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  “You are,” Nicole interrupted. “Thank you.”

  “Of course I am. You’re my little sister. I would do anything for you.”

  “Mr. Brooks,” Tillman called out annoyed.

  “My apology.” Vernon looked toward Trish. “Where was I? Oh, I know. I propose you stop wasting my time and come to the point of this meeting. Trish is going to have a problem paying your fees as it is.”

  “I don’t think I will.” Trish smirked at Nicole.

  Nicole smiled in return.

  “Very well.” Tillman sat forward and pushed a folder towards Vernon. “Five million, a public apology, and your client is not to have any contact with an Xavier Davenport. A million per occurrence fee will be added if your client so much as has a conversation with the man.”

  Vernon opened the folder, reviewed the document inside. He pulled a pen from his breast pocket as he turned to Nicole. “Sounds reasonable. What do you think?”

  Nicole watched as Trish smiled at Tillman. He gave her a cautious look. “Do you think for one moment Xavier will have anything to do with you when he hears about this?”

  “There’s a gag order included. Neither party may discuss the details of the settlement.”

  Nicole looked up at her brother. “Is there something in there to ensure there will be no jail time and what about future occurrences? If I hit her again, will we end up in court anyway?”

  Vernon made an effort of looking through the documents. “You can’t hit her again, Nikki, ever.”

  “I can’t hit her and I can’t see Xavier?”

  Vernon nodded. “Right.”

  Nicole sat back dejected.

  Vernon turned to Tillman. “It’s a fair offer." He pushed the folder back down the table. "We have no intention of settling. We welcome the opportunity to have this play out in court.” He turned his cold hard eyes on Trish. “By the time I finish with you, the jury will line up to knock you on your ass.” He sat back. “Here’s what I am going to do. You have five minutes to have the charges dropped or we are going to sue you for defamation of character to the tune of five hundred and fifty-million dollars.”

  “Five hundred and fifty-million dollars?” Trish spat out. “What in the hell for?”

  “Ms. Hargrove please let us handle this,” Tillman stuttered. “Brooks, we have your client on tape. We will play this tape on every news channel across the country. Your client’s reputation will be put on trial.”

  “So will yours.” Vernon stood, taking Nicole’s elbow to help her up. “Let’s see who has more to hide.” They turned to walk out of the conference room, when Vernon stopped and walked back over to the table. He reached inside his ten thousand dollar suit jacket and pulled out a folded blue summons and placed it on the table. “You’ve been served.” He took Nicole by the elbow, opened the door and walked out of the room.

  Trish ran out the door after them. “Nicole.” She jumped in front of them. “What in the hell are you doing?” she spat out. “This is not how the game is played.”

  Nicole stepped into Trish’s face and smiled. “Taking the game to a new level, Trish. I hope you are ready to play with the big boys.” She turned and walked out the building with Vernon, as they heard Trish demand that they come back.

  Vernon stood in front of the building looking up toward the sky. “That was better than sex.” He turned to Nicole. “How was it for you?”

  Nicole laughed at her brother, as she shook her head. “You need to get a new sex partner. That didn’t touch what I’ve been experiencing lately, and we’re just at first base.”

  “Damn,” Vernon laughed as his driver pulled in front of the building. He opened the door. “Davenport,” he asked.

  Nicole smiled brightly as she slid across the back seat of the sedan.

  “I guess Trish’s amendment is out the window.” Vernon slid in beside her.

  Chapter 8

  Richmond, Virginia

  Trauma, at times can take years to overcome, if the person was weak-minded. Ann Davenport was a lot of things, a terrible mother, an ex-drug addict, even homeless at one time. Weak…never. The woman was a survivor. Over the past year, she had proven that to her sons. Today was her sixtieth birthday and if it had not been for her daughter-in-law, Diamond, she would not be here. Just about a year ago she’d suffered third degree burns when one of the homes on Davenport Estates exploded. Diamond literally pulled her from the blaze, saving her life.

  It was a long painful road back to recovery, but she survived and was grateful. Having her boys with her to celebrate in their home was more than she deserved. She had been a terrible mother. Oh, she loved her sons and her husband for that matter. But the drugs ruled her. She’d turned her back on her family and left her boys to be raised by their father, King Arthur Davenport. He was a damn good man and did not deserve what she had done to him. How she wished she could have told him that before he died. Her actions caused Zack, who was in college at the time, to leave school to take care of Xavier-her X-man, as she called him. For years Zackary would have nothing to do with her. Oh he made sure she had a place to sleep and food to eat. But, until Diamond came along, he kept her from his and Xavier’s lives even after she had cleaned up her act. Ann understood his reasons, but desperately wanted to be a part of X-man’s life even if Zack wasn’t willing to let her into his. Zack stood firm and threatened Ann’s life if she ever went near Xavier.

  Right before the explosion, Xavier and Ann had met. He did not know who she was for a while, which gave them a chance to get to know each other. She liked the man he had become. Once he found out that she was his mother, he walked away. They never had a chance to explore where the mother-son relationship could go before the fire happened. Since that time, both her sons had visited her regularly in the hospital and then moved her into the house she’d left so many years ago.

  Over the year, she noticed the emotional damage she had caused both her boys. Her past actions and the pain inflicted by Zack’s ex-girlfriend, he shut down when it came to women. To say he’d hated them, might be harsh, but he sure as hell didn’t trust them. Until Diamond came along and taught him how real love could heal. Now, he was so damn happily married it was sickening.

  Then there was Xavier. Where Zack wore his feelings on his sleeve and everyone knew what he felt, X-man kept it all inside. No one ever knew what he was feeling unless he chose to tell you. For a year now he had visited her regularly. Every visit revealed a little more of him. When he felt she was getting too close to what he was really feeling, he simply pulled away and she wouldn’t see him for a few days. Then he’d come back around with those bright eyes ready to let her pull him right up in her arms. Trust issues arise in people in different ways. As quiet as it had been, X-man’s trust issues were much deeper than Zackary’s. Ann was trying to gain his trust, because the boy needed someone to talk to. He kept things bottled up so tight that one day she knew he was going to explode.

  Xavier reached down to hug his short mother, standing 5’5’ and maybe 110 pounds. He was careful not to hug too tightly. The burns had healed, but from time to time she was still in pain.

  “Happy birthday, Ann.” He gave her a bouquet of flowers, then kissed her cheek. “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Thank you X-man,” she turned to pull out a vase from under the kitchen sink as he sat at the kitchen table. “Let me put these in some water and I’ll be ready to go. Where’s your brother?”

  “He and Diamond are going to meet us at the restaurant.”

  “These are beautiful,” she said while arranging the flowers. “I called you last night, didn’t get an answer. Were you out on a date?”

  Xavier sat back and thought about his night. The truth was he had thought about little else since leaving Nicole’s apartment. The taste and scent of her were still fresh in his mind.

  Ann turned to put the vase with the fresh cut flowers on the table. She stopped at the sight of her son. It was uncanny how much he looked like his father with
his trimly cut beard, and mustache. The look of total bliss was on his face.

  “Wow, who is she?”

  Xavier focused to see his mother standing at the table staring down at him. “What did you say?”

  “I asked who in the hell has you smiling like you’re the cat who ate the canary?” Smiling, he shook his head and stood. “No one. Are you ready?”

  “Hell no, sit down, we have time.”

  “Ann.”

  “Sit down, I said.” She laughed at the boyish look on his face as he sat back down.

  Ann took two glasses from the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. “I’ll pour, you talk.”

  “Not much to talk about, yet.”

  “Ah-ha, so there’s potential.”

  Xavier smiled as he took the glass from her. “A little.” He blushed.

  “Sounds and looks like a lot.” She grinned. “I know that look.”

  “What look?”

  “The ‘I got me a little piece of heaven last night’ look.”

  Xavier burst out laughing. “You are too much Ann. You really are.” He took a drink.

  “Yeah, I know. So tell me about her.”

  Sitting the glass on the table, he picked up her sweater from the chair. Ann rarely went out without a sweater to cover the scars from the fire. “Why don’t I tell you about her on our way to the restaurant?”

  “Aw, lil-man, you can give me something.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you this.” Ann looked over her shoulder at him expectantly. “She’s short, just like you.”

  Ann hit him in the chest. “Boy, you can give me more than that.”

  Xavier laughed as he opened the door and helped her into his truck. “She has short curly hair and the most adorable smile I’ve ever seen.”

  “Well, now. That’s something.” She got into the car thinking, her son is falling for someone. What touched Ann more was he told her about her. When he closed the car door after getting in, she looked over at him. “It’s not that Trish girl, is it?”

  “No,” Xavier almost laughed. “They are as different as day and night.”

  Once Ann settled into the seat she looked over and asked, “Is she worthy, son?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She reached over and touched his hand to keep him from starting the vehicle. She waited until he turned to her. “I loved your dad. I really did. But I wasn’t worthy of him. As much as I loved him and he loved me, I wasn’t worthy of the love he gave me. That Trish woman is not worthy of you, Xavier. Now, I don’t know about this new woman, but that last one, was trouble with a capital T. I should know. Game recognizes game.” She pulled her hand away. “Don’t make the same mistake your father made.”

  Xavier didn’t say anything for a long minute. “I’m not so sure that’s true. What other woman could have given him sons as good looking as me and Zack?”

  ***

  Jamming the key in the door, Trish pushed the door open then stomped inside. After slamming the door, she pulled off her four inch pumps and threw them into the great room. Dropping her purse on the sofa, she walked to the kitchen, poured a glass of wine and consumed it before pouring another.

  “Those damn Brooks. I hate every one of them,” she screamed, taking the frustration of the afternoon out on the empty apartment. She slouched onto the sofa, causing the wine to spill a little. Swiping at the red liquid, she screamed again, then exhaled. To say she was a little upset would be inaccurate. She was livid as she recapped the meeting in her mind. That damn Vernon and his slick ways, he had her attorneys shaking in their boots. She had Nicole on film for goodness sakes. There was no way she could be found not guilty. “No way.” She emptied the glass, and threw it against the wall, where it broke, dropping pieces near the picture she kept on the table of her and Xavier.

  It was a short six weeks, but the best of her life. Trish picked up the framed picture and held it to her chest as she sat back on the sofa. “What went wrong, Xavier?” Each day she awakened with the same thought. If only she hadn’t said anything about his mother. The only reason she said something was to protect him. Hell, his mother was a drug addict. She had turned tricks to get her fix. There was no telling what the woman was capable of. The words came back to her so clearly.

  ‘Xavier, I don’t understand your concern for her. She was gone for damn near twenty years. You definitely don’t need her now. You’ve got me.’

  There was no immediate reaction from him. To this day, she still wasn’t sure that was what separated them. All she knew was that he’s stopped calling, or coming by. When she asked him about it, he simply said, ‘I don’t see us working out.’ What in the hell did that mean? They were perfect together. Xavier had a very successful business, even though he had to share it with his brother. But she had plans for him to go out on his own. He was so damn fine. She held the picture up. “We look good together.” She placed the picture back on her chest, laid back and placed her arm over her forehead. She thought about the blog post from this morning. “Why were you in New York, Xavier?” She sat up, put the picture back on the table, then stood. “If you think I’m going to let you have Xavier, Nicole Brooks, you are mistaken. Damn lawyers.” She picked up her laptop, and began a search for a new lawyer, then stopped. Trish jumped up and grabbed her purse. She went into her phone log and found the number she was looking for, then pushed the redial button.

  “Ms. Hargrove, I expected your call earlier.”

  “Well, you got me now. What can you do for me?”

  * * *

  Xavier’s telephone chimed while he sat at the table laughing at Ann and Zack go at each other over her smoking. He shrugged his shoulders at Diamond. “I guess old habits are hard to break.” He pulled his cell out. Seeing it was Nicole, he excused himself.

  “Hi, I was in Richmond and wondered if you were free for dinner?”

  He looked at his family. “I’m with my family celebrating my mother’s birthday. You’re welcome to join us.”

  “No, I don’t want to intrude. I’ll call when I get home.”

  “It’s not an intrusion. Please, join us.” He gave her the address, then returned to the table with a smile a mile long. “Nicole is in town. I hope you don’t mind, I invited her to join us.”

  “Nicole?” Ann questioned.

  “The woman who paid fifty-thousand dollars to spend a weekend with X-man.” Zack teased.

  “Well, she got a bargain if you ask me.” Ann smiled at Xavier.

  “You’re his mother, you have to say that.” Diamond laughed. “I went to school with him, I know better.”

  “Doesn’t make it any less true. Besides, anything is better than that Trish woman.”

  “Ann,” Xavier warned.

  “I call it like I see it, X-man. I was afraid for your life. Cause if you had brought that home talking about marrying her, I would have killed you.”

  Zack laughed. “She is a little out there. Told me I couldn’t call you X-man.”

  “It was juvenile.” Xavier laughed.

  “Really?” Diamond exhaled. “Are you really over her?”

  “Hey, it was my first try at a monogamous relationship.”

  “Good riddance.” Ann chuckled. “Is this one snooty like the last one?”

  “No,” Diamond responded.

  “As different as night and day,” Zack added.

  “Nicole is warm. That’s the first thing you see when she smiles. You feel it, in your bones, you know what I mean?” Xavier nodded as he spoke. “It’s that feeling you get when you spread butter on a hot roll. You know you’re in for a treat. Like home, you know?” He sat up. “You know what else, she makes you wanna laugh every time you see her. Even when she’s upset with you, the feeling doesn’t change, you still want to be in her presence. Yeah, Nicole’s aura is unique.” He didn’t say anything more as his family stared at him.

  “Like home,” Zack repeated with a twinkle of laughter in his eyes.

  Xavier
snapped his fingers, then pointed at Zack. “Exactly.” He sat back as if satisfied with his description.

  Ann started first. That laughter that begins in the pit of your stomach then works its way up and out. Then Zack jumped in with his rich deep chuckle that resonated around the room. Next were the smooth sweet sounds of Diamond’s laughter added to the mix. They all turned when Nicole walked up. The three of them nearly fell out of their seats with laughter.

  Xavier had to laugh. “Ignore them.” He kissed her cheek. “My family is a little touched.”

  “Somebody is touched, that’s for sure.” Ann laughed as she extended her hand. “Honey don’t judge us. I’m Ann Davenport, the mother.”

  Nicole shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Davenport.”

  “Just Ann. Mrs. Davenport belongs to Diamond. Have a seat. Since the butter is here I’ll see if the waitress can bring us some hot bread.”

  Zack and Diamond burst into laughter again.

  Diamond looked up at Nicole, trying to compose herself. “Nicole.” She chuckled. “Please excuse us. Xavier, who is standing there acting innocent, put us in this state.” She cleared her throat. “One day, please ask me to tell you about this dinner.”

  Nicole smiled. “I certainly will.”

  “She will not.” Xavier pulled out a chair for her.

  Nicole pulled out a box and gave it to Ann. “This is for you. Happy birthday, Ann.”

  Ann looked up at the woman, surprised. “You brought me a present?”

  “Yes, Xavier indicated it was your birthday. It’s not much. But I believe every birthday should be celebrated in some way.”

  Ann was touched. She took the small blue box, removed the top and set it aside. There was an opal pendant necklace with matching earrings. Ann looked up in shock.

  “Opal is the birthstone for the month of October. I’m told it’s unique. I hope you like it.”

  Ann’s look from Nicole to Xavier, then back to Nicole. “It’s beautiful,” she said as a tear escaped. “You got this for me? Why?”