this pervert with you?” He spun around to glare at his father. “How could you welcome him here? Bad enough you invite him, but then you make him family.
My family! You’re as sick as he is.”
“Baker! You will not talk that way. Where are your manners?”
“You’re insane if you think I’ll accept this…freak of nature as family.”
“Why not,” Imani rose to her full five-six height. “He’s our father’s son. Just like you and Jay. Just as I am his daughter. He was born into this family whether you like it or not!”
“You are too young to understand any of this, sistah. Stay out of it.” Baker’s voice was low and deadly. “Do you want to be labeled a pervert, too?”
“I don’t care what anyone calls me. This is my brother and yours too, even if you can’t see it.”
Baker stepped off his scooter and balanced the helmet on the worn vinyl seat. He advanced on his father, while ignoring Chris and David.
“I need to borrow the truck. Got some greeze to bring home.”
They were all silent while Joel pulled a set of car keys out of his pocket and handed them over. Without another word Baker climbed into the aging Toyota and skidded out of the driveway.
“I am sorry, David—”
“Don’t.” David held up his hand. “I’m used to it.”
He glanced at Chris when he spoke and Chris knew he was lying. You never got used to it.
BeRMudA heAt 83
“I don’t believe it,” Imani snapped. “How could you get used to that?”
“You don’t,” Chris said softly, ignoring the quelling look David shot him. “Well, it’s true.”
“You’re young,” Joel said. “Only the young can be so innocent.”
“Oh, Daddy, I’m not a child.”
“But you are, sweetheart. Young and good.”
Imani rolled her eyes. “I swear you still think I’m five years old.”
Joel’s return smile was lopsided. “It’s the price of being a father. Your children never really grow up.” His gaze met David’s and he sighed. “I am so sorry I was not there when you grew up. I can’t help but see you must have been a wonderful boy.”
Chris couldn’t believe it. David actually blushed.
Joel gestured toward the door. “It’s getting hot. We’ll be more comfortable inside.”
He was right. The dimly lit living room was cool and smelled faintly of coffee and lemon verbena. A large crystal vase of anthuriums took center place on a large, exotically grained dining room table. Chris was immediately drawn to the elegant furniture.
Joel saw his interest. “My great-grandfather fashioned that out of Bermuda cedar, before the blight nearly wiped them out.”
“It’s beautiful,” Chris said. He ran his hand over the smooth surface, marveling at the burls and whorls that were practically alive. The piece had obviously been well cared for if it was as old as Joel implied. It would have taken days, if not weeks, to hone to perfection. He immediately wanted to know where he could get one.
“I know a fine local artist who works in cedar,” Joel said. “But I warn you, he is expensive.”
David visibly winced; Chris smiled, but didn’t back down. He didn’t bother hiding his excitement. “Oh, I’d love to meet him.”
84 P.A. Brown
To a bemused Joel, David muttered, “Can you set up something?”
“I’ll call him at once.” He left the room and they could hear him on the phone.
David sighed. He met Chris’s gaze. “This is going to be an expensive trip, isn’t it?”
Chris shrugged.
“Well, it’s your money,” David said.
Chris knew it was a sore point with David. But between his grandmother’s indulgence in leaving nearly everything she owned—including her Silverlake home—to him, and his own growing business, Chris had a tidy nest egg. None of which David could compete with. It had been the source of a lot of tension early in their relationship. Chris was stubborn; he wouldn’t accept David’s advice on money matters, or alter what David saw as his profligate habits, though
My family! You’re as sick as he is.”
“Baker! You will not talk that way. Where are your manners?”
“You’re insane if you think I’ll accept this…freak of nature as family.”
“Why not,” Imani rose to her full five-six height. “He’s our father’s son. Just like you and Jay. Just as I am his daughter. He was born into this family whether you like it or not!”
“You are too young to understand any of this, sistah. Stay out of it.” Baker’s voice was low and deadly. “Do you want to be labeled a pervert, too?”
“I don’t care what anyone calls me. This is my brother and yours too, even if you can’t see it.”
Baker stepped off his scooter and balanced the helmet on the worn vinyl seat. He advanced on his father, while ignoring Chris and David.
“I need to borrow the truck. Got some greeze to bring home.”
They were all silent while Joel pulled a set of car keys out of his pocket and handed them over. Without another word Baker climbed into the aging Toyota and skidded out of the driveway.
“I am sorry, David—”
“Don’t.” David held up his hand. “I’m used to it.”
He glanced at Chris when he spoke and Chris knew he was lying. You never got used to it.
BeRMudA heAt 83
“I don’t believe it,” Imani snapped. “How could you get used to that?”
“You don’t,” Chris said softly, ignoring the quelling look David shot him. “Well, it’s true.”
“You’re young,” Joel said. “Only the young can be so innocent.”
“Oh, Daddy, I’m not a child.”
“But you are, sweetheart. Young and good.”
Imani rolled her eyes. “I swear you still think I’m five years old.”
Joel’s return smile was lopsided. “It’s the price of being a father. Your children never really grow up.” His gaze met David’s and he sighed. “I am so sorry I was not there when you grew up. I can’t help but see you must have been a wonderful boy.”
Chris couldn’t believe it. David actually blushed.
Joel gestured toward the door. “It’s getting hot. We’ll be more comfortable inside.”
He was right. The dimly lit living room was cool and smelled faintly of coffee and lemon verbena. A large crystal vase of anthuriums took center place on a large, exotically grained dining room table. Chris was immediately drawn to the elegant furniture.
Joel saw his interest. “My great-grandfather fashioned that out of Bermuda cedar, before the blight nearly wiped them out.”
“It’s beautiful,” Chris said. He ran his hand over the smooth surface, marveling at the burls and whorls that were practically alive. The piece had obviously been well cared for if it was as old as Joel implied. It would have taken days, if not weeks, to hone to perfection. He immediately wanted to know where he could get one.
“I know a fine local artist who works in cedar,” Joel said. “But I warn you, he is expensive.”
David visibly winced; Chris smiled, but didn’t back down. He didn’t bother hiding his excitement. “Oh, I’d love to meet him.”
84 P.A. Brown
To a bemused Joel, David muttered, “Can you set up something?”
“I’ll call him at once.” He left the room and they could hear him on the phone.
David sighed. He met Chris’s gaze. “This is going to be an expensive trip, isn’t it?”
Chris shrugged.
“Well, it’s your money,” David said.
Chris knew it was a sore point with David. But between his grandmother’s indulgence in leaving nearly everything she owned—including her Silverlake home—to him, and his own growing business, Chris had a tidy nest egg. None of which David could compete with. It had been the source of a lot of tension early in their relationship. Chris was stubborn; he wouldn’t accept David’s advice on money matters, or alter what David saw as his profligate habits, though
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