Genesis House Inspirational Romance and Family Drama Boxed Set: 3-in-1

by Angela Benson

  “Okay, girl,” Dolores said, “you’re getting too deep for me.” Laughing, she turned to Dawn. “Are you sure Sylvester doesn’t have any friends for us?”

  Before Dawn could answer, Tomika came out. “I’m ready for you, Dawn,” the massage therapist said.

  “Saved by the bell,” Dolores said. “You’ll have to tell us next time.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Thanks, Mrs. Thompson,” Francine said, handing the older woman her receipt and a copy of Michelle Stimpson’s Boaz Brown for her granddaughter at Howard University. “Have a blessed day.”

  Mother Harris walked up to Francine as Mrs. Thompson left the store. “I’m so happy to have you here, Francie. I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “I’m glad to be back. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have left in the first place.”

  “Hey, no looking back today. Remember what Paul said in the Book of Philippians. You’ve got to look forward. You have your whole life ahead of you and the Lord has a lot in store for you. If you keep looking back, you’ll miss it.”

  The chime on the door signaled the arrival of a new customer. “Sorry I’m late,” a girl of about fifteen said. “But I had to stay after school.”

  Mother Harris narrowed her eyes. “Stay after school?”

  The young girl giggled, causing her locks to sway around her face. “I wasn’t in trouble. They had a meeting for people who wanted to join the Pep Squad. I didn’t know it was going to last so long. I’m sorry.”

  Mother Harris smiled. “You’re not that late, anyway. Come over here,” she beckoned. “There’s somebody I want you to meet.”

  “Ms. Francine Amen, meet Monika King. Monika’s helping me out this summer. She takes summer school classes in the morning, and then works in the store three to four afternoons a week.”

  “Hi, Ms. Amen,” Monika said. She put her book bag on the counter and extended her hand.

  “Hello, Monika,” Francine said, taking the younger girl’s hand. “Call me Francine or Francie, most people do.”

  “Francie is going to be working full-time in the store.”

  Monika turned back to Mother Harris. “Then you won’t need me?” she said in a distressed voice.

  Mother Harris draped an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “I’ll always need you, but with both you and Francine at the store, I won’t have to be here as much. You know I’m getting old.”

  The young girl rolled her eyes. “You’ll never be old, Mother Harris. You act younger than my momma. Way younger.”

  Mother Harris laughed. “Don’t tell your mother that.”

  “I’m not crazy,” Monika said with a laugh. She picked up her book bag. “So what do you want me to do this afternoon?”

  Mother Harris checked her watch. “I’m going to leave the store to you and Francine. Your job is to help Francine close up tonight. This’ll be her first time and you know the ropes. How does that sound?”

  Francine saw the way the girl’s eyes widened with pride that Mother Harris trusted her with such a job. “Great,” Monika said. She turned her head toward Francine. “I’ll help you.”

  “Thanks, Monika,” Francine said. “It’s taking me a while to get the hang of the cash register, so I may need your help with that too.”

  “No problem,” Monika said. “It’s a breeze. I’ll help you.” She turned to Mother Harris. “Who’s going to take me home? Do I need to call my momma?”

  Mother Harris looked at Francine. “I think Francie’ll do it. You’re not too much out of her way.”

  “As long as you can give me directions, you have a ride, Monika,” Francine said.

  “Great,” Monika said. “It’s easy to get there.” That settled, she turned back to Mother Harris. “What about putting out stock?”

  “Francine and I did most of that this morning, but we left a few boxes just for you.” Mother Harris tapped her on her nose.

  “Yeah, right,” the girl said, smiling. “Thanks for thinking of me. I guess I’d better get started.”

  Francine watched the girl head for the back room. “She’s a wonder,” she said to Mother Harris. “How long has she been working with you?”

  “Just this summer. She and her mother haven’t been here that long. I met them after you left town. Monika came to church with some of the kids from the youth ministry a few years back, and she’s been coming ever since even though her mother worships somewhere else. She’s a really good kid.”

  “I can see that she is,” Francine said. “It’s obvious that she loves you. You’re more than a boss to her.”

  “I certainly hope so,” Mother Harris said. “Well, I’m going to leave now. Think you’ll be okay?”

  Francine nodded. “No problem,” she said, copying Monika’s words. “We won’t let you down.”

  Mother Harris leaned up and kissed her cheek. “I didn’t think you would. Don’t forget to have fun.”

  Francine smiled to herself as she thought about Mother Harris and her bookstore for the misplaced. She had no doubt that Mother Harris had embraced her and Monika for similar reasons. The door chime got her attention again. This time the customer was a tall, athletically built man with a mustache and silver wire-rimmed glasses. She guessed he was in his late thirties, early forties. Pretty cute, she thought, taking in the wavy hair.

  “Welcome,” she called to him with the standard customer greeting. “May I help you?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll just browse. Are you new here?”

  “Just hired today. I guess you’re a regular.”

  “You could say that.” He extended his hand. “Stuart Rogers.”

  Taking his hand, which she noticed bore a wedding ring, she said, “Francine Amen.” She’d have to forget about how cute he was.

  “Not Dawn’s sister?” he said, eyes alert.

  Francine wondered what he had heard about her. “Yes, Dawn’s sister.”

  “Well then, I’m especially pleased to meet you. Sly and Dawn are good friends of mine. Small world.”

  That answered her question. If he was close friends with Dawn and Sly, he had to know her history. That depressed her a bit. “Getting smaller all the time.”

  “You certainly didn’t waste any time finding a job.”

  Francine laughed. “You know Mother Harris, so you should be able to figure out how that happened.”

  His laughter told her that he did. “I love that woman,” he said.

  “Me too.”

  “Hey, Stuart,” Francine heard Monika’s voice from behind her.

  “Hey yourself,” Stuart said, giving the young girl a wide smile.

  “I thought it was you,” she said, rushing to him and giving him a big hug. Francine watched as he returned her embrace and then pulled away and looked down into Monika’s face. “You’re pretty happy today,” he observed. “What happened? I know you have good news for me.”

  Monika beamed. Francine could think of no better word for it. “I’m going to be on the Pep Squad,” she said. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

  Stuart brushed a hand across the girl’s locks. “Good for you.”

  I guess this means you’ll have to go to all the games then.” Monika grinned.

  “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.” Stuart ruffled her locks playfully. “The community thanks you for taking on the tough task.”

  Monika glanced at Francine. “Did you meet Francine? She started today. Mother Harris left her and me in charge of the store. I have to show Francine how to close up.”

  Stuart, who had given the young girl his full attention, looked up at Francine for the first time since Monika entered the room. “We’ve met,” he said, giving Francine a smile. He looked back at Monika. “Want to help me find a book?”

  The girl nodded. “What you looking for?”

  Stuart told Monika what he was looking for and the two of them left to browse the shelves. Francine watched them, wondering at their relationship. Monika certainly h
eld Stuart in high esteem, and he seemed to hold a high level of affection for her. He had to be a relative. When she heard Monika’s girlish laughter, she looked over at them and saw Stuart’s arm draped around the girl’s shoulders. Yes, he had to be a relative.

  “Here it is,” she heard Monika say.

  “Thanks, kiddo,” Stuart said.

  Francine watched as Monika led him back to the counter. “Do you want me to help you ring this up, Francine?” she asked.

  “I think I can handle it,” Francine said. “But you’re welcome to do it, since you helped him find the book.”

  Monika shook her head. “That’s all right. I still have one more box of books to shelve, so I’d better get back to work.” She turned to Stuart. “You’re still taking me to lunch tomorrow, right?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.

  “Good,” Monika said, “because I have a lot to talk to you about.”

  Stuart grinned after her as she headed off to the back.

  “Is that all?” Francine asked.

  He nodded.

  As she rang up his purchase, she asked, “So, are you and Monika related?”

  “Depends on how you look at it. I consider her family, but we’re not related biologically.”

  Those words didn’t sit too well with Francine. She thought he’d been a bit too familiar with the girl not to be a blood relative. “Oh,” she said.

  “Oh?”

  Francine shrugged as she took his credit card. “You two seem close. I thought you were related.” If you’re not, I think you’re being a bit too familiar with a teenaged girl.

  “She used to be in my youth group at church.”

  “Used to be? She’s no longer in it?”

  He shook his head. “I no longer head the group.”

  “Well, Monika certainly thinks a lot of you.” Francine wondered why Stuart was no longer director of the group, but she didn’t ask. He could have been asked to resign. She’d get the details from Mother Harris or Sly and Dawn. Cassandra had accused her of putting her head in the Bible and not seeing what was going on around her. Well, she wouldn’t be accused of doing that again. Stuart’s relationship with Monika set off all kinds of warning bells in her mind, and she wouldn’t rest until she addressed each and every one of them. No one else would be lost on her watch.

  “I think a lot of Monika, too,” Stuart said. “She’s a good kid. You’ll see that for yourself as you get to know her.”

  Francine smiled as she handed him his receipt. “Have a blessed day.”

  He looked as if he were going to say something, but he took her receipt, nodded, and then turned and left the store.

  Chapter 6

  Stuart’s encounter with Francine and Monika weighed heavily on his heart as he sat in his courthouse chambers later that afternoon, after finishing the cases on his docket. He knew Francine’s history from Sly, so he had a pretty good idea what she was concerned about, and he wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. She actually thought he had inappropriate intentions toward Monika! He would have laughed if it wasn’t so serious an allegation, and it had been an allegation even though she hadn’t uttered a word of accusation. It was in her eyes and in the words she hadn’t spoken.

  He was concerned about his relationship with Monika but not because it was inappropriate. No, he was concerned because of the way it looked. He would be more comfortable if Monika reached out to CeCe and Nate, but she wouldn’t. She’d grown attached to him and Marie, and he didn’t see himself withdrawing from her, not after the way she’d suffered when Marie died. Besides, he had stayed before the Lord long enough to know that he needed to be in Monika’s life and that she needed the relationship that he had with her. The kid didn’t have a father and she needed to know that a man—a good man, a godly man—cared about her and thought she was valuable. Stuart knew if she didn’t get that validation from a good man, a bad one would definitely give her an imitation of it. He wanted much more for Monika than that, and he thanked God her mother did too. In the Psalms, David referred to God as father of the fatherless, and Stuart believed God was using his relationship with Monika to show the teen that she had a father in God.

  All that aside, it still felt awkward to know that Francine thought he was a predator. He was going to have to do something to correct her wrong assumption. He’d talk to Sly before he said anything though. He didn’t want to do the wrong thing. He closed his eyes. Oh, how he missed Marie. She’d been a part of him. Their lives together had been clear and purposeful. Their shared ministry was more their life than his position on the bench. His role as judge provided him the opportunity to touch lives and gave him a certain standing in the community that opened doors that otherwise would have been closed to him, but it was his life and ministry with Marie and the kids that sustained him. They had always known what their lives together would be, and they’d been living out that life to the fullest when Marie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Even then, they hadn’t faltered, believing the God they served would heal her. He hadn’t. In time, they’d come to accept that as well.

  Now that Marie was gone, so was his direction in life. He didn’t see himself alone in the ministry they once shared. He didn’t fit there anymore and he didn’t know where he would fit. He thanked God for his work as jurist because it had kept him sane in the months immediately following Marie’s death. He’d found himself assigned to the high-profile case of the outgoing DeKalb County sheriff accused of murdering the incoming sheriff who had defeated him in the most recent election. That case, which had literally been dropped into his lap, had increased his stature considerably in Georgia’s political circles. He’d even gotten a letter from the governor commending him on a job well done on a case that could have set Georgia politics back a good twenty years.

  Stuart felt good about what he had accomplished, but it still didn’t give him the sense of personal fulfillment that the ministry with Marie had. He wasn’t sure if anything would ever match it. Stuart knew that Judge Mac’s plan to visit him was causing all these thoughts to surface. Though no one in an official capacity had said anything to him, it was rumored that he was on the governor’s short list to finish out the remainder of Judge Elway’s term on the Georgia Supreme Court, which made him the candidate of choice for the seat in the next election cycle. Judge Mac’s impending visit served to confirm the rumors. What other reason would the man have for visiting Stuart? Judge Leander “Mac” Maccalister, now retired, was the head of the Atlanta political machine and everybody knew it. When Stuart’s clerk buzzed him that Judge Mac had arrived, he rose to his feet and opened the door for the older man. “Hello, Judge Mac,” he said, extending a hand. “I’m honored to have you drop by.”

  “The honor is all mine, Stuart,” Judge Mac said, taking his hand.

  Stuart led him into the office, but instead of going back to the chair behind his desk, he chose the more intimate setting of the two burgundy leather chairs facing each other in the front left corner of the room. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked his visitor.

  “Nothing for me, but you go ahead.”

  Stuart shook his head and took a seat facing Judge Mac.

  “Today is your day, Stuart,” Judge Mac told him bluntly. Sitting across from Stuart in his signature black suit and tie, the older gentleman had a presence that filled Stuart’s courthouse office, making it feel much smaller than it actually was. “I see no need to pussyfoot around the issue. You know that Judge Elway is not running for reelection and you also know that, as a courtesy to the governor, he will resign his seat before the end of his term so that the governor can name a replacement. Of course, this is standard policy, as it gives the governor’s appointee a slight advantage in the next election, as he’ll be the incumbent.”

  Stuart nodded his understanding of the facts as presented.

  “What you don’t know is that we’ve been watching you since you were first appointed to the bench. You’ve made good decisions from day one an
d you kept yourself out of any political cat-fights. Given the district you’re in, that took major skill.”

  “Thank you, Judge.”

  “No need to thank me. I’m only stating facts. We were impressed with you before you got the sheriff murder case, but you exceeded our expectations with the way you handled that case. It was a political landmine that could have ended your career or boosted you into the stratosphere. I’m here today to show you what the stratosphere looks like.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything yet. Hear me out first. I know you’ve heard the rumors and I’m here to tell you they’re true. The governor has a short list of three men to fill Elway’s seat, and your name is at the top of that list. You’re the youngest one on it and you’re the only African-American.”

  Stuart’s heart raced as he listened to Judge Mac. He understood what Judge Mac was telling him: If he didn’t accept the governor’s offer, the number of African-Americans on the Georgia Supreme Court would remain at two, but if he took it, it would be the first time three ethnic minorities were on the court.

  “Now, the first thing we need to know is whether you’re interested. We don’t need a commitment yet, but we do need a statement of interest,” Judge Mac said. “We’ll need a commitment within the next month or so.”

  Stuart swallowed. How could he not be interested? “Yes, I’m interested.”

  “Good, good,” Judge Mac said. “I was sure you would be. No man in his right mind would turn down an opportunity like the one I’m giving you. You may think you do, but you don’t have any idea of the power you’ll wield as a Georgia Supreme Court jurist. With power comes privilege and with privilege comes responsibility. You made the short list because we knew you could handle all three. Men fail in the job, or become corrupted by it, when they can’t.”

  “I appreciate your confidence in me, Judge.”

  “This is merely the first step, Stuart,” Judge Mac explained. “We’ve already started the vetting process and now we’ll step that up. If there’s any skeleton in your closet, we’ll find it, but it’ll save us a lot of time if you tell me. Is there anything in your past that might in any way be construed as an embarrassment to the governor or to yourself?”