Paxton's Peace

by Bailey West

  “Yes, Sir. I haven’t forgotten how you made time for us and I remember the talk we had when I first met Nette. I have already started talking to my ministers about taking over preaching on Sundays for about a month after my son is born. I know Momma, and Lady Elisa will be there, but I want to be there too. I don’t want to miss anything with him. We won’t announce my sabbatical to the church, but if I do attend a service, it will only be one and not all three. After a month, then I will resume my schedule. I am going to decline any requests to preach where I will need to be away overnight at least until Nette is used to being with him by herself.”

  “That’s good, Son. It’s wise. Your family is your first ministry, always. That’s why you train other ministers so they can stand when you can’t. Plus, you have James there so you will be fine.”

  “Having Zora’s Dad there has been invaluable. He doesn’t want the pulpit on Sundays, but he is teaching a class, and he is a great advisor. He helped me come up with the game plan for when my son is born.”

  “Good. Pax, have you set a date yet?” I knew it was my turn next.

  “No, sir. We haven’t. We are waiting for things around us to calm down just a little before we do. I did have one of those conversations that you told me to have, though. I feel better about things.”

  I was referring to the conversation I had with Giselle.

  “Good. I’m glad you listened. You know at some point in your children’s lives, and you all will experience this, you graduate from authoritarian to mentor or counselor. You no longer can force your children to do things that are in their best interest, you can only guide them with suggestions. It gets hard because you don’t want to see them make dumb, avoidable mistakes but it’s par for the course. You have to watch them fall sometimes and have confidence in what you’ve instilled in them that they will get back up again. You men are my heroes. I know I’ve said it before, but I want to you to know that I watch. I don’t always comment, but I see you. I’m proud to be your father and prouder to watch you become husbands and fathers.”

  18

  The Superintendent of Paxton’s High school escorted us into a gymnasium full of high school students. He directed us to some folding chairs in the middle of the basketball court.

  “Good morning students,” the head principal said into the microphone to quiet the crowd.

  “Good morning,” the children responded, and the gym went quiet.

  “I would like to introduce the Superintendent, Doctor Gunn.”

  The students applauded as Doctor Gunn walked to the podium.

  “Today we are here for a very special occasion. As you all know, I am a sports fanatic. I wear our school colors proudly, and I attend every sporting event that I can. Back when I was still in the classrooms, we had a dynamic football team that went undefeated four years in a row. That football team was led by a defensive tackle by the name of Paxton Bluette.”

  Paxton’s attention was peaked when he heard his name.

  “Paxton was heavily recruited by division one football teams, but he decided to forgo college initially and join our nation's military. He proudly served in the Army and is a highly decorated Veteran. Paxton is now a very active member of our alumni. He still holds the school record for sacks and forced fumbles. We want to honor him today by retiring his high school jersey and permanently displaying it in our school’s athletic hall of fame.”

  Paxton quickly looked at me and then back to the rest of the family. We were all smiles as we stood and applauded him along with the rest of the gymnasium.

  Two students came from the back carrying a huge picture frame with Paxton's jersey and team photos of all four years he played football.

  “Mr. Bluette,” Doctor Gunn motioned towards the podium.

  Paxton looked at me. I winked and smiled. He stood, closed the button on his grey suit jacket and walked to the podium.

  “If you could please pull this cord,” Doctor Gunn handed Paxton a thick, blue cord. Paxton pulled it, and a banner fell to its full length displaying his name, years active and all his records. The crowd erupted in applause. “We were also informed that today is your birthday. Students, can you help me?”

  He started singing the Happy Birthday song, and everyone joined it. I've never seen Paxton smile so much. After the song, Doctor Gunn handed Paxton the microphone.

  “Wow, can I tell you that I am surprised. It's very hard to surprise me, but you did. Thank you to the school, faculty and all the students. I'm not an anomaly. I am a product of hard work, perseverance, and determination. Just like me, all of you were born with everything you need in life to succeed. You have to make up in your mind that you are going to be the best you, you can be. That's all I did. I did that with football, I did it with the Army, same with college and now my businesses. Football team, set your sights on my record and obliterate it. Outshine me, I don’t mind because when one of us shines, we all shine.” The audience applauded. “Last thing, I want to thank my family: Giselle, my Mom, Dad, Brothers, sisters, nephew, and niece, even though she has no idea what is happening. Most importantly, my Lady, thank you, Olivia, you surprised me.”

  The audience applauded as two of his old teammates presented him with a smaller version of the plaque that will be displayed in the school. After the ceremony, Paxton took a lot of pictures and reminisced with some of his teammates. Two of whom were currently playing on NFL teams. It turned out perfectly.

  Paxton

  I finished speaking with my old teammates, some students, and the superintendent before I looked around to locate Olivia. I couldn’t believe she had put all of this together without me having a clue. My family has tried so many times to surprise me, but they have all failed miserably. When they all start acting weird around my birthday, I know they are trying something. This time they had an excellent coach because I was clueless. I am honored and happy that my jersey is being inducted into the school’s hall of fame. It really was a no-brainer for me to go into the military instead of going to college to play ball. Football was not my passion; I was just good at it. If I would have needed it to get my mother out of the hood or pay her medical bills, then I would have committed to one of the universities that scouted me, but I knew how to make money. I wanted the adventure. I’m glad I made that choice.

  I found Olivia standing with my family near the door of the auditorium.

  “Congrats, Bro,” Ezekiel said as we hugged.

  “Congrats, Bro,” Roman said. “You deserve this man. We are proud of you.” Roman and I hugged.

  “Rome, remember that one touchdown that Paxton got?”

  They both started laughing.

  “Yeah, the look of pure surprise, when he looked down and realized that not only did he have the ball in his hands but that it was still in play, registered even with his helmet on,” Roman laughed.

  “Then he started this slow run to the end zone. He only had about twenty yards to run, but it was painfully slow. It was like watching somebody running backward in slow motion through knee-high water!” Ezekiel said.

  “When Pax made it to the end zone, he couldn’t even celebrate because he was so tired! Remember? They had to help him to the sideline and give him oxygen!” The entire family was laughing by the time they finished the story.

  “I still have that football, too. That touchdown almost killed me. It felt like I wasn’t going to ever make it to the goal line!”

  Everyone laughed again.

  “Doctor Callahan, can I have a moment?” I smiled as I reached for her hand to separate her from the group. She walked toward me, and I led her out of the auditorium. “Thank you, Ollie. This is the best birthday surprise I have ever received.”

  “You are welcome, Baby. Were you really surprised?”

  “Yes, I really was. I had no idea. No one was acting weird or anything. You did a good job coaching them.”

  She laughed.

  “You deserve it. I’m just glad you didn’t figure it out.”

 
“How could I? You didn’t leave one clue. Nothing, I’ve racked my brain this last hour trying to recall what I missed, but I didn’t miss anything.”

  “I’m smooth like that, Mr. Bluette,” she winked.

  “So, I was thinking that after dinner with the family, we could ride into the city early instead of staying out here. I need to show you how much I appreciate you.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

  “I’m always ready to receive your gratitude,” she licked her lips.

  I was mesmerized until her tongue disappeared back into her mouth. I wanted to kiss her, but the children were still around so that wouldn’t be appropriate. Well, not the type of kiss I had in mind.

  The small dinner that my mother said she planned turned out to be a full-fledged party. Ms. Mabel flew in and made me a gigantic pot of chicken and dumplings. She was in the kitchen ordering around the catering team my mother hired. Countee, Langston, and Amiri were all in attendance as well as James and Minister Helen. Zora had mentioned that James and Helen were hanging out. I guess it’s getting serious if he is bringing her to family functions.

  “Bluette,” Countee pulled me to the side to speak to me. “After you finish celebrating your birthday, you and I need to talk about that information you requested from me.”

  I had sent Countee a picture of the car and the car’s license plate that was parked by Olivia’s house when she was attacked.

  “Do we need to discuss it now?” I looked around the room to find Olivia. She was on the couch between her mother and my mother laughing and talking.

  “No, celebrate. When you get back to Houston, make sure you hit me up.”

  “No doubt.”

  I had to push that conversation to the back of my mind because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to focus on anything else.

  Olivia and I stayed in New York City for a few days after my birthday celebration. Seeing the city through her eyes was a great experience. Everything was so new to her. I had to stop her several times from giving the homeless people her food and money.

  “Baby, you don’t have to give everyone money just because they ask.”

  “They’re hungry, Pax,” she whined.

  “Baby, they probably have more money than we do. We will donate something to a homeless outreach program when we get home, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I took her on the subway. Two kids were performing a song; one had a plastic guitar, and one had a tambourine that was missing some of the symbols. They were not talented to put it nicely. After their horrible performance, they walked around the train car soliciting donations. I saw Olivia reach for her purse. I put my hand on top of hers.

  “No, sweetheart.”

  She looked at me and smiled. It’s a good thing I am with her. She wouldn’t have any money if she were by herself.

  We went to the Guggenheim Museum and saw a display by an author that only drew and painted in straight lines. I was bored but Olivia was so intrigued. She read every little placard by each painting and she used the pre-recorded player. We went to the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, rode the tour bus around the city and we shopped on Fifth Avenue. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, then we went to Juniors Restaurant to eat and have cheesecake. She wouldn’t stop raving about the red velvet cheesecake she had there. The Broadway play was the last event of our trip.

  “Pax, should I wear this dress or this one to the play?”

  She was holding up two formal gowns.

  “Neither. You don’t dress up to attend plays. Jeans and a shirt are fine.”

  “Really? In the movies, people always have on furs and gowns.”

  “That may be something special, but for these shows, you should dress comfortably. We don’t know how long we will stand in line or how cramped the seats are.”

  “For real? So, all of this preparation time I thought I needed is useless?”

  “I have something that we can do until it’s time to get ready.”

  I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her.

  As soon as Ollie and I landed back in Houston, my mind switched back to the short conversation I had with Countee at my party. Olivia was unpacking and about to cook, giving me some free time to contact him. I closed the door to my office, essentially making it a vault. Nothing could be heard outside of my office once the door was closed.

  “Talk to me,” I said as Countee’s face filled my computer screen. I braced myself for whatever news he had for me.

  “I hadn’t gotten back to you about the license plates because they were a dead end. The car was stolen, but after they arrested those guys that your Lady went to identify, some information came to light. The guys that they arrested are the guys that attacked your Lady, but they were not doing it just for fun. They were paid to do it.”

  “Paid to do it? By whom?”

  “Look at the docs I sent you.”

  I went to my secure email and pulled up the documents he sent. I scanned them seeing a lot of names that I did not know. Then I saw two names that I was familiar with; Mason Lafayette, Olivia’s ex and Ethan Royo, a known criminal. Royo is a respected businessman but a criminal behind the scenes. I’d read his name more than once in case files that the Team worked on. I exhaled thinking back to some of the things Royo had been accused of; drug trafficking, murder, extortion, smuggling, the list went on and on. He is untouchable. His influence and power run deep.

  “You saw that name too, huh?”

  “Yeah, but what does this have to do with Olivia?”

  “Apparently, Lafayette was doing some behind the scenes work with Royo through his family’s business.”

  “Like what?”

  “Money laundering, shipping weapons, among other things. Everything was going fine until recently when some of Royo’s money didn’t come back clean. Actually, it didn’t come back at all. Royo questioned Lafayette, and he pointed the finger at Olivia. Olivia’s name is on all of the account information, so basically, Lafayette is using her as a scapegoat.”

  “But they have been divorced for almost two years.”

  “Royo doesn’t know that. He thinks that she ran away with both he and Lafayette’s money, recently, not two years ago when she really left. Royo told Lafayette to get her back to Georgia. Lafayette tried to lure her back. When that didn’t work, he hired those two guys to grab her. She kicked their ass so now it’s looking like Royo may step in since Lafayette can’t get her back to Georgia. We have to get a handle on this before that happens. I have a contact here that has worked with Royo in the past. He put me in contact with him. He’s waiting for our explanation. If we don’t give him a good one. It will be war.”

  “If he comes for my Lady, I am going to murder him. Not through my scope but up close and personal. Let him know that.”

  “Before we threaten him, let’s see if we can get proof of Olivia’s innocence. He’s known to be fair, but if he doesn’t respect the evidence we present to him, then he is going to die.”

  “Period.”

  “Straight up.”

  “Can you get me the financial information from Lafayette’s company? I need to look through it to see what happened.”

  “Gaige already found what you need. I’m sending it over.”

  “Cool,” I exhaled.

  “We will need the team for this. I have already contacted them. They are ready. We take care of family, that’s what we do.”

  Olivia

  While Paxton was in his office on a call, I unpacked our luggage and then prepared us some lunch. I had such an amazing time in New York. It’s busy like everyone says, but I had so much fun with Paxton.

  We walked by that bridal store that’s on TV, and he asked me if I wanted to fly back to find my dress. He said he would pay for whomever I want to bring along with me. I don’t know I may just follow Zeke and Zora’s lead and have something small for the family. I don’t need all of the lavishness. I just want him…and a kid if
possible.

  Pax emerged from his office and came straight into the kitchen.

  “Everything is ready. We can eat now.”

  He grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s talk first, then we can eat.”

  “Okay,” I agreed as I followed him to the couch.

  We sat down and faced each other.

  “You know that we said we would always talk, right?”

  “Yes, we did.”

  He looked so serious. I hope everyone is okay.

  “Do you know a man named Ethan Royo?”

  “Yes, he owns a business that worked with Mason’ company. His account was one of the accounts I was responsible for.”

  “He is involved in a lot of illegal things. Did you know that?”

  “No, I didn’t know that, but his account was kept differently than the other accounts that the company had. I know that because I asked about it one time and Mason got very angry.”

  “Well, something has gone wrong in their business relationship, and Lafayette has put you in the middle of it. That’s why those guys tried to grab you.”

  My mouth dropped open.

  “What? Tried to grab me? You mean they weren’t trying to rob me? Why would they want me? I haven’t been married to Mason for almost two years, and we had stopped speaking well before then.”

  “No, they weren’t trying to rob you. They were paid to get you back to Georgia. Royo doesn’t know that you are divorced. He thinks you stole money and ran away. Lafayette is supposed to be bringing you back to Georgia, except, you’re a badass and wouldn’t go quietly.”

  Paxton always calls me a badass when we work on our fighting techniques.

  “Is that why Mason has been calling me talking about coming back to him? He was trying to set me up?”

  “He called you again? You hadn’t mentioned it since early on.”

  “I did tell you about the messages he left.”

  “Yes, but you’ve talked to him again?”