The Guilty Generation Read online

  The Guilty Generation

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  The Guilty Generation (The Jamieson Legacy, #9)

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Book Club Discussion

  About the Author

  By

  Pat Simmons

  Publisher’s Note:

  This novel is a work of fiction. References to real events, organizations, or places are used in a fictional context. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

  @2018 Generations Quest Press/Pat Simmons

  Developmental Editor: Chandra Sparks Splond

  Proof Reader: Nicole Cruz

  Beta Reader: Stacy Jefferson

  Interior design: Kimolisa/Fiverr.com

  Cover design: Ultrakhan22/Fiverr.com

  Some Special Acknowledgments

  The Guilty Generations evolved from a short story to a novella until finally, a novel.

  Shout out to reader Fianna Peppers for assisting me with background information about Tulsa, Oklahoma.

  I can’t thank my cousin, Darlene Simmons, enough for her unwavering support for my writing and her late night sacrifices to read each novel. She is definitely my #1 cheerleader.

  Dedication

  This story is dedicated to LW. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you. It’s going to be BIG! Jesus doesn’t do anything small.

  Cast of Characters

  Welcome to the Jamieson family night where there is always a lesson to be learned. Tonight is no exception. Before I extend an invitation to join them, let me reintroduce the guilty parties in case you may have forgotten some or any of them. This is the genealogy of Parke, Malcolm, and Cameron; as well as Kevin “Kidd” and Aaron “Ace” Jamieson.

  King Seif and Princess Adaeze...Côte d'Ivoire, Africa

  Paki Kokumuo Jaja (Kidnapped from his homeland, brought to the Americas and sold in front of Sinner’s Hotel, then enslaved to Jethro, only to marry his only daughter. Elaine Jethro

  Paki and Elaine

  Parker, Assi, Bakary, Emannuella, and Orma

  Parker 1795 m. Elaine Jethro (Slaveholder’s only daughter)

  Parker Jr., 1815

  Parker III, 1833

  Parker IV, 1850

  Parker V, 1870

  Parke, 1888

  Parke Jr., 1910

  Parke III, 1930

  Parke IV, 1948

  Parke V, 1964

  Parke VI, 1980

  Parke VII—Parke m. Cheney; Malcolm m. Hali; Cameron m. Gabrielle

  Parke VIII, stillborn

  Parke (Pace) VIII, removed from adoption

  Paden—Parke and Cheney’s first living son

  Chance—Parke and Cheney’s last son

  Kami—first adopted child and daughter

  Orma m. Sashe

  Kingdom, Harrison, and Candy, Paradise. Others died

  Kingdom

  Begot King

  King

  King II, begot

  Kingston III m. Hulda Robertson

  Samuel m. Eillian Ivy (Hartford, Connecticut)

  First born, Saul, who had twins Jayson and Mayson, Zaki, Benjamin, Giselle Denise Rayford, and Lacey Jamieson

  Candy

  Samuel and Sandra Nicholson (never married)

  Kevin “Kidd”

  Aaron “Ace”

  Samuel m. Zenita Pope (Tulsa)

  Suzette

  Queen

  Book Summaries

  Guilty of Love birthed the Jamieson Legacy, originally known as the Guilty series, introducing Cheney Reynolds and her unapologetic colorful sidekick from childhood Imani Rogers who proves her friendship faithfulness when she runs into Cheney’s ex-boyfriend, ex-heart-breaker, mind devastator Larry and leaves Larry with an unpleasant calling card. Imani, a flight attendant, gave up the friendly skies for a new career as a tow truck driver, and she has no problem taking repo woman to the next level or driveway in Still Guilty.

  Estranged from her family for committing an inexcusable act, Cheney is willing to accept loneliness as her fate in life. It was not to be when she moved in historic Ferguson, Missouri. God sent a village by the way of her two pesky neighbors. The arrogant and shamefully handsome Parke K. Jamieson VI is annoying and doesn’t blink from her sharp tongue. On the other side of her property line is the sometimes hilarious, but always gun-toting, Stacey Adams shoes–wearing Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon aka Grandma BB who makes Cheney question her own sanity.

  A childless widow, Grandma BB is larger than life in every book in the Jamieson Legacy series. As a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, equipped with a fingerprint kit and Chippendale bodyguards, it’s best to stay on her good side. God leads the trio on detour to His salvation, and things start happening when they surrender—all except Grandma BB who kicks and screams that she ain’t ready for Jesus. Parke and Cheney not only find happiness with each other, but with Parke’s long-lost son, Parke VIII aka Pace who was almost five years old when they won custody of him from another family. Although they adopted Kami, Cheney’s foster daughter first when she was four, she and Pace are at constant odds that he is older. Parke and Cheney have two biological sons together, Paden who came along five years into their marriage, then Chance. Despite how relationships start off in the series, happy endings are guaranteed for the Jamiesons.

  Cheney’s twin brother, Dr. Rainey Reynolds, succumbs to love with Ghanaian beauty Josephine Abena Yaa Amoah in The Acquittal.

  Parke’s second brother, Malcolm, has the frame of a bodybuilder, chiseled features, and the temperament of a bulldog when it comes to what he wants: the former Hallison Dinkins. “Hali” was the good church girl who craved a bad girl’s lifestyle and mindset. They start their love affair in Guilty of Love. In Book 2, Not Guilty of Love, it becomes explosive. Hali and Malcolm were on their way to the wedding altar—until God diverted Hali to the prayer altar. Malcolm won’t take no for answer until he realizes what he’s up against. They have two sons and one daughter, Malcolm Jr. (MJ), Major, and Mallison.

  Parke’s youngest brother, Cameron Jamieson, is the brains of the family and is akin to an ATF bomb-sniffing canine when it comes to tracking and locating descendants on the Jamieson family tree. Cameron meets his match in love with strong-willed Gabrielle Dupree who has show-stopping looks. She’s fierce when it comes to book sense and godly wisdom. Read their love story in Free from Guilt. She gets her thirst for knowledge, worldly and spiritually, honestly from her brother, Evangelist Philip Dupree, who God sends to rescue Kami in The Guilty Generation. Cameron and Gabrielle are the proud parents of two-year-old twins, Gabriel and Camille.

  Possessing two degrees, Cameron is exceptional in wit, charm and looks. While attending MIT in Boston, he meets two distant cousins: Kevin “Kidd” Jamieson who doesn’t want to be found and his younger brother Aaron “Ace” Jamieson who embraces family. Then there is their mother, Sandra Nicholson, who never married their father, Samuel Jamieson.

  Kidd’s road to love and redemption kicks off in Guilty by Association. By default, he’s guilty of being a Jamieson. He and his younger brother are considered the
“Bad Boys of Boston” as the illegitimate seed of Samuel Jamieson. Both are raw around the edges in different ways. Kidd is angry, and his emotions are unfiltered. Eva Savoy is unfazed by Kidd’s roar, and they bump heads. Behind every good man is a great woman who doesn’t pull any punches. Only by surrendering to God will he win Eva’s heart. While enjoying marital bliss, they added a sweet baby girl Kennedy to the family tree, followed by Kevin Jamieson Jr.

  Ace has inherited the Jamieson charm and knows it. Women have been trying to tie him down since he had a mustache, but his heart was untouchable—until Talise Rogers strutted in his life for a season, then reluctantly walked out pregnant and feeling betrayed, yet redeemed when God rescues her. She delivers Lauren. The Guilt Trip is their reconciliation story.

  Falling in love with a Jamieson brought heartache to Kidd and Ace’s mother, Sandra Nicholson. In The Confession, Raimond Mayfield proves it’s never too late to fall in love. Together, they learn God can fix anything that’s broken, including wounded hearts.

  Chapter One

  Where is Kami? Parke K. Jamieson VI wondered for the countless time. His seventeen-year-old daughter was on her first date. Why did little girls have to grow up? Why did they like boys? Why was Kami testing him? He should have installed the tracking app on Kami’s phone—a recent birthday gift—like he’d wanted. But oh no, his wife, Cheney, said he was overreacting and to trust Kami. Parke did, but he was suspicious of any boy or man, whose last name wasn’t Jamieson, within ten feet of his daughter. It was their overactive male hormones he wanted to place on ice. He checked the time on his watch again. Now, thirty-two minutes late was proof he wasn’t overreacting. He was just a concerned, overprotective, and loving father.

  If he even motioned he was tapping his phone to call or text Kami, Cheney gave him the eye that he’d better not. Wives could be scary, and if a man loved his wife, he’d better let her have the upper hand every now and then.

  Flexing his muscles, Parke folded his arms and trained his eyes on the entrance of the banquet room. Despite the ruckus of little people’s screams of delight around him, Parke kept his position. His cousins and their families chatted and released hearty laughter as his irritation swelled, ready to explode.

  This was not the mood he wanted to possess for a get-together to celebrate family, recite oral history that everyone should have memorized by the age of five, and to play Afrocentric and Black American history games.

  As the Jamieson’s clan expanded, their homes could no longer accommodate the many generations under one roof. That explained why sixty-three Jamiesons locally and across the country were at the Hyatt Hotel in St. Louis on a Friday night to kick off the long Memorial Day weekend. The banquet room could easily hold a hundred-plus guests.

  The casual weekly family gathering he had enjoyed as a boy defaulted to monthly to accommodate each family’s lifestyle. For a while, the gatherings even became a hit-or-miss affair. That’s when his father, Parke V—called Papa P by his adorning grandchildren—put his foot down. Enough was enough. He issued a written decree that the entire family would come together for an evening of bonding among the generations every spring, summer, fall, and winter. There would be no excusable exceptions unless there was death or illness. His father even went so far as having the head of every household sign it, because family meant everything.

  The Jamieson wives loved the idea of letting someone else do the cooking and cleaning while everyone had a good time. The elegant white linen tablecloths and bright overhead chandeliers mocked the occasion of its guests. The night was about fun, games, and food. The Jamieson women opted for designer jeans and high heels. How did his wife and the others glide across the floor with such precision? he wondered. In contrast, the teenagers and smaller children were outfitted for comfort and play time. There were so many little ones.

  Parke wouldn’t be surprised if the Jamiesons surpassed a couple hundred in attendance within the next few years with the diligent efforts of his youngest brother, Dr. Cameron Jamieson, leading the family tree search, uncovering one descendant at a time. As Parke’s mind wandered, his eyes didn’t—they were locked on the entrance. Schedules were shuffled and appointments pushed back. Everyone with Jamieson in their DNA was expected to show up and on time, so Kami was flirting with an uproar from her grandfather...and him. He huffed.

  His wife blocked his view. “At ease, Mr. Jamieson. She’ll be here soon.”

  He relaxed. Cheney was a distraction without trying. Her features always mesmerized him. Even after fourteen years of marriage, she was stunning and had less gray strands than him. After tonight, he was sure more would have sprouted by morning.

  “I’m cool.” He slipped his hands in his pockets.

  “Liar.” Her eyes twinkled, a sign that she was in tune to him. She brushed her soft lips against his and turned to leave when he grabbed her hand and returned a kiss of his own. She knew how to kiss him and make everything better, easing the stress that had been there moments earlier. A house could be on fire and he wouldn’t know it.

  When he fell in love with her, Parke meant with everything within him until death only they would part. “Later, you and me, our bedroom, by the candlelight.”

  She lifted a brow and sashayed away.

  How could Cheney be so calm? Kami was their only daughter, so shouldn’t she be a mama bear or something? He held his breath until Cheney had disappeared from his sight, then he exhaled, and his mind returned to the problem at hand.

  Once again, he chided himself for not being home to inspect Kami’s date. He had prepped for a counter interrogation since having a conversation with her about behavior that offended God and her body. Plus, he emphasized the consequences of sin—sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, teen pregnancies, and other adult topics he hadn’t been prepared to have.

  It had been his misfortune that an important client’s delayed flight caused their meeting to start late. Anybody else, Parke would have rescheduled without blinking. He believed in putting family first, but Mr. Rogers’ portfolio was worth millions, and managing it was Parke’s bread and butter for his family.

  Like any good father, Parke had practiced his game face and memorized a list of questions to intimidate the young man. Last night, he couldn’t sleep well because he was armed and ready to attack. He could thank the airlines for thwarting his plans.

  In his office, he had paced the floor, thinking of a Plan B. He’d phoned his wife. Surely she had demanded Kami reschedule her date, especially since Cheney was still at the salon. A hair appointment on the same day with the other Jamieson wives became a girl’s entire day out. Did they synchronize their shampoos and styles at the same time to create an impromptu spa-style outing or something?

  “Sweetie, Kami isn’t going to a slumber party, and I wouldn’t consider going to a matinee, sinister. The movie is an hour and thirty-three minutes. I checked. They may beat us to family night. Your mini-me is at home. Pace can meet the young man and get a feel for him. Chill,” Cheney had said and disconnected the call while giggling with the other ladies in the background.

  Not liking that option, Parke had called Kami himself.

  “Hi, Daddy,” she answered cheerfully.

  “Hey, my favorite daughter.” He smiled himself.

  “Dad, I’m your only daughter.” She paused. “I’m trying to get ready for my date. What time will you be home?”

  Get ready? Parke frowned. She had more than enough time. “That’s why I’m calling. My client is running late, and I’m barely going to make it home in time for our family meeting, and you know your grandfather doesn’t like us to be late,” he had reminded her. “Your mom is at Talise’s salon with your aunts.” He took a deep breath, preparing to break her heart. He counted: one, two, three... “I think you should reschedule your date until your mom and I can meet him face-to-face.”

  The shriek that followed punctured his eardrum.

  “Daddy, that’s not fair. You said I can go. You talked to him
over the phone...” She recited a checklist of the pre-screening questions he had asked. “We’re only going to see a movie before coming to the family meeting—game night—get-together.” Families had different terms for their gathering. They all meant the same—family better be there—on time.

  Talks over the phone were deceiving. Kami’s so-called date, Terrence, knew the right words and tone to use.

  Her rebuttal was convincing. The t’s had been crossed and the i’s dotted, still... Kami was a good daughter and the oldest girl among her younger cousins. Everyone looked to her for babysitting services because she was mature and responsible, he tried to reason within himself.

  “Pace is here and so are my other two knucklehead brothers. They can meet him...”

  His firstborn was so much like him, even-tempered until tested. Between Kami’s tears and pleas, Parke gave in and reluctantly passed the baton to Parke K. Jamieson VIII aka Pace to vet the guy when he arrived. Paden, barely a teenager, liked to mimic his older brother, and so did the youngest, ten-year-old Chance.

  Like many of the Jamieson men, Pace inherited the height and threatened Parke’s six-foot-plus stature. His eldest son was all muscle. Kudos to excelling on the high school’s wrestling team. Despite all his musings about the situation, Kami had the last word when his client knocked on his office door.

  That had been hours earlier. Now, Parke scanned the room and spied his two younger sons making another trip to the buffet table. He shook his head, amused. All three of his sons, and sometimes Kami ate meals with gusto as if they were in a third-world country.

  Parke wasn’t complaining. God had been good to him. This family was why he worked hard to make sure his wife and four children didn’t go without. Sighing, he checked the time again. Ten more minutes had passed during his distraction. He didn’t care if Kami Jamieson was seventeen with the mindset she was as grown as any twenty-seven-year-old. He would go on a hunt for his daughter. Kami knew how to elevate his blood pressure.

  Train up a child in the way she should go: and when she is old, she will not depart from it, God whispered from Proverbs 22:6.