Broken: The sequel to THE PREACHER'S SON Page 12

  “Hi, Daddy,” she managed to say as she watched him holding Erika on his knee while Eric held Derika.

  “Hi, Max,” he said, looking up at her and then back to the baby.

  “Am I dreaming or what?”

  Eric laughed at her as he was putting Derika in the playpen.

  “Nope. You’re wide awake,” he said, grinning. “Your father came for a visit, and we were just bonding.”

  “Look, I actually came over here to see you,” her father said, placing Erika in the playpen with her sister. “I got this today.”

  He handed Max the letter, and she scanned it in shock. That monster is up for parole! She looked up at her father in disbelief and noted that he looked tired. He’d aged a bit more, his hair sporting more gray hair than she remembered.

  “How can they even consider letting him out?” Max hissed, glancing back down at the letter in her hand.

  “That’s why I came by here. We should go to his parole hearing—”

  “I don’t want to see him!” Max snapped. “I can’t!”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll go,” Jesse said, taking the letter from her hand. “Don’t you worry about it.”

  “What are you planning to do?” Max asked as her heart beat hard in her chest.

  “I’m going down there to discourage them from allowing him to get out, that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “Thanks, Daddy,” Max said, breathing a sigh of relief.

  “Look, when are you coming back to church? You haven’t been there since Nadine got married,” he said, glancing at Eric. “He tells me that he and Nadine have joined his uncle’s church. Are you planning on doing the same thing?”

  “We’ve been to church, just not to Antioch.”

  “Antioch Baptist Church is your home,” he insisted. “Are you telling me that you’re leaving?”

  Max knew that her father would get defensive about this. She and Nadine had both been in the choir, but it was Nadine’s and Eric’s choice as to where there would worship. She didn’t have anything to do with that.

  “No, I haven’t left. I’ve been supporting Nadine. She didn’t feel comfortable returning after you threw a fit about her marrying Eric with you being the head deacon and all,” Max pointed out. “She didn’t want the congregation all up in her business since she’s known them all her life and your disapproval of her marriage is no secret in Antioch.”

  Max watched as her father stood up, his face grim. “I was upset at the time.”

  “Are you still upset?” Max asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

  “Yes, somewhat,” he admitted. “However, it is what it is.”

  “I gather that you still don’t like me,” Eric replied, picking up Derika who had started to fuss. “I’m your son-in-law whether you like it or not.”

  “I know that!” Jesse snapped. “I’ve just got to get used to the idea.”

  Eric chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

  “God doesn’t care about color, Daddy. This isn’t the fifties. Things have changed,” Max said firmly.

  “Have they?” her father asked. “Sure, it’s not out there like it was back then, it’s more subtle, but racism is still alive and well. I know that much.”

  “So are you going to be part of the solution or part of the problem?” Eric asked. “Are you going to look down on your granddaughters because their skin is white?”

  “I don’t look down on them at all!” Jesse insisted. “They’re beautiful babies. They look a lot like you, but today I saw my wife in their faces!”

  Max laughed. “What are you talking about?”

  Jesse picked up Derika. “I’ll show you.”

  He held up his keys and rattled them in front of the baby. Derika grinned and reached for them, and he quickly put them back in his pocket. She looked at Jesse paused a minute and then began to fuss.

  “See? Did you see that?” Jesse said as Derika began to cry.

  “See what?” Max asked confused. “You teased her, and now she’s crying.”

  Jesse took out the keys and shook them and Derika started grinning again.

  “Watch her facial expression!” he insisted. “Look at her eyes.”

  Max watched as he put the keys back in his pocket. Derika paused a moment and looked at Jesse and then raised one eyebrow and began to fuss.

  “Now that’s your mother to a tee,” he insisted. “When she gets pissed, she raises that brow of hers and you know she’s going to let you have it.”

  He kissed Derika and quickly picked up the plastic baby keys from the playpen and shook them.

  “I told him that those babies are his as well as mine,” Eric said proudly. “I guess it took a raised eyebrow for him to believe it.”

  “Yeah I know. It just took me a minute to see it for myself,” Jesse admitted contritely. “I’m sorry that I’ve acted like such a prick.”

  Max laughed at her father’s recent discovery. “Well, wonders never cease!”

  After her father left, Nadine came home and Max and Eric filled her in about their father. The girls were awake but were in the living room playpen.

  “I have to go to work for a little while,” Eric said, kissing Nadine.

  “Go on. Max is going to be here, right?” she asked, looking at her sister. “I’ve registered for my classes so now I have to go down to the shop. Today should be busy, and I should earn some good tips.”

  Just then Eric’s cell rang, and Max helped Nadine put the babies down for their nap. They exited the bedroom together while Eric was still on the phone.

  “Well, I’ve got to run,” Nadine said, looking at her watch. “Thanks a lot, Max. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” Max said. She watched as Nadine gave Eric a quick kiss and ran out of the door.

  Max was about to go into her room when she overhead Eric.

  “Look, Matt, I need to cash that bond in,” Eric insisted. “It’s not much, but it will help!”

  Max tried not to eavesdrop but couldn’t help it.

  “Fine,” Eric said and hung up the phone tossing it on the coffee table.

  “Everything all right,” Max asked, sitting beside him.

  “Yeah, fine,” Eric said, running his hand through his hair. “Matthew is just trying to talk me out of cashing in my savings bond that Grandma Nellie gave to me when I was born. It was just for $100, and it’s matured with interest. I need that money.”

  “Why do you have to ask him?”

  “He kept it for me in his safe at his house. Now he wants me to think about it because it’s all the extra money I have. He’s telling me that I should hold onto it, but I have daughters that need things.”

  Max sighed. “He can be an ass sometimes,”

  She sat back on the sofa and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about Matthew or that date or that kiss, but she couldn’t help herself. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Max, is everything all right? Did something happen between you and Matt? I know I’m not supposed to ask, but did the date go wrong or something?”

  Max sighed. “The date was perfect, wonderful, better than I’d hoped.”

  “I hear a ‘but’ in there,”

  Max glanced over at Eric and then looked away. “You two look a lot alike, but you’re so different from your brother.”

  “Matt can be a hard nut to crack, that’s for sure,” Eric agreed. “But I know that he likes you.”

  Max grunted. “Right. He likes me? I don’t meet his criteria, Eric. He’s looking for a WASP like himself. He doesn’t want a black girl. He told me so himself. I’m sure that if I just offer him up the booty with no strings attached, he’d be fine with that.”

  “He’s an asshole,” Eric snapped. “I’m going to talk with him.”

  “No, Eric. Let it be. He’s always been honest with me about his feelings. I think it’s probably for the best. I would rather for him to be straight up with me than to lead me on. I knew this from the beginning, and y
et I find myself thinking about him. It’s crazy!”

  “There are some things that we don’t have control over. I doubt very seriously that the feelings are all one-sided. Matthew is not made of stone. I think he’s running away, and I want to confront him on it.”

  “I doubt if it’ll make any difference. I’d rather that you just let it be.” Max stood up.

  “Fine. But you are right. You just give him space. You have a lot more important things on your plate than Matthew. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the parole board? I’ll take off and go with you and your father if you want more support.”

  Max smiled at him. “No, Eric. I don’t think I can look at him without falling apart. Dad can go. I doubt if he’ll get parole anyway. I wasn’t his only rape victim, after all. I’m sure that my father won’t be the only one going down there. There will probably be a mob of regulars as well as a few new people.”

  Eric quickly dressed and left for work. The house was quiet as the babies were still napping. Max didn’t know what she was going to do, but she wasn’t going to sit around moping about Matthew. He’d told her that he didn’t want a relationship with her, and she was fine with that.

  Nadine swept up the hair that on the shop’s floor. Things had finally slowed down. She was tired, and all she wanted was a bath and to stretch out on her bed, but she knew that she was a mother now and that she had to give her daughters some attention if they were still up when she got home.

  She was glad that Evelyn let her work under her license. She was mainly the shampoo girl, but she did get tips, and Evelyn was giving her on-the-job training. She looked at her watch and wondered how her girls were doing.

  She stepped outside the shop and called Eric, but his cell went to voice mail. She quickly hung up and called Max instead.

  Hey, Nadine. What’s up,” Max asked.

  “Where’s Eric? His phone is going to voicemail.”

  “He’s gone to his mom’s.”

  “How’s my girls?”

  “He took them with him over to his mom’s. Is everything all right?”

  “Sure,” Nadine replied. “I was just checking on them. I’ll call Eric back later. He’s probably driving, which is why his phone is off.”

  “I guess. Give him a little time. He just left a few minutes ago.” Nadine hung up the phone and returned to her duties.

  She turned at the sound of the bell above the door. She wasn’t expecting any more customers.

  A man walked in, grinning. He had a head full of light brown dreads that matched his light brown eyes. Nadine stared at him for a moment his face nagging her memory. The eyes…

  “Hey, Nadine! I thought that was you,” he said, gleefully walking up to her.

  Nadine dropped the broom. “Oh, my God. Jeremiah!”

  She quickly hugged him. Jeremiah picked her up and twirled her around. “I saw you outside talking on the phone. I thought it was you, but I wasn’t sure. I had to come over here to see for myself!”

  Nadine shrieked with delight as he swung her around again. Neither of them heard the bell above the door or saw Eric when he came in.

  The people in the shop had stopped what they were doing and were watching the scene unfold. Evelyn finally spoke up.

  “Hello, Eric.” She said it rather loudly. Nadine turned and looked at the door and saw Eric standing there glaring at her.

  “Eric!” she said, breaking from Jeremiah’s grasp. “Good you got my message.”

  Eric looked at Jeremiah and then back to Nadine. “Yeah.”

  Nadine started to laugh and gave him a quick kiss before turning back to Jeremiah.

  “Care to introduce me to your friend,” Eric asked, his voice crisp.

  Nadine ignored his icy tone and walked back over to Jeremiah grabbing his hand.

  “Jeremiah, this is my husband Eric,” she said with a smile. “Eric, this is my brother, Jeremiah.”

  “You don’t have a brother,” Eric replied, looking from her to Jeremiah.

  “Foster brother,” Jeremiah said and then laughed as he extended his hand to Eric. “Nice to meet you, man. Your wife used to torment me something terrible!”

  Eric looked at the hand he extended and then shook it. He turned to Nadine.

  “I didn’t know you had a foster brother.”

  “Well, it’s been a while,” Jeremiah explained. “I stayed with Nadine’s folks before she was born up until she was about six. Max was my buddy. She was a couple years older than me if I remember correctly.”

  “I’m done here, Jeremiah. Maybe we can catch up,” Nadine said, ignoring Eric’s frown.

  “No, I can’t. But if you give me your number I’ll call you. I’d really like to see your parents. How’s Max? What’s she up to these days?

  “Oh, working, but let me get your number, and please do call my parents.”

  They exchanged numbers, and Jeremiah gave her another hug and kiss under Eric’s watchful eye and said his goodbyes.

  “Give me a minute to get my things, and I’ll be ready to go,” Nadine said to Eric as he stood there not talking. Everyone in the shop had returned to what they were doing, but she could tell that they would most likely start talking about her as soon as she walked out the door.

  Eric was outside by the car when she came out of the shop. Nadine could tell that he still wasn’t convinced about Jeremiah’s being her foster brother, and she tried to keep her temper in check.

  “So, how come I never heard about this Jeremiah?” he said, leaning against the car as she approached.

  “I do believe you are jealous!” Nadine said, laughing. She put her arms around his neck. “I think I like this side of you.”

  “You haven’t answered my question,” Eric responded, removing her arms and stepping back.

  Nadine looked at him in shock. “You can’t be serious! Why would I lie about something like that? What do you think Eric that I’m cheating? When do I have time to cheat?”

  “I know you don’t have any time for me. I know that. You gave him more hugs and kisses than I’ve gotten in the past three weeks. We haven’t made love in weeks, Nadine!” he accused getting into the car and slamming the door.

  Nadine looked at him and rolled her eyes. “We’ve both been pretty busy, Eric. When do we get time for us? Never! I do the best that I can, you know. You shouldn’t be so insecure. If you don’t believe me then let’s drive over to my parents’ house. There’s plenty of pictures there of Jeremiah.”

  Eric grunted and pulled out into the traffic. “How do you even remember him if you haven’t seen him since you were six?”

  “I’ve seen him plenty of times since he moved out. His mom was on drugs, and then he went and lived with his grandmother. He’d still come over and spend some weekends, and then he’d stay some in the summer. His grandmother was old and she needed some help, so my Mom told her that Jeremiah could still spend time with us, and he did, all the way up until he was about sixteen. Then his grandmother died, and he went to live with an aunt in North Carolina. We wrote back and forth, but we never really got to see him after that, and we kind of lost touch.”

  Eric didn’t respond for a while and kept his eyes on the road.

  “I’m sorry for being such an ass,” he said, looking at her.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Nadine leaned over and kissed him. “You’re my ass.”

  She noticed that Eric was heading home instead of to his parent’s home.

  “Eric, where are we going? Aren’t we going to get the girls?”

  “Nope. I’ve set up a romantic evening for just the two of us. The girls will stay at with Mom tonight.”

  “What?” Nadine snapped. “My girls have never been away from me, Eric. You should have checked with me first.”

  “I didn’t think that you’d mind.”

  “Well, I do mind!”

  “I just wanted some time just the two of us.”

  “Where’s Max?”

  “She’s staying over at your
folks’ tonight. I just wanted to surprise you, you know, rose petals, candles, dim lights and wild sex, but if you don’t want that then we can go and get the girls. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

  Nadine looked at him and grinned. “Why don’t we go and have some fun at home, get some dinner and then pick the girls up later?”

  “So you want fun first and eating second?” he asked wiggling his eyebrows at her.

  “Of course. The stomach can wait,” she snickered. “Unless you’re hungry.”

  “I’m hungry, all right,” he said, smacking his lips loudly.

  Nadine giggled and kissed him and looked at her watch. “Let’s make this a night to remember.”

  CHAPTER 10

  If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it will be done for you. John 15:7

  Matthew threw himself into his work. Here he was now in his office working on a Sunday. What type of life did he have by coming to work on Sunday? He then thought about the last time he’d seen Maxine and knew that he’d blown any progress he’d made with her.

  She had pushed his buttons by calling him a coward. He lost it when Max had called him that, but he’d been so angry and a bit ashamed by his reaction when she’d hit close to the mark.

  He was surprised that she hadn’t screamed or at least slapped his face when he took her hand and placed it on his erection. He couldn’t believe he had done that knowing what she’d been through. He knew he’d behaved badly.

  He was sure that she had gotten the message and now avoided him when he returned to the gym. The truth was that he missed talking to her, but he did not know how to repair the damage he’d caused. He still struggled with the fact that he wanted her and couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  Why did he feel this way? Didn’t he say over and over again that he didn’t want to get involved with a black girl and most certainly not Maxine James? Yet his thoughts wandered back to the softness of her round backside when he squeezed it.

  He felt his member jump at the thought of her and silently cursed at the effect she had on him. He didn’t know what he was going to do about it.