“Nope, not even remotely close. Isiah is more like my Dad, and Gabriel, well that is a different animal altogether,” he said softly.
Mary turned around in the seat, barely wanting to take her eyes off Michelle. “If we’re lucky, maybe your friends will make decent men out them rascals and Joe and I can get more grandbabies to spoil,” she said smiling. “Zeke, you may need to plan for more than just two extra bedrooms. If we all come here for Thanksgiving or Christmas, that kitchen needs to be a whole lot bigger with a larger bathroom and maybe a water closet.”
“I will keep that in mind, Mom,” he told her.
“You two go take a break. We got this little darling here,” Josiah said to them.
Zeke liked the sound of that. A few moments alone with his wife was just what the doctor ordered before they tackled the job of putting away all the baby clothes in the new chest of drawers Nate had brought along with the bassinette. “Hey, Snook’ums, is it hot in here or is it just me?” He said, taking her by the hand and pulling her into the bedroom. Zeke closed the door behind them, securing the lock. Today would have to be a very quiet exercise in love, but he had all the time and patience needed to take his lovely wife step by step in the joys of just being close.
“Ooh, you are rather hot,” said, meeting his lips.
“You don’t even know the half of it,” Zeke told her as he led her to the bed. “I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but you have my heart lady.”
“I don’t ever plan to let you go either,” Tameka said, staring at him with her eyes open wide, seeing everything and understanding it all as he lay beside her, simply holding her close.
IN THE SQUAD CAR, SHERIFF Huckston waited impatiently for Harley to join him in the vehicle. He had questions, even after seeing the woman, the niggling feeling in the back of his head, worked on his nerves. She was lying. The Neary boy was lying. Josiah Neary was a pain in his ass.
Harley left the cabin, his head hung low, making his way to the waiting squad car, ready to shut down Huckston. He hadn’t wanted to come, but he needed to know. The message said Jimmy Don hurt me. I had to know she was alright.
“I don’t buy that crock of shit in there. They are pulling a fast one on us, or at least trying to, but it won’t work,” the Sheriff said thumping his fist in the steering wheel.
“Sheriff, you are courting a whole heap of trouble if you start a war with them, and over what? Jimmy Don is dead,” Harley said.
“Yeah, but she is the one ain’t she? Is that your former bride to be in there? If she is, she can bring a whole heap of trouble to us as well,” Huckston said, looking at Harley for answers. “Well is she, or ain’t she?”
Harley looked at the window. In the eyes of the large panes were silhouettes of happy people enjoying a quiet life. She would be happy in the little house with him, her yellow wall and her new friends. In his mind, she deserved that and more.
“Sheriff, I don’t know that woman,” he said honestly.
“You’re telling me, that she is not your ex! You are saying that the baby she is holding ain’t your niece?”
“Until today, I have never seen that woman in my life,” Harley said. Tameka Neary was not a woman that he knew. His Aisha was no more. “Let’s get out of here and leave these people in peace.”
Epilogue
CORALINE NEWAIR WAS running late and if she didn’t get on stage soon, there would a disturbance of the peace. The conference was due to start at any moment and she was first to open the sessions with an introduction to finding your perfect match, which was also the name of her New York-based Mail Order Bride company. She was proud to help the organization which had been in business since 1842 when the first mail-order bride sat in the back of the first wagon train headed west in 1843. Careful planning and screening took place of the men, often observing them without their knowledge, taking pictures of their homes and businesses for verification of the grooms being whom they said they were. Her life and the lives of the brides depended on it.
Only seventeen instances in nearly 175 years had gone poorly. The last one, under her watch, was Aisha Miller. Investigators had been sent to Georgia to find the woman, but all the leads were cold. It was like she’d disappeared from sight. A fresh lead came into play nearly three weeks ago and Ms. Miller had surfaced. She was now safe and actually married with a daughter. Concerns filled every pore of her being as to how the child had been conceived, but the man she married was a Federal Agent and seemed to love the infant. Her agent kept a close watch as Ms. Miller’s new husband nursed her back to health, and whatever ordeal she’d undergone would take years of therapy and counseling, but the arrival of the Agent’s parents meant love and support would help them through.
A face she recognized was pushing her way forward in the crowds, coming towards her at a clip. From the corner of her eye she saw two other men, attempting to head off the woman...wait women. The lady was not alone, but reading the body language of the travel companion, she didn’t want to be here. What was even more interesting to the certified matchmaker were the two gentlemen. Coraline had spotted them earlier.
Women walking by preparing to enter the conference had spotted the handsome as well. Several young ladies, using all the wrong flirting techniques, vied for their attention, but neither man seemed to have an interest. They were waiting for someone...actually two someones who had just arrived.
The man with the beard perked up when the second lady walked by. His eyes were on the woman’s rounded bottom as a quiver of a smile hit the corners of his lips. The first man, a good-looking gentleman with an air of intrigue about him, had the women in a flutter as he stood up, moving through the crowd like a predator zoomed in on his prey.
“Interesting,” Coraline said, watching the four of them approach her. Rudy, her personal assistant, stepped forward to block their access, but she tugged at his arm. “Let them come.”
Cabrina arrived first, her hand on her hips, ready for a fight. She stopped short of getting in Coraline’s face, eyeing the brunette with the sparkling green eyes.
“I have some questions for you,” Cabrina said accusingly.
DeShondra had a question as well. “I only have one. Are you married?” she asked Coraline.
“No, I am not,” she said to DeShondra.
“Well, that does it for me. Your credibility is shot as far as I’m concerned. A Perfect Match, my ass! Plus, you’re single. Hmmph,” she said, turning to spot Isiah. His eyes were roaming over her body in a very suggestive manner, his eyes twinkling as she stared him down.
“I see you watching my ass, Beard Boy. You planning to use that womb broom to scratch up my thighs?” she asked Isiah.
“If that is an invitation, then I accept,” he said with smile as his fingers ran across his beard.
“What yo’ name is?” She asked, sounding more country that Dolly Parton on a drinking binge.
“My name is Isiah,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes.
“You prophesying about what is going to go down between me and you or something, Isiah?” she asked, matching the intensity of his stare, marveling at the sparks flying between them.
“As far as I’m concerned, what happens in Vegas shall remain between me and you, my beautiful lady,” Isiah said, watching her closely.
Gabriel, more focused on Cabrina, wanted to stave off a scene between the Matchmaker and Aisha’s friend. “Cabrina, before you do or say anything rash, maybe we could step to the side and have a word in private,” he said in a low voice.
“How do you know my name?”
“I was sent to speak to you about your friend,” he said.
“No, I want answers from this woman who has been blowing me off for nearly a year. She sent Aisha down there to marry that hillbilly and my friend is missing. I know she’s not dead, I can feel her, but I want some goddamned answers,” Cabrina said, feeling overly emotional.
“Maybe the gentleman standing next to you can provide some if you are willing to
listen,” Coraline said to her.
“I don’t know that man and unlike the other idiot women you matchmake, I am not about to run off with him to live in a Yurt and make babies who fish with their bare hands,” she said defiantly.
Gabriel smiled at her. She had a fiery spirit and quick wit. The photos didn’t do her justice. In person, she was even more stunning.
Rudy tapped at his watch.
“One moment, Rudy, I need to speak with Ms. Robinson about her friend,” she said.
“Oh, you know who I am?” Cabrina asked, one eyebrow arched.
“Of course I do, dear,” Coraline said. “To answer your question, your friend is fine.”
“How do you know that? I want to get a clear understanding of this process you go through so when I sue your ass I am able to present my case to the judge how you ripped off my friend and sold her to some toothless mountain men,” Cabrina said, raising her voice.
“The women who register for our services do not pay a dime. The grooms to be pay for our service, and we vetted each applicant thoroughly, especially Mr. Macklemore, considering his family background,” Coraline offered. “We found no criminal activity with him, his business or in his daily dealings. To ensure he was whom he claimed to be, I personally traveled to Georgia to meet with him, sit in his home, and even had dry cleaning done in his laundry.”
“That means exactly two white peas in a bowl of green salad, Lady. He is a criminal, born to criminals with criminal ways and he did something to my friend,” Cabrina said.
“When we had not heard from Ms. Miller the day of her arrival, we dispatched our investigators to follow up. Mr. Macklemore was beside himself with worry and after three months, we gave him a full refund,” Coraline said.
“Fuck him and his refund. What about my friend? Are you going to refund her a year of life that has been missing?”
“Calm yourself, Ms. Robinson. Your behavior is unseemly for a lady of your class and breeding,” Coraline said.
Cabrina reached for her, but Gabriel stopped her by gripping her around the waist. His mouth came to her ear, whispering, “Calm down, darling. I brought you some answers.”
“Listen to your new friend, Ms. Robinson,” Coraline said.
“He is no more my friend than you are, you smooth talking Pimp,” Cabrina said.
“Maybe you should listen to him. Your friend is married to his brother. She has a little girl named Michelle Marie and is doing well,” Coraline said, reaching into her bag, pulling out two envelopes. She handed the first one to Isiah.
“Here, I have tickets for Cirque de Solei for you and Ms. Leman. Enjoy the evening on me,” she said, smiling at the two of them. Her finger waggled between them, smiling. “You two have something fiery between you, but it is going to take some work. Invite me to the wedding.”
DeShondra looked at her like she was nuts. “Wedding? What the hell you talking about? Hold up, she gave us tickets to the circus?”
“Cirque de Solei,” Isiah said, smiling. “I always wanted to see the show. Tickets are for the seven pm showing, so we are going to have to figure out what to do with ourselves for three hours.”
“I can think of a few things,” DeShondra said, placing her hand in his.
“My chariot awaits, M’lady,” he said, giving Gabriel a small salute as they wandered off arm in arm.
“You’re a traitor, DeShondra!” Cabrina called out.
“Yes, but this traitor is going to get her some, Ms. Dusty Pants,” DeShondra said, waving. “My cell is on!”
Cabrina stared in disbelief at the woman, the man, and DeShondra wondering off with a stranger, which made what happened next even more strange.
“I’m late to start the session, but there is something extra special for the two of you,” Coraline said, giving an envelope to Gabriel. “This should be an extremely fun evening for you both. Good fortune in your life together.”
Coraline walked away and Gabriel held the envelope, looking at Cabrina who was furious. She turned her anger on him.
“Start explaining right now,” she said.
Gabriel exhaled, trying to figure it all out, but right now, he needed to get the basic information to her to calm her down.
“Your friend is fine. She is married to my brother, and they have a daughter named Michelle Marie Neary,” he said. “I am Gabriel Neary and that was my youngest brother Isiah Neary.”
He flashed his badge to her with the CIA logo.
“You can print one of those out from the Internet,” she said.
“This is as real as I am. Listen closely because this is important,” he said softly. “Your friend walked into a hornet’s nest and all the drones are in an uproar, but she is safe. Tameka Neary is doing fine. My parents have just arrived, and they love their granddaughter, as well as your friend Tameka,” he said.
Cabrina understood what he was saying. Aisha had gotten herself into some really bad trouble and the CIA was involved and her name was changed to Tameka. She still needed to hear Tameka’s voice. As if Gabriel had read her mind, he was dialing Zeke’s number.
“Hey Zeke, I’m here with Cabrina and she wants to speak with Tameka,” he said, handing the phone over.
The soft voice came through the line, “Hey Cabrina, I can’t wait to see you.”
Tears of joy ran down Cabrina’s cheeks upon hearing the soft voice of her friend. “I knew you were alive, but there were times when I couldn’t feel you. It was dark, you were scared, but...what happened?”
“Too much to share over the phone. I made some of my famous apple blueberry buckle, and I will have a fresh one when you arrive to meet my husband and your new niece,” Tameka said.
“You’re a Mom?”
“I am. I also reserved a spot on my yellow wall to hang a picture of you and me holding Michelle,” she said. “I look forward to seeing you soon.”
Cabrina didn’t want the call to end. “She hung up! Get her back on the line,” she said, shaking the phone at Gabriel.
“It is a secure line, but the calls can’t be too long, just in case someone is trying to track or trace it,” he said.
“Please help me understand what is going here...Mr. Neary,” she implored.
“Maybe I can explain it over dinner,” he said, opening the envelope. Inside were two tickets to see a hypnotist. Years of working with the CIA told him there was no such thing as hypnosis, just a very strong sense of persuasion, but he was game. “My name, again, is Gabriel, but you can call me Gabe.”
“Gabe, all of this has left a sick feeling in my stomach and what did she mean about good fortune on our life together, like she is some soothsayer,” Cabrina added, listening to the applause of the crowd as Coraline took the stage.
“I have no earthly idea, but she has been in the matchmaking business all her life. Her family has been doing this since the first wagon trains rolled west,” he said.
“Whatever! I don’t trust that woman. She is a bona fide pimp, working for lonely, ugly men who can’t get a woman because they like to grow hemp and make their clothes out of it in front of a fire as they sing campfire songs,” she said, turning up her nose.
“You are clever,” he said. It had been a long time since he’d spent time with clever. Cute, pretty, and charming he had a multitude of on any given day of the week. This was something so much better. She was a babe. Cabrina Robinson had his undivided attention.
Gabriel extended his arm. “I don’t have a chariot, but I have two tickets to see a show and dinner is on me,” he said.
She didn’t take his arm.
“I can buy my own dinner, but I will come with you just to get some more information on...Tameka’s new life and hopefully, you can fill me in on the gaps,” she stopped and looked at him. “She’s a Mom? You’re the baby’s Uncle?”
Until now he hadn’t really thought about that part. He was, in fact, an Uncle to a little girl name Michelle Marie, whom he looked forward to meeting. Maybe he should drive Cabrina to Georgia
to see her friend.
“If you’d like, I am willing to take you to see her,” he said.
“Yes, I would like that a great deal,” she said softly.
“But first, dinner and show. The Great Ronzini, A Humorous Hypnotist,” he said, placing the tickets in his front pocket.
“I don’t believe in hypnosis. It’s just a bunch of weak-minded people being led by the nose via the power of suggestion,” she said to him.
Or at least, so she thought.
-Fin -
Book Club Discussion Questions
What was the symbolism of the yellow wall?
Michelle was a primary character in the story although she did not speak. What did the infant represent to Zeke? To the Nearys? To Tameka?
Harley never truly stopped looking for his Aisha. Do you believe in his heart, he loved her?
Did you admire Tameka’s strength in her no-win situation?
Zeke needed a new purpose; do you think it was healthy of him to focus his energy on Tameka and the child versus on getting better himself?
FEEL FREE TO SHARE your thoughts in a review on the book page. However, please be kind to other readers and don’t give away the twist.
The Neary Brothers will be back this Spring with Gabriel and Cabrina as we head to Ohio for book Six in my Modern Mail Order Brides Saga. The first chapter is included, so turn the page.
Buckeye and the Babe
Chapter 1
CROWDS OF HAPPY PEOPLE milled about the hotel lobby, full of spirit, either by mirth or the liquid variety as the sounds of slot machines dinged, right arms jerked on metal bars all with hopes of scoring big. Gabriel Neary also held a similar hope that the attractive woman walking next to him would use her right arm later to jerk on a hard rod that was attached to his body. Feeling like a jerk himself for wanting such intimacy with her so soon, he could not help the draw he felt to the lady. Cabrina Roberts was different. A different he could feel all the way down to his toes. She was by all descriptions, a babe.
On a Rainy Night in Georgia Page 17
