The Other Brother Read online

"Will do" He hung up.

  Gabriel stared at the phone. At least he and Dana were talking, though they hadn't dealt with the real problem yet. Perhaps they could talk about it tonight face-to-face after their emotions had settled some more.

  However, he wasn't sure what he would tell her. You're right, I'm not my own man yet. I need Pops to help me live my life. She wasn't going to let him off the hook about that; he sensed that it was so important to her that it could very well determine the fate of their relationship.

  As if he didn't already have enough to be worried about.

  About fifteen minutes later-there had been no word from Fisher Pops pulled into the driveway. He was dressed for work in a charcoal suit, and his hair was freshly trimmed. He looked nothing like the beaten-down man who'd confessed his sins to his family last night.

  "They catch the snake yet?" Pops asked.

  "He's still in there looking for it."

  "Helluva way to start off the morning."

  "You're telling me. You know how I feel about snakes"

  Fisher exited the house through the garage. Gabriel noted that the snake bag fluttered loosely, as though empty.

  "Are you the guy who called us?" Fisher asked Pops.

  Pops nodded. "I am indeed."

  Fisher looked from Pops to Gabriel. "There's no snake in there, dude" His eyes were downcast, as though he'd been robbed of an exciting adventure. "The premises are all clear. I don't even see how a snake would've gotten in there. There're no entryways unless you left a door wide open. But you say you didn't."

  "I'm positive," Gabriel said. "The snake has to be in there. I told you it was by the front door!"

  "Home's clean," Fisher said. "I looked everywhere. I'm telling you, dude, there's no snake in there"

  Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. He was beginning to get a headache. None of this was making any sense.

  Fisher removed a long cardboard box from his truck.

  "I'll set a trap," Fisher said. "I'll leave this box in there; there's glue in it. If he comes back, the trap'll catch him. Just give me a ring and I'll come pick it up ""

  "Fine," Gabriel said.

  Fisher disappeared in the house again. Pops took a call on his cell phone; a business issue, from the sounds of it.

  Gabriel walked to the front door just as Fisher was coming out.

  "You're all set, buddy," Fisher said.

  Nodding absently, Gabriel pushed open the door, looked down the hallway. He didn't see the water moccasin. But it might have hidden somewhere, eluding Fisher's probing eye.

  The thought of going inside and taking a closer look didn't appeal to him at all.

  When he returned to the driveway, Pops was writing a check to pay Fisher for the visit.

  "Pops, I've got it," Gabriel said.

  Pops waved him off. Fisher gave him a receipt, loaded the tools of his trade in the truck, and drove away.

  "What next?" Pops asked. "You want me to call someone else, get a second opinion here?"

  "I guess it must've slipped out before he got here," Gabriel said. "If he says it's gone, I'll take his word for it. But I'm going to keep my eyes peeled."

  What he didn't tell Pops was that he was going to do more than keep his eyes peeled. He was going to search the house from top to bottom. He had to do it for his own peace of mind.

  "You want to stay with us for a couple days?" Pops asked.

  It wasn't an entirely unattractive offer, but Gabriel would have a tough time regaining Dana's goodwill if he accepted it.

  "I'll manage here," he said.

  "Our door is always open," Pops said. "You know your mother and I love having you around"

  "How is Mom?"

  Pops smiled tightly. "We're working it out, son. Speaking of which, I'd like you to come to the house again tonight. Seven o'clock."

  "Why?" Gabriel asked, but he thought he knew the answer.

  "I'm going to introduce Isaiah to the rest of the family"

  Chapter 22

  saiah went shopping.

  Atlanta was known for its shopping malls, and Lenox Square, in Buckhead, was one of the crown jewels of the metropolitan retail scene. Anchored by Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, and Macy's, Lenox offered more than two hundred specialty shops that sold everything from shoes to designer clothing to furniture to sporting goods, and much, much more.

  But more than that, it was a people watcher's paradise. Celebrity spottings were common there. Celebs parked in the valet's driveway beside which sparkling luxury automobiles were lined up as though for a car show-and vanished inside to be spotted by their adoring public. Tourists prowled the mall, cameras dangling around their necks, ready to take a snapshot of a beloved superstar. Scantily clad beautiful women of every ethnicity flocked from store to store, perhaps the wives-or mistresses-of said celebrities. Or gold diggers hoping to snag a man of means.

  People watched Isaiah, too. Dressed in a black T-shirt that displayed the tattoos on his arms for all to see, strutting with a slow, brother-man stroll, and wearing a platinum-encrusted chain, he might have been a rap star, dropping in to spend a few grand on some clothes.

  He was there to purchase clothing. But that was only a small part of his shopping list.

  In an upscale men's clothing store, he purchased a couple of sport coats, shirts, slacks, and loafers. Casually elegant wear.

  Then, after going to his car and securing his purchases in the trunk, he returned to the mall to buy the other items on his list.

  Three hours later, laden with several bags of merchandise, he visited a restaurant in the mall for a late lunch. The place was called Prime, and they specialized in steak and sushi. Although it was located in the mall, the muted lighting, thick white table linens, and spotless contemporary decor made you feel as though you were floating in an epicurean fantasyland.

  Isaiah was not accustomed to dining in nice restaurants. This visit was a rare pleasure, a splurge to celebrate the launching of his mission. He was a bit surprised when the hostess showed him to a corner table without blinking twice at his casual wear. She definitely must've pegged him as a rapper or music producer of note.

  Within a minute of Isaiah taking his seat, a gorgeous Asian waitress arrived. She introduced herself as Amy, and her gaze lingered on the rattlesnake tattoo twined around his muscular forearm.

  "That's a beautiful tattoo," she said.

  "Thanks. You like snakes?"

  "I love them, actually," she said. "Does that make me weird?"

  "Not at all; it makes you unique. But you're right, not many people like snakes. My baby brother hates them, for instance. They scare him to death. Poor kid."

  "What a shame," Amy said, and smiled at their perceived common bond.

  Isaiah smiled, too-though for an entirely different reason.

  Poor Gabe.

  Part Two

  HOME INVASION

  Home is where the heart is.

  -Anonymous

  Chapter 2 3

  abriel took the day off from work.

  Although he had important tasks at the office that required his attention, he stayed home. He spent the day examining every potential snake hideout in his house: underneath beds and tables and furniture, behind curtains and desks and dressers and televisions, inside closets and pantries and cabinets and drawers, and within every shadowy niche and crawl space.

  As he searched, he carried his Louisville Slugger, ready to knock the reptile senseless.

  But the only living creatures he found were a couple of small spiders that he trapped in a napkin and flushed down the toilet. No snake. He'd looked everywhere, multiple times.

  It was impossible. But the wildlife control guy hadn't found the creature either.

  He would have to accept that the snake had escaped. That bothered him. If the serpent had eluded him, that meant it was on the loose.

  That meant it could come back.

  He remembered how the reptile had showed its fangs to him.

  Th
e snake would return; he had no doubt. The damned thing seemed to harbor a malicious intent toward him, as absurd as that sounded. And what if he wasn't so lucky during their next encounter?

  He wouldn't be able to relax in his house again for a long time. His home, previously his sanctuary, had become a nest of horrors.

  His father's offer to stay with them for a couple of days had never looked more attractive. But if he accepted, he would never live that down with Dana. When he'd talked to Dana again and told her that the snake apparently had escaped, and invited her to the family meeting that evening, he'd tried to sound calm and in full control of the situation. Like the kind of man she wanted her husband to be. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her respect any more than he already had.

  He would have to stay home and tough it out.

  After a fitful nap-he could barely keep his eyes shut because he kept imagining the snake lurking nearby-he had begun yet another sweep of the house when he glanced at a clock in the kitchen and realized it was a quarter to seven. Pops had scheduled the family meeting for seven o'clock. He wanted to "introduce Isaiah to the rest of the family," as he'd put it.

  As far as Gabriel was concerned, it was like trading one snake for another. There was something about Isaiah he didn't like. But he couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.

  Gabriel was grimy from crawling around the house all day and didn't have time to shower. He washed his face, put on a clean T-shirt, and hurried to the car. He wanted to get to his parents' house before Isaiah arrived. That seemed important, for some reason.

  He just didn't trust that guy.

  When Gabriel pulled in front of his parents' house fifteen minutes late, he saw that Isaiah had beaten him there. Isa iah's Chevelle was parked in the driveway in the same spot Gabriel usually parked his car when he visited his family.

  First Isaiah had taken his parking space at the office. Now he'd done it at the family home.

  Dana and Nicole's vehicles were there, too. Everyone invited was already there, actually. He was the last one to arrive.

  Gabriel didn't like that, not at all. He couldn't articulate why. He just didn't like it.

  He parked at the end of the driveway and hurried inside.

  Gabriel found everyone gathered not in the library or grand salon, as he'd anticipated, but in the formal dining room. Silver platters heaped with food covered the long oak table: fried chicken, corn on the cob, barbecued rib tips, collard greens, potato salad, coleslaw. Pops sat at one end of the table; Isaiah sat at the opposite end (Gabriel's normal spot); Mom, Nicole, and Dana sat around the men.

  Everyone had already begun eating.

  "Nice of you to join us, son," Pops said. He grinned. "We've got a full spread here-grab a seat and dig in while it's still hot" Pops tilted his head toward Isaiah. "You've already met your brother, of course"

  Isaiah rose. He was stylishly dressed in dark blazer, silk shirt, and slacks. Gabriel, clad in his dusty cargo shorts and wrinkled T-shirt, felt pathetically underdressed.

  Isaiah extended his hand. He was smiling so hard that it looked painful.

  "Please don't leave me hanging this time, Gabe," Isaiah said.

  Whatever, Gabriel thought. They shook hands briefly. Isaiah's skin was dry and cold, as though ice water pumped through his veins.

  Gabriel sat in the chair next to Dana. She gave him a brief smile that made it clear that matters still had not been repaired between them.

  "Who cooked all this food?" Gabriel asked. He looked at his mother questioningly. But she only shrugged and nodded at his father.

  "I had the food catered in," Pops said. "I wanted to give your brother a proper welcome home"

  "Welcome home?" Gabriel asked.

  "That's right," Isaiah said. "I've been away for a long time, little brother. My whole life, isn't that right, folks?"

  Nods and murmurs of agreement all around the table.

  A knot of resentment swelled in Gabriel's stomach. And what was up with that "little brother" shit?

  To Gabriel, Mom and Nicole appeared to be trying too hard, smiling too much and hanging on Isaiah's every word as if he were the Dalai Lama or something; they were determined to present a friendly family pose. Dana seemed interested, too, but that was to be expected, since she was friendly to everyone. Pops was leaning back in his chair, beaming proudly, and that annoyed Gabriel. Springing a thirty-yearold son on your family-that was nothing to be proud of. And Isaiah ... he was far too comfortable here, sitting in that chair, Gabriel 's seat, as though he'd been there his entire life.

  Is there something wrong with me? Gabriel asked himself. Why am I the only one who seems to be pissed off?

  "Eat something, Gabe," Dana said.

  "I ate before I got here," Gabriel lied. "I'm not hungry."

  Dana frowned at him, as though she knew he was lying, and then went back to eating.

  "Actually, now that Gabriel is here with us, I'd like to make a speech," Isaiah said. He pushed away from the table and stood. He clasped his hands together, dipped his head as though in deep thought.

  Everyone stopped eating. They watched Isaiah expectantly.

  Gabriel bristled. What line of bullshit was Isaiah about to feed them now?

  Isaiah raised his head, swept his gaze around the table.

  "I've been waiting my whole life for this day," Isaiah said. "The day when I would finally meet my father's wonderful family. I can only imagine how difficult this has been for all of you, since, until yesterday, none of you even knew I existed. But I can see, already, that you're charitable, compassionate people. I'm humbled by your hospitality and kindness."

  "It been hard on us," Mom said. She touched her sad eyes with a tissue. "But you're my husband's son. That makes you family."

  Give me a break, Gabriel thought. This is ridiculous.

  Pops approached Isaiah and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. He wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. "Thank you, Marge. You don't know how much it means to me for you to accept him."

  "I never thought I'd have another brother," Nicole said. She was beginning to cry, too. "And you and Gabe look so much alike."

  "I know," Isaiah said. He grinned. "But I'm older."

  Everyone except Gabriel laughed appreciatively. Gabriel twisted a napkin in his lap.

  "Seriously," Isaiah said. "God works in mysterious ways. I honestly believe that it took losing my mama may her soul rest in peace-for me to truly appreciate the value of knowing the rest of my kinfolk. When God closes one door, he always opens another."

  "Amen," Mom said. She touched the gold crucifix that hung on her necklace. "He's an awesome God, yes, He is."

  "I am thankful to all of you," Isaiah said. "It's my desire to become a valued member of this family. I won't lie; I've lived a rough life and done some things I'm not proud of-"

  "We all have," Nicole said.

  Gabriel was shaking his head.

  "But God has been so good to me, so patient with me," Isaiah said. "And after many trials and tribulations, I've finally wised up and realized what's most important in life. Faith. Family. Honesty. Integrity. Compassion." Isaiah nod ded at Pops and Mom. "The same qualities both of you instilled in your children."

  "We tried our best," Pops said.

  "I could go on and bore you, but I won't," Isaiah said. "All I want to say is thank you. This means everything to me ... if only you knew .. ."

  Isaiah's eyes began to water. Drying his eyes with a napkin, he sat. Pops massaged Isaiah's shoulders. Nicole reached across the table and took Isaiah's hand, and Mom was whispering praise to God.

  Dana glanced at Gabriel. Her brow crinkled when she saw the angry expression he couldn't keep off his face, and she lip-synched the question, What's wrong with you?

  Gabriel couldn't hide his feelings. Isaiah deserved an Oscar for that dinner speech.

  "I need to get some things out of my car," Isaiah said. He rose again. "I'll be right back" He left the dining room.

  Wi
th Isaiah temporarily away, the focus shifted to Gabriel.

  "Why are you acting like this?" Dana asked.

  "You look upset, honey," Mom said.

  "What's the deal?" Nicole said.

  "Anything I can do for you, son?" Pops asked.

  "Look. . ." Gabriel started. He wanted to be diplomatic, but it was difficult. "I think we need to take things slow, that's all. We don't know enough about Isaiah to be welcoming him into the family with open arms "

  Mom turned a stern glare on him. "We know about his incarceration, Gabriel. Isaiah shared his unfortunate personal history with us before you got here. Why don't you give him a chance?"

  "It's not that, Mom," he said.

  "Then what is it?" Pops asked.

  Gabriel struggled to find the words to express his worries without sounding like a jackass.

  "Gabe's upset because he's not the only son anymore," Nicole said. She spoke in a high-pitched, singsong voice that used to annoy Gabriel when they were children. "He's spoiled rotten, like I always said he was-"

  "Will you shut up, Nicole?" Gabriel said.

  "Don't tell me to shut up, boy," Nicole said. "I'm a grown woman. You aren't my daddy."

  Gabriel ground his teeth. This wasn't going well at all.

  "Why don't you like him?" Dana asked. "Give us the truth"

  "Look, it's a gut feeling that I have, okay?" Gabriel said. "I don't trust him and I think we need to be careful. That's all I'm saying."

  But everyone's faces were full of doubt. They thought he, not Isaiah, was the one with the problem.

  "I expected you, of all people, to handle this better," Pops said. He shook his head sadly, but then his voice turned to steel. "I know this has been hard for you, but I want you to keep an open mind here, understand? I'm not allowing this change to fracture our family. We need to all be on board with this. Hear me?"

  Anger and embarrassment stung Gabriel's face. He regretted opening his mouth in the first place.

  "Got it?" Pops asked.

  "Yeah, whatever, Pops," Gabriel said.

  Watching him, Dana only shook her head. He could feel this discussion pulling them further apart.