by Ancelli
“Tell my granddaughter and son-in-law that I love them.” her mom said backing away. “Love you.”
Son-in-law? Kanielle grinned thinking that didn’t sound bad. Was she willing to take the plunge again? She blew her mother a kiss, and got in the car. “I’m on my way.”
***
He looked out of the window, watching the raindrops hit the glass. Brandon gripped the cup in his hands. His grandmother was playing with his little girl. Memories from the past resurfaced as lightening flashed and thunder shook the windowpanes. Every time he heard the thunder roar, he would flinch. He tried calling Kanielle, but she wouldn’t answer. Brandon was feeling uneasy.
“Bran.” his grandmother called out.
“Yes,” he turned looking at her.
“Cece is getting restless,” his granny stood. Cece rubbed her eyes and started to whine. “She misses her mom.”
“Yes, Kanielle usually gives her a bath and then puts her to sleep,” he gently took her from his granny’s hands. “Come here, princess,” he nuzzled her neck.
“Do you spend a lot of time with Kanielle?” His grandmother searched his eyes.
“Yes, we’re planning on buying a house together,” he rocked his little girl. He knew his granny wanted to say something about their relationship, and now she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Do you think that’s wise?” She inquired. “Brandon, are you completely over Maggie?”
“Yes, Granny,” he cocked his eyebrow. “I love Kanielle. I’ve been over Maggie. I wish her the best. Kanielle makes me happy, isn’t that what you wanted?”
“I do,” she hesitated. “Maggie did a number on you, and I don’t want to see you hurt again. Has Kanielle gotten over her ex-husband? Or are you guys using each other to stop the pain of being alone?”
“Granny, didn’t you just hear me? I love Kanielle,” Brandon was hurt by his grandmother’s words. He should’ve stayed home with Kanielle instead of coming here and being badgered. He loved his granny, but she thought she knew what was best for him. She was also the one that told him Maggie was it, and look how that came out.
“I apologize, son,” his granny touched his back. “I won’t say anything else.”
“Thank you!” He placed Cece over his shoulder and patted her back.
Someone banged on the door. “Were you expecting someone?” Brandon stared at the door. His grandmother’s friends were with their families, and he didn’t associate with anyone here. The closest house was miles away. Maybe whoever it was may be lost.
“No.”
He walked through the kitchen, and then the living room. Brandon swung the door open. Kanielle was standing there soaked wet by the rain. Her hair was plastered to her forehead and cheeks. “Surprise,” she grinned, holding a small bag.
Brandon couldn’t stop smiling. She must have read his thoughts. “The best surprise ever. Come in.”
“I couldn’t stay away.” She got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “My mom knows me so well.” He had no idea what she was talking about.
His granny stood in the corner as Kanielle stepped over the threshold. “Hi, Maureen.” She waved her hand. Brandon closed the door.
“Good evening, Kanielle,” she walked up to her and hugged her. When she pulled back her dress was damp from hugging Kanielle. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“My mother surprised me with tickets,” Kanielle shivered. He now understood what she meant when she said her mom knew her well. Irene felt that Kanielle wanted to be with them.
“Let me get you some towels,” His granny went to move.
“I’ll get them, Granny, can you put Cece down?” Brandon kissed Coral, and Kanielle caressed her tiny head.
“I don’t want to get her wet. I’ll come get you when I’m dried.” Kanielle kissed her hand. “Good night, peanut.”
His grandmother grabbed the baby, and walked up the stairs. Brandon moved closer to Kanielle and circled his arms around her. “I missed you. I needed you tonight more than ever.”
“I know,” she pulled back, touching his chest. “I can see it in your eyes,” Kanielle felt his heartbeat. “I’m here now.” She shivered again, and he held her tight, trying to warm her up.
“Let’s get you dried off,” Brandon took her hand in his, and guided her upstairs. “Did you eat? We have a lot of leftovers.”
“Yes, I’m hungry,” Kanielle stared at all the pictures hanging on the wall. There were some of him, his parents she assumed, and his grandparents. “Are these your parents?” She stopped, pointing at the blonde woman, sitting next to a tall man. Cece’s eyes resembled his.
“Yes,” his lips curled up into a smile. “That’s my mom Candice, and my dad Brock. This one,” he fingered the canvas, “Was taken at the memorial park on the 4th of July.”
“It’s beautiful,” Kanielle gazed at him. “It looks like you were having fun.”
“I was,” he squeezed her hand. “Come on let’s get you dried.” Cece’s cries could be heard down the hall. “She knows you’re here.”
“Should I get her?” She asked as she continued looking at the pictures. “Grandpa?” she asked and pointed.
“Yes,” Brandon didn’t want to go down memory lane, but Kanielle was interested in his family, and he wouldn’t deny her. “Granny, do you need me to get her?” He yelled.
“Do not come in,” she shouted through the door. “She’ll be okay, a little bit of crying won’t hurt her.”
Kanielle laughed, “That’s exactly what my grandma used to say when Chris was a newborn.”
“Well, I don’t like to hear her cry,” Brandon opened the door to his bedroom.
“You never mentioned your granny lived in the middle of nowhere,” Kanielle followed him. “The taxi driver practically laughed at me.”
“Yes I did. They usually don’t come this far. The closest high school is twenty miles away.” He chuckled. “How much was the tab?”
“A hundred dollars.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I wanted to surprise you,” Kanielle pulled off her jacket as they entered his room. “This doesn’t seem poor,” she giggled, glancing at the paintings. “I know you remodeled.”
“Yes,” his bedroom had its own bathroom. He upgraded everything from the inside out. Inside the house he redid the kitchen cabinets, counters, and everything from new appliances to upgraded bedrooms. Each bedroom had a queen-sized bed, with antique furniture. He handed her a towel off the hook behind the door. She dried her face and hair first.
“You won’t believe what I witnessed today.”
He watched her pulling down her pants, her ass in front of him, and instantly he became hard. The white panties fit her perfectly. “What?” He resisted the urge to take her right where she stood.
“Andy proposed to my mother,” she finally tugged at her pants, and threw them on the floor.
He was happy for her mother. “Wow, I didn’t expect to hear that.”
“I didn’t either, but she was beaming when he asked. I have never seen my mother that happy, and they couldn’t keep their hands off each other,” Kanielle grinned too. “And the icing on the cake was when I gave her my surprise.”
“Did she fall out?” Brandon was joking.
“She cried. I would do anything for her,” Kanielle was having a hard time with her blouse.
Brandon eased her shivering hands away and pulled Kanielle’s blouse off, leaving her in a white bra and panties.
“Don’t get any ideas,” she picked up her wet clothes off the floor. “Your grandmother is in the next room.”
“Fine. I guess a shower together is out of the question?” he asked, fixing himself.
“Yes,” she went into the bathroom, and he heard the click of the lock. “Just in case!” She yelled through the door.
***
Kanielle pulled on a robe that was hung behind the door, and came out of the bathroom with her hair up high in a ponytail. This is where she bel
onged, with Brandon. She knew something was bothering him because he wasn’t his usual chipper self. He wasn’t in the bedroom, so she decided to leave the room, and went down the stairs searching for him. She took in the modern farmhouse. Whoever decorated it did a great job, but could’ve added more color. She noticed the front door was cracked opened, and she eased over, inching it further out.
Brandon was sitting in the cold rain, on the step with his hands over his face. His entire body shook, and Kanielle’s heart ached as she rushed to him.
“What’s wrong?” she bent down on her knees, getting wet all over again. She sat next to him, and placed his head down on her lap. Kanielle combed his hair with her fingers. “I’m here, Bran. I’m not going anywhere.” She would hold him until he was ready to talk. She looked up at the clouds and lightening lit the sky in fiery fingers. Thunder followed like an echo around them and then it hit her. This was one of his triggers. “I’m here.”
“Don’t leave me.” his voice rattled.
“I won’t leave you,” she kissed the side of his head. Her heart ached for him. It was her always needing him, now it was her turn.
His breathing began to calm down, and he slowly sat up. “On a night like this my parents were killed. I never got to say I love them, or goodbye. This has haunted me my entire life.”
“Baby.” She caressed his jaw. “They knew their little boy loved them, and I know they are so proud of the man you’ve become.” The raindrops continued falling, drenching Kanielle and Brandon. It wasn’t the war that had him like this, it was the unfortunate death of his loving parents. Rain was a trigger too.
“Tell me about them,” Kanielle leaned back on her elbows and Brandon moved forward, placing his elbows on his legs. She was cold, her cheeks flushed and her teeth chattered.
“My mother was sweet, but tough,” he smiled remembering his mother. “Her nickname was Cece. She loved reading books. She was the one that tucked me in at night, my dad was always working. My father was the disciplinarian though. He whooped my ass a couple of times, but I deserved it though.”
“So, that’s where you two got it from?” she chuckled. He’d said that Coral and him had come up with the nickname. “Cece.”
“She talked about taking a trip to Europe, my dad would say one day honey, one day.” Brandon continued talking about his parents, and his memories as a child. What he experienced after their deaths. They shared, laughed, and cried together.
Kanielle told him about her childhood, about growing up without a father, and how it affected her.
“I caught my father in bed with my mother’s best friend,” Kanielle reclined back. “He begged me to keep quiet and I did, and it happened again. I was a teenager and he made me feel like it was my fault that he was having sex with my mom’s friend. I lived with the guilt of not telling my mom the truth for months, until I couldn’t anymore. I told her, and she went crazy.”
Brandon didn’t say anything, he just watched her.
“He packed all his shit up, but before he left he yelled at me and said this was all my fault.” She still pondered over the words he lashed out at her. She forgave him, and now it was time to let go of the anger.
“Sweets, I hope you know the misconduct of your father wasn’t on you. He needed to point the finger at someone and he chose you,” he wiped her face with his large hands. “You need to let go of that guilt, baby.”
“I have.” she looked away.
He cupped her face, “Have you ever thought about finding your father?”
“For what?” she placed her hands over his. “I have everything I’ve ever needed. My mother sacrificed so much for me and my brother, she was my father too.”
“Haven’t you wondered?” He caressed her cheek.
“I did, but my mother answered my questions,” she felt the tears tingle in her eyes. “His mistress was more important than his family, so to answer your question, I have no use for someone who doesn’t want to be in my life. I have forgiven him, and I’ve released any hold he had on me.”
“I understand,” he kissed her nose. “By the way, this never happened,” he chuckled. “I’m a bad ass.”
“Yes you are,” Kanielle touched her forehead with his. “Nothing happened tonight.” Brandon wasn’t weak at all, this just proved to her how far he’d come and how strong he was. To share his intimate moments with her meant a lot.
“Thanks, my angel,” he tipped her chin, and kissed her shivering lips.
Kanielle stood, and straddled Brandon. She sat on his lap, circling his neck with her arms. “My Bran.” She stroked her fingers in his plastered hair. “I love you.”
“I want you now,” Brandon wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his hands on her ass, pulling her closer.
“Your grandmother,” she mouthed.
“She’s sleeping,” he kissed her jaw. “Don’t deny me.” He pleaded as his hands inched under the robe, noticing she didn’t have on underwear. “Good girl.”
Kanielle tugged on the button on his slacks, leaning up on her knees, and Brandon moved a bit, releasing his cock. The cold weather didn’t affect him. He gently pulled her down on his rod. She received him inch by delicious inch. She had to be quiet.
“Uhhhh.” Brandon uttered as he held on tightly to her waist, guiding her up and down on his cock.
Kanielle rotated her hips, matching his thrusts. “Oh yes…”
His strokes were getting faster, and he pushed up as she plunged down. Her pussy was sheathing his dick tightly. He was hitting all the right spots, and Kanielle could feel her impending orgasms.
“More… don’t… stop…” Kanielle moaned, and closed her eyes, throwing her head back up to the sky. The raindrops hit her, making the experience more erotic. Brandon pinched her now exposed breast, and sucked on the other one. “Oh God… Bran… I’m coming…” She groaned, her legs shaking.
“Fuck…” he said between gritted teeth. “Mine…I’m coming too…” Brandon growled as he came deep within her core. He muffled his groans by sucking on her breast, and digging his fingers into her ass cheeks.
Kanielle threw her arms around him, and laid her head on his shoulder. “I will always be here for you.” She whispered.
Brandon kissed her neck. She was shivering from the cold. He went to move. “Wrap your legs around me,” he ordered, and she obeyed. He slowly stood, and his pants were about to fall. He gently eased her against the wall, and he pulled them up with one hand. He held her by the ass, and entered the house, kicking the door shut.
“I can walk,” she chuckled.
“I don’t want you to,” he took the steps one by one. “We need to get you dried off again, and get our little girl.”
Kanielle and Brandon put on their nightclothes. She waited for him on the bed. He returned with Cece in his arms, and she was knocked out. He placed her in between both of them.
“Can you image life without her?” Brandon combed Cece’s hair back with his fingers. “I can’t.”
“Me neither,” Kanielle gazed at her little girl. “She’s my dream come true.”
“Those few minutes when we assumed she wasn’t ours, my heart stopped,” he swallowed. “My world stopped for a few seconds.”
Kanielle touched his jaw. “You would’ve loved her the same.”
“Thank God she is mine, because he would’ve tried to keep her away from me,” Brandon kissed her chunky cheeks.
“We don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Kanielle laid back on the pillows. “Remember what you said?”
“What?” He twisted and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.
“She’s perfectly mixed.” Kanielle closed her eyes. Life couldn’t get any better.
“The best of you and me.”
***
“Good morning, Mrs. Maureen,” Kanielle walked into the kitchen. “May I help?” Maureen was mixing what seemed to be pancake batter.
The older lady just stared back at her, and then her lips curled into
a small smile. “Yes. Grab those eggs off the table.”
Kanielle picked up the bowl filled with the eggs, and handed them to Brandon’s granny. “I would like to make you breakfast for a change.”
“Can you cook?” Maureen raised one of her eyebrows.
Kanielle was a little offended, why would she think she couldn’t cook? “I love to cook,” she strolled forward to the sink. “Mrs. Maureen, go rest, and let me do something nice for you.”
Her smile reached her eyes. “My boy isn’t broken anymore, and it’s because of you,” she watched her. “I questioned him last night about you, and he defended the love he felt for you. Do you love my grandson?”
Kanielle knew his granny needed to hear it come out of her mouth. “Yes, I love your Bran. He has made me forget all the bad I’ve been through,” she sighed. “When I married Robert, I thought I knew what love was. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him, but he never loved me back the same way. I knew it, but I settled, assuming he would change once we were married, but it became worse. It was all about him, and he placed me on the back burner. Not with Brandon,” Kanielle smiled. “My opinions count, he loves me, no exceptions. He loves me just the way I am, with my imperfections and all, and I love him with his. With him I am me, I can be silly, and I can be myself.”
“That’s my Bran. He’s been through so much since he was a kid, and all I want him to be is happy. God has chosen to take everyone I love, but he gave me him.” Maureen’s voice rattled. “He is all I’ve got.”
“You have Cece and me now too,” Kanielle took a few steps forward and hugged her.
She accepted her embrace. “Thank you, sweetie.” She patted Kanielle’s back and twisted around.
“I thought you had a problem with my race,” Kanielle said, needing to know if she was right.
“Oh, honey. I told you before,” Maureen touched her arm. “If Brandon doesn’t have a problem with the color of your skin, why would I? At first it was a shock because he never mentioned that fact, but I don’t care if you’re black, white, yellow, or green. A white woman broke his heart. And honestly, we are all the same,” Maureen smiled. “I’ll be back down in an hour for breakfast.” She said as she left the kitchen.
