Hidden Memories (36 page)

“Is Ava home?” Ramion asked, wanting to tear off her nightgown and make love to her right there on the kitchen floor.

“No.”

“Sage, there is one thing I need to know. I haven’t been unfaithful to you, but have you been faithful to me?”

“Of course,” Sage answered, moving away from the refrigerator to stand next to the kitchen table.

“Why did he send you those flowers?”

“I suppose he wanted me.”

“Why did you tell him you weren’t engaged?”

“I wasn’t at the time,” Sage said pointedly.

“And you were ready to find someone else right away?”

“I was in a daze, Ramion,” she said. “That damn tape kept replaying in my mind. But meeting someone was the last thing on my mind.”

“So what happened?”

“We had a couple of drinks.”

“And?”

“That’s all there is to it.”

“There must be more. Did you go out with him?”

“No.”

“Did you have dinner with him?”

“No.”

Ramion stared at her, his dark eyes questioning. “Why did he send all those flowers?”

Sage shrugged her shoulders and sat down at the kitchen table. “I already told you. I met him on the last day of the conference. We had some drinks, end of story.”

“So how did he know where you were from? Where you worked?”

“He knew I worked for Governor Hudson,” she said flippantly. “He knew who I was when he introduced himself to me.”

“And did you know who he was?”

“Of course I did. It’s my job to know who’s who,” she said, her tone impatient.

“What did you tell him after I left?”

“Stop drilling me. I told him we were going to work things out and he left. Now you know how I feel about Edwinna.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s different.”

“Enrique is a stranger to me. But you were involved with Edwinna. You slept with her. You had feelings for her.”

“The operative word is
had
.”

She pointed her finger into his chest. “The point is, you’re jealous.”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, I’ll admit it. Guilty as charged,” he said. “I’m jealous. I can’t stand the thought of you with anybody else.” He turned her chair around to face him. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.” He slipped her nightgown off her shoulders, kissing her lips, neck, shoulders, breasts, stomach, until he worked his way down to her thighs. She reared back, her eyes closed, realizing just how much she’d missed this sensual feeling.

“Open them,” he said.

She spread her legs, and Ramion buried his face.

* * * * *

Residents, community and religious leaders, and business owners convened at a high school gymnasium to hear Ramion officially announce his bid for the state senate seat. The media was on hand to report Ramion’s foray into politics.

“In closing, I’d like to say that it’s time, time that we empower our communities. To make them the thriving areas they once were, we must be environmentally conscious, economically responsible and educationally responsive,” Ramion said, speaking into the microphone. With his hands resting on the podium, he addressed the audience, “I stand before you committed to empowering your communities, to empowering your neighborhoods, your homes and your lives. As state representative for this district, I will help you do that. That’s my commitment to you.”

Ramion’s campaign commitment drew a boisterous response from the residents of District 11.

“Congratulations, son,” Raymond said, affectionately patting Ramion on the back. “You gave a dynamite speech.”

“Thanks, Pops.” Ramion loosened the multistriped tie around his neck and said, “I thought those reporters were never going to leave.”

“They like you. They respect you. It’s good to have them on your side.”

“For now they are. The moment something goes wrong, they’ll go after me like sharks on a trail of blood.”

“You have nothing to worry about.”

“Just getting elected,” Ramion said, with a light laugh.

“Boy, I’ve already told my golfing buddies about you. They promised to vote for you.”

“Thanks, Pops.”

Chapter Nineteen

“Ooh, it’s gorgeous!” Ava shrieked excitedly when Sage emerged from the dressing room, wearing her wedding gown.

Sage slowly turned around, careful to hold up the elaborately designed train.

“I mean, Sage, it’s on. It’s elegant and sophisticated.” Giggling, she added, “It’s CrazySexyCool.”

“A TLC fan,” Xavier said.

“Those are my girls!” Ava said.

Sage stood in front of the mirror, nervous with anticipation. When she put on the gown, the reality of her impending wedding hit her. She was going to marry Ramion Sandidge in the Governor’s Mansion. Her stomach was suddenly jittery.

Now, standing before the mirror, she closed her eyes. She was suddenly afraid of being disappointed again. The last time she met with Xavier, she had regretted her decision to have a custom-designed gown. When Xavier saw Sage’s face drop with disappointment, like a wilted flower, he promised to redesign the gown.

Slowly she opened her eyes. This time, her face was as vibrant as a flower blooming in spring. A happy smile spread across her face when she saw the gown.

“It’s beautiful,” Sage uttered breathlessly. “This is it, Xavier.”

With his hand draped across his forehead, Xavier said dramatically, “Sage, I’m so glad you like it. I was getting very worried. I didn’t want you to be unhappy.”

“You don’t have to be worried about that now,” Ava said, straddling a chair. “Look at her face. I’ve never seen her look so happy. I mean, she looks like she won the lottery or something.”

“Oh, I won more than the lottery,” Sage said, spinning around to get a side view in the three-way mirror. “I hit the jackpot when I met Ramion,” Sage said, mostly to herself, thinking how she’d almost lost Ramion to Edwinna’s devious play.

“Right,” Ava said sarcastically, twisting her wrist. “Like you ever had a problem finding a man.”

“It hasn’t been easy, girl. It’s hard finding a man you can love and who loves you back with the same depth.”

“I just hope your luck rubs off on me. All the men in my life dogged me,” Ava complained.

“I can’t imagine that, Ava,” Xavier said. “They just don’t know a treasure when they see one.”

“That’s sweet,” Ava said with a pleased grin. “You’re right, some men don’t know a diamond from a cubic zirconia, and if they can’t tell the difference, who needs them.”

“That’s the spirit.” Xavier winked and turned back to Sage. “If this is really what you want, all I have to do is put on the finishing touches—hem the sleeves, sew on the pearls, stitch the bodice.”

Her arms extended at her sides, Sage declared joyfully, “This is it!”

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” Ava agreed.

“I’m going to get out of it,” Sage said, moving toward the dressing room. “I’ll be right back.”

“The wedding is going to be live, Xavier, so live,” Ava said with the excitement of an expectant sister of the bride. “I can’t wait.”

* * * * *

Sage opened the door to her kitchen and was instantly overwhelmed by the smell of food cooking. “Ava?” she called out curiously. It was the first time she’d ever smelled anything cooking. Ava was the queen of fast food, never showing the faintest interest in cooking.

After placing her purse and briefcase on the kitchen table, Sage opened the pots and casserole dishes that were sitting on the stove: fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, cabbage and candied yams. She peeked inside the oven and saw cornbread baking in a cast-iron skillet. The sight and smell of a home-cooked meal made Sage’s stomach growl.

“Ava!” she yelled up the stairs. “I know you didn’t make this food.”

Sage walked over to the kitchen desk and sorted through her mail. “Finally,” she said, when she saw the letter from the Veteran’s Administration. She tore open the envelope and read a customized form letter that told her no more than what she already knew. Her father was killed in action and, even though his body was never found, he wasn’t considered missing.

Thanks for nothing,
Sage thought, as she put the letter back into the envelope. “There’s nothing more I can do,” she said out loud to herself.

Sage looked up when she heard footsteps on the stairs. “I know you didn’t cook this feast, Ava. You wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“You got that right! I didn’t,” Ava said as she reached the bottom of the steps. “But Mama did. Surprise!”

Audra came from behind Ava, her face a mixture of uncertainty and anticipation. She greeted Sage with a healthy hug. “Didn’t expect to see me so soon?”

“No, Mama, I didn’t.” Sage was silent for a moment, staring dazedly at her mother looking so different from when she’d seen her at the funeral. Grief had settled into permanent sadness in her eyes.

“I made your favorite dinner,” Audra said. “At least what you liked when you were a little girl.”

“I still love fried chicken. I can’t remember the last time I had some that wasn’t from the store.”

“It was my idea, Sage,” Ava said.

“Dinner?”

“No. Mama,” Ava said. “It was my idea to have Mama come down. She’s been itching to visit you for years, so I said ‘why not now’. I had to talk her into it. She was very reluctant.”

“I didn’t want to intrude, Sage,” Audra said hesitantly. She was casually dressed in a navy knit pants outfit. “I know you’re busy planning your wedding and working for the governor.”

“And they’re looking for a house,” Ava said. “You should see some of the places they’ve looked at. They’re awesome! Jacuzzi, spiral staircase, the works.”

“Speaking of Ramion,” Audra said, moving past Sage to the stove. “Would you like to invite him over for dinner? I made plenty.”

“Ramion’s working late. He’s starting a new trial tomorrow.”

“I see. Well, I hope my being here isn’t a problem,” Audra said, sifting red pepper into the pot of cabbage. “I can help with your wedding plans.”

Finding her mother in her house was as unexpected as a visit by the Publishers Clearing House prize patrol. Not only was Sage surprised to see her mother, but she was surprised at her own reaction. Instead of anger, she felt the melodic peace of the ocean after a raging storm. “It’s okay, Mama,” Sage said, her smile warm. “You’re welcome to stay.”

Ava clapped her hands. “Goody. I’m glad that’s all worked out. I’m going to set the table,” she said as she removed silverware from a drawer.

“I’m going to change clothes,” Sage said and headed toward her bedroom, then she suddenly turned to face Audra.

“Mama, why didn’t you ever tell me that Daddy’s body was never found?”

Audra closed the lid on the pot. “You were too young at the time, and then it never seemed like the right time to bring it up. You grieved so hard for him. We both did. And when you seemed finally to be getting over it, I didn’t want to open a wound.”

“I never got over losing him, Mama,” Sage said, her voice laced with hurt. “I thought about Daddy a lot, especially as a teenager. I wished he was around to protect me.”

Audra knew what Sage meant by that comment, that if Satchel had lived, she wouldn’t have been raped. Audra busied herself at the kitchen stove, turning on the gas, opening the pots, stirring the food, adding seasoning and tasting.

Sage pursued the topic. “I have a letter here from the VA.”

The mention of the VA caught Audra’s attention. She stopped stirring the cabbage and looked over at Sage. “Why would the VA write you?”

“I tried to find out if Daddy’s body was ever found.”

“Oh, they told me he was in a village that was bombed. The entire village was wiped out. There were few survivors. I always wondered why they would bomb a village with innocent women and children, but I never really questioned them. There were all kinds of tragic stories in that war.”

“Who bombed whom? And why would the soldiers be in the village?” Sage probed.

“I don’t know,” Audra said, shrugging. “I really don’t know.”

“You don’t remember them telling you anything about the circumstances surrounding his death. What if he really didn’t die?”

“Come on, Sage,” Ava interrupted. “If your father is alive, where has he been all these years? Why didn’t he ever get in touch with his family?”

“They found his dog tags,” Audra said.

“But not his body,” Sage said.

“Sage, you tripping girl,” Ava said. “He was killed in the war.”

Sage was quiet for a few minutes. “You’re right.”

“Ava told me about some nut burning a flag in your yard,” Audra said in a concerned voice. “Have they caught the person?”

“No,” Sage said. She had quickly grown tired of having a bodyguard. “Not yet, anyway. They’re seriously investigating it. They’ve got a lead from some of the neighbors.”