A Love of Her Own (11 page)

“
Did you spend the day with him?”

“
Yes. Today he got to get reacquainted with my side of the family.”

“
Reacquainted,” she repeated. “Don’t they see each other often? They live in the same city.”

“
Yes, but his mother pretty much associates only with her relatives.”

“
Well, that doesn’t seem fair.”

“
You’re very diplomatic. Actually, it stinks. But what counts is that we had a wonderful time today, and I’ll see him as much as I can while I’m here.” He paused. “I’d like you to meet him. I think you’d like him.”

“
I’d like to meet him. Like I said, I love kids.”
This is the perfect time to tell him about me. I could say, ‘I always wanted to have kids of my own, but unfortunately it’s not possible.’
But she said nothing. For one thing, they were talking on the phone and she wouldn’t be able to see his reaction. For another, she simply didn’t want to. She was enjoying his attentions too much and wasn’t ready for it to end. She wanted to hold on to the pretense of what might be for just a little while longer.

She might be able to have a successful relationship when she
was past her childbearing years, but that was still a long way off. She wanted to enjoy what might very well be the last hurrah of her youth as long as she could. Besides, she still knew nothing about Hilton’s hopes for his future. Maybe he didn’t want any more children, which would mean she was worrying for nothing.

“
I’m going to try to bring him down for his spring break. He was asking me about where I live.”

“
I hope it works out. It’s such a nice surprise to hear from you, Hilton.”

“
Yeah, it was pretty stupid of me to leave town without getting your number. I just didn’t want the day to go by without my talking to you.”

“
That was sweet.”

“
Hey, it’s Christmas. Maybe next year Max will get to spend the holiday in Florida with me, so I can spend the day with two of my favorite people.” He grew quiet for a few moments, then said, “Uh, there was something else, Ava. Something I want to ask you.”

“
What’s that?”

“
What’re you doing New Year’s Eve?”

*****

Ava pulled the dress over her head, her head and torso temporarily lost in the fabric. The only thing she and Kendall insisted on was wearing sophisticated honor attendant dresses, not wanting to look like teenagers going to a debutante ball. Kendall was matron of honor and Ava maid of honor, and their dresses were identical. Vicky had come through for them, choosing knee-length strapless maroon velvet sheaths with sheer nylon covering the shoulders, collarbone area, upper back and extending into long sleeves, and velvet bands at the throat and wrists. Vicky’s own bridal dress was the same style, but was made of taffeta instead of velvet and had a tea-length full skirt.

Everything was in order at the club where both the ceremony and reception were being held
. It would be a small affair with just sixty guests.

Ava, Kendall and Vicky dressed in the same room
. They giggled like children as they fastened each other’s buttons and helped with each other’s hair.

“
So this be the last time the three of us will be together for a while, huh,” Vicky said as she pulled on her stockings.

“
Why, are you never coming back to Nile Beach?” Kendall asked.

“
Of course we’ll be back. Our families are here. Why else would we come back here to get married?”

“
I think you’ve got a case of the heebie-jeebies about re-marrying,” Kendall said. “You weren’t this nervous about moving up to North Carolina.”

“
That was different. It wasn’t binding. I could have just picked up and come back if it didn’t work out. Now Shayla and me are going to be moving in with Danny and his kids. It’s all so…final.”

“
But it did work out, Vicky. That’s why you’re going to make it official.”

“
You’re a first-time newlywed, Kendall. You don’t understand how it feels to fail at marriage. I’m terrified of doing it again.”

Ava spoke up for the first time
. “I’ve failed at marriage, Vicky. I know the line about always and forever should be changed to, it’s good as long as it’s good and not a minute more. But you and Danny were made for each other. Remember, he’s probably just as anxious as you are to avoid another divorce. Don’t worry, hon. This time it’s for keeps.”

“
Thanks, Ava. I hope you’re right.”

Ava
’s smile was mischievous. “So now that that’s out of the way, let me be the first to ask. You gonna have any more kids?”

“
Oh, boy,” Kendall said in a knowing tone. “That’s a question I’ve heard a lot since I walked down the aisle, just without the ‘more.’” She rolled her eyes, for unlike Ava, Kendall had never wanted children.

“
I guess I’ll be hearing that now,” Vicky said. “We considered it, but we’re leaning against it. Romantically, it’s a sweet idea, but financially it’s not practical. How are we supposed to educate them all?” Vicky had one daughter and Danny had a boy and girl.

“
You could probably manage. It’s not like the whole burden will be on you two. Hell, I used to serve banquets at local hotels when I was at Spelman,” Kendall said.

“
I agree,” Ava said. “Let the little bugger help pay his way.”

“
You must want another godchild real bad, Ava,” Vicky said. “What’s going on with you, anyway?”

“
Oh, I don’t know. I just think a baby would be nice, that’s all.” She saw Kendall and Vicky exchange glances and knew they were wondering what had gotten into her, since this was a topic she usually avoided. She wasn’t sure herself. All she knew was that she was feeling lighthearted and carefree, which was unusual for her at this time of year.

“
I really like this dress, Vicky,” Ava said as the three of them stood in front of the mirrored wall. “I wish Hilton were here to see how sharp I look.”

“Uh-huh,” Kendall said knowingly. “So you would have invited him after all, if he wasn’t going out of town. Inappropriate, my ass.”

“I didn’t believe that, either, Ava,” Vicky confessed.

“Well, at the time I believed what I said.
”

“And what’s changed?” Kendall immediately asked.

“Don’t get personal,” Ava replied with a smile.

Someone knocked
on the door, and Kendall went to answer it. Vicky’s mother was delivering the littlest attendants: Vicky’s and Danny’s daughters, who were both flower girls; and Danny’s son, who was the ring bearer, all dressed in their wedding finery.

Shay
la, Vicky’s five-year-old, ran straight to her mother, saying, “Mommy, you’re beautiful!”

“
Careful,” Vicky said, bending at the waist. “Don’t muss Mommy’s makeup.”

*****

Ava squared her shoulders, determined no one would see how nervous she was about walking down the aisle. Organizing nuptials was one thing; being part of it was something else; but because she was a few inches shorter than Kendall, she was the first to begin marching.

She felt everyone
’s eyes on her, which was uncomfortable, but as she scanned the room she saw so many familiar faces she broke out into a smile.

She noticed a broad-shouldered man in a navy suit who was standing like everyone else, but
who faced straight ahead toward the altar instead of turning to watch the bridal party walk down the aisle. His unusual stance made him stand out in the aisle seat, where he stood next to Kendall’s husband Spencer Barnes. When he did turn around just as she was approaching she nearly lost her footing.

It was Hilton.

He winked at her, and her mind spun with a dozen questions. Why was he back so soon? And what on earth was he doing
here?

She suspected who might have all the answers
. “Kendall,” she hissed after the ceremony had begun. “How is it that Hilton is here?”

Kendall responded by placing a freshly manicured index finger against her mouth and
hissing, “Shh!”

The ceremony was lost to Ava; all she could think about was Hilton, sitting just a few rows back from where she stood
. She stood at an angle and tried looking out of the corner of her eye but couldn’t see him.

Vicky and Danny shared the traditional kiss to seal their vows, and the guests, most of whom had been around twenty years before when the newly married couple were high school sweethearts, applauded wildly
. Kendall sniffled and Ava’s eyes grew damp. She and Vicky had been friends since grammar school—they were teenagers when Kendall moved to town and they became a trio—and she couldn’t have been happier for her friend. She hadn’t known Vicky’s first husband well—Vicky had met him when she was working in Orlando—but when they married she had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right, and after that Vicky didn’t look as happy as she had before. She didn’t tell anyone about the emotional abuse her insecure husband inflicted upon her regularly until four years later, when she left him and came home to Nile Beach with her young daughter in tow. But this marriage would last, Ava thought. She could feel it.

Her smile was genuine as she left the room in the recessional, her arm hooked with that of an usher
. Her eyes locked with Hilton’s, who was on his feet, applauding along with the others, a look of fondness in his eyes that Ava knew was reserved for her.

*****

Fortunately, the photo session went fairly quickly. Ava knew she wasn’t going to get any information out of Kendall, who always seemed to have an excuse for why she couldn’t talk whenever Ava attempted to confront her.

After the
official introduction of the bridal party and the bride and groom were having the first dance. They had the dance floor to themselves while dozens of flashbulbs went off. The bridal party was then asked to join them, and finally the guests. To Ava’s surprise, Hilton cut in on the groomsman she was dancing with. Her partner released her so swiftly she thought she would fall backward. A friend of Danny’s from North Carolina, his wife was among the guests, and he was clearly anxious to be with her.

For a moment Ava and Hilton simply smiled at each other, then moved in closer and fell into step.

“It’s good to see you, Ava,” he said. “You look beautiful.”

“
Thank you. It’s good to see you, too. But I don’t understand. I thought you would be out of town for a couple of days yet.”

“
I came back early. I enjoyed the holiday yesterday, but this morning it went downhill faster than an out-of-control boulder. I put my stuff in the truck and just came on home. I ran into Spencer and Kendall at Walgreens. Kendall insisted I come tonight. I hope it’s all right with you.”

“
Of course it is. It’s a surprise, but definitely a pleasant one.”

When the music ended he took her hand and led her to the reception area of the club, where he pulled out a pack of Marlboros and lit one.

‘I didn’t know you smoked, Hilton.”

“
I don’t anymore. I guess I’m regressing. The stress of the holidays.”

“
I guess it’s hard on everyone,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ll bet your son was sorry to see you go.”

“
I actually didn’t get to see him before I left, but he sounded disappointed when I called after I got back and told him I was home.” He took a deep drag on his cigarette. “That was the problem. I only got to see him on Christmas Day. After that his mother managed to have some pressing matter come up that required her to leave the house whenever I was supposed to pick him up.”

“
You sound like you think it was done on purpose.”

“
It happened three times, Ava. What would you think?”

“
Oh, I didn’t know. I guess I would be a little suspicious.”

“
You’d be a lot suspicious if you knew Janelle.” He stubbed what was left of the cigarette in the ashtray built into the top of a trash receptacle.

Ava knew he wouldn
’t be saying anything else about it. She didn’t know Hilton well, but she knew he was a man of few words. Marcus would probably be like that…provided he even had the opportunity to grow into a man.

And he would, if she had anything to say about it.

As they returned to the festivities, it occurred to her that while Christmas had been easier for her this year because of Marcus, it was a very difficult time for Hilton.

Chapter
8

H
ilton drove Ava home after the reception. He’d been quiet all evening, but despite that his manner transcended a gladness that she was there. After dinner she traded seats with the wife of the usher who escorted her, with the other woman sitting on the dais next to her husband and Ava sitting at the table next to Hilton. He stayed close all night, his hand draped across the back of her chair or resting lightly on her shoulder—bare except for the wispy sheer nylon covering—and when they danced to the slow, dreamy numbers she had felt weightless in his arms.

“Would you like to come in for a while?” she asked as she prepared to unlock the front door.

“No, not now.”

“Are you all right, Hilton?”
He looked as if he was trying to mask great emotional pain, but the mask had started to slip, allowing her to glimpse the anguish beneath. It was a familiar sight to her; many times at the end of a day she’d seen the stress on her own face after having put on a happy face for her clientele.

“I’ll be all right. I hope I didn’t ruin your evening with my gloomy self.”

Ava reached out, her fingers closing around his forearm, feeling his strength through his suit coat. “Of course not. Your being at the wedding was the nicest surprise I’ve had all week.”

“I’m glad. I’ll call you in a day or two
, okay? I’ve got to work this out.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“I’m afraid not, but thanks for offering.” He bent and briefly kissed her lips before going down the walk to his truck.

Ava’s house
suddenly seemed too quiet. It had been wonderful to wake up yesterday morning to find Marcus sitting at the kitchen table having a bowl of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. For a few precious moments she allowed herself to imagine he was her own child, having breakfast before he left for school. When he left he gave her a hug and kiss and said, “One day I’m going to do something real nice for you, Aunt Ava.”

She smiled at the memory. Still, she wished she knew more about Marcus.
As it was, she didn’t even know his last name. Between he and Hilton, the two new males in her life, she was practically overcome with curiosity.

Ava turned on the living room television as the late news was coming on. The lead story was that there had been a shooting on Main Street. The victim, identified only as a man in his late twenties or early thirties, was reported to be in critical condition in what police suspected was a drug-related skirmish.

Sounds like one more troublemaker is out of commission,
Ava thought.
Maybe recovering from a bullet wound will be enough to get him to change paths.

Then again, maybe not. She knew as well as anyone that a startling percentage of today’s youth were more prone to take the easy way out, whether it be doing a little dealing for extra money while in college or foregoing an education altogether to become full time pusher
s.

The Maxwell family had been
far from wealthy, but guidance from Doris and Gordon Maxwell, good values, and assistance from scholarships and student loans had allowed all three of them to become college graduates, and Larry and Maria to go on to medical and dentistry schools, respectively. Doris had urged Ava to pursue a career in the health industry as well, but the squeamish Ava chose to major in marketing instead. Her father thought that was fine, but Doris had not hidden her disappointment. She had come around after Beginnings was a success, but the direction Ava’s personal life took caused a divide between them that had never been repaired.

Still, it was the work ethic and determination to be the best that had made Beginnings the leading bridal salon in the area. Ava knew she had been blessed to have had such encouragement from her earliest years, for it had saved
her and her siblings from settling for a lifetime of mediocrity.

She’d initially had reservations about what she perceived as a lack of ambition in Hilton, but that was before she knew he’d already put in twenty years at a stressful job. He obviously found
being self-employed satisfying after serving in the strict regimen of the police force for two decades. Surely Hilton would urge little Maxwell to follow his dreams and be the best he could be.

She wanted to do the same for Marcus.

*****

By Sunday she still hadn’t heard from Hilton. She considered calling the number on his business card, but decided to wait it out. She was sure he would call when he was feeling better. There had been times in her own life
—usually immediately after she’d felt forced to end a relationship—when she refused to answer the telephone and did not venture beyond her front door unless it was to go to work. During the months following her separation in particular she was practically a hermit. It looked like Hilton also withdrew into himself when he was getting through a difficult period. They had a lot in common, she and Hilton, more than he would probably ever know.

They had a date for New Year’s Eve, two days from now, and she just might have to wait until then to see him. Knowing that he was almost certain to
have regained some degree of cheerfulness by then prevented her from becoming too impatient.

She hadn’t seen Marcus either, not since he’d left her house after breakfast the morning after Christmas. Funny, but she’d never had this much contact with a child before, not even her own nieces and nephews. When Larry and Joy or Maria and Gregory wanted to go out they brought their offspring to Doris or to the
ir in-laws, or even to each other, since all the kids were relatively close in age and played together reasonably well. Before Marcus she’d never been able to kiss a child goodnight or tuck them in bed. She had no idea how long this unusual friendship would last, but while it did, she was going to love every minute of it.

Marcus showed up at nightfall, alternately knocking on her front door urgently and repeatedly ringing the doorbell.

Ava rushed to the door, opening it quickly when she recognized the small figure on the porch. “Hi, sweetie!” she said. “I’ve been wondering where you were.” She pulled the door back to let him inside.

“I’ve been playing ball.”

She was pleased. That meant he was staying away from Main Street and the inevitable trouble that awaited him there, which was worse now, with the recent shooting. While she knew there were lighted courts in town for night playing, at the same time she noticed he didn’t have his basketball with him, even though he was out of breath. He’d probably been playing with some kid who had his own ball.

“
Would you like something to eat?” Confident of an affirmative reply, she turned and started down the hall toward the kitchen.

“No, thank you,” he said politely.

Ava turned, stunned. This was the first time she’d known Marcus to decline food. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he replied, too quickly.

“Marcus,” she prodded. “You’re keeping something from me.”

Suddenly he ran to her and threw his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. “T-Bone’s dead,” he said with a smothered sob. “I know who did it. I’m scared, Aunt Ava.”

She was baffled by his words, but instinctively she hugged him back. “I don’t follow you, Marcus; but you know I’ll do what I can to help you. Who is T-Bone?”

“He’s
…somebody I know.”

His evasiveness exasperated her, and she took a few steps back so she could meet his gaze. “Obviously you know him if you know his name. Stop holding back, Marcus. Tell me what happened. You know you can trust me.” She took his hand and led him to a chair
in the living room, then sat at an angle on the couch so she could lean toward him.

“T-Bone. He runs Palmdale and Nile Beach.”

She was beginning to understand. “You mean he directs the crime. He’s the one who had you snatching women’s purses downtown and at the mall, wasn’t he?”

Marcus’
s shoe-button eyes grew wide. “What do you know about the mall?”

“I saw you pull a stunt out there. You’re lucky you weren’t caught and sent to reform school. And this T-Bone, he was the one who was going to move you up to the big time?”

He nodded.

“Are you saying you saw him murdered?”

“No, but I heard another man tell him he was going to get him. It was just a couple of days ago. They were arguing over some money T-Bone was supposed to pay him for a job. T-Bone only gave him half, and he got real mad. T-Bone had some of the guys throw him out. I’ll bet he’s the one who did it.”

Ava’s mind raced. “Do you know the man’s name?”

“Goodyear.”

“Goodyear!” she repeated. “Doesn’t anyone use their real names?”

“Not in the street.”

“Did Goodyear see you there?”

“I don’t think so. I listened to what they were saying, but I stayed in the other room. But what if he tries to get T-Bone’s men, the ones that heard him tell T-Bone he was going to get him? They might tell him I was there and heard what he said, too.”

Fear settled around Ava like a down quilt on a cold night. It was a frightening thought that this Goodyear might actually seek to eliminate everyone who had heard him threaten T-Bone. Could human life actually mean so little in these circles?

“You’ve been inside since it happened, haven’t you?” she asked. “You haven’t been playing ball.”

He nodded, looking like any eight-year-old who was terrified.

“Marcus, have you told your parents or anyone in your family about this?”

“No. My grandparents
, they’re old. My mother…she don’t live with us. And my aunt’s not around much either. She hardly spends time with her own kids.”

He hadn’t mentioned a father,
Ava noticed, but he did use a plural for his grandparents, which meant he had a grandfather. She felt a sense of relief that Marcus’s grandmother had some help in caring for him, although Grandpa didn’t seem to be able to handle him, either. “Do your cousins live with you, too?”

“Yeah.”

No wonder there hadn’t been room for a Christmas tree. Ava wondered how large their place was. “Marcus, do you think your grandparents would mind if you stayed with me for the rest of your Christmas vacation? By the time school starts this should blow over. If not… well, we’ll take it one step at a time.”

His eyes shone. “I want to show you something.” He jumped up and ran to the front door, opened it and reached for something.

It was a black nylon gym bag, small enough to fit under the seat of an airplane. “I packed a few things. I like to be prepared.”

Ava didn’t know whether to hug him or smack him. In the end she settled for a smile. “That’s all well and good, Marcus, but I still need to talk to your mo
—I mean, to an adult responsible for you. Staying a week is a lot different from staying overnight.”

“But I already told Granny you invited me to stay with you.”

“That wasn’t true, Marcus.”

“Maybe not then, but now it is.”

She tried to look stern. “Marcus.”

“But you
did
invite me, Aunt Ava, just now.”

“I’m not giving in this time, Marcus. I can’t let you stay here without the consent of someone qualified to give it. It would be against the law for me to keep you here without an okay from your guardian. You don’t want me to go to jail, do you?”

“No.”

“Your grandparents need to know exactly where you are, not
just that you might be staying with me. They don’t even know me.”

Marcus contorted his lower lip, and she knew he was thinking up a scheme. “I know the best place to see Granny and Granddaddy.”

“Someplace other than home, I have a feeling.”

“Every morning they go to the supermarket when it opens at eight o’clock. I’ll go with you and point them out, but I’ll stay in the back of the car so nobody sees me.”

Ava sucked her teeth in exasperation. It was clear Marcus didn’t want her to know where he lived, but she didn’t want to endanger him. “All right. Tomorrow morning we’ll look for them.”

*****

Ava and Marcus were watching TV in the living room when the phone rang.

“Ava, it’s Hilton. Can I come over? I’d like to see you.”

“Sure, come on over.”

She ran upstairs as soon as she hung up, moving with such haste Marcus called out, “You okay, Aunt Ava?” She hollered an affirmative response but did not slow down.

In the bathroom she brushed and fluffed her hair into place, splashed water on her face and swished mouthwash in preparation for his arrival, which she knew would be imminent, since he lived nearby. She applied a deep brownish-maroon lipstick for a natural enhancement, then straightened her clothing and returned downstairs.

She found herself looking forward to introducing Hilton to Marcus. It was time for the two “men” in her life to meet. Still, she didn’t feel Marcus needed to hear whatever Hilton was coming to talk to her about.

“Marcus, a friend of mine is coming by to see me. I want you to meet him, and then I want you to go upstairs to your room and watch TV there, okay?”