by Kane, M. J.
“Zack! It’s me, where are you?”
I froze. Maybe I was starting to hallucinate…
Was that…Yasmine?
I pushed up as far as I could in the bed and ignored the pain. Then I heard it again, sweet and angelic…
“Zachariah Givens!”
“Miss, do not go in there!”
“Zack! Where are… Get your hands off of me! I need to find my husband!”
And extremely pissed.
“Yasmine! I’m here!” My throat dry, I coughed. “Yasmine!”
“Zack, oh baby, I’m here!” Seconds later the love of my life pushed her way past the curtain closing my bed off from the hallway. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She never looked more beautiful.
“Yasmine, how did you find me?” I reached for her with the one arm that wasn’t immobilized by IV’s.
“Oh, baby, are you okay?” Her voice shook as she ran her hands over my body.
“Ow,” I groaned when she reached my rib cage. “I’m okay; I’m okay, just a broken foot. Yasmine, baby, look at me.”
She stopped fussing over me as I grasped her hands in mine. Her eyes were red. My heart ached. How many times had I made her cry? I couldn’t keep doing this to her. Not now, not ever again.
“Miss, you need to come with us.” A security guard stepped around the curtain, one hand on his gun.
“No, officer, please, this is my wife. I’m sorry, let her stay.”
The officer realized she’d calmed, though he did not appear pleased for having to chase her. “Keep her here. If she comes out yelling again she will be escorted out of the hospital.”
I nodded and waited for him to leave. My attention focused on my wife and the worry that was apparent on her face. Even now she was as beautiful as I could remember. How did I let myself walk away from her?
“Yasmine, how did you find me?”
“I saw the accident and recognized your car. I made the police tell me where you were.”
“Wait a minute, you saw my car?”
She sniffed. “I was on my way home from work and got stuck in traffic. I saw your laptop bag on the ground when I got close to the accident and recognized your car. Thank God you’re alive!” She slipped free of my hands and leaned in to wrap her arms around me. It was impossible to do since I lay in a hospital bed, but she made it work.
I sighed when my nose reached the crease of her neck. Her scent flooded me and brought instant peace. It was hard to hold her with both arms, but man, did I hold her tight.
“I was on my way to see you,” I murmured in her hair.
Yasmine wiped her tears. “You were coming to see me?”
I slid a finger along her jaw and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Yes. I got the divorce papers today and —”
Fresh tears fell as her head dropped.
“Don’t cry, baby, it’s not your fault, it’s mine. I shouldn’t have let things get to the point you felt I didn’t want you. I want you, Yasmine. I’ve always wanted you. I was angry, but I need you. Both of you were right about that. I’m lost without you.”
She ran a hand over watering eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to the day you came to see me, but before I could, you gave back the ring. Next thing I know you were talking divorce and…I didn’t know what to say. I figured if you wanted this to end, there was nothing I could say or do to make you stay. But the truth is you need me as much as I need you.” My gaze left hers and settled on her stomach. I forced the hand being pumped full of pain meds over to touch her stomach. “I don’t want our child to be raised in a split-parent home. I want to be there for both of you.”
Her lips found mine in a kiss that felt as good as the first time.
“I love you, Yasmine. Never forget that. I will always love you.”
“I never stopped loving you.”
“Damn,” I ground out, letting my head drop back against the bed.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Do you need more medicine?” She resumed checking me for damage.
“No, it’s not that.” I reached for the call button. A nurse answered automatically.
In seconds she appeared by my bed. “Yes, sir. What can I do for you?”
“My pants, I need to get my pants. I had something very valuable in my pocket.”
Her eyes shifted between Yasmine and me as she smiled. “Sure, Mr. Givens, give me a moment.” She disappeared and when she returned, she handed me a white bag with the hospital name printed on the side. “Here are your personal effects found on you by the paramedics. Sorry about the clothes, but they had to be trashed.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, digging around in the bag. The minute my fingers hit the ring box, I grinned. Pain shot through my lip; I forgot that it had been cut. Kissing Yasmine had taken away the pain.
Yasmine gasped when she saw the velvet red box.
I reached for her hand. When she laid it in mine, I noticed a discoloration on her finger and studied it. “You got a tattoo on your ring finger?”
A small smile appeared on her lips. “I did it the day I gave you the ring. It’s like a tattooed wedding band. I had no plans to marry anyone else. In my heart I would always be married to you.”
Her revelation humbled me. I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed the jade butterfly. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife again?” I tugged the ring out of the box. “It still belongs to you, just like my heart.”
“I will never take it off again.”
I slipped the ring on her finger and stared at it. It had found its home again.
“Where is your ring?” she asked.
“What?” For the first time I realized it was missing. “I never took it off.” Panic shot through me as I dug around the bag again and found it in a smaller plastic bag. Blood was on the band.
Yasmine reached for it and walked over to the small sink in the room. Water ran as she worked to clean it off. Satisfied, she returned and slid it to its resting place.
“I will always love and cherish you, Yasmine Givens.”
“Until death tears us apart,” she added. Then we kissed.
I no longer felt as if I were drowning. My love, my wife, had found its way home.
Epilogue
Two and half months later…
The day was long and tiring, but I had never been happier.
Dreams was a huge success at all of the Phillips’ Family Inns and I was in the process of hiring help. Kaitlyn assisted when she could, but since she was due to give birth soon, she needed to spend as much time off of her feet as possible.
Not to mention she had plenty of other things going on in her life right now.
Business picked up so well I quit working for the big time retailer and decided to open a storefront location in a local mall. What better location to offer fashion consultant services than in one of the main places people shopped?
My goal was to offer my services to everyone, no matter what their financial status. With an easily accessible location, anyone could find us, including the women I assisted with the Dress for Success program.
The space I rented was big enough for four consultants. Staff interviews began next week and I’d open for business in two weeks. The beauty of the whole set up is as owner, my hours would be flexible. I would handle opening, closing, and let the other consultants handle the work during the day. My time would be split between there and special appointments through the Inn. I couldn’t think of a better way to continue to work and still have time to be home to be a mom.
I stopped at a Chinese restaurant and ordered dinner. Zack’s favorite dish was Kung Pao Chicken. For myself, I ordered Shrimp Egg Fu Yung with the intention of eating every last bit of it, and extra egg rolls. I was that hungry.
When I opened the door to the condo, Zack was sitting on the sofa, his leg propped up while he channel surfed.
“Hey, beautiful, how did it go?”
I carried my packages in and set them on the kitc
hen counter. “Great! The lease is signed and I have the key. I am so excited, Zack. You have no idea.”
My husband pushed off the sofa and walked over to the kitchen slowly. His foot was healing on schedule. According to his rehab attendant, he was now able to walk on his own with minimal assistance. He no longer wore a cast, but he did wear a splint.
“How did you know I was hungry?” When he reached me, he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the side of my throat before sliding his hand to my belly.
“Wifely intuition,” I teased, and reached over to pop a fried crab Rangoon in his mouth. “How was your day?”
He rubbed the growing baby bump. “Perfect now that both of you are home again.”
I laughed. Zack was fascinated by my ever-changing body since the day we made up. We still had a long way to go before I gave birth; five months to be exact.
He let go and hobbled over to sit at the island while I reached for plates in the cabinet.
“The rehab nurse said I was making great progress. A few more weeks, and I’ll be able to take off this splint and start working the muscle out.” A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
“Hmm, wonder what kind of exercise you plan to do.”
“Believe me, I’ve got plans. Thanks,” he said as I handed him a plate, then spooned his food onto the dish. “How was your doctor’s appointment? I hate I wasn’t able to go with you.” He eyed the food I took out of the take home bag. “Hey, you’ve got Shrimp Egg Fu Young.” He reached over with his fork.
I slapped at his hand. “I’m not sharing.”
“Hey, since when?”
“Since now. I need all the nutrients I can get.”
His eyes narrowed. “You and my seed can’t eat all of that. You know they give you enough to last three meals. Give it up.”
“Well, it’s different when I’m eating for more than one.” I smiled.
“I know, you plus baby equals two, which means there’s more than enough. Do the math.” He reached over again. This time I snatched the container out of his reach.
“Not according to my doctor.”
“What are you talking about?”
I set the Egg Fu Young container on the counter away from Zack’s reach and walked over to the kitchen table to retrieve my purse. Wary eyes followed me as I walked over to the PS3 in the living room, slid in a disk, and changed the play settings.
“What are you up to?” he asked.
“Come here, I have to show you something.” I sat on the sofa and patted the spot next to me. I picked up the remote and waited for him to join me. “Remember how I said I felt like I was getting really fat too soon? Well, the doctor thought so too.”
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” Fear crept into his voice and I instantly felt guilty.
“Yes, we’re fine and I’m sorry, I said that wrong.” Zack put his hand on my belly protectively. “My doctor ran tests and everything was fine. So, she decided to do an ultra sound…”
Zack looked at the dark screen; I hadn’t pushed play yet. “Is this…”
I nodded and smiled.
His eyes lit up. “Push play already!”
I did. Within seconds, the screen came to life with the image of our baby.
“That’s incredible…” Zack reached for my hand, his voice nearly a whisper while his eyes grew wide to take it all in.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” I felt my eyes tear up.
“She? It’s a girl?” Zack’s attention stayed on the screen.
“Yes, Zack, that is your daughter.”
His mouth fell open. I smiled and let the image continue to play for another minute. Then it changed as the technician angled the imaging equipment around my belly. A slight blur filled the screen before reforming again. This time the image appeared slightly different.
Confusion crossed Zack’s face. “What happened?”
“The technician had to change positions in order to pick up the other fetus.” I focused on his face; it stayed blank for moment.
“The other fetus?” His attention left the screen and came to me.
“We’re having twins. That is your son.”
Zack sat back on the sofa in complete shock. “We’re having...we’re…”
I laughed and leaned over to kiss his open mouth. “Yes, baby, twins! A boy and a girl!”
Zack’s burst of laugher filled the room. He lifted me onto his lap, rained kisses over my face, and rubbed my stomach. “I can’t believe this!”
“I guess our work paid off!”
When his excitement slowed calmed, I kissed him and ran a hand over his head. “I was thinking…I promised your mother something and I want to make sure it’s okay with you.”
He studied me. “What?”
“I promised her if we ever had a daughter, we’d name her Belinda. She thought the name was too old for a young lady, but I figured we could use it as her middle name. I’d also like to do the same for our son…name him after your father, unless you’d rather have a junior.”
Zack closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine. “That is a promise worth keeping.” He kissed me long and slow. “You are going to be a wonderful mother.”
“You are going to be an amazing father.”
And we were going to have an amazing life. I could feel it. Once again, I sent up a prayer to thank Belinda Givens for encouraging me to let love back in my life.
Butterfly Memoirs book 3
Lonely Heart
Prologue
“Kaity, are you sure this is what you want?”
A final scan of the room showed nothing was left behind. “Yes, Ebony, I’m positive. Luke’s made it clear; he doesn’t want this baby, which means he doesn’t want me.”
After months of failed attempts to convince my boyfriend of nearly two years that keeping our family together was best, I’d had enough. The moment he learned about the pregnancy, he suggested abortion. After arguing, he conceded to try and work things out. Everything went fine for a while, but the more I asked him to participate in the doctor’s appointments and for ideas about setting up the baby’s room, the more standoffish he became.
His decision to avoid the sonogram, then ignore my calls and text messages was enough.
I had three months until my baby’s arrival.
My baby…Who’d have thought I’d become a single mom?
A few short months ago, my life was perfect. I worked my dream job, and had a man who loved me.
There were a lot of things about Luke I didn’t know.
I made some bad decisions in my life. It was too late to change them now.
For the next three months my focus would be providing my baby with a happy home. And regardless of what Luke thought, he would still have a responsibility in providing for his child.
“That’s everythin’. Let’s get out of here before he gets home.”
Chapter 1
“And that’s a wrap!”
Thunderous applause caused my unborn child to jump in my womb. I covered my ears and smiled.
“Hey, Kat, will you be at the cast party tonight?” Keith, the Key Grip guy, yelled through the din.
“Kaitlyn, I need you in my office. Now.” My boss spun on her heels and walked away.
I grimaced and shrugged at Keith.
Alexandria Fleming was the Head of Wardrobe of Just How She Likes It, one of televisions hottest. For the past two years I’d been her right hand girl. Anything she needed, I did. Dependable, ready to work late, and always on time, were the qualities she valued most about me.
My heart raced. Alexandria rarely smiled at work because she took her job seriously, but I would think of all days she’d at least smile a little. The final episode of its third season had just finished taping, and the show was scheduled for a fourth. Her contract to extend her job had been signed weeks ago.
Mine on the other hand, hadn’t been offered.
My stomach dropped as realization hit: I was being f
ired. Somehow after two years of a near perfect track record, I’d screwed up. With all of my personal drama manifesting in the last few weeks, I could barely hide the stress. Leaving Luke, my boyfriend of the past two years, while carrying his child, took an emotional toll. I thought I hid it…until Alexandria started asking questions.
With a new apartment and baby on the way, I couldn’t afford to lose my job. My mind raced. If I got fired, I would have to file for unemployment. Who’d hire a woman who’s three months away from going on maternity leave?
Alexandria held the door of her office open as I walked in and settled on the edge of the seat across from her cluttered desk. My baby kicked hard; I put my hand on my belly to massage the spot. It was probably a result of my sudden emotional change. I’d noticed over the last few weeks anytime I got upset or excited about something, my baby would react by kicking. I’d promised myself to stop stressing. Stress mixed with my high blood pressure problem wasn’t a good thing.
Thankfully, the show was going on hiatus for the next few weeks. The break would allow me the down time needed until I gave birth. My doctor had already threatened me with forced bed rest if I didn’t take time off from work.
Time off from work was a luxury I could not afford right now.
I heard the door close behind me. Without a word, Alexandria settled in her chair and rummaged through the stack of files on her desk; her grim expression never changed.
“You’re aware I’ve been working on evaluations for the past few weeks.” Her gaze drifted to my stomach. “Will you be returning once you have the baby?”
“Yes, I love my job and have no intentions of quittin’. The idea of workin’ in Hollywood motivated me to leave Texas and move to L.A.”
There was no response. After a moment, she set two files she’d retrieved on the desk in front of her. “Fashion Design and Theater Production Degree from U.C.L.A. If my memory serves me correct, you graduated with honors.”
Speechless, I nodded.
