Tameka's Smile (24 page)

“Escape,” she murmured.

“Yes, that’s it exactly. I can’t tell you how many men I’ve been with. I lost track a long time ago. It’s amazing how many like ’em young, and Momma didn’t care what I did or who did me until her boyfriends started buying me things and giving me money instead of her.” NeeCee gathered her empty food containers and threw them in the trash. “Anyway, I just came to say I’m sorry for the pain I caused. I can understand you not wanting me around. After all, I’m not really your sister. Well, half-sister, and Momma E’s not really my grandmother.” She picked up her purse. “I hope you have a good life. You deserve it. Be happy, Meka.”

She walked towards the door.

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Her hand was on the handle before Meka found the words to say. “Did I ever tell you I was in the birthing room with Momma when you were born? You came out all gray and purplish looking, screaming your head off.” She smiled at the memory. “They cleaned you up and then Momma let me hold you.”

She paused to swallow. She had to get this just right. “You were the tiniest thing, more beautiful than any baby doll I had ever seen. I gave you your first bottle.” NeeCee’s hand came off of the doorknob and she turned around. Tameka eased off of the bed and stood beside it. “I would sneak into your room at night, take you out of the crib, and put you in my bed with me. Momma fussed and got mad, but I didn’t care. You were my NeeCee. I gave you your two AM

feedings. I bathed and dressed you. When you cried, I was the one who came running to see what was wrong.” Tears were running down NeeCee’s face.

Tameka eased forward. “When you started talking, it was me you called Momma.” She blinked back the tears in her own eyes. When she was close enough, she cupped NeeCee’s jaw. “I have always loved you. I don’t care who your father is or isn’t, what you’ve done in your life, how many men or even women you’ve sleep with. I will always love you and be there for you, if it’s in my power to do so. You’re my baby sister.” Then she wrapped her arms around NeeCee and hugged her tight. They were both crying openly.

As the tears flowed, Tameka felt a broken place in her heart began to heal.

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Chapter Eleven

“How long have you known about Momma’s men?” Tameka had dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. They were seated on the bed facing each other, NeeCee with her legs crossed and Tameka’s tucked underneath.

“I didn’t know until you told me,” she replied. “I knew about Daddy’s women because I came home early one day and caught them. He tried to play it off but I’ve never been stupid. I already suspected. I knew Momma liked to party and drink, but she used to keep it away from the house.”

“I think once Momma E. left and you were gone, there was no one to keep things in check.”

Tameka shook her head. “They’re adults. They shouldn’t have to have someone riding herd on them. You and Craig were home. They should have cared enough about the two of you to keep what they doing away from the house. But then, I’ve never noticed either one of them caring about anyone but themselves,” she finished in disgust. It was still a sore spot with her. As a counselor she knew she should let it go, but had never been able to, and definitely not now.

She shoved away the grim thought and focused on her sister. Reaching out, she took hold of the hand NeeCee had resting on her knee and held it between her own, trying to think of a way to say what needed saying without jeopardizing their fragile new accord. Knowing there was no easy way to do this, she took a deep breath and began. “Honey, I would never judge you or the decisions you’ve made in life. Just promise me one thing. Promise me that you’ll be careful. There are so many diseases out there these days. I’d hate to lose you.”

“Believe me, I know, and I don’t do that anymore. Going to Spain was the best thing that could have happened to me. It let me get out and see how other people lived. For a while there 160

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were still men, but Momma E. had a long talk with me and helped me put everything in proper perspective. I didn’t need sex for an escape. I had my art and she taught me other coping methods—like keeping a journal—that actually worked. Don’t get me wrong. I still like a good, hard cock, but I’m a lot more selective now about when and where I indulge,” she finished with a laugh.

The relief Tameka felt was tremendous but she downplayed it with a simple smile. “I’m glad. How did you end up in Spain?”

“My art teacher saw some of my doodling and took an interest in me. Convinced me to take art as an elective. I did and I can’t describe how it made me feel, seeing the blank canvas take life before me with something I created.” Her eyes had a faraway look in them, like she was gazing back on the past. “My teacher claimed I was a natural. She pulled some strings and signed me up to go to Madrid as part of the Student Exchange Program. I brushed up on my Spanish and off I went.” Tameka played with NeeCee’s fingers as she tried to figure out what bothered her about NeeCee’s statement. Finally, she asked, “The ISEP costs a lot of money. More than Mom and Dad could afford. How on earth did you manage?”

“Momma E,” came the surprising answer. “I don’t know where she got the money, but when I called and told her about it, she said not to worry. She’d handle it. The rest of the money came from financial aid.”

NeeCee hesitated before continuing slowly. “I always felt guilty about accepting it. I mean, I’m not even her grandchild. It wasn’t right for me to be taking money from her like I was.” She let go of her sister’s hand and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. “Don’t you start with that mess.

Momma E. wouldn’t have given it to you if she didn’t want you to have it. Besides, I’m not so sure she didn’t know about you not being Dad’s. She always said you were too pretty to have come from his loins.”

NeeCee impishly grinned, then burst into laughter. “You’re right. Used to piss him off big time whenever she said it. I had forgotten.”

“Hmm, come to think of it, she also used to say the only worthwhile thing Dad ever did was produce me. Kind of makes 161

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me wonder if Craig is Dad’s. There’s a five-year gap between us.

Long enough for Mom to have realized what a screw up Dad is and go looking for someone else.”

“You really think he’s not?” NeeCee looked like the thought never crossed her mind.

She shrugged her shoulders. “With Mom, who knows?” She changed the subject. “So where are you living now? You still painting? How’s it going? Did you bring any of your work with you? I’d love to see some.”

Before NeeCee could answer, a knock sounded at the partially open door. Tameka looked up as the pregnant woman from the shop, Kiesha, stuck her head around the door. “Is it alright to come in? Oh, I didn’t realize you had company. We can come back.”

“No, it’s okay. This is my sister NeeCee.” Kiesha entered the room followed closely by another male that Tameka had never seen before. “NeeCee, Tameka, this is Carol’s mate Mark. He runs the town’s pharmacy. Alex said you had some questions, but I wasn’t aware that your sister was here visiting. We can discuss things another time.”

“If this is about the whole werewolf thing, I already know,” NeeCee informed them. “And, I have a few questions of my own.”

When both pairs of eyes swung to her questioningly, Tameka shrugged. “She’s family. I wasn’t going to hide it from her. Did I break some sort of law?”

Kiesha looked at Mark, who held his hands up. “Don’t ask me. You’re the alpha. It’s your call.”

“Gee, thanks. I can see you’re going to be a lot of help.”

“Hey, you’re the one that decided you’d do a better job than Carol of explaining things. I’m just following your lead, O

Mighty Alpha,” he said laughingly.

Kiesha turned and caught the expression on Tameka’s face before she could erase it. “Sorry. I just don’t understand what this,” she motioned between Mark and Kiesha, “has to do with anything.”

“I’m the one that should be apologizing. You have some legitimate concerns and here we are joking around. Let me explain. I’m not sure how much of our earlier conversation you 162

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remember, so if I repeat myself, bear with me. Alex and I are newly mated. Since he’s the pack’s alpha that made me alpha as well. Alex asked Carol to come and speak with you today but when I found out about it, I pulled rank. That’s what Mark is teasing me about. My understanding is that you want to know how life will change now that you’re a shifter, right?” Tameka nodded.

“Carol’s never been human. I felt the two of us would do a better job of explaining things since we’re both the human half of a true mate couple,” Kiesha finished with a smile.

“Makes sense to me,” NeeCee commented.

“So where do you want to start?” Mark questioned.

“First, I think Kiesha should sit down before she falls down.

Is it my imagination or are you bigger now than you were just last week?” The question was too personal to be asking someone she’d just meet but the size of Kiesha’s belly startled it out of her. It was easily twice the size.

Kiesha lowered herself into the seat with a sigh of relief.

“No, you’re not imagining things. This baby is growing by leaps and bounds.”

“Is it a baby? I mean, you guys don’t have puppies, do you?”

“NeeCee!”

“What? Like you weren’t curious?”

The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind until NeeCee mentioned it.

Fortunately Kiesha thought the whole thing was hilarious.

Mark answered while Kiesha composed herself. “We have babies. When they’re first born, they look no different from human.”

“I’m sorry,” Kiesha snickered. “I asked the very same thing when I discovered I was pregnant. You should have seen the look on Alex’s face.”

“How long have you been mated?” Tameka thought that was as good a place to start as any. There was so much she needed to know but now that the opportunity presented itself, her mind was curiously blank.

“For me it’s only been about four months. Maybe I should tell you a bit about my mating experience and Mark can tell you 163

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about his. Then you can ask your questions. Will that work?”

“Yes. To be honest, I don’t know what to ask,” she confessed.

“I do,” NeeCee stated.

“But you’re not the one who’s turned into a werewolf,” Meka reminded her sister.

“Shape-shifter,” Mark and Kiesha chorused together.

“Whatever.” She still didn’t know what the big freaking deal was. It was the same thing. “The point is, I’m the one that needs answers.”

“Actually, you both do,” Mark corrected, “though I’m sure my mate would disagree. Ms. Emma carried the gene that allowed her to mate Mr. Ned and now you, her granddaughter, are mated to Chad. There’s a very good chance that NeeCee could be someone’s mate as well. This thing seems to be heredity, carried predominately on the father’s side. Of course, finding one’s true mate occurs so rarely that there’s still a lot we don’t know or understand about the process.” Meka glanced at NeeCee to find her staring at her in a meaningful way. She knew what her sister was thinking. If this thing was passed down through the father, then NeeCee didn’t have anything to worry about.

“What’s wrong?”

Tameka turned at Kiesha’s question. She was debating how to answer without betraying NeeCee’s confidence, when NeeCee revealed in a matter of fact tone of voice, “Meka and I have different fathers.”

“Oh.” Kiesha looked back and forth between her and NeeCee, studying their features closely. “You both must take after your mother because you look a lot alike.” Meka smiled while NeeCee snorted.

Mark ignored her, saying to Tameka, “I can’t say I’m happy to hear that. A lot of our guys are looking for mates and there’s just not enough to go around. It would have been nice if your sister was a match for one of them.”

“Nice for whom?” NeeCee asked, eyebrow arched.

“Uh…” Mark floundered, appearing to be lost for words.

Kiesha started talking, covering his gaffe. “One Friday night, a little over four months ago, I was home in my bed 164

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asleep. I woke to find myself hanging from a tree, in the woods, in the middle of the night. I was freezing my butt off with only a nightgown to cover me when five of the biggest wolves I’d ever seen in my life came out of the darkness and sniffed me. Then one of them licked me and nodded his head. The others stepped back. The wolf transformed before my eyes into Alex, my mate. I passed out. When I came to, he told me this incredible story about my being his true mate, the woman he’d been waiting for to complete him. Of course I thought he was crazy. The thing is, I couldn’t explain how I ended up in those woods, three states away from my home. Nor could I doubt the evidence of my own eyes. I’d seen him shift from wolf to man. The part about being his mate took some convincing—frankly I wasn’t looking for a commitment—but I eventually believed him and now I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. We’re getting married in four weeks, even though by shifter standards we already are.

That’s my story.” She leaned back in her chair with a sigh and rubbed her swollen belly, a contented expression on her face.