“Good morning Uncle Pete,” Rachel said clearly, minus the cheer that was usually in her greetings. She pressed the button on the computer to start it up after she sat down.
Pete raised his eyebrow at her. “Am I going to have a problem with you today?”
She pouted and went into a tantrum, “I can’t believe you have her working here. This is you and Aunt Moriah’s company—”
“And nowhere in your outburst did I hear you mentioning your name as one of the owners. Therefore, you really don’t have the right to tell me who I can or cannot hire, or fire for that matter, and if you keep this up you may be the one terminated!”
She shut up, holding her bottom lip between her teeth to prevent herself from saying anything else and stared at the computer screen that was booting up. She knew he would make good on his threat if she uttered another word regarding her feelings about the matter.
“I’m really surprised by your attitude and behavior, Rachel. You, the person that has been doing all of the arm twisting about me going to church, you sure aren’t acting very godly. Wouldn’t you say so?” He sat up straighter, resting his forearms on his desk.
“I can’t hide the fact that I don’t approve with whatever it is going on between you two,” Rachel flicked her hand for emphasis. She typed in the password for the computer, purposely avoiding eye contact with her uncle. She knew he was right, but she didn’t care. God will have to forgive me for my attitude, she mused defiantly. Debra’s not going to take Aunt Moriah’s place, especially not so soon.
“You had no problem with Debra before. So I suggest you get used to the idea of her being around.” He loved his niece and her parents, but he refused to have them dictate how he was supposed to live his life. If he wanted Debra in it, now or later, they’ll just have to deal with it.
“Before you two weren’t… never mind.” She shook her head trying to erase the memory of walking in on Pete and Debra kissing. “She was helping us take care of Carl now she’s moving in on Aunt Moriah’s territory.”
“Enough, Rachel!” Pete roared, causing her to flinch. He could care less if anybody else in the building heard him, Rachel and her attitude were really irritating him and he wanted her to get it together. He slammed his hand on the desk. “You act as if I didn’t love my wife! You, of all people, know how hard it was for me grieving Moriah’s death. So don’t sit there and talk to me as if I’m betraying my wife.” He looked at Rachel and saw that she was visibly shaken by his outburst. “Dammit Rachel!”
“I’m sorr…sorry…”
“I don’t want to have this conversation with you again and you better not give me a got-damn reason to bring it up!” He stood up and marched out of the office, he needed to go outside to get some fresh air to clear his head. He didn’t have time nor interest to deal with her ill feelings toward Debra. Making sure Carl was well taken care of mattered most.
Chapter 38
“There’s my favorite little guy,” Pete said to Carl after he walked into the living room. Carl was sitting in his activity chair touching as many knobs on the toy as possible watching it light up and make noises. Leah was sitting in a chair next to Carl knitting something Pete couldn’t make out. “Hi Leah. How was he today?” Pete knelt down in front of Carl, kissed his curly dark hair and watched as he became fascinated again by the “quack, quack” noise the toy made when he pressed the duck’s button. Carl giggled at the sound which brought a huge smile to both Pete and Leah’s faces as they watched.
“He’s always a good baby,” Leah beamed, moving her hands vigorously as she knit. “I don’t even remember Rachel being this well behaved when she was his age. That child cried nonstop to be held by someone, she always needed attention.”
“Speaking of which,” Pete stood up and sat on the couch near Carl still playing with his toy. “I need you to talk to Rachel about her feelings toward Debra.”
Leah stopped knitting and placed the items she was using in a bag that was near her feet. “Noah and I have tried talking to her, but she won’t budge on her opinion about Debra…and you.”
“Hmmm.” Pete stretched his feet out in front of him crossing them at the ankles.
“You know how much she loved Moriah. She considered her a second mother, she doesn’t even love my sisters, her other aunts, as much as she loved Moriah. You have to understand that it’s hard for her to see you with someone else.”
“And what do you think?” He really didn’t care, but he was curious to know.
Leah fidgeted pulling nonexistent lint from her blouse. “To be honest, I’m not very comfortable with the sudden turn in your relationship with her. She’s a great person and her willingness to assist in raising Carlisha’s son is great, but…” Her pale face reddened with her admission.
“I’ve heard enough!” Pete stopped her and got up. He walked into the kitchen. “You, Noah and Rachel mean a lot to me. You guys are the closest family I’ve got. And even more so you’re Moriah’s family first, but I need you all to respect whatever decision I decide to make with my life. Especially whatever is or isn’t going on between Debra and me.” He snatched open the fridge and pulled out bottled water, opting for it over a beer.
Leah followed him into the kitchen. “Pete you’ve got to understand that this is difficult for us seeing you with another woman, especially so soon…”
“And you think it’s been a piece of cake for me too, to even find myself strongly attracted to someone else other than Moriah?” He took the cap off the bottle and took a swig. He didn’t know why he was admitting this to her, but he was tired of having this conversation. He placed the water down after drinking. “It’s been hell Leah. HELL! I will always love Moriah till the day I die, but in order for me to move on with my life I had to realize that she’s not coming back no matter how much I will it to happen.” Pete turned and started to look through the pile of mail on the counter.
“I understand,” Leah responded with remorse. She held back the tears that were obviously stinging her eyes. “But…” she added hesitantly, “…why don’t you wait to pursue the feelings you’re developing for Debra.”
Pete wanted to explode. He held back the cuss words that wanted to spew from his tightly clenched mouth. He didn’t release the profanity due to the fact that Carl was only a few steps away, he didn’t want to disrespect his sister-in-law and he was really trying to be a better servant of the Lord. He fought like a lion on a prey not to say what was on the tip of his tongue.
“If you’re going to have a problem with the arrangement we have with you, Rachel and Debra coming over to look after Carl please let me know and we’ll come up with a better alternative if being around Debra will be a problem.” He ripped open a letter addressed to him with no return address. He was proud of himself for not going off and telling her to get out of his house. He was sick and tired of his in-laws telling him what he needed to do with his life and how he was supposed to grieve like there was some grieving etiquette he had to adhere to.
“Of course there won’t be a problem… out of me,” she quickly added the latter. “I hadn’t said anything earlier because even though I don’t agree with whatever it is that’s going on between you and Debra, I respect your decision,” she said, not hiding her dislike about the matter.
“Shit!” Pete stared down at the letter he held in his had forgetting to not use profanity.
“What is it?” Leah asked, alarmed by his outburst but also the grave expression on his face.
“Carl’s father is threatening to take him away from me if I don’t pay him five thousand dollars,” Pete looked up in disbelief.
“What?! Who is his father?”
“Roger Smith. I actually just got the paternity test results today which confirmed he’s Carl’s biological father. He told me he didn’t want anything to do with Carl, now this.” He slammed the letter down on the counter. “That son-of-a-bitch! I can’t believe he wants to extort money with threats of filing papers to legally take Carl away.�
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“Oh my God, Pete. You can’t let him do that.” She turned to look at Carl still cheerfully playing.
“What choice do I have Leah, he’s Carl’s father. You and I both know that the courts will easily hand Carl over to his biological father. And I’m a white man raising a black boy, who do you think they will favor? Dammit!”
“But where was he for the past almost two months? You have been Carl’s father, plus you are his legal guardian because Carlisha never documented anything about who the father was. The color of your skin shouldn’t be an issue, your love should be!”
“This will kill any chances of me wanting to adopt him as my own.” Pete ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Frown lines marred his face as the reality of losing Carl ran though his mind. He swallowed a lump lodged in his throat. I can’t afford to lose another person in my life.
“Just write him a check for five thousand dollars and be done with it,” Leah suggested sitting on a bar stool near the counter. Pete didn’t live lavishly, but his business was thriving and writing a check for five thousand dollars would be a drop in the bucket.
“He wants cash.” Pete looked over at Carl giggling. His heart lit up and he smiled softly despite the pain and fear he felt. “But how would I know if this would be the end of the extortion?” He turned back and looked at Leah.
“You can’t risk losing Carl, Pete. Just give him what he wants and that’ll be the end of it.”
“Let’s keep this between us for now. I don’t want Rachel and Debra worrying about this.”
“Okay.”
Pete wished it would be that simple, giving the money and being done with it. But losing Carl wasn’t an option. “I don’t know what pisses me off more. Roger using his son as a pawn or the real threat of us losing Carl.” He walked out of the kitchen and picked Carl up out of his activity seat. Leah stared after him unsure of what else to say. He held the chubby baby to his chest, kissing his dark curly hair. God you can’t give him to me to help me heal and then have him taken away from me so quickly. “I love you Carl. I’m so sorry for all the hate I had that prevented me from being there for your mother after my wife died. But I promise I will do everything I can to do right by you,” he whispered to the cooing baby.
Chapter 39
“Get y’all butt in this house right now!” Porsha shouted opening the door to the house. “I can’t stand y’all trifling behinds sometimes.” She pushed the door open and stepped into the small entryway of her home. Her three kids came running in behind her. “Go somewhere so I don’t have to look at ya.” They ran down the steps to the basement still fussing with one another.
Porsha walked further into the house after closing the door behind her and followed the noise of a video game playing on the TV in the family room. Roger was on the couch playing an action game with a wide grin spread across his mouth.
She studied him for a moment while standing by the arch entryway to enter the family room. “What are you so happy about?” She walked further into the room and stood next to him.
“I’m just enjoying my game Porsha.” He continued to watch the screen while moving his fingers over the game control. “How was your day?”
Porsha blinked rapidly trying to figure out if the man in front of her was really her usually hostile husband, and not what appeared to be a pleasantly polite gentleman. “How was my day?” she repeated in disbelief.
“Yes. How was your day at the salon?”
She stared at him then thrust her hand on her hip. “What the hell is going on with you Roger?”
“Can’t a man ask his wife how her day was without there be some type of problem?”
“Yes he could. But you and I don’t exactly have a pleasant, lovey-dovey type of relationship. So heck yeah there’s a problem.” She watched him. He looked different. He was grinning way too hard and acting way too nice. He wasn’t even that nice to her after sex. Which was the only time he treated her half decently. “Are you screwing someone else? Did you find some ho to replace Carlisha?”
“Seriously Porsha? Why do you have to start mess when there ain’t any. Can a dude just be in a good mood?”
“Hmmm,” she slid her purse strap off her shoulder and rest it on the couch. She knew he was hiding something and she was determined to find out what it was.
Roger couldn’t help grinning, and right now Porsha couldn’t make him frown. The paternity test today confirmed he was Carl’s father. Despite Porsha’s jabs that he couldn’t, his manhood was in check – he could father a child. Heck yeah he had a grin on his face, he had a son.
“So did you get the money to pay my car note?”
“I’ll have it. No need to worry.” He glanced up at her briefly then returned his attention to the TV screen.
“Roger I swear to you, if I find out you’re messing with some chick it’ll be hell to pay.”
He held back saying something indignant when she was the one busy sleeping around, but he was in too good a mood to go there. The only thing that kept him with her was their secret, she was hell, but going to jail wasn’t an option for him.
Porsha turned and walked out of the family room leaving him in peace with his game.
Chapter 40
Pete took several deeps breaths trying to calm his nerves while he sat in his car after pulling up and parking in the small driveway. I need to get a grip. He’d been anxious all day. Guilt and excitement were also feelings he’d been battling since he woke up that morning. It’s just a date, this doesn’t diminish the love I have for Moriah. She could never be replaced. He was trying to get his thoughts in order. Was he doing the right thing by going out on a date just a little over a year since Moriah’s death? Maybe Rachel, Leah and Noah were right – this was way too soon.
He placed his hand on the door handle and pushed the car door open. I’ll just tell Debra that I was a bit hasty in asking her out and that we should just continue our obligation of caring for Carl and working together. Pete walked up the two steps and rang the doorbell. He looked around observing the quiet neighborhood in Accokeek, Maryland. A few people were taking an evening jog, others were walking their dogs. He noticed Debra’s well-manicured small yard with beautiful sunflowers along a fence. Moriah loved to garden, he thought as he took in the sight waiting for Debra to answer the door.
“Hi,” Debra answered the door dressed in a black wrap dress that reached right above her knee, she had on black strappy heels, also emerald colored costume jewelry that brought a touch of color to her outfit. Her makeup was flawless, or perhaps she had on no makeup at all other than red lipstick. The sight of her instantly took his breath away. His hesitation moments before – vanished!
“You look gorgeous!” He finally found his words after ogling her. “Wow!”
Debra’s cream freckled cheeks turned red from his compliment, which only made her look even more ravishing in his eyes. “Thank you!” she stepped aside. “Please come in.”
Pete forgot why he was second guessing their date. All this doubts were placed on the backburner by the sight of her. There was more to her than her beauty that drew him to her. She had a heart of gold, which was evident in her eagerness to assist in raising Carlisha’s son. She was a hard working woman, working to rebuild her life, determined to get her college degree. Her ex-husband is a fool to have left her, he thought roaming his eyes over her body.
“Just give me a minute to grab my purse and we could leave,” she said after gesturing a seat in the small living room. She walked down the hall and came back seconds later.
**KC**
“I’ve never been here before, this atmosphere in here is so exotic and welcoming,” Debra said, taking in the décor of the restaurant. There were tropical plants strategically placed throughout the place, rich bright colors of aquamarine, corals and yellow were on different sectional walls. A huge saltwater fish tank was embedded in the wall which added to the tropical ambiance. Conch shells with fresh assorted colors of hibiscus were centerpie
ces on the dining tables.
“Yes, I love eating here at the J Spot. Chef Judea is the queen of cuisine. This place just opened up a few months ago, but I’ve eaten at her other location in Atlanta too.” Pete couldn’t take his eyes off of Debra, all evening he’d been fighting the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her.
“Hmmm, so what do you recommend I try off the menu?” Debra looked up from the menu she had open in her hands.
“Do you like fish?” Pete asked trying not to drown in her beautiful eyes. She nodded her head. “Try the red snapper.”
They placed their orders then sat awkwardly quiet both trying to figure out the perfect thing to say.
Debra took a sip of her red wine hoping the liquid would help her to relax. This was also another reason after her divorced that she had sworn off men, and dating period! It was a distraction from her finally regaining her independence and getting her life back on track. Plus she hated the awkwardness that accompanied dating. She wasn’t ready for another relationship. Her last ended too bitterly and it took a while for her to heal afterwards. She wasn’t ready to put her heart on the line again only for it to be crushed to pieces. That ship sailed before the ink on her divorce papers dried.
“So, are you from Maryland?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“No. My parents and I moved here from Ohio when I was five.”
“Do you still have family in Ohio?”
“Yes. My aunt and some cousins.” He drank some wine. “What about you, are you originally from here?”
“No. Florida actually. My husband…I mean my ex-husband and I moved here three years ago. But my parents were already living here so the move wasn’t bad.”
“Usually people your parents’ age move to Florida, not north toward the cold.”
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