CHAPTER 27
“N
athan!” Sherri rushed toward him.
She was fast, but Jessica was faster. Effectively blocking Sherri’s approach, she grabbed his shoulders and helped him up. “Come on, babe. Let’s get you back upstairs.”
“Move out of my way!” Words underscored by a forceful push that sent Jessica tumbling to the spot Nathan had recently occupied. “Brother, are you all right?”
“Ow!”
Nathan angrily jerked his arm from Sherri’s grasp. “Sis, what is wrong with you?” He rushed over to where Jessica sat rubbing a barely bruised shoulder. Her ego had taken the brunt of the fall. “Baby, are you okay?” And then again, to his sister, “What in the hell is this about?”
“It’s about Jessica refusing to let me talk to you repeatedly, and then hanging up in my face.”
The ever-ready tears appeared. Jessica thankfully let them fall. This was war, and she needed all possible ammunition. “You needed your rest! I told her you’d call when you woke up.”
“Are you hurt?” Nathan examined her arm.
“I was just trying to take care of you, baby.” Her voice was a heart-melting cross between a whine and a coo as she exaggerated a wince.
“I called all afternoon,” Sherri tried to calmly explain, even though she was almost shaking with anger. “Mom called, too. I told her this, expressed our concerns, and promised to talk for just a minute.”
Jessica stumbled to her feet, then reached for Nathan. “Babe, let’s go upstairs.”
“No wait, Jessica.” Nathan looked at Sherri. “Mom called?”
“Yes, twice. After finding out you weren’t at work she called me, very concerned. You know how Mom is. That’s when I called and talked with her for the
second
time, trying to reach you.”
Nate stepped toward his sister and turned to Jessica. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
Jessica looked at Nathan standing by Sherri’s side. “Come upstairs with me and I’ll explain.” She walked over and took his arm.
Sherri pulled him in her direction. “You’ll explain later. I had to get on a plane to do it but I
will
talk to my brother and it’s happening right now, understand?”
Jessica reached across Nathan to slap Sherri’s arm away from his. “Come on, babe.”
Sherri blocked their path. “Girl, you are really trying me. You need to go have several seats before things get ugly.” Once again, she started up the stairs with Nathan.
“I’m not going anywhere!” Jessica came up the stairs and squeezed herself on the other side of Nathan, an act that pushed Sherri into the wall.
Reaction trumped thought. Sherri reached around Nathan and yanked Jessica’s ponytail so hard girlfriend’s neck almost snapped. Jessica tumbled backward, hit the floor and came up in fighter mode. Sherri was just a second short of pulling out a can of South Side Chicago herself. Before she could rush Sherri, Jessica found herself pinned against the wall with an arm across her throat. “I’m not going to tell you again,” Sherri and Jessica were nose to nose as she spoke through gritted teeth. “ Back. Off. Okay?”
“Get your hands off me!” Jessica squirmed but her slight frame was no match for Sherri’s anger.
Nathan stepped between them. “Both of you . . . stop!” The energy to shout these four words caused his head to spin. His chest heaved, and he struggled for breath while looking from one woman to the other with narrowed eyes. “Jessica, Sherri’s the big sis used to taking care of me. Let her play that role for a minute, okay?”
“I’m your woman, Nate.
I
should play that role.” She crossed her arms in a huff, eyes glistening yet again as she waited for Nathan to choose Sherri’s side. Again.
“Then you come up t—”
“Actually, Nathan, I need to speak to you alone.”
“So you can make up a lie for why you pushed me down the stairs?”
Nathan placed an arm around Sherri. “Come on, Sister.” Sherri tossed Jessica a side-eye and a smile.
Jessica turned to leave. He’d made his choice. He grabbed her hand, stopping her. “Come on, babe. I want you here.” Jessica reciprocated with a smirk and eye roll.
The three clumsily trudged upstairs to the master suite. Sherri placed her arm around Nathan’s waist. “Come on, Brother. Lean on me.”
“I’m sick,” Nathan said, with a weak chuckle. “Not an invalid.” He gently took her arm from around his waist and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He came out and quickly climbed into bed. “Baby, can you please get me a glass of water?”
“Sure, baby.” Jessica hurried downstairs.
As soon as her footsteps receded, both Nate and Sherri started talking at once, their voices low and hurried.
“Sherri, what—”
“Nate, your girl’s about to—” He nodded for her to continue. “That girl is out of line. I was imagining all kinds of scenarios for what might be going on here. You need to let her know how our family operates.”
“I understand your frustration. She meant well.”
“Please . . .”
“That’s just her way of taking care of me. I was asleep.”
“Which is why I’m so concerned. It’s not like you to sleep all day, and I can’t remember the last time you’ve been this sick. I think you should go back to the doctor, have him take those tests that he recommended.”
“It’s just a case of stomach flu, or something like that.” Nathan lay against the cushioned headboard, propping a pillow behind him. “I can’t believe you hopped on a plane just because I couldn’t be reached for a few hours.” His gaze was contemplative. “What’s really going on? Problems with you and Randall?”
“Randall and I are fine.”
“Aaron or Albany?”
“No problems with your niece or nephew either.The only problem I have right now is with Jessica. She’s someone I find very hard to like.”
“You’ve always been hard on my girlfriends. I doubt anybody will totally measure up.”
This brought a half smile to Sherri’s face. “Perhaps.” She pulled the cover to his chest, and patted it smooth. “But I’m telling you, Nate. My intuition says there was more to Jessica’s blocking my calls than concern for you. For whatever reason, she did not want us to have a conversation. Why not? What is she hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything.” Jessica, who’d climbed the steps quieter than a cat burglar, now calmly walked back into the room. She handed Nathan the glass before crawling into bed beside him. She placed a hand against his slightly warm neck, then took the folded towel she’d wetted with cold water and dabbed his face. “You still have a little fever.” She kissed his cheek. “I think the sleep did you good.”
Sherri placed her hand on his forehead and neck. “You need to have those tests run, Nate, just to be on the safe side.”
“He’s getting better, Sherri. What he needs is rest, and lots of it.” Jessica dabbed Nathan’s chest with the cool, wet towel. “I’m sorry if over the phone I came off harshly. It wasn’t intentional. It was because Nate is what’s most important to me. Like you, I’m worried about him, and for the very reasons you stated. It’s not like him to sleep a lot, or get sick.”
“What . . . you were out there eavesdropping?”
“I know you don’t like me,” she continued, totally ignoring Sherri’s accurate quip. “For the record, I’m not too fond of you either. But”—she held up her hand to stop Sherri’s comeback—“you’re my man’s sister. I don’t plan on going anywhere. So from here on out, I’m going to try and get along. I apologize if you think I was rude.”
Both she and Nathan looked at Sherri.
“What? Oh, here is where I’m supposed to be sorry, too? Here is where I forget how just moments ago you tried to keep me out of my own brother’s house?”
“Your head was turned. I didn’t recognize you.”
“You’re a liar. I saw the peephole darken, showing that someone looked out. That someone had to look dead in my face.”
Jessica turned to Nathan. “Is she always this jealous of the women who love you?”
Sherri’s mouth gaped in astonishment. “Jealous of you? Seriously? Your refusing to let me talk to Nathan is what brought me here, and blatant falsehoods coming out of your mouth is why I called you a liar.”
“I don’t know why she’s doing this, Nathan.” The message was delivered near his ear in a whisper, as Jessica ran her fingers up and down his arm.
Nathan looked at Sherri, his loyalties clearly torn. “I wish you’d called before coming all the way down here.”
“Are you not listening?” Sherri crossed her arms. “I did.”
“Then I wish you’d waited to talk to me before making the trip. I’m a bit under the weather but really, Sis, Jessica is taking care of me.”
“I just bet she is. All the same since I’m here, I’d like to spend the night.”
“No problem at all. Babe, can you make sure the guest room is ready?”
“Never mind, Jessica. I know my way around Nathan’s house.” Sherri left the room.
For the rest of the evening, Jessica rarely left Nathan’s side. She wisely served him nonpoisonous food and drink, aware that Sherri watched her every move. The next morning, after taking care of him the way he’d cared for her on the ottoman the day before, Jessica felt safe enough to leave sis and bro alone for a quick trip home.
As soon as Sherri heard the front door close, she left the guest room and walked into the master. “Nathan?” She looked around, then heard the shower running. While waiting for him to finish, she idly walked around the room, looking here and there, thinking this and that. After a while, she heard the water turn off. “Nathan, I’m in here,” she warned. Sherri knew her brother was known for walking around in the buff.
He came out wearing a pair of sweatpants.
“You’re looking better.”
“I feel better. Told you Jessica was taking care of me. I love that girl, Sherri. You need to back off.”
“Maybe I do.Watching how she took care of you last night made it appear that she loves you, too.That still doesn’t explain why she tried to block our communication.”
“Have you ever considered that the conclusion you jumped to might be because of your paranoia and dislike for her, rather than her actions?”
“Look, you can think what you want, but I know what happened. With you, she hides the bitch and brings out Mother Teresa.”
“Aw, come on now, Sis . . .”
“That being said, I may have let my feelings get in the way of good judgment. Not that I’m ever going to apologize for caring about you, or coming to visit, either. But what happened to us last year has left me suspicious and paranoid.”
“I appreciate that you care about me. But you might throw out a ‘sorry’ for pushing Jessica down the stairs.”
“I didn’t push her.” She turned to see Nathan’s teasing, twinkling eyes.
“Ha! Yes, you did. You went straight gangster on my girl.”
“She pushed me into the wall. I returned the favor. A bigger sistah gets better results so her ass ended up on the floor. For that I won’t apologize because I don’t feel sorry.”
“I haven’t seen you fight since, when, junior high school?”
“You didn’t see me fight tonight, though I’ll admit that her accusation that I’m jealous of her threatened to bring out my uncultured side.” Sherri followed Nathan downstairs. “Since it appears you’ll live, and you want your girlfriend to do the same, I’ll fly back tonight. But I’d feel better if you ran those tests. At the very least, talk to Randall or maybe his doctor friend, James. I’d hate for us to later find out that what you think is the flu is something more serious.”
Nathan reached his back door and climbed the short staircase to his rooftop oasis. “Ah, this fresh air feels good!”
Sherri looked around. “I’ve always loved it up here. This amazing patio is my favorite thing about this place. Now, stop trying to change the subject. I want you to get checked out.”
“I’m going to call my doctor and schedule an appointment for a physical.”
“You need more than an ordinary physical, Nate. You need blood work, X-rays.”
“All right, Sherri, dang. I’ll get checked out. Promise.”
Jessica returned. Sherri found her in the kitchen. “You got a minute?”
“Not really.”
“Nate’s feeling better. He says I have you to thank for that.” Clearly annoyed, Jessica ignored her and continued preparing tea. “Listen, Jessica. I know we don’t see eye to eye, but in watching you take care of my brother, it’s clear that you care about him.”
“That’s right. I do.”
“But never more than his family does. Trust me on that. So when we call and ask to speak to him, it needs to happen. But because of how Nathan feels, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and believe your actions were out of concern for his welfare. I do feel better knowing someone is here.” She turned to leave, then stopped. “Earlier, I didn’t mean to push you. It was a reaction to being shoved.”
“To keep from being trampled!”
“We obviously see things differently. I’m usually not the violent type, but when it comes to my baby brother I’m his number one protector.”
“Seems like being number one anything is a place for his wife.”
“Once he’s married, perhaps I’ll step aside. Nathan . . . has special feelings for you. Because of that, I’m hoping we can get along. We might never be friends, but for the sake of peace, I’ll try and be friendlier.”
Jessica placed items on a tray “Thank you, Sherri. Me too. Where is he?”
“Up on the patio. A cup of tea sounds good. I’ll make myself one and then join you guys.”
After a slightly strained yet relatively peaceful afternoon for the three of them, hugs were exchanged before Sherri left to catch her flight. What she did to her sister notwithstanding, Nate’s sister could be pleasant to be around. Earlier, during their argument, Nathan had initially taken Sherri’s side. But he’d made it clear that he wanted her there, and didn’t let Jessica leave. That night, it was harder than ever for her to poison Nathan’s drink. So she didn’t. After all, there was always tomorrow.