Niki's Challenge (15 page)

Reaching over, Tony’s mom took Niki’s
hand, looked at her with tears in her eyes and said. “Thank you,
thank you for opening your heart to us. Tony explained and I know
you didn’t have to share, but I’m so grateful you are. Oh my,
twins. I can’t wait.”

Noticing the waiter hovering and
knowing she had only eaten a snack to take the edge off; Niki
answered, “of course” quickly, pulled her hand back, and picked up
her menu.

“
Could we have some bread
sticks or rolls right now and we’ll have our orders ready when you
return,” Tony told the waiter. She sent him a grateful
smile.

He winked at her. “What are you
having, Niki?” he asked.

“
I think I’ll have the
turtle soup, seafood jambalaya, some sweet and spicy wings, a side
salad and banana cream pie,” she said, sure those dishes would hit
the spot.

“
Whoooee!” his dad laughed.
“Oh yeah. Another round of Brunsons about to enter the world. That
sounds so much like what your mom would order when she was carrying
you and Gale, it’s like watching a rerun,” he said as Mrs. Brunson
shook her head in remembrance.

“
Especially the banana
cream pie,” she added as she and her husband laughed at some
private memory.

Nana Bea had been silent, just
watching the interaction. After the waiter left with a rush
notation, she looked at Tony. Niki picked up her glass, and pulled
the bread closer as she settled in for the inquisition. It’d been
boiling in her Nana for six months and had to come out. Soon, she’d
know how tough Tony’s skin was, because her Nana’s words would be
sharp and cutting.

“
So are you a drunk?” Nana
Bea asked straight out. “Have you gotten your drinking under
control yet?”

Choking on the water he’d just
swallowed, Tony wiped his mouth quickly. “Excuse me?” He looked
around the table, deep furrows marring his brow. Niki continued to
munch on her bread. His parents looked confused. “I don’t have a
drinking problem. What makes you think...Oh yeah.” Slowly he
realized what she meant.

“
Normally, I don’t drink
alcohol. That particular day, I was on a delayed flight from South
America. It’d been a long day. I’d missed my connection and my
appointment in Chicago. The airlines offered free drinks, it was
late; I was tired...” he finished realizing how lame it sounded to
his own ears.

“
But you came to the hotel
drunk, is that right?” The gleam in her eyes, tight jaw and erect
posture, signaled she considered this a serious matter. Sitting
straighter, he recognized he was on trial and needed to be vigilant
on all fronts.

“
Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. No
need to belabor the point, he’d explained what happened. “I was
drunk that night. I have no real excuse, other than what I’ve
already said. As a general rule, I don’t drink or get drunk.” He
felt Niki’s eyes on him, but refused to stray from the burning
light in her Nana’s look.

Trying to help diffuse the situation,
his mom added, “It’s mostly just beer.” Ignoring his mom’s
comments; Nana Bea took a deep breath and questioned him in a
manner that made him think she was the attorney.

“
We all know the hotel made
a mistake. No one pressed charges. You both participated. It
could’ve ended there. Why are you pushing this?” she asked without
releasing him from her gaze.

“
What are you—?” Nana Bea
cut Tony’s father off with an impatient wave.

“
I’m speaking to your son
and he
will
answer
me.” She spoke without looking at his father. Tony glanced over at
Nicole, saw she was eating a roll, but paying attention. He
recalled the first time he’d seen her and what he felt.

“
First off, it couldn't
have ended there. Nicole wouldn't be pregnant if not for me.
Regardless of our beginning, we created those babies. They
are
my
children.
I'm not pushing anything, I'm just acknowledging my role as father.
I'm not the type of man to ignore my responsibilities or my kids or
my attraction to their mother.” Gathering his thoughts, he paused
knowing this area was tricky. “The morning after, when security
walked in and explained the mix up, I watched Nicole walk into the
bedroom.” He couldn’t believe he’d been out of it, lying next to
such an exquisite creature, but now was not the time to open that
can of worms. “She reminded me of an angel. I remember rubbing my
eyes and staring as she walked past me to the bathroom. The GM
spouted a bunch of stuff and I moved to the corner so I could watch
her when she came out.”

He paused, not wanting to explain how
his erection throbbed painfully beneath his hastily donned pants as
she re-entered the room. Or how he wanted to lick the drops of
water that clung to her forehead. “I thought she was the most
beautiful woman I’d ever seen. But she wanted no part of me. I knew
she had to be upset...who wouldn’t be? But other than a few sharp
words to the manager and me, she appeared, to me, like cool fire. I
tried to forget that night like she asked me to, but I’d never met
a woman like her.” He chuckled and glanced at Niki. “I offered her
my business card in case she got pregnant. She laughed at me and
told me no thanks. Claimed she would forget the night had ever
happened. I never could. Nature stepped in and we’re having twins.”
They shared a smile.

“
Young man,” Nana Bea
snapped, drawing his attention. “I’ve been a caregiver for this
young woman since my daughter died 20 years ago. I asked you what
you hoped to accomplish by intruding in Nicole’s life at this
juncture.” Her brows rose high. “Are you saying you want an
intimate relationship with her? Will you be involved with the
delivery? Just what are you offering?”

Niki ducked her head and grabbed her
glass of water. He tamped down his temper and answered the
busybody.

“
Ma’am, I hired two private
investigators to locate her.” He pointed towards Niki. “I had no
idea about the babies. I am most definitely interested in an
intimate relationship with this wonderful woman. I wanted to know
her then and I would love to have the opportunity to get to know
her better now, much better.” He glanced at Niki and caught her
small smile. He needed to get the record straight. He was all for
family, but he ran his own house.

“
Now, as to will I be there
for her in the delivery room, or be her coach—” He gazed in Nana
Bea’s face. He was nobody’s boy. Respect was a two-way street in
his book. “Nothing would please me more, but that’s up to Nicole.
She holds all the cards. I’ve got the next doctor’s appointment
time from her and my flight’s been reserved. I also have
reservations for every other weekend until the month of the
delivery and I’ve taken off the entire month our children are
due.”

He looked around the table, noticing
the sheen in his mom’s eye. “I intend to nurture my children, and
watch them grow up. Not only will I be their father, I plan to be
their daddy as well. As far as Nicole and me, after we decide what
we want, we’ll get back to you.” He paused. “Make no mistake,
there’s no way I’m willing to back up now that I’ve found her
again.” He stared at her Nana, daring her to object. There was
silence for a heartbeat.

“
Good.” Nana Bea nodded.
“It’s going to cost you, but most of the best things in life do.
The true measure of strength is when you continue in the face of
great odds.” She paused. “There’s a few things I need to get off my
chest and since you’ve decided to be an active part of our lives.”
She looked at him.

He nodded.

“
I best get it over with
now so I can eat in peace.” Tony’s stomach jumped at her
announcement. Sweat beaded his brow. His father’s jaw clenched and
his mother’s face reddened. Niki continued eating and reading the
menu the waiter left behind.

“
First off, my
granddaughter woke up in bed with a stranger. Had it been me I
would’ve bashed you over the head and then run out. But you were
asleep and not an immediate threat.” Releasing a frustrated breath
she asked, “Can you imagine for just a moment, what we felt when
she relayed that to us?” She looked at his parents.

“
What if that’d happened to
Gale? Could you honestly say you’d sit here unmoved?”

“
No,” his father said. “I’d
be out for blood.” He shrugged off Tony’s glare.

“
My child came home from
that hotel altered, forever changed,” Nana Bea continued. “Not
because she was out in the streets or in a club. She was in a room
that she paid for, thinking she was safe.” She thumped the table
for emphasis. Niki’s eyes widened as she glanced at him. He had the
sinking feeling, the woman was just getting warmed up.

“
Now believe it or not, I’m
the peaceful one. Nicole knew this; so she blocked the records, not
for you.” She shook her head in his direction. “Noooo, no, no.” Her
head joined her fingers in a negative swaying motion. “She blocked
them from Rita, her dad’s mom. Rita had more private detectives
looking for you than you had looking for Nicole.” His heart raced
at the proclamation. A feral gleam entered the older woman’s eye he
didn’t trust.

“
Just a minute, are you
saying my son’s life was in danger?” his father
interrupted.

“
Had Rita found him
first—she’s an attorney, by the way—she wouldn’t have killed him,
but he would’ve been very unhappy.”

Tony sat stunned and speechless. Who
were these people? Gangsters? He and Nicole coming together that
night had been an accident. Didn’t anybody get that? He didn’t rape
their granddaughter, and she didn’t take anything from him he
didn’t want her to have. Was he dealing with an older version of
Thelma and Louise?

Releasing him from her searing gaze,
she looked at Niki. “I told Rita she was going to regret the day
she taught Nicole all that law stuff. The student outsmarted the
teacher in this case.” Her gaze landed on Tony’s
parents.

“
We were furious at this
violation and wanted retribution. Nicole knew that and that’s why
she blocked everything. You should be glad she did.” Nana Bea
nodded at the table in general.

Tony was unsure what he
should say now that she’d finished.
I’m
sorry you felt that way
sounded
cheeky.
Thank you for not killing
me
didn’t fit the situation either. In the
end, he nodded to let her know he heard her concerns.

The waiter placed their plates on the
table, but his appetite had flown. Deep down, he felt a real
connection with Nicole, but her relatives were over the top. Would
he have to watch everything he said or did with her to keep them
from interfering? Did they plan to monitor his relationship with
his children? With Nicole? His breath hitched in denial. Oh hell
no, they needed to straighten this out now.

Before he could voice his thoughts,
his mother spoke into the silence. “Niki, have you forgiven
Tony?”

“
Forgiven him?” She asked,
puzzled. “Forgiven him for what?”

“
For having sex with you
while y’all were sleep,” his mom’s whisper carried across the
table, stunning everyone. Looking at him first, Niki then glanced
at his mom.

“
I was there,” she said.
“Trust me, what happened wasn’t intentional. If I hadn’t mixed my
meds, I would’ve heard the door open. If he hadn’t been drunk he
would’ve seen me in bed or at the very least seen my luggage.” Her
voice resigned. “A lot of woulda, coulda, shouldas.” She shrugged
and dug into her pie.

“
But your Nana was pissed.”
His father sounded baffled by her attitude. Tony could’ve told him
Nicole’s attitude had undergone a
major
adjustment within the past
twenty-four hours, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate
it.

“
I knew Nana would never
accept what happened,” Niki said, looking at Mr. Brunson. “My
biggest fear was they would find the guy and bring him to Michigan
for a conversation or something. And I never wanted to face him
again.”

“
Do you still feel that
way?” his dad asked, concern plain in his voice.

Head tilted, she licked her spoon
before speaking. “The thing is, Tony was drunk. I’ve always refused
to have anything to do with drunks.”

Shocked, Tony and his parents began
defending him at the same time. He was no drunk, how many times did
he need to explain that night.

Niki raised her hand to get them to
stop talking. As they quieted, she looked around the table, locked
eyes with her Nana, who then looked away. Taking a deep breath she
said, “You don’t understand, Tony. I knew both of my Nanas had
reached their limits. A drunk driver killed my parents and their
children. In their eyes, a drunk took me that night without my
consent. Even though it was an accident,” she hastened to
add.

“
Having said that, I
understand life is what you make it.” She hesitated. “God has a
sense of humor. There aren’t many people in this world who could’ve
made me pause and rethink things.” Letting out a small laugh, she
pointed at him. “You tell me, what’re the chances you would be my
cousin’s lover’s brother?” She shook her head. “One in a trillion,
I bet.” His parents chuckled.

“
I wasn’t trying to get
pregnant, but I did. Nana—” Her head tilted in the older woman’s
direction. “Always told me anyone could have sex, but only God
gives life. There are millions of people who wish they could share
what I’m experiencing.”