Eva stood to the side of the store, so it wouldn’t appear that she was staring directly inside the shop as she began to recall that day she first saw him with astute clarity.
She was walking her Yorkies and listening to some Bolivian tunes on her iPhone. Without prompting, her dogs began barking ferociously. Eva saw a dog almost her height approaching her. It appeared to be a Weimaraner, usually a gentle dog, but her dogs could aggravate the most gentle of dogs…and humans. They jumped up and down, tugged against their leashes, and Eva almost fell to the ground when one of her legs became entangled in one of the leashes.
The owner of the Scooby-Doo sized dog rushed to her aid. It was the same guy that she’d seen today. She was sure of it. He was the one who helped her that day, keeping her from falling down, not one time but twice! She recalled how polite he was, and he was definitely quite easy on the eyes. When she almost fell down two times she recalled how embarrassed she felt. After helping her he asked if she was all right and she assured him that she was. She walked over to a nearby bench with her dogs and sat down, still trying to shake off her feeling of embarrassment. She wasn’t expecting him to follow her, but he did. That’s when he extended his hand and introduced himself. Eva tried to recall what he said his name was but she couldn’t remember. That was a long time ago. What further confirmed that this was the same guy today was his slight accent. From what she’d remembered he sounded like he was from the New England states or maybe he had lived overseas. She didn’t know. The guy today not only had the same familiar accent, but he also had the same bronze complexion, coal black hair, teeth that revealed he had a doggone good orthodontist and a body that made it evident that he enjoyed working out. Seeing him again, he wore that same, charming smile as Eva watched him through the window talking to the girl.
When someone walked past Eva and opened the door to the store, the handsome man looked up. Their eyes locked momentarily. Eva dashed out of his view and when she did, she tripped and fell to her knees.
She hurriedly looked around to see if anyone was watching before she got up and jetted across the street. A blaring horn jarred her even more, as she dodged the vehicle, ran to the parking lot, and got inside her car.
“Whew,” she heavily exhaled with both hands planted firmly on the steering wheel. “How could you be so clumsy and stupid?” she chastised herself. “Ahhh,” she screamed, startled when she heard a tap against her car window.
Looking up, it was him. She could feel herself turning a shade darker. “Uhhhh, yes?” she said without turning on the ignition and letting down the window.
“Are you okay?”
He was so daggone fine, even finer than she remembered him being in the park. Maybe this wasn’t the same guy after all.
Eva nodded nervously. Why did he have such an effect on her? She’d seen good-looking, debonair, and suave men before. Harper was one of them, and she didn’t recall reacting the way she was doing now or the way she did that day in the park.
She put the key in the ignition, starting the car, and pushed the button to let down the window.
“Uhhh, thanks, I’m good. I was...I didn’t…I haven’t. Uh, I mean this is the first time I’ve seen that pet store and rescue shelter. I assume that it’s new?”
“Yes. Today is our grand opening. See the sign?”
She looked out of the window of her car and looked across the street. GRAND OPENING. The sign was right there on the entrance big as day. How had she missed it?
“You like animals?” he asked.
“Uh, yes.”
He obviously didn’t remember her from the park, and she asked herself, why would he? She was just a random stranger walking her dogs in the park that day. No need for him to remember her…like she remembered him. But she told herself she only remembered him because of his huge dog.
“You should visit the store and shelter,” he suggested while flashing his hypnotic smile her way.
“I’m sure I will, but not today. Nice talking to you.” Eva put the car in Reverse, and eased out of the parking space while Mr. Scooby-doo stepped back, smiled, and waved as she drove off.
Chapter 14
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard
Derek accompanied Peyton to her orthopedic appointment, something he had been doing since she was involved in the drunk driving car accident that injured two police officers and caused her fractured ankles. Their marriage may have been on shaky ground but one thing she couldn’t complain about was Derek’s concern for her recovery. Whatever he could do to make her comfortable, he did. Every doctor’s appointment she had, he was by her side. It was one of the reasons she found it hard to believe that Derek still wanted a divorce. And then there was the night they made love. Sure, weeks had passed since that night, but it was a night she would remember for a long time to come. There was no faking his passion and his desire for her.
“Mrs. Hudson, you will be pleased to know that your x-rays look remarkable. It shows your ankles have healed to the point that you can begin placing weight on your legs.”
“Oh, Derek!” She reached next to her where Derek stood and grabbed hold of his neck. He smiled and gave her a big bear hug as he lifted her bottom off the table.
“You’ll still need to wear mobilizers on each leg, and I don’t want you going full speed ahead on your ankles. They’re still somewhat weak. We’ll continue with physical therapy to strengthen them. That will help you tremendously.”
“Thank you, Doctor Moore. Thank you so much,” she exclaimed.
“You’ve come a long way, Mrs. Hudson. Your healing process has been nothing short of miraculous. I want to see you back in my office in four weeks and we’ll see how you’re doing then.”
Peyton was ecstatic. They waited in the doctor’s office for another thirty minutes so Peyton could be fitted with new mobilizers and given a pair of crutches to assist her as needed.
She rolled out of the doctor’s office, eager to start walking. “Wait until the ladies here this!” she said to Derek as they rolled outside and into the perfect day. The sun was shining, the temperature hovered at 70 degrees, and there was a light breeze.
They approached the car and Derek opened the door for Peyton to get inside. She stood up with a big grin encasing her cherub face.
He folded the manual wheelchair and put it in the back of his SUV, one of three vehicles they owned.
“Where to now?” he asked when he got in the car and turned the ignition.
“Hey, why don’t you let me treat you to lunch?” she offered, looking at him and reaching out to touch the back of his hand gingerly.
He put the car in Reverse and backed out of the parking space. “I don’t know. I need to get back to the bank.”
“But it’s close to lunch time. You have to eat, aaand you are the President of the bank. I don’t think anyone will complain if you stop to eat after having taken your wife to her doctor’s appointment.” The tone of her voice was soft and resonated calm. She kneaded his hand that rested on the center console of the SUV. He didn’t pull away. She didn’t even sense objection to her touch. A good sign.
“So what do you say? We can go to Gianni’s.”
“We’re not dressed appropriately for Gianni’s, Babe.”
Did he just call her Babe? His pet name for her? He did. Peyton smiled even bigger this time. “Derek, for goodness sakes. You have on a suit. And me, I think I’m more than dressed for Gianni’s.” She looked at her stylish dress. “Okay, forget Gianni’s. What about MiaBea. It’s eclectic, laid back, and you don’t have to dress a certain way.”
Derek stopped at the traffic light and looked at his wife. “You’re not going to let me say no, are you?”
“Nope. I’m too excited about my doctor’s report. I want to celebrate, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather celebrate with than you…well, of course, Liam, but hey, he’s at school, so come on, let’s do this.”
The light turned green and Derek made a left turn, the direction of MiaBea instead of a right turn that would lead to their prestigious community. He drove down Adverse Boulevard, made the additional turns and twelve minutes later, he and Peyton were turning into the parking lot of MiaBea.
This day couldn’t get any better for Peyton. Derek pulled into a vacant handicap parking space, and pulled out Peyton’s temporary handicap placard and hung it on the rearview mirror.
“I want to walk inside, Derek,” she told him before he got out of the car to get her wheelchair.
“Are you sure? Dr. Moore said he wanted you to take it easy. You can’t just up and start running a marathon, Peyton.”
“Yes, I know, but we’re right in front of the restaurant and I have you by my side. Come on. I can do this,” she said, looking at him with pleading eyes.
“Okay, I guess you do need to get used to putting weight on your ankles.”
He ran around to her side and helped her out. With his arm on the small of her back, he carefully assisted her into the restaurant.
Much like they used to do in happier times, they laughed and talked when they were seated. Derek talked about the updates for a new App he had been working on. He said when he was done with it, he could stand to make even more millions than he did with the first App he designed during the beginning of their marriage.
“I’m so happy for you, Derek. I know it’s going to be great. You’re going to keep on until you’re the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates,” she complimented.
Derek’s smile broadened and an expression of satisfaction showed in his eyes. “Thanks, I’m going to claim that.”
“Oh, did you know Harper started filming again for his TV show?”
“No, I didn’t,” Derek replied, pausing briefly when the server brought their food to the table. “I thought he was done with that. He hasn’t had that show in at least five years, right?”
“Yeah, I know, but Eva said one of the television executives Harper operated on, was so thankful that Harper saved his life that he thought he should revitalize the show. So now it’s going to be called Matters of the Heart. Eva filmed an episode with him too. Remember, I told you me and the girls were going to watch her. She prepared heart healthy meals that anyone can make at home.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t say it was for a show Harper was doing, but hey, that’s cool. Seems like they’re doing pretty good.”
“Well, I guess you could say things are better. You know ever since she went back to him, they seem to be in a good space.”
“They wouldn’t be in a bad space if she hadn’t cheated on the man, got pregnant, and then tried to tell him the baby was his.” Derek shook his head in disgust.
“Yeah, I guess, but remember, she wasn’t pregnant. She had some other issue. I can’t think of the name of it,” Peyton said, hating that she’d brought up Eva and Harper.
“Still, she was wrong, but if they can work through things, then good for them. To each his own.” Derek put a forkful of food inside his mouth.
“Isn’t it a beautiful day?” Peyton said, changing the subject. She didn’t want to get into a debate about troubled marriages. It would be too easy to bring up their problems, and the day was going good so far. Peyton didn’t want to do anything to ruin that. They were sitting outside on the restaurant’s patio with an ocean view in the distance.
“Yeah, it is. Makes me dread going to the office.”
“Then don’t go,” Peyton urged. “You hardly ever take off work, Derek. If you want to take the rest of the day, the week off even, then do it!”
“I would love to go surfing. I haven’t done that in months,” he said as he stared out at the horizon.
“I say call the office and let Matt know you’re not coming in.” Matt was the senior vice president. He was just as thorough as Derek so everything would be in good hands. Derek was an over achiever and could be somewhat of a workaholic. He rarely took time to relax and do some of the things he enjoyed, such as surfing. He was also a movie buff, but he rarely went to the movies like he used to do when they were first married. He either waited until they came out on DVD or television. Sometimes he would rent the movie from off the television, but even that was rare.
In addition to Matt, Derek had a great administrative assistant. She could handle just about anything Derek put in front of her. “You know Cheryl will let you know if anything urgent comes up. That woman can run that bank with her eyes closed. Besides, you act like you can’t work from home. You have everything you need. Shucks, you can even work from your phone!” Peyton reminded him.
“You know what? You’re right. I’m going to do it. Let’s eat and when Liam gets home from school and lacrosse practice, we can ride to the beach. Liam could use some more surfing lessons,” he said, smiling. “You’ll have to sit on the sidelines and cheer us on,” he joked and Peyton laughed.
She felt good. Maybe there was a chance for them after all. If she could keep her cool and stay away from the bottle, she might stand a chance at salvaging her marriage.
“You know you can’t walk out on that sand, Peyton. I insist on you going in your manual wheelchair. Deal?”
“Deal,” Peyton said, beaming as she stuck her fork in her Bolognese pasta.
Derek picked up his grilled chicken sandwich on a potato bun and took a big bite out of it with a huge grin on his face!
This is only the beginning, Peyton thought. You’re going to love me again.
Chapter 15
“Letting go and forgetting the past is easier said than done, but never use the past as an excuse to not care about your future.” Jayden Hayes
Meesha dashed out the door, got in her car, and headed to Perfecting Your Faith Academy. Since before she gave birth to now three-month-old Makena, she had spent very little if any time at the school that she loved dearly. For one, she was away from the Academy when she needed time away from Carlton. She and the boys went to Los Angeles to visit her sister, Geena. It was during all the mess going on with Breyonna, Liam, and the fact that Carlton wanted a divorce. The Academy was out for summer break during that time anyway, and she took the boys along. She needed to get away to gain some clarity of mind about what she needed to do concerning her marriage. If she was going to make a wise decision, she needed some time that she could set aside to pray and seek God for answers. God led her back to Adverse City and for now, she was glad she had listened and obeyed.
Since returning home, her marriage was thriving, the boys adored their baby sister, and Carlton’s ministry was continuing to prosper. Everything was picture perfect, which meant she could go back to dedicating time to the Academy. The school was growing too, and there was an even longer waiting list for perspective students. The cap was 600 students because they wanted to maintain small classroom sizes with state of the art equipment, highly qualified teachers with Masters’ degrees and above, and a curriculum that rivaled some of the best preparatory schools across the country.
She drove her luxury automobile into her reserved parking space. Meesha sat in the car for a while and watched as the students filed into the school. A smile complimented her flawless face along with a body that had returned to nearly perfect after having given birth to her fifth child.
People often remarked about her size and often asked how she maintained her perfect size four figure after having ‘all those children’. The thing is, Meesha didn’t have to work out much. She watched her diet, which consisted mostly of fruits, veggies, plenty of spring water, and what she often told the curious was she believed in having lots of sex. She and Carlton always enjoyed a healthy, active, fulfilling sex life. It suffered, of course, when they went through their marital turbulence, but even then, Carlton still desired her. Now all of that was behind them, and their sexual life was better than ever. Meesha had no complaints.
She refocused on the young people going inside the school. Some of the older kids drove their cars and Meesha watched as they parked in t
he Student Parking Only section of the school. Others were dropped off by parents. It was hustle and bustle. Grabbing hold of the door, she was about to get out of the car when she saw Avery drive up. She sat back against the seat and watched as Avery drove up close to the entrance of the school in the Student Drop Off area.
Meesha watched as Avery said something to the girls. Lexie, who was sitting in the front seat, leaned in and kissed her mother. Avery then leaned to the back while Heather leaned forward to the front and they hugged and kissed before both girls got out of the car and quickly began engaging with their friends.
Another couple, a teen couple, caught Meesha’s eye and though she didn’t want to, thoughts forced themselves into her mind about that awful period in her life. Tears immediately formed in her eyes as she watched the young couple walk hand in hand as they gazed lovingly at each other. She recognized them, had seen them time and time again at school and sometimes at church. If Meesha wasn’t mistaken, the teens were in the Academy’s senior class.
She quickly wiped away her tears. “Not today. Devil, you are a liar,” she mouthed before getting out of the car. “I am forgiven. Forget those things that lie behind and forge toward those things that are ahead.”
Sucking in her bout with anxiety over the thoughts of her sordid past, she opened the door, put one Louboutin cladded foot to the pavement, then the other, and boldly stepped out of the car. Her Brazilian weave swung with every step she made, and she carried her Gucci bag, a recent just because gift from Carlton, in her blinged out hand. Several parents and kids spoke to her as she walked toward the school entrance. Nothing was going to ruin her life. She had overcome, persevered, and prayed her way to where she was, and no devil in Hell was going to hold her back or cause her to stumble.
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