“I did not!” Luke chimed in as he reached for another slice of bacon.
“Yes, you did,” Mark said teasingly. “And John used to wear your behind out! Gabi better straighten up!”
John shook his head, his attention still focused on the bundle of energy in his lap. “We don’t kick people, Gabi, and we don’t ever tell Daddy lies. You always tell Mommy and Daddy the truth, do you understand?”
Gabrielle blew a deep sigh as she dropped her head against John’s broad chest.
“Now tell Collin you’re sorry,” her father scolded, “and if you kick your cousin again Daddy’s going to give you spanks.”
The little girl pouted as she tossed her cousin a look. “Gabi sorry, Collin,” she muttered softly. She turned her attention back to her father. “Gabi wanna go pane ride. Go pane ride, Dada?” she questioned, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck.
John’s gaze reached out to each of his family members. There was a moment of pause before he finally answered. “Yes, baby girl. We’re all going to do just that.” He gave her a tight squeeze before she jumped out of his arms.
She scurried to Marah’s side, her arms outstretched. Marah lifted the little girl onto her lap. “Go pane, Mommy! Dada said we go pane!”
Marah laughed. “We’re going to eat breakfast first, munchkin! Then we’re going on a plane ride so you can meet your new cousins.”
Vanessa laughed. “More Stallions! Lord, have mercy!” she exclaimed as everyone around the table laughed with her.
Chapter 2
Tinjin Braddy navigated his way through John F. Kennedy Airport with his carry-on bag over his shoulder and his cell phone in his hand. As he stood in front of the flight display monitors, frustration painted his expression. The arrival and departure board looked like a grade school chalkboard gone awry. The word Canceled appeared over and over again, much like a punished student’s white chalk repetitions. He shook his head as he put his cell phone to his ear and called his personal assistant.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Braddy?” the young woman answered, anticipation ringing in her tone.
Tinjin sighed into the receiver. “I’m stuck in New York, Raina. There’s nothing coming or going for at least another eight hours.”
“Oh, my,” Raina muttered. “Would you like me to arrange for a hotel, Mr. Braddy? Something close to the airport?”
“No. I’ve already tried. Everything is booked solid. A major snowstorm has literally shut down the eastern seaboard.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, sir. Is there anything I can do?”
Tinjin blew another sigh. “I’ve been trying to call my sister but she’s not answering and my cell phone battery is about to die. Would you please keep calling until you reach her, explain my situation and tell her I’ll get to Salt Lake City as soon as I’m able? When I can find someplace to charge my phone I’ll call her but it’s a madhouse here right now.”
“No problem, Mr. Braddy. And I’ll stay close to the phone in case you need me.”
Tinjin smiled. “Thanks, Raina,” he said, then he disconnected the line. Taking a deep breath he looked to his left and then to his right. People were crowded together, everyone at their wit’s end as they tried to figure out what to do and where to go. Babies were crying, mothers were pacing, fathers were cussing and not one soul seemed happy to be where they were.
His British Airways flight from London had landed an hour ago, the plane’s tires hitting the icy tarmac just minutes before all flights were diverted to other locations. The wintry nor’easter was predicted to leave some twenty-plus inches of snow in the New York area, and with half of that already on the ground no plane was scheduled to depart until further notice.
Not how he’d anticipated starting his weeklong holiday. Tinjin was suddenly wishing he’d gone to Bermuda as he’d initially planned instead of agreeing to join his sister and her family in Salt Lake City, Utah. But his baby sister, Tierra, always had a way of wrangling him to do what she wanted and her appeals for him to spend time with his toddler nephew and the new baby had been hard to resist. He loved his family and since relocating to London had missed them terribly. Despite the inconvenience he looked forward to spending some quality time with the people he loved most.
Pausing in reflection, Tinjin considered his options. With a plan in motion he headed in the direction of the terminal train and pushed his way on board. He needed to get himself from terminal seven to terminal eight. Once that was accomplished he figured he could find a fairly quiet corner to wait out the storm.
* * *
Natalie made her way to the mezzanine level at JFK’s terminal eight. In the reception area of American Airlines’ Admiral’s Club she presented her membership card to gain admittance. Inside, the few gathered were nowhere near as frenzied as the masses in the holding pattern by the gates, and the level of noise dropped substantially. The catchphrase Membership Has Its Privileges rang through her mind. She heaved a deep sigh of relief as she maneuvered her way to a quiet corner by one of the only windows in the room and dropped down to the cushioned seat. Kicking off her six-inch heels she sighed in relief, twisting her ankles in small circles.
She was past the point of being annoyed. Totally exhausted, she found herself wishing that she had just stayed in London. But her brother Noah had been adamant about her returning to the family fold long enough to honor her recently deceased mother. Tears suddenly welled in her eyes and she swiped them away with the back of her hand. She took a quick glance around the room and when she was certain that no one was paying her an ounce of attention she fell back into her thoughts.
Natalie had been seventeen years old when she’d left home, leaving everything she knew and trusted behind. She was desperate for a new beginning, hopeful that destiny would lead her where fate intended her to land. Life in Utah had not been easy and Natalie had wanted much more than the abject poverty that had been her childhood existence.
The family had been dirt poor, her single mother raising five children on a housekeeper’s minimum-wage salary. The Stallion siblings had known little of their father, and bitterness rang in their mother’s tone whenever one or the other ventured to question her about the man. Only Noah, barely sixteen years old at the time, had been bold enough to seek him out, begging for a shred of help for their family. When he was met with bitter rejection and their mother’s wrath, it had kept the rest of them from ever considering the idea again.
What Natalie did know about her family was that her mother, Norris-Jean, had come from her own humble beginnings. She had been a teenager herself, pregnant with her eldest son, when she’d followed their father, a traveling minister, to Utah, trusting the promises he’d made to her. Those promises had been broken when Norris-Jean discovered the man of her dreams had a wife and another family who were more important to him.
After Noah was born, a second string of promises, which had never materialized, led to the birth of the twins, Nicholas and Nathaniel. Their mother should have known better but it wasn’t until Naomi and then Natalie had come into the world that Norris-Jean finally accepted that the man she loved with all her heart had never loved her enough to want to do right by her.
Natalie had asked her mother once why she’d never gone back to her own family and it was in that brief moment that she had seen the embarrassment and the regret that had eventually hardened Norris-Jean’s spirit, the wealth of it spinning in the woman’s eyes. Their mother had preferred to suffer in silence than admit her mistakes and seek help from people who might have been willing to lend them a hand. Pride had been Norris-Jean’s one shortcoming and her children had suffered for it. But for everything the woman hadn’t been able to provide she’d given them love tenfold, its abundance overflowing.
Days earlier Norris-Jean had slipped quietly away in her sleep, leaving her five children to mourn the loss. Natalie had last spoken to her mother
right before Paris fashion week, her requisite call to check that the matriarch had received the check Natalie had been sending every month since the day she’d left home. In the beginning, some months had been much harder than others. Most recently Natalie had been grateful for the steady income that allowed her to share her wealth so readily.
A man’s deep baritone voice suddenly broke through the meditation Natalie had fallen into. “Those are not good airport shoes. Especially not in this weather!”
Natalie lifted her eyes to stare at the man who was speaking to her. He was tall, lean and well dressed in a charcoal-gray silk suit, white dress shirt and burgundy red necktie. His shoes were expensive Italian leather, highly polished to a spit shine. He bent down and picked up her high heels, eyeing them too closely. She met the look he was giving her, one eyebrow raised curiously.
“You must have worn these right off the runway,” the handsome stranger crooned.
Her gaze trailed from the top of his head down to the floor beneath his large feet. His complexion was the color of Riesen’s chocolate-caramel candy, his eyes a deep, dark brown and he had full, luscious lips that pouted ever so slightly. His hair was cropped closely, a precision fade that complemented the thick texture of his tight curls. He suddenly smiled, his mouth widening into a deep grin that showcased the prettiest set of bright white teeth and accentuated the hint of a goatee across his chin.
“Excuse me?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously as he waved her shoes in his hands.
“These are from Jimmy Choo’s new fall collection. They haven’t even hit the stores yet!” He sat them upright by her side.
Her gaze narrowed. “You know shoes?”
He laughed. “It’s what I do,” he said as he extended a hand in her direction. “I’m Tinjin Braddy. Do you mind if I join you?”
Natalie stared. He had the hands of a piano player, large appendages with elongated fingers. She raised her eyes back to his, not bothering to lift her own hands from her lap.
Tinjin chuckled warmly. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, not at all offended by her chilly reception. He settled himself down into the seat beside her.
“Tinjin. What kind of name is that?” she asked, shifting her body ever so slightly.
He smiled again. “It’s very country, is what it is. I’m told it’s an old family moniker. I was named after my father, who was named after his father, who was named after his father.”
“So does that make you Tinjin the third or the fourth?”
“The sixth, actually. I come from a long line of men named Tinjin and I fully intend to pass it down to a son of my own someday. There’s a lot of history in this name.”
“Huh,” Natalie grunted. “I’m sure that will make your father proud.”
Tinjin shrugged. “I really wouldn’t know. My father left shortly after my baby sister was born. We never knew him. My mother disappeared soon after that. I was raised by my grandmother.” Tinjin was suddenly surprised that he’d shared so much information so quickly. He met the look she was giving him.
Natalie felt herself staring as she reflected on his comment. She suddenly realized he was staring back and a wave of heat flushed her face with color. She took a deep breath. “My name’s Natalie,” she said, changing the subject.
Tinjin flashed her his brilliant smile one more time. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalie. So, where are you headed?”
She glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the snow that fell outside. “I was headed to Salt Lake City. Looks like I’m stuck here until this blows over.”
“Isn’t that a coincidence,” Tinjin exclaimed. “So am I. I’m going to meet my sister and her husband, to spend some time with my niece and nephew.”
“Do you come from a big family?” Natalie asked.
He shook his head. “Not really. It was just me and my sister, Tierra, growing up. But she married into a big family and it seems to be getting bigger and bigger every day,” Tinjin said with a soft chuckle.
Natalie smiled ever so slightly. “I come from a big family. Three brothers and a sister. There were five of us.”
“Where do you fall in the lineup?”
“I’m the youngest,” Natalie answered.
Tinjin stared as Natalie drifted off into reflection. He’d spied the woman from the entrance and had purposely maneuvered his way to her side. He figured if he had to be stuck at the airport then why not be stuck in the company of a beautiful woman?
And she was beautiful. Her eyes were pale, a shimmery hazel with flecks of green and brown. She had extraordinary cheekbones and her jawline was strong, angular and defined. Her skin was the color of light molasses, a rich, warm brown with red cinnamon undertones. She was exceptionally thin, and even seated he could see that she was tall. There was an essence of grace about her and with her light brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail, diamond studs decorating her earlobes and the barest hint of makeup adorning her chiseled features, she was stunning. At first glance Tinjin had sensed that he’d seen her somewhere before but couldn’t for the life of himself remember where. Then it came to him.
“You’re Natalia!” he said, leaning forward in his seat. “Vogue cover model, House of Dior ingenue and one of the most sought-after, high-profile models in the world,” he added as he waved his index finger excitedly.
Natalie blushed, color warming her complexion as her cheeks became heated. She rolled her eyes. “So what are you? Some kind of stalker? Do I need to be afraid? First my shoes and now my résumé? How do you know so much?”
Tinjin laughed. “I’m a shoe designer and I spend a lot of time following women’s fashion trends.”
“A shoe designer? Really?” Natalie didn’t look convinced, eyeing him warily.
Tinjin chuckled again. “I actually designed those shoes,” he said, pointing to the pair on the floor. He reached into his leather portfolio and pulled out a collection of pencil drawings. He passed them into Natalie’s hands, watching intently as she studied them.
The sketches were good; detailed drawings of footwear for the fashion-forward female. If he had designed them, she mused, then he had a great eye for heel height and lines. As Natalie flipped through the drawings in her hand she instantly recognized the pair of heels resting on the floor.
“So you work for Jimmy Choo?” she asked, duly impressed with his skills. She handed his artwork back to him.
“I did. I was one of their head shoe designers until last week.”
“What happened last week?”
“I resigned. I’m moving on to bigger things.”
“What things?”
“I’m opening my own design house.”
“Here in the United States?”
Tinjin shook his head. “No. In Paris.”
“Is that where you live?” Natalie asked, her curiosity peaking.
“Right now I live in London but I also have a flat in Paris and I’ll be moving back there next month.”
“Interesting...” Natalie said, her voice fading ever so slightly.
Tinjin smiled. “Give me a chance and you’ll soon discover that I’m a very interesting man,” he said, his tone slightly smug. “I’m also quite the gentleman. It’s my European aesthetic with my Southern upbringing. My granny raised me well. I love my granny!” he exclaimed, his smile widening.
She leaned forward, her gaze narrowing slightly. “So does that mean you’re a little bit of a mama’s boy?” she asked. There was a hint of teasing in her tone.
Tinjin laughed. “Yes, ma’am! And I’m proud of it. There’s no shame in my game!”
For the first time, Natalie smiled back. She found him amusing. He was clearly confident and had just enough attitude without being arrogant. He was direct, but not pushy and definitely quite the charmer. She liked him and his devil-may-care attitude, and she fo
und herself curious to know more about the man.
* * *
Travis Stallion eased his body against his wife’s, snaking his arm around her waist as he pulled her to him. The two stood quietly together, staring down at their children as both slumbered peacefully. He pressed a kiss to the back of Tierra’s neck.
“They’re growing too fast,” Tierra whispered. “Tianna’s lifting her head up by herself already.”
“They are,” Travis whispered back. “You should have seen Lorenzo on the horses today. Once he warmed up to everyone, there was no stopping him.”
“He’s got a little crush on Gabrielle. I saw how he was following her around.”
Travis chuckled. “That’s my boy! I’m going to hate to have to tell him that she’s his family.”
Tierra giggled as she grabbed her man’s hand and led him from the room. They closed the door and moved to their own bedroom. Inside, both slipped beneath the covers and cuddled close against each other.
“I still haven’t been able to reach Tinjin,” Tierra commented. “That girl who works for him said he’s stuck at the airport in New York.”
“Your brother might not make it. I was listening to the news and they said the weather has made a mess of things. Flights have been canceled up the entire east coast. They’re getting hit hard.”
She blew a low sigh. “I hope he’s still able to meet us. I really wanted to see him. Since he moved abroad we barely spend any time together anymore. I love my brother and I want our kids to know him.”
“You know you can always fly to London to see Tinjin, Tierra. I told you that. In fact, I think you should still go and take Mama Dee with you. You both deserve some time away. I can watch the kids or you can take them with you. You know I’d support whatever you wanted.”
Tierra nodded. “Maybe after I’m not breast-feeding anymore. I think my grandmother would like to go visit Tinjin.”
Travis eased a warm palm across her abdomen and up until his fingers lightly grazed the curve of her breast. He gently stroked the lush tissue, his heated touch teasing.
My Stallion Heart (The Stallions Book 7) Page 2
