No Ordinary Romance

by Smith, Stephanie Jean

  She remembered how the police came to her house asking questions. They wanted to know what kind of people she and Momma Lettie hung around. Did her momma have any family members involved with gangs? They never informed her that her momma died at the scene of the shooting.

  Her Aunt Mabel and her son Earl Jr. showed up in the middle of the interrogation. They showed the police the door before giving her the heart breaking news that her beloved Momma Lettie was gone. Ever since that day, Connie had no trust for the police or any authority figures.

  Connie grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and stepped out on the back deck of her house. It was cold outside, but the cold seemed to clear her head. David had been dead twenty-two years. Momma Lettie, more than eleven years and the wounds of their passing were still open as if it were yesterday.

  She didn’t want to dwell on all that she’d lost in life, but her losses were excessive and they kept racking up. This time last year, her best friend Laura was still alive. They celebrated at Harrah’s with Laura’s sister Jenna and her best friend Samantha.

  Tears flowed as Connie reminisced about the past. They were all single and happy promising to make that year the best. Last year was a terrible time for her; Laura was murdered, and the same bastard went after Jenna. On a bright note, Jenna fell in love with the detective investigating Laura’s murder. After a rocky relationship, they got married in a beautiful Las Vegas wedding. Now they were expecting their first child in March.

  She took another sip of beer smiling again thinking about Samantha and her new husband Allen. She met him at a conference in Chicago and came home with a broken heart. The met again at a wedding, and the sparks began to fly. They got married in the courthouse yesterday, and the love between them was obvious. She wasn’t mad at Sam for setting her up with Thomas. Samantha was in love, and she wanted her friends to be happy too.

  Connie finished off her beer, but before she headed back into the house she stopped and gazed at the stars. “Rest in peace Momma, Laura, and David. I promise that I’ll never forget the love you brought into my life.” She went back inside her house and prepared for bed.

  Her friendship with Jenna and Samantha would change; both of them were married now and starting families. There would be fewer and fewer ladies nights out, or margarita night sleepovers. They had husbands they could rely on now. Although they would remain friends, the dynamics of their relationship would change.

  She touched her lips as she thought about Thomas’s kiss. He was right she had been avoiding him this past year. Thomas is a controlling man and it would take a strong woman to keep him in line. The woman on the receiving end of all that strength and magnetism would be blessed indeed. Too bad, she could never be that woman.

  ***

  Chapter 4

  Connie got out of bed early to prepare for her trip to Kearney. Her feet barely touch the floor before her cell phone rang. "Hello."

  "You ran out kind of early last night. I was just calling to wish you a safe trip to Aunt Mabel's."

  Connie wasn't surprised to hear from Jenna, she was an early riser especially since she became pregnant. "What's wrong the baby got you up early this morning?"

  "Mike and I left the party fifteen minutes after you departed. Pregnancy and parties don't mix. I just wanted to give you a jingle before you left for Kearney. Call me when you get back so we can have lunch."

  "Bet on it. I'll see you when I get back. Now go back to bed it's too early in the morning even for you."

  Connie tossed her phone down on the bed, and before she took two steps, it rang again. She looked at the caller ID and smiled. "Samantha! You are the last person expected to hear from today. Shouldn't you be holed up in bed with your new husband?"

  "I don't have much time, but I couldn't let you leave for Kearney without wishing you a safe trip. I appreciate all of your help with the wedding ceremony and celebration. Allen is still walking on a cloud."

  "It was my pleasure. Now, do you want to tell me how Thomas Galvin got invited to the party?"

  "Ooh girl I think I hear Allen calling me..."

  "Damn it Sam why did you invite that jerk to the party knowing how I feel about him?"

  "Girl you may not realize it, but when you talk about Thomas your eyes light up and you blush a lovely shade of crimson. You need a man and Thomas wants the job. Granted he can be a little arrogant, but if you took the time to know him, we might be celebrating your wedding this time next year."

  Connie didn't realize she was being so transparent in showing her feelings for Thomas. "Sam I don't think that's in the cards for me. Don't worry, I forgive for your interference you can't help it. You're in love and want your friends to experience that same feeling. Jenna called a few minutes before you; she wants to have lunch when I come back from Kearney. If you can tear yourself away from your husband for an hour I'd love for you to join us."

  "Name the time and place, you know I'll be there. Love ya girl! Have a safe trip and give Aunt Mabel a hug from me."

  "I love you too Sam." Sometimes friends who thought they had all the answers were a pain in the ass.

  She checked to make sure she had all of her supplies before packing up her car. One good thing she did a lot of prep work yesterday and the day before. Fixing today’s dinner would be a piece of cake. The car was packed and was on the road to Kearney before 8:00 am. She didn’t mind the drive it was a straight shot on west I80. She just couldn’t understand why Aunt Mabel refused to find an assisted living facility in Omaha.

  The drive took two hours and a half; it took three hours to get to Kearney. The roads were clear this morning because most people were still in either bed or nursing their hangovers. She pulled in front of the Oakville Home were her Aunt Mabel lived and started loading up her utility cart. Everything fit, which was fantastic, she wouldn’t have to make another trip.

  She parked her car and pushed her aunt’s buzzer so she could get through the first set of doors. “Aunt Mabel its Connie.” She didn’t receive a response, but she heard the click of the door allowing her access. She parked her cart in front of the elevator and went to sign in at the front desk.

  “Who are you visiting?”

  “Mabel Johnson.”

  “You must be the guest she’s been raving about all last week. Is it true that you’re cooking a unusual dinner today in celebration of Mabel's birthday?”

  Connie got this questioning look every time she came to visit Aunt Mabel, jeez was she the only Caucasian that came to visit Aunt Mabel. “Yes my momma taught me how to cook, and soul food is my specialty.” Connie signed her name, gave the receptionist a little wave, and went back to the elevator. When she got off the elevator, she wasn’t surprised to see her aunt waiting for her in the hallway.

  “What happened gal did you get lost on the way from your car?” Mabel loved to tease her niece; she liked watching the color of embarrassment fan across her face. She held the door open and looked at the pans and containers on Connie’s cart. “You’ve been busy, I see that I’m gonna have a great birthday dinner.”

  Connie took off her coat and found herself embraced in her aunt’s bear hug. “Aunt Mabel if you lived in Omaha, I could cook for you all the time, not just special occasions.”

  “Honey hush, I have a surprise for you in the other room.” Mabel grabbed Connie by the arm and practically yanked her into the living room.

  Well how big a surprise could it be, Aunt Mabel’s apartment wasn’t that large. She had a bedroom with a connecting bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen/dining area. Connie was humoring her aunt; she wouldn’t put it past her aunt to ask someone over as a date.

  Every time she came to visit, one of the other residents' had a son or nephew who just happened to be in town also. She walked into the living room and was pleasantly surprised with the sight of her cousin Johana and her daughter Tatiana. “Oh my God this is a surprise!”

  Johana greeted her with a hug and little Tatiana hugged her leg. “It’s great to see you Con
nie; we have a lot of catching up to do.”

  Connie picked up Tatiana and held her close kissing her Carmel brown skin; the precious four year old was just a remarkable sight. Her black hair was pulled into one ponytail, large brown eyes full of innocence and happiness. When she smiled, she lit up the room. “Baby when you grow up the men will stand up and take notice.”

  “Condi give Boo Bear a hug and kiss.”

  Connie laughed at Tatiana’s pronunciation of her name. She promptly hugged and kissed the raggedy brown bear that has seen better days. “How long are you guys visiting?”

  “I had two job interviews in Omaha on Friday. We stayed one night at the Holiday Inn so Tati could see the tree of lights in the downtown area. We arrived in Kearney yesterday, and we head back to Detroit the day after tomorrow.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming to Omaha? You could have stayed with me.”

  “Nana told me how busy you were helping Samantha, the last thing you needed were house guests. Now tell me what you made for dinner and please tell me there’s a dessert of some kind.”

  Connie put Tatiana down and went back to the kitchen with Johana close on her heels. “Well you know the New Year couldn’t start without black eye peas, for luck. I also have feather bones, greens, macaroni and cheese, yeast rolls, sweet potatoes, potato salad, and a pork loin. I would never forget Aunt Mabel’s favorite dessert, Red Velvet cake.”

  “Okay cousin, my mouth is watering. What do you want me to do?” Johana washed her hands and helped Connie unpack her cart.

  Aunt Mabel loved seeing her niece and granddaughter getting along so well. She remembered a time when Lettie first adopted Connie, and they couldn’t stand each other. “I just want you gals to know that my gentleman friend is coming by for dinner, so mind your manners. Now I’m going to go play with the baby while the two of you sort out everything.

  This is the first time Connie heard about a boyfriend. “So who’s this gentleman friend”?

  “Your guess is as good as mine. She’s never mentioned her friend before today. Maybe it was a one night stand that led to a beautiful romance.”

  Connie plug up her crock-pots; putting black eye peas in one and greens in the other. She was glad she did her prep work before tackling dinner. “Stop talking, you’re going to make me rupture my spleen. The last thing I want to think about is my 85-year-old aunt getting her groove on, especially when I’m alone and single with no prospects.” A handsome face and a pair of sexy green eyes flashed in Connie’s mind. She dismissed the thought and got back to her task.

  Johana put the macaroni & cheese and potato salad in the refrigerator. “How was Samantha’s wedding ceremony?”

  “I have to tell you, Sam farted around all morning and almost made us late. Of course, she blamed me. I thought that someone as beautiful and endearing as Sam would have an enormous church wedding. The civil ceremony surrounded by close friends and the man she loved was all she needed.”

  “I figured between Jenna and Samantha that one of them would have the church wedding. Now, I guess that’s left up to you.” Johana gathered the ingredients for cornbread and started mixing it up as Connie stood there gaping like a goldfish.

  “I’ll never get married Johana. I don’t believe in love and that happily ever after bullshit. I could never see myself in a gigantic white wedding gown marching down the aisle. That’s for other people, not me.” She peeled the sweet potatoes and set them aside. “I’ll mix up the rolls and let them rise; I think dinner will be ready around 3:00 pm.”

  Johana poured the cornbread batter into a cast iron skillet and set it on top of the stove. She sat down at the table and regarded her cousin with solemn eyes. “I seriously hate it when you sell yourself short. I know that a lot of people who were supposed to love you let you down. I got a feeling that this year is going to bring about a momentous change in your life. I want you to promise me one thing.”

  Johana was a couple of years younger than Connie was, but she’s suffered many losses in her life. She lost both her parents during her first year of college, and her husband James who was also Tatiana’s father, died in a car crash. She still had a positive outlook on life, and she’d never let Connie wallow in self-pity.

  She sat down at the table and clasped Johana’s hand, “what do you want me to promise you little cousin.”

  “I want you to find a good man, have a large church wedding, have a house full of babies, and be happy. There are only four of us left in this family. It’s up to you to build up the family and provide Tatiana with some playmates.”

  “I tell you what, I’ll promise to keep an open mind about men if you do the same.” Connie cut Johana off before she could interrupt. “I know how much you loved James, but you’re a young woman with a whole lot to share with some lucky man. So why don’t both of us agree to leave the past in the past and focus on the future. Now give me your pinky and swear to it.”

  “You have yourself a deal cousin if Nana can snag a man, we certainly can. I pinky swear!”

  ***

  Aunt Mabel’s man friend Edward wasn’t exactly what Connie expected. He was a robust man with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes, and a head of wavy black hair men half his age would kill. Of course, he didn’t come alone; his grandson Tyler who is tall, dark, and handsome with devilish silver eyes accompanied him. He’s a doctor at Lincoln General who just happened to be at loose ends today and decided to visit his grandfather.

  Dinner was filled with lively conversation and Aunt Mabel’s never ending meddling. She praised both Connie and Johana giving Tyler the opportunity to select between two lovely women though decidedly different. To Connie’s delight Tyler seemed bowled over by Johana’s loveliness and Tatiana’s charm. Johana also seemed to be interested in Tyler.

  Edward practically hummed as he ate his dinner. “Connie, Mabel has told me so many good things about you. I didn’t believe her when she told me that your black-eyed peas, and macaroni and cheese was better than my momma’s. Gal I haven’t had good cooking like this since I left Tupelo, Mississippi, you’re gonna make some man a mighty fine wife.”

  Connie gave her Aunt Mabel a sly glance. “I’m surprised Aunt Mabel hasn’t whipped you up a home cooked meal. She’s by far a better cook than me.

  “I don’t date Mabel for her cooking; we have other things in common that keeps the wood burning in the fireplace.”

  Connie almost choked at the euphemism and had to laugh as her aunt sat there giggling like a little high schoolgirl. “Now that everyone’s finishing up who would like a piece of cake. It’s Red Velvet, Aunt Mabel’s favorite.

  They sung happy birthday to Aunt Mabel, and Connie made sure everyone got an ample slice of Red Velvet cake. After dessert, Connie and Johana cleaned up the kitchen while everyone else got comfortable in the living room. “What do you think of Edward?”

  “Did you see the way Nana was behaving? She was practically purring when he started talking about wood burning in the fireplace. Those two are into each other in more ways than one; I haven’t seen her glow like that since Poppa died.”

  “I think before long you and Tyler will have something going on too.”

  Johana’s face flamed with embarrassment; she hadn’t been attracted to a man for a long time. She hadn’t dated anyone since high school. James was her first and only love. “That’s not possible Connie, although Tati and I plan to relocate back to Omaha.

  “It’s about damn time.”

  “I’ve been thinking about moving home for months. I put in applications at Mutual and Fidelity, and I had interviews at both places. Even if, we moved back, I don’t see Tyler and me getting together again. He’s a doctor working and living in Lincoln.

  “Johana, Lincoln is only an hour drive away. Samantha and Allen had a real long distance romance, and they made it happen.”

  “Yeah he moved to Omaha to be with her, it didn’t stay long distance for very long.” They were interrupted by Tyler’s presence in the
Kitchen.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you ladies; it’s getting late and it’s time for me to head back home. It was a pleasure meeting both of you.” He nodded in Connie’s direction and shook Johana’s hand his eyes remained glued to her face.

  “Hey Johana, why don’t you walk Tyler to his car; I bet you two have a lot to talk about.” If looks could kill, Connie would be pushing up daisies.

  “Tyler is a grown man I’m sure he doesn’t want me to tag along…” Her brows furrowed when Tyler cut her off.

  “Thank you Connie I think that’s a terrific idea. Grab you coat Johana it’s rather cold outside.” Tyler appreciated Connie’s intervention he’d been racking his brain trying to find a reason to get Johana alone.

  Johana made a face at Connie as she went to retrieve her coat, Connie couldn’t help laughing at Johana’s predicament. She turned around to face Tyler, and he was still watching Johana’s retreating backside. “You and your grandfather have it bad for women in this family.”

  “Do you have a problem with that?”

  His eyebrow rose, and his silvery gaze squinted at her with inquiry. “Don’t get testy I happen to think that you and Edward have very good taste.” Johana came back into the kitchen with uncertainly plainly written on her face. “Enjoy your walk Johana, take all the time you need. I’ll take care of Tati.”

  Tyler grabbed Johana’s arm and ushered her out the door before she changed her mind. “Thanks Connie!”

  “My pleasure.”

  The food was put away, and the kitchen was clean, so Connie joined her Aunt Mabel and Edward. They were wrapped up in each other on the love seat as Tati lay there sleeping on the sofa. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “Not at all baby. Edward and I were just waiting for you to finish up in the kitchen before we turned in for the evening. I figured that Johana and Tati could take my bed, and you could sleep on the sofa bed. Edward promised me something remarkable tonight so I’ll see you in the morning.”