Forces of Nature

by Cheris Hodges

  “That’s true. And if you want my godfather to walk away from Welco sooner rather than later, then I will see what I can do,” Douglas said.

  “I can’t ask you to do that,” she said. “You and Crystal are just getting ready to start your life together. Don’t let my past intrude on your future. Waylon and I will be fine.” She gave him a tight hug. “But you’re sweet for offering.”

  “I want my godfather to be just as happy as I am. And you make him happy.”

  Dena smiled brightly. “Not as happy as he makes me,” she said. “Tell Crystal I’ll see her tonight at the party.”

  “All right,” he said, then headed inside. He was surprised to see Crystal standing in the living room. “How much of that did you hear?”

  She frowned and then crossed over to him, wrapping her arms around him. “Enough to know that I love you even more than I thought I could,” she said. “That was really sweet of you.”

  “A lot of good it did,” he said.

  “Douglas, if you want to return to the CEO position at Welco, then I’m behind you. What you said to Dena makes sense. That company is just as much your family legacy as this farm is to me. Turning your back on it is wrong and I wouldn’t do the same.”

  “Crystal, that job requires long hours, late nights, and early mornings,” he said.

  “And as much as you tried to pretend you’d be a good farmhand and could stay away from Welco, you belong there. We’ll still have our time together.”

  You got that right. We’re going to have the rest of our lives to be together, he thought as he brought his mouth down on top of hers and kissed her with a heated passion that made her shiver.

  Crystal pulled back from him. “We’d better stop,” she said breathlessly. “Kiss me like that again and we won’t make the party.”

  “We can’t have that,” he said.

  “And you’re not going to give me a hint as to what you, Renda, and MJ are up to?” she asked.

  Douglas shook his head from side to side. “Well, I’ll give you one little clue,” he said. “You’re going to love it.”

  Slapping her hands on her hips, she poked her lips out at him. “That’s not a clue.”

  “You need to work on your patience,” he replied before jogging into the bedroom to get ready for the party.

  Crystal had just finished glossing her lips when the phone rang. She rushed into the bedroom and grabbed the extension. “Hello?”

  “Hey, baby girl,” her father said.

  “Daddy,” she replied excitedly. “Have you and Mom made it to Jamaica?”

  “Oh yes,” he said. “I just wanted to call and check in with you. Tonight is the big night, huh?”

  “Yes. The girls are really excited about this party and the fact that their home is safe and three of them are going off to college,” Crystal reported.

  “That’s great,” Joel said. “I know I told you before, but I have to say it again. I’m so proud of what you’ve done at the farm. Your mother and I should’ve been a lot more forthcoming about our history with Welco; it might have saved you some stress.”

  “It would’ve been helpful, but that’s behind us now,” she said as she watched Douglas emerge from the bathroom dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans, brown leather loafers and a tan oxford shirt. He smiled at Crystal and headed across the room to get his watch from the dresser.

  “It is, and I’m glad, because I like that young man a lot. He’s nothing like his father and I know he loves you.”

  Crystal watched Douglas as he snapped his watch on his wrist. “I feel the same way,” she replied.

  “Have a good time tonight and remember, your mother and I are so proud of you.”

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  “Love you too, baby girl. Tell Douglas I said hello.”

  “Will do,” she said, then hung up the phone.

  “Your dad?” he asked.

  Crystal walked over to him and hugged him tightly. “Yes, and he said hello.” She kissed him on the tip of his nose. “Have I told you how happy I am?”

  “Not in the last couple of hours, but I don’t mind hearing it again and again,” Douglas said as he patted her bottom. “You better get dressed.”

  “I know,” she said. “We don’t want to be late and have people assuming what we’re doing.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “We’re going to be doing that a little later.”

  “And we get to eat the cake.”

  “Among other things,” he said with a wicked gleam in his eye.

  Returning his sultry look, she said, “I like the way you think, Mr. Wellington.”

  Douglas couldn’t wait until the day she was Mrs. Wellington. He nervously wondered about the proposal. What if she said no? Nah, he thought as he glanced at her. This is right. We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together right here in Reeseville. Who would’ve believed that I’d actually find love and happiness in the last place I wanted to be?

  “Douglas, did you hear me?” Crystal asked as she dropped her robe and reached for her dress. He drank in her sensual image; the black lace bra and matching panties looked so good on her.

  “No,” he said as he closed the space between them. “You keep trying to have conversations with me when you’re looking like this.” Douglas slid his hands down her hips and was tempted to forget the party.

  “All I asked was for you to hand me my earrings,” she said in a low voice as he toyed with the waistband of her panties. “But if you don’t stop, we’re not going to make it out of here.”

  “Would that be so bad?” he joked, then dropped his hands. Reaching for her silver bangle earrings, Douglas handed them to Crystal and planted a kiss on her cheek. He headed outside and saw Waylon walking toward the house.

  “Trey,” he called out. “Are you ready?”

  “Just waiting on Crystal,” he said as he stepped off the porch to meet his godfather.

  “Women. I told Dena I’d meet her here. Interestingly enough, she said she might consider joining the legal staff at Welco. I guess I should thank you for talking to her earlier this afternoon.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” Douglas said. “But you can help me convince the board to give me my job back.”

  “Oh, I’m already there. Fred and I were discussing you after you left the office and he said if you wanted to come back, he’d support your decision. Of course, Clive is lobbying for a return as well.”

  “Over my damned dead body,” Douglas boomed. “He’s what was wrong with Welco. Still playing by my dad’s old rules.”

  “Yes, but he has his supporters as well. I know one thing is for sure. I’m too old for this shit,” Waylon said with a chuckle.

  “But you’re going to have to become a board member,” Douglas said. “I’ll need someone I know I can trust on my side.”

  “You got it, Trey. Now, about this proposal of yours . . .”

  “Keep it down,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Everything is set up. Hughes Farm is going to be presented with the historic landmark proclamation and then I’m going to pop the question.”

  Waylon nodded. “This is good. I’m glad to see you happy and that you’re not acting like so many other young moguls. Crystal is just what you need.”

  “Truer words have never been spoken,” Douglas said as he turned around in time to see Crystal step onto the porch.

  “Hello, Waylon,” she said. “I’m glad you could make it.”

  “Oh, I never miss a good party. And I have an announcement to make tonight,” he said.

  “What’s that?” Crystal asked as Douglas linked his arm with hers.

  “I’ve established a scholarship foundation for the girls who live in the Starlight House,” he said, then looked pointedly at Douglas. “Things with Welco and these girls got off to a rocky start, but we’ve all seen the error of our ways.”

  Crystal gave Waylon a tight hug. “Thank you so much. This is going to make such a big difference in these g
irls’ lives.”

  Waylon smiled. “I’m just following Trey. He told me a lot about these girls and they deserve this.”

  Dena waved to the group from the steps of the Starlight House as they approached. The look she and Waylon exchanged made Crystal’s heart melt. It was easy to see how much they loved each other and she wished them the best.

  Douglas stroked her arm as if he was having the same thought.

  Chapter 22

  As Crystal looked around Starlight House, she was amazed at the number of people who’d come to celebrate with the girls. The mayor was there, as well as two of the city council members who’d voted against having the house in the city limits. Though she wanted to say “I told you so,” Crystal graciously greeted them.

  Brooke approached Crystal with a huge smile on her face. “Crystal, I just spoke to Mr. Terrell. He told me about the scholarship fund. It’s such a great thing to know people in the community actually care about these girls and want to see them succeed.”

  Crystal nodded. “Yes. I’m glad the tide is turning in our favor. These girls are working hard to be productive members of society.”

  Brooke nodded. “And I’m sorry that I questioned your concern about them. Your faith in them and teaching them how to fight the right way has made a big difference.”

  “You don’t have to apologize. You were simply doing your job and putting these girls first,” Crystal said, then offered Brooke a hug. “We make a great team, though. I know you’ll keep me in line.”

  Brooke nodded and smiled. “Well, looks as if I have help with that now.” She nodded in Douglas’s direction. “He’s taken a liking to Renda and MJ.”

  “What’s going on over here?” she asked Douglas as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” he replied. “Dr. Taylor just arrived.”

  “Oh my goodness. This is about the historic landmark registry, isn’t it?” she said excitedly. “You’ve known all along?”

  Douglas played dumb. “I don’t know anything.”

  “Funny,” she said, popping him on the shoulder. “Did the farm make the registry or what?”

  “You’re going to have to wait. I told you, you need to work on your patience,” Douglas quipped. “I’m going to talk to Dr. Taylor. You stay right here.”

  Crystal pouted and watched Douglas cross the room to catch up with Dr. Taylor.

  The party was in full swing when Douglas and Dr. Taylor took the stage. The DJ cut the music and Douglas handed the microphone to the older man.

  “It gives me great pleasure to make this announcement about Hughes Farm tonight with all of you,” he said. “If I could have Miss Crystal Hughes on stage with us.”

  Crystal smiled and made her way through the crowd. Douglas held his hand out to her and assisted her up the steps. She looked so beautiful in her peasant-style yellow dress and her hair curled loosely and pulled back in a trendy bun. The rose on the side of her head made Douglas smile and think about the ring that she’d be wearing shortly. He kissed her on the cheek.

  Dr. Taylor smiled at the couple. “Tonight,” he said, “It is my humble honor to present you and Hughes Farm with the recognition of being included on the Duval County Historical Landmark registry.”

  Applause erupted from the crowd. Dr. Taylor held up his hand and quieted the group. “This farm is such a place of inspiration. The Hughes family kept this land at a time when African Americans were thought of as less than human. And as their riches increased, this family gave back to the community. Miss Hughes continued her family’s legacy when she allowed Starlight House on her land, a haven for these girls in need. She did it because it was the right thing to do. A lot of us in Duval County could learn a lesson from her example. It is with great pleasure that I present this proclamation to Miss Crystal Hughes, declaring Hughes Farm a historical landmark.”

  Once again the room erupted into cheers and applause. Two waiters began circulating the room with sparkling cider and champagne. Another waiter climbed on stage and offered champagne to the trio on stage. Dr. Taylor passed the microphone to Douglas, then exited the stage.

  “Crystal,” Douglas said into the microphone, “I want everyone in the room and this town to know how much you mean to me and what loving you has taught me. You showed me how to give without expecting anything in return, but getting more than I deserve.”

  He turned to the waiter, who was holding the tray with the champagne and the engagement ring, and took the ring. Douglas dropped to one knee and tears sprang into Crystal’s eyes. A chorus of oohs and ahhs rippled through the crowd.

  “Crystal Hughes, will you marry me?” he asked as he took her left hand in his and slipped the ring on her finger.

  “Say yes!” MJ called out. Crystal smiled, figuring out what MJ, Renda, and Douglas had been plotting.

  “Of course,” she said. “I’ll marry you.”

  Douglas rose to his feet, dropped the microphone, and took Crystal into his arms. He kissed her slowly, tenderly, and passionately as the crowd cheered.

  Dena and Waylon looked on and he got a romantic notion of his own. “Look at them,” he said. “Reminds me of a life I missed out on.”

  Dena nudged him in the side. “You were never that over the top,” she said.

  Waylon draped his arm around Dena’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “I love you,” he said. “And my life without you was empty and miserable. Then, when you looked at me with hate in your eyes, I was broken.”

  She looked up at him. “Waylon, we can’t—”

  “We can’t change the past, but we can fly into the future together. It’s not what we planned, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  Hot tears sprang into her eyes. “Waylon, I . . .”

  He brought his finger to her lips. “Just think about it. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

  “Let’s go congratulate Douglas and Crystal,” she said, and started to walk toward the stage.

  Waylon stopped her. “Tell me something,” he said quietly. “Do you believe that we deserve a chance to get it right? Don’t you think we belong together?”

  “Waylon . . .”

  “Dena, we can congratulate them and then I’m taking you away from here to plead my case, because I’m never going to let you walk out of my life again.”

  Dena didn’t—or rather—couldn’t say another word because she agreed with everything Waylon said. But for the first time in her life, Dena was afraid.

  The party began to wind down and most of the well-wishers had left. Douglas and Crystal found a quiet corner near the stage to share a quick kiss. She couldn’t take her eyes off the rose-shaped engagement ring on her finger. Douglas held her close at the corner of the stage. “Do you like it?” he asked.

  “I love it,” she said. “And I love you.”

  “I meant what I said on stage,” he said. “Every word.”

  She stroked his cheek and leaned forward to kiss him. “I’m going to hold you to what you said. But right now, I want to get you alone.”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” he exclaimed, and stopped short of picking her up and carrying her outside.

  Holding hands, they told the girls and a few partiers still left at the Starlight House good night. Renda and MJ crossed over to them. “Were you surprised, Miss Crystal?” Renda asked.

  “I was. You guys got me big time,” she replied, then hugged the sisters. “Thank you.”

  “Now remember,” Renda whispered. “Our offer still stands if he messes up.”

  She laughed and looked over Renda’s shoulder at Douglas. “I don’t think that’s going to be necessary.”

  “All right,” she said, then pointed at Douglas as if she was telling him I’m watching you. Douglas gave her a mock salute as she and MJ headed back inside.

  “You’d better be on your best behavior, Mr. Wellington,” Crystal said as they walked toward her house.

  “Renda an
d MJ gave me the same warning several times,” he said, then scooped her up in his arms. “But I’m at my best when I’m a little bad.”

  “Well, why don’t you show me exactly what you’re talking about?” she said, grinning.

  Douglas nodded and then kissed his fiancée slow and deep. He couldn’t wait to spend tonight and forever basking in the glow of Crystal’s love.

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  Chapter 1

  The only thing Marie Charles enjoyed more than being the center of attention at someone’s party was hosting one of her own. Either way, she was instantly the center of attention. Charlotte’s resident party girl was always on the cutting edge of fashion, dressing in clothes that were always tailored especially for her svelte body. And she knew how to keep everyone’s attention—by either walking into a venue exchanging air kisses with the most high-profile man or woman who caught her eye so that she could get her picture snapped, or by dating the hottest ball player, singer, or actor she wanted. She was a professional public-relations maven, so it was her business to be in the know. But if you asked the right people, Marie Charles—daughter of civil rights attorney Richard Charles III—was just a girl seeking the wrong kind of attention.

  Tonight, she was playing hostess at Mez, where her public-relations and event-planning company, M&A Exclusive Events, was sponsoring a party for the Charlotte Bobcats’ second playoff win in franchise history. She’d checked the VIP list and kissed a couple of the players on the cheek, telling them congratulations. And, of course, she basked in the compliments the men lavished on her and how she filled out her gold Alexander McQueen dress. As Bobcats center Drayton Neal reached out and grabbed Marie so that they could take a picture, she turned to her intern, Hailey, and said, “This is how you host a party.”

  Hailey, a shy Central Piedmont Community College student, offered her boss and the six foot nine basketball star a slight smile as the Carolina Nightlife photographer snapped photos.