The Replacement Wife

by Tiffany L. Warren

  “We have a surprise, everyone!” Montana announced. “The Chambers girls would like to bless you with a song. They’ll be singing ‘The Shepherd Song.’ ”

  Quentin’s head snapped up from looking at the floor. Montana smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. He did stand to his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. Chloe stood to her feet too and locked her arm through his.

  Montana went back to the girls and gave them a reassuring head nod. Then she sat down at the keyboard and played the introduction to the song. The girls looked at their father and froze. Danielle was the most terrified. She clutched her necklace and trembled.

  Montana cleared her throat loudly to get the girls’ attention. Then she mouthed the words “eyes on me.” The girls nodded and stared at Montana as she played the introduction a second time.

  This time, the girls opened their mouths and sang in unison. Their voices echoed from the high ceilings and sounded rich and full enough to be an entire choir. When Deirdre got to the solo part of the song, she came alive. She hit every riff and run that Montana had taught her and delivered it with a power that Montana hadn’t had at her age. Deirdre was destined to sing. Her voice was too big of a gift not to.

  The second time the girls sang the chorus part of the song was where they sang the harmonies Montana had taught them. They were all pitch perfect—their three-part harmony was flawless. Deirdre sang ad libs that had everyone in the room in awe. One of the guests had gone into worship.

  It tickled Montana that Rio seemed completely out of place. That’s exactly what he got for forcing his way into her church world.

  Chloe held on to Quentin’s arm for dear life, but his expression had changed from mild irritation to slack-jawed wonder. There was also a bit of pride there too as the girls finished the song and everyone in the room cheered.

  The girls cared about no one’s applause but their father’s. They ran up to him and pushed Chloe out of the way. Montana followed closely behind them.

  “What did you think, Daddy?” Danielle said, searching her father’s face with her eyes.

  Quentin said, “You all were incredible. I didn’t know you could sing like that.”

  “Neither did we,” Madison said.

  Morgan chimed in, “Yeah, Montana taught us.”

  Quentin tipped Deirdre’s chin upward and smiled at his daughter. “You sound like your mother.”

  “It’s a shame these babies aren’t singing in church. They sound like angels,” one of the guests said, spoiling the family moment.

  Quentin pressed his lips into a thin line and blinked rapidly. “Excuse me, everyone. Enjoy the brunch.”

  Montana and Chloe said simultaneously, “Don’t leave.”

  Chloe gave Montana a look that could kill a room full of folk. As Chloe tried to follow Quentin, she actually scampered behind him. But Quentin’s huge strides soon left her chasing him. It must’ve dawned on her that everyone was looking at her chase Quentin across the living room, and she stopped, turned, and smoothed her dress.

  “Let’s give Quentin some space,” Chloe said thoughtfully.

  Estelle said, “I think we should give my beautiful granddaughters a round of applause, and let’s also acknowledge their wonderful teacher, Montana. Thank you for bringing music back into this home. It should’ve never left.”

  The girls took a bow, and then Montana bowed as well. The only person not smiling at them was Chloe.

  “Is anyone else hungry?” Estelle asked. “Brother Lundy, can you bless the food?”

  While Brother Lundy prayed over the food, Montana glanced up to see what Chloe was doing. She didn’t expect to make eye contact with Chloe, who was already staring at her.

  The look in Chloe’s eyes was pure hatred. It sent a chill through Montana to the core of her being. It was the look of a newly formed enemy. Montana could almost imagine Chloe belting out a war cry. And although she didn’t know for sure, Montana would venture a guess that a spar with Chloe wouldn’t be fair.

  Chloe looked like someone who fought dirty.

  CHAPTER 23

  After the brunch was over, Rio pulled Montana toward the front door. “Montana, can I please just talk to you?”

  “No, Rio! Just go!”

  “I sat through that long church service and that boring brunch just to get a few minutes of your time, and you can’t do a brother just that one courtesy?”

  Montana rolled her eyes and acquiesced. She had the feeling that Rio wouldn’t just go quietly, and a few of the church members were still there.

  “Let’s walk up a ways,” Montana said once they were outside.

  “I don’t want anyone to hear us.”

  Rio followed Montana up the path to a cluster of peach trees. He gave her the smile that had charmed her right out of her underwear before. Now it had no effect on her, at least not a positive one. It made her skin crawl. She wanted him gone as quickly as possible.

  Montana spun on one heel and put one hand on her hip. “What do you want to talk about, Rio?”

  “You don’t have to sound so irritated. I thought women loved for men to pursue them.”

  “Not when they have been delivered from the man.”

  “Delivered? Why you always talking about me like I’m the devil?”

  “ ’Cause you act like the devil. He’s your daddy.”

  Rio laughed. “I remember when you called me daddy.”

  “The only reason I agreed to talk to you is because I want to ask you to please leave me alone. Don’t show up at my church anymore, or here either.

  “You’re banning me from church?”

  “I’m asking you not to come to my church. There are a gang of churches in Atlanta. If you’re trying to meet Jesus, which I highly doubt, then you can visit one of them.”

  “How can I get you back if you don’t want me around?”

  Montana let out a huge sigh. “Seriously, Rio? It’s not like you can’t pull any woman you want. Why are you so insistent on having me?”

  “Because you’re the only woman to walk away from me. I’m a winner. I never lose. I want you back, girl.”

  “Why? So you can walk away from me? Will that make you feel better?”

  Rio shook his head. “You think I’m just talking crap, and I can understand why you would, but I really want you back.”

  “Why can’t you just move on? I have.”

  “With who? Your new boss?” Rio’s voice escalated, and Montana looked around to see if anyone had heard him.

  “No, Rio. I mean I’ve moved on from us. I am in love with Jesus right now. I’m saved, set apart, and celibate.”

  Rio laughed. “That’s too many s words. Rewind that back.”

  “Celibate starts with a c. Please, just let me be. Don’t make this hard.”

  Rio put on a sad face and sighed. “Okay, Montana. I hear you. I saw you that night, going on a date with that lame-looking dude, and I guess I started reminiscing. I didn’t realize what a good thing you were until you were gone. I wish I could go back in time and change things.”

  Surprisingly, Rio actually sounded sincere. But there was no way Montana intended to find out. If he really had learned something from their relationship, it would be something he could use with the next woman.

  Rio extended his arms. “Since this is the last time I’ll probably get to be this close to you, can I have just one hug? A good-bye hug.”

  Montana looked around to see if anyone was in the vicinity who might misinterpret her hug with Rio. Since the coast appeared to be clear, she took three steps forward and gave Rio a very chaste hug. Just when she was ready to untangle herself from his arms, Rio pulled Montana in tightly and squeezed her behind.

  She knew he hadn’t changed! The devil’s baby brother!

  Montana slapped him away and stormed back toward the house.

  “See you soon, Montana!” Rio said. “I think I just found my new church home!”

  Montana balled her hands into fists and would�
�ve yelled at the top of her lungs if Estelle hadn’t still had company. It would completely vex her spirit if Rio decided to join Freedom of Life.

  Montana grabbed a bottle of water from the brunch setup and went to the most peaceful place in the mansion, the peach sitting room that looked out onto the lake. Unfortunately, the room was already occupied. Quentin stood by the window, staring out at the lake.

  Montana turned to leave quietly, but Quentin noticed her presence. He said, “You can stay if you want. I was just about to leave.”

  “Are you okay, Quentin?”

  He looked the opposite of okay. He’d obviously been shedding a few tears—his eyes were watery, and his face was tear-streaked.

  He nodded. “I’m fine.”

  “Want some company?” Montana asked.

  Quentin said, “No. I said I was fine.”

  Montana felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “All right. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

  Montana turned to leave, and Quentin said, “What did you think? That I would have a breakthrough or something? That I’d hear their beautiful voices and let music back into my heart?”

  “Yes. I actually did.”

  “Well, you’re wrong. You know nothing about me, Montana. I don’t have a heart anymore. Your God ripped it out of my chest and left a hole there.”

  “No. You’re wrong. Your heart was broken, but it’s still there.”

  Quentin grimaced. “You don’t need to worry about the status of my heart. We hired you to take care of the children.”

  “Yes, Mr. Chambers. I’m sorry.”

  Quentin grunted and then turned to stare out the window again. Montana ran out of the room. She wanted to go and hide. Her plan had backfired, and now maybe she and Quentin weren’t even friends.

  On her way out of the room, Montana ran into Chloe, the last person she wanted to see.

  “Was Quentin in there?” Chloe asked.

  Montana nodded. She was on the verge of tears and hoped Chloe wouldn’t want to hold a conversation.

  “He’s mad at you, isn’t he?” Chloe asked.

  Again, Montana nodded. “I think so. He didn’t say it, but I think he is.”

  Chloe shook her head. “That’s exactly what you get.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You think I can’t see what you’re doing?”

  “What am I doing, Chloe?”

  Chloe walked in a circle around Montana. “You think you can come in here with all your singing and all your what-would-Jesus-do, sickening sweetness and that Quentin would fall for you just like the meat off a perfectly smoked rib.”

  “I’m not trying to get Quentin to fall for me,” Montana said.

  “But I do want to see his heart mended.”

  Chloe stopped walking and got in Montana’s face. “You don’t need to be concerned with his heart. They hired you to pick up the children from school and drop them off at dance practice. You’re not here for his heart.”

  “Quentin is my friend.”

  “He is your employer. Don’t get it twisted. You start thinking he’s your friend and I’ll have to see to your firing.”

  Montana stood tall and looked Chloe in the eye. “What are you afraid of? You scared if he heals, then he won’t need you as a crutch anymore?”

  “A crutch? I’m no crutch to him, but I’m in his system. You don’t have a chance, honey. You should stop before things turn ugly.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “You’re stupid not to be, nanny. Don’t get in my way.”

  “You shouldn’t get in God’s way.”

  Chloe threw her head back and laughed. “I hope you and the kids don’t think this little singing display is going to change anything.”

  Montana swallowed. She wanted the exact opposite to happen. She wanted their singing to change everything.

  “Let me go and fix my man. I know exactly what he needs.”

  Chloe left Montana standing there as she strode into the room with Quentin. She walked with purpose. Like a woman who knew her man.

  Montana whispered a prayer. “Lord, please heal Quentin’s heart . . . and please don’t let him fire me.”

  Quentin would have that breakthrough he talked about. Montana was sure of it. God was bigger than all of Quentin’s pain. Quentin just had to open his eyes.

  CHAPTER 24

  Quentin squeezed a key in the palm of his hand. Everyone in the house was asleep, so it was quiet. It was the perfect time to face his biggest giant. Montana had started this with the song. It was such a perfect song for the girls—exactly something Chandra would’ve had them sing. Seeing his daughters look to Montana for direction and hearing them hit those harmonies had almost been too much. He’d almost embarrassed himself by breaking down in front of all of his mother’s friends.

  Quentin missed Chandra like crazy.

  He tiptoed downstairs so as not to wake anyone. He needed to be alone if he was going to do this. If he was going to open the floodgates, there didn’t need to be any witnesses.

  His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and Quentin didn’t even take it out. He knew who was texting him. Chloe didn’t know how to leave well enough alone. She kept trying to talk to him about his feelings. He obviously didn’t want to talk to her about his feelings, but she insisted on trying to reach out.

  Quentin traveled down a long hallway and stood in front of a closed and locked door. It was a door that had been locked for five years. No one had come into this room after Chandra had been buried, and Quentin had had the lock installed to make sure of that.

  He flipped the key over and over in his hand, trying to decide if he should go through with it or instead go back upstairs to his bedroom. He could still hide from the giant and leave it lurking in the shadows.

  Quentin didn’t feel like much of a lion. He felt like a frightened cub in the jaws of a bear. He was glad no one could read his thoughts, because he would come across like a real chump.

  Quentin took a deep breath and inserted the key in the lock. He thought, There’s no turning back now, as he shifted it in the lock. The lock had never been turned since it was installed, so it stuck a bit. After a bit of jiggling, it gave way, and Quentin slowly turned the knob.

  He pushed the door open and coughed a little from the dust that rose into the air. Maybe he should’ve had the room cleaned, at least, but Quentin never imagined that the door would be opened again.

  Quentin closed the door behind him and switched on the light. The soft illumination revealed a beautiful, albeit dusty, white grand piano. The stool had a red velvet seat cushion and there were velvet covers on the foot pedals.

  Also in the room were music stands and a table scattered with sheet music, some of it practice music for the choir and some of it composed by Quentin.

  Quentin swallowed hard as the first tears stung his eyes. He shook off the emotion and crossed the room. He stood in front of the piano and wiped away some of the dust with his sleeve. Then he sat down on the stool, lifted the cover, and stared at the piano keys.

  A knot formed in Quentin’s throat as he closed his eyes and remembered the last time he had been in the room with Chandra.

  “Play Beethoven, Quentin!” Chandra said, as she spun in a little circle, her long straight hair flying like a fan around her face.

  Quentin laughed out loud. “I want you to sing with me! You can’t sing Beethoven.”

  “I can make up words,” Chandra said. “I am a songwriter, you know!”

  “You’re the best, but I want to practice something for church.”

  Chandra pouted playfully. “Oh, okay. Play Andrae Crouch, then. I love singing his songs.”

  Quentin had smiled and cracked his knuckles. He started to play “We Are Not Ashamed,” and Chandra began to sing. Her rich alto voice wrapped around the notes like they were created especially for her voice to sing.

  Quentin sang and played along with the memory unfolding in his mind. Tears str
eamed down his face as he watched Chandra dance with his mind’s eye. And then, at the end of the song, the memory faded. Chandra’s image disappeared, and Quentin opened his eyes.

  Quentin had not talked to God since he’d asked Him to save Chandra’s life. He felt that they didn’t have anything else to talk about. But tonight the pain was so fresh and so raw, Quentin couldn’t help but cry out to God.

  “How long is this going to hurt?” Quentin asked through his sobs.

  Quentin heard one word in his spirit. Always.

  Quentin slammed the piano cover shut. Was God mocking him now? After five years, he decided to talk to God, and He would just remind him of his pain? What kind of . . .

  Then Quentin heard more. But I am bigger than the pain. Rest in me.

  Quentin sat quietly waiting to see if there was more, because he had no idea how to rest. He barely knew how to survive.

  When he was sure there was nothing further, Quentin opened the piano cover again. He let his fingers rest on the keys and imagined his children singing with their mother.

  Quentin played and played for hours. Songs from memory, songs he made up, songs Chandra had liked to sing . . . songs she’d never heard. Quentin let the music fill the room, until he felt full himself.

  And when he was finished, he felt like something had been restored. Maybe not completely, but for the first time in five years, he didn’t feel like he had one foot in the grave. Not at all. He felt one hundred percent alive.

  CHAPTER 25

  A knock on her door woke Montana from her sleep. She squinted to focus her eyes and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was five in the morning. She thought, Somebody better be on fire or in need of a tetanus shot, because it’s too early for this.

  Montana scrambled out of her bed and mumbled, “Hold on,” while she grabbed her robe and slippers.

  Once she was decent, Montana opened the door, expecting to see Danielle or the twins. She was surprised that it was Quentin. Her hand immediately went to the bird’s-nest-like hair on the top her head and tried to smooth it down.