“What? Why would she be concerned about me?” Maxine’s brows were furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t know. But here’s the thing. I think she slashed the hood of your car.”
Maxine stood, took one step then turned back to Ramsey and took Brielle out of his arms and sat back down. “Why would this woman do that? How does she even know who I am?”
“I don’t know and I don’t know.”
Maxine gave him a “yeah, right” stare down.
Ramsey raised a hand as if he was testifying in court. “You’ve got to believe me, Maxine. I haven’t seen or spoken to her in a little over two years.”
A little girl who appeared about nine or ten years old came up to Maxine and said, “Can I put Brielle on the swings today?”
Smiling at the little girl, Maxine said, “Hey Eboni, where’s your mom?”
Eboni pointed over by the slide. “She’s with my brothers, but I didn’t want to go down the slide all day long.” Eboni stretched out the word long to express how longsuffering she had been with her brothers.
“Okay, you can push Brielle. But I’ll put her in the swing for you.” Maxine got up and walked Brielle over to the swings. “You want to get on these today, Bre-Bre?”
The excitement in Brielle’s eyes was evident as she bounced around saying, “Ye... ye... yes!”
Maxine picked Brielle up and put her in the swing. She then turned back to Eboni and said, “Don’t swing her too high or too fast, okay?”
“I won’t hurt her, Ms. Maxine. I know how to swing a baby.”
“Thanks, Eboni. Just bring her back to me when she’s ready to get out.” With that Maxine headed back to Ramsey; she sat down and glared at him. “So you mean to tell me that the whole while you were accusing me of having an illicit affair with some two-timing man, you were having stalker trouble of your own?”
“It’s not like that, Maxine. I never would have called you if I was having trouble with a woman like that. I wouldn’t have wanted to bring anything like this to your door.” Ramsey was frustrated about the entire situation, because he couldn’t figure out how he had gotten himself back on Brandi’s radar. He’d done everything he could to get away from her; why was she making an appearance back in his life now? “I promise you that I haven’t had any dealings whatsoever with Brandi in more than two years.”
Maxine’s body jolted as if she’d received a high voltage shock. “Wait a minute,” Maxine waved her hand in Ramsey’s face. “Are you telling me that your ex-girlfriend’s name is Brandi?” Squinting her eyes as if examining him, she asked, “What’s her last name?”
“What difference does that make?” Ramsey didn’t understand Maxine’s reaction. “Do you know someone named Brandi?”
Before Maxine could answer they heard a scream, turned and saw Eboni being knocked down and a woman with a hoodie on in ninety-degree weather, pulling Brielle out of the swing. Maxine and Ramsey jumped into action. Ramsey was running like he was doing the fifty-yard dash, while Maxine screamed, “Stop that woman. She’s trying to steal my baby!”
A couple of women that were standing in the parking lot connected their arms together, forming a barrier so the woman couldn’t get through them. Brielle was crying and the woman was frantically searching for a way around. She went left and the barrier moved left, she went right and they moved again.
That had been all the time Ramsey needed to catch up to the woman. He grabbed hold of her jacket and attempted to pull her back into the park. “Call the police,” he yelled to no one in particular. He reached around and grabbed hold of Brielle. “Let her go,” he told the woman. “Your little game is over.”
“No,” she yelled back. “If you don’t want me, you can’t have her.”
Ramsey was thankful that Maxine had grabbed hold of Brielle at that moment. Because when he heard those words and that voice, he almost lost his grip on the baby. “Brandi?”
Ramsey pulled the hood off the woman’s head. And as sure as there is a God in heaven, there was also a woman by the name of Brandi Owens who was determined to destroy his life. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you trying to steal Maxine’s baby?”
Maxine had Brielle in her arms. Fire was just about shooting out of her eyes as she said, “You can’t do this, Brandi. We had a deal. You’re the one who asked for my help, remember?”
Ramsey turned to Maxine. “You know her?”
Sirens began blaring as the police drove into the park. A few of the other moms were holding onto Brandi and preparing to hand her over to the police when Maxine answered Ramsey. “She’s Brielle’s birth mom.”
And at that moment, with the police taking hold of Brandi, Brielle crying and Maxine looking scared and confused, Ramsey’s world changed forever.
8
Later at Maxine’s house, Ramsey asked, “What did she tell you about Brielle’s father?”
“She said he was a deadbeat who left her and the baby.”
Those were fighting words as far as Ramsey was concerned. If he would have known about the baby, he would have never left Brandi’s side. Maybe they wouldn’t have worked as husband and wife, but he would have been there for his daughter. With clenched teeth he said, “She called me a week after I broke things off with her and told me that she’d had an abortion.”
“Maybe she did, Ram. Brandi is a very unstable woman. She could have aborted your baby and then gotten pregnant immediately after.”
Ramsey acknowledged that, but then said, “The first night I saw Brielle, I saw something in her eyes. Have you noticed that our eyes are shaped the same and we have the same color and everything? Now that I think about it, Brielle and I have pretty much the same skin tone, also. I just hadn’t paid it much attention before because I had no reason to, I guess.”
“What are you saying, Ram?” Maxine had that nervous look on her face again. The same one she had at the park when she thought Brandi was trying to take her baby away from her.
“I’m saying that I think we need to get a paternity test. If Brielle is mine, I want to know about it.”
“And then what?”
He sat down next to Maxine, trying to calm her nerves. “I’m not trying to take Brielle away from you. I can see how much you love her and how much she loves you. But don’t you think I have a right to know if I have a child? I’ve had so many nightmares about Brandi taking her away from me. This would be some kind of miracle; don’t you agree... if Brielle did turn out to be mine?”
“She’s mine, Ram, don’t forget that.”
“I know she’s yours, Maxine. But please don’t take this away from me. Help me to find out if my baby is alive or not.”
Maxine crossed her arms. “What if she is yours? Will I then have to fight you and Brandi for her?”
“Brandi has nothing to do with this. She gave Brielle away. But I never gave up my rights to my child, Maxine.” Ramsey hated the fear he saw in Maxine’s eyes, he hated having to put her through this, but he had to know. “It’s like what you told me about feeling as if you put your career ahead of having children and then feeling as if you might have given up the best part of your life. I’ve felt that way ever since I found out that Brandi aborted my baby... like I messed up royally, and nothing I did in life would ever fix it. But now I feel like maybe God is giving me a second chance. Don’t take that away from me, okay, Maxine?”
With tears in her eyes she said, “All right, Ram, we’ll do it your way.”
***
After everything that occurred in the last few weeks, Maxine was left wondering what life would be like if she lost Brielle. Brandi had made bail and her lawyer was now claiming that she couldn’t have kidnapped her own child and they were challenging the validity of the adoption since the father never signed away his rights.
Ramsey had taken the paternity test and had hired his own attorney. The test hadn’t come back yet and even though Ramsey was being so wonderful to her and Brielle, Maxine fe
lt the need to get her attorney involved. She just prayed that she wouldn’t have to fight Ramsey if Brielle turned out to be his child. But with each passing day, Maxine was becoming more and more convinced that Ramsey was, in fact, Brielle’s father. Her nerves were shot.
Brandi had duped her into believing that she’d had some one night stand with a deadbeat and that Brielle’s father would never be in the picture. She should have known not to trust that girl. She had been a flake during the early years of their modeling careers. Actually, Brandi’s career ended rather quickly because she couldn’t handle the pressure and couldn’t keep her appointments. But Maxine had tried to remain friends with her.
They’d lost touch, mainly due to Brandi changing her number. Maxine had assumed that she had left New York. It wasn’t until Brandi was eight months pregnant that she’d heard from her old friend again.
“I need your help,” Brandi had said.
“Just tell me what you need. If I can help, I’ll be happy to.” That had been Maxine’s response; however, she had no idea that a baby would be involved. But once the idea took root, Maxine couldn’t stop thinking about the baby. She decided pretty quickly that she wouldn’t let the opportunity pass her by. She retired from modeling with little regret. The industry had taken more than it had given to her, so she knew she wouldn’t miss the lifestyle. She willingly left it behind for her child. Maxine just wished she had been thinking with her head and not just her heart the day she picked Brielle up. Letting her emotions lead her, might just cost her the one things she wanted more than anything in this great big old world.
She picked Brielle up and said, “Come on, honey, let’s get ready. Your daddy will be here to pick us up soon.” She only called Ramsey Brielle’s father when they were alone. She wasn’t ready to give Ramsey that much power over them yet.
Maxine put on a white sundress and dressed Brielle in a pink and blue jumper set. She put pink and blue box barrettes in Brielle’s hair. She packed an overnight back for her and Brielle and then the two sat waiting for Ramsey. He was taking them to Raleigh to a barbecue at his parents’ house. She knew that Ramsey was excited about showing Brielle off to his parents. Maxine just wanted to be able to go and come back home without anyone else trying to take her child away from her.
Her phone rang. Maxine saw that it was Dawn, so she picked up, “Hey girl, I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“The real estate market has finally picked up and I have been overloaded with showings,” Dawn told her sister. “But I just wanted to check in to see how things were going, or if that psycho woman has tried to contact you.”
“I haven’t heard from Brandi, but a social worker from Child Protective Services contacted me today.”
“Why is Child Protective Services involved? Please don’t tell me that Brandi is claiming that you’re abusing Brielle?”
“No, it’s even worse than that.” Maxine’s eyes welled up with tears, she wiped them away.
“How could anything be worse than that?”
“I’m not abusing Brielle, so I could defend myself against a case like that. But Brandi’s attorney contacted Child Protective Services, telling them that we never finalized the adoption and she wants her baby back.”
“What do you mean? I thought you finalized everything when you picked Brielle up from her birth mom.”
Maxine had been calling herself all types of fools, but no matter how much she berated herself, nothing would change the truth. “Brandi was real messed up when I arrived at her house to pick up Brielle. She gave me the birth certificate and hospital records and signed the paper I brought with me stating that she had asked me to adopt Brielle because she was not stable enough to keep her. But we never finalized anything because Brandi went into rehab that day. She promised me that we would take care of everything once she got herself together. But she never got back in touch with me once she left rehab.”
“Maxine, you know what this means, don’t you?”
“I have a pretty good idea... they’re going to take my baby away from me.”
“Have you talked to Ramsey about this?”
Ramsey... he was her other issue. “I don’t want to tell him, because if it turns out that Brielle is his child, then he will be able to take her from me also. I thought my best hope would be to fight Brandi based on her long history of unstable behavior. But I don’t know how to fight Ramsey.”
“Why fight him, Maxine? Why not talk to Ramsey and see how the two of you can work together?”
Dawn was probably right. But Maxine had been so full of fear ever since Brandi resurfaced that she didn’t know who she could trust. But she didn’t have a choice anymore. “I’ll talk to him when we get back from Raleigh.”
“His parents have an extra bedroom for me and Brielle. Ramsey said he’ll sleep on the sofa bed.”
Dawn laughed, “As tall as he is, that’s going to be one uncomfortable night.”
“You think I should take the sofa bed and let him take the spare bed?” At this point Maxine didn’t want to do anything that would cause problems between her and Ramsey.
“No, I think you should let that man do for you, whatever he wants. He’s a good man, Maxine. And I think he really cares for you. Just open your eyes and stop seeing him as a threat.”
The doorbell rang; Maxine took a deep breath and tried to rein in her nerves. “I’ve got to go, Dawn. I think that’s Ramsey at the door.”
“Okay, girl. But do me a favor and try to enjoy yourself this weekend.”
“I will... promise.”
---
Ramsey, Maxine, Dontae and Jewel were relaxing by the pool in Ramsey and Dontae’s parents’ back yard. Renee, Raven and Carmella were in the house fussing over Brielle, while Ramsey Sr. and Ronny were grilling.
Ramsey put Maxine’s hand in his as he leaned closer to her and said, “I want to tell my family about Brielle after dinner. Is that all right with you?”
“What if I said no?” she whispered, eyes imploring him to understand what she was going through.
“They’re going to find out sometime; might as well be now while we’re all here together, don’t you think?” Ramsey didn’t know what he had to do to get Maxine to trust him. He knew how much she loved Brielle and he would never do anything to threaten that relationship.
“What if you’re not the father, Ram? I don’t think we should tell them until we have proof.”
Smiling like a man in the hospital waiting room who’d just been told, ‘it’s a girl’, he said, “The paternity papers came today. I was waiting so I could tell everyone at the same time. But, Maxine, she’s mine... one hundred percent.”
Maxine popped up, taking her hand out of his. “Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you picked us up? What are you trying to do, force me to leave Brielle here with your parents or something?”
Dontae and Jewel sat up, they asked in unison. “What’s wrong?”
Dontae and Ronny already knew that he’d taken a paternity test for Brielle. He’d finally broken down and confessed about the reason that he transferred from New York to Charlotte. His brothers hadn’t judged him. They had been there for him in the last few weeks, supporting him and keeping his secret. But Ramsey knew that he could hide this thing from his parents no longer. And truth be told, he didn’t want to hide Brielle. She was God’s gift to him. Even though he had been living in sin when Brielle was conceived, God had preserved his daughter’s life and for that Ramsey would forever be grateful.
Maxine pointed an accusing finger at Ramsey. “Ram got his papers back on Brielle and he’s just now telling me.”
“Calm down, Maxine. It’s not a big deal. I had just received my mail only minutes before I picked you and Brielle up. What’s got you so on edge? I really wish you would talk to me.”
Maxine stood up, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. “What I’m going to do is go back home. I never should have come here with you in the first p
lace.
“I drove you here, Maxine. How do you think you’re going to get back to Charlotte without me?”
“I’ll catch a cab to the airport,” she threw back as she opened the sliding glass doors and stormed into the house. She went into the family room. Raven was bouncing Brielle on her lap. Brielle reached out to Maxine and tears immediately sprang to Maxine’s eyes. She grabbed Brielle from Raven and said, “I need to change her.”
Carmella followed Maxine out of the room and into the spare bedroom they had put her things in. “Are you okay, Maxine? I thought I saw tears in your eyes.”
Laying Brielle on the bed and pulling a diaper out of her bag. Maxine changed Brielle’s diaper as she told Carmella, “I’m just not in a good place right now. It probably would have been better for me to stay at home today.”
“No it wouldn’t have been. I wanted you here today... with me,” Ramsey told her as his imposing figure stood in the doorway.
Carmella put her hands on Maxine’s shoulder. “I’m going to let you and Ram talk. But if you need me, just come and get me, okay?”
Maxine nodded, she then handed Ramsey the wet diaper she’d just pulled off of Brielle. “Throw that away for me.”
Ram threw the diaper in the bathroom trash can and rushed back to Maxine. But she already had Brielle in her arms walking toward the front door. “I’m not going to let you leave like this.”
“Try and stop me,” she barked at him. “You’re keeping secrets and you want me to trust you. No, Ram, it does not work that way. I’m going home.”
“Fine, if you want to go home then I’ll take you. Just wait here so I can say goodbye to my family.”
“I’ll be outside,” she told him snippily. But as she opened the front door, instead of advancing forward, she backed up as two police officers and a tight lipped woman stood on the porch, getting ready to knock on the door.
“How can we help you?” Ram asked, addressing the police officers.
Ramsey's Praise Page 6