“Vanessa, come here quick!” Anna yelled from the kitchen. “Hurry!”
Thinking something terrible had happened, she didn’t bother to save the document she was working on but ran into the kitchen.
Anna stood by the flour-covered counter, kneading bread dough, while Kyle sat at the center island eating lunch. Nothing seemed out of place. They had been watching the flatscreen television mounted on the wall above the desk.
“What’s wrong?” Vanessa said, looking around.
They shushed her, then pointed to the television. Vanessa’s eyes went wide when she saw her little brother and sister playing on the carpet in the background as the lovely Sheila Cummingham sat on a sofa next to her husband, Greg. Vanessa had no trouble recognizing the handsome, lean man that as the twins’ father. The couple were apparently being interviewed by Thomas Redman, Sheila’s cohost on their morning talk show, A.M. Detroit.
“Turn the sound up, Kyle,” Anna urged. Her hands covered with flour, she went back to kneading, but her eyes were on the screen.
Sheila said, “Yes, it was a miracle finding the twins after all this time. We had nearly given up having children when we learned from an old friend that the twins’ poor mother had died in childbirth.”
Tom said, “You mean you had no idea that you had fathered the twins, Greg?”
“None,” he said in his quiet dignified tone, the one he must use in the courtroom to persuade the jury to his point of view.
Sheila put her hand into her husband’s, smiling when she added, “It was a shame how they were living. They were being raised in poverty by their older sister. But that’s all behind them. Things have worked out well for all concerned. And now we are going to adopt them, and our family will be complete. Too many couples fail to look into adoption. So many African-American children are left in foster care, hoping for a family of their own. It’s so sad, especially when it doesn’t have to be that way. Please consider…”
Furious, Vanessa said to Anna, “I can’t believe it! It’s bad enough that they were talking about the twins right in front of them. But they did an interview about the twins while in the middle of a custody case!”
“They did more than give an interview. Evidently, they were the topic of Sheila’s talk show this morning. This is too much! I’m looking at your sweet babies, and they are talking about them as if they found them in some crack house. And it’s all lies.
“How could they do something like this? What were they thinking?” Anna said furiously.
Livid, Vanessa was so upset she was shaking. “I have no idea. The twins didn’t say a word about the cameras. It’s crazy! I don’t appreciate it! Excuse me. I’ve got to make some calls.” She kissed Anna’s cheek. “Thanks for letting me know about this.”
Hurrying back to her office, Vanessa felt so scattered, she merely sat at her desk for a few moments. After taking several deep breaths, she made a point to save the order forms for sports gear she’d been working on earlier. She reached for the telephone to call Ralph, but before she could lift the receiver, it rang.
She automatically said, “Hello, Mathis Enterprises…”
“Hey, beautiful. Did you by any chance see the noon news broadcast?”
“Enough to see the twins while Sheila and Greg were interviewed. Anna and Kyle had it on. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! How could Sheila Cummingham say I did not take excellent care of the twins? She has some nerve.
“She doesn’t know anything about me or our family. And she claimed that the twins were a surprise, as if Greg Cummingham hadn’t known my mother was pregnant. Ralph, we’re going to have to talk to that lawyer. Let him know what’s going on.”
“I spoke to him before I called you. He knows about the interview that aired on Sheila’s show this morning. They’re doing a series on adoption. Anyway, Carl has talked to their lawyer, and the interview took place Friday evening. The camera crew was waiting when the twins and Cummingham arrived at the house. Evidently, his wife had planned it as a surprise to preserve for the future.”
“Really,” Vanessa hissed. “No wonder he looked so…I don’t know.” Struggling to come up with the correct word, she settled on, “…he looked very uncomfortable. She did most of the talking. He should have stopped it, especially since the kids were in the room while they were talking about our family. It was so rude.”
“I doubt the kids were paying any attention. That interview couldn’t be in Cummingham’s best interest. At this point we have to wait and see what’s going to happen.”
Letting out a groan of sheer disgust, she complained, “Well, I still don’t appreciate her using the twins to complete their family. It’s not like she really loves them. I’m not trying to be mean. I can only imagine how difficult it has been for her wanting to have children and not be able to. But that doesn’t mean I plan to sit back and let her destroy my family. Is anyone going to ask the twins what they want?”
“I don’t know, but it sounds like an excellent idea to me. Maybe we should bring it up at our meeting with Carl.”
“Okay!” She hesitated, considering whether or not she should ask. Because she had to know, she inquired, “Are you still angry with me?”
She heard his sigh before he insisted, “I was never angry with you. Just disappointed we don’t agree.” He paused, then said, “I’m flying to St. Louis this afternoon for a series of meetings.”
Disappointed, she asked, “How long will you be away?”
“I’m not sure. Hopefully, only a couple of days.” His voice deepened when he said, “I’m going to miss you, beautiful.”
“I’m already missing you.” Sighing softly, she said, “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“I’ll be in touch. Maybe we can drive down to Ohio. Take the kids to Cedar Point before school starts? Think the kids will like that?”
She laughed. “I know they will, but I’ll wait until you’re back to announce it. I have to live with them.”
He chuckled. “I’ll talk to you tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Take care of yourself.”
“You, too. Bye.”
All three of the Grant youngsters were looking forward to returning to school. The twins were just as excited about starting first grade as Lana was about beginning her senior year in high school.
For an hour each evening they worked at the kitchen table. The twins practiced writing their names and the alphabet while Lana reviewed her math and science textbooks, her weakest subjects. Vanessa, when not helping the twins, read her book club’s upcoming selection, Kimberla Lawson Roby’s latest novel.
The family called it “getting and keeping it together.” Doing homework around the kitchen table was something both Vanessa and Lana had done with their parents. It was a tradition the sisters had continued with the twins.
“I’m tired,” Curtis complained.
“Me too. Can we watch TV?” Courtney begged.
Vanessa didn’t bother glancing at the clock. They’d only been at it for about ten minutes. “When the big hands stops on the six, then you can stop.” Just then the telephone rang. She hurried into the next room, looking for the cordless. She didn’t have to think about who had used the phone last, not with a teenager in the house. “Where is the phone, Lana Marie?”
“Living room,” she said sheepishly. “If it’s Lisa, tell…”
“You have an hour to go, Ms. Lana,” Vanessa reminded her as she searched. She found the receiver between the cushions on the sofa. “Hello?”
“Hi, beautiful.”
“Hey, handsome. Where are you?”
“Still in St. Louis.”
“Oh.” Clearly disappointed, she tried not to show it.
“Here, I was hoping you’d say you were flying over Ohio.” His deep chuckle made her heart race.
“Missing me?”
“Maybe,” she hedged.
“Beautiful, have you seen the national news. Or read the newspaper?”
“Not yet. Why?”
“Where are the twins?”
“In the kitchen, practicing the alphabet. What’s going on?”
“Are you in the living room?”
“This is one crazy conversation, Ralph. Yes, I’m on the sofa.” She teased, “Want to know what I’m wearing?”
He said seriously. “Turn on CNN. Hurry. And keep the sound low, so the kids don’t overhear.”
“What’s going on?” she asked in a whisper as she hurried to the set, not taking time to look for the remote. Finally, she had the set on CNN, with sound low. “Oh!” She gasped and quickly covered her mouth as Greg Cummingham’s face flashed across the screen. Then she whispered urgently, “Ralph, what’s going on? I can’t hear with the sound down.”
“It’s taken a few days, but apparently when one of the ladies on that list, Ronda Waters, saw the piece about the twins, she not only hired a lawyer, but she also found a television reporter willing to stand still and listen. Not all of his ladies were as intimidated as he believed. Since Cummingham got that rock star off on that murder charge, and that singer off for rape a few years back, he’s gained celebrity status.
“Anyway, when she heard about your twins, she wanted more money. Cummingham refused to give what she felt she was entitled to. Since that interview, two other ladies have come forward. It’s only a matter of time before every secret he has is made public, especially with the reporters digging into his past.”
Vanessa gasped, “Oh my.”
Ralph said, “That’s right, all three of them are ready to sue the brother man for back child-support payments, personal damage, and anything else they can get. They’re using the money he has paid out over the years as proof he knew about these children.”
“I wonder how many babies he has out there.”
“According to the private investigator’s report four, not counting your twins. Who knows? There could be more. And all of it because the brother was too selfish to use a condom.”
Vanessa knew she was wrong, but she couldn’t help it; she let out a scream that brought all three of the Grant kids running into the room to see what was wrong. Lucky for her, she managed to turn the television set off before they could see the screen.
“What happened?” Lana asked anxiously.
Vanessa was laughing so hard, she couldn’t speak. Finally, she was able to say, “Nothing really!” She was still holding on to the entertainment cabinet for balance. She finally said, “Ralph told me a joke! I’m fine.” She motioned with her hand, “Go back and finish.” She was gasping for breath when the children shook their heads at her and went back into the kitchen.
Vanessa whispered into the phone, “I know it’s wrong, but I couldn’t stop laughing. And don’t you say a word. I heard you cracking up, too. Are we terrible people to laugh at someone else’s misery?”
“What we are is human. Excuse my French, but the bastard got what he deserved. He has hurt so many people. He made this mess. Now it’s his turn to deal with it!”
“Wonder if his wife is going to stick by him?” Vanessa mused.
“Not likely. If I were her, I would run to the divorce lawyer. Clean him out good fashion.”
“Yeah, so would I,” she whispered, “but that doesn’t mean he is going to drop our case.”
“I know it doesn’t, but we can always hope,” he ended.
“Ain’t it the truth.” Suddenly, she stopped as she wrestled with the depth of her feelings for him. It was a struggle not to confess how she felt about him. She missed him terribly.
“With a little luck, I will finish up my business tomorrow and be on my way home by tomorrow evening.”
“Really?” She tried not to show how needy she was.
“Yes, I miss you. Are you missing me?”
“I am,” she admitted softly, hoping she had not revealed how much. She had to be careful, remember who she was dealing with. Ralph could be so sweet, so giving, but he was not a one-woman kind of man. When he got bored he would move on, no matter what an otherwise good guy he was. As long as she kept that in mind, she would be fine.
“Good. Take care and try to keep the twins away from the set.”
She laughed. “Yeah, piece of cake. All I have to do is move the moon. What time is the lunar landing?”
Chuckling, he said, “I don’t envy your having to explain.” Then he said, “This trip couldn’t have come at a worse time. I feel as if I should be there helping you deal with all this.”
“You’re helping, but I think we are going to have to put off Cedar Point.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” Unable to withhold her emotions, she quickly said, “I’ve got to go. Have a safe trip back. Bye.”
Vanessa was disturbed by what seemed to be her ever-increasing feelings for Ralph. When he showed up at work on Thursday to take her out to lunch, she couldn’t seem to breathe easy until he pulled her into his arms and held her close. She’d missed him terribly. She didn’t need to be told she was making a complete fool of herself over the man. She couldn’t help how she felt, no amount of wishing made it go away, and that frightened her.
Their lunch consisted of a quick hamburger at a nearby fast-food restaurant while staring hungrily at each other’s lips. Finally, when they pulled up in the Mathis drive, Ralph, evidently fed up with waiting, pulled her against his strong frame and ended their misery by leaning down to share a long, hungry kiss.
Once he eased back to rest his forehead against hers, “I’m sorry, beautiful. I started what I can’t finish. I’ve gotta get over to the college…a meeting…”
She nodded. “I should get inside.” Not wanting to let him go, she found herself asking, “Will I see you later?”
The instant the words left her mouth, she wanted to call them back. Although embarrassed by her weakness, she waited for his response. No one had to tell her that like most men, Ralph detested clingy women who refused to let go. It was so pathetic. And she’d promised herself she would walk away before she let it get that bad. How close was she to making that relationship-ending mistake?
He smiled, his lips briefly brushed against hers. “Absolutely.”
“Bye.” Hurrying inside the house, she was relieved that she didn’t run into anyone on the way to her office. Vanessa hadn’t expected to react so strongly to him. The instant she laid eyes on him, she wanted to throw herself at him. Why was it so complicated? Didn’t she have enough to deal with without adding more to the mix?
Determined not to dwell on it, she got back to work.
When the telephone rang, absently she said, “Mathis Enterprises?”
A frantic Lana said, “Nessa, what should I do?”
That morning Vanessa had enlisted her sister’s help in keeping the twins away from the television while she was at work.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“Reporters! They’ve been calling the house nonstop all morning, asking questions about Greg Cummingham and the twins. I didn’t know what I’m supposed to say to them, so I’ve been hanging up.”
Vanessa soothed, “You did right, honey. From now on, don’t even answer the telephone.”
“What if it’s important? How do I know it’s not you calling?”
“I will ring twice, then hang up and call right back. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Good girl. I’ll see you in a couple of hours. And keep a close eye on the twins, make sure they play only in the backyard. No bikes today. And call me if you need me to come home early.”
“Okay, Bye.”
When Vanessa reached home, she quickly realized Lana hadn’t exaggerated—the telephone rang continuously. Reporters determined to learn whatever they could find on Greg Cummingham. It didn’t take long for her to grow tired of saying, “No comment.” She gave up and unplugged the telephone.
Before she did, she gave Ralph a quick call, told him about the intrusions, and asked him not to come by later. He sounded as disappointed as she felt when she explained they didn’t know who might be watching the house. There was no way of knowing what they might film or put in print. She’d spoken to reporters as far west as Los Angeles and east as New York City. Judging by the questions they’d asked, she suspected they wanted to find out whatever they could about Cummingham’s connection to the Grant twins. They’d gone on to ask if Cummingham had known about her mother’s pregnancy.
It had taken considerable effort to convince a very concerned Ralph that she didn’t want him drawn into this mess. And it would be better for all of them if his name was not linked to hers. She’d laughed when he claimed that it didn’t matter to him. Well, it mattered to her, and she didn’t want his name spread through the tabloids. After a lengthy discussion, she’d convinced him to leave well enough alone, at least for a few days.
Uncomfortable with leaving the kids alone at home, she decided to work from home. She had also sat the twins down and tried to prepare them for the possibility of a crowd of reporters blocking the entrance to the Cummingham property on Friday evening. But she was the one surprised, when the chauffeur-driven limousine didn’t come for the children. Her calls to the Cumminghams’ went unanswered, and she had no choice but to tell the children the truth. She didn’t know the answer.
She got a call from one of Cummingham’s past lovers offering to testify that he had fathered her son. Vanessa immediately called her lawyer and Ralph. She also received a call of support from one of her mother’s friends confessing that her mother had told her about Cummingham being the twins’ father and about his other lady friend. Doubting her testimony would be considered more than hearsay, nevertheless Vanessa was touched by her mother’s friend’s willingness to help.
On Saturday, they woke up to reporters ringing the doorbell. After an hour of no response, they gave up but didn’t leave. Instead they camped out in their parked cars on both sides of the street. The reporters were careful to stay off her property line, so she couldn’t involve the police.
The kids were upset because they couldn’t go bike riding in the park. After a few hours of entertaining the twins inside the house on this beautiful summer day, an upset Vanessa called Carl Jones, her lawyer, to bring him up to speed and let him know the twins would be with her if their biological father changed his mind.
A quick call to Ralph, then she packed up her family and backed out of the driveway right past the reporters, who hurried out to their cars. One made the mistake of jumping behind her SUV, the kids screamed at the top of their lungs, but she didn’t slow down and at the last second, he reconsidered and dove for the bushes and safety.
Terrified, Vanessa couldn’t stop shaking, even after she had parked inside Ralph’s garage. Before she could unlock her seat belt, Ralph was welcoming them. He helped the twins out and began collecting their bags. She was so glad he lived in an exclusive area of Southfield. They were safe for now.
He teased Vanessa about bringing enough luggage for a week. She was still too upset to find any humor in the situation. Whenever she thought of how close she’d come to hitting that reporter, she started trembling all over again. She didn’t have to explain; the kids gave him a detailed accounting.
When he held his hand out to help her from the car, she shook her head. At his look of surprise, she blinked hard, holding back tears, afraid that if he touched her, she would shatter into a million pieces. Several deep breaths later, she got out of the car. On unsteady legs, she went into the house.
While her family went up to pick out their bedrooms, Ralph opened his arms. In desperate need of his strength, Vanessa let out a weary sigh as she moved forward, not stopping until she pressed her cheek against his chest and wrapped her arms around his lean waist.
She whispered, “Thank you for putting us up for, I hope, only a few days. Oh, Ralph, it was terrible.” She shuddered. “For one wild moment I thought I had run him over. The kids were crying and screaming, and I was a total wreck. I’m not sure how I made it here without crashing into something. I could barely hold on to the steering wheel.”
“Shush, now, baby,” he crooned, as he stroked her hair.
“It’s over, you’re safe, and the kids are fine. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. A week, two weeks, a month, doesn’t matter…there are no limits.”
Vanessa held on to him until the shaking stopped. She had just lifted her head to tell him how much she appreciated his generous invitation when she heard the children’s feet racing to the stairs. She quickly stepped back and dropped her arms.
Smiling, she asked, “Did everyone pick out a room?”
Excited, they were talking at once, trying to outdo each other. Vanessa glanced over at Ralph. “There is still time to change your mind.”
“Not a chance.” He grinned.
“Enough!” she said, holding her hands up. When they were silent, she said, “Okay. Everyone grab your bags. And we’ll unpack, but before we do, what do you say to Ralph for inviting us for a visit?”
“Thank you,” they said at once.
“Let’s go,” Vanessa urged. When she reached for her bag, Ralph picked it up. She was too drained to protest. She smiled. “Thanks.” Then she followed her family upstairs.
Ralph was right behind her. As she assured herself, it was only for a few days, she quietly accepted the truth. She was so far gone, she would be thrilled to move in and become a permanent part of his life. No one had to tell her that there was no such word as “permanent” in Ralph’s vocabulary, at least not when it came to women. He was not about to change. Besides, she did not go anywhere alone. There was no way she could actually live with a man unless they were married, not with a teenager and two small kids to consider.
She should be counting her blessings. They were good friends and lovers…nothing more. The only reason they were staying under the same roof was because of the mess with the Cumminghams and it was in no way personal.
All she had to do was remind herself of that fact a hundred times a day, and she would be fine.