All This Love (Stoneworth Series Book 2)

by Michelle Stimpson

  The follow up to that meeting had come by way of a private meeting with Mr. Rufus himself, who not-so-subtly warned Jada not to overstep her boundaries.

  From then on, Jada knew to watch her back. Her law courses were still fresh on her mind. People who committed crimes at her level went to federal prison when convicted. No knocking time off the sentence for good behavior or because Uncle Sam needed space for more felons.

  Jada did most of what she was required to do, except sign off on products received from a company named “RRWC.” She couldn’t find invoices or packing slips—no paper trail whatsoever. When she said something to Miles about it, he’d told her, “Just go ahead and sign off on it. Those shipments arrive at our Houston office, but we pay from Dallas.”

  “Why doesn’t the Houston office handle the payables, then?” she’d asked innocently.

  Miles turned away from his computer screen. His eyes hooded with indignation, he said, “Because we handle it here. Just forward the RRWC files to me. I’ll get McKayla to handle them.”

  Fine. Less work for me, Jada had thought to herself as she walked away from Miles’s office. She had second-guessed herself for a while there, wondering if maybe she should have just followed along. Been a team player. But as she read more of the Bible, she saw herself differently. She’d never been the just-go-along type before she met Christ. She certainly couldn’t conform now.

  Three weeks later, Jada was fired. With no income and no positive reference from Texas Pipe and Iron, Jada lost her apartment and was forced to move in with Sam and Patrick.

  A lot of good her personal principles and Christian standards had done her so far.

  “God,” she whispered, “I know You can hear me. And I know You love me. I need to see You in my life. And please help my sister. What Patrick did to her…well, You know. I just…need a break. Amen.”

  She closed her eyes. Seconds later, she added a note to the prayer. “And thank You for sending Knox to help me tonight. Please bless him, although I don’t know what else he could possibly need since he and his family already have everything. Amen again.”

  ***

  The pool house brightened with the first rays of sunlight, waking Jada much earlier than she’d planned. She figured out how to turn on the television hoping to catch a home and garden show. Her stomach, however, had other ideas.

  In the quaint kitchen, she surveyed the available ingredients and surmised that she had everything needed to make pancakes and a side of scrambled eggs with cheese. She created her own syrup for the pancakes using jelly, cornstarch, and water since she couldn’t find a bottle of maple in the pantry.

  Knock-knock.

  Jada washed her hands in the dishwater and walked toward the door. Knox’s tall frame was outlined in the curtains. She opened the door to a vision of hunkified man even more attractive in the natural sunlight. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” He held a white sack in on hand and her neatly folded clothes in the other. “I got you some doughnuts, but it smells like you’ve got something better already.”

  “Pancakes and eggs,” she said.

  “Smells great.”

  “Have some?” she offered, stepping aside to let him in.

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  He placed the clothes on the arm of the couch and sat at the oak table as Jada prepared his plate.

  “No problems with the sutures last night?”

  “None. Thanks for asking.” She gave him a pancake and a half, since she’d prepared three, and split the eggs down the middle. She poured him a glass of apple juice and joined him at the table.

  “This looks delicious. Was there pancake mix in the pantry?” he asked.

  “Pancake mix?” Jada scorned.

  “Yeah. Aunt Jemima? Bisquick?”

  She shook her head. “No. There was no boxed mix. I made it from scratch.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I’m from the hood, remember? I know how to make do with whatever I have.”

  “This looks like way more than do.” Knox smiled, obviously impressed. “Can’t wait to taste them.” He held out his hands. “Grace?”

  Jada slipped her hands into the smooth groove of his hands.

  “Father, thank You for this food we are about to receive. Let it be nourishment to our bodies. And bless the hands that prepared it. Amen.”

  He gave Jada’s hands a squeeze.

  “Amen,” she agreed, wondering how in earth she was going to regain use of these tingling hands of hers. She rubbed them against her thighs.

  Knox took a bite of pancake. His face screwed up. He closed his eyes, opened them, and peered at her. “Jada. You just changed my life.”

  “What?” She sniggered.

  “I hereby swear off all pancake mixes for the rest of my life. And what kind of syrup is this?”

  “Made if from jelly.”

  “What do you call it?” he asked.

  “Umm…syrup made from jelly,” Jada answered. She watched in amusement at Knox all but inhaled the pancakes. Poor guy. Probably living alone in his massive apartment, surviving on fast food and frozen entrees.

  She was glad to be able to turn the tables and give him something, for once. “You want more?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “No. It’s the least I can do.” Jada finished the last few bites of hers and quickly whipped up another batch of batter, enough for two more man-sized pancakes.

  “You sleep well?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “I called a friend. A mechanic. He towed your car to his shop. He says he’ll give you an estimate Monday on repairs. He’s very reasonable.”

  Jada focused on the edges of the pancakes, waiting for them to take form. “Tell him not to bother. I only had liability, and I can’t pay to get it fixed right now. Car’s older than dirt anyway. He can scrap it and keep the money. Should cover the towing fee, I’m guessing.”

  Knox shrugged. “Cool. I just didn’t want the city to tow it—they’d charge a daily impound fee on top of towing.”

  “Thanks for taking care of it.” Jada flipped the pancakes. This whole scenario was unreal. Her in the kitchen cooking. A man sitting at the table waiting for her to prepare his plate. Pleasant conversation. Peace. In a nice house. All they lacked was a white picket fence. This is surreal.

  Chapter 5

  Knox wanted to join Jada at the stove, maybe even help her in some way. He didn’t want to come on too strong, though.

  He thought of asking her to give him the recipe for the pancakes, but as he watched her make the batter, he realized she didn’t have a recipe; it was a pinch of this, a dash of that, and an egg. She’d added a little more flour to thicken the batter and voila, he had a second helping of heaven.

  She joined him again at the table.

  He sopped up a corner with syrup and chewed the fluffy hotcake. “You oughta sell this stuff.”

  “It’s not that serious.”

  “I respectfully disagree.”

  A knock at the door got both their attention. Rainey.

  “Who’s that?” Jada asked, skepticism written on her face.

  “My sister.”

  Her lips pressed into a fine line. “Your real sister or your play sister.”

  Knox ripped a paper towel from the dispenser on the table and wiped his mouth. “I’m too old to have a play anything.”

  Jada leaned to the side. Her eyes swept up and down his body. “Excuse me.”

  Rainey—wearing pajamas, a bathrobe, and slippers—bum-rushed Jada. “Hello. I’m Rainey Stoneworth, Knox’s sister. And you are?”

  “Jada Jones. Nice to meet you.”

  Knox recognized the bratty tone in Rainey’s voice.

  “Can we help you with something?” Knox finally caught up and asked.

  “No. I was just coming by to ask questions, as you and my other brothers did to my friend, Elvin.” Rainey turned her attention back to the victim. “So, Jada, how did you m
eet my brother? Where are you from? What’s your occupation? Do you have children? Do they live with you? If not, are you current on child support and where is yo’ baby daddy?”

  Jada’s brown eyes slid up to Knox.

  “You don’t have to answer her questions,” he assured Jada. “Let’s go.”

  “But you guys made Elvin answer your questions.” Rainey pouted. “It’s only fair.”

  “Well, I don’t know why your boyfriend didn’t stand up for himself, but I’m not going to answer your questions,” Jada insisted. “Not today.”

  “Mmmph.” Rainey huffed. She poked her lips at Knox. “Wonder what would have happened if Elvin had told you that. Y’all probably would have kicked him out of the party.”

  Jada stood. “You don’t have to worry about kicking me out. I’m leaving.”

  Rainey said nothing.

  Knox intervened, “Jada, you don’t—”

  She held up a hand. “No. She’s right,” Jada said. “Your family has a right to know the people you’re involved with—especially since you guys have been hounding her about her boyfriend. But since you and I aren’t involved, we can end this whole conversation right here and now.”

  Jada grabbed the dried clothes and her backpack and went to the bathroom.

  Knox spoke to Rainey between gritted teeth. “What are you doing?”

  Rainey’s eyes were saucers. “I was only kidding. Where’s her sense of humor?”

  “You need to apologize.”

  Rainey nodded. “I will. But I need you to understand that this is exactly how I feel when you guys grilled Elvin. Not so great, huh?”

  “Men are used to it,” Knox defended his examination crew.

  Rainey tsked and frowned. “Another double standard. This is sad. What progress have we made as a civilized society?”

  “None, all right? Absolutely none.” This girl was about to make him call their father.

  Jada emerged from the bathroom in fresh clothes. She’d picked her hair out into a classy afro and applied a glossy shine to her lips. “I’m ready to leave now.”

  Rainey stepped forward. “Listen, Jada, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset. No harm.” She hoisted the backpack on her shoulder. “You ready, Knox?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” Rainey tried her airline stewardess smile. “Thanks for coming. See you later.”

  “I’ll be at the car.” Jada let herself out of the house.

  Knox’s eyes narrowed at Rainey. “I hope you haven’t messed this up.”

  “She said you two aren’t together. What’s there to mess up?”

  “I don’t know. Yet.”

  Knox left the house and joined Jada at the vehicle. Once they were inside, he apologized again for Rainey.

  Jada repeated herself, “No harm.”

  “You mean that?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  He didn’t know her well enough to determine if this meant “yes” for real or “no, but I’m not ready to discuss it now” or even “no, and I’ll tuck this away in my heart until I get really angry, then I’ll bring it up again.”

  With no history, he could only take Jada for her word.

  “I’m headed to church. Would you like to come with me?”

  “No. I’m still tired. You can take me to my sister’s house. She’s off twenty and North Main.”

  Knox started the car, still hoping for a clue about Jada’s temperament. Maybe she really was over Rainey’s insulting inquiry. If so, he could not let this woman get away. Someone who was honest and genuine? Who didn’t play mind games? Top those characteristics with someone who wasn’t obsessed with living a lifestyles of the rich and famous—knew how to make whatever she had in her hands work?

  “Music?” she requested.

  Knox indulged, choosing a fast tune from the latest Jonathan Nelson CD.

  She guided him to a newer subdivision. Knox was familiar with the general area of the southern sector of Dallas. The cities in that area were reinventing themselves, securing some of the more popular franchises and bringing new money.

  “Turn left on the second street.”

  The cul-de-sac was filled with kids racing big wheels. Knox smiled as he reminisced. “Man, those were the days!”

  “What?”

  “Big wheels!”

  “Oh. I never had one. Didn’t want one, either.”

  “Serious?”

  “Why waste Santa’s time on a Big Wheel when you can ask for Beanie Babies instead?”

  “Are you talking about those stuffed animals?”

  Jada rolled her neck. “Yes. I would go through the fire for one of those.”

  Shocked, Knox could only laugh. “I wouldn’t peg you as the Beanie Baby type.”

  “There was no type. Anyone could love one. They were soft and cuddly. My mom worked an extra shift to get me one for my eighth birthday. I still have it,” she admitted.

  Knox looked over at her in disbelief.

  “Third house,” Jada said.

  Knox slowly proceeded down the street as the kids on Big Wheels dispersed to the sidewalk.

  Jada retrieved her belongings from the back seat. “Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it. You’re a nice person with a nice family. I wish nothing but the best for you all.”

  “Same here.” Is she leaving me forever?

  Jada pulled on the door’s handle. “Oh, and one more thing.”

  Knox could breathe again.

  She stated, “Don’t forget to tell your friend the mechanic to do whatever he wants with that old clunker.”

  No! No! No! This could not be happening. Knox stalled, “Is your sister expecting you?”

  “Probably. She knows I won’t leave her with that maniac husband of hers. If I have to get another six stitches, I won’t stand for him to put his hands on her again.”

  Anger shot through Knox. “Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. I thought you’d hit your head in the car accident?”

  “No. I got cut by glass from a lamp I’d thrown at my brother-in-law after I caught him red-handed.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

  “He is the police. He works for the department. My sister says they won’t do anything to their own.”

  Knox’s mind was a million pieces of confusion. “So your brother-in-law is here?”

  “He’s probably at work.”

  “But when he gets off, he’ll come here?”

  “Yep.”

  “Is it safe here for you?”

  “Please,” Jada smacked, “he is not going to hit me. He’d have to pass through a skillet and some knives to get at me.”

  Knox’s chest pulled with the thought of a man hurting Jada, or any woman for that matter. But especially Jada.

  “Don’t worry, Knox. I’ll be fine. I’m from the hood. I got this.” She stepped out of the car.

  “Wait.” He got out of the car and took the bags from her hand. “Is this…it?”

  “Yes. I mean…unless you…” she left the ball in his corner.

  Knox’s heart twisted and turned as he wrestled with the idea of putting his feelings on the line again. What if Jada wasn’t as sincere as she seemed? He’d been wrong before. Jumped too soon. What if he were wrong again?

  And what if all this stuff with her family was simply how they rolled—drama, drama, and more drama. He didn’t have time to be part of a blockbuster movie starring himself.

  But what if Jada was the one?

  He needed to pray.

  Knox helped Jada carry the bags to her sister’s door. “I’ll be praying about this situation between your sister and her husband,” he said. It was too soon for major promises.

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter 6

  Jada felt the tears stinging at the base of her eyes when Knox walked back to his car. Unlike the hunky man in romance movies, he had not reached for her. He hadn’t embraced her and whisked her away from the
chaos better known as her life.

  She could have smacked herself for allowing herself to feel a little hope with Knox. It could never happen. They were from two different worlds, two different backgrounds. Knox came from a family, a home—a home with a pool house! He had a different way of thinking. His default personality was set to “positive” while hers was set to “reality.”

  He was a veterinarian, the kind of person people respected instantly.

  Can’t even make his own pancake mix. She laughed to herself as she repositioned the backpack.

  Jada knocked on the door. She saw Patrick’s silhouette through the window sheers and cringed.

  “It’s your sister,” she heard him say through the door. His footsteps tapered off as he walked away.

  She heard Knox’s car still running. Is he going to say something else?

  To her heart’s dismay, Jada’s sister opened the door. “Hey.”

  “Hey. I’m back.”

  “I see.” As Sam focused on Jada’s bandage, the sarcasm in her voice disappeared. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah. Got a few stitches.”

  Sam stepped aside, allowing room for Jada to enter.

  Jada turned to Knox and waved good-bye. And just like that, he drove away.

  She gulped down her sadness.

  “Who’s he?” Sam asked.

  “A guy who picked me up last night when my car slid off the road.”

  “Oh my gosh, Jada. What happened to you last night? You got stitches, you spent the night with some man?”

  Jada stepped across the threshold. “It’s not what you think. He’s…different. Kind, patient, determined. A Christian.”

  Sam sighed. “They always start off perfect.”

  Jada rolled her lips between her teeth. “Probably so.” She stopped in the living room for a moment to kiss her sleeping nephew on the cheek. He stirred momentarily, then drifted back off to his perfect little world.

  With Patrick still in the house, Jada decided it best to go to her room and wait until he left for his shift.

  She dropped her bags at the door and shut herself in the sweet silence. Her bones ached now from tiredness. The argument, the crash, walking outside, sleeping in a stranger’s bed, saying goodbye to Knox. It was all catching up to her now.