The Preacher’s Son Page 6

  She sipped her soda, wondering what was going to happen next. Tired of the stares, she decided to go in the house and find the bathroom.

  She walked by Jeremy, who was still talking to the men in a heated conversation, and entered the house.

  “What are you looking for?” a voice asked rudely.

  She looked up and saw Mr. Ferguson standing in the kitchen.

  “The bathroom,” she responded coolly.

  He pointed to a nearly door, and as she walked by him, he grabbed her arm.

  “Are you going to tell me the truth about what is really going on?” he asked, barely able to keep his temper in check.

  “What do you mean?” she said, looking at him.

  “What is this really about… you and my son. Tell me the truth. He says you’re a Christian woman. Why are the two of you putting on this front?”

  Aura stared at him a moment, not believing this man’s gall. “I love Jeremy. Jeremy loves me.”

  “Are you sure about that? He hardly dated while he was home. All this time, he’s never brought a girl home. Never! And now all of a sudden he brings you in here and wants to marry you? He could be just using you, you know. Come on! Think, girl! A guy like Jeremy with all that fame and money and those looks, and he picked you? Are you that naive?”

  His words hit Aura like a ton of bricks. He was voicing all her insecurities that she had buried deep inside. She refused, however, to allow them to surface again. She knew that Jeremy loved her.

  Seeing her hesitation, Mr. Ferguson pressed on. “He tells me you’re a virgin. Why do you think someone like that would choose a good Christian girl who wouldn’t give it up? I’ll tell you why! Because he doesn’t want it in the first place! Wake up, girl.”

  Aura stumbled back against the door under the force of his words, trying to contain her anger.

  “Why in the world would you talk about your son like that? All he wants is your love and approval. You are supposed to be a man of God. Jeremy is good and decent. I know he loves me, and, Mr. Ferguson, contrary to your twisted thinking, he is all man. I know that without a doubt. It is only my strong Christian beliefs that have kept me out of his bed. He’s very much a man, and he can hardly keep his hands to himself. Some things you can’t fake, and lust and desire are two of those things. I have no doubt in my mind that he wants me in his bed. I’m going to marry him. You can best believe that!” She walked in the bathroom and slammed the door.

  When she came out, she walked out of the back door still seething with anger. Jeremy was still talking to the older men, and she saw that his father had joined in.

  “Jeremy, I’m ready to go,” she said loudly, drawing all eyes to her.

  He glanced at her. “Are you all right, Aura?”

  “No, I’m not,” she said loudly, and everyone turned to her, listening.

  “It seems that for some reason it is easier to believe that you are gay than to believe that you love me. Go figure. Anyway, that’s their problem. I’m ready to go. We need to return to New York to plan our wedding.”

  Jeremy grinned, taking off the apron. “I’m ready. Let’s get out of here.”

  CHAPTER 5

  JESSICA’S CONFESSION

  Tara ran over to Jeremy as he was leaving the grill and removing his apron.

  “Don’t leave, Jeremy! I haven’t even opened my presents yet!” she said, grabbing him around his waist. “Please! It’s my birthday. Please don’t go!”

  Jeremy looked at Aura and then back at his sister. “I think it’s time for us to go, Little Bit. I think our announcement has spoiled your party.”

  Tara frowned and glanced around at the people staring. “I don’t care! This is my party. I want you and Aura to stay.” She looked back at Jeremy. “Please!”

  Jeremy looked at Aura. “All right, we’ll stay awhile longer. Go on and open your presents.”

  Tara grinned and ran back over to the table.

  Jeremy put his arm around Aura. “Do you think you can take it a little while longer? I don’t want to spoil her fun.”

  “Of course,” she said, looking around at the people gawking at them. “I’ve never run from a good fight, so I may as well not start now.”

  Tara cut her cake, and Jessica and Mrs. Ferguson passed it out.

  “I need to talk to you before you leave,” Jessica whispered to Jeremy, who was watching Tara open her gifts.

  He looked puzzled a moment. “Sure, sis.” He looked at Aura. “I’ll be right back.”

  He pulled Jessica to the side as Tara began opening her presents, out of earshot from the others who were nearby.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, looking at her curiously.

  Jessica looked around. “Mom, do we have more ice?”

  “In the basement freezer,” her mom replied from across the yard.

  “Jeremy and I’ll go and get it,” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the house.

  Jeremy followed her into the kitchen and down the basement steps to the large upright freezer.

  “Okay, Jessica, what’s this all about?” Jeremy asked.

  “Jeremy, I need your help,” she said in a low voice.

  “Sure, sis, what’s up?” he asked.

  “I need some money,” she said, looking at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

  “Money? What do you need it for?” He put his hands in his pockets, watching her as she nervously shuffled her feet.

  She opened the freezer and took out the ice. “Do I have to say why?”

  Jeremy crossed his arms. “Yes you do! How much money are we talking about?”

  “I don’t know exactly… a few thousand dollars,” she whispered, still avoiding his gaze.

  “What? Why in the world do you need that kind of money, Jessica? Do you want some high-dollar item that Pop won’t buy?” he asked, taking the bag of ice from her.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then what exactly?” he asked, trying to be patient.

  “Don’t be mad… I might be pregnant.”

  Jeremy’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Jessica!”

  “Jeremy, don’t holler at me!” she said, tears running down her face.

  Jeremy took a deep breath, pulling her into his arms. “Jess… pregnant? Why in the world would you have sex with somebody without protection? Who is he? Have you told him?”

  “Please don’t tell Mom and Dad, Jeremy. Yes, I told him, and he broke up with me. He said that he wasn’t sure that it was his.” She sobbed uncontrollably. “I know it’s his because he’s the only one.”

  Jeremy looked at Jessica. She was still such a baby. He couldn’t believe that she was having sex.

  “Well DNA tests will take away that lame excuse,” Jeremy said, disgusted. “Why do you want money? Surely you don’t want to get rid of it?”

  “I do. He doesn’t want it. Maybe if I have an abortion, he will take me back. I love him, Jeremy! Please help me.”

  “Jess, I can’t do that. You are a minor. You’ve got to tell Mom and Pop. Why in the world would you want someone back who wouldn’t stick by you? You’ve got to tell them,” Jeremy insisted.

  “I can’t.” She sobbed. “They will make me have the baby.”

  “Then you will just have to have it. That’s part of the consequences of having sex, Jess. I can’t give you money for that and let you sneak off behind their backs. That’s not right. If you want me to be with you when you tell them, I will. But I can’t give you what you are asking for.”

  Jessica wiped her face with her hand and hung her head in shame.

  “Come on. I had planned on leaving, but now I see I can’t just yet. Let’s go back up before someone comes looking for us,” Jeremy said, putting his arm around her.

  He picked up the bag of ice, and they went back up the steps. Jessic
a was only fifteen! He tried to control the anger that was boiling inside of him.

  Aura looked at him when he came back outside. She knew something was up but held her peace.

  Jeremy broke open the bag of ice, poured it in the cooler, and angrily slammed the top back down on it.

  “Jeremy!” Tara yelled over to him. “I’m about to open your present.”

  Jeremy walked over to her. She squealed when she saw the iPod with all the accessories. “Oh, Jeremy! It holds a thousand songs and videos too! Thanks a lot!” she said, hugging him.

  “You’re welcome, Little Bit,” he said, looking over his sister’s head at Aura.

  “What’s wrong?” Aura asked when he walked over to her.

  “I can’t leave. We have a family problem going on. We will have to have a family meeting.”

  “Do you want me to leave and come back to pick you up later?” Aura asked.

  “No, you are now part of this family as far as I am concerned. I want you here,” he responded.

  Aura started to protest but thought better of it once she saw the look on his face.

  “All right then. Whatever you say.” She sighed. “Just let me know what I can do.”

  By nightfall, people began leaving, and Aura helped Mrs. Ferguson clean up after the party. She felt that she had to do something to keep her mind off of whatever was going on.

  “You don’t have to do that, Aura. You’re a guest,” Mrs. Ferguson protested, watching her pick up trash that people had dropped in the yard.

  “No problem. I don’t mind,” she said, putting the trash in the can that was at the back of the yard.

  Tara was having her best friend, Lana, spend the night, and Jeremy’s mother instructed the two girls to take all of Tara’s birthday gifts up to her room. Aura told Jeremy that she was going to help his mother put the food away.

  Jeremy was glad that Tara would be preoccupied in her room with Lana with her birthday gifts, and he doubted if she’d come back downstairs any time soon. He walked into the den where his father was looking at television. It was now or never.

  “Pop, we need to talk as a family. It’s important.”

  His father looked at him. “If it’s about your marriage—”

  “It’s not about me… it’s about Jessica.”

  His father looked at him. “Jessica? What’s going on?”

  “Jessica!” Jeremy yelled up the steps. “I need you to come down here!”

  Jessica emerged from her room and looked as if she wanted to be anywhere else but where she was at that moment. She slowly came down the steps, and Jeremy went into the kitchen where Aura and his mother were still putting away the leftover food.

  “I need you two in the den right now,” he said, walking off.

  Mrs. Ferguson looked at Aura after Jeremy walked off in a huff. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” Aura responded, “but he looks serious, so we’d better do as he asks.”

  They walked into the den where Jeremy was standing with Jessica.

  “Sit down, Mom… you too, Aura,” he instructed. “Jessica has something to tell you.”

  “Son, what’s this all about? Jessica, what is your brother talking about?” Charlotte asked.

  Jessica began crying, and Jeremy put his arm around her. He whispered in her ear, and she nodded but wouldn’t look at the rest of them.

  “I can’t do it, Jeremy.” She sniffed. “Help me out. You tell them.”

  Jeremy sighed and sat on the loveseat, pulling Jessica down beside him.

  “Look, Jessica thinks there’s a chance she might be pregnant.”

  His father jumped up and faced his daughter. “What! Why, Jessica? Why in the world would you go around and disgrace yourself? Who is the boy? I can’t believe that my own daughter has been acting like a common slut.”

  “Daniel! That’s enough,” Mrs. Ferguson said as Jessica began crying louder. “Don’t talk about your daughter like that! It’s not as if we were perfect!”

  “We are not the issue here, Charlotte!” He looked at Aura. “I don’t think we need to be discussing our family issues around her anyway.”

  Jeremy jumped up. “She is my fiancée, and as far as I am concerned, she stays. You might as well accept her now as part of this family, Pop, because that will not change.”

  “This is all the work of the devil,” Daniel Ferguson ranted. “First you go to New York, parading your body off for all to lust after, both men and women. Now Jessica is fornicating with some boy. You opened the door for the devil when you disobeyed God by refusing to work in the ministry.”

  Jeremy walked over to his father, not believing what he was hearing. “Oh, so now this is my fault?”

  “Yes, this is your fault! You and your modeling and race mixing—”

  “Daniel David Ferguson!” Mrs. Ferguson said, standing up. “You will shut your mouth! I have had just about enough of your outlandish outbursts!”

  “I am head of this house, woman!” he spat, turning to Charlotte. “You be quiet!”

  “You are wrong!” his wife said, pushing Jeremy out of the way and facing her husband. “God is the head of my house and my life! You are wrong, and I’m telling you that you are wrong.”

  She turned to Jeremy. “I was pregnant when I married your father, Jeremy.”

  “Charlotte!”

  “I was pregnant, and I lost my baby. You are my firstborn, but you’re not my first baby.” She looked at Aura. “I commend you for waiting. My husband didn’t want to wait even though he was a young minister. I loved him, so I gave in. I commend you and Jeremy. I wish I could have been that strong.”

  Jeremy looked at his father, stunned, not knowing what to say. His father’s face was red with rage.

  “You had no business telling our business like that, Charlotte!” he snapped angrily.

  “You had no right to speak to our daughter in such a way,” she responded.

  Aura stood up. “I think we need to all get in a circle and pray and ask God to help us to love one another and not to say things that we can’t take back. We should ask each other for forgiveness and pray that God will work out the situation with Jessica and the situation, Jeremy, between you and your father.”

  “I’m the minister here, young lady!” Mr. Ferguson snapped, glaring at her.

  “Yes you are, Reverend,” Aura said. “So you should pray first… after you calm down.”

  Aura reached out for their hands. Daniel Ferguson cleared his throat and closed his eyes, shaking uncontrollably.

  “Take my hand, Daniel,” his wife said firmly.

  They stood in the circle for a moment, no one saying anything. After several minutes, Jeremy broke the ice and began to pray.

  Aura liked the sound of his commanding voice, the conviction she heard as he prayed. She could hear Jessica still crying a bit, and when Jeremy said amen, she opened her eyes.

  Jeremy left the den with his arm around Jessica. “Everything is going to be all right, Jess,” he said.

  She sniffed and did not reply. Aura reached out and touched Jeremy’s arm.

  “Why don’t you stay the night?” Aura asked. “I’ll go back to the room. I think your family needs you, and you and your father need to talk.”

  “Nonsense,” his mother said. “You both can stay the night. We have a guestroom, and Lana is staying in the room with Tara, so she’s not using it.”

  Aura looked at Jeremy. “Is that what you want?”

  “I’d like to stay, babe, and I’d really like for you to stay too,” he said.

  “All right, but we have to go back to the hotel and get some clothes. Give me your key, and I’ll get whatever you want out of the room you’re staying in. You can use the time to talk to your father.”

  Jeremy agreed and walked her to
the door. “Hurry back,” he said, kissing her.

  She smiled up at him. “Everything will work out.”

  “Jess and I will ride with you,” Charlotte said. “You don’t need to go back by yourself. It’s dark now.”

  Jeremy agreed with his mother. “Thanks, Ma.”

  She nodded, and they walked out the door.

  Jeremy shut the door, and the house was quiet. He was glad that his mother and Jess had left with Aura. Tara and Lana were shut up upstairs, and he doubted they would come back down anytime soon.

  He walked back into the den. His father was sitting in the overstuffed chair that faced the doorway. He looked up as Jeremy came into the room.

  Jeremy sat down across from him. “Pop, we need to talk.”

  “About what? Are you going to get all high and mighty now that your mother has spilled her guts?”

  Jeremy leaned back on the sofa. “That was a surprise for sure. However, I don’t judge you.” He stared at his father, his gaze unwavering. “I know what it’s like to want someone, to desire them and want them so bad that you can’t think of anything else sometimes. I know what it’s like to push the boundaries they have set up for you because you ache and want them so much.”

  His father looked away. “Are you telling me that’s how it is with you and that girl?”

  “Her name is Aura, Pop. She’s going to be your daughter-in-law, so you need to get used to it.”

  “Fine,” he said, sounding defeated.

  “Why does that bother you so much? What happened to ‘love everybody’ and all those other things you preach about?” Jeremy asked seriously.

  “I don’t dislike the girl.” His father sighed. “I just can’t see what you see in her. I know you have tons of women chasing you. I just don’t get it.”

  “She’s the woman God sent to me,” Jeremy replied simply. “I love her. Different men are attracted to different things. I am not you. You may not see what I see in her, but believe me when I tell you that I love her.”

  His father looked at him a moment, obviously thinking about what he’d just said.

  “Is that why you never bought a girl home?” he asked. “Have you always had a ‘thing’ for black girls?”