A Family Reunion (15 page)

Rae’jean and Uncle Victor slipped into their seats just moments before the video ended and the lights in the room were turned back on.

Grady twisted around in his chair to look at Rae’jean. He reached out and smoothed her hair away from her face. “You missed seeing the video, sweetheart.”

Rae’jean smiled. “Did you enjoy watching it?”

“Yes. There were a number of clips that showed you as a child. You were kind of cute, and I want a daughter who looks just like you.” He leaned down and let their foreheads touch and their noses rub. Their lips came mere inches from touching before Alexia caught Rae’jean by the shoulder and tugged on her.

“Excuse us a minute, Grady,” Alexia said apologetically. Nearly dragging Rae’jean out of her chair, she took her hand and headed toward an area on the other side of the room. “What are you and Grady trying to do? Give these old folks heart failure? Cuzin Sophie got some of them on the warpath already at the thought of your marrying Grady. I doubt they can handle such an open display of affection between a white man and black woman. You should have seen Uncle Bubba’s eyes nearly pop out of the sockets.” Alexia chuckled. “I hadn’t seen his eyes get that big since that Sunday when Sister Harrison shouted so hard she passed out on the floor and showed everything under her dress—which, shamefully, wasn’t much. But it was enough to keep the deacons awake the following Sundays in case there was a repeat performance.”

Alexia’s good humor caused Rae’jean to laugh. “Oh, I remember that.” A few moments later she glanced around the room. “Where’s Taye?”

“The teens are having their own little party upstairs, and she and Michael volunteered to chaperone for the first hour. They’ll meet us back downstairs around eleven.”

Rae’jean nodded.

“The rest of us grown-ups,” Alexia continued, “those between the ages of thirty and fifty, will be partying to the sounds of the sixties, seventies, and eighties out by the pool. Grab Grady and meet us there. And remember, none of that kissy-kissy stuff from the two of you.”

Rae’jean grinned. “Gotcha.”

Taye and Michael caught the elevator back downstairs, leaving Taye’s brother Darryl and his wife, Lisa, as chaperones for the next hour.

“I’m glad that’s over,” Michael was saying. “If I had to listen to another song by Ginuwine, I would have lost my mind.”

Taye shook her head, grinning, understanding completely. She’d been surprised when Michael had volunteered to assist her in being a chaperone. If she didn’t know better, she would think he’d done so to escape Jolene Bradford’s obvious interest in him.

“So, I take it the girls are excited about this Disney trip,” he said. His voice was low and deep, and Taye felt her body immediately responding to the sound of it.

“Yeah, they’re excited; can’t you tell? That’s all they’ve been talking about.” Taye fell silent for a moment as she remembered the last family reunion and the good time she had growing up in the eighties.

“You’re quiet, Taye,” Michael said after a few moments. His hand reached out and touched her arm. “What are you thinking about?”

She glanced up at him. “I was thinking about the last family reunion and those who were there then and aren’t here now—Gramma Idella, Aunt Colleen, Uncle Herbert, and Aunt Bertha. And we can’t forget Billy.”

Michael nodded. He knew their cousin Billy was doing time somewhere in a Texas prison for armed robbery. “Does any of the family keep in contact with him?” Michael asked softly.

Taye nodded. “We all did at first, but then his letters were so negative most of us stopped writing. I think Uncle Taylor and Aunt Marcy still write to him. Even Poppa Ethan writes to him now and then, although it hurt Grampa real bad when Billy changed his name to Mohammed something or another, totally turning his back on the Bennett name and his Baptist religion.”

Michael nodded. He then paused in his stride just before they reached the pool area. “Hold up, Taye; there’s something I want to say to you.”

Taye stopped walking. A small lump formed in her stomach as she turned to face Michael and looked up at him. She tried to keep her tone light when she asked, “What is it, Michael?”

“I watched you up there with those teens, and you can relate to them so well and on their level. Hell, you even kept up doing the latest dances. I had no idea you could dance so well. Even Kennedy was in awe of you. And your daughters are so well mannered and respectful, and your relationship with them is amazing. In my book that says a lot, and to me it means that you’re a swell mom.”

When she mumbled some words to try to deny that she was anything special, Michael held up a hand to silence her. “No, Taye, you’ve always done that, even as a kid. For some reason you refused to take compliments at face value. I’m proud of you and the woman you’ve become. I know being single and raising two kids, working, and going to school can’t be easy, and I admire you and what you’re doing. I think you’re very special.”

Taye chewed on her lower lip and fought back the tears that threatened to cloud her eyes. Michael had somehow seen in just three days what some of her other family members hadn’t been able to see in thirteen years. Even with her mistakes from the past, she was doing a good job as a mother, an employee, and a student. “Thanks, Michael. Hearing you say that means a lot.” She doubted he would ever know how much. She leaned up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across his cheek. “And I think that you’re special, too.”

“Excuse me, people,” Alexia said, leaning over the table and whispering to Taye, Rae’jean, and Michael. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this party supposed to be for the thirty-through-fifty crowd?”

Taye nodded her head. “Yes, that’s my understanding.”

Alexia snorted. “Then why is Aunt Jules’s old butt hanging around? She has to be in her sixties; therefore, she should be with the others who are in the banquet room listening to the sounds of Fats Domino, the Platters, and hometown favorite Little Richard.”

Rae’jean giggled. “Leave Aunt Jules alone. I can deal with her a lot better than I can deal with this forty-something crowd who’s dominating the music. If I hear another song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell I’m going to scream. When are they going to play something by Prince or Janet Jackson? I’d even be happy to listen to ‘We Are the World.’ That was one of my all-time favorites.”

Michael chuckled as he quirked an eyebrow at her. “You don’t have to remind us, Rae’jean. After that song came out you were hell-bent on sending every penny you could get your hands on to Africa to feed the poor. You drove us nuts with your constant begging.”

Rae’jean smiled, remembering. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I? I’m glad Grady got too tired to hang and went upstairs to bed. I wouldn’t want him finding out just what a softy I am. When it comes to caring and being concerned about people’s welfare, he’s soft enough for the both of us.”

Taye nodded. “I really like Grady, Rae’jean. He’s a swell guy. Besides, anyone who can hold their own with Victor Junior can’t be too soft. In my opinion, that means Grady is made of some pretty heavy stuff.”

Alexia glanced around. “Speaking of Victor Junior, where is he?”

Michael bit his lip to keep from grinning. “I saw Evelyn drag him upstairs a few minutes ago. I can only assume they called it a night.”

Rae’jean leaned back in her chair grinning. “I’m glad Brandy and her crew called it a night as well. Jolene couldn’t keep her eyes off you, Michael. The woman was downright salivating at the mouth.”

Michael shrugged. “I didn’t notice.”

Alexia looked at him pointedly. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me? For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never noticed girls checking you out. I remember how that very thing used to make Taye cry a river of tears.”

At that moment Taye wished there was some way for her to slide under the table. Michael, however, seemed a bit confused.

“Why would me not noticing girls who were checking me out bother you, Taye?” he asked, turning to her with a bemused look on his face. He then turned his attention back to Alexia when it was apparent Taye had no intention of enlightening him.

“It wasn’t you not noticing other girls that bothered her,” Alexia said, all too happy to explain things to him. “She cried her eyes out because you didn’t notice her checking you out, either. Surely you had some idea Taye had a huge crush on you back then.”

Michael’s jaw dropped open. “But we’re cousins.”

“So?” Alexia said in a casual voice. “When you’re young and in love the fact that you’re related means nothing.”

If looks could kill, the one Taye slanted Alexia would have made her a goner. However, Alexia chose to ignore the look and kept right on talking. “Michael, I can’t believe you never figured it out,” she continued. “Taye was hooked on you something awful. It lasted almost three years, from the time she turned thirteen. Poor thing cried her eyes out during the entire family reunion after you announced you had enlisted in the air force.”

For the first time in her life, Taye wanted to kill her cousin. “I did not cry my eyes out, Alexia,” she said in a voice filled with anger.

“Yes, you did, Taye. Don’t you remember? You cried yourself to sleep that last night. How on earth can you forget something like that?”

Michael turned in his chair and looked at Taye. She refused to look at him. Instead, all of her attention was focused on the water glass in front of her. “I didn’t know,” he said, not taking his eyes off Taye.

Taye felt Michael’s gaze on her and was compelled to lift her eyes to meet it. She forced a bright smile to her lips, shrugged, and said cheerfully, “Alexia is exaggerating, Michael. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, that was a long time ago.” She then gave a pointed look at Alexia, aiming a command for her to keep her mouth shut for the remainder of the night.

That look was wasted.

“Actually, Taye, it was a big deal,” Alexia said. “It was always ‘Michael did this’ or ‘Michael did that.’ You used to take oodles of pictures of him. I bet you probably have tons of photo albums just filled with nothing but his pictures. Then there were those love letters you used to write him that you never got the courage to give him.”

“Well, what do you know? They’re finally playing a song from the eighties,” Rae’jean said quickly, breaking into the conversation in an obvious attempt to change the subject. “Isn’t that ‘Control,’ by Janet Jackson?” she asked, knowing darn well that it was.

Once again Alexia did not take the hint.

“Michael, I remember one letter in particular. If you had read it, it would have really opened your eyes as to how Taye felt.”

“Really?” Michael said smoothly, still watching Taye. She had resumed her interest in the water glass. He tried to force his mind back fifteen years and for the life of him couldn’t remember a time when Taye could have had a crush on him. In all his recollections what he remembered about Taye was that even with the three-year difference in their ages, the two of them had been close and had hung out together a lot. She had always been his favorite girl cousin because she’d had such an easygoing disposition, and no matter when he came to visit Poppa Ethan and Gramma Idella, Taye always had a smile for him. Even now he could remember that day he’d left for the air force. She had stood on her grandparents’ porch with tears in her eyes. But then everyone had been crying that day. Even he had gotten kind of weepy-eyed at the thought of leaving Macon.

“Well, Alexia,” Taye’s voice cut in with a sharp edge. “Since you’ve wasted the last half hour discussing my business like I wasn’t here, I think I’ll just retire for the night.”

“You’re leaving?” Rae’jean asked, seeing the anger in Taye’s eyes and wishing she had kicked Alexia under the table like her mind had told her to do earlier.

“Yes, I’m leaving,” Taye responded, standing. “I don’t appreciate being talked about to my face.”

“Would you have preferred for me to talk about you behind your back?” Alexia asked good-naturedly, not put off by Taye’s anger.

“No, I would have preferred you not talk about me at all,” Taye responded.

“Wait. I’ll ride the elevator up with you,” Michael said, placing his wineglass on the table and getting to his feet.

Taye forced herself to look at him, feeling totally embarrassed that he knew how she had felt about him back then. “That’s not necessary, Michael.”

“It’s no problem,” he said, placing an arm underneath her elbow. “I was about to call it a night myself.”

Taye nodded. “Good night, Rae’jean.” The look she gave Alexia indicated she was not speaking to her at the moment.

“Good night, Alexia and Rae’jean,” Michael said, before turning to walk off with Taye.

As soon as Michael and Taye were out of hearing range, Rae’jean turned a deep, dark frown on Alexia. She threw up her hands, completely disgusted. “What the hell was that about, Lex? Taye swore us to secrecy back then. What on earth possessed you to say those things in front of Michael? Do you know what you’ve done?”

A smug smile touched Alexia’s lips as she watched until Taye and Michael were no longer in sight. “Yes, I know what I’ve done, Rae. Hopefully I’ve finally opened Michael’s eyes.”

Rae’jean frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Alexia leaned back in her chair. “I’m talking about the fact that if you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that Jolene Bradford wasn’t the only one who couldn’t keep her eyes off Michael. Taye was right there giving the woman plenty of competition, since she couldn’t keep her eyes off Michael, either. It’s just like it was when we were teenagers, but now I think it’s even worse.”

Rae’jean lifted a brow, seriously doubting that, but decided to ask anyway. “How can it be worse?”

A smile touched Alexia’s lips. “Because now Taye’s a woman with clearly defined urges and desires that haven’t been tapped in ten years and Michael’s a good-looking, hot-blooded male who probably could use some constant loving from a good woman. And unlike before, there’s the fact that in truth they aren’t really blood kin, which makes it perfectly acceptable if they decide to hook up.” She took a sip of her Diet Pepsi before continuing. “I think Michael is just who Taye needs and Taye is who Michael needs.”

Rae’jean gave Alexia a look of disbelief, wondering how on earth she had figured that, but decided not to ask. She herself had thought about the idea of Taye and Michael getting together and had even mentioned it to Taye the night of the welcome reception. She had noticed Taye checking him out that night as well but had put the episode to the back of her mind. Her main focus of concentration had been on finding out her father’s identity. “The family will have a hissy if something develops between Michael and Taye,” she finally said.

Alexia grinned. “Let them. They will have a hissy anyway when they find out I plan to have a baby without the benefit of a husband, so what’s another hissy for them to endure?” She shook her head, grinning. “With your white man, Brandy’s rich Jamaican, Taye and Michael getting it on, and me and my daddyless baby, this family will have enough to talk, grieve, and moan about until the next reunion.”

Rae’jean couldn’t do anything but nod her head in agreement. It seemed that things were about to get real interesting in the Bennett family. Real interesting.

For the first time since the reunion, Taye felt uncomfortable being alone with Michael. And here they were as alone as two people could get, since they were the only ones in the elevator. They hadn’t said anything to each other since leaving Alexia and Rae’jean.

Taye decided to be the first one to speak, since she was the reason there was now an uneasiness between them. She could just imagine what Michael must think of her. And just earlier that evening he’d been singing her praises. But of course that was before Alexia had spilled her guts, telling him everything.

She cleared her throat. “Umm, Michael, about what Alexia said back there.”

Michael, who had been intently studying the closed elevator door, lifted his gaze and looked at her. The gaze that met his seemed shy, almost embarrassed. “Yes? What about it?”

“I’m sorry if any of it bothered you.”

He shrugged, feeling slightly awkward, but a smile tilted the corners of his mouth nonetheless. “None of it bothered me, Taye. In a way I’m sort of flattered. To be honest with you, I’m glad I was told about it. I just wish I’d known then.”

Taye looked at him. “Why?”

He looked at her intently. “Because I wouldn’t have felt so guilty about the time I came close to kissing you.”

Taye’s eyes widened. Her heart jolted and her pulse pounded. “You did? When?”

“It was that last night of the family reunion when you and I were talking under that big sycamore tree in Grampa Henry’s backyard. Of all the people who I was going to miss when I left for the air force, you were the one I knew that I would miss the most, and a part of me wanted to kiss you, but not like a cousin kissing another cousin. I wanted to kiss you like a guy kisses a girl who means something to him. I felt guilty as sin for thinking that way. You were only fifteen and were my cousin. I had always protected you from older guys, and here I was with a sudden urge to come on to you myself. I felt like a pervert for even thinking about doing such a thing.”

Taye wasn’t prepared for this and a part of her lit up inside knowing there had been a time when he had felt something, even if it had been just that one time. Ever practical, she said, “I was closer to sixteen than fifteen, Michael.”

“Yeah…well, that may be true, but the fact remained that you were still my cousin.” He smiled. “So as you can see, Octavia Louise Bennett, you aren’t the only one who kept secrets all those years.” Slowly Michael’s smile wavered. “But that was some years ago, wasn’t it?”

Taye nodded. “Yeah, fifteen years to be exact. People change and their feelings change.”

Michael nodded, accepting and understanding what she had said. That was then and here was now. Just because she’d had a crush on him as a teenager fifteen years ago, that in no way was indicative of how she felt about him now. Before he could tell her that he understood, the elevator door opened.

“Well, this is my floor. I guess I’ll see you later,” Taye said. For once she was glad to part from his company.

“Are you coming down for breakfast in the morning?” he asked.

She couldn’t help grinning. “Have you forgotten that I’m the one who has two daughters with healthy appetites? So yes, I’ll be at breakfast in the morning. What about you?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’d better get a good meal. I have a feeling Reverend Overstreet will be long-winded at church tomorrow, which means it will be a long service.”

“Probably,” Taye said, smiling.

Michael smiled back. “Take care, Taye, and have a good night’s sleep.” No sooner had he said those words than he thought about the sensual image of her tossing around and getting all tangled in soft cotton sheets, and for the first time since things had ended between him and Stephanie he felt drawn to a woman. But Taye was a woman he should not be drawn to. For years he had considered her a blood relative. And although he now knew that wasn’t the case, since he had been adopted into the Bennett family, a part of him felt he should still consider her kin. But he was finding it hard to do so and wasn’t certain as to why.

“Good night, Michael, and I hope you have a good night’s sleep, too.”

He nodded. “I’ll keep the elevator door open until I see that you’ve gotten inside your room.”

Taye nodded and walked quickly toward her room door, which was in full view of the elevator. Taking out her room key, she had to force herself to enter without looking back at Michael one last time before closing the door behind her.