“No, I don’t think so. Not yet anyway. I can’t just up and move Kharri in with another man. That would confuse the hell out of her.”
“Oh, because I just thought that it would be a good idea. It would be good for everyone.”
“Did you not just hear what I said about Kharri? And who else would it be good for?” Kennedy asked.
Simone straightened the salt and pepper shakers. “Yes, I heard you. I just thought that with you and this guy being so serious that Kharri would know him by now.”
Kennedy rested her elbows on the table and spoke slowly. “No. I don’t think it’s healthy for a parent to introduce a child to someone too soon. Children have to get adjusted, and Kharri hasn’t adjusted to me and Jared not being together yet. I’ll know when she’s ready.”
“Oh, I see. The reason I said that is because I need to discuss something with you, and I hope you’ll understand,” Simone said with a pleading look.
After Simone explained that she wanted Nigel to move in and Kennedy to move out, Kennedy sat in disbelief. Her sister was asking her to move out. And not only her but Kharri. Miranda could take care of herself. Kennedy hardly heard Simone when she said how much she loved Nigel and even had entertained the thought of one day marrying him. Kennedy didn’t hear anything except that her sister was throwing her and Kharri out of their house.
“Simone, let me stop you there. Quite frankly I don’t need to hear anymore,” Kennedy said in a tone so cold that it could make ice shiver. “So you’re saying that you want me and Kharri out? Well—”
“Not like that, Ken—”
Kennedy reached across the table and pointed her slim finger in Simone’s face. “No, you had your say. Now let me have mine. Not twice, Simone,” Kennedy shook her head. “Not twice. You pulled this before with your ex. He popped the question and then you put me and Derrick out. Then you begged me to leave my own place and move back in. Promised me that it would never happen again”
Simone reached across and grabbed Kennedy’s hand. “Ken, I’m sorry. What else can I say—”
“Sorry? Please, Simone.” Kennedy waved her hand. “That’s what you said last time. If you want me and my daughter out, we’ll leave. And it won’t be in a month either, I’ll tell you that.” Kennedy flared her nostrils and bit her lip. “But if you want us out, I suggest you take your sneaky ass to the bank and come out with a shitload of money. If you want us out, you’re going to have to buy me out. Simple as that! Remember, you didn’t buy that house with just your money, baby. You bought it with our money. Mommy and Daddy left me money too. And another thing, if you want the house that bad, you’re going to have to pay me more than half of what the house is worth. Got me?” Kennedy sneered across the table.
Simone looked around to see if anyone was listening. “Kennedy, wait. I didn’t mean for this to get nasty. You’re a woman too. Would you have wanted someone in the house with you and Jared when you two were together? And why on earth would I have to pay you? Hell, I took care of you all these years.”
“First of all, you didn’t take care of me. You may have contributed, but you contributed with my trust fund and the Social Security checks. Remember the checks after Mommy died? I wasn’t that dumb. You didn’t think I knew about the checks, huh? Well, I did. And the reason you have to pay me more than half is because you used my inheritance that wasn’t supposed to be touched, which could’ve been sitting in the bank collecting a hell of a lot of interest. You don’t believe me? Well, we can just take this to court. No problem. The SSI checks were what you were supposed to use to take care of me, not my trust fund. Anyway, I’ve said all that I need to say. You just have my check—make that my cashier’s check—ready. And don’t you ever, and I mean ever breathe in my direction or my daughter’s direction again,” Kennedy instructed.
“Not Kharri, Kennedy. That’s not fair—”
“Fuck fair and fuck you! If you cared about your niece so much you wouldn’t be kicking her out.” Kennedy rose, grabbed her purse, and walked out.
~ 8 ~
As Kennedy pulled up to the front of the house to pick up Miranda, her phone rang. At first she wasn’t going to answer but then she decided to since she had paged Michael.
“Hello,” Kennedy sang into the phone.
“Ken, it’s Jared. Listen, Kharri just fell off her bike and we’re at the hospital—”
“What do you mean, at the hospital? Is she all right?” Kennedy’s heart beat faster by the second.
“Yeah, she’ll be all right. We just don’t know if her ankle is fractured or sprained. The X-rays haven’t come back yet. She’s not in pain, the doctors gave her something. But her ankle swelled up pretty fast—”
“Okay. Miranda and I will be on the next flight out.”
“No, I’m capable of handling this and she’ll be fine,” Jared said.
“If you were capable, Kharri wouldn’t be lying up in the damn hospital, now would she. I said I’ll be there. And keep your girl out of my way,” Kennedy snapped.
“She’s not here—”
“Good.” Kennedy hit the end button on her cell phone and paged Michael again.
Kennedy walked into the house without knocking. She was pissed. How could Jared be so careless?
“Miranda, it’s me, so don’t get scared. You need to start locking the door too. If I walked in anybody could.” Kennedy sat down.
Miranda came downstairs. “When did you just start walking into houses? I thought the door was locked.”
Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Last time I checked I lived here too.”
“I was just joking, Kennedy, damn.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just upset. That damn Jared, I tell you. Anyway, I need you to take a trip with me. Kharri’s had an accident so I need to be on the next thing smoking—”
“Oh no. Is she okay?”
“Yeah. According to Jared, she’ll be fine.”
Miranda hurried back to the stairs. “Okay, just let me get my stuff. Do we have time?”
Kennedy shook her head. “Just grab your purse and a jacket. Planes can get a little cool.”
When Miranda went to get her things Kennedy called the airline to make reservations. She had to get to Kharri. She picked up an Essence magazine and absently flipped through it before finally throwing it on the table as she waited for her reservations to be confirmed. “Come on, Miranda, we gotta go,” she mumbled.
Miranda ran in the living room. “Okay, I’m ready. But do we have a few?”
“Our flight isn’t for four hours, why?”
Miranda smiled. “Well . . . I gotta go somewhere—”
Kennedy put her hands on her hips. “Miranda, don’t you realize this is an emergency?”
“It’s on the way to the airport.” Miranda pulled Kennedy out of the house.
* * *
On the way to the airport Kennedy and Miranda stopped by the bank. Miranda insisted on paying for the trip despite Kennedy’s protests. She told Kennedy that she went to visit Rich twice but the guards wouldn’t allow her in. When Miranda asked why, the C.O.’s showed her the visitor’s list, on which another woman’s name was signed. Apparently Rich had a few women because Miranda had seen the woman’s signature twice, and she wasn’t the one who had come to Miranda’s house. Miranda was pissed but went to see Rich a third time because she knew Rich had a stash of money somewhere. Convincing Rich that she’d hire a lawyer for him, he told her where the money was. Miranda had gone to get it and never spoke to him again.
* * *
After Kennedy and Miranda got to Virginia Beach and Kharri was released from the hospital with a sprained ankle, they checked into a hotel located on the beach. The hospital had kept Kharri overnight for observation because no one was sure if she had hit her head when she fell. Kennedy took Kharri to the hotel and Miranda instructed Jared to pack some of Kharri’s things and bring them over.
When Jared arrived Kharri was sound asleep and Miranda was halfway asleep herself, o
r at least it looked like it. Jared walked through the door and looked around. He nodded as he opened curtains and cabinets.
“Jared, who or what are you looking for?” Kennedy asked.
“I’m not looking for anything, just checking the place out. It’s pretty nice. Where are your bags, in the car? I can go get them for you if you want me to,” Jared said, flashing the same smile that made Kennedy fall for him.
“I didn’t bring any luggage. I didn’t have time. I’ll just pick up what I need while I’m here.”
“Big time, huh. It must be nice,” Jared teased, showing his dimples.
“Yeah, right, Dr. J. How much money are you making now?”
“None really. I won’t see anything until I’m done training.”
“Training? Is that what they call it? Oh, I see, you’re using laymen’s terms with me. So how much do geneticists make nowadays, a billion or so?” Kennedy nudged Jared as she passed him and walked out to the balcony.
“Please, I’m sure you know, Ms. Research. So, how’s school coming along and when will you be done?” Jared asked, following her out onto the balcony.
“I’d be done by now if I hadn’t taken two years off to stay home with Kharri. You know that. But I’ll be done after this semester. I already got a job offer, beaucoup money and perks too. That’s what you get when you graduate among the top of the class.” Kennedy beamed.
“Well, all right for Ms. Kennedy.” Jared applauded. “How about we go celebrate?”
“What will Tasha have to—”
“Nothing. I can go and celebrate with my daughter’s mother if I want to. Please, a step in the right direction for us is a step in the right direction for her, right?” Jared said as he placed his arm around Kennedy’s back in a friendly manner.
“You’re right, but I can’t leave her now. She just got out of the hospital, Jared.”
“Ken, trust me. The hospital monitored her all night. Kharri’s fine. She’ll be okay, she’s with Miranda. If not as her father, take my word as a doctor. We’ll only be downstairs . . . in walking distance.”
Kennedy was reluctant but needed the air. She’d been through a lot lately and she still hadn’t talked to Michael.
“Okay. But I will be checking on her.”
* * *
After they checked on Kharri and Miranda told them to have a good time, they headed for the beach. They walked hand in hand, laughing and playing like two old friends. Jared took Kennedy to an outdoor restaurant where they could see the beach from their table.
Kennedy admired the whiteness of the sand and couldn’t wait to feel it between her toes. Her nose tickled from the salty smell of the water. All beaches smelled the same. She smiled as the couples walked by. She and Jared had once left their footprints in the sand.
They ate, drank, talked about Kharri, and drank some more. Kennedy couldn’t remember the last time she saw Jared drink. She decided not to mention it because she liked this side of Jared. When he talked, his dark brown eyes smiled. Did they smile for his fiancée too? Kennedy wondered about Michael and why he hadn’t returned her page. She decided to page him in China and let him know where she was. It wasn’t like him not to get back to her, and she was worried. She missed him already.
“Penny for your thoughts, Kennedy,” Jared said.
“Oh, nothing. I just need to make a call and check on Kharri, that’s all.”
“We haven’t been gone long, Kharri’s fine. Can’t the call wait? Is he that important?”
“Don’t be silly. I was supposed to analyze a friend of mine’s company and make some suggestions tomorrow. I just need to call and tell her that I won’t be able to make it, that’s all,” Kennedy lied without thinking.
“Oh. Sorry, I was just prying. I know that it’s not my place to but I still can’t help but wonder about someone else in your life.”
“I understand, believe me. So let’s go back to the hotel so I can leave her a message. Her number’s in the room,” Kennedy said, warming up to the lie.
* * *
At the hotel Jared told Kennedy that he would wait for her outside on the beach. Although she was going to call Michael, she still felt butterflies in her stomach knowing that Jared was waiting for her. She decided that she wouldn’t have any more alcohol.
She eased herself into the hotel suite so she wouldn’t wake Kharri or Miranda, who was holding Kharri like a protective mother. She eased the door shut and headed for the phone to page Michael. Out of habit she left her cell number instead of the hotel’s and immediately regretted it. Her cell phone was in the room with Miranda and Kharri. After she eased back into the darkness she found her phone and tried to ease back out. Instead she stubbed her toe and yelled, “Damn.”
“Mommy, is that you?” Kharri asked.
“Yes. I didn’t mean to wake you with my yelling.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, baby, just fine. Are you okay?” Kennedy stepped to Kharri’s side of the bed and held her and played with her hair.
“Yes. Where’s Daddy?” Kharri asked.
“He’s downstairs waiting for me. Do you want me to tell him anything?”
“Tell him hi and that I’m okay. And tell him to be extra nice to you, that way he can get you back like he wants to.”
“Is that what he told you?” Kennedy asked, smiling.
“Yes, a long time ago. Just tell him to be extra nice because that’s what I do and most of the time you give me what I want when I’m being a good girl. So tell Daddy to be a good boy,” Kharri said.
“Oh, is that right? Well, I’ll tell him for you. Now you be a good girl and get some rest,” Kennedy said between laughs.
As Kennedy walked out of the bedroom her cell phone rang.
“Hey, I was wondering when you’d call. I’m in—”
“I can’t talk right now. Let me call you back,” Michael said.
“Michael, is someone at your door? I hear knocking. Who’s at your door at three in the morning?” Kennedy asked.
“Kennedy, it’s not three here, and this is really not a good time. I’ll call you back,” Michael said as he covered the mouthpiece of the phone.
A woman’s muffled voice told Michael to hang up the phone.
Kennedy said, “I see why you can’t talk. Well, tell her when she kisses you that she’s tasting me!” Kennedy hung up, threw her phone on the sofa, and left to meet Jared.
Kennedy kicked the elevator door. She couldn’t believe that Michael had fooled her. She thought that he was one of the good guys, but he wasn’t. He thought he was slick by covering up the mouthpiece, as if she wouldn’t be able to hear the woman in the background. She couldn’t let Jared see her in this state. She couldn’t let Jared know that her love life had turned to shit and his was roses. When she saw Jared waiting for her she quickened her step and smiled like everything was gravy . . . all good.
“Let’s get a drink,” Kennedy said, abandoning her no-more-drinking policy.
“That bad, huh?”
“No, I’m just enjoying myself with you. Is that a problem?” Kennedy asked as she playfully nudged him with her elbow.
“No problem. We’re friends, right?” Jared winked.
“No problem at all. So where to now?” Kennedy asked and winked back.
“Well, I bought some wine earlier. Some very good wine,” Jared said, looking at his watch, “and since it’s officially your birthday, I guess we could take a walk down the beach and drink a couple of bottles like some winos,” Jared teased. “Happy Birthday, Ken Ken.” Jared kissed her on the cheek.
Kennedy beamed. Worrying about Kharri and Michael, she’d forgotten her birthday. Michael didn’t even wish me Happy Birthday, she thought. “Thanks, Jared. So you have a couple of bottles? I don’t know if I can handle that, but I’ll try. I’ve had a long couple of days and I need it.”
Jared took Kennedy’s hand in his and they went in search of a place on the beach where they could be alone. Kennedy smiled as she
felt the sand ooze between her toes. When she wasn’t looking, Jared dropped his bag and tickled her. Kennedy laughed until her stomach hurt and fell in the sand. Jared picked her up and carried her until he found a spot. He pulled two crystal flutes and a bottle of wine from his backpack that he’d carefully wrapped in two towels. He confessed that he went to the liquor store before he had came to the hotel and had the wine in a cooler in his car trunk. He also admitted that he had hoped that they could get together and talk. Kennedy’s stomach fluttered.
After a few glasses of wine Kennedy loosened up and stared at Jared. She couldn’t believe that he was engaged to some other woman. She couldn’t picture him with anybody else. He spoke of things she couldn’t hear because she was lost in her own thoughts. While he was talking, she got up and walked to the shore. He followed.
“Kennedy, what’s wrong?” Jared asked.
“You used to love me, remember?” Kennedy whispered.
“Of course. I still do and will always,” Jared said as he grabbed Kennedy’s face and held it gently, gazing into her eyes.
“It’s not the same, Jared. You love me because I’m Kharri’s mother. Now you love her.” Tears welled up in her eyes. She was definitely letting the alcohol get the best of her.
Jared dusted the sand from his hands and wiped her tears. “Ken, don’t start. I don’t want to fight. I thought we were enjoying ourselves. Aren’t you enjoying yourself?”
“I’m not trying to fight, Jared. I’m just being honest. Honest with you . . . honest with myself. Do you realize that you never asked me to marry you? Hell, I gave birth to your child. I just don’t understand. No matter how hard I fight it, it hurts. I wasn’t really mad when you told me. I was more hurt than mad . . . jealous, I guess. But I have no right—”
“You do have a right. We had a lot of good years between us. They will always mean something. And if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t ask her, she proposed to me. When we were together I did want to marry you. I was just waiting for the right time.” Jared stared in Kennedy’s eyes, refusing to blink.
Momma's Baby, Daddy's Maybe Page 10
