by Darrien Lee
Mr. St. John intervened again. “Who wouldn’t recognize the Chief? Well, my daughter didn’t, but I digress. You’d think she would’ve, being a basketball star herself.”
“Daddy! I couldn’t help it that I was a recluse while I was in medical school. Besides, I don’t have time to keep up with all that stuff anymore.” She eyed Keaton again. “So, Keaton, you’re one of them.”
He held her hand. “I used to be one of them. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”
She gave his hand a little squeeze. “I’ll take care of you later. For now, I temporarily forgive you.”
Mr. St. John clapped his hands together. “With that settled, let’s hit the road. I have a nice dinner waiting on you two.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Keaton and Meridan followed Mr. St. John to the baggage claim area, then out the door to his awaiting car.
It felt good to Meridan to be back at home in her room. Her dad had put Keaton in her sister’s old room across the hallway. Her parents’ room was on the first floor near the kitchen, which made it hard for them to sneak in after curfew when they were teens.
Falling down on her bed, she let out a loud sigh. She could hear her dad across the hall, holding a conversation with Keaton. She lay there listening to their muffled voices through the door. Thinking back to basketball practice in the gym, she remembered how much he was skilled, but the NBA? At that moment, her dad knocked on her door.
“Meridan, hurry up and come on down so you can eat.”
Standing, she yelled back, “Okay, Daddy!” She looked at her suitcase and said, “I guess I’ll have to unpack later.”
Once downstairs, Meridan found him standing over the stove telling Keaton God knows what about her. Keaton was laughing so hard, he was in tears. When she stepped into the kitchen, Keaton tried to stifle his laughter.
“Daddy, what are you down here telling him?”
“Nothing, baby girl. Grab a plate so you can eat. How’s that friend of yours from college, Nikki?”
“She’s fine, Daddy.”
“Well, tell her hello and that she doesn’t have to stop coming down for a visit just because you guys aren’t in college anymore.”
“I’ll tell her, Daddy. Now stop trying to change the subject. What were you telling Keaton?”
Keaton didn’t want to make eye contact with her, in fear that he’d start laughing again. What her father had told him was that Meridan never thought she was good at anything. When she didn’t think she was pretty enough, she tried to change her looks by allowing her best friend to dye her hair. Sadly, it turned out green. He went on to tell Keaton that she also never thought she measured up in basketball, until college scouts started calling the house. Only then did she take it seriously. He warned Keaton that Meridan was very hard on herself, causing her to always challenge her abilities.
Meridan sat down and noticed that her father had gone all out in the kitchen.
He was an excellent cook, preparing meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and green beans.
Of course, no meal was complete without hot water cornbread.
“Daddy, when did you cook all this?”
He sat down at the head of the table. “Oh, about an hour or two before you got here. Now eat up. You look like you’ve lost weight since the last time I saw you.”
“I told you I was dieting,” she reminded him.
Her dad looked at her sternly. “For what? You look fine. Doesn’t she, Keaton?”
Keaton froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.
“Daddy! Keaton’s not in this conversation.”
Keaton put his fork down and looked directly at Meridan.
“Meridan, your father asked me a question, and I’m going to answer it. Mr. St. John, I think Meridan is perfect just like she is. I don’t understand why she’s trying to lose weight either.”
Mr. St. John poured a glass of tea. “You need to eat! A man likes a woman with a little meat on her bones. It’s your heart you need to keep healthy.”
“Daddy, I understand what you’re saying, but for me, I want to lose some weight. Okay? I want to get my college figure back.”
Grumbling under his breath, he said, “Whatever you say, Meridan. So Keaton, did you see the horses when we came in? If you like, I’m sure Meridan would love to show you the farm.”
“Yes, Sir. We sort of talked about riding before we came. Thank you.”
Mr. St. John turned to Meridan. “Your Aunt Glo has been pretty quiet lately. I hope she’s not waiting until my party to cut loose.”
“Me, too, Daddy,” Meridan agreed.
Mr. St. John looked at Keaton. “Keaton, my sister’s a little eccentric so you’ll have to excuse her if she starts acting strange.”
“That’s okay, William. Meridan already warned me that her aunt can be a little colorful at times.”
Mr. St. John continued to eat. “Brother Jones is coming out to set up the tent and tables in a little while. Keaton, I’d appreciate it if you’d ride in with me to pick up the meat from the butcher. Is that all right with you, Meridan?”
“Sure, Daddy. That’ll give me a chance to go pick up a few things.”
He stood and said, “Oh! Your cousins, Devon and Keyshaun, are home from college for the weekend. If you don’t mind, go by your Aunt Elizabeth’s house and pick up the pies she baked. Your Uncle Conrad and family will be in early in the morning. Your sister and her crew are staying at Elizabeth’s house and they’ll be getting in tonight.”
“I’m glad of that. I’m not for any of her drama this weekend.”
Her father sternly said, “I don’t want you two going at it this weekend. Do you hear me?”
“I won’t start, if she doesn’t,” Meridan told him honestly.
Meridan left them alone in the kitchen to retrieve her purse.
Her father looked at Keaton. “Some things never change in this family. I hope it won’t give you a bad impression of us.”
“Don’t worry about me. Every family has its share of sibling rivalry.”
Meridan took mental notes of all her father’s instructions as she pulled her purse upon her shoulder. One meeting she wasn’t looking forward to was with her older sister. She was bitter with her, for some reason, and every chance she got, she’d pick a fight or try to hurt her feelings. Meridan thought that after they’d gone their separate ways, her sister would’ve mellowed out, but she hadn’t. Gwendolyn St. John-Monroe was hell on wheels every chance she got. Meridan had observed that her husband, Thomas, seemed to take the bitter with the sweet, but it was obvious he wasn’t as passive as he appeared. She liked him and their relationship had always been a good one. She couldn’t wait to see her two nieces whom she enjoyed spoiling.
Back downstairs she found Keaton in the den looking at a wall full of family photos.
Embarrassed, she shouted, “Oh my goodness! I look a mess, huh?”
He turned and frowned.
“No, you don’t look a mess. You were beautiful then and you’re still beautiful. Stop being so critical of yourself, Meridan! You’re the only one who seems to have a problem with your appearance.”
As soon as he’d said it, he knew his words may have been a little harsh, but he wanted to reassure her in some way that she was a desirable woman.
Meridan tilted her head, surprised at Keaton’s outburst, but flattered nonetheless. She walked over closer to him. “Come here.”
He turned and she pulled his face close to hers and softly said, “Thank you.”
He showed her his incredible dimples. “You’re welcome.”
She kissed his lips. “Beware of my sister this weekend. As you heard, we don’t see eye-to-eye sometimes so she’ll try to get in my business. Okay?”
He pecked her on the lips once more. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you guys later. You’re in for a treat here in my little town. Daddy’s going to want to show you off to everyone, so I hope it won’t get on your nerves.”
He
hugged her. “Actually, I’m looking forward to it.”
CHAPTER 18
The morning sun woke Keaton up the next day. He hadn’t enjoyed himself like he did last night in a long time. He could hear voices outside, but didn’t know what was going on. They all had sat up late last night talking and catching up on things. It was way past midnight before everyone went to bed. Slowly, he made his way to the bathroom and into the shower. He’d actually had a restful night, even though Meridan was only a few feet away from him. He could smell her scented cologne all night, and it was welcomed aromatherapy circulated by the ceiling fan.
Once dressed, in his jeans and shirt, he wandered downstairs to find a young man in the kitchen making a sandwich.
Keaton said, “Good morning.”
The young man turned. “Dang! Unc was right! You really are here!”
Keaton extended his hand. “I’m Keaton Lapahie, a friend of Meridan’s.”
“Nah, Man, you’re the Chief! I can’t believe it!”
“What’s your name?”
He took a bite of his sandwich, then said, “I’m sorry. I’m Devon, Meridan’s cousin.”
Keaton smiled. “You’re home from school, right?”
Devon took another bite of his sandwich. “Yeah, I’m a freshman at Morehouse.”
Keaton crossed his arms and asked, “How old are you?”
With crumbs falling onto his shirt, he answered, “Eighteen.”
“You look older than eighteen.”
“I hear that all the time,” he said, bragging.
Laughing, Keaton responded, “William said you were home from school. What are you studying?”
He proudly answered, “Electrical Engineering.”
“That’s a great field. Good luck,” he wished him before turning to look down the hallway. “Where is everyone?”
While putting the sandwich up to his mouth, he said, “Thanks, Chief. Oh! Uncle William’s out in the barn. Meridan rode out to check on the fences and I’m here to get some of this home-cooked food that I’ve been missing.”
Laughing, Keaton said, “I understand. What are you eating?”
“It’s a pork chop sandwich. Do you want one?”
He walked over to the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“No, but thanks anyway. It was nice meeting you, Devon.”
“Same here, Man!”
Keaton stepped out onto the back porch and sipped his coffee. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. The smell of the South was like none other. While leaning again the railing, two large, hybrid dogs ran up on the porch and growled.
Devon stepped out onto the porch and yelled, “Cut out all that noise! Keaton, don’t make any quick movements. Reach out and let them smell your hand.”
Keaton looked at him, surprisingly, and asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. They’re okay, once they get used to your smell.”
Keaton was worried about trusting this eighteen-year-old, but he knew the dogs better than he did, so he did as he was told. The dogs immediately took in Keaton’s scent and ran out to the barn playfully.
Devon laughed. “Told you.”
Keaton chuckled. “Yes, you did.”
Devon continued to chew on his sandwich.
Keaton turned and said, “If you don’t mind, put this cup in the kitchen for me. I’m going over to talk to William.”
“No problem.”
In the barn, Keaton watched William go about his daily routine. He looked up and saw Keaton enter.
“Well, you’re finally up. Did you meet Devon?”
It was only nine o’clock but he was sure Mr. St. John had been up for hours. He picked up a pitchfork, ready to help him. “Yes, and I slept very well. Devon said Meridan was out checking the fences.”
“I thought you might want to join her. I have your horse saddled up and ready to go.”
Keaton looked over his shoulder, eyeing the horse. He walked over and patted him. William led the horse outside and pointed over the hill behind the house. Then he handed him a two-way radio.
“Take this radio and when you get to the top of the hill, radio her so she can tell you where she is. We always use these when we go out on the property. You never know when you might get lost or hurt.”
“I understand, Mr. St. John.”
Keaton mounted the horse and tucked the radio in the saddle.
“Keaton, this is the last time I’m going to tell you to stop calling me Mr. St. John. It’s William…okay?”
Keaton put on his sunglasses. “Okay, William. Well, I’m off. I’ll radio back to let you know I found her.”
William patted the horse. “I’ll be waiting.”
Keaton rode off to find Meridan.
Meridan had found another section of the fence that needed mending so she tied a red ribbon around the post to mark the spot. She looked up at the hot sun and sighed. She decided to take a little break under her favorite shade tree, a long way from everything. Dismounting her horse, she pulled out a blanket and a bottle of cold water. Settling down on the blanket, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree. Moments later, a familiar voice radiated over the airwaves.
“Ms. Meridan St. John, where are you?”
Meridan grabbed her radio and answered, “Keaton?”
“The one and only, and I’m trying to find you. Where are you?”
She stood and asked, “What are you near?”
“I see what looks like a lake ahead of me. To my right is a cornfield.”
She laughed. “Keep riding toward the lake. You should see a row of trees. Ride through the row of trees and you’ll find me on the other side of the lake.”
Laughing, he said, “I’m on my way.”
It didn’t take Keaton long to find Meridan resting against the tree. He got off his horse and walked over to where she was.
He smiled and asked, “May I join you?”
Meridan patted the space on the blanket next to her and took another sip of cold water.
“What brings you out here, Keaton?”
“I was looking for you. I didn’t expect you to leave without me.”
Setting her water down, she said, “I was just helping Daddy by checking the fences.”
She walked over to her horse and pulled out another bottle of water. She returned to the blanket and sat down, handing him the water.
“Thank you.”
Meridan finished drinking her water. “You’re welcome. Now if you’d like, I can make this your official tour. I really just got started.”
“That works for me. Your farm is beautiful. William has his hands full, keeping it up to these standards.”
Meridan played with a blade of grass and said, “My uncles and cousins help him. There’s no way he could do this by himself. I used to help when I was here.”
“Somehow I knew that. You never cease to amaze me, Meridan.”
“Thank you, Keaton, but I’ve never been afraid to get my hands dirty. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed working on the farm with my family.”
She could see Keaton’s eyes gleaming at her in a strange way.
He gulped his water down. “I’m going to be leaving Philly in about two weeks. This time off was exactly what I needed, but I need to get back to my restaurant. I’m so glad I got the chance to get to know you better.”
Meridan closed her eyes briefly. Her heart skipped a beat, hearing the word “leaving.”
She solemnly responded, “Thank you and I’m glad I met you, too. I’m going to miss you, Keaton, but I understand you have to get back to your business, and life, in Texas.”
He smiled at her. “I’m going to miss you also, but I’ll be back. Hopefully, I can get you to come down to visit me.”
“We’ll see.”
Silence surrounded them for a moment. He noticed her reaction to his news. He wasn’t sure if what he saw was relief, or disappointment. He hoped it was the latter of the two.
“Thanks for the
drink,” he said as he played with one of her braids.
“It was my pleasure,” she whispered.
Meridan was about to stand to dispose of their bottles when Keaton reached over and grabbed her arm.
She looked at him and asked, “What is it, Keaton?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I do know that you’re a unique woman.”
“I don’t know about unique, but I am a woman,” she said with a smile.
He reached up and cupped her face, pulling her toward him.
“Oh, that’s without a doubt,” he said, staring at her.
He leaned forward in silence and kissed her very, very slowly. Meridan felt like she was about to hyperventilate as Keaton’s lips moved over hers. His seduction was extremely powerful. Meridan wrapped her arms around his neck and found herself straddling his lap. His kisses were hot and sweet. There was no doubt in her mind that Keaton wanted her right then and there. They’d come close once and his seduction had become even more intense each time their lips joined. Her body had also become very responsive; even when he came within a few feet of her. Keaton lay back onto the blanket, taking her down with him. Keaton grabbed her hips, pulling her body closer to him. Their hearts were beating wildly as they both tried to maneuver to get even closer to each other. He was fully aroused and feeling as if he was going to explode.
Breathlessly, she panted, “Oh, Keaton. I… I… My God!”
Rolling over to change positions, he unbuttoned her shirt, removed her bra, and buried his face in her chest. Meridan’s body jerked as soon as his lips came in contact with her breasts. He took his time as he gave her body his undivided attention.
“Damn, Meridan.” He moaned as he ran his tongue over her nipples.
At that moment, Mr. St. John’s voice boomed over the two-way radio, startling them.
“Keaton! Meridan! Did you two find each other?”
If he only knew.
Meridan picked up her radio with trembling fingers and stuttered, “Uh, yeah… I mean yes, Daddy, he found me. We’re going to…uh…finish checking the fences and then head home.”
“Okay, you two be careful out there,” he warned her. “A storm is brewing.”
