The Cunninghams and Mr. Johnson laughed out loud again. They knew Raven was as uppity as they came, and they were having a ball with her.
Finally, Raven pulled out her smartphone and ignored all of them.
Ironically, Alicia’s phone rang, and she picked it up from the ledge of the deck. She smiled when she saw her mom’s number.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you? Happy Fourth.”
“I’m good, and Happy Fourth to you.”
“Are you all getting ready to eat?”
“Almost.”
“Wonderful, and please make sure you tell your mother-in-law I said hello.”
“I will. So how’s New Orleans?”
“Well, remember when I called you yesterday and told you we were going to the concert tonight?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, honey, your mom and stepdad went last night, too. And talk about a good time.”
“You two are partying hard.”
Tanya laughed. “We definitely are. Can’t wait to come back next year, either.”
“I knew you guys would have a great time.”
“Maybe you and Levi can come with us.”
Alicia swallowed the lump in her throat. She wouldn’t cry in front of all these people, but she was so happy she definitely wanted to. “That will be the best trip, Mom.”
“I know. Your dad James and I were talking about it earlier. He wants to speak to you, but if Levi is close by, let me say hello to him first.”
Now tears filled her eyes, and Melanie looked at her.
Alicia walked over to her husband and brother. “Hold on a second, Mom,” she said, holding the phone out to Levi.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“My mom.”
Levi smiled at her and took the phone. “Hello?”
Dillon smiled at Alicia, too, and then hugged her. “I know you’ve wanted this for a long time, and I’m so happy for you. I’m happy for both of you.”
Tears fell from Alicia’s eyes, and when Dillon released her, Melanie walked over.
“Didn’t I tell you this would happen?” Melanie said, embracing her.
“You did, but I was starting to lose hope.”
“God always comes through in His own timing, and while we don’t know why He chose now, you can believe He has His reasons.”
When Levi finished talking to Tanya, he gave the phone back to Alicia, and she chatted with James for a few minutes. When she hung up, she went inside the house to see if her mother-in-law needed any help. As she entered the kitchen, she hugged Darrell and D.C., Levi’s two closest childhood friends, and they stepped outside where Levi was.
“Hey, Mom, you sure I can’t help you with anything?” Alicia said.
“Now, young lady, you know how I am about my cooking. I always appreciate the offer, but I like to handle all my dishes on my own.”
Levi’s mom owned one of the best family-style restaurants in town, and she was very particular about everything she prepared. She wanted everything to be perfect, so when she hosted dinners, parties, or cookouts at her home, she told everyone they didn’t have to bring anything. She did trust Levi with grilling the meat, but only because she was the one who’d taught him how to do it so well.
“I know how you do,” Alicia said, “but I still wanted to ask again. I hate not helping you.”
“It’s fine, really. You can help me carry some of it out, though, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Oh, and my mom just told me to tell you hello.”
“When you talk to her again, tell her I said hello back. Levi told me the great news.”
“We still can’t believe it. She even asked to speak to him a few minutes ago.”
Treva Cunningham walked around the small island and hugged her daughter-in-law. “Praise God. I know these last couple of years haven’t been easy for you and Levi, but I’m glad everything worked out. I always knew it would.”
Alicia teared up again, still hugging her mother-in-law. “Thank you for not judging me, and for being a mother to me when I needed it most. I love you, and I won’t ever forget it.”
Treva pulled away from her. “Sweetheart, you don’t ever have to thank me for something like that. When you married my son, you became my daughter. And that’s that, you hear me?”
Alicia nodded, and they hugged again.
Not every woman could say she had a mother-in-law who loved her unconditionally—or even liked her for that matter—but Alicia could, and she thanked God for her husband and his mother. These last two years, she wasn’t sure what she would have done without them. They’d been there for her in every way possible. They’d been her angels from heaven for sure.
Chapter 21
They were all sitting on Sister Cunningham’s deck, eating everything imaginable: potato salad, seven-layer salad, cucumber-and-tomato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans with ground beef, and all the different meats Levi had grilled. The only thing was, Dillon felt like jumping out of his skin. He’d put on a happy face and had acted as normal as he possibly could, but from the time he’d gotten up this morning, he’d wanted a drink. He literally hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, and he was afraid of what might happen next. Before they’d left home, he’d snapped at Raven for no reason, and he’d had to apologize to her. But since they’d arrived at the cookout, he’d put on the best front he knew how because more than once, he’d thought about giving some bogus excuse and leaving.
He didn’t understand why this was happening, though, because he’d only had three drinks on Thursday night at Benny’s and then three beers yesterday afternoon. Raven had gone shopping again, and though he’d told himself that he wouldn’t, he’d driven thirty minutes outside of Mitchell to a tiny town. He’d found a liquor store there, bought a six-pack, and had brought it home. He’d drunk one can right away and then had decided to throw the other five cans out. But he’d changed his mind and had drunk a second and a third. He hadn’t felt as tipsy as he had on Thursday night, but it had given him enough of a buzz to be satisfied. This was when he’d willed himself to toss the other three cans in the trash out in the garage. He’d gotten rid of them because he’d had flashbacks to his Atlanta fiasco, and he didn’t want to slide down that same road again. To say it had been rocky was an understatement, and he didn’t want to take a chance on losing everything. He’d lost a lot the first time around, but he had far more to lose here in Mitchell. Plus, he kept telling himself that while he wanted alcohol, he didn’t need it. It was just something he chose to do but didn’t have to. He could stop whenever he wanted, and he’d already proven that for two whole years.
Dillon tried to cover up how on edge he was, but when he glanced across the table at Levi, he could tell Levi thought something was wrong. So Dillon looked elsewhere.
Raven rested her hand across his back and looked at him. “Are you okay, baby?”
“I’m good.”
“You seem like you’re in deep thought.”
“Just thinking about my sermon for tomorrow.”
Dillon had gotten so good at lying that he didn’t even have to think about it. Lies rolled off his tongue with no effort.
“You already wrote it, though, right?”
“Yeah, for the most part.”
“You’ll be fine,” she said. “You always do a great job, no matter what.”
Levi’s friend D.C., a well-known loan shark, sat across from them. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but my boy Levi says you were born to speak. Keeps telling me I should come hear you.”
“You should,” Dillon said.
“I haven’t been to church in at least a couple of years. As a matter of fact, the last time I went, I attended your dad’s church. I’ve always had mad props for him. Never seen anyone do some of the things he did and then turn everything around for the better. Well, maybe with the exception of Levi. But what I also love about your dad is that he don’t mind talking about it. He
don’t just tell people what they shouldn’t do, he tells you why because he’s already done it. But I hear you do the same thing, and that’s good.”
Dillon ignored the comment about his dad because it was better not to think about him. “Praise and worship begins at nine thirty in the morning, and then we go right into service,” Dillon said, smiling.
D.C. smiled back at him. “I don’t know about tomorrow, man, but maybe sometime soon.”
“Well, just think about it, because we would love to have you.”
“I don’t know, though,” D.C. joked, “next thing you know, you’ll have me endin’ up just like my boy Levi here. Saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost.”
Levi rolled his eyes and shook his head. “We can only hope, because Lord knows if anybody needs to be saved, it’s you.”
D.C. laughed and so did their friend Darrell, who sat on the other side of D.C. Melanie was also sitting next to Darrell, and Alicia sat between Levi and Dillon.
“No, but in all seriousness,” D.C. said, “I respect what you’re doing, and if you keep going the way you are, you’ll be just like your dad. You’ll make a huge difference for a lot of people in this community. And now he’s building that huge sanctuary right next to the old one. And from what I hear, he’s going to turn the old church into a community center. Supposed to be something like a Boys and Girls Club, I think. So I’m telling you, that’s a bad man, and you and my girl Alicia are lucky to have a dad like that.”
Alicia and Levi looked at each other, and Dillon could tell the community center idea was news to them as well. This was yet one more thing his dad would have that would gain him more members and support from the city. But more important, didn’t D.C. know that Curtis wasn’t close with Dillon and Alicia? So why would they feel lucky to have him as anything? Dillon thought about letting it go, but he was tired of people keeping the good Reverend Black on some pedestal.
Dillon drank a few sips of his bottled water. “You do know that my father doesn’t have anything to do with me, don’t you? And after all this time, he still won’t accept that my sister and Levi are married. And you say we should feel lucky to have him in our life? No disrespect, but you obviously don’t know the same stubborn, unforgiving man we do.”
D.C. ate a forkful of potato salad. “No disrespect from here, either. I know you might not be all that close with him, but I was just stating how great he’s been for the community. He’s done a lot of stuff for a lot of people, and I was just givin’ credit where credit is due. Nothing more.”
“It’s fine,” Alicia said, clearly trying to prevent any further conversation on the subject. “We weren’t offended.”
Dillon was beyond offended, and now his father was in his head again, causing him more distress. But he knew his sister was right for defusing the situation. He would never want to cause trouble or disrespect Sister Cunningham’s home, anyway.
Raven had been quiet until she glanced toward the other table at Kawana, who’d just whispered something to her brother while looking in their direction.
“Is there a problem?” Raven asked her.
Kawana pointed at herself. “You talkin’ to me?”
“You’re the only one over there staring at us.”
“Well, if you wanna know the truth, I wasn’t staring at you and your husband. Just you.”
“Well, in case you don’t know, staring is rude.”
Dillon touched Raven’s arm. “Baby, just leave it alone. It’s not a big deal.”
Raven jerked her arm away. “This ghetto chick is gawking at me, and you’re going to sit here and defend her? That’s why I didn’t want to come over here. I can’t stand dealing with ghetto people who don’t have any manners.”
“Whoa, now wait a minute,” Kane said. “Sis, did this female just call you ghetto?”
Kawana dropped her fork on her plate. “And didn’t stutter, either. Her words couldn’ve been more clear.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Sister Cunningham said. “You all stop that. We’re all family here, and I won’t stand for any foolishness. Not at my house.”
“That’s right,” Uncle Buck said. “Kawana and Kane, you two let it go, you hear me?”
Kawana didn’t say anything else…until a few seconds later. “With your gambling-addict thievin’ behind. You might be some bougie first lady today, but we all know you used to be locked up. So, baby, you can call me ghetto and anything else you want, but at least I don’t steal from people. And I certainly wouldn’t be stupid and low enough to steal from the house of the Lord.”
Raven jumped up. “Dillon, let’s go.”
Kawana got up, too. “Yeah, Pastor, take that trick out of here before she get a beat-down. Comin’ up in here with her nose all turned up, actin’ like she better than the rest of us. I’ve been laying for you for the last couple of hours,” she told Raven.
Levi went over to the table where his family was sitting. “Kawana, just cut it out, okay? You know you’re wrong for this.”
Kane didn’t say anything, and Dillon was glad Levi’s two cousins listened to him.
Raven turned around. “Dillon, did you hear me? Why are you still sitting there?”
Dillon finally stood up. “Sister Cunningham, all of you, I’m really sorry. Levi, Alicia, I’m sorry this happened, so please forgive us.”
Raven frowned so hard Dillon thought she would burst a blood vessel. “Why are you apologizing? That woman was staring and whispering about me. Let alone the Lady Raven comment she made when we first got here. So don’t you dare apologize to her.”
“Let’s go,” Dillon said, already walking down the steps of the deck. When they’d arrived, they’d come through the house from the front door, but Dillon was so embarrassed he wanted them to get into the car as fast as they could. He couldn’t wait to get Raven home. He’d promised Porsha he would try to come by there, anyway, and that’s exactly where he was going. Or maybe he would see if Taylor was home instead. Either way, he wouldn’t be dealing with Raven. She knew how important Levi was to him and how much he’d done for them and the church, yet she’d showed her behind at his mom’s house like Levi didn’t matter. Dillon loved his wife, but her arrogant and vain personality was sometimes too much for him. He wanted money and power himself, but he didn’t want it so he could look down on people. He wanted those things for his own enjoyment and to make up for all the times when he hadn’t had much as a child. Raven, however, seemed to be letting all of their blessings go to her head. The more members they got and the more money the two of them made, the more snobbish she became.
He wasn’t going to say a word to her about it, though. Because if he did, he might say something he would regret, and it just wasn’t worth it.
Chapter 22
Alicia waved good-bye to her mother-in-law. “I can’t believe Raven said all those things to Kawana. And then to say she didn’t want to come over here, right in front of your mom.”
Levi backed his black Escalade out of his mom’s driveway. “Kawana shouldn’t have made that comment about her being called Lady at the church, though, and then Kane made that joke about the royal palace. I could tell Raven was through from that point on.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t have to say Kawana was ghetto. Or that she can’t stand being around ghetto people. I told you a long time ago that Raven was full of herself, and now she’s worse than ever.”
“Well, I just hate that it happened, because my mom didn’t deserve that.”
“I was so embarrassed, and I could tell Dillon was, too. Raven showed us exactly who she is, and that’s why we can never let her be co-pastor.”
Levi slowed down before turning the corner. “Hey, speaking of Dillon, did you notice anything different about him?”
Alicia slightly twisted her body toward him. “I thought it was just me, but he seemed nervous and kind of anxious at the table. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something seemed wrong.”
“I noticed it before we even
started eating. It was like his mind would drift off somewhere and like he was a little fidgety.”
“He was really upset about Daddy a couple of days ago, so I hope that doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
Levi looked at her and then back at the road. “Hmmm.”
“What?”
“I know I’m probably wrong, but baby, you know I’ve seen it all. When I was dealing drugs, I only sold coke and prescription drugs, but I met every kind of addict there was. From people who shot dope to chronic alcoholics, you name it.”
“You don’t think he’s doing drugs, do you? Please don’t tell me that.”
“Baby, I don’t know. If he is, he hasn’t been doing it for very long, but something just wasn’t right.”
“Maybe he and Raven had gotten into it before they came to your mom’s,” Alicia suggested, but she wondered if she even believed her own words. “Or maybe it’s like I said, he’s still worked up over what he told me about Daddy.”
“What, the radio interview?”
“Yeah, remember I told you about it Thursday night?”
Levi looked at her with a sly grin. “I vaguely remember you saying something, but after you wore me out the way you did I was pretty out of it.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“I’m serious. You did wear me out, but it was one of the best nights we’ve had in years. Our lovemaking was as powerful and passionate as it was when we first met. You seem so much more like yourself.”
“I feel more like myself, too. I feel good.”
“Well, as far as Dillon goes, let’s just hope I’m wrong and you’re right. Because being a pastor and doing drugs won’t work.”
Alicia prayed that drugs were the furthest thing from Dillon’s mind. He didn’t need something like that in his life right now, and neither did she. As it was, she was still working on her own problems, and that was more than enough. She just hoped her brother’s issues with their father hadn’t pushed him to start doing something he shouldn’t. He was progressing so well as a pastor, and their vision for the church was successfully moving in the direction Dillon wanted it to.
A Sinful Calling Page 13
