Page 21 of Taste The Smoke
The front door flew open and Kenya gasped. “Mom? Phaedra?What are you doing here?”
Instead of answering, her mother whirled around and stared at her ex-husband. “Did I just hear you say you put your hands on my daughter, Gerald?” She dropped her purse on the floor and lunged at him.
“Mom,nooo,” Kenya yelled, as she and Phaedra rushed to stop her, but not before she drew back and punched her father in the face. Alonzo finally released him and he crumbled to the floor, coughing and wheezing.
It took every ounce of her strength to hold onto her mother, who continued cursing and calling him every kind of name, except a child of God. Kenya looked pleadingly at Alonzo.
Alonzo picked up her mother and carried her to the living room, with Kenya right on his heels. “Do you want me to call the police?” he asked.
Kenya paced and debated what to do. A part of her said she should, but the other part didn’t want to make things worse and have to deal with more drama once her aunt and cousins found out. And they would because Gerald Grant would run right over and play the victim. “No. Just get him out of my house.”
Without a word, he pivoted, stalked across the room and snatched her father up by the collar. “I’m going to say this once, and once only. Don’t ever bring your ass over here to harass her again,” he said with lethal calmness. “This is your only warning.” Alonzo dragged him to the still open door, tossed him out none too gently and slammed it shut.
He walked back to where Kenya stood, still in shock, and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t say anything, just held her.
“Thank you,” she whispered. If he hadn’t been there, it frightened her to think what would have happened. She’d seen her father angry and recalled him throwing things once or twice during one of his rages, but he’d never gone so far as to threaten and hit her.
“I’m going to go sit in the backyard for a minute.” He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead and walked out.
Kenya dropped down on the sofa next to her mother, braced her hands on her thighs and massaged her temples. “I can’t believe this.” Her mother lovingly rubbed her back.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I would’ve never believed he’d go this far. If he had hurt you…” Her mother shook her head.
Phaedra, who hadn’t said one word, came and sat on the other side of Kenya. She placed her arm around her shoulders. “Dad called me yelling about the money and house, and said he was going to talk some sense into you. If that didn’t work, he was taking you to court. I figured he’d come after you next. I tried calling to warn you, but when you didn’t answer, I got worried, called Mom and we broke every speeding law to get here.”
“My phone is in the room and we were in the kitchen.” She’d completely forgotten about her phone while she and Alonzo were preparing lunch.
“So, that’s Alonzo, huh?” her mother said.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Looks like my baby has found her champion. And he’s real easy on the eyes.”
“Amen, Mama.Amen!Girl, I thought his voice was all that, but the man is the total package,” Phaedra said, fanning herself.
The three women looked at each other and burst out laughing. Kenya looked at the two women who’d had her back from birth. “I love y’all so much.” She hugged them both. She agreed with her mother. Alonzo was her champion. And more.
Alonzo sat on the swing, then jumped up again and began pacing. He’d lost every shred of his control when he rounded thecorner from the kitchen to see a man about to hit Kenya. Then to find out it was her father—the man who was supposed to love and cherish her, be the example of what love looks like, and be the model of what she should look for in a potential mate—he’d wanted to seriously hurt him. In all honesty, he wouldn’t change one thing about his response and had a hard time not beating the man like he had apparently tried to do to his daughter. Even in his rage, he realized if he’d done what he wanted, it would affect their growing relationship, no matter how angry Kenya was at her father.
He lowered himself to the swing again and buried his head in his hands as he remembered that her mother and sister had shown up. He had to give it to Kenya’s mother. She packed a mean punch. But his mother would’ve done the same.Helluva way to meet the family.Alonzo glanced up when the sliding glass door opened and Kenya’s mother stepped out. He stood at her approach. “Mrs. Grant, I’m really sorry for?—.”
She lifted a hand to silence him, sat down on the swing and patted the space next to her. “Have a seat, Alonzo.”
He sat, feeling all of ten years old again.
“You don’t have to apologize for protecting my daughter. Never apologize for that,” she said fiercely. “My baby girl has had a bad time when it comes to men and relationships, but I’m really happy to see that change.”
“Although we’ve only known each other a short time, she’s become really special to me.” More than special, she’d become his heart.
She gave him a motherly smile and patted his thigh. “And I do believe you’re special to her, as well. This isn’t the way I’d hoped to be introduced to you, but I’ll take it.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” he mumbled.
Laughing, she stood and he followed suit. “Come on in and meet my other daughter, who’s anxious to interrogate you. Just a little warning, she’s far more outspoken than Kenya.”
“She sounds like my younger sister.”
“Then you’ll do just fine.”
