The Ties that Bind (Kingdom) (34 page)

“No, Aviva, we love you, big difference. You are our sister and you make our brother happy.” Jake told her. “Put it on for her, Jason.”

Removing the pendent from its box, Jason pushed Aviva’s hair out of the way and clasped it around her neck.

Once the jewel was in place, Aviva’s eyes were again drawn to the diamond. Before she could help herself, she placed a hand over it, almost sure it emitted warmth.

Josh’s words filled the silence as she admired her gift. “Our grandfather gave that piece to our grandmother. We only vaguely remember him, Jake and me, but our dad always told us how much his father loved his mother. That’s what we see when we look at the two of you. That’s why we wanted you to have it.”

Aviva felt tears spring into her eyes as Josh’s words came to an end. Unable to check them, and not wanting to, they fell.

At her tears, both the men who only moments before had sat reclined in their seats sprang upright, as though an electric current had passed through their bodies.

Dipping her head at their reaction, Aviva accepted the handkerchief Jason placed in her hand. Her emotions running on high, she was only vaguely aware of his words.

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised. You feed her all that mush, and you honestly didn’t expect this. Hell, you nearly had me in tears!”

His total irreverence at what for her had been a beautiful moment had Aviva turning to him in exasperation.

“Jason!”

“What,” he grinned, “it stopped you crying, didn’t it!”

**********

Stepping out from the car, Jason was struck by the feeling of serenity that assailed him. His time spent in the house he now faced, totaled only a matter of days. The house also reminded him of a time, only months ago, when he thought his world was coming to an end.

Reaching into the car, Jason gently drew Aviva out until she stood beside him. That he had nearly lost her when they were last here made him pull her close and drop a kiss on her forehead, thankful they had been given the opportunity to start over.

This city was where they had decided to build their life together surrounded by his family, their family, Jason silently amended his thought. Looking up, he saw Jackson standing in the doorway with a smile of welcome.

When Aviva saw the older man, she again pulled away from him and rushed forward. With a self-depreciating thought, Jason wondered if, where Aviva was concerned, he was destined to play second fiddle to the rest of the males in his family.

Shaking his head, he watched as Jackson engulfed Aviva in his arms. Secretly their closeness pleased him. That they had so readily accepted them into their lives, was something Jason was appreciative of. Both he and his angel had gone through enough. As far as he was concerned, they deserved their happiness.

“Jason, welcome home!”

Extending his hand, Jason waited for Jackson to take it. This time he was more prepared for his envelopment into a tight bear hug. After spending time with these men, he knew he would have to get used to all this man hugging, fast.

“Glad to be here.” Jason replied by way of a greeting. He knew why Jackson hesitated and was relieved that he didn’t give voice to his thoughts.

“There is a definite nip in the air, let’s all get inside. Aviva, my dear, after you.” Smiling, Aviva preceded Jackson into the house.

Once Aviva and Jason had settled in the family spent a pleasant evening together. Jackson was at his most charming, Josh his most amusing and Jake met them somewhere in the middle. Jason even found himself joining in from time to time.

The moment Jackson brought out the old family pictures, Jason felt that familiar feeling of separation. They had so many memories of times spent together. Without a doubt, some were sad, but the majority of the stories they told were of the good times they had shared together.

Jason was even shown pictures of his grandparents who turned out to be nothing like he had expected. His grandmother was tall and striking rather than pretty, Jason had no expectation when the portrait was handed to him. Aviva saw the image before him, and the curious look on her face alerted him to the fact that he should expect something out of the ordinary. Seeing the couple together, Jason realized just how short his grandfather was.

“Ah, I see you are pondering their difference in stature, Jason. Well, let me assure you, although I’m sure you are aware of this, real men come in all different, shapes, hues, and sizes. To my mind, he stood head and shoulders above all of his peers.”

Still looking at the picture, Jason spoke his thoughts aloud. “I wish I had known him.”

“More than any of my sons, you remind me of him the most.”

Jackson’s comment immediately caught Jason’s attention, and he looked over at his father, silently encouraging him to continue.

“He was a hard man, Jason. His father came from nothing yet still managed to make a lot of money through nothing but hard work, investments and an outstanding mind.”

“Where was he from, how did he make his money?” Aviva asked, completely caught up in the story.

“A good question, my dear, one which I also asked my father when I was a child. Do you know what he told me?” Jackson asked, pausing for effect. At the shake of her head, he continued. “He told me that the beauty of America at that time was that a person could be from anywhere, yet they could become anything they wanted to be.”

“Is Kingdom even your real name?” The look on her face denoting her curiosity to find out more about the family.

“It is now. Has it always been...? I really don’t know.”

“Seriously, Jackson, you never researched your ancestry?”

“Yes, my dear, we tried. Even Jake with his affinity for all things computerized was unable to uncover any more than I. The first record he found pertaining to Harold was exactly the same one I found. For all we know, he could be from the planet Kingdoria.”

Momentarily taken aback by the mention of Kingdoria, Aviva paused and looked around, her eyes widening in surprise. The eruption of laughter around her told its own story.

“Oh, so you got jokes too!” Aviva only just managed to get out around her laughter.

“My dear, these boys learned at the feet of a master!”

Jason was enjoying himself. The atmosphere that surrounded them was one he had never experienced before. He had come close while he had lived with the Blackmans, but somehow it wasn’t the same. What he was experiencing was a contentment in knowing that his angel was with him and that he was in the company of blood relations.

Jason saw the signs of laughter that had held Aviva only moments before vanish when she finally became aware that Jackson was approaching her.

“I have something for you, my dear.” In his hand was another box almost identical to the one she had been given on the drive over to the house.

Hesitantly, Aviva took the box and opened it. It was yet another piece of jewelry. This time a diamond bracelet.

It was a beautiful piece and Jason though Aviva looked as though she was almost too frightened to touch it.

“Is it insured?” The suddenness of the unexpected question caused Jackson to smile.

“Do you like it, Aviva?”

“It’s very nice.”

“Nice!”

“What I meant to say is, it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. But I don’t understand why I’m being given such obviously expensive jewelry.”

“That’s an easy question to answer. You are being given these pieces because we want you to have them.”

“But why?”

Ignoring her question, Jackson turned to Jason who had remained quiet throughout their exchange.

“Put it on for her, Jason.” Jackson told his son.

Taking the box from her lax fingers, Jason took Aviva’s hand and clasped the bracelet around her wrist. Still holding her hand, Jason passed it to his father. Jackson lightly grasped her fingers and deposited a light kiss against the back of her hand.

“Welcome to our family, Aviva.”

Chapter 36

Five weeks later, Aviva was very aware that the equilibrium of the house had changed. She was also at a loss as to why three grown men were so willing to allow their housekeeper and butler to run their household.

She had come to understand that they were totally aware of what transpired around them, but chose not to participate as long as everything in the home ran smoothly. The Kingdoms were laid back to the point where it actually irritated her.

Aviva was still reeling from their admission that they never made a fuss about Christmas. She couldn’t believe it when Jackson had spoken the words. Further, she wasn’t having it, and by now they all knew it.

When she had first asked for suggestions about anything to do with the Christmas celebrations, she had received nothing but blank looks.

Attempts to cajole them into participating in getting the house ready for the holiday hadn’t worked; therefore, Aviva had resorted to her lists. This had worked so well that she now knew they were purposely avoiding her because of them. She also knew that without her lists, she wouldn’t have a hope in hell of getting them to do anything to ready the house for their guests. The men had even gone so far as to suggest she hire an event planner for their first Christmas together. Of course, she had refused.

Steve, Hope, and MacKenzie were definite attendees, and Carlos was a possibility. The Kingdom men all assured her that they had nobody they wanted to invite. It struck Aviva as odd that three such eligible men were unable or unwilling, probably the latter, to find at least one person to invite over for the Christmas Eve get-together.

Very soon, Aviva realized they wouldn’t voluntarily offer help with the planning, in fact, when they now saw her coming they would disappear so fast it seemed almost as though their presence had been a fragment of her imagination. Hence this morning’s lists.

It was almost with a second sense that Aviva knew that the buggers were not in the house. Correct in her assumption, no matter where she looked, there was no sign of any of the men.

The moment she had known that they would all be spending Christmas together for the first time, she had decided to make it memorable. That was what she was working towards. That they were all avoiding her made her feel a little sad. But she was determined to continue with her plans to go all out.

“Ms. Johnson, the tree has arrived.”

Mid-afternoon found Aviva caught up in the music that was keeping her company in the absence of the Kingdom men. The rest of the house had all the finishing touches she deemed necessary where decorations were concerned. All that remained was the sitting room, and this was the task that held her concentration. So much so that Aviva at first didn’t realize, Mrs. Emerson had addressed her. The loud clearing of a throat finally caught her attention, and she looked up from the piles of boxes that surround her. Getting to her feet, Aviva gave a grimace of discomfort as her back protested her sudden movement.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Emerson, what did you say?”

“The tree has arrived.” The housekeeper repeated.

“Thank you for letting me know. Would you have them bring it in here please?”

“Of course.” Giving Aviva an odd look the housekeeper withdrew.

As the door closed behind the older woman, she tried to decipher the strange look the housekeeper had sent her way. Deciding not to linger on the thought that entered her mind, she turned her attention back to the boxes of decorations strewn around the floor.

**********

“Mrs. Emerson, is everything okay?” Jake said, answering the phone to their housekeeper.

“It will be as soon as you round up the rest of your fool family and get back to this house!”

Taken aback at being berated by the usually even mannered woman, Jake remained silent.

“Did you hear what I just said, Jacob Kingdom?”

“Um, I heard you, but what’s going on?”

“What’s going on... what’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on! That poor young woman has been sitting alone in this house all day, attempting to make Christmas special for you blockheads, that’s what’s going on!”

“We know, that’s partly why we left. She’s driving us crazy with her damn list!”

“I couldn’t care less what you, your brothers, or your father think. You will round them up, and you will all return to this house within the next hour.”

“Now come on, Mrs. Emerson. We’ll all be back by four.”

“Jacob Kingdom, I don’t know what’s come over you men, whatever it is I don’t like it. Now do as I say, and for the record, you are not being asked, you’re being told!”

Jake was so surprised, for a moment, he didn’t realize she had hung up on him. His mouth hanging open he looked down at the silent handset, as though it had turned into a piece of equipment that finally baffled him.

“What the hell was that?” Jason asked from across the room.

Looking around at his brothers and his father, at first Jake didn’t know what to tell them, so surreal had been the conversation. Finally he decided that the best course of action was to relate the conversation verbatim, rather than to try to decipher its meaning.

By the time he had finished speaking, Jason was already in his coat and heading out the room, followed closely by his father and Josh. Still unclear as to what was actually going on, Jake also grabbed his coat and followed them.

They didn’t have to go far. They had all taken up refuge in the guesthouse at the end of their considerable grounds.

**********

“Hey, Angel.”

Looking up, Aviva was surprised to see all the Kingdom men in the doorway of the family room.

“Oh, you’re all back, good,” She smiled, happy to see them all standing there. “I was hoping you guys would get back in time to help me with the tree. I didn’t want to have to do it alone.” She had deliberately not called any of them, knowing that they were purposely avoiding her.

Coming up to her, Jason took Aviva in his arms and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Sorry we all bailed on you.”

“It’s okay, I know I’ve been horrible to live with over the last week.”

“How should I put this...?” Jason said, looking up at the ceiling as though searching his mind for a way to agree with her without hurting her feelings. “In your vernacular, ‘
you’ve been a bloody nightmare!
’”