“Mom, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.”
Charlotte didn’t argue with her any further.
Her father sat down in the other chair and didn’t say anything.
Charlotte wondered where Curtis was and what he was thinking. If only she could guarantee that the baby she was carrying was actually his. There just had to be a way. She didn’t want to lie and scheme again, but she would do anything to stay married to him. She needed him to be there for Matthew, and God help her, she needed the lifestyle that Curtis was now in a position to give her. She wasn’t sure what she had to do to keep her family together, but she had to think quickly.
She thought long and hard, trying to figure out her next move. Her family physician had come in, and shortly after, her aunt Emma and Matthew had arrived. But now they’d left with her parents to get lunch. Well, actually, Matthew had gone with her parents, but Aunt Emma had made up some excuse about having to run a few errands.
Charlotte’s mind raced back and forth until, finally, she realized just who could help her. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of her before, especially since she’d told Charlotte to call her anytime.
The law firm was strict on its policy about not disturbing their clients on a Saturday, but then, this particular call had absolutely nothing to do with business. It was as personal as personal could be, so the fact that this wasn’t a weekday was irrelevant.
Charlotte lifted the phone and dialed Meredith Connolly Christiansen, the richest woman in town.
Chapter 30
AS SOON AS CURTIS HAD LEFT THE HOSPITAL, HE HAD GONE TO THE police station to see what the deal was with the investigation. When he arrived, two detectives were preparing to drive over to the hospital to obtain a statement from him and Charlotte. Curtis went ahead and answered their questions right there in the office. He told them everything they wanted to know, including the fact that Charlotte was having an affair with Aaron and how he’d been stalking and harassing them ever since she’d stopped seeing him. He told them how Aaron had come into the church, disrupting service, and that any of the members would be happy to testify about it. He even told them how he’d considered Aaron his best friend and how Aaron had changed so suddenly and then started making some very strange statements.
But none of what Curtis had said was a shock to the detectives, because they’d already learned a ton about Aaron’s true identity. The man Curtis had known as Aaron Malone had been born as Donovan Wainright. Donovan had been in and out of mental institutions for most of his life and apparently had convinced a psychiatrist in Michigan that he was no longer insane and the institution had released him. As early as eighteen, he’d been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, but whenever he took his prescribed medication, he was as normal as the next person. He was able to function and interact the same as any other human being, and he was clever at it. The fact that he’d successfully taken on a whole new identity was enough to verify his intelligence.
The detectives had also explained how Donovan had set the house on fire. He’d poured gasoline on the side of it and then dropped a match on top. The police assumed he must have phoned Curtis as soon as he’d done it. Curtis was in shock at what they were telling him, but it was still hard to believe that he’d allowed someone like Donovan to endanger his family. He couldn’t believe Charlotte was so caught up in him that she, too, couldn’t see how sick he was. Donovan had manipulated both of them, and they hadn’t even realized it.
He was still being held in custody, but from the way it sounded, he had lost his mind almost completely. The detectives were sure that the public defender would plead not guilty on his behalf by reason of insanity and that Donovan would soon be shipped back to Michigan or to some other long-term facility. Curtis hoped it was sooner rather than later.
When he’d left the station, he’d thought about Charlotte, the baby she was carrying, and the chance that it might belong to Donovan. If it did, there was no telling what kind of nutcase it might turn out to be when it grew up. But there was also the chance that the baby was Curtis’s, and if it was, he wanted to know about it. He definitely wanted Charlotte to schedule the test she’d spoken of as soon as possible.
Curtis drove to his house and had to brace himself before he could look at the horrible mess. The structure wasn’t burned to the ground the way Matthew had been thinking, but anyone could tell that there had been a fire. He stared at it for a few minutes and then walked up the sidewalk. He stood in one spot for a while and then went inside. The offensive odor was unbearable, and chalky black soot veiled each piece of furniture.
He walked around downstairs and then went up to the master bedroom. In there, not much had been destroyed physically, but the smell was the same or worse than it was on the lower level. Curtis doubted that the smell could ever be removed from their clothing, and he was sure that all of it would have to be replaced. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure what they would have to do to make the house livable again. Maybe it was possible, but since he’d never experienced a fire before, he didn’t know how the cleaning up and remodeling procedure would be handled. He would call his insurance agent’s answering service to start the claim process. In the meantime, he would reserve a hotel suite and later look for more permanent temporary housing.
When he left the house, he went to the mall and purchased new clothing for himself and Matthew. He hadn’t wanted to, but he’d also bought a summer jogging suit for Charlotte so that she would have something to leave the hospital in. This whole idea of not having a place to live and not having anything to wear was enough to annoy Curtis. It was enough to make him think about Anise and the woman who drove the 500. When he’d been riding in the ambulance with Charlotte, he’d felt guilty about his earlier actions. But now he wished he’d done what he’d wanted to. He needed some sort of outlet, and for him, sex had always been the answer. It had always been the one thing that satisfied him and made him feel better.
To Curtis, sex was the same as what alcohol must have been to his father. But when Curtis had married Charlotte, he’d worked hard at controlling his obsession and hadn’t messed up on her one time. Now, though, things were different. They were far different, and he didn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t get what he wanted. He saw no reason why he shouldn’t be happy. Charlotte had gotten what she’d wanted, and as far as he was concerned, it was his turn. He would take his turn, too, when the time was right.
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER.
Charlotte walked into the lavender and green nursery and smiled at her six-month-old daughter, Marissa. Marissa Paulina Black was sleeping peacefully, but Charlotte simply wanted to check on her. She checked on her throughout the entire day, every day, something she’d been doing since the day Marissa was born. Charlotte loved her daughter and everything about her, and she was the reason Charlotte no longer missed her career. Charlotte was now a wealthy stay-at-home mother to both Marissa and Matthew, and she was a soccer mom the same as every other mother in the neighborhood.
She didn’t like thinking about it, but the fire had been devastating. It had turned their world upside down, and they’d been forced to rent a much smaller house while they waited for restoration. But as soon as the repairs were finished, they had placed their house on the market. Interestingly enough, it had sold very quickly, and Curtis had finally bought Charlotte her dream home. He’d finally given her five thousand square feet, a brand-new Lexus SUV, and a weekly allowance that exceeded what she’d earned when she was working. His column had gone international, and the royalties from his book were coming in every few months. They now had more money than Curtis had ever planned on having, and Charlotte was thrilled about it. She finally had everything she could possibly want—the lifestyle that she had always hoped for.
But it was only because she’d taken matters into her own hands. It was only because Meredith Connolly Christiansen had found the right kind of doctor to perform the right kind of DNA test for the righ
t kind of money. Dr. Middleton had been the kind of doctor who would do whatever he was told as long as he was compensated in the right manner. In this case, he hadn’t even tested the fetus because Charlotte purposely hadn’t wanted to know the outcome. And once Meredith had paid his price, he’d quickly told Charlotte and Curtis that the baby girl Charlotte was carrying was 99.9 percent Curtis’s and that the two of them should start planning for her arrival. Charlotte could still remember the joy on Curtis’s face when he’d heard the news. She remembered how that very same day, he’d rushed over to the mall and bought Marissa her first stuffed animal. He’d purchased one item after another until the day she was born, and even now, when he was out of town, doing speaking engagements, he shipped her and Matthew more packages than they could keep up with.
As far as the church was concerned, Curtis and Charlotte were still recognized as founders of Deliverance Outreach, but Curtis had recruited a new senior pastor to take his place. They still attended service on Sundays, although Curtis hadn’t been home on a weekend for more than six weeks. He hadn’t been home much at all ever since the book had been released, but Charlotte didn’t complain. She missed him a lot, but she knew his traveling was necessary. His agent had told him from the very beginning what his publisher would expect, so neither Charlotte nor Curtis was surprised about it.
Matthew missed him terribly though, so Curtis had promised to take him on the road with him the next time he went out, and Matthew couldn’t wait. Curtis had promised to take all of them as soon as Marissa was old enough to fly.
Charlotte peeked at her daughter one last time and then left the nursery. She walked down the hall, down the winding wrought-iron and wooden staircase, and strolled across the black and white marble flooring. When she entered the living room, she looked across the backyard and down at the swimming pool.
She stood there admiring all that she and Curtis had accomplished and realized that life could never be better than it was. She realized how wrong Meredith had been the day she’d told Charlotte that money didn’t necessarily make a person happy.
Because even if it didn’t, money got you just about everything else you wanted.
Curtis stacked three pillows against the headboard and tried to find something interesting to watch on television. He’d been on the road for a few weeks now, and he was starting to feel a bit exhausted. And he missed his family, too. Not Charlotte, of course, but he definitely missed his children. He missed his handsome little son, his beautiful teenage daughter, and his gorgeous new baby girl—the child who had forced him to stay with Charlotte after all. He hadn’t wanted to leave Matthew, but if for some reason Marissa had turned out to be Donovan’s daughter, he hadn’t seen how he could live with that, how he could stand waking up next to a woman who had deceived him as many times as Charlotte had. He’d even planned on fighting her for custody of Matthew if it had come down to it, but as it had turned out, Marissa was his baby. She was the light of his life these days, and he looked forward to the day when he could spend more time with her. He looked forward to spending time with all three of his children together.
But in the meantime, while he was out on the road, he did what he had to do to keep himself occupied. He did what he had to do to stay satisfied and happy. He spent time with Tabitha, the woman who owned the 500. He’d purchased for them a little hideaway, halfway between Mitchell and Chicago, and she’d been touring with him ever since his book was released. She was more than Charlotte could ever be to him in a million years. He couldn’t say that he loved Tabitha, but he definitely cared about her a lot. He cared about her because they were good together in every way.
But he would never divorce Charlotte, at least not while his children were growing up, and he was always honest with Tabitha about that. He was glad that she didn’t seem to mind, but it might have been because she was married herself. Although, as of six months ago, she’d separated from her husband and filed for a divorce, and the final court date was in two weeks. The most Curtis could hope for was that she wouldn’t start pressuring him the way Adrienne had. He could never deal with another high-maintenance relationship and wouldn’t.
Then there was his ministry and how he’d given it up once again. Not to the same extent as the other two times, but this time he’d given up his position voluntarily. He was still a minister, but he no longer preached in pulpits on Sunday mornings. Instead, he appeared at churches as a guest speaker and signed copies of his book right after. It seemed that he had finally found his true calling. He’d learned that a ministry didn’t necessarily mean that God had called you to the pulpit. He’d learned that a ministry could be anywhere, and Curtis was finally content with the work he was doing.
He flipped the channel again, Tabitha nestled closer to him, and Curtis wrapped his arm around her. He loved the way she made him feel, and he appreciated her. They appreciated each other.
From where Curtis was sitting, life for him was the best ever.
And according to Charlotte, she had everything, too.
She had everything except him and didn’t even know it.
Acknowledgments
I thank God for guiding my life and for the many blessings You have given me.
Will, for always being in my corner and for making my life so complete. What a loving husband and blessing you continue to be. I love you from the bottom of my heart.
Mom, for teaching me such strong Christian and family values and for instilling great confidence in me. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about your beautiful smile, your kindness to everyone, and the closeness we shared as mother and daughter. I miss you tremendously.
My brothers, Willie Stapleton, Jr., Michael Stapleton, Dennis Lawson, and the rest of my family members for all of your love and support.
My girls of girls, Lori Whitaker Thurman, Kelli Tunson Bullard, Janell Green, Tammy Roby, and Victoria Christopher Murray for more reasons than I could ever list here. Your many years of friendship have been genuine and it has proven to be the best kind—unconditional.
My author friends whom I proudly share this journey in publishing with, Patricia Haley (my cousin who I love and grew up with), E. Lynn Harris, Eric Jerome Dickey, Jacquelin Thomas, Trisha R. Thomas, Eric E. Pete, Travis Hunter, Monique Jewell Anderson, C. Kelly Robinson, Vincent Alexandria, and so many others.
My agent, Elaine Koster (for everything); my editor, Carolyn Marino (for the same reason); Jennifer Civiletto (for your patience and pleasantness); my in-house publicist, Diana Harrington Tynan (for your diligence and compassion); and all of the other wonderful people at HarperCollins/William Morrow who I am blessed to work with throughout the year.
My Web site designer, Pamela Walker Williams, at Pageturner.net for your genuine dedication to all of your clients; and to my freelance publicist, Tara Brown, for working so hard to get the word out about my books.
All of the bookstores nationally who sell my work, every person in the media who publicizes it (newspaper, magazine, radio, television, and on-line), and all of the book clubs and individual readers who read my stories. This is my seventh time out, and I thank each of you for helping to make my career what it is today. I will never forget you.
About the Author
KIMBERLA LAWSON ROBY is the author of seven national bestselling novels—The Best-Kept Secret, Too Much of a Good Thing, A Taste of Reality, It’s a Thin Line, Casting the First Stone, Here and Now, and Behind Closed Doors—and the upcoming release, Changing Faces. She lives in Illinois with her husband.
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Praise for The Best-Kept Secret and other novels by New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby
“When you think of hot sex, adultery, and obsession, the church community typically isn’t what comes to mind—unless you’ve read Kimberla Lawson Roby’s novels about the one and only Curtis Black. Find out what the reverend is up to now and what his not-so-chaste third wife is keeping secret. . . . You k
now you’re dying to read about what a tangled web these two weave.”
—St. Louis Riverfront Times
“Her characters are so realistic and dialogue so on target that you’ve just got to ask yourself what congregation has Roby been spying on?”
—Jackson Clarion-Ledger (for Too Much of a Good Thing)
“Roby’s fiction . . . [addresses] issues that are important to women today.”
—Memphis Commercial Appeal
“Kimberla Lawson Roby has reached a pinnacle most writers only dream of. . . . With the Reverend Black series, Roby has found a central theme—church corruption—that’s timely and draws readers from across racial and gender lines. And Roby has drawn a villainous character readers love to hate.”
—Rockford Register Star
“Powerful and deeply satisfying.”
—E. Lynn Harris (for A Taste of Reality)
“Roby pulls you in until you’re hooked.”
—Indianapolis Recorder
“Roby leaves her fans eager to know more about the next chapter in Curtis Black’s ministry.”
—Booklist (for Too Much of a Good Thing)
Also by Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Best-Kept Secret
Too Much of a Good Thing
A Taste of Reality
It’s a Thin Line
Casting the First Stone
Here and Now
Behind Closed Doors
And in hardcover
Changing Faces
Copyright
A hardcover edition of this book was published by William Morrow in February 2005.
The Best-Kept Secret Page 24