sinergy continue to flow throughout our lives."

  The minister stepped forward to declare them husband and wife. Xavier took Nicole's face in his hands and delivered a kiss that seemed to send every guest’s senses into over drive as they all moaned.

  The guests were treated to lunch, champagne and cake before they all returned to their lawn seats under the huge white tent for round two of the Brooks family wedding.

  Nick was up next. This was going to take some doing, but he was determined to make it happen.

  Avery pushed his wheelchair out to the area where they had placed a black baby grand piano. He assisted Nick onto the bench as James adjusted the tails to his tuxedo.

  Ericka stood in the doorway with her hand resting on Bobby's arm.

  "Are you nervous?"

  "No," Ericka replied. She knew this was the man for her. He accepted her as she was. Never once did he ask her to change anything. But she did...for him. For him she would give her life. In fact, to her way of thinking that is exactly what she had done. She opened the shield she had erected around her heart. For the last six months, she stayed by his side day and night in the hospital, rehab and once he came home. Nothing could have pried her from him. Nick now had her life in his hands. "I wish Mother was here."

  Bobby smiled. "She would be the queen of the ball."

  Ericka smiled. "This would definitely be her thing. She would be around the type of people she always longed to be."

  "I like to think she is looking down on you, smiling at the person you have become."

  Ericka looked up at her brother. "Nick led me here and I love him."

  "I think you have shown him and everyone just how much."

  The traditional wedding music began to play.

  "Let's take that walk into your new life."

  Ericka's gown was a contrast to Nicole's. She walked down the aisle in a dress that stopped above her knees in the front with a longer tail in the back. As she reached the front the music began to change. She looked to her right to see Nick seated at a black baby grand piano. This is where it all began, she thought back to the first time they made love on top of the piano.

  Nick began singing the song You by Jesse Powell and Gerald Albright.

  "You....You....I finally found the nerve to say I’m gonna make a change in my life starting here today." Nick stood. A hush came over the area as he walked to her.

  Ericka dropped her bouquet and rushed toward him. "Stay there," he said. "I want to be yours from this day forth," he sang.

  He gingerly took the last few steps to her. Nicole picked up Ericka's bouquet, then stepped to the side. They went with the traditional vows as they stood hand in hand before the minister and all the guests proclaiming their love, one for the other. When they kissed, Ericka could feel him wavering. She held him tight as they turned and walked down the aisle as husband and wife.

  James stood at the end of the walkway with the chair. Nick sat as Ericka climbed in his lap and James pushed them the rest of the way to the reception area on the veranda.

  The celebration for the twins and their spouses went on for a while until it was time for them to throw the bouquets.

  Nicole was up first. All the eligible women gathered around. The small crowd of about fifty stood waiting to be the one to catch it. Nicole counted off "1...2...3" and threw the bundle of flowers. The bundle completely missed all fifty women and landed upside the head of Genesis Morgan, who was standing away from the crowd. When she realized it was in her hands, she threw it into the crowd. Alicia ended up catching it as the crowd roared in laughter.

  Now it was Ericka's turn. She had to admit, she was having the time of her life. Never would she have thought she would have a wedding or have this much fun at one.

  The women were shoving and positioning themselves to be in just the right spot as Ericka threw the bouquet over her head. The women all ended up in a pile, all vying to come up with the elusive identifier of the next to walk down the aisle. Climbing out of the pile in her pretty pink dress and matching shoes, was the one and only, beaming, Patrice Underwood. "Well, I guess I'm next." She smiled brightly at Bobby.

  #

  "God is going to bless that man," Genesis said as they watched Bobby embrace Patrice and cameras flashed taking their pictures as the next potential happy couple.

  "What is it with you and that woman?" Naverone asked.

  "I don't know." Genesis shook her head. "There is something about her that...isn't right."

  "Well, she is good to Bobby," Vernon said from behind them. "That is all that matters to me."

  "Hey." Naverone smiled.

  "Hey, yourself."

  Genesis looked at the two of them. "Will you stop making love to her with your eyes in public? And you stop too. Don't think I did not notice neither of you could be reached for the last twenty-four hours."

  Naverone stood on the veranda dressed in a purple form fitting mini dress, with a train that reached her calves, and three inch spiked heels that accentuated her legs.

  Vernon stood in the opening of the French doors dressed in a black tuxedo, looking like a model from GQ magazine. "Shall we join them?" He smiled as
he looked into the eyes of the beautiful woman who had changed his life.

  "Let's do that."

  Vernon kissed Genesis on the cheek. "Thank you for preparing me for her." He took Naverone's hand and walked to the area on the veranda where the band was playing. He whispered to the leader and they stopped the music. Picking up the microphone, he tapped the top, then frowned at the feedback. The family and friends all gathered on the lawn turned in his direction.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. I would like to take a moment first to thank everyone for all the love and support that you have given me these past few months. It’s times like these that determine what friendship and family is about. The Brooks’ family values have been sorely tested this last year. At least I know I came out a better man for it. To my parents, Avery and Gwen Brooks, I cannot express the depth of my love for you. I know there were times when I did not make you proud. Yet you stood by me and never once did I ever doubt your love for me. To my brother James." He touched his chest. "You will always be my hero...always." He paused, getting his emotions in check. "I can never repay your unconditional love." James held a glass up in the air to him as he pulled his wife Ashley close. "To the twins who can't seem to do anything apart, may this day you have chosen to wed be the prelude of the love to come. Xavier, welcome to the family. I will never forget the first thing you ever said to me. ‘I'm a Davenport, dammit.’ I now know what that means." People laughed. "Nicole, you recognized love the night you met Xavier. When you walked off with a stranger, I wanted to pull you back and you said, ‘No, I'll be all right.’ You were right. Thank you for not listening to me. To Nicolas, you have a diamond in the rough. You knew it the moment you met Ericka. And you stood your ground when others tried to tell you to walk away. Now we all know the woman you chose to live the rest of your life with is so full of love she made a broken man whole again. Ericka, I owe you my life. I would not be standing here today, a free man, if you had not come forward. Thank you. May your love for Nick last for an eternity. To my daughter Taylor, words cannot express what the world has in store for you. You are such a beautiful person with the voice of an angel and the heart of a lion. I pray one day you too will find the kind of love that Nick and Nicole are experiencing today. Don't get any ideas, Jason." The crowd laughed.