“Nobody can help ease the pain when your mother dies.” Sharon’s eyes drifted past Nedra as she spoke. She’d lost her mother when they were in college. More than a decade later, the wound of that lost still hadn’t healed.
“I’ll call them when I get back to the office and see if there’s anything I can do to help.” Nedra made a mental note.
The waitress brought their orders, and despite their moods having been dampened by the sobering news Sharon had delivered, they still managed to enjoy each other’s company. After lunch, they lingered over cups of tea, reluctant to end their time together.
“Whatever happened to that hunk that took care of those boys?” asked Carla. “I know when I came into your office that day and saw him sitting there, all I could say was Lord have mercy!” Carla fanned herself with her hand. “What was his name again?”
Nedra took a sip of her favorite herbal tea, enjoying the feel of it sliding down her parched throat. “Sin.”
Sharon giggled, unsure of Nedra’s answer. “What?”
Unaware that she had spoken aloud, she was surprised when she looked up and saw the expressions on the faces of her friends.
Sharon repeated her question. “What did you say his name was?”
Nedra looked confused. Had she uttered a name? “I...I.don’t know. I don’t remember.”
Carla wasn’t convinced. “It sounded like you said his name was Sin. Now all I’ve got to ask is was that a statement of fact or wistful thinking? Because from what I remember of that man, a sin is something I would gladly commit with him!”
“Honey, he was fine!” Sharon crooned, remembering the chocolate brown eye candy that had met them at the boys’ apartment building. He had been instrumental in convincing the frightened boys to go with her. “Yes indeed! And they were crazy about him, especially the little one. Too bad he didn’t keep in touch with them.”
Nedra frowned. “He didn’t? He told me that he would. He sounded sincere.” Knowing that he hadn’t kept his word was disappointing.
“The worker did tell me that he sent both boys expensive presents for Christmas.”
“Oh yeah? He could send me a present any day,” purred Carla. “A sinful one.”
Nedra laughed at Carla’s antics. “Girl, you ought to quit it!”
She knew that despite her bold declarations, Carla was totally faithful to her fiancé, Jacob, whom she had met on a cruise two years ago.
“No, you ought to quit it.” Carla looked at her friend with a pensive smile. “You know that man was good looking, and he was looking at you.”
Nedra almost choked on her tea. Coughing and sputtering, she fought to regain her composure. “You must be out of your mind!”
“So you noticed it too.” Sharon leaned across the table drawing closer to Carla, effectively shutting out the subject of their two way conversation. “I thought I was the only one.”
“No girl, when I was in her office talking to Nedra, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.”
What?” Nedra nearly flew out of her seat. “What are you two talking about?”
They ignored her.
“It was the same when I went to get the boys at the apartment. His eyes kept straying to her, no matter what else was happening around him.”
“You two are out of your minds! That man did not look at me any differently than he looked at anybody else.”
Carla winked at Sharon. “What did she call him, Sharon?”
“Sin.”
“Uh huh. All I’ve got to say is that’s exactly what I saw on his mind when that man looked at Preacher Girl.”
Sharon nodded vigorously. “I believe that!” She turned to Nedra. “You know that the three of us spent nearly two hours in that apartment with those boys, and I’m telling you that man devoured you with those eyes of his.” She turned to Carla. “He’s got those coal black eyes to die for.”
“Uh huh, I remember. Who could forget?”
Sharon turned back to Nedra. “Those eyes were on you every minute. I told you later that day to put your brand on him, quick, but you didn’t listen.”
“Does she ever? The girl is going to die celibate.”
“You two need to stop it!”
Nedra was frustrated with herself. Why was she was letting their innocent teasing fluster her? It wasn’t the first time they had ribbed her about some man’s admiration. Usually she ignored it, but this time she knew they were right. She could still see those piercing dark eyes watching her every move. It had been unsettling.
Sharon and Carla were doubled over with laughter, elated at having rattled their normally unflappable friend. Sharon was the first to recover.
“Don’t take us so seriously, Nedra. Shoot, if we count all of the men who have a crush on you, we’d run out of fingers and toes. Half the men in your church are salivating over you—the single ones and the married ones. Shoot! You’re a good looking woman.”
Nedra was beautiful. She was tall and shapely, with striking light brown eyes that stood out in stark contrast to her flawless dark complexion. Sharon envied her large, pouty lips. Models were paying a fortune for what God had bestowed on her friend naturally. Yet, most of the time the woman worked overtime hiding every asset that she had. It broke her heart.
Nedra sighed. How many times had they had this conversation? It was getting old. “You guys know how I constantly have to walk a thin line to keep my reputation intact. Believe me, that’s no joke. It’s not funny at all. So let’s drop it.”
The strain of that effort was evident in her voice, instantly sobering her friends. More than any others, they knew the sacrifices she made being a woman minister. She had shared it with them often, as well as the toll it was taking on her.
Nedra could wear all of the conservative suits, high collared blouses and sensible shoes that she wanted, but no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, she exuded sensuality. It was a quality that did not mix well with the ministry—not in the black church community, probably not in any church community.
In her effort to pursue her profession she had made sacrifices. Male companionship was one of them. Since graduating from the seminary, she had not dated. Oh, there had been breakfast, lunch and dinners with many men, but she had always been careful to make certain that those occasions were business. Pleasure dates were out.
She rarely attended social events, and when she did she either went alone or with a girl friend. Nedra was the soul of propriety, never straying from the straight and narrow. Self discipline was her motto, and she practiced it rigorously. She had to. People were always watching her.
“I keep telling you, Nedra, that if you find the right man and marry, that would solve a lot of problems for you,” Carla said solemnly. She knew the joy that her best friend was missing without love in her life. Since finding Jacob she wanted everyone to be as deliriously happy as the two of them. “You need to meet somebody nice, and go out, have fun.”
You’re only thirty-eight years old...”
“Almost forty!” Nedra countered.
“And you are much too young for this pastor hermit thing!” Sharon snapped her fingers. Her eyes lit up. “I know! Richard was telling me that there’s this new guy at work who just moved to the Bay Area. The two of them have become friends and the guy is looking for a nice woman to date.”
Carla looked at Sharon as if she was an alien. “I know you’re not suggesting that Nedra date one of Richard’s friends?”
Richard Ryan was Carla’s older brother, and the two siblings did not get along. Sharon and Richard had been dating for years, and his treatment of her friend was not to Carla’s liking. She had tried to get her to break up with him a few months into the relationship, but Sharon was in love. As far as she was concerned, Richard could walk on water, and instantly she became defensive at Carla’s remark.
“What’s wrong with Richard’s friends?”
“Don’t answer that!” Nedra interceded quickly before the fight began.
W
henever Richard’s name came up she ended up being the mediator. He was one person who evoked more emotion among the three women than anyone else she knew. The truth was, she really didn’t like him. She tolerated Richard because he was Carla’s brother.
Because she valued the sisterhood between the three of them too much to pursue a petty argument with Sharon, Carla complied with Nedra’s request. She knew things about Richard that Sharon would never know. As his sister, she wasn’t fooled by his pretty face and smooth manners. Unfortunately, Sharon would have to find out the hard way how cold he could be.
Deciding to order dessert, Nedra picked up a menu. “Let’s call a truce. I’m going to put on an extra ten pounds and order the most fattening dessert they have in this joint. Join me?”
Carla studied the menu to see what damage she could do. “I’m in.
“Me too.”
Minutes later the women sat stuffing themselves with chocolate cheese cake. Much to Nedra’s relief, the subject of Richard and that of her love life were both forgotten.
CHAPTER 2
He had to be crazy. That was the only reason Sin could give himself for his presence here. From the moment he heard about the death of the boys’ mother, he knew that he should forget it, write these two boys off as a good deed done and not think about getting further involved. He shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. What he should have done was give that oldest kid a butt kicking and sent him off to steal somebody else’s merchandise. The kid would have survived. He was from the streets. Survival was all that he knew. Sin was familiar with that.
He had been on the streets since he was eight years old. Pimps and hustlers had been his role models. After his mother died, and he ran away from the last foster care home he had been shuttled to, those pimps and hustlers became the only family he had.
Yes, he knew the streets, and he knew how hard and uncompromising they could be. When he looked in Colin’s face that day, he’d seen the first signs of hardness that would one day claim him, if not kill him. Something inside of Sin had snapped then. It had been something that he still couldn’t explain. All he knew was that he wanted to fight for this child. He didn’t want the streets to claim another one.
Behind dark glasses that he wore, Sin studied Colin’s bowed head. The boy had been stoic throughout the graveside service, showing no emotion, even when Sin made his unexpected appearance. However, Trevor’s joy at seeing him had been apparent as a welcoming grin spread across his tearstained face. The older couple sitting beside the boys, the Simpsons, he assumed, had eyed him curiously, but gave welcoming nods, as did the boys’ social worker, Miss Charles. He had met her when he had taken the Christmas presents to her for the boys.
Sharon Mays, who he had met when foster home arrangements for the boys had been made, was present, as was Reverend Nedra Davis, the officiating minister. That was it. There were eight attendees gathered at the graveside of a twenty-five year old woman to say goodbye. That was more then had attended his own mother’s funeral. These boys were lucky.
Sin’s gaze went back to Nedra as she rendered a final prayer for the woman who had lived hard and died young, and for the two innocent lives she left behind. She was draped in a clergy robe, accented by a flowing scarf made of kente cloth. Her shoulder length hair, usually worn in a chignon pulled back from her face, was piled on top of her head in a loose bun, stray tendrils had escaped and trailed down both sides of her face. Her makeup was light, but becoming. Her eyes were hidden by lowered lids as she prayed for the soul that had been lost. Those magnificent eyes had registered shock at his appearance, but quickly recovered with a welcoming gleam that made his heart beat double time.
It was dangerous what he was doing, and he knew it; but, he couldn’t seem to help himself. He was as drawn to her now as he had been in the past—a past which he was certain she didn’t remember.
He had known that when he went to the church that day to ask for help for the boys. How could she remember him? Their paths had crossed so briefly, and so much had happened to them both over the years. Yet, he had never forgotten Nedra Davis. Young, beautiful, eager to embrace life, she had been a breath of fresh air, a saving grace, a lifeline when he needed one.
He closed his eyes, the simple act transporting him back twenty years to Kansas City, Missouri, where he had enrolled in a G.E.D. class. His enrollment hadn’t been a magnanimous one, motivated by wanting to do something better with his life. If only it had been. Instead, basketball had been his motivation.
The community center in which he played had mandated that anyone under twenty-one, without a high school diploma, could not play basketball in their league unless enrolled in a G.E.D. class, that the center just so happened to offer. He was seventeen, and hadn’t been to school in so long that he couldn’t recall the last time, but that center’s basketball league was the best in the city, and he loved playing basketball. What choice did he have? His love for the game overruled his aversion to school. Reluctantly, he had enrolled. It turned out to be the best decision he ever made. It was there that he had met Nedra Davis.
She was a sophomore in college and home for the summer. She had volunteered to tutor at the center and from the moment he met her, he found her fascinating. His life on the streets had never put him in such close proximity with someone like her. She not only looked good, but her diction was perfect and she didn’t curse. She carried herself like a queen and spoke about things like Black Pride and self-worth—concepts that were foreign to him. He didn’t always know what she was talking about, but she excited him and she frightened him. As he often did when he was in such a predicament, he struck out. Nedra became his target.
His vulgarity didn’t repel her as he had hoped it would. When he cursed her, she hadn’t cursed back. She simply flashed him a heart melting smile and informed him that it was sad that such intelligence was being wasted. She said he was smart and could be anything he wanted to be.
Smart? Him? Nobody had ever said that to him before. Nobody! He had no defense against her.
With a sigh, Sin was transported back to the present. Opening his eyes, they settled on Nedra. He didn’t want to remember the street hardened young man he used to be—with all of the hatred, the anger, all of the less than honorable things that he had done in his life. That existence had been too real, and was still a part of his nightmares.
The service concluded, Sin followed the small group of mourners to the mortuary limo. It was there that Trevor gave him an emotional hug before climbing inside. Before following his brother, Colin provided a semblance of a handshake, avoiding eye contact in case they revealed his emotions. Sin was familiar with the tactic.
He watched as the vehicle drove away, leaving him alone with Nedra and Sharon Mays. Sharon was the first to acknowledge him.
“It was kind of you to come, Mr. Reasoner.” She was impressed that he had displayed such concern.
“It wasn’t a problem.” Sin spoke calmly, his voice contradicting the nervousness he felt at Nedra being so near. He shouldn’t have come here.
Nedra stepped forward and extended her hand. “I’m sure the boys appreciated your presence, Mr. Reasoner.” She noticed that his hand was warm and clammy. Was he nervous too?
She knew that her own nervousness started when his tall, dark clad figure appeared at the gravesite. Her heart had skipped a beat. Maybe it was his attire. He was dressed head to toe in black—a black shirt, black finely creased slacks, black tasseled loafers and an expensive black leather jacket hugging his sculptured frame. The only hint of color was a sterling silver, hoop ear ring dangling from his left ear. He looked mysterious, and dangerous, with his eyes hidden behind mirrored sunglasses that kept her from seeing his eyes. During the entire service she had been aware of those eyes being fixed on her.
There was an awkward moment of silence as the three of them stood looking at each other. Sharon took charge.
Turning on the charm, she gave Sin her most engaging smile. “I’m sure the
boys would appreciate it even more if you would drop by the Simpsons’ place. Some members of Mount Peter have fixed dinner for them.”
Noting his hesitancy she quickly added, “Nedra and I are headed there now. You’re more than welcomed. Isn’t he?” She turned to her friend with an innocent smile.
Nedra could strangle her right here in the cemetery where they wouldn’t have to remove her body, just toss it into a hole. She knew exactly what Sharon was up to and she did not appreciate it one bit! With no hint of the embarrassment she felt at Sharon’s blatant effort to fix her up, Nedra forced a smile.
“Yes, Mr. Reasoner, I’m certain that the boys would appreciate you being there.” She stunned herself as the words tumbled from her lips so effortlessly. That wasn’t what she had meant to say.
Sin was tempted, very tempted. With deep regret he said, “I’m sorry, ladies. I appreciate the invitation, but I have a previous engagement.”
Sharon didn’t try to hide her disappointment. “Too bad, but let me jot down the address in case you change your mind.”
Nedra watched with narrowed eyes as her friend wrote the address. Did the woman have any shame? She was willing to use two innocent boys as a smoke screen for a dating service.
Nedra was glad that Sin declined the invitation. His presence was unsettling and she didn’t like the feeling.
Both women watched as he walked toward his late-model Jaguar. Climbing into the powerful vehicle, he drove away.
Sharon sighed. “What a butt!”
Nedra fumed. “I will kill you dead, Sharon Mays! I have never been so embarrassed in my life! How could you?”
Sharon’s gray eyes widened innocently. “How could I what? Admire a fine man’s butt? Child, you’re the preacher, not me. I don’t have to pretend that the male species doesn’t exist.”
Too angry to address her further, Nedra stomped off to her car. A chuckling Sharon followed at a safe distance behind.
****
Sin Page 2