“You’d get bored and you know it. The great Ronald Thomas wouldn’t be able to sit still for two seconds without thinking about the next deal to be made.”
He leaned over and kissed her long and hard. The desire he had for her was overtaking him and he couldn’t control himself any longer. He didn’t ever want their kiss to end, but she pulled back and stared at him with questioning eyes. Softly he told her, “The only deal I’m thinking about making is one that includes me and you and some let’s-stay-together kind of music.”
“You do understand that I don’t believe in sex before marriage, right?”
His eyes widened, as if that was a new concept he hadn’t heard of. “Actually, I didn’t know that. I mean, it’s not like you’re a virgin.”
“Watch your mouth, boy. I may have been married before and had a child, but for the last four years I have lived like a virgin and intend to continue doing so until God sends the man I am to marry.”
As far as Ronny was concerned that no-sex-before-marriage thing was a whole ‘nother reason why he wasn’t trying to be all Christianized. That junk was bananas.
Chapter 10
Since Ronny had never been fond of cold showers and Nia wasn’t talking what he wanted to hear, he left Raleigh and went to Washington, DC. This trip was for business but traveling to DC always put a smile on his face because the trip afforded him the opportunity to see Raven. Mama-Carmella got on his case about being too busy for family, but Raven could use a talking to, also. His kid sister was a high powered fixer like that Olivia Pope chick, except for the fact that Raven was way too saved to sleep with one of her clients.
With Raven he mixed business with personal, because his sister had all sorts of connections these days. She helped him clear red tape on building permits more times than he could count. So, taking her to lunch or dinner whenever he was in town was the least he could do.
They normally talked a mile a minute, knowing that both of them had busy schedules and wouldn’t be able to linger long, but today was different. Ronny had the virgin Nia on his mind, wondering if she was truly feeling him like he was feeling her. Or if he was just wasting his time with a woman who was still stuck on her deceased husband.
Raven was quiet also, and Ronny couldn’t figure that one out. His sister had mastered the art of conversation, but not so much today. “What gives, little sis, you seem distracted.”
Raven had been looking off into the distance, her eyes slid back to her brother. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. Something is up; you’re not yourself.”
She waved his concern away. “I’m fine.”
The waitress came to the table with their food. After putting their plates down she then put a Mint Julep in front of Raven and said, “The gentleman at table six said this drink is your favorite and asked that I bring it with your meal.”
Raven turned scornful eyes towards table number six and then told the waitress. “Take it away. I don’t drink alcohol.”
“Forgive me, miss. I was just doing what the gentleman suggested.”
As the waitress picked up the drink and hurried away from the table, Ronny’s eyebrows went up. “What gives, sis?”
Raven lowered her head as she massaged her temples. “Why is this happening to me?”
Ronny turned to the table; the man hadn’t taken his eyes off of Raven. “Is he bothering you? Do you want me to take care of this matter?” Ronny moved his napkin from his lap to the table and started to raise up from the table.
Raven put a hand on his arm. “Don’t go over there. He’s a client. I just don’t want to be bothered right now, is all.”
“Since when are you bothered by your clients? The Raven Thomas I know lives and breathes for the clients on her roster.”
“Maybe I need to do a little less living and breathing.”
“You didn’t take the drink,” a deep and commanding voice said.
Both Raven’s and Ronny’s heads swung around to face off with this tall and athletically built man who dared to enter their space.
Ronny saw by the look in the man’s eyes that nothing about this interruption had to do with business. This was all the way live personal and he was going to stop this stalker in his tracks.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I know what you want. And I’m here to tell you that my sister doesn’t do business like that. Okay, are we clear?”
“This is not a good time, Senator,” Raven’s head was still low, refusing to look in his direction.
Ronny’s mouth went slack. “This man is a senator?” He turned back to the man and asked, “Do your constituents know that you spend your free time stalking women who want nothing to do with you?”
The senator turned to Raven and asked, “Is that the way it is, Rav; do you want nothing to do with me?”
Raven stood as she told Ronny, “I’m feeling ill right now; can we just go?”
Ronny threw a few bills on the table and then rushed his sister out of the restaurant. But as they were leaving, with the full knowledge that his sister never answered the senator’s question, he realized that Raven might have more in common with Olivia Pope than he ever dreamed.
“Are you sleeping with that man?”
Raven lifted a hand. “I can’t deal with this right now, Ronny. Please change the subject.”
Ronny didn’t want to change the subject. He thought that his Christian sister was just as much the virgin Mary as Nia was, but something had happened to change that and he wanted to know what that man had done to her.
Before he could drill his sister any further, his cell rang. It was his dad, so he answered immediately. “Hey dad, I’m standing here with Raven. Do you want to talk to her?” Maybe hearing her father’s voice would get her to start thinking clearer.
“I’ll call her back. I need you right now.”
“Okay, what’s up?”
“There’s been an accident, son.”
He immediately thought of Nia. “Tell me she’s okay, Dad.”
“Who, what?” Raven asked, now trying to get closer to the phone.
“It’s not Nia. Jarod had an asthma attack at school and they couldn’t find his inhaler in time. It doesn’t look good, so if you care anything about Nia, you need to get back here now.”
“Where is Jarod?”
“He’s in the hospital, but you need to hurry.”
No, he wouldn’t believe it. Not Jarod. His cool little buddy would be all right; nothing was going to stomp out his light. “I’m on my way.”
***
Nia was wringing her hands in despair as Ronny walked into Jarod’s room, and he could see why. Jarod was hooked up to a ventilator. His dad had warned him about that before coming into the room... said that it was there to help the little guy breathe since he was in a coma.
Ronny couldn’t believe the words that had come out of his father’s mouth. How could that sweet little kid who just wanted to play pirates or be a super hero be forced to lay in that bed, not moving, not jumping around, not communicating with anyone? It was more than Ronny could take, but he tried his best not to let his feelings show in front of Nia. He wanted her to be able to lean on him and not the other way around.
“It’s going to be all right, Nia. Jarod is only four right now. His best days are yet to come.”
With tears in her eyes, she turned to Ronny. “He’s all I’ve got.”
He rushed to Nia and put his arms around her, comforting the hurt away as best he could. She sobbed but held on to him as if he was her life preserver. “I’m here, honey, I’m here for you and Jarod. He is going to make it.”
The nurse came in the room and suggested that they give Jarod a few minutes to rest and then come back in. Ronny helped Nia to the waiting area where they sat down with his parents. Mama-Carmella put a hand on Nia’s shoulder and said, “It’s time for us to go pray. God hasn’t forgotten you or Jarod, I can promise you that.”
Nia popped out of her seat. “You
are so right. I’ve been standing around here crying and depressing myself, and haven’t once thought about going into prayer for Jarod.”
“The chapel is down the hall. Let’s go there and pray,” Carmella suggested.
Ramsey stood and look to his son, “You coming?”
Ronny wanted to ask them what happened to all the other prayers they had sent up to God. Shouldn’t all the years of prayer before have stopped such a tragedy in the first place? But who was he to take their hope away. They could have it, but he was going to get busy trying to help Jarod on his own. “You all go and pray. I’ve got a few things to take care of.”
As they walked away he caught the look that Nia gave him. She wasn’t happy with his decision, but she’d be loving him if he was able to get a doctor over to this hospital who could help Jarod. He pulled out his cell phone and called his assistant.
The moment Joyce got him on the phone she started in. “Where have you been, boss? It’s a mad house over here. One of the buildings didn’t pass inspection and two of your investors want you to fill them in on the next project we’ve got going.”
“I don’t have time for any of that right now. I want you to take care of the inspection issue tomorrow, but for today I need you to find a pediatrician who specializes in asthma.”
“What does that have to do with the projects we’re working on?”
Ronny didn’t mean to, but he snapped at her, “What does that matter? I asked you to do it, so I must need it done.”
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have questioned you.”
Ronny took a deep breath, reining himself in. “No, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. It’s just that Jarod is in a coma and we’re all scared right now.”
“Oh my good Lord. I’ll get on your request right away. Is there anything else I can do?”
Ronny thought about that for a minute. His mind drifted to the one thing that he knew would put a smile on Jarod’s face and just might bring him out of his coma like state. “I need you to locate someone.” He gave her the details and then hung up the phone.
Ronny then opened his laptop and began doing google searches for ways to help Jarod. After about fifteen minutes of searching, his cell rang. He saw that it was Joyce so he picked up immediately.
“I found a doctor. He’s a few hours away, though.”
“Get him a flight. Tell him we’ll pay three times, heck, he could quadruple his fee if he wants to. Just get him here ASAP.”
As he hung up the phone, Nia and his parents were rounding the corner. He stood up to tell her the good news but she was pointing an accusatory finger at him as she said, “You came here to work?”
He saw that his laptop was still open and figured she must have assumed that he was doing his thing rather than being concerned about Jarod. He opened his mouth to tell her she was all wrong. But she started screaming at him.
“Get out of here, Ronny. I don’t want you here. We’re all praying for my son and you’re busy working. That’s all you care about so go back to your big corporation and leave us alone.” She stormed past him as she went back into the ICU.
Ronny was about to run after her, but his father stopped him. “Give her some time, son. She’s hurting. If you go after her right now, you’re just going to make it worse.”
“Then what am I supposed to do, Dad? She’s got it all wrong. I want to be here for Jarod just as much as anyone else.”
“Just come back later, Ronny. Don’t upset Nia any further,” Carmella told him.
He shook his head at the absurdity of the situation. But he relented. “Okay, I’m leaving, but tell her to make sure that those doctors take Jarod on and off that ventilator so that you all will know when he is breathing on his own. The longer that ventilator stays on it can cause pneumonia to set in.”
“We’ll tell her, son.”
“I’ll be back,” he told them. “And I’m coming with some people who can help Jarod. I’ll show Nia what I was concerning myself with. She’ll see.
Chapter 11
Nia was scared, and she didn’t mind admitting it. She trusted the Lord with her life, but could she trust him with Jarod? Because as she looked around, God didn’t have such a good track record with her family. Her husband was gone, her mother and father also gone from this earth, well before they should be and now her son was in the hospital fighting for his life.
“He’s got to pull through, Lord, he’s just go to.” Then she repeated that old bible verse from Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe but help my unbelief.” Because that verse displayed exactly how she was feeling.
Sitting down in the chair across from her son’s bed, Nia wished that she hadn’t been so mean to Ronny. She needed him here with her. But it was probably best that things end the way they did. Because the last thing she would want is to lose Ronny in some other manner... especially since all those she loved, seemed to leave.
Sighing deeply, Nia looked over at her son’s bed again. He was laying so still that she wanted to nudge him, remind him that he had pirate ships to build and treasure hunts to go on. With tears sliding down her face, she prayed once again, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”
***
Ronny was determined that life wasn’t about to end for his buddy. Jarod was only four years old, so he had at least nine more decades to look forward to. Joyce had come back with the information he needed, the one thing guaranteed to put a smile on Jarod’s face when he woke from his long slumber. And Ronny was going to make it happen, just as he always did.
He turned off the highway in Durham, NC and drove into the subdivision where Jarod’s scholarly grandparents lived. He had discovered that both James and Thelma Brooks were professors at the university, so he was about to see if they were smart enough to know that their grandson needed them in his life.
Ronny knocked on the door and then stood back. He didn’t want to come off too aggressive and scare them off. As far as Ronny was concerned, Jarod was counting on him to provide some grandparents and he wasn’t going to let him down.
“Yes?” an older man with a clean shaven head said as he opened the door.”
“Are you, Professor James Brooks?”
“Indeed I am.”
“Can I have a minute of your time, Mr. Brooks? It’s about your grandson.”
***
“His hand moved. Did you see it?” Nia asked as she jumped out of her seat.
“Oh my good Lord Jesus.” Carmella press the button for the nurse.
When the nurse came into the room, Nia yelled, “He’s waking up. His hand just moved.”
The nurse was calm as she said, “That does happen. But the last time I checked the brain activity I didn’t see any changes.”
“Go check it again,” Carmella demanded.
As the nurse walked back out of the room, Carmella grabbed hold of Ramsey’s and Nia’s hands. “Come on, y’all. It’s time to go to war. Jarod is coming back to us today.” The group bowed their heads and began praying and speaking in tongues like they knew they needed to do to reach heaven for real.
***
That didn’t go as well as Ronny expected. By the end of the conversation, he had been about to offer to pay off their house if they would just go visit Jarod in the hospital. But before he could pull out his checkbook Thelma Brooks picked up the phone and threatened to call the police if he didn’t leave their house.
Whoever heard of parents who didn’t want to be grandparents? That was the natural order of things. Ronny was determined to fix this situation. He didn’t care if he had to threaten that university with a bogus lawsuit to get those two poor excuses for grandparents fired... they would get what was coming to them.
Ronny was so steamed as he drove back to the hospital that he hadn’t noticed that it had started snowing and the roads were getting slick. He swerved and skidded. Tried to regain control of his car, but it was as if some other force had taken over the wheel. Ronny could do nothing but watch as the car spun around and then sudden
ly, the car jerked as it sped toward the guard rail. He tried to stop what was sure to be a painful impact. But his self correct seemed to do more harm than good, because the next thing Ronny knew he was watching in horror as his car went over the guardrail and he was falling into a ditch so big it looked like a sink hole... like the street had just opened up and swallowed him and his car. Ronny’s head hit the dashboard and everything went black.
***
One by one Carmella, Ramsey and Nia took turns praying and calling out to God on Jarod’s behalf. However, after about an hour the nurse rushed into the room and said, “We have seen brain activity. It’s low, but it’s better than nothing.”
The room filled with cheers, but then Carmella grabbed hold of her heart as a pain shot through her body.
“What’s wrong?” Ramsey grabbed his wife and sat her down.
“I’m okay. Something hit me just then as I caught a glimpse of Ronny’s face. I think he’s in some kind of trouble.”
Ramsey waved that off. “You worry too much about that boy. I keep telling you he’s a grown man and can take care of himself.”
Carmella put her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Please, Ramsey, I need you to pray with me. Just trust me on this, okay?”
“I trust you,” Nia said. “You’ve been here praying all day with me for my son, the least I can do is pray with both of you.”
They were about to join hands again, when Carmella saw Jarod’s hand move. “He wants to pray with us. Grab his hand, Nia. Let’s get Jarod in on this prayer for his friend.”
***
Ronny felt as if someone had just used his head as a bowling ball. He looked around trying to regain his bearings, but nothing was making sense to him. How had his car gotten into this deep hole? He tried to open the door, but it was stuck. When he shoved his body against the door he yelled out in excruciating pain, realizing that it wasn’t just his head, but his entire body was racked with pain.
Ronny leaned his head back against the headrest as he tried to figure his way out of this mess. As he leaned back, he found himself looking up at the clouds, towards heaven. It had been a long time since he’d run into a problem he couldn’t solve on his own... a long time since he took time to pray about anything, but he was certainly in a jam that only God could fix, so he opened his mouth to pray, but immediately felt as if his mouth was clamped shut.
His Love Walk Page 7