Jonah nodded “yes” then stopped mid-nod because he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. “No.”
“
The Color Purple
. Whoopie Goldberg.”
Whoopie? “The chick from
Ghost
?”
“Okay.” Tisha let out a loud sigh and unfolded her hands. “I’m so done with you.”
“What? Don’t get mad because I didn’t follow you around that very random tangent.”
“I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at me. And ReShaunda. Do you know what…” Tisha closed her eyes for a few seconds and took what appeared to be a deep and calming breath. “Do you know what she said? No, what she implied?”
“No.” But he could imagine. That woman had a foul, sick mind. Nothing she could say or do at this point in life would surprise him.
“She implied your feelings for Cami were…the bad kind.”
“Bad kind?”
“Yes, the bad ‘would the little girl like a piece of candy’ kind.”
“Oh…” That. Again. Sighing, Jonah sat down in the chair facing his desk.
“Oh?” His lackluster reply was apparently not the one she’d been anticipating. “Just ‘oh’? I don’t think you know what I’m trying to say here.”
“No, Tisha. I know very well what you’re trying to say. ReShaunda accused me of having sexual intentions toward Cami.” Sick bitch. “Unfortunately this isn’t the first time she’s made a claim like this.”
“It isn’t?”
“No, and before you ask, they’re not true.”
Tisha’s foot shot out so fast, he never saw it coming. But he felt it. Man, did he feel it. “Hey,” he grumbled, reaching down to rub his smarting leg. “What the hell was that for?”
“That was for thinking you had to tell me it wasn’t true.”
“I was merely saying…”
“Well, don’t. I wouldn’t have defended you if I thought for a second you were Chester the Molester.”
Her colloquialisms were killing him. “Good to know.” Reaching out, he took her hand in his. “Come here.”
“I don’t want to.” Even as she protested though, Tisha put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her onto his lap. “That woman is evil. I mean like really evil.”
“I know, honey. I know.”
She twisted around so she was looking directly at him. “You said this wasn’t the first time?”
“No, she made one of her sick claims to Cami’s teacher the year before last, and rightly so, her teacher reported it to the powers that be. Cami was placed with ReShaunda while they did a full investigation.”
“Oh my God.”
“Double as bad as you think it was then multiply it by five and you’ll possibly come close to the level of hell that woman has heaped on me. It didn’t take long for them to find out the truth. With Cami being Cami, you know she had no problem setting them straight, but it was still an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”
“Can’t you do anything?”
“I’ve tried, God knows, I’m still trying, but there’s only so much I can legally do. Unless I can prove she’s an unfit co-guardian, there isn’t a chance in hell I can gain full custody of Cami.”
“Then can you sue her for defamation of character?”
“Did she come straight out and say I was molesting Cami?”
“No, but she implied the shit out of it.”
“Then no, I don’t think I can. But it doesn’t hurt to let my lawyer know about today’s little venture.” It couldn’t hurt at all.
“If you need me to testify for you, I will. Or I can push her off a bridge or something, just let me know.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I swear, Jonah, there is something seriously wrong with that woman. It was as if she was baiting me, as if she wanted me to do something.”
“Like cut her throat Celie style?”
“Exactly.”
The Color Purple
was going on his Netflix list as soon as he got home. “I think there’s something wrong with her. I can’t put my finger on it, but she’s off. That’s for damn sure.”
“She scares me. Not because I think she’ll do something to me, but because I can see in her eyes she’ll do whatever it takes to get custody of Cami. Whatever it takes. Part of me thinks it’s not even about raising Cami, but about
you
not raising her. Did the two of you ever have any conflict before Cami’s parents died? Is she a spurned lover perhaps?”
Jonah wished it was that simple. “No, eww, never. I barely knew the woman. She’s just flat-out crazy. Obsessed even.”
“What are we going to do?”
Now that was the question of the hour, and unfortunately Jonah didn’t have an answer to it.
Chapter Twelve
Unlike Jonah, Tisha couldn’t sit back and let the cards fall where they might. There were a lot of things she loved about him, but his ability to take things a day at a time was downright unnerving. Tisha wanted a plan. She wanted to know what was going on and when, and he was more content to live each day as ripped from his “word a day” calendar.
Even now, though they’d spent a very wonderful family outing together, the day wasn’t as perfect as it could have been. The ghost of Diva Present would soon be driving her nearly-missed-a-burn-mark-on-the-back-of-her-neck self over to pick up Cami for a weekend visit. She was taking the girls to San Diego for the weekend, a trip Cami had done nothing but talk about since getting off the phone with ReShaunda’s daughter Erykia two days ago.
Even though it wasn’t Tisha’s place to say “Nay” it still rankled her Cami was going. Not only because she couldn’t stand the woman and didn’t trust her, but also for purely selfish reasons. Tisha truly enjoyed being with Cami. In a way, when Jonah began to seriously court Tisha with flowers and gifts, Tisha began to court Cami as well, but with time and a woman’s attention. She wanted the little girl to see Tisha wasn’t stepping in and trying to take over. Nor did Tisha think she could, nor would she ever want to try to step in the saintly shoes of Cami’s mother. At best, she wanted to be Jonah’s lady and Cami’s friend.
Maybe one day she could be more to the both of them. It was a thought she dwelled on a lot these days but wisely kept to herself. Instead, she busied her hands by folding clothes she didn’t want to fold, to help Cami pack a bag she didn’t want to be filled.
“What about this?” Tisha looked up from the small suitcase she’d been packing slower than molasses and over to Cami, who held a white sundress in front of her on a hanger, dangling it back and forth. “Do you think I should take this one too?”
“I think what you have here is fine. You’re only going for three days.”
“The movie star and professor both thought they were going on a three-hour cruise and out of the two of them, only one was able to change their clothes.” Cami dangled her dress again. “You know what I’m saying?”
“What I know is you watch way too much TV. No more Nick at Night for you.”
“Yes,
Mom
,” Cami said in a snarky tone as she put the dress in the closet then moped back over to the bed and sat with a hang-dog expression on her pretty brown face. “But mark my words, if the opportunity for wearing a white dress comes up on this trip and I’m the only kid there in jeans and a t-shirt, looking like someone’s poor relation, I’ll have you to blame for the emotional scars that will form over my easily bruisable heart.”
Wordy brat
. Damn she loved her. “Fine. Get it and you better wear it, even if it’s to walk from one room to the other.” Tisha smirked as the little girl bounced over to the closet to retrieve her treasure. “But that’s it. You have enough clothes to last several three-hour trips.”
Shaking her head, Tisha picked up the mountain of shoes lying on the bed and eyed them with trepidation.
How many pairs did this child need
? “You’re not planning on taking all of these, are you?”
“Uncle J always says to be prepared.”
“Easy for him to say, he’s not helping Imelda Marcos pack.”
“Who?”
“Never mind.” It would take far too long to explain and even once she did, it wouldn’t mean a thing. “Cami, you’re not taking all of these shoes. Pick three.”
Eyes wide, Cami stared at hill of shoes in front of Tisha. “Three,” she whined. “Come on, could you pick three pair?”
No, but she owned a bigger suitcase. Wait, that wasn’t such a bad idea. “I’ll be back.”
“Calling in the reinforcements?”
“No, the labor.” With pep in her step, Tisha left the discount department store Cami mistakenly called a room and headed downstairs to the office Jonah was using as a hideout. After knocking three times softly, she waited for him to say, “Come in,” before she entered the room. With the door handle in hand, she leaned against the wood and cast her suspicious gaze upon Jonah who, from the looks of the game playing out on his computer screen, wasn’t doing a lick of work. Faker. “I thought you were doing some last-minute work.”
“I am.”
Tisha frowned. “From where I’m standing it appears as if the only thing you’re working on is your game score.”
“Don’t let your eyes fool you.” Jonah flashed her a wicked smirk. “This is just a ruse, my love, to hide my real nefarious work.”
“Which is?”
“Plans for our secret weekend alone.”
Tisha tilted her head. “We have secret plans?”
“We do now,” he stated emphatically.
“How come I wasn’t informed about them?”
“Because then the whole secret part would be obsolete.”
“I see.” The man was a silver-tongued devil, but she wasn’t going to push it, especially since she was going to get a secret weekend of fun out of it.
“And now that we know what I’m doing, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing?”
“I’m looking for another suitcase.”
That comment actually had him putting the game on pause. “Another?”
“Yes, and for the sake of all our sanities, it needs to be large.”
“What is she packing?”
“Everything, including the kitchen sink.”
“I need that sink.”
Tisha released her hold on the doorknob and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Then go up there and put a stop to it.” She nodded in the direction of Cami’s room. “I dare you.”
“Please, I pay the cost to be the boss in this house, woman,” he grumbled as he headed out the door and up the stairs to put his proverbial foot down. In less than ninety seconds, his proverbial foot joined his other foot as they quickly made their way back down the stairs and led him toward the garage.
Amused, Tisha called out to him. “Where are you going, boss?”
“To get another suitcase.”
Unable to help herself, Tisha burst out laughing and she continued to do so until he stormed back into the room, suitcase in hand, a sheepish look on his face. That too was one of the things Tisha appreciated about Jonah. He could take it on the chin and still grin. He was a real stand-up guy, and the more she got to know him, the more she loved him.
Instead of heading straight up the stairs, Jonah walked over to Tisha. “Amused?”
“Extremely.”
“Keep it up, chuckles.” He leaned and dropped a quick kiss on her upturned lips before pulling back. “We’ll see how funny you think this is when it’s just you and me.”
Tisha trembled. “I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I. But words to the wise, when Cami gets back from her trip, the three of us are going to have a sit-down. This teaming up against me thing is going to stop.”
“We’re not teaming up against you.”
Not in this instance anyway
. “It’s just that great minds think alike.”
“Right. Why don’t I believe you?”
“Because you’re smart?”
“That’s what I thought.” Shaking his head, he turned and headed up the stairs.
Tisha moved to follow but was waylaid by the doorbell dinging. “Want me to get that?” she called up to his retreating back.
“Please.”
“Okay.” As quickly as she could, she made her way over to the front door then pulled it open without bothering to peer through the peephole. Big mistake. The cheerful greeting she’d been seconds away from giving their guest dried up instantaneously at the sight of ReShaunda standing there.
The immaculately dressed, sour-faced woman appeared as thrilled to see Tisha as she was to see her. A fact easily avoided had ReShaunda shown up on time. After their little encounter in the shop, Tisha vowed to keep her distance from the cold-hearted woman. Today in particular, since she didn’t want Cami to go. As usual, however, ReShaunda found a way to make this visit about her, by showing up early instead of when they agreed.
Even though it went against every fiber of her being, Tisha pasted a smile on her face and held the door open. She would put her rusty good manners to use, even if it damn near killed her. “Good morning, ReShaunda. We weren’t expecting you until later.”
ReShaunda stepped in. “I didn’t know
we
were expecting me at all. Shouldn’t you be burning someone at that grubby salon of yours?”
Keeping her smile high and tight, much like the new weave ReShaunda was sporting, Tisha stayed cool. “I took a few days off.”
“Then you must be ecstatic I’m taking Cami off your hands.”
“Not at all. I enjoy having her around.”
“Yes, but think of all the fun things you can do if she’s not here.” The implication was more than readable in the other woman’s sneer. “Just say the word and I can make it happen.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that.”
The thing Tisha wanted to snap around here was ReShaunda’s neck. “Thanks, but no thanks. I like things as they are.” Tisha ran her gaze down ReShaunda before meeting her glare once more. “Mostly anyway.”
“You let me know if you need me to do anything with that ‘mostly’ part.”
“Oh, I will.”
Before any more could be said, Cami and Jonah came into the room, larger suitcase in hand. The sight of his more-than-obvious defeat almost made Tisha laugh, but she held it in, preferring to keep their private joke between them.
“Hi, Cousin ReShaunda.” Cami walked over and gave the woman a warm hug.
“Hi, darling. You ready to hit the road?”
“You know it.”
“Good, let’s go.” With her arm wound tightly around Cami’s shoulders, ReShaunda led the girl out of the house and toward her car where her daughters were waiting. Once they spotted Cami, they started waving, which prompted Cami to break away from ReShaunda and run to meet her cousins. The girls quickly opened the door to allow Cami entrance and they began to giggle and talk in only the way children can.
Frostily, ReShaunda held her hand out to Jonah. “I can take the bag.”
“I don’t mind putting it in the car.”
“But I mind you doing it. Let’s not drag this out any longer than it has to be. Give me the bag.”
“How would me putting it in the car be dragging anything out?”
“Fine, then let me put it in clearer terms. I don’t want you near my car. Got it? Now give me the bag and let us leave. Or do I need to call my lawyer?”
Pissed, Tisha took a step forward. “No, who you need to call is one-eight-hundred-get-a-fucking-clue, because, lady, you’re crazy. It’s just a suitcase.”
“Was I speaking to you?”
“I sure the hell was speaking to you.”
ReShaunda looked past Tisha as if she weren’t even there and addressed Jonah. “Get her out of my face before this turns ugly.”
“Too late, b—”
“Here.” Jonah thrust the suitcase in her hands. “Have her back no later than two o’clock, as per the order. Any later and I’m on the phone with my lawyer, who loves answering my calls. Give me an excuse to bring you to court. I beg you.”
Tisha had no idea how he could be so calm, but she was glad one of them was. Because right now, if things were up to her, she’d be wiping some Vaseline on her forehead and pulling off her earrings. ReShaunda deserved to be served up a whole bowl of whoopass, and Tisha couldn’t wait to dish it out to her, one fistful at a time.
ReShaunda snatched the bag out of his hand then called out in a falsely cheerful manner, “Cami, come say goodbye, darling.”
Without waiting to see the embrace, ReShaunda walked over to the trunk of her car and popped it open. While she fiddled around back there, Cami raced over to their side, first giving Tisha a hug then Jonah. When she pulled back, she stared eagerly into his eyes. “Call my cell, no matter what time, okay? Promise me.”
Grinning, he leaned down and kissed the bridge of her nose. “Will do, little tyrant.”
Cami looked over at Tisha and grinned wildly before dashing back to the car. As soon as she was in, she rolled down the window and leaned out. “Any time. Promise.”
“I promise,” he said as he shook his head. “Now worry less about my life and go have fun in yours.”
“Love you, Uncle J. Love you, Tisha.”
Jonah raised his hand and waved. “Love you too.”
Tisha joined Jonah and wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning into him as she waved back at Cami. “What was that all about?”
“ReShaunda?” His voice trailed off a bit as they watched the woman close the trunk then make her way to the driver’s side of the car. “I have no idea.”
“No, Cami.”
“Oh that…nothing.”
“Now why don’t I believe you?” she asked as they watched the car back out of the driveway and head down the street.
“Because you’re a very smart woman.”
Jonah lowered his hand and smacked her on the ass. “Last one in the house has to cook dinner tonight. Nude.” Then before she was even through processing his words, he was gone, booking it toward the house.
“Bastard!” she shouted as she took off after him. His head start made it impossible for her to catch up with him, but if it was games he wanted this weekend, then it would be games he got.