Eleven

G enesis threw back the covers, unable to sleep and unwilling to take a pain pill to aid rest along. The pain was becoming manageable, felt mostly when she moved too fast or tried to walk without a crutch. She reached for it and maneuvered from the bedroom to the living room. At the time it sounded hokey, something she wouldn’t be caught dead doing, but when Hazel called to check up on her, maybe she should have accepted the invite to join the church ladies for bingo night. Or her brother Habari’s offer to come get her. Hanging with either of them couldn’t have been more boring than the way she’d spent her evening—watching an unfunny romantic comedy that took ninety-three minutes away from her life that she could never get back. Habari had suggested he might come spend the weekend. Genesis knew it would only take a cute woman or a jamming party for him to forget all about big sis. As it was, it felt like the walls were closing in.

She walked to the window and peered into the darkness. It was so quiet, even lonely, in the country. At times she loved the serenity but at others she missed city noises, loud neighbors and the occasional sound of a car speeding down the boulevard. Even more, she missed the company of a man and was only mildly surprised when the one who came to mind was Jaxson, not Lance. Their engagements were cantankerous but also lively and fun. It was getting harder to remember she didn’t like him, and even more difficult to justify why.

With her imagination beginning to fashion things that went bump in the night, she turned away from the darkness and decided to make a cup of chamomile tea. The water had just begun boiling when she noticed headlights turning into her uncle’s drive.

Jaxson? The thumping bass of a hip-hop track nixed that idea. In the times she’d been around his truck, his music was never that loud. It was her brother Habari, a thought confirmed seconds later when he banged on the screen door.

“Coming!” She unlocked the inner door and then the screen. “Ooh, you smell like a whole blunt, like I could light a match to you and get high.”

“Wasn’t me. It was the fellas riding around with me. I was the designated driver.”

“Yes, and I’m Meghan Markle married to the prince.”

She locked the door and followed him into the kitchen, where he was scanning the scant contents of her fridge.

“You don’t have a beer in this joint?”

Genesis remembered Jaxson had taken care of the last bottle when installing the security system. “What you see is what you get.”

He reluctantly pulled out a cola. “Dang, sis. You’ve got to do better.” He walked into the living room, plopped on the couch and reached for the remote.

“Thanks for coming to visit, Habari. I didn’t think you would.” She sat on the couch beside him. “Given how many women you usually juggle, I appreciate the sacrifice.”

“How’s the foot?”

“Ankle. Healing.”

“Still can’t drive?”

Genesis shook her head.

“You’re not working?”

“Can’t make cash if I can’t DoorDash.”

A reminder that once again she needed to keep on Lance about repaying the loan. It was time for him to give her something, even if he had to borrow money from someone else to do it. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t too much to ask. People like the friends around her had been robbing Peter to pay Paul for most of their adult lives.

“How long are you planning to stay out here? It’s spooky.”

“Hopefully not too much longer. I just had a security system installed. It will get turned on next week.”

“That’s good to know. I’m not trying to scare you, but seriously, do you think being out here by yourself is a good idea?”

“I have protection.”

“You talking about that mangy dog? Earlier tonight, I saw a squirrel that looked older than he did outrun him.”

“Careful how you talk about Nipsey. His bite is worse than his bark. There’s nothing mangy about him. When I said protection, I meant guns.”

“Girl, shut up. You know you’re not down with the Second Amendment.”

“Maybe not, but I’m learning to use a Glock 19 and a Remington shotgun.”

“Damn, sis. I didn’t know you were packing like that!”

“I’m not, silly. Uncle Cyrus was. The trunk beneath the glass your feet are resting on contains an arsenal.”

“Word?” Habari moved his feet and reached for the glass.

“Please don’t mess with them, brother. Not tonight, okay? I’d rather not have them around at all, but knowing I do makes me feel safer.”

“No worries. I can check them out later.” He sat back, placed his foot back on the table. “Where are you practicing, a firing range? And how are you doing that with a busted ankle?”

“One of the neighbors is helping me.”

Habari frowned. “That neighbor wouldn’t happen to be Jax King, would it?”

“Why would you think it was him?” Genesis asked, giving off a vibe that suggested Habari had hit the nail on the head.

Habari snickered. “Because of your reaction. I sure hope you don’t end up with that dude again.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Good, because it was bad enough when him and Hank were in high school. Now it would be even worse. Guys like him are used to smashing their cake and eating it, too. Along with the cookies and everything else on the dessert menu.”

“I didn’t know who he was when we got together, if you’ll remember. After finding out, I never met up with him again.”

Habari shrugged. “That’s water under the bridge of a dried-up river. Nobody cares about him.”

“That’s not how you acted at Uncle Cyrus’s funeral.”

“Yeah, I was feeling myself. Probably overreacted.”

That her brother admitted to ego was impressive. The boy was turning into a man. “Move over. I need to put my leg up.”

Habari reached for a throw pillow and helped elevate her ankle.

“Ah, that’s better. Thank you. Now, tell me what happened.”

“When?”

“Back in the day. With Hank and Jaxson. I know he sabotaged Hank’s chances for a college scholarship, and I hated him for it. But remember, I was living in Charlotte and never knew the details.”

Habari shrugged. “I don’t either. The story Hank tells is different from the play I remember seeing that night.”

This got Genesis’s attention. “What did you see?”

“Two determined competitors going up for the ball.”

That was what Jaxson said. She honestly didn’t remember. Everything had happened so fast that night, the hit followed by brief yet complete pandemonium. While her brother lay writhing on the ground, Jaxson ran the ball in for the touchdown that won his team the state championship.

“I was in the stands. Hank’s viewpoint was different. He’s the one you need to ask about it.” Habari reached for the remote. “And hate the dude because he’s an asshole, not because of something you know nothing about.”

Genesis looked at Habari with a sense of respect. “Are you my little brother or my guru?”

“Both.”

The two half watched a crime show and talked until Genesis became sleepy. She gave Habari the couch and slept in the guest room. For the rest of the night, Habari’s words haunted her. Which was why the next morning her first call was to Hank. It was just after seven thirty. Oh, well. If she couldn’t sleep, then her brother couldn’t either.

“Gen?” Hank’s groggy voice suggested that he had indeed been in dreamland.

“What happened between you and Jaxson?”

“Jax King?”

“Yes.”

“Back in high school?”

Genesis began to second-guess the importance of calling so early. Or at all. “Yeah. Habari came over last night. He said I should ask you what really happened.”

“Hold on.”

She heard him mumbling, presumably to his partner Xenia, then a few more sounds that suggested he was getting out of bed.

“Okay, sis. What’s going on? Why are you waking me up to ask about this dude?”

She filled him in on her fall, staying at her uncle’s house, Jaxson’s neighborly interactions and the conversation she’d had with Habari. “I feel disloyal for liking him,” she explained. “But it’s hard not to when he’s been so helpful and kind. I guess what I’m saying is...he may indeed be an arrogant asshole, but from what I’ve seen, he’s not a bad guy.”

There was a long pause before her brother asked, “Are y’all fucking?”

“Hank! What the hell?”

“Don’t act shocked. You sleeping with the enemy has happened before.”

Genesis paused to gather her thoughts and quell the rapidly growing indignation inside her.

“Hank, trust me when I tell you that I didn’t call to talk about my sex life. I called to get some clarity about Jaxson breaking your arm that night.”

“What about it?”

“How’d it happen? Did he grab it, twist it? What did he do?”

“I don’t remember.”

“An event that changed the whole trajectory of your life...and you don’t remember.”

Hank remained silent. Genesis frowned, as an uncomfortable theory began forming in her head.

“Habari said, from what he saw, both of you went up for the ball, but admitted his viewpoint was from the stands, not on the ground, like yours.”

“I don’t even know why this shit matters, Gen.”

His flippancy pissed Genesis all the way off. That and what her roiling gut now seemed to be telling her, that the hell her family put her through for being with Jaxson might be based on a lie.

She spoke calmly, clearly, enunciating every word. “Did Jaxson somehow purposely break your arm, or was what happened an unfortunate accident?”

“Either way, it ruined my chances of playing pro ball!”

“That’s not what I asked.”

His silence screamed.

“When you found out I’d slept with Jaxson, you went off on me, remember? Blamed me for not knowing who he was. Made me feel like a whore because I didn’t have a full-blown got damn history on the man I’d slept with.”

“Was I lying?”

“That’s not the point, and you know it. I was grown and on my own with the right to do whatever the hell I wanted. You were still in high school. I was too upset to pay attention to everything back then, especially when what happened got back to Mom and the whole family turned against me.”

“What’s this all about, Gen? Are you wanting to date him again?”

“We never dated. And now, like then, my love life is none of your business.”

“Back in the day, it was my business. He only slept with you to get back at me!”

Hank’s comment slapped her in the face. After they’d slept together, Genesis thought about the guy she remembered as “Jack” and sometimes wished she’d given in to his pleas to exchange numbers. That night, though, she rationalized not doing it. She’d moved to Charlotte and had her eye on a businessman who lived there she’d recently met. What happened at the party was supposed to stay at the party. She’d had no intention of spending two nights with what was supposed to be a one-night stand.

The day after the championship game, everything changed. She learned that Jack was actually Jaxson King. Her brother’s rival. The enemy. By the time she made her next trip home, a rumor had traveled from Holy Mound to Memphis. Jaxson had slept with her on a dare, and because she was Hank’s sister. That weekend, she saw him at a popular mall. He’d broken away from his friends and strolled over to the table where she sat.

“Hey, Genny, you’re looking good.”

The glare she gave him could have caused spontaneous combustion.

Jaxson had the nerve to act confused. “What?”

“Seriously? You’re going to stand there and act like you didn’t know.”

“Know what?”

Genesis huffed, exasperated. “Hank Hunter is my brother.”

“For real? Genny, I promise you I didn’t know.”

“You broke his arm.”

Jaxson held up his hands. “No, I didn’t. We were both focused on the ball and collided. I hate what happened, but it wasn’t my fault.”

“That’s not how Hank feels.”

“But it’s the truth.” After a pause, he continued. “It sounds like y’all are blaming me for what happened. Hank knows that getting injured comes with the territory. It’s unfortunate, and like I said, I hate that it happened. But any one of us could have gotten hurt that night. It’s part of the game.”

He took a step forward. She stepped back.

He sighed, dropped his head, then eyed her with an intensity that made her body react and remember. The deep, thorough kisses...and so much more.

“I hope this doesn’t mean you and I can’t be friends. As important as that game was, I kept thinking about you. If possible, I’d really like to see you again.”

Genesis listened to the sincere-sounding words coming out of his mouth, watched the same thick, well-formed lips that had given her so much pleasure. Once again, the act was impressive. She almost believed him. Then she remembered what she’d heard. The dare or bet or whatever that quite likely had fueled his flirtation. Her brother, and how the broken arm changed his future situation. The family fallout. Jax King was as electrifying in the bedroom as he was on the field, but there would be no follow-up fuck. She lifted her chin, looked into deep brown bedroom eyes and stated clearly and emphatically, “Go straight to hell.”

The next day, there had been another family blowup, a huge confrontation. She returned to North Carolina. Didn’t speak to them for two months. Later she read that Jaxson had accepted a scholarship to USC. She began dating the businessman. When that relationship fizzled out, she moved back to Memphis, reconnected with her good friend Lance. She’d definitely never meant for them to date. Then, after almost a year of celibacy and a night of partying, it had just happened. Because they were such good friends, she thought it might work. For a while, it did.

But loving and being in love were two different things. Their friendship survived. The romance didn’t. And here she was.

Genesis heard the sound of tires on gravel. She frowned, threw back the covers and hobbled over to the window. Her mouth dropped.

“Hank, I’ve got to go.”

“Okay, but, Gen—”

Their conversation could be finished later. It looked like she had about two minutes to throw something over her naked body or give the mayors the shock of their lives. In haste, she hopped over to Cyrus’s room and grabbed his plaid robe from a hook on the back of the door. A knock sounded, just as she tied the sash.

“I’m coming, Miss Hazel!”

She opened the door. Hazel carried a casserole dish. Behind her, Granville held two bags of groceries. Beyond them, in the back of a truck even bigger than Jaxson’s or the one Granville had driven the other time he came over, was what looked like an ATV.

“Good morning.”

“Excuse us for dropping by so early.” Hazel lifted the casserole dish. “May we come in?”

“Of course.” Genesis recognized the value of a DDI. The neighbors had unknowingly rescued her from an unpleasant conversation and distracted her from fixating on exactly what knowing the truth meant.

She stepped back, then closed the door behind them. Hazel sailed down the hallway like it wasn’t the first time. Given her uncle’s lack of cooking skills, it probably wasn’t. Granville followed dutifully behind her. Genesis did the same. They reached the kitchen. Hazel placed the dish on the stove.

“I told Granville last night, that girl down there needs some help. Cooped up in this house. No way to get around. About to worry me to death. We were preparing to eat before going to volunteer at the church. Pulled out this big ole casserole and thought of you. You hungry?”

Without waiting for an answer, she continued. “This dish was one of Cyrus’s favorites and my husband’s, too. Easy to make, I can assure you.”

She lifted the lid. A bouquet of aromas escaped. Genesis’s mouth watered.

“What is it?”

“A breakfast casserole made with frozen hash browns. Didn’t know whether you liked sausage or bacon, so I used ’em both. Same with the cheese—American, Swiss and cheddar. Go on and put some clothes on while I dish up the plates.”

Genesis went into her uncle’s closet, warmed by her neighbors’ thoughtfulness. They’d not only rescued her from Hank’s excuses, but also from Cyrus’s lean pantry and being left stranded by Habari’s late-night rendezvous. She’d planned to ask him to give her a ride to her place to pick up some clothes and go to a grocery store but had awakened to a text that said he’d left “to help one of his boys.” In the middle of the night? She didn’t think so. More likely he drove straight to a booty call. Genesis may have been born at night but it wasn’t last night.

She went into the guest room and pulled on one of the maxis she’d ordered after Cyrus’s funeral. Because it was chilly and the maxi was sleeveless, she pulled the robe back on as well. Once done, she walked out to find Miss Hazel placing the last plate on the table.

“Sit down, child. We bought juice. Do you want orange or apple?”

“Orange is fine.” Genesis sat. “Where’s your husband?”

“Out there getting your ride off the truck.”

“My... Ma’am?”

She returned with two large glasses of orange juice. Heading back for the third, she said, “You need to be able to get around down here. One of our church members had that.” She nodded toward the window. “I call it a scooter. The gas and brake are operated by hand.”

“Really?”

The door opened and closed.

“Come on, Granville! Your food is getting cold!” Hazel yelled as though they were in a mansion, instead of a home boasting just over a thousand feet.

“Lewis, our church member and head usher, found out about them when an accident temporarily paralyzed that poor soul from the waist down. God heard our fervent prayers, though, and granted a miracle. Lewis was back walking in six short months. Went back to work as a truck driver, a job he has to this day.”

They washed hands, bowed heads for prayer and dug into one of the best simple breakfasts Genesis had ever tasted. Raisin bread, another first, rounded out the delicious meal.

Granville belched, pushed back his chair and stood. “C’mon, now. I’ve got about five minutes to show you how to operate that contraption out there before me and the missus have to be at church.”

The three of them went outside. Genesis learned the jeep-like car was a UTV, a utility terrain vehicle. In less than five minutes, she was ready to ride. She didn’t even return to the house. When the McCormicks pulled off, she waved goodbye, then set off to finish the adventure interrupted by rain and a bull. It was time to clear her mind and reconnect with the country. It was time to check out her land!