She opened the door and pulled the woman in from the snow. “Keisha, what are you doing here?”
"That’s how it is, huh? I’ll go. You don’ want me here…I’ll jus’ be goin’.” She opened the door and started out. “Here I thought you’d like to see your friend Keisha. Guess I was wrong.”
“Keisha, get in here!” Laney pulled her by the coat and gave her friend a hug. “Of course I want to see you. I just didn’t know if something was wrong. You know you are welcome here anytime!”
Laney hugged her again then pointed. “Put your coat in the closet. Want some hot chocolate?” She headed to the kitchen to put some water on. “Hey, where is Junior?”
“Um…he’s with a friend.”
As Laney took two mugs out of the cupboard, she looked back. “So, you have some free time? Want to help me and the kids decorate our tree? It’s scrawny, but it should be fun! Ella’s coming over too. She made cookies.”
“Yeah, sure, sounds like fun.” Keisha half smiled.
“Well, the kids are at Ella’s helping her get her things together. She hasn’t had a tree in years and has a bunch of ornaments. All I have are these that were donated to the shelter. I bet she has some beauties. I can’t wait to see them.” Laney grabbed three more mugs. “I guess two isn’t going to be enough. I better make enough for everyone.”
Keisha looked around Laney’s kitchen. It sure was different from hers. “I like your kitchen. It’s pretty.”
Laney looked around her kitchen. True, it wasn’t as big and didn’t have as many gadgets as her kitchen at Paul’s, but this bright yellow kitchen was warmer than that kitchen had ever been. She smiled. “Yeah, it’s nice. I like it too.” This was home. The sound of a slamming door and loud excited voices reminded her of just how much better this kitchen was.
“Mom! Look what we made.” The kids came running into the kitchen with plates of cutout cookies. Some were painstakingly decorated while others had clumps of candies and sugars on them. Leave it to her daughter, the artist, to make exquisite cookies.
Leave it to her son to dump every type of candy topping available on just one cookie. “Mom, did you see my world? Ms. Ella let me make a world with the left over cookie dough. Look, there’s my sea and my land.”
“Very nice, Matt. I suppose you are going to leave the world for Santa? So he knows his way around?”
Matt grinned. “Uh-uh,” he mumbled with a full mouth and crumbs falling. “It’s all mine.”
“Ella, I think you’ve created a monster. A cookie monster, that is.” She grabbed a cookie from Matt’s plate and headed to the living room. “Hey guys, let’s decorate us a Christmas tree.”
Laney moved into the living room while Matt and Joy grabbed the two boxes of ornaments from outside the door.
“Mom, wait until you see all Ms. Ella’s ornaments!” Joy had already started removing them from the boxes. She held up a beautiful golden angel for her mom to see. “Look at this one. Isn’t it just gorgeous?” She pulled another one out of the box. “Ms. Ella, where did you get these from?”
“I collected them over the years. Some were gifts and some I bought. I used to love to decorate for the holidays. It brought me such joy to see the tree all lit up. I guess I have gotten too old for all the fuss. It makes my heart glad to see them being used again.”
Keisha removed a fragile glass snowflake from the box. She just stared. How could something be so beautiful when her life was such a mess? She placed the ornament in front, right where she could see it when she visited. It would look just like a real snowflake when the house lights were off and the tree lights were on. She looked around the room. So this is what a family Christmas is like. Everyone was laughing and eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate. Christmas music was playing in the background. She felt out of place. She didn’t belong. Who did she think she was? Stringing popcorn and cranberries? This wasn’t her. She didn’t do things like this. Who was she kidding? It was too much to handle. She grabbed her coat from the closet and left without saying good-bye. She had walked for nearly a block when she heard her name being called.
“Keisha, what’s wrong? Where are you going?”
Keisha kept walking, not wanting her friend to see the tears. It didn’t take long for Laney to catch her.
“Honey, what is the matter? What happened? I thought you were having fun.”
Keisha stopped and wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “Who am I kiddin’ Laney-girl? I don’t belong there, pretendin’ like I’m part of some real family. I ain’t. I’m just some black girl from the hood who ain’t got nobody. I’m just in the way. You don’t want me there.”
“Pretending to be part of a real family? Keisha, you are part of my family. There is no pretending about it. You are my sister and I love you. You have never, nor will you ever be in the way. I want you there. I want to share the good times with you. We need them, now more than ever. And we need each other.” Laney took her hand. “Please come back with me. The days where we can smile and have fun without looking over our shoulders are few and far between. Let’s not spoil this one.”
Keisha couldn’t keep the secret any longer and started crying in earnest. “Laney, I took him back. That’s where Junior is.” Keisha turned her back, trying to hide the tears from her friend. “He’s with his daddy.”
“What? What do you mean he’s with his daddy? Keisha, what is going on?”
“Well, his daddy done found out where I’ve been livin’ and he show’d up with some presents and he’s been real nice, Laney. He ain’t hurt me. He ain’t mean no more. I been lonely all by myself. An' he my baby daddy. How can I keep my baby from his daddy?”
“Oh Keisha, what have you done? This isn’t good. Honey, he’ll hurt you. He’ll hurt Junior. This isn’t safe for either of you.”
“Laney, he changed. I know he is. I jus’ gotta give him a chance.” Keisha hung her head. “Sides, it’s almost Chris’mas. How am I gonna get Junior any presen’s on what I make? You know it ain't much.”
Laney couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You have Junior. I can’t give my kids what they are used to either. But, I’m not going back to that life, Keisha, and neither should you. He almost killed you. Do you want him to succeed this time? Do you want Junior to live his life without you? Without you teaching him about life and God and all that stuff? Cause that’s what’s going to happen if you stay with that man. He hasn’t changed. He’s still the same man he was six months ago.”
She stopped ranting and looked at her friend and her heart went out to her. She wrapped her in her arms. “I’m sorry, Keisha. I’m so sorry. I just don’t want to see you hurt. I don’t want to lose you.” Laney held her and together they cried.
Keisha sobbed on Laney’s shoulder “Laney, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was so lonely and I was scared. More scared than when he hit me. I don’ know what to do Laney. I mess’d everything up. I know I did.”
“Come on, let’s go back to my house and we can talk where it’s warm. The kids will be busy finishing up the tree with Ella. We’ll call Sheila. She’ll know what to do.”
They had almost reached the house when a big black SUV pulled up along aside them. “Hey Big Girl, get yo' butt in this car. Time to go home, baby. Yo' man be needin’ his woman.”
Keisha hugged Laney and whispered, “I gotta go. I’ll try an' call you later.”
She got into the front seat and waved goodbye to Laney.
“You early. How come? I thought I had a couple hours with my friend?”
Jamal’s fingers turned white on the steering wheel. “Woman, you questionin’ me already? You ain’t learned your lesson yet?”
Keisha looked down. “I’m sorry. I jus’ miss my friend. That’s all.”
“I’ll forgive you this time. But don’t let it happen again or you’ll make me slip back to my old ways. You hear?”
“Yes, Jamal. I hear ya.” Keisha looked back just in time to see Laney go back into her house to finish her d
ecorating. She wished she’d never walked out. Maybe then Jamal would have let her stay. She looked in the backseat. “Where’s Junior? Jamal, where’s my baby?”
“He jus’ fine. No need worryin’. He’s with his madea.” He turned toward Keisha’s apartment. “Now, we can be 'lone an' make up for lost time. You owe me big, girl.”
Keisha unlocked the door and walked in. Jamal slapped her across the face, then pulled her to him. “Don’ you ever question me again, you hear?” He pulled her to the bedroom and spent the night taking what was his.
Chapter Sixteen
The PI sat across from Sheila’s house, watching, waiting. He had a description of both women and he knew he was close. His gut told him that. The level of activity in the house coupled with the different women he’d seen come and go confirmed his research. This was a women’s shelter. If she were here, it wouldn’t be because she ran off with another man. Now what? Nothing could be that easy, could it?
Apparently Sheila had opened this house with the money she received from her parents’ estate. Wasn’t that ironic? Her daddy kills her mommy then drinks himself to death and she helps battered women with the money he leaves behind. I bet her daddy was turning in his grave when she opened up this place. Well, more power to her. He didn’t have much respect for a man who would hit a woman. If it wasn’t for his two kids that needed supporting, he wouldn’t have taken this job. He knew the guy had been lying, he just didn’t know why. Now he did. Lord, what am I going to do if I find her?
He decided to try the direct approach.
The house was pretty, if a person was into that kind of thing. He rang the doorbell. A young woman opened the door. “Hello, ma’am, I’m looking for Laney Sanders. Might she be here?”
“Laney Sanders? I’m sorry. You must have the wrong address.” The young woman closed the door in his face. She started toward Sheila’s office just as the doorbell rang again.
“Sheila, there is a man at the door asking for Laney. I told him he had the wrong address, but he is ringing the doorbell again. I don’t know what else to do.”
Looking up from her paperwork Sheila nodded her head and said, “I’ll take care of it. Just pray. This means Paul hasn’t given up and is close to finding her. God has a way of working things out, even when they seem bleak.”
Sheila opened the door, expecting to see Paul standing on her front porch. Instead the man standing before her was the complete opposite of Paul. He was in a pair of jeans and hiking boots. His hair was blond and a little long and shaggy. He grinned and when his dimple appeared she almost forgot he was the enemy. Or at least the tool the enemy was using. “Hi, I’m Sheila, how can I help you?”
“Well, hopefully you can help me. I am looking for Laney Sanders.” He stuck his hand out and introduced himself. He wasn’t sure what he had expected but this pretty woman standing on the other side of the door wasn’t it. “I’m Austin, a private investigator and her husband, Paul, has hired me to find her. You could make my job a lot easier if you know where I could find her. Do you know where she might be? ”
Sheila ignored his outstretched hand. Yes, he was attractive, but she wouldn’t let a cute guy with a great smile distract her from the danger knocking on her friend’s door. “I’m sorry. I’m not at liberty to discuss any of our residents with you. If Ms. Sanders wishes to speak with her husband, she will contact him. That is all I can tell you.” She smiled and closed the door, hoping he would leave.
Austin walked back to his car and decided to sit it out for a while. Maybe someone would slip up. He pulled out the little pocket Bible the preacher had given him. What would God say about this? Isn’t a women supposed to submit to her husband? Does that mean he has the right to beat her up? All this was new to him. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. The old him would track Laney down, even though he personally wouldn’t ever touch a woman, and hand her over. Yeah, he’d feel bad, but it was his job. Now, he wasn’t so sure. It didn’t feel right. The preacher told him that was the Holy Spirit talking to him. He wasn’t so sure he liked what the Holy Spirit was saying. It would seem the Holy Spirit didn’t want his kids to eat.
He had just decided he’d head home when there was a rap on his window. He jumped. Some detective I am! He rolled down the window to find Sheila standing on the other side with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.
“I thought I’d bring you some coffee to warm you up. If you insist on sitting outside my house, I don’t want you freezing.” She handed him the Styrofoam cup, got into her car, and then drove off, making sure he followed her. She took her time grocery shopping, long enough for Ella to make the walk home with Melanie without being alarmed or followed. She lived too close to Laney for comfort. Besides, the kids would be at her house until Laney got home from work that afternoon. Sheila had the feeling they were going to have to deal with this head on. It wasn’t going to be pleasant, especially for Laney. She’d stop by Laney’s later on, after Laney got home and got the kids settled. Hopefully she’d listen to reason.
Austin knew something was up but he couldn’t resist following the woman. For some reason he was attracted to her and not just in a physical way, although she was beautiful. It had been three long years since his wife had died and up until this day he still wasn’t able to look at another woman, at least not the way he was looking at this one. Why now? Why this woman?
He watched her turn around and wave just before she pulled into the garage and shut the door. She had spunk. He might be standing in line at the soup kitchen to feed his kids. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to turn out quite like he’d planned. Kind of being dramatic, aren’t we? His thoughts gave him cause to smile.
Austin called Paul when he got home and gave him the update. Yes, he’d found Sheila, but no, he hadn’t found Laney. Maybe he’d have more news tomorrow. The call was short and to the point.
He pulled a pepperoni pizza from the freezer. It was his oldest son, Jeremiah’s, favorite. It was also easy and gave him more time with his boys. Something all three of them needed since that fateful day three years ago when his wife had died of cancer. It had been a long hard road. Of the three of them, he’d had the hardest time healing. His grieving had been set aside so he could be there for his boys. He didn’t want to lose them too.
He pulled the pizza out of the oven just this side of burnt and called the boys from their game. Jeremiah and Noah had long since stopped complaining about their dad’s cooking. It would do them no good now that Elise was gone. They had to eat something so they’d learned to make do.
“Hey guys, you want to watch a movie? I picked up the new Planet of the Apes movie. You guys in?”
The three guys spent the night eating burnt pizza and watching apes rule the world. Austin kept his mind from wandering. He didn’t think about his case and he didn’t think about the woman who would keep him from doing his job. He had nothing on his mind but his two boys sitting next to him, at least for the night. Tomorrow would be another story. He’d take care of tomorrow…tomorrow.
The following day Austin sat in front of Sheila’s house wondering about the woman inside. What makes her tick? Does she have a boyfriend? What is her favorite kind of ice cream? Does she like the ocean? What does she do for fun?
He turned on the engine and started up the defrost. He was steaming the windshield up. It was kind of nippy for the beginning of December. It would be Christmas soon. He wasn’t ready to face another Christmas with his boys. Pretending to be happy and giving them the Christmas they deserved had been the norm for the past couple of years. Of course, now that he knew what Christ did for him, it wouldn’t be pretending anymore. Yes, he’d still miss Elise, but now he had a reason to celebrate.
He looked at the Victorian house all decorated for the holidays. The urns each held a miniature lit tree. Electric candles lit each window. A huge wreathe hung just below the point of the roof. He wondered if there was a guy in her life who had hung it and found he was growing jealous at the possib
ility. Who was this woman who was occupying his mind and invading his heart? God, is this You? Is this what happens when a person gives their life to you?
He had the boys but that was different. He missed the closeness of having a woman by his side, of snuggling up with her at night and sharing her innermost thoughts. He missed a woman’s smell and the softness of her hair. He missed her smile and the encouraging words she would speak. He missed having a woman’s lips softly caress his, leaving him with a taste of all she was comprised of. He even missed the feistiness. And the making up afterward. Okay, it was time. Time to seriously think about finding someone to share his days and nights with. More than that, someone to share the rest of his life with. And maybe this time God would see fit to let them actually spend their lives together. Could he trust God? Would he be hurt again? Only time would tell. He’d never been one to shy away from trying new things, even if there was a chance of injury. He wasn’t so sure of putting his heart on the line.
Enough, time to get all this woman stuff off his mind. He pulled his Bible from the passenger seat and opened to the book of John and started reading. A few minutes later, a knock on the window interrupted him. He rolled down the window.
“Yes, can I help you?” He smiled at the woman offering him hot coffee and a cinnamon roll. Things were vastly improving. He hastily accepted the offerings.
“You read your Bible? Are you a Christian?” Sheila was stunned. What was a Christian man doing hunting down an abused woman? He must have some skewed definition of what Christianity was.
“Yes, actually it is rather new for me. I just accepted the Lord a few weeks ago. I’m still trying to figure out what everything means. My pastor told me to read the book of John and that is what I am doing. Can’t say it all makes sense yet, but I’m slowly catching on.” He had noticed the disapproval in her eyes. “How about you? Are you a Christian?”
Forever Blessed (Women of Prayer) Page 8