The Favorite Son Read online

  Finally Royce finished his call and put his phone down on the table. “So, let’s get to it,” he said. “I need songs for my new project.”

  “We’ve got songs,” Blaine said. “Everything we do outside of praise and worship at church is original.”

  Royce nodded. “You all collaborate on the songs? The entire group?”

  Camden cleared his throat. “For the most part, I write them. Amber helps me with arrangements.”

  “I do my own arrangements,” Royce said.

  “Of course you do,” Camden said. “I was just …”

  “You’re who I need,” Royce said to Camden. “I just need the songwriter in Atlanta. Not the entire group.”

  Blaine’s grimace turned into a full-fledged frown. “You don’t want us to sing on your record?”

  “I have singers,” Royce said with a mouthful of forty-dollar crab cake. “You’re going to be doing a lot of work on So G.I.F.T.E.D while we get my worship project done.”

  “I thought this meeting was about putting So G.I.F.T.E.D on the map,” Blaine said.

  Royce swallowed his food and dabbed at the sides of his mouth with his napkin. “It is about both. Your deal and my project.”

  “So what are we gonna be doing while Camden is in Atlanta working on your project?” Blaine asked.

  Royce laughed out loud. “If you really want to know, when I came to your church to hear you sing, your soprano singer was a little pitchy, and you aren’t one hundred percent believable as a worship leader. I almost expected you to do a split or grind on the microphone stand. You give me a nineties R&B vibe, which is unfortunate, because your brother’s worship songs are some of the best I’ve heard. The group needs work.”

  Camden wanted to pick Blaine’s face up for him, because it had definitely fallen. It was probably somewhere on the floor near his feet. His jaw was unhinged with shock and his eyebrows were drawn together in a confused expression.

  “If we need so much work, then why do you want to sign us?”

  “I mean, you all have potential.” Royce’s voice softened. “You could be great with hard work and dedication, but the music is ready now.”

  “So are you saying that you just want him to come to Atlanta to work on your project?” Blaine asked.

  “Is that a problem? Once I sign the group, I’ll start setting up shows for you at conferences and expos. You’ll be busy. You won’t have time for Atlanta,” Royce said.

  Camden tried to hide his excitement at this turn of events. Of course he wanted to go to Atlanta without Blaine, without the shine-stealing twin. He would love to leave Blaine and his charisma in Dallas so that he could use his gift with no distractions.

  “I will need to make arrangements for my ministry obligations here,” Camden said. “But no, I don’t think it will be a problem.”

  Blaine tilted his head to one side and stared at Camden with raised eyebrows. For a second, he looked just like their father. Everything about his expression said, Really?

  “Good, because I’m really anxious to get started,” Royce said.

  “How long do you think you’ll need me in Atlanta?” Camden asked.

  “It could be a couple of months, but it’ll probably be closer to a year,” Royce said.

  “So who’s going to play Camden’s songs for us at all these shows you’re gonna set up? Camden is a part of the group.”

  “I have a keyboard player for you all while Camden is away. He’s top notch, and you’ll love him.”

  Blaine took his napkin out of his lap, tossed it on the table, got up and walked away from the table. Camden sighed and shook his head. He guessed he should be happy that Pastor Wilson hadn’t crashed the meeting as well.

  “Your brother doesn’t like this. Is that going to be an issue? We can forgo the record deal for the group for now if they are going to need you to be with them in order to perform,” Royce said.

  Camden paused before replying. There would be problems, but Blaine’s anger would be the least of them. Everything in Camden’s life would be affected by this—his relationship with Dawn, his position at church, and So G.I.F.T.E.D. But there was no way Camden was passing on this opportunity.

  “No. No issues at all. I can handle my brother. Looking forward to working with you.”

  Royce said, “Just a piece of advice, Camden. Don’t stress yourself about this decision. Everyone can’t follow you everywhere. You don’t need to feel guilty about a blessing. Just accept it and move on.”

  But Camden did feel a twinge of guilt, and not because Blaine had stormed out of the restaurant. He knew that if he did this, if he took this opportunity from Royce, that he’d be leaving Dawn in Dallas. There was no way he could take a girlfriend to live with him in another city, and he didn’t feel it was time for marriage.

  “I do accept it, Royce. I appreciate every blessing, man.”

  Camden sent up a little prayer of thanks and hoped that Dawn wouldn’t view his blessing as a curse.

  CHAPTER 15

  “I‘m telling y’all, Camden is tripping,” Blaine said as he paced the floor in Akil’s apartment. Blaine had gathered the rest of So G.I.F.T.E.D at his apartment immediately after the lunch fiasco that he and Camden had with Royce. Several hours had gone by and he was still furious.

  Amber and Dawn shared Blaine’s royal blue velvet couch that was in the center of his living room. The couch was supposed to remind him of water, and the tan marble tile was his take on sand. His living room was his own personal beach, meant to calm him when he was feeling stressed. It wasn’t working this evening.

  “So what exactly did he do wrong? It just sounds like he accepted an offer from Royce, and it sounds like we now have a record deal,” Amber said. “Isn’t that why y’all were meeting with him?”

  Blaine hopped down from a bar stool in his huge kitchen and walked into the living room to answer a defiant-looking Amber. Dawn’s expression was the opposite of Amber’s. She looked close to tears.

  “Yes, but did you hear what I said? He’s going to Atlanta to work on Royce’s project while we work our behinds off singing at church conferences and stuff. Royce could’ve just brought us to Atlanta and put us on his project.”

  “I still don’t see what the problem is. Camden doesn’t sing with us, he only plays. I don’t see why we need him to do a few songs,” Amber said.

  “This is where it starts, Amber,” Blaine said.

  Amber stood and walked toward the kitchen. “Mmm-hmm. Well, I’m sure if the tables were turned you would’ve done the same thing. Does anyone want some juice?”

  “I-I’m happy for Camden,” Dawn said. “If he can create an opportunity for us to go to Atlanta too, I know he will.”

  “You hope he will. But he might just get in Atlanta and find his wife. You didn’t think about that, did you?”

  Dawn’s eyes widened as if she hadn’t thought about that at all. “How long is he going to be gone again?”

  “Royce said maybe a year. A whole year away from your fiancé. What do you think about that?”

  “Don’t do that, Blaine,” Amber said. “Camden loves her, and we have a record deal. Is anyone hearing that? A record deal. We didn’t have that before.”

  “Yeah, Blaine. Camden started this group. He wants us to be successful more than anybody,” Akil said.

  “Well, why didn’t he say anything when Royce started clowning us, then? He called me a nineties R&B singer and he said that Dawn was pitchy! Camden just sat there grinning and looking thirsty. I don’t even think the record deal is really going to happen. I think Royce just said that to get Camden for his stuff.”

  Blaine waited for his words to sink in. He watched Amber’s smile fade and a tear trickle down Dawn’s face. Akil’s eyebrows nearly touched, his frown was so deep. Now the entire group looked like they understood why he was so angry. Camden was tripping no matter what they thought, and he was going to Atlanta and leaving them all behind.

  “So he’s gonna go? Leave t
he group for who knows how long?” Akil asked.

  Blaine nodded. “Yes. Royce is sending us a replacement keyboard player to do some shows with us.”

  “What does Pastor Wilson think?” Dawn asked. “He’s going to be mad, right?”

  “He is. I am too. He’s playing us, y’all,” Blaine said.

  Amber walked back into the small living room and stood in front of Blaine with her arms folded across her chest. “Well, y’all can be mad at Camden if you want to. He is a good, no great songwriter. He deserves this. And Dawn … you were pitchy last Sunday.”

  “I was not!”

  “You were,” Akil said. “You went sharp a couple of times. On top of a few notes.”

  “Whatever,” Dawn mumbled.

  “That has nothing to do with anything!” Blaine said. “Y’all are missing the point. Camden’s going to go to Atlanta, start writing for other artists, and then So G.I.F.T.E.D is gonna be through. Watch.”

  “If that happens, then it was God’s will for it to happen. Shoot, you’re going to be a pastor in a year or so. Whenever Pastor Wilson decides to release you. You’re the lead singer, Blaine! You gonna preach and sing?” Amber said.

  “I might! Pastors have singing careers all the time. Ever heard of Pastor Marvin Sapp?”

  “Yeah, of course. And Pastor Donnie McClurkin too. You can do it all, I guess, but Camden has to stay here and be the Minister of Music at your daddy’s church?” Amber asked.

  Her words hit home with Blaine. He wanted Camden to be successful, just not without him.

  “So is this Cam-bashing session over?” Amber asked.

  Blaine shook his head. He should’ve known that they’d have Camden’s back, even when he was being treacherous. Amber took out her cell phone and started texting.

  “Are you telling someone about Camden?” Blaine asked. “He might not want the news out yet.”

  Amber frowned at Blaine. “Um, no. I am telling Camden about our little powwow and seeing if he wants us to rehearse any music since we’re all here together.”

  Blaine took a few steps forward and snatched her phone. She swatted at his head, but he ducked out of the way.

  “Look, y’all. If Camden leaves, we can’t throw away everything we’ve worked for so far. I know I’m not Camden, but I can lead too. We can’t just throw it all away. Let’s make a pact that we’re going to stay a group, no matter what.”

  Amber and Dawn both looked at Akil, who nodded thoughtfully at Blaine’s speech. He knew they weren’t used to him giving speeches. That was usually Camden’s job. Blaine didn’t give speeches.

  “I’m down,” Amber said. “We have worked hard.”

  “That was a pretty stirring plea, sir,” Akil said. “Maybe you are a preacher after all.”

  “He’s gonna be pulling in those big offerings just like Pastor Wilson.”

  Blaine grinned. He was going to do well like his father. He was going to probably even surpass Pastor Wilson’s popularity with his singing and his charm. He was going to sow church-growing seeds and reap bountiful blessings—including a wife who was worthy to be at his side.

  CHAPTER 16

  “Dad, I’m going to Atlanta.”

  Camden waited for his words to sink in. Pastor Wilson had been in his study, watching his sermon from the previous Sunday. It was a ritual that Pastor Wilson had. He watched the DVD and took notes on his performance, like an NFL coach might watch a game-day tape.

  “Going to Atlanta for what? Use your words, Camden. Communicate like an adult.”

  Camden cleared his throat. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but his father seemed to be in an especially snippy mood.

  “I’m going to Atlanta to work on Royce London’s new worship project. He wants me to write some songs for it.”

  “What about your ministry here?”

  Camden had expected this question. It was valid. He’d just taken over as Minister of Music. Leaving his post now seemed like he was abandoning it.

  “I prayed about it. I believe that working with Royce on his project and shadowing him as the Minister of Music at his church will better prepare me to run the music department here.”

  Pastor Wilson let out a loud and obnoxious laugh. “Oh! That’s what you did? You prayed about it? Did you pray about what you’ll do for money? You get your paycheck from my church.”

  “Royce is going to pay me as one of the musicians at his church and for every song I do on his record.”

  Camden didn’t mention that they’d also be doing side gigs and that he had savings. He didn’t feel the need to give his father all of the details. It wasn’t necessary, and he would try to poke holes in all of his plans anyway.

  “And how long are you planning to be gone?”

  “Could be a year.”

  “So we’re supposed to go without a Minister of Music for a year while you go and find yourself?”

  “It’s not about finding myself,” Camden said, his anger rising. “This is a solid opportunity.”

  “Solid opportunity? Are you serious? Don’t you know gospel artists don’t make any money! Why you think most of them are worship leaders, choir directors, and pastors? I gave you all the platform and opportunity you need for your music and you’re throwing it in my face for that fruity Royce London.”

  Camden closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing. He was getting so angry that his breaths were quick and ragged.

  Pastor Wilson shook his head slowly and continued. “You came to me and asked for a prayer to be released into ministry. God told me not to put you in that position, that’s why I didn’t want to pray for you. I let my emotions get the best of me, though, and I did it anyway.”

  “Wow,” Camden said. “You told the praise team it had to do something with the supernatural transference of wealth. Wasn’t that the word you gave?”

  “That’s for them, Camden, and you know it. Bottom line is, I built this church from nothing. No one should benefit from my sacrifices more than my family.”

  “But God told you not to give it to me.”

  “That is shocking, isn’t it? I didn’t listen to the voice of the Lord concerning a ministry position and look where it got me. I fired one of the best Ministers of Music in the country because I was hoping that it would motivate you to walk in your destiny.”

  “You want me to walk in the destiny you’ve chosen for me. Sounds like God knows better. Sounds like He’s got something better for me.”

  Pastor Wilson chuckled. “Well, what do you know? You might actually have some balls after all. Since you’re asserting your manhood, I’m going to give you a choice. Stay here in your ministry position and I will put more money into this little gospel project. If you leave and go to Atlanta, I’m replacing you and you won’t have a job here when you come back.”

  “Not much of a choice,” Camden said.

  “Talk to God about it. Maybe you’ll do a better job listening to Him than I did.”

  “I already talked to God about it. I’m leaving.”

  “Good luck, then,” Pastor Wilson said.

  Camden shook his head. “Luck? We don’t believe in luck, right? We’re blessed.”

  “We’re blessed when we stay in the will of God. You better hope what you’re planning is in His will,” Pastor Wilson said. He pressed play on his DVD and waved his hand at Camden, dismissing him.

  Camden’s top lip curled into a snarl as he turned and left his father’s study. He slammed the door so hard that it rattled on the hinges. Still, he could hear his father’s laughter behind the door.

  Camden’s mother stood in the front parlor of their mansion, and she rushed to Camden as he headed for the front door.

  “Honey,” she said, “what’s wrong? I heard the door slam. Is everything all right?”

  “I’m moving to Atlanta, and I was hoping your husband would be happy for me.”

  She looked confused, and grabbed Camden’s arm. “Atlanta? Why? We’re building so much here. Your
father needs you.”

  “I’m going to write music for Royce London! This could … You know what? I’m done trying to convince y’all. I’m a grown man.”

  Camden snatched his arm away and headed for the front door. His mother wailed as he turned the knob.

  Camden paused. “Mama, it’s only for a year. Please don’t cry.”

  “Your father will never forgive you for leaving,” she said between sobs. “If he doesn’t want you to go, please don’t go. Ask Royce if there’s another way you can work on the project. You can go back and forth to Atlanta. Just be here on Sunday mornings.”

  Camden could commute from Dallas to Atlanta. He could work on tracks, melodies, and lyrics in his apartment and send them to Royce. But the truth was, he didn’t want to. Royce had asked him to relocate for the project, and contrary to what his father believed, Camden did talk to God about his choices.

  “I have to do this,” Camden said. “I believe that God wants me to do this, Mama. Isn’t what God wants more important than what Dad wants?”

  First Lady Rita hugged Camden and kissed his cheeks. “Honey, you’re angry right now. Think this through. I just have a bad feeling about it.”

  “I’ve never been more positive about anything in my life. I’m doing this.”

  “You’re right. You are a grown man. You’ve got to make your own choices.”

  Camden nodded and kissed his mother on the cheek. “Pray for me, okay? I’m doing this.”

  Camden’s heart seized at the sight of his mother’s tears, but they didn’t change his decision. He would show his father— he’d show everyone—that his destiny wasn’t tied to Graceway, or to his father’s approval.

  CHAPTER 17

  Camden knew that it would be harder to tell Dawn about his move than anyone. Unfortunately, thanks to Blaine’s diarrhea of the mouth, she along with the rest of the group already knew that he was leaving.

  Dawn was very quiet as she and Camden stood side by side in his kitchen putting cookies on a cookie sheet to bake. They were going to have a group meeting later, and the cookies would be the snack.