Troublemaker (24 page)

Alexandria nodded. “But it's a choice. And I have to decide when and how to use it.”

“That's right. Just like your brother's situation. He can drink and use drugs or he can stop. It's all up to him. Like you told Granny Carolyn, ‘Everyone has a choice.' ”

“That's right, baby girl.”

Alexandria looked up when she saw PJ walking toward her with a large plastic cup in his hand.

“Here, drink this,” PJ said. “I couldn't find any water—all they have is sweet iced tea, and tons of it.”

“That's the same thing as water in the South.” Alexandria smiled and gladly took the cup from his hand, gulping it down in just a few swallows.

“I think we should go back to the house so you can rest,” PJ said with concern. “You look tired.”

“But we came here to enjoy the festival, not lie around at the house. I don't want to spoil your fun.”

PJ took Alexandria by her hand and pulled her to her feet. “My fun is wherever you are. We can hang out later tonight at the big gala, but right now you need to rest.”

“But honestly, I feel okay. I just got my second wind and I'm not tired at all.”

“I want you to rest, Ali. Do it for my sake.”

“Go 'head, baby girl,” Allene said. “He's right. You're gonna need all the strength you can gather for tonight and tomorrow morning.”

After thinking it over, Alexandria agreed, and Percy Jones offered to give them a ride back to the house.

“Here are the keys,” PJ said to Ted and then told him where he'd parked his rental car.

“Don't worry,” Alexandria said as she looked at her mother. “The vision I just had gave me a new understanding. I'm going to be just fine and everything else will be, too.”

After she and PJ hugged her parents good-bye, they followed Percy outside to his car. Fifteen minutes later, they thanked Percy for the ride and told him they'd see him at the gala later tonight.

“I see Uncle Tyler's truck is here,” Alexandria said as they climbed the steps of the porch. “They're probably resting up like we're going to do.”

PJ nodded. “I wonder how much longer your parents and Uncle Maxx are gonna stay out in town. The temperature is rising and it's been a long day already.”

Alexandria closed her eyes and blinked. “They'll be home in another hour,” she said as they made their way to their bedroom.

 

“Let's relax,” PJ said as he pulled off his shirt and looked at Alexandria.

Her eyes took in his smooth skin, sculpted muscles, and chiseled abs. Because of his hectic schedule and their planning for this trip, they hadn't made love in nearly five days, and now his body was reminding hers of what she'd been missing.

Alexandria licked her lips at the delicious sight of him, and when she saw PJ flash her a smile that matched the seduction in her eyes, she knew they were on the same page.

“We'll have to be quiet,” PJ said as he walked over to Alexandria and started removing her denim shorts and tank top. “Tyler and Samantha are down the hall and Chase is in the room right across from us.”

Alexandria nodded as she accepted his warm, tender kiss to her neck. “I can't make any promises,” she said through short breaths, “because this is exactly what I need.”

They finished removing each other's clothes and lay across the bed, kissing, teasing, sucking, and caressing each other as they prepared to make love.

PJ ran his strong hands along the soft contours of Alexandria's shapely body, causing her to moan seductively under his skilled touch. She was hungry for him, and when she felt his hardness against her leg she grew more excited and ready for him.

Slowly, he parted her thighs and teased her moist middle with his finger. “Oh baby, that feels good,” she panted.

“You like that?” he teased.

“Oh yeah. You know I do,” she moaned again.

“You're so wet.”

“You make me that way.”

He gently flicked her delicate folds, massaging her tenderness with gentle care until she begged him to enter her. She breathed deeply, arched her back, and tilted her pelvis forward so she could receive him into her warmth.

He took his time entering her, pressing the tip of his head into what he'd been craving. He moved from side to side as his hardness gently sunk into the empty space that was now made full by his swollen manhood. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved to his rhythm as he rocked her back and forth, giving her body pleasure that made her want to call out his name.

She tensed her muscles around him when she felt the beginnings of the euphoric wave of sweetness that always gripped her when she was about to orgasm.
“Mmmmm,”
she moaned into his ear, letting him know that she'd reached her climax. Her body slowed its pace as PJ increased his, and a few minutes later he joined her in that same satisfied place.

They lay in bed clinging to each other as they drifted off to sleep for the next two hours. They'd just started a new beginning, and now they were resting their bodies for the night to come.

A
llene had a perfect view of everything from where she sat, tucked away in a corner inside the Masonic Lodge. “This place brings back memories,” she whispered to herself. “Who'd of thought it would turn into what it is today?”

Allene remembered when the now state-of-the-art meeting and banquet facility had been no more than a one-room shack constructed of wood and tin, built by former slaves to serve as a place of worship and learning for the town's black community.

Every Sunday, a small group would gather in praise and fellowship, giving thanks for what they had while praying for better days. Every weekday, an even smaller group would assemble, made up of children who came to receive their schooling, giving their parents hope for their future.

But then there were the nights that no one knew about, when a select group would meet in secrecy and purpose, working to keep their community safe from those who meant it harm. Those gatherings were held in the strictest of confidence by those in attendance, lest they be discovered and meet with a fate that could result in cross-burning threats, near-fatal beatings, or worse.

Allene had always been the only woman present in those secret meetings. During that time, most women's roles were relegated to the sidelines, as the risk of danger was much too great to put them in harm's way. But Allene wasn't the average woman. She was mother to Nedine's most prominent black businessman, she possessed a heart of courage and fearlessness, and most importantly, she had the gift. The determined leaders knew that last asset would help them in their fight against civil and racial injustice.

“My, my, my, how things done changed,” Allene said as she looked out on the crowd of people taking in the black history exhibit. Most were black, but there were a few white folks and Latinos who'd come to pay honor and respects. It made her proud to see the large photo of her son and grandson prominently featured on the main wall. They'd loved this town as much as she had, and now they were being recognized for the work and the legacy they'd left behind.

Allene thought about her life and her family, and she was grateful that things were starting to fall into place. She'd been faithful and patient, and now she was trusting and believing that this weekend was going to prove to be healing for everyone.

“Everything's finally comin' to light after all these years, and now it's time for healin' to begin.”

Allene had always been a loyal, honest, and trustworthy person. She'd been a confidante to many and a keeper of secrets to more people than she could count, inside and outside of her family. She'd been privy to information that could have gotten some people killed while setting others free, and she'd remained silent on things that she knew had no business ever seeing the light of day.

Keeping quiet had sometimes been a very hard thing for Allene to do. But her wisdom had given her good judgment, and she never made a decision without consulting her gut and trusting that God would lead her on the right path.

Her gut was the reason she'd never revealed her connection to Carolyn.

During the days when her grandson had been living in New York City, enjoying his young bachelorhood as he chased after the wrong women, she'd known from the beginning what would happen long before it came to pass. But she couldn't intervene because she knew that doing so might prevent John from marrying Elizabeth Sanders, or cause Carolyn to overlook Richard Thornton, which would have ended in Alexandria never being born. Changing one set of events could change the others in unexpected ways.

Allene looked back with fondness when she thought about the frightened young woman who had knocked on her door one cold winter night, seeking comfort and shelter. When Allene had first laid eyes on Carolyn she'd known right away that the girl was going to play a key part in the Small family's very existence. And now, as Allene looked across the room at Victoria and Ted, she knew that he was ready to embrace a past that his mother had tried to bury.

“You can never go wrong doin' right,” Allene said.

V
ictoria stood beside Ted in the middle of the Masonic Lodge, and was filled with emotion that nearly made her burst with pride and sadness at the same time. She was proud of her family and she was sad that her own son wasn't there to help celebrate their history and legacy.

After recovering from the drama that Christian had caused this morning, which had been made easier by a down-home Southern breakfast, everyone's spirits had picked up considerably, except Victoria's. She'd wanted to enjoy herself, but her mind and heart had been worried over her troubled child, who always seemed to leave a trail of bad feelings in his wake.

“Don't let him ruin the rest of your day,” Ted had told her as they'd prepared to leave the house.

She had tried to put her disappointment out of her mind as they headed over to the Masonic Lodge, where she'd been told that her father and grandfather's pictures were on display as part of the town festival. That happy thought had helped take her mind off her son.

But now as she and Ted walked from one end of the room to the other, looking at pictures that told a story of Nedine's rich past, Victoria couldn't help but think how much Christian needed to be there, more than anyone else in their family.

With each sliver of history written in the narratives that appeared under the pictures on the walls, Victoria felt inspiration by the accomplishments that the brave African American pioneers of the town had made through sacrifice and determination. She smiled when she saw that just like last night, a small crowd had gathered around Maxx, where he was sitting next to the display of Isaiah and John.

“This is what Christian needs to see,” she told Ted. “It would help him understand and embrace the hard work and self-control it takes to survive and thrive in this world. I wonder if he's going to come by here today.”

“If he doesn't, it'll be his loss.”

She looked at Ted, who'd been indifferent toward their son's presence since the beginning of their trip. She was glad that this weekend was bringing her and Ted closer together, which she'd been praying for, and that Alexandria seemed to be making good progress of her own. She'd also hoped Tyler and his family would benefit in some way by being in Nedine.

“V, you've got to stop checking for him every five minutes,” Ted told her.

Victoria had kept her eyes glued on the front entrance, looking to see if Christian would walk through the doors. She wanted their son to be there and she wanted Ted to feel the same parental desire. “You act like you don't want Christian here,” she said.

“Honestly, I don't.”

“I never thought I'd hear you say that you didn't want your own son around you.”

“And I never thought my own son would lie, steal, and do God knows what else to me, and you.”

Victoria became quiet for a moment. She was about to ask him if they could step outside and talk when she looked at the front entrance again and saw Parker walk in. Her shoulders tensed and her back became stiff like a board. She swallowed hard when she realized that Ted's eyes were trained on Parker, and the two men were looking at each other.

Damn it!
Victoria screamed inside her head. Even though Nedine was a small town, she had been hoping they'd be able to avoid Parker for the remainder of the weekend. Last night had been uncomfortable and nearly dangerous, with both men coming short of escalating the tension up to a brawl. She was tired of the intense anxiety and stress she always felt whenever there was a possibility of Ted and Parker being in the same room. And now they were about to be face-to-face because Parker was headed straight toward them.

Victoria watched Ted and bit her bottom lip. On the few occasions when he and Parker had been forced into the same room, Ted's physical demeanor had always taken on that of a slow and steady bull ready to charge. Even though he wasn't giving off a threatening stare as he did last night, she could tell he was on alert.

Victoria's heart started to beat rapidly as Parker approached, just a few feet away. She could see that his body language was confident as always, but he also exuded an edge that let her know he was ready to do battle if he had to.

Breathe,
she told herself. She knew if she could get through what happened last night and the blowup between her husband and son this morning, she could get through this moment, too.

“Please don't cause a scene,” Victoria whispered to Ted.

“I won't tolerate disrespect.”

Victoria was hoping that Parker would walk around the center and look at the exhibit, but instead he came right up to them. “Good afternoon,” he said.

Parker's eyes focused in on Victoria and then over to Ted. Victoria could see that her husband was instantly pissed because Parker had stared at her a little too long.

Ted looked Parker in his eyes. “I've accepted the fact that your son is going to marry my daughter, and I accepted a long time ago that you used to be a part of my wife's life. But the one thing I won't accept or tolerate is your flagrant disrespect of my marriage.”

“Disrespect is a matter of opinion.”

Victoria could see that both Parker's and Ted's body language was threatening and she hoped they would calm down before security had to escort them from the building.

Ted shook his head. “In this particular case, my opinion is the only one that counts. Victoria might be slow to your game, but I'm not, so I'm going to be mindful for the both of us. I love my wife and she loves me. I'm going to keep her happy so there's no room for you in our lives other than when we have to see you at family gatherings in the future.”

“Why do you feel you have to defend your love and your marriage to me?”

“I'm not defending it. I'm just stating the facts so you'll know you need to back off.”

“You're crazy as hell if you think I'm gonna stand here and listen to you bark off orders to me about what
you
think I need to do,” Parker said, raising his voice.

Victoria was tired of all the drama so she stepped in. “Oh, just stop it, you two! You're both acting like geriatric school yard bullies and it's really pathetic. We need to be civil because our actions will impact Alexandria and PJ.” Victoria let out a deep breath and turned to face Parker. “My husband is right. You've been disrespectful of him and of our marriage. I made a mistake with you long ago, but I won't make the same mistake twice. Please respect our marriage just as much as you will Alexandria's and PJ's.”

Parker looked off for a long moment, not saying a word. The three of them stood in silence as people buzzed around them. Finally, Parker spoke. “I'm going to leave now because I don't want to cause any trouble for my son. But I want to say this.” He looked directly at Ted. “I've never hidden the fact that I care for Victoria because doing so would negate who I am. I know you two are married,” he said, turning his stare to Victoria. “I respect that institution, and I won't do anything that I'm not called to do.”

“You must be out of your mind.” Ted fumed. “I should kick your ass right here.”

Parker's jaw line tightened. “You give the word and we can do this.”

Victoria's eyes bucked wide.

“I said I should,” Ted responded, “but I'm not. I'm not going to spend my time fighting a war that I've already won.” He took hold of Victoria's hand and squeezed it.

Parker's eyes glanced down at their hand lock and then back up again. He opened his mouth to say something, but then decided not to. He looked at Victoria and smiled. When he saw her look down to avoid his eyes, an even bigger smile spread across his face. “I thought so,” he said. “I hear this exhibit is very interesting. I think I'll check it out now.” He turned on the heel of his expensive dress shoes and walked away just as smoothly as he'd approached them.

 

Once again, Ted and Victoria were left off-balance by Parker's presence. She braced herself because she could feel Ted's eyes positioned on her like laser beams. She knew he was questioning her reaction to Parker's stare, along with his last remarks. “Ted, I'm too exhausted to go through what we went through last night.”

He nodded. “So am I, V. I don't want to spend another minute arguing, disagreeing, or second-guessing our love.”

Victoria raised her brow, hoping this wasn't some kind of trick.

“I trust you, and I have faith in us. I'm not going to let anyone challenge that, ever again.”

Victoria's shoulders relaxed. “I'm grateful that you finally realize Parker's not a threat to us.”

“I am, too. As I listened to him, everything became so clear.”

“What became clear?”

“You and I were standing beside each other, united as one, while he stood there alone. As long as we're standing together no one can tear us apart.”

Victoria smiled and squeezed his hand. “You've just made me the happiest woman in Nedine. I can't tell you how much what you said means to me.”

Ted smiled back. “I'm glad I made you happy, V. That's all I've ever wanted to do. This weekend has been an eye-opener for me in many ways. Not just for us, but for me, as an individual.”

“Is there something else you want to tell me?”

“As a matter of fact, there is.” Ted's face became serious. “Being here in Nedine has had a profound effect on me. Being in your grandfather's house and now seeing the rich legacy that he and so many others left behind for future generations has made me think about my own family, and the fact that my mother hid who she was for her entire adult life, even up to the day she died.”

Ted had shocked Victoria for the second time today, this time by talking about his mother. He kept in close contact with his sister, Lilly, a few of his cousins, and most of his nieces and nephews. But rarely, if ever, did he mention a word about his mother, whose memory caused him pain and confusion. Victoria listened as Ted continued.

“The brave people honored in this room fought every day to keep their dignity during a time when it could be taken from them without cause. Your father once told me that he'd had to fight against men who looked like me, and work twice as hard to get half the credit. I'll never forget that, V. At the time I didn't know that some of my ancestors could have been your father, in a manner of speaking. I can name nearly every relative of the New York and Boston Thorntons on my father's side, but I don't know one single member of the Louisiana or Mississippi Turners on my mother's side, and that's because I haven't tried to find out who they are. But that's going to change.

“This trip has taught me a valuable lesson about the past, which can serve to hurt or help. For a long time I've looked at the past with hurt.” Ted paused, as if struggling to find his words.

“Do you want to go outside?” Victoria asked gently. “So you can speak more freely.”

He shook his head. “No, I want to get this out right now while I still can.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I was hurt by my mother's deception and her shame crept over into me. I know it shouldn't have, but on some levels it did. And I carried around the hurt I felt about you and Parker, creating stories in my head that weren't even true. But I'm done with all that.”

Ted took a step toward Victoria and drew her into his arms right there in the middle of the room. “That was the part of my past that hurt. But the part of my past that has helped me, and has given me life, is the part that lies in you, and what we've created together. I'm ready to bury that old hurt, and I want you by my side when I go to Louisiana and Mississippi in a few months to start a new path toward my mother's family.”

Victoria felt as though they were the only two people in the room as she and Ted stood in a warm embrace. She saw a few people stare, but she couldn't care less. Right now she was thankful and overjoyed. “I'll always be right here by your side. I love you, Ted.”

“I love you, too, V.”