Secrets (4 page)

“Then I guess my mama's a liar and my daddy
a cheat.” She eyed him from the chair, hers crinkling at the
corners.

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. You,
you just don’t look that old.” He paused as she squinted at him.
“Not old. I mean that age. You don’t look like you’re in your
eighties.”

“Yep, God’s been good. I was here with
Janine, your uncle’s wife. I moved here to help her.”

Well, that explained it. Aunt Janine had
died before he was born. Too much had happened over the years
between his mom and Aunt Janine for him to head in that direction.
Instead, he asked, “Where’s Chastity?”

“Chastity?”

“Yeah.” He figured she needed a minute to
change directions from Janine to Chasity.

“She’s in Philadelphia. Some type of
mediation.” The look she sent said he should know that.

“Mediation?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it about my uncle?” He was puzzled. No
one had mentioned any of this to him. If he was going to be
involved in cleaning up his uncle’s estate, shouldn’t they have at
least notified him if they couldn’t wait?

“Most definitely.” She twisted her lips and
rubbed her leg.

“Do you know what the mediation is
about?”

“You just said it, your uncle. Anything
more, you’ll have to ask her when she gets back. Should be in the
morning.”

Not the morning, he planned to leave soon
and meet up with Renee for some stress release. Ruthlessly, he
tamped down feelings of guilt that arose. He wanted Chas, but he
had Renee. Besides, celibacy wasn’t a good look on him and he
intended to shed it within the next few hours.

After visiting with Ms. Cook for an hour or
so, he stood and glanced at his watch. “Well, I hadn’t planned to
stay tonight. I have a dinner date in the city. Tell Chas and Sven
I’ll talk to them tomorrow.” He leaned forward and kissed her
cheek. “Be good, I'll see you in the morning.”

She smiled. “
You
be good, I know what
kind of evening you have planned. Big handsome, dark eyed man like
you, I’m sure it’s long overdue.”

His neck and face warmed at her knowing
look. There was no need denying it, so he walked outside toward his
car. The boys raced nearby. He returned their wave, thought for
another minute, and returned to the house.

“Whose boys are those?” he asked Ms. Cook,
who’d moved to the recliner.

“Boys?”

“Yeah, the two who were in here earlier?”
Sometimes he’d grit his teeth at her asking questions in response
to his questions.

“Jonah and Micah.”

“Yes, you introduced them already. Who are
their parents? Do they live here?”

She waved his questions away. “Of course,
they live here with their mama. Chastity. Where else would they
live?” Once again, her look said he should know that. He couldn’t
think past the gut punch at the news.

“Chastity has boys? How old are they? Who’s
their father?” Numbly, he returned to the living room couch and
sat. Her words bowled him over like an out-of-control Mack truck.
His chest lurched at the thought of her married with a family. The
devastating news shredded his calm and destroyed his lifelong
plans.

“I think they’re seven or eight. Maybe nine.
I don’t know for sure, you can ask them. I don’t rightly know who
the father is, she won’t say. You ask her, she might tell you.”

“Why? Why would she tell me?” Thoughts
swirled around his mind. His mother’s note was beginning to make
sense. Had his uncle impregnated his ward? His mouth went dry and
his belly clenched at the idea of Chastity and his old uncle,
together, having sex.

Nausea rumbled in his belly. He’d always
thought his uncle admirable, and held him in high esteem. Was that
why she never left the ranch? He pulled his hand through his short
hair. Good Lord, his uncle had been in his late seventies. Chastity
was younger than his own thirty years. No wonder those boys looked
familiar, the one missing his teeth had a nose and mouth that
reminded him of his uncle and mother. A definite Baxter trait. Sick
at heart, he stood and waved goodbye to Ms. Cook.

The idea of taking anything from his uncle’s
estate left a vile taste in his mouth. How could his uncle take
advantage of a woman fifty years his junior? Chastity thought his
uncle could turn water into wine, she’d have done anything for him.
Did she? Head pounding over the possibilities, he cranked his car
and pulled out.

Slowly, he drove along the driveway.
Disappointment swamped him. Ms. Cook said his uncle had worked hard
the last few years with Chastity, alone. Probably giving her
pointers on how to raise his boys.
His uncle had sons
.
That’d make them his cousins. Strange, he felt no joy in that
revelation. He hit the steering wheel and sped out the driveway,
kicking up gravel in his wake. Thinking of the two boys running
around his uncle’s ranch, he knew his mom was dead wrong.
Obviously, she didn’t know about her nephews. Why’d his uncle keep
his sons a secret from him?

Anger boiled beneath the surface. What the
hell were they thinking? His uncle was too old to be a father. He’d
have been in his late sixties when he impregnated her. Now he’d
left his sons without a daddy to cheer them at games, see them
graduate from school, or talk to them about life’s challenges. No
child should suffer through parental neglect; he could write a book
and give lectures on the subject. Sven, Robbie, and the men that
worked the ranch, would have to step up to the plate and help.
Whenever he was stateside he’d make sure to spend some time with
them.

“Wait a minute,” he murmured. “If Chastity
had two sons by his uncle, then they’d be next in line for
everything. Why did mama say things were a mess?” Hope rose; maybe
she hadn’t been with his uncle. Then dashed just as fast, she’d
been with someone. Someone he didn’t know.

His cell vibrated. Thinking it was Renee, he
answered without checking the caller ID. “Hey.” His voice deepened
to the tone she’d told him turned her on.

“Kenton, have you left the ranch? Did you
see any children?”

He stared at the phone. Maude Stone. Shaking
his head at her gutsiness, he debated how to answer. “Yes, I’ve
known for a while, but I know you aren’t bringing innocent children
into this?” His jaw clenched at the thought.

“How’d you know?”

“I met them.”

“When?” She screeched.

Something told him to hold the information
close. “Does it matter?”

“Yes. No. No, it doesn’t. I think they’re
hers, and I plan to expose her as an unfit mother and have them
taken away.”

Goosebumps exploded over his heated flesh.
An acidic taste hit the back of his throat as shame filled him. His
mom would split a family for no reason other than spite. Did she
have no conscience? He stiffened his resolve.

“What happened to your conspiracy
theory?”

“My attorney didn’t think that would work,
either. But she thinks this is better. We have a chance of
stripping the children from her and get them tested. If they’re my
brother’s, then I get custody as his last living relative.”

Not his last, I’m still here
. “You do
that and I’ll never see or speak to you again. Not only that, I
will do everything within my power to help defeat you.”

“Why?” she whispered. Her voice shook,
before it strengthened. “Why would you do that?”

“Why would you tear up a family? For money?
For revenge? My uncle is dead and you’re bullshitting around with
someone’s life just because he didn’t like you. Fuck that.”

“Watch your tone.”

“Watch your targets. You wanna go after a
dead man, help yourself. But I’m sworn to protect the living. Back
off from Chastity.”

“That whore? She’s no better— “

“Than who? Who? Than your married friends
who sleep around and head up important social committees. Some of
the city’s biggest sluts parade as the upper crust. Upper crust my
ass. Uncle David wasn’t stupid. If he left something for Chastity,
then you’d better believe he’s taught her how to protect it. You
need to find a way to deal with your dead brother and leave her
alone.” He figured his words fell on deaf ears. She couldn’t hear
past the sound of stacked dollar bills.

“Are you coming to see me?” Her voice
softened.

“Probably not. This truce is for Uncle
David. Just like he didn’t forgive your selfishness, I haven’t
either.” He’d warned her, which was the most he could do for
now.

“You’re just like him, so righteous, so full
of your moral code. Although I’m surprised how quickly you picked
up your uncle’s mantle as protector of his ward. Did you have any
intimate dealings with her?”

Images from the two nights he’d spent with
Chastity flew through his mind. His cock rose in tribute to the
unforgettable events. Her soft milk chocolate skin, full lips,
half-closed eyes. She was a siren, a temptress he’d desperately
tried to make his own.

“No. Uncle David would’ve killed me.”

Chapter
4

The phone in his pocket vibrated. “Hold on,
let me see who’s calling.” Representative Justin Rivers placed his
best friend, Mike Griffin, on hold while he checked his personal
cell. “Damn. It’s the old man. You wanna hold on? It won’t take
long.” He grinned when Mike said okay. They were planning a ‘men
only’ weekend next month and he wanted to be sure everything went
off without a hitch.

“Senator, how are you this fine day?” He
asked, glancing at some pictures Mike had sent over on his
cell.

“I’m fine, just fine. How’s everything with
you?”

He leaned back in the chair, scrolling
through photos. “Everything’s good. The girls are in Montana at
some type of camp. Brianna’s home with a heavy schedule; charities,
committees, and such. When are you coming for a visit?”

“I have some free time next month. Maybe we
could spend a weekend together.”

Not on your life
. “Sure, that sounds
good. Hopefully, your time off is the same as mine. I’m going to be
out of town quite a bit.”

“Oh? Congress will be in recess.”

“True, but I have to meet with a lot of
people when I get home. I’m thinking of taking on Tom Jenkins'
senatorial seat.”

“How’s that was going?”

“Good. I need to up my finances, and that
means a lot of ass-kissing.”

The old man grunted. “I know. Well, that was
the only weekend I have free next month. We’ll get together when
you’re back in town.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you after
recess.”

He disconnected and picked his throwaway
phone back up. “Sorry about that. He wanted to visit during
recess.”

Mike’s chuckle had him smiling. “I’ve got
some serious entertainment lined up for you. Don’t cancel at this
late date.”

“Not even. I’ve been a good boy for a long
time. Respectable and all that shit. I’ve earned this weekend and
no one’s going to deny me my fun. Now I’ve looked at the pictures
and the little brown doll sent a tingle through me. How old did you
say she was?”

“I didn’t. She’s six.”

His breath hitched with excitement. There’d
been a special place in his heart for brown dolls since losing his
first brown doll over twenty years ago. Mike said she’d died in a
car accident. This doll wasn’t as pretty as his brown baby girl had
been, but she’d do.

“Untouched?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

Chapter
5

After placing her overnight bag in her
bedroom, Chastity smiled as she heard the sound of running feet.
Legs braced apart, she prepared to catch the twin tornadoes headed
toward her.

“Mama!”

“Mama’s home.” Two sets of hands wrapped
tight around her waist. She squeezed and inhaled the fresh clean
scent that was unique to her handsome treasures.

“Hiya doing man cubs?” She tickled Jonah and
then Micah. Both boys laughed so hard they fell backward on the
bed. She continued kissing their cheeks as she tickled them.

“Mmmm, man cubs, good man cubs.” She
deepened her voice and squeezed them again. “I missed you
yesterday. Robbie said you behaved and even helped him with some
chores. For that, I have a surprise for you.”

“For real?” Micah asked.

“A surprise?” Jonah’s lack of front teeth
sent a spray of fluid onto his brother’s cheek.

“Ewww, you sprinkled me.”

“Did not.”

“Yes you did. Mama, didn’t he spit on me?”
Two light brown eyes peered seriously at her. Her heart raced at
the thought of any harm coming to her babies. They were so
precious, so innocent. It was her job to make sure they remained
that way. The only thing she’d requested from Mr. Baxter was to
teach her how to keep her children safe. After a short argument, in
which she remained adamant, he’d agreed. It had taken years of
apprenticeship as he taught her business principles, but she’d
learned at the master’s knee. Inhaling her renewed purpose, she
winked at her sons.

“I don’t know.” She stood, laughing at their
light-hearted teasing, the sound of security. The sound of joy and
happiness. A sound she’d missed at their age. Moving toward the
kitchen, she removed the box of Cinnabons from the pantry, sliced
one, and placed each half of the sticky treat on the counter.
Arguments temporarily forgotten, they tore into the pastry. She set
out another danish and a cup of coffee for Ms. Cook before calling
her into the kitchen. Mariah followed close on the heels of the
housekeeper. It was rare to see one without the other, the older
woman doted on the child.

“Oh my,” she said softly. “You're a
sweetheart to be thinking of me at a time like this. You’ve got a
lot of work to get to and all.” She sat in front of the coffee and
took a sip. Her lips spread upward. “Ah. This is delicious. Much
thanks to ya.”

Chastity smiled and dropped a kiss on
Mariah’s cheek. Her daughter had eaten more than her share of
sweets and was now cheerfully munching on the bowl of cereal she’d
placed in front of her.