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“Dallas is right, Houston. Now that I have you two guys on the phone,” Austin said, “there’s something important we need to discuss.”
Seated in the cavernous kitchen inside Austin’s ranch-style home, Houston looked tired. He had gotten up earlier this Saturday morning than he’d intended. It had been hard to get out of bed. After talking with his brothers about Kelly last night, he’d lain awake until the wee hours of the morning thinking of the lady doctor.
The conversation had ended with Austin calling a meeting to discuss plans for Angelica’s birthday. The brothers wanted to do something extraordinary for their mother, their biggest supporter. It was a daunting task since they showered her with special gifts all year long.
“Dining in a fancy restaurant is old hat,” Houston drawled lazily. “We do it all the time.”
Dallas’s fingers raked through his dark, satiny curls. “We need to do something original, something we haven’t done for her yet. Mom deserves the best.”
Pushing his coffee cup around in circles on the table, Austin looked thoughtful. “We know that much. We’ve given her everything but the sun. This gift has to be extraordinary.”
Houston’s eyes lit up. “What about a cruise?”
Austin pumped one fist in the air. “Great idea! She’s talked about going on one but hasn’t done it yet. What do you think, Dallas?”
“Works for me. Dad would love it. Old Beaumont will have a fit if we send Mom away without him. They’re extensions of each other—where one goes the other follows.”
Austin and Houston laughed at Dallas’s old reference to their dad. They all did it from time to time, but never in his presence. They had the utmost respect for their father. He was the man who’d named the triplets after various cities of his native Texas, the person who’d taught them to become strong, independent, upstanding black men. Beaumont led by example. His boys had followed along in his footsteps without getting lost in his oversize footprints.
Looking a bit concerned, Austin stroked his chin. “We can’t be gone for too long. Since Ashleigh’s in her third trimester, a three- to five-day cruise will work best for us.”
Dallas nodded. “The time frame is cool with me, big brother. We can sail to Cozumel right out of the Port of Galveston or the Port of Houston.”
Austin, the firstborn triplet, was a born leader. Houston and Dallas looked up to Austin and also went to him for sound advice on personal guidance and growth and life in general. Dallas was the money man, sought out for discussion on financial issues and relied on heavily for his recommendations on various investments. Houston was the knowledgeable one, referred to as a walking encyclopedia. Black history was his favorite subject and he researched it relentlessly, sharing with the family the unusual things he’d learn. Each brother supported the other in individual and joint ventures.
Austin nodded. “Great suggestion. Ashleigh’s not keen on flying until after she delivers. I don’t want her isolated from proper medical care, either.”
“Maybe we’d better come up with a good backup plan,” Dallas suggested.
“If all of us can’t go on the cruise, we’ll just send Mom and Dad,” Houston said.
Liking Houston’s suggestion, the guys nodded in agreement.
Ashleigh, Austin’s golden girl, suddenly appeared in the doorway. She was a beautiful woman with a fiery copper-colored mane of thick, unruly curls and a sun-kissed champagne-gold complexion. “Did I just hear my name?”
Dallas and Houston rushed to Ashleigh’s side, giving her warm hugs. The guys genuinely loved their sister-in-law, who was once a foster sister. As a foster child, Ashleigh had resided in the Carrington home for many years. Years later the family had been reunited on a Valentine’s Day cruise.
Houston always noticed how mesmerized Austin was by his wife’s gentle beauty. He kept his eyes on her as the brothers made their normal fuss over his adorable wife.
Smiling brightly, Ashleigh waddled into the room, her stomach clearing the doorway first. The brothers followed along behind her, reclaiming their seats at the table.
Ashleigh plopped down on Austin’s lap, kissing him passionately. “Talking about your favorite subject, huh?”
Austin kissed Ashleigh back. “You know it!” As his hands rubbed her stomach tenderly, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “How’s our little one today, Mommy?”
Ashleigh smiled sweetly. “Just fine, Daddy. No kicks yet from our future star punter. I’m sure he or she is just gearing up for the day. We haven’t been awake very long.”
Houston loved the way Ashleigh referred to herself and their child as one body. He was also enamored with the fact that his sister-in-law thought a girl was as capable of being a star athlete as a boy. Male or female baby was just fine with the couple. A healthy child was the daily prayer. Wanting to be surprised, Austin and Ashleigh had refused to learn the baby’s gender.
Ashleigh sniffed the air. “Who fixed coffee?”
Houston laughed. “Who else, Ash? We used to get our coffee from McDonald’s restaurant in the mornings. Glad you took time to teach us how to brew, but Austin is still selective about when he makes coffee for us.”
Austin tossed Houston an intolerant glance. “I already do enough for you and Dallas. You guys eat and sleep out here at the ranch almost as much as Ashleigh and me.”
Houston grinned guiltily. “You shouldn’t have built those fabulous guesthouses. Ash, would you like a cup of herbal tea or a glass of orange juice or milk?”
Feeling a tad uncomfortable, Ashleigh moved over into the chair next to her husband’s. “Orange juice would be nice. Thanks, Houston. Has anyone eaten breakfast?”
All heads shook in the negative.
Slowly, with extreme caution, Ashleigh arose. “I’ll rustle up something real quick. We’re ravenous this morning,” she said, rubbing her stomach.
“Not a chance, Ash. I’ll do it.” Austin leaped out of his seat then helped Ashleigh back into hers. “Be still. Just sit there and look beautiful for me.”
Ashleigh playfully swatted Austin’s behind. Pulling his head down, she gave him a flurry of gentle kisses. “Husband, I’m not disabled. I’m merely pregnant.”
Austin kissed her forehead. “That’s why I wait on you hand and foot. Enjoy it, babe. Once the baby comes…Well, we already know what’ll happen around here, Mommy.”
Ashleigh laughed heartily. “Yeah, we do, Daddy. Sheer pandemonium!”
Everyone laughed.
“Has anyone talked to Mom and Dad this morning?” Ashleigh inquired.
Houston raised his hand. “They were fine last night around nine.”
Ashleigh glanced at the clock. “I’ll call them after we eat. Everybody’s coming for family dinner tonight, right?” Ashleigh chuckled. “Like I really had to ask. Of course you strapping Texas boys will be anywhere food is involved.” She laughed. “Just kidding. You guys are so loyal to the family. I love that about each of you.”
“Family is all we’ve got. No one knows that better than you, Ash, because of how you were raised. Speaking of family, Mom can’t wait for the new addition to arrive and to become a grandmother,” Houston remarked. “That’s all she talks about these days.”
Busy at the stove, Austin grinned. “Tell me about it! Mom and Dad are already goners over their first grandchild. You bringing Lanier, Dallas? What about inviting Kelly, Houston?”
Dallas rolled his eyes back. “I try to get together with my girlfriend every possible chance. With you no longer working full-time at Haven House, Ash, she has her hands full. If only she’d trust the employees more, but she has to do it her way.”
“That’s Lanier Watson for you. Her way or the highway,” Ashleigh commented. “Since she lives in the house, everything falls on her. It’s actually a twenty-four-hour gig.”
“Lanier thrives on doing it all,” Dallas remarked. “The woman’s a workaholic.”
Houston wanted to avoid the question about Kelly so he was glad Austin hadn’t come back to him. He hadn’t called her to confirm a date for a family dinner night, but he still planned to. Only a couple of days had passed since the meeting and reception at the training facility. He was still too busy running away from commitment to act upon his feelings. Kelly wouldn’t travel with the team, but he already knew how hard it’d be to resist her indelible charms right here at home.
Houston didn’t know why he felt this way, but he was afraid he’d met his match in Kelly. He couldn’t say his days as a liberated man were numbered, but she had him wanting her and running scared at the same time. He had no clue how to conquer his fears. Whether to invite her to dinner or not had him frustrated. Houston was glad when Austin set out the food. A meal placed in front of the brothers was a surefire distraction.
Scrambled eggs, hash browns, turkey sausage and bacon were stacked high on colorful platters. The pan-fried steak smelled delicious. A loaf of oven-toasted bread was piled on a small plate. Butter and jelly filled small, round serving bowls. Apple butter, a family favorite, was on every Carrington table.
Austin gave a humble prayer of thanksgiving. “Okay, dig in. Don’t forget the tip jar.” Austin always reminded his brothers and their teammates to leave a gratuity. At restaurants, the small monetary token was in addition to a bill. No check had to be paid at Austin’s home.
The tip jar kept on the granite counter was half-filled with cash. No change was allowed. Austin had started the tipping jar long before he’d married. Since his brothers and teammates ate a lot of meals at his home, he thought his cook/housekeeper, Stella Hanson, should be rewarded. Once Austin married Ashleigh, Ms. Stella only prepared meals on special occasions, yet her paycheck wasn’t affected. The tip jar remained and the guys continued to fill it with cash to invest in a money-market account for the triplets’ future kids.
As the Carrington family ate their breakfast, the room was as quiet as falling snow.
Houston looked from one brother to the other, his eyes flickering with amusement. He could see Ashleigh was still fascinated by how much the guys ate. The vast amount of food gobbled down was outright astonishing. If daily exercise wasn’t a part of their lives, Houston feared they’d all blow up like the Goodyear blimp.
A wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth, Austin captured Houston in his gaze. “Say, bro, aren’t your feet tired yet?”
Houston looked puzzled. “What’re you talking about?”
Austin laughed at Houston’s frowning expression. “You never responded to me about inviting Kelly to dinner. I guess it means you’re still busy running hard and fast. Thought you were ready to be caught. That’s the impression I got during recent conversations.”
Sighing heavily, Houston scowled. He should’ve known his family hadn’t let him off the hook. They never did. “Man, my feet are just plain cold. One minute, I think about getting up close and personal with Kelly. Then I start using the same excuses to avoid getting involved.”
“Little brother,” Dallas said to Houston, “you keep this up, you could lose out. What if Kelly Charleston is the one? She’s hardly a member of the little groupies out there in force in every city our teams visit. You’d better go for it before some other man snatches her up.”
Houston shot Dallas a dagger-thrust look. “You haven’t made the ultimate commitment to Lanier, yet you’ve been with her awhile. Kelly and I aren’t even dating.”
“Everybody here knows Lanier’s the holdout, including you,” Dallas countered. “She’s just like you, man, scared to death of commitment, terrified of forever after. I’ve been ready for the next level. I’m a patient man but it gets hard. You don’t want any woman you care about to feel any doubt. If I didn’t believe Lanier truly loved me, I would’ve been long gone.”
“She does love you,” Ashleigh assured Dallas, “with all her heart. In her defense, we know she grew up amidst a bad marriage and a volatile household. The verbal and physical fighting between her parents was how she landed in foster care. Lanier wants forever with you, too, Dallas, but she just doesn’t have a good grip on her fears. Please remain patient with her.”
Dallas gave Ashleigh the thumbs-up. “I plan to. Love is patient.”
Uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, Houston excused himself from the table, promising to return in a few minutes.
On the back patio, seated at the round glass table, surrounded by the unbelievably serene atmosphere Austin had created for himself and Ashleigh, Houston pulled out his cell phone. After three indecisive starts and stops, he finally punched the code for Kelly’s home number, hoping she was in. Houston hadn’t talked to her in a couple of days.
The Cyclones team had made it into the playoffs but had been ousted in the second round, right after their unstoppable center was badly injured. The official season had ended at the end of May, but the preseason wouldn’t get under way until late summer. Houston wasn’t fond of the lengthy downtime, though he welcomed the break.
Houston’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Kelly’s sweet, sultry voice. “Hey, lady, how’s it going this morning?”
Savoring the delicious sound of the sexy bass voice on the other end, Kelly closed her sable-brown eyes. Had her constant thoughts of Houston somehow gotten through to him? “Morning, Houston. I’m fine. What about you?”
As though Kelly could see him through the phone, Houston moved his hand in a so-so gesture. “I’m good. I miss the game, of course. Once the finals are over, sometime in June, I’ll play in a summer league. Have to keep the skills honed. What’re you up to?”
Up to my elbows in missing you like crazy. “Staying busy. Office hours at my private practice, Houston Sports Medicine Center, make my days crazy, especially with so many new patients. I’m not complaining, though, ‘cause I’m blessed. I could use a nice long break, but my schedule is packed right now. Just calling to say hello or did you have something specific in mind?” She hoped for the latter.
Sucking in a deep breath, Houston slowly released it. “I’d like you to join us at Austin’s tonight for our family dinner. Are you free by chance?”
Kelly suddenly felt the insanity of this crazy liaison with Houston. The boy was here today, but would he be gone tomorrow? Did she dare dance with a man who had no proclivity for commitment? She didn’t want to start wondering if she’d see him again. Nothing romantic had occurred between them, yet she had no stomach for the bitter taste of disappointment she might be signing on for, wittingly so. She wouldn’t be able to yell she’d been blindsided, not when he had exposed so much of who he was and how he felt about commitment.
Although Kelly wanted to accept Houston’s invitation to the Carrington family dinner she was hesitant. But what would it prove to deprive herself of time in his company? Not a thing. She had already decided to accept Houston just for who he was. He’d been honest and right up-front about how he chose to live his life. No sane person argued with candor.
“Are you still there, Kelly?”
She sighed. “I’m still thinking about the invite.”
Kelly wanted to make the right decision. There was no doubt in her mind about her desire to be with Houston. Besides, she didn’t want to thwart the chance of them becoming at least friends. Despite the minor run-in, they had enjoyed each other’s company.
Houston chuckled. “Have you come up with anything yet?”
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. C.?”
Intrigued by Kelly’s taunting remark and follow-up question, Houston propped his feet on a nearby chair. “Well, let me see if I can help you out. What about the fact we could have a great time together? Our conversations will definitely be intellectual bombs and there are endless things to laugh like crazy about. Those are very good reasons for you to accept. Also, my family would love to meet you.”
Kelly gasped inwardly. “Oh, you play so dirty. You just couldn’t resist tossing in a bit of irresistible bait.” She already knew she’d enjoy his family from the things Houston had said about them. She’d even mentioned how nice it’d be to spend time with the Carrington crew.
Being estranged from her own family was hard on Kelly. The unresolved issues standing between her and her parents were difficult to bring to a close.
“What time should I get out to Austin and Ashleigh’s ranch?” Kelly asked.
“Seven is the magic dinner hour for us. I’d love to pick you up. It won’t be a problem.”
“Thanks but no thanks, Houston. If I drive myself, I won’t have to wonder if I’ll ever see you again.” Without further comment, she rang off.
Sorry she’d disconnected rather rudely, Kelly stared at the phone, trying to decide if she should call back and apologize. Instead, she sat back in the recliner in her bedroom and reflected.
Kelly hadn’t personally met Houston when the sports medicine position had first become available, but he was one of her favorite basketball players. She had closely followed his career and had developed an infatuation with him via the television and the home games she attended.
Houston Carrington intrigued Kelly both on and off the court. She was now more intrigued than ever before. His superstardom wasn’t at the heart of her desire to get to know him. It was the sexy flesh-and-blood man who turned her on and flipped her heart inside out. She wasn’t sure she knew how to deal with it.
Feeling the prickly heat from Kelly’s last remark, Houston clipped the phone back onto his leather belt. By the tone of her voice, he couldn’t help wondering if she already felt a bit of disillusionment with him.
Up to this point, Kelly hadn’t said if she was in a romantic relationship, which made him unsure of where she stood. He couldn’t blame her if she was a little concerned with how things might go between them. He himself was on edge over it. Thinking of how he and Kelly had come into being was outrageously intriguing. No other woman had paid for a date with him. Of course, he knew the donated money was for Haven House, but indulging in silly flattery every now and then never hurt anything.
Houston got up from the chair and went back inside the house. The moment he entered the kitchen, all eyes instantly turned on him. “Ash, you can count on one more mouth to feed for the family shindig. I invited Kelly…and she accepted.”
“Way to go, bro,” Austin and Dallas shouted simultaneously.
Dropping back down in his original seat, Houston looked embarrassed. “Give it a rest, guys. You have no clue how hard it was to make that call. I can’t seem to figure out what I want with and from Kelly. I’m confused about her. Pray for me,” Houston joked. “Unlike you two muscular, hardheaded jocks, I know I need Jesus.”
Everyone laughed.
“Boy, you need the holy Trinity,” Dallas shot back like a crack of thunder.
Laughter erupted again.
Even Houston had to laugh at Dallas’s comment. “I can’t top that one so I won’t try.” He looked down at his watch. “I need to get going here shortly. This day has sprouted wings.”
Austin eyed his brother closely. “I guess you have to go get all primped up for your big date with Kelly,” he teased. “Word of advice, you could sure use a haircut.”
Houston tore Austin to shreds with a glaring look. “Save it, man. Not trying to hear it.”
The Carrington triplets were used to good-natured ribbing with each other. No one ever took it seriously. It was simply a part of their extremely close brotherhood.
Dallas leaped to his feet. “I could use a haircut, too, but I need to make sure I have a date for tonight. Ash, I’m run on over to Haven House for a minute to check on my favorite girl. Want to come along? The girls would love to see you. They miss you like crazy.”
“I miss them, too.” Ashleigh looked to Austin. “Mind if I go along with Dallas?”
Austin shrugged. “Not at all. I’ll drive you so he won’t have to come back out here until this evening. I’d like to see the teenagers, too.”
