A Love Like This

by Kianna Alexander

  She shrugged. “You know, I can’t complain. The Lord is keeping me, my grandchildren are thriving and I still have my Sam. You know Celia lost Frank in the spring.”

  He nodded. “I heard about it. I sent flowers.” Celia was Camille’s twin sister and a gifted musician who served as the church’s organist.

  Camille stepped back then. “Well, I know why you’re here, so I won’t keep you. Stop in and see Reverend Keene before you leave, okay? He’s been asking after you.”

  “I will, Ms. Camille.” He leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek.

  Still grinning, she left, passing him and disappearing down the east hall.

  Turning back to the sanctuary doors, he pushed them open and entered. The space was as devoid of people as he’d expected. It was Wednesday, and all the happenings at the church that day were scheduled for the evening. He looked around, taking in the familiarity of the place. The lacquered oak pews with their red velvet–upholstered cushions still held a few scattered hymnals and programs from the Christmas Eve service. The scant sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, casting a rainbow of colors on the hardwood floors.

  Walking over the red carpet that spanned the center aisle, he quietly went to the first pew on the right, the one nearest to the altar. Sitting down, he looked up at the raised pulpit, his eyes finding the wall behind the choir stand. The painting there depicted a blue sky filled with puffy white clouds. The center-most cloud, the focal point of the image, held up two golden gates. A golden cross topped the gates, and a brilliant white light emanated from them.

  He smiled, despite the melancholy that had brought him here. The painting was an artist’s vision of heaven, and he liked to think Natalie was there, resting comfortably. Her last days had been trying, and his grief at losing her had been tempered with a sense of relief that she no longer suffered.

  Alone on the pew, he let his memories of her wash over him. There were parts of his heart that would always hold her dear, but he knew his mother was right. The time had come to get off the “merry-go-round” and settle down again. Since he’d lost Natalie, being in a serious relationship had been the farthest thing from his mind. He’d taken a few women out for drinks, dancing or coffee. That had only led to zealous paparazzi snapping and publishing pictures to make him seem like a playboy. The reality was that no woman had really enamored him or captured his attention beyond the surface level since his late wife.

  No woman until Hadley.

  Now, in the silence, he grappled with this new reality. Hadley had worked her way into his heart, and he knew he couldn’t stop it from happening. What really stood out about the situation was that he didn’t want to stop himself from falling in love. Not this time. Hadley had effectively changed the way he looked at his life. She’d touched his soul, reminding him that beneath his grief and his efforts to keep women at a distance, there was something else: loneliness. Somehow, she’d dug down into his very core and revealed his vulnerability. Yet for some reason, he trusted her not to take advantage of him.

  Letting a sigh escape, he closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands. He’d never thought this day would come, and now the stress of it had begun to get to him.

  A voice echoed in the silence. “It’s time, son.”

  Opening his eyes, he looked up toward the sound.

  Reverend Keene stood to the left of the pulpit. Clad in the casual jeans and sweatshirt he often wore on weekdays, he rested his hand on the organ. The older man’s deep brown face, punctuated by white whiskers, held concern and empathy. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I know why you’re here.”

  Devon nodded. “It’s not an interruption. Actually, I could use some counsel.”

  The minister walked over, taking a seat next to him on the pew. “You’ve done right by Nat, Devon. We all loved her, too. I know you’ve closed yourself off out of respect to her.”

  He shrugged. “I guess I have.” Natalie had moved to Sapphire Shores with her family during Devon’s seventh grade year, and remained until graduating high school, so she’d been well-known around the church, too.

  Reverend Keene narrowed his eyes, observing Devon’s face. “But this year, something’s different. You met someone?”

  Devon nodded. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it, since the island’s so small and close-knit.”

  “There’s been some chatter around the fellowship hall, but you know I don’t condone gossip.” He winked. “Whatever the case, if you’re closing your heart off to someone because of the specter of Natalie’s memory, it’s time to stop.”

  He looked at the man, who’d played a role in his upbringing, and felt the rightness of his words. “My mother said the same thing to me before I left LA.”

  “Eva’s right. Remember what Ecclesiastes teaches us. ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’” Reverend Keene patted Devon’s shoulder as he stood again. “If the Lord has sent someone to touch your heart, then you know what it means. Okay, son?”

  “Yes, sir.” He watched as the minister walked down the aisle and through the sanctuary doors.

  As he faced the pulpit again, his eyes settling on the image of heaven, Devon clasped his hands and let the guilt leave his body like a rising vapor. He tossed aside any concern for time, allowing himself to work through it all. He would never forget Natalie. Fortunately, moving on with his life didn’t require him to do so.

  Letting that settle into his spirit gave him the sense of peace he’d been seeking for the past five years. And when the lightness came over him, heralding his freedom from the negative feelings, he quietly left the church.

  Chapter 15

  Hadley, dressed in an old pair of sweats and a T-shirt, curled up on her couch with her feet tucked beneath her. After busting her hump at work all last week, she’d finally started her winter vacation. With yesterday’s holiday meal now out of the way, she was looking forward to spending her Wednesday night vegged out in front of the television. She had a glass of wine and big bowl of fresh popcorn next to her.

  She grasped the remote, pointing it and flipping through the channels. Coming across a marathon of Say Yes to the Dress, she set the remote down and settled in. She loved this show. It amused her to watch women cry, scream and get all bent out of shape over a wedding dress. For the life of her, she couldn’t fathom the level of emotion the women put into a piece of clothing, or how much money they were willing to drop on something they’d wear only once. When her day came, she planned to wear a simple white pantsuit and call it a day.

  During the commercial break, she let her mind wander. She hadn’t heard from Devon today, and she hadn’t expected to. She could sense he’d been overwhelmed by her family during dinner. The barrage of questions from her dad and brothers, plus the all-out gusto with which the Monroes celebrated Christmas, had taken it out of him. While he’d been perfectly calm all afternoon, by the time he’d gone home for the night, he’d told her himself that he’d need a couple of days to himself to recuperate and recharge. She respected that. She’d never been one to cling to a man, and she didn’t plan to start now.

  Admittedly, she did miss him. She wondered what he was doing and how he was handling his meals all by himself. At any rate, she planned to leave him alone until he was ready.

  The show was back on, and a bride was going on and on about how much she hated lace when Hadley heard a knock on the door of her apartment. Her brow furrowed, because she hadn’t been expecting anyone to stop by. Clambering up from her comfortable position, she padded to the door and checked the peephole.

  Savion stood on the concrete balcony, tapping his foot impatiently.

  Opening the door, she asked, “What are you doing here? You couldn’t call first?”

  He leaned against the door frame, looking over her head into the apartment.
“Why? You’re not doing anything except bingeing on TV and snacks.”

  “Whatever.” Rolling her eyes, she stepped aside to let him in.

  He flopped down on the couch, gesturing to her popcorn. “May I?”

  “Yeah, go ahead.” She joined him, tucking her body against the right armrest while he sat on the left-most cushion, munching on her snack.

  “Is this that wedding dress–shopping show?” he asked around a mouthful of popcorn.

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Savion.”

  He shrugged. “What?”

  She gave him a playful punch on the arm. “I know you didn’t come here to watch TV with me, so what do you want?”

  “I want to know what’s going on between you and Devon.” He looked pointedly at her as he chewed, waiting for her answer.

  “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” She was already annoyed by his showing up without calling, eating her snack and interrupting her show.

  “You’re my baby sister, and it’s my business now and any other time I think you might be in danger—”

  “Danger? From Devon?” That seemed a bit far-fetched. They hadn’t been at this dating thing long, but he’d always treated her well. Devon was, as the classic Ralph Tresvant song proclaimed, a stone-cold gentleman.

  He rolled his eyes and set the popcorn bowl aside. “I don’t mean physical danger—unless you come across one of his overzealous groupies.”

  She side-eyed him. “Really, Savion?”

  “Don’t you know what you’re dealing with here?” Savion shook his head, his expression reading as if he knew something she didn’t. “Devon is a big action star. He probably gets panties thrown at him everywhere he goes.”

  “That’s really crude.” She tried to push away the imagery of her brother’s rather blunt statement. She had no desire to contemplate the number or the types of propositions Devon received from random women on the street. She would then question whether she could compete with those women, which in turn led down the rabbit hole of doubt.

  “Still, you have to admit women are probably sweating him all the time.” He sat back against the sofa cushions. “Plus, if you read the blogs, you’d know he has a bit of a, shall we say, reputation. Campbell knows about it, too.”

  “Oh, please.” She was shocked her serious, staid brother would even admit to reading trashy online gossip. “If you and Cam spent more time working and less time on the internet, my life would be a whole hell of a lot easier.”

  Savion’s face folded into a frown. “Baby sis, I’m sure you’re not implying that Cam and I are lazy.” He fixed her with a searching look.

  She pursed her lips. “You’re right, I’m not trying to imply that. I’m saying it straight-out. Y’all are lazy.”

  He cut his eyes at her, as if she would rescind her statement if he eyeballed her hard enough.

  Undeterred, she stared at him. “Lazy. L-a-z-y. You’re not lacking in skill, you just leave entirely too much of the work around the office to me.”

  He sighed. “Cam does, I’ll admit that.”

  “How charitable.” She was quickly growing tired of her brother’s foolishness.

  “I give you more because I’m so busy. Every time I turn around, there’s some executive decision to be made, a call to take or something to sign off on. You’re more than capable, though.”

  “Savion, don’t patronize me or else—”

  “I’m sorry, Hadley. I’m not trying to insult you.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I never thought much about it until now, but you do a lot.”

  “You’re damn straight. And despite everything I do, you and Cam still treat me like a little girl. You ignore my suggestions, talk over me and in general make my workday difficult.” She watched his face, seeing the guilt playing over it, and felt a modicum of vindication.

  “But I didn’t—”

  She wasn’t hearing any of it. “And now you have the gall to come here, to my home, and tell me what to do in my personal life.”

  His eyes widened. “Hadley, I didn’t realize—”

  She pinched her fingers together in midair. “Clam up, Savion. I’m tired, and all I want to do is watch TV in peace. You’re welcome to think about everything I’ve said...on your way out.” She pointed at the door, beyond ready for her brother’s departure.

  He stood, strode to the door. Opening it, he started to go out, then stopped and turned back. “Hadley, I know Cam and I can drive you crazy—Dad, too, probably. But remember, it’s just because we love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.” She winked, then shooed him out. “Now go love me from a distance.”

  Chuckling, he stepped outside and shut the door behind him.

  Shaking her head, Hadley grabbed her popcorn and went back to watching her show.

  These Monroe men are such a handful.

  * * *

  When Devon got up, he quickly got himself together then headed to the kitchen for some cereal. With his bowl and mug of coffee, he sat down to enjoy his breakfast and the morning silence.

  While he ate, he used his tablet to check emails. He perked up when he saw that all the contacts he’d emailed about helping him find a lead for a directing gig had replied. The feeling was short-lived, though, because none of the three respondents could help—or were willing to. Two of them went into the reasons why they didn’t have anything for him, citing his reputation as an action star and nothing more. The third hadn’t even bothered to write out a sentence, and instead had responded with a single phrase: LOL. Closing his email program, Devon slid the tablet away and returned his attention to his breakfast.

  He thought back on the conversation he’d had with Glenn about branching out on his own. Glenn had been right—if Devon owned his own production company, no one could stop him from directing. So far, every contact he’d reached out to had either refused him help or made jokes about his dreams. At this point, he only hoped no one had mounted a campaign to actively block him from being part of the industry.

  What would I need to open a production company? Where would I even start? He knew he’d need a building with space for offices, soundstages and more. He’d have to decide where this company would be headquartered. Then there would be staff to hire, projects to vet and more. Draining the last of his coffee, he decided to put a pin in it. This was a big undertaking, and it was just too damn early in the morning to be thinking this hard about anything.

  As he set his empty bowl in the sink, a knock at the front door broke the silence. He went to answer it and was surprised to find Campbell standing on his doorstep. He opened the door, letting in a blast of cold air. “Hey, Cam. What’s up?”

  “What’s up, Dev. Can I come in for a minute?” He stood with a stooped, closed posture, as if hiding from the wind. “It’s cold as hell out here.”

  He stepped back. “Yeah, come on. I’m not gonna just stand here letting all that icy wind in the house.” Once Campbell was inside, Devon shut the door and gestured to the couch. “Have a seat, man.”

  “Thanks.” Cam shrugged off his black parka and sat down.

  “What brings you over?” He couldn’t help but wonder why Campbell was there so early on a weekday. He knew MHI’s office was closed until the second of January, but he hadn’t expected Campbell to stop by.

  “I just wanted to talk to you really quick. Shouldn’t take too long.”

  Curiosity furrowed his brow. “Is it about the property?”

  Campbell shook his head. “Nah.”

  “Okay.” Realizing he should be hospitable, Devon added, “You want something to drink? Coffee, maybe?”

  He shook his head again.

  By now Devon was plenty interested in knowing what had brought his friend to the town house. “So, say what you gotta say, man.”
r />   Scratching his chin, Campbell looked at him. “It’s about you and Hadley.”

  Ah, hell. Brow furrowed, Devon waited. He should have expected this. After he’d spent most of Christmas dinner with the other two Monroe men interrogating him, now it seemed Cam wanted a shot.

  “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. You’re grown.” He paused, took a breath. “But things between Hadley and Pops are not great. And I know she’s also not too pleased with Savion.”

  He folded his arms over his chest. “But you’re on good terms with her, I assume?”

  Campbell nodded. “I had sense enough not to say anything to her. Plus, I already told you, I don’t have a problem with you two seeing each other.”

  “I see.”

  “Anyway, I’m sure you remember how they acted on Christmas. And then Savion took it upon himself to go over to her house yesterday and lecture her.”

  A snorting laugh escaped Devon’s lips. “Why in the hell would he do that?”

  With a shrug, Cam surmised, “Because he’s a glutton for punishment? I don’t know. Everybody who knows my sister knows she’s her own woman.”

  Devon chuckled as he imagined what had gone down at Hadley’s place when Savion had shown up, trying to tell her what to do. “How hard did she hit him?”

  This time Campbell laughed. “Lucky for him, she didn’t. But she did kick him out.”

  While this whole thing was amusing, he still didn’t see the connection. “Okay, I hear what you’re saying. But what does that have to do with you being here?”

  “With all that’s going on, I have to ask you. How serious are you about my sister?”

  “Very.” Devon could see his entire future in Hadley’s eyes. “More serious than I’ve ever been about anyone.”

  Campbell sighed. “I guess that means you’re not going to back off, then.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. But why would you ask me to? You’ve told me more than once that you don’t have a problem with us dating.”