An Island Affair. Monica Richardson

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СКАЧАТЬ have you used what you learned at Spelman? In Hollywood?” Alyson continued.

      I rolled my eyes at my sister, who’d obviously found humor in the fact that I’d chosen a different career path than the rest of my siblings.

      * * *

      A few hours later, I placed the photos back into the boxes I’d found them in. It was getting late, and I needed to make my way to the water taxi before nightfall. I did a final walk-through of the house, shut off all the lights, secured the place and then stepped outside.

      I was surprised to find Jackson seated on a stoop outside, chattering on his phone.

      “What are you still doing here?” I asked him once he’d wrapped up his call.

      “I had a few loose ends to tie up.”

      “You sure you aren’t stalking me?”

      “Of course not. I have better things to do than to stalk you.”

      “I told you I’d be fine,” I said.

      “I know, but I wanted to make sure anyway.”

      “Fine. I’m leaving.”

      “Good.”

      I smiled as I hopped into the backseat of the cab. Of all those bad qualities I’d pinpointed in Jackson, I could not accuse him of not being a gentleman.

Chapter 4

      Jasmine

      My father stood at the dock with his graying sideburns, tall, slender frame and round midsection. He wiped sweat from his dark brown face with a handkerchief and grinned a wide grin when he saw me.

      “Hello, darling,” his deep voice greeted me.

      “Hi, Daddy.” I hugged my father. “You didn’t have to pick me up. I could’ve gotten a taxi.”

      I was happy to see my father. It reminded me of the times he’d picked me up from school when I was much younger. He’d stand outside the little pink schoolhouse and wait to walk me home. I’d tell him all about my day, and we’d stop for fresh fruit at the market—papayas, mangoes and pineapples.

      “It’s okay. Your mother sent me to the market anyway. I think she wanted me out of the house—sometimes I get on her nerves, if you can believe that.”

      “I don’t believe that.” I laughed.

      “It’s true.” Daddy laughed heartily. “Besides, I couldn’t wait to find out how things went at the Grove today. I’m so proud of you, and your brothers and sisters for taking this on.” He had a strong Bahamian accent, though he was not born or raised in the Bahamas. He grew up in Key West. But with both parents of Bahamian descent, he was bound to speak just like them.

      My siblings and I had Bahamian accents as well, although I tried with all my might to lose mine once I left the islands. And with California being a huge melting pot, my accent was just one of many dialects there.

      “I found all sorts of things belonging to Grammy and Granddad. Photos and paintings and stuff. Lots of photos of Granddad and his band.”

      My father smiled.

      “My father was a multitalented musician. He played the trumpet, traveled throughout the Caribbean with his band. He played the goombay drums, and when he lived in Key West, he was a self-taught pianist. He had his very own baby grand piano and had it shipped over from the States.”

      “I saw the baby grand. It’s beautiful! I think it will look nice in the Clydesdale,” I said. “I guess I got my desire for the arts from him.”

      “I guess you did.” Daddy held my car door open and I hopped in.

      He maneuvered the car on the left side of the road and navigated down Queen’s Highway from the water-taxi dock toward our home on Governor’s Harbour.

      “I’m really not feeling Edward’s friend Jackson, the contractor...” I lowered my window a bit to catch a breeze, checked my hair in the side mirror. “He’s so...let me see...” I thought about the words I wanted to use. “...so arrogant and egotistical.”

      “Really?”

      “Yeah, I don’t like him much at all. I don’t know if I can work with him,” I said. “Maybe we can find someone who’s a little more approachable to do the work. Someone friendlier.”

      “Is he unapproachable?”

      “He’s cold. Self-absorbed.”

      Daddy smiled a little. “You mean he didn’t make a fuss over you.”

      “What? No. I don’t care about that,” I said. “I just care about the Grove and making sure we’ve hired the best person for the job.”

      “He has a very impressive work history and comes highly recommended.”

      “Of course he’s highly recommended by Edward—they’re friends!”

      “By people he’s done work for in the past.” Daddy pulled his old pickup truck in front of the house, a vehicle he’d owned for as long as I could remember. “From what I can tell, the fellow does excellent work. You should do a little research on him. You’d be surprised at what you’ll find.”

      I climbed out of the truck and gave the door a hard push. “Maybe I will.”

      * * *

      I found Denny in his bedroom, lying flat on his back and tossing a football into the air.

      “Don’t you have anything better to do?” I peeked inside.

      “No.” He was so unconcerned. He’d recently made one of the biggest decisions of his life and seemed so dispassionate about everything else.

      “You seem so weird lately, like it doesn’t concern you that you’ll be deployed soon.”

      “It’s life, Jazzy. No big deal.”

      “No big deal? Really?” I took a seat at the foot of his bed. “Well, if it’s no big deal, why didn’t you tell our parents about it before you did it?”

      “Because they make a big fuss about everything! I mean, I’m just not college material. I know my limitations. I know what I want, and this is it. End of story.”

      “Aren’t you a little bit afraid?”

      “Of course. I mean, weren’t you afraid when you went away to Spelman? And weren’t you afraid when you moved to California?”

      “Terrified.”

      “Well, I’m not terrified. But I’m a little scared,” he admitted. “But it’s my life. And no one can live it for me.”

      “You’re СКАЧАТЬ