Vivid

by Beverly Jenkins

"It is when I'd planned on being the one kissing you the way my cousin obviously had been doing when you first walked up." Vivid blinked at his bluntness.

I would die

"Thank you for being polite enough to hold on to that question until now."

What a great parent child relationship

She found the sweet but peppery beverage quite different.

An understatement

"I think it tastes like medicine, Pa."

Because it is! Ginger beer is much tastier

then on to Campus Martius,

It's wild thinkin about how it's still there. Literally visited this winter

She and Nate were standing inside a small gazebo centered far out in the field behind the boardinghouse.

Ope Jenkins sure does love a gazebo

Under the night wind, Nate bared her as he slid her dress down below her breasts. With his tongue he boldly circled her trembling nipples. The deep rustling of the trees muffled her gasp as he gently bit each bud, then suckled wantonly. He feasted, teased, filled his hands with her hips and brought her closer. His tongue was lightning and his hands, sliding her gown slowly over her hips, were brewing the storm.

Y'all are in public!

Nate slid her largest crate over to the lip of the wagon bed. "No. We were closer than brothers growing up."

He can't have humped the first wife, that would be irredeemable and I assume we will get his story eventually.

Each and every time he had met her eyes that day, he envisioned having her bared and naked to his caresses.

You horny old bastard

"The long controversy over the black man seems to have reached a finality." The Nation is declaring that The Negro will disappear from the field of national politics. Henceforth, the nation, as a nation, will have nothing more to do with him.

and yet here we are, almost 200 years later, still workong on this

upon seeing Nate Grayson sitting grim-faced at her desk.

Why are Jenkins' men always sneaking into homes?

Part of her was ecstatic at his revelation, but the other part, the part that had studied and spent many nights burning oil in order to become a physician, balked at the idea of her two desires being able to coexist harmoniously.

I mean, you could just talk to him about that

Nate looked into Eli's eyes and saw, for the first time, not the sixteen-year-old youth who'd committed the ultimate betrayal, but the man Eli had become.

They really did make the beast with two backs? And he was only 16 :( what a nasty bitch that woman was

He intimated his desire to bear the burden for her, but she shook him off, saying sadly, "No, I must do this," and went back to her heartbreaking task.

Right, make it all about you

His lips were closing over a pleading nipple, while the other received the tender play of his fingers. "Really. Tradition says players must be celibate."

Then what are you doing, sir?

She took a shortcut through the trees back to the main field, then stopped and stared at the sight of Quentin James standing a few feet away talking to a man Vivid did not know. They were talking intently, then as if sensing her presence, Quentin looked her way. Vivid swore Quentin's eyes grew big with fear for just a moment.

This muthafucka! Out here doin fuck shit for no dmn reson. Just leave instead of taking everybody down with you

"Maddie wasn't on the wagon, like I said, so we went into the house to find her. The man—he was stabbing at Maddie with this big old knife and Maddie was screaming and trying to get away."

Oh those poor babies and poor Maddie. That man is awful!!

In May of 1877, Viveca Lancaster Grayson gave birth to five-pound Jacob Eli Grayson, and four-pound Joseph Absalom Grayson.

It is wild thinking about how this was so long ago, but those twins could be my great grandfather's contemporaries