The Pastor’s Heart
Desiree Future
The Pastor’s Heart © 2013 Desiree Future
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 973-1-6260-433-1
I give thanks to God for without Him this book wouldn’t be possible.
To my son Attrell T. Future with God all things are possible.
For my mother Harriet Future thanks for your love & understanding.
It takes a village to raise a child, so to my villager Mary Bishop Johnson, thanks for everything.
Table of Contents
WAIT!
CARTER CLAN
AGED OUT FOSTER CARE INC.
MISS MADISON
THE BOARDROOM
UNCERTAINTY
THE PROSPECT
SHE FLIPS
GOD HEALS
THANK YOU JESUS!
She would have called Robyn, but she was away with Desmond for the weekend. She couldn’t even call Kingston because he was at church. Wearing a blue and black skirt suit, she intended to fix the car in her three inch heels.
Just as she was about to lean into the car, her cell phone started ringing.
“Step away from that car right now.” Kingston demanded of Sinclair.
“What? How did you know?” A confused Sinclair asked as she backed away from the car as she was told. She looked around, trying to figure out how Kingston knew what she was doing.
“I just passed you on the highway and I know those attractive legs anywhere. I’m swinging back to get you; I’ll be right back.” Kingston replied as he headed for the next exit ramp to get off.
Just as the smoke started to disappear from Sinclair’s car Kingston pulled up.
“Are you all right?” Kingston asked Sinclair as he stepped out his black Lincoln Navigator. “I know you were not about to try and do anything to a smoking car? That’s dangerous.” Kingston asked looking into Sinclair’s gorgeous eyes as he folded his arms.
“Look, it wasn’t that bad,” Sinclair went on. “I’ve done it before.” She answered, as they waited for the remainder of the smoke to go away.
“You’ve done it before?” Kingston asked strangely. Sinclair had many traits about her that he did indeed like, but this stubborn do everything by herself thing definitely had to stop. “So now you are a mechanic too among the other hats you wear?”
WAIT!
“Yes, I have everything. I just went out and bought a new rod today. This time when I come and pick you up you better be …” He stopped mid-sentence when someone caught his attention while he was speaking on his phone.
“Let me call you right back.” He said and hung up the phone without waiting for the other person to even respond.
Kingston was so mesmerized by the sight before him that he just had to go say something. She stood in the grocery store staring at the top shelf trying to figure out how she would reach the bottle of ketchup. Normally she would climb to reach items on higher shelves, but because she was wearing a dress, she didn’t think climbing would be a good idea.
The last of the March snow season only dropped a few inches of snow, so the floors were not as slippery and the staff had done a great job keeping the floors dry. So that customers would cautious, signs were strategically placed throughout the store. The store shelves were fully stocked after the store had received a delivery. And ironically, the store was pretty busy for it to be early in the afternoon. Even though she wore a dress that stopped at her knees right where her boots began, she didn’t see a problem. She wore an olive green dress that matched her olive green and black wool coat. With nothing to grab and knock the item down she had no other choice but to climb. Just as she had placed her heeled foot on the bottom shelf to begin her climb, she heard a husky voice from behind her.
“I’ll get that for you,” the very tall man said.
“Oh thank you so much.” She replied, giving the statuesque man the once over while he reached for the ketchup for her.
“No problem at all, it was my pleasure.” The handsome man smiled at the caramel colored woman while he took in her beauty.
“I really wish these stores would keep in mind that not everyone is tall and can reach the higher shelves,” she complained, as she placed the ketchup in her grocery basket.
“Well, I will be sure to mention that to my father as soon as possible.” He said as a matter of fact and extended his hand. “I’m Kingston Carter; I own this grocery store with my family.”
Feeling really embarrassed she replied, “Nice to meet you Mr. Carter, I’m Sinclair Madison.” Sinclair said while shaking his hand. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to come off rude or anything. “Sinclair added.
“No; you didn’t come off rude at all. Trust me, I’ve heard rude and that’s nowhere near it. And besides, we welcome any suggestions here. There might be something we have been missing and with customers' feedback like yours, we can address the issues and make your shopping experience better.” Kingston said as he took in every part of the gorgeous young lady standing before him.
The caramel colored plus- sized woman with slanted eyes surely had Kingston’s attention. Her curly dark brown hair stopped inches below her cute dimples and those legs of hers sent chills down Kingston’s spine. Even though she was clearly much shorter than the six foot Kingston, she had perfect legs that seem to go on forever. Her curvaceous body reminded Kingston of the original Coca- Cola bottle because of its curvy shape. Kingston smiled even more after his mental assessment of the fine woman.
“I make it my business to know all of my customers, but I have never seen you here before. Are you new around here?” Kingston wanted to know because he had intentions of seeing her again even if she didn’t know it herself.
“Actually I live in Washington DC. And I heard that your store sells white chocolate and wherever there is white chocolate Sinclair Madison is,” Sinclair explained to the handsome man.
“Would it be fair to say that you are addicted? I mean you drove thirty minutes from DC out here to College Park?” This woman was really intriguing Kingston and he had to find out more about her.
“Addictive is such a harsh word,” Sinclair said skating around answering the question. “But it’s very true.” She admitted.
“Well it just so happens that we have a sale on White Chocolate if you’re interested?” Kingston was having such a nice conversation that he didn’t want it to end.
Before Sinclair could even reply, her cell phone started ringing. She excused herself to answer it near the bottles of mustard.
“Hello.” Sinclair spoke into her phone. “What happened? Now? But I’m not even in DC now.” Sinclair paused to let the person explain further. “Okay calm, down. This is what you’re going to do. Grab the documents from my desk and I will meet you in front of the courthouse. Okay. I’m on my way.”
Sinclair was enjoying her conversation with Mr. Carter. Any man held her attention when he spoke of white chocolate. But this man was not only handsome, but those gray eyes of his seemed to be piercing her soul. He sported a bald head that fit his face nicely with a well-maintained goatee. To Sinclair he looked like a basketball player because of his tall slender physique. He was definitely good eye candy she thought as she finished her phone call.
“I’m sorry Kingston, it was nice meeting you but I have an emergency. I have to go right now,” Sinclair said as she prepared to leave. “I don’t even have time to pay for my things. I have to go.” Sinclair gave Kingston her shopping basket and rushed down the aisle.
“Wait!” Kingston said but it was too late, Sinclair was already at the end of the aisle leaving him behind.
“I’ll be back for the white chocolate,” Sinclair said over her shoulder while speed racing down the aisle.
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Three hours later, Sinclair sat in a diner with her best friend, Robyn and her attorney husband Desmond. They sat in a small booth with a picture window looking out onto the busy streets of Washington DC. The walls of the tiny, but quaint diner were decorated with old records of the fifties and sixties era, giving it a retro look.
“Sinclair, you did it yet again. Not only were you on point with everything you said but it was also everything you did.” Desmond said as he sipped on his coffee.
“I didn’t do anything. I just told the judge what services I was able to secure for her. Nothing more, nothing less.” She replied while sipping from her coffee cup.
“Stop being modest, you saved that girl’s behind. She was clearly looking at about eighteen months in jail for stealing yet again.” Robyn interjected. “Because of you she is only getting probation for three years. You rock, Sinclair Madison.” She went on as she raised her glass to toast, as did Desmond.
“Thanks, but I was just doing my job and that’s just helping people when and where I can. But who knew the judge would reschedule on super short notice and demand our presence at once. I finally had plans this weekend.”
“The judge had to reschedule his calendar because he had an emergency. Had we not gotten to the court today, Olivia would have spent the next two weeks in jail because the judge had to leave the country.” Desmond went on as he loosened his tie. “Sorry about your plans for this weekend. What exactly were you going to do and who with might I ask?”
“Here you go again, Desmond?” Sinclair rolled her eyes.
Desmond was looking for love so he agreed to be featured in the article of single power attorneys. As fate would have it, Robyn was reassigned at the last minute to be the writer for the magazine’s biggest issue. She was certain that this would help boost her writing career and she would definitely make a name for herself. Who knew that after extensive interviews that the two would fall in love.
“What? I am just a concerned colleague.” Desmond replied in an innocent way.
“Okay, let me clean this up,” Robyn jumped back in the conversation. “What he means to say is we are the family you never had and that gives us the right to be all up in your business. Professional and personal. Now what?” Robyn quipped as she wriggled her finger in Sinclair’s face.
“Okay, if you must know. I planned on going away for the weekend. The man I was going to spend that time with is so fine and sexy; he looks like he should be on the front of one of those steamy men’s magazines. And he does not have a six pack. No, no. He has one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight to be exact.” Sinclair gestured as if counting in the air.
“What?” Robyn was totally stunned.
In the most seductive way possible Sinclair described just how things would happen. “He speaks sweet nothings into my ear as I smile and blush. He hits all the rights spots when he touches me with his amazing hands. I get tingles just thinking about him.” Robyn sat on the edge of her chair with her mouth wide open. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, let alone, coming from Sinclair Madison. How had she let this unknown man slip through her fingers without first interrogating him? Robyn thought.
“Oh and his name is Ricardo and he is my masseuse at the spa I was going to for the weekend. My cancellation fee was one hundred dollars. Now pay up.” Sinclair said as she held her hand out to Desmond. She sat watching Robyn’s bewildered face after realizing that they had just been had.
Sinclair had been planning her mini vacation for months and she was heading out of town right after she stopped for some last minute items from the store. She had planned a nice spa weekend at a hotel in Virginia to get away from her stressful life. She would get a full body massage, followed by a rejuvenating facial, then move on to a mani and pedi followed by a nice dinner. Sinclair was clearly lost in her thoughts so that she didn’t even notice Desmond trying to get her attention.
“Why do you have to be a hostile witness?” Desmond laughed as he reached for his wallet and handed Sinclair a crisp one hundred dollar bill.
Robyn started laughing her head off. “You are not right Sinclair.”
“Excuse me, but your husband here, told me to answer questions as they were posed to me and I did exactly that. So now what?” Sinclair was laughing so hard she almost cried because she had gotten them both really good.
“We should do a girl’s weekend to the spa. That would be so much fun,” Robyn suggested as she took a bite of her cheesecake.
“I would love to, but for the next few weekends, I’m tied up. That’s why this weekend was perfect.” Sinclair replied while staring at one of the old records displayed by her booth seat.
By the time; I get on the highway and fight traffic, I would have already missed most of the things I had planned to do.” Sinclair explained.
“It’s only four o’clock now.” Desmond said while looking at his watch. “If you leave now you may just beat traffic, if only by thirty minutes though.”
“It’s Friday and I rather not fight the traffic this late in the day. I’ll go another time,” Sinclair said, turning her attention back to Desmond.
“You should go, you might just meet someone there and come back with a little chocolate on your arms,” Robyn said, giving Sinclair a wicked smile.
“You should really let me set you up on a blind date with one of my friends. All of my friends are good guys, trust me,” Desmond said to Sinclair, knowing good and well what her response was going to be.
“No,” Sinclair simply responded while sipping on her drink.
“It’s been about two years since you and what’s his face broke up. Don’t you think it’s time for you to find new love? I mean, seriously, you need to start dating again. Robyn and I miss having those double dates with you, those were some fun times.” Desmond remembered from days gone by.
“I have gone on dates since Jasper; they just did not work out.” Sinclair put in.
“In her defense she had had a few dates, if that’s what you want to call them.” Robyn knew this would be a great time to tell her famous story.
“See, I told you.” Sinclair said, pointing her finger at Desmond.
“Remember when your car was in the shop and you had to take the Metro? You met this guy on the train and he was a mess. He had four kids and four ex-wives and lived with a different woman. He was so bold he wrote his number into his cell and handed it to Sinclair so she could call him. Now that was funny.” Sinclair and Robyn both chuckled while Desmond just looked at them.
“I was not about to be wife number five, that was out.” Sinclair added in.
“I know that’s right.” Robyn said as she slapped Sinclair a high five.
“Then there was the guy who lived with his mother at thirty-three years old. He had to ask permission for Sinclair to come over.” Robyn and Sinclair both replied in unison. ”Mama’s Boy.”
“How do I look asking that man’s mama if I can come over and see her son? What the heck, I have to ask for a play date?” Sinclair laughed with Robyn and Desmond.
“And there was the free loading bus driver from New Orleans. He asked Sinclair out on a date, but when it came time to pay the check his wallet mysteriously went missing.” Robyn was trying to remember all of the dates Sinclair had gone on.
“After I paid the check, I found out his wallet wasn’t missing. He had it the whole time because it had fallen out of his jacket pocket and everything spilled to the ground.” Sinclair had remembered that one all too well. “Brother man didn’t have any money in his wallet.” Sinclair started shaking her head at that craziness.
“Cheapskate.” Robyn simply said while Sinclair rolled her eyes.
“Let’s not forget the guy that would not tell you his last name. What was that all about? Was he in witness protection or something?” This time around everyone at the table had a hearty laugh.
“But wait,” Sinclair said, stopping her friend. “He might have been because I r
an into him at the courthouse a few months later. He look liked he had gotten into a fight because he had a black eye. I mean, it was a black ring around his eye.”
“Dang!” Robyn exclaimed. “I’m glad he never told you his last name because who knows what he was caught up in.
Desmond could not take it anymore. He had two women talking about bad dates and no good men while he sat in the middle.”
“This is just why you should let us fix you up on a date.” Desmond said as he cut into his cheesecake.
“Why are we even talking about my love life anyway?” Sinclair was becoming disgusted just listening to her horror men stories.
Sinclair hated dating because it meant starting all over again. To have to learn his good sides and bad sides and most importantly learning what she could and could not tolerate. And those guys with the horror stories were the one’s she couldn’t tolerate.
“Because you have not had a single date since the last idiot. And that my dear, was two years ago.” Robyn replied while sipping on her juice. “So I hope that answers your question.”
“So what? I haven’t had a date in two years.” Sinclair did not want to have this conversation because it always led to the same ending.
“Maybe Sinclair you are looking in the wrong places.” Desmond was trying to sound as optimistic as possible.
“And just where should I be looking Mr. and Mrs. Know It All?” Sinclair questioned her.
She had never told anyone, but she was in fact tired of being single because she was lonely. The dating game had gotten to be too much for her to bear so she had stopped dating all together. Even though she really wanted someone to spend time with she could definitely do without the drama that came along with it. She knew she had to weed through the bad ones to get to the good ones but she had done enough weeding to last her a lifetime. As far as she was concerned she was done dating at least for the moment. She was drama free and happy with that.
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