Touching his arm, she looked at Adam as Stanley’s car pulled off. “Thank you, Adam.” He shifted causing her hand to drop to her side. He nodded once, saying nothing more and walked stiffly away from her, his gait tense as he opened his trunk to take out her suit case. He walked up the steps, placing her suitcase just inside the door of the house. She hadn’t meant to wait this long. She’d made up her mind to tell him everything after their trip but now everything was messed up. She steeled her spine and gathered up all the courage she had. She wasn’t good with uncomfortable situations. But right now she had to be. “Please, let me handle this situation with Stanley.” She was almost begging him to understand. “We can meet later and I’ll tell you everything.”
Destiny looked sadly at Adam. He didn’t even respond. He turned and silently walked out of the house. When she heard his car’s engine, she knew he was gone. Stanley had done it again—without even throwing a punch he had beaten her once again.
Chapter 33
Adam knew his brother was watching him. So he wasn’t surprised when he asked, “What’s got you pacing around my living room this afternoon? Didn’t you just get home from your trip with Destiny?”
He hadn’t been ready to go home so he found himself driving to Marvin’s house. To say that he was rattled by the events of earlier was an under statement. There hadn’t been much conversation between the two of them since he had gotten there.
Adam winced at his brother’s question. He knew Marvin was trying to get a conversation started. He just couldn’t understand all that had transpired at Destiny’s earlier. It was just like the enemy to show up after their wonderful trip. He moved over to sit in an armchair across from his brother.
“I met an old friend of Destiny’s when I dropped her off. Guess who it was? The man she lived with before coming to Seattle.”
“I gather neither of you were expecting him, and by the expression on your face it must not have gone well. You didn’t know about him did you?”
Adam laid his head back on the chair, closing his eyes before saying, “No I didn’t and to make matters worst, he says he’s dying.” He watched as his brother digested this information.
“That must have been a surprise.”
“I can’t believe she didn’t tell me about him. I hit the guy for God’s sake! I looked like a jerk in this whole situation.” He rubbed his forehead, a small headache forming.
“You hit him? Why on earth did you do that?” Adam watched Marvin stand up to give him a concerned look.
“He called her a slut, and I punched him before I could think. I’m not proud of that, but I couldn’t let him talk about her like that in my presence.” He shook his head in disgust.
“That must have felt good. He must be a real jerk. She seems too nice to be with someone like that.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Adam got up out of the chair again, walking over to look out the window.
“I was just doing what any man who cares about a woman would do. I didn’t know anything about the guy but I didn’t like the way he looked and the way he spoke to her.” Turning around, he looked back at his brother.
“Can you believe she wants to talk to the guy? She said she wanted to handle it alone.” He shook his head. “I just wanted to protect her is all, was I wrong for that? Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe his is dying.”
Marvin joined him at the window. “Destiny has to be a smart and special lady. If she wasn’t, you wouldn’t have fallen for her.”
“Marvin you should have seen her. She was standing straight and tall, her feet braced, her arms crossed in front of her like a shield. Almost like she was afraid. She didn’t seem happy. As a matter of fact she called him a liar.”
“Well, that seems like she knows a little about his character.” Marvin’s voice sounded as if he was relieved as he walked back to his chair and began to flip through the on-screen channel guide.
“It’s going to be fine, man, she’ll call you and you both will talk. Everything will be fine. Trust me, on this.”
The one thing that stayed with Adam was that Destiny hadn’t wanted him to help her. Everything in him wanted her to need him, wanted to stay there and make sure she was all right. He was torn between doing what he wanted and what she asked him to do.
He dropped back down in his seat, propping his feet on the ottoman in front of him, and stared at the program Marvin was watching without seeing a thing.
The last thing Destiny wanted was to have a confrontation with Stanley in front of Adam. Her hands were trembling as she tried to unpack from their trip. It had been more than she could have ever imagined. Their friendship had grown into more. But now that Stanley was in town, she had no idea what would happen. Needing to relax, she went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Still nervous about the encounter, her hands were shaking uncontrollably. She couldn’t even hold the teacup steady. She hadn’t been as frightened as she thought she’d be to be in his presence again. He was there to get her back even if it meant lying to do it. His behavior had always been erratic even more so during the last six months of their relationship. His mood swings were always up and down.
If it was one thing she knew from her counseling sessions at Greater Community, it was time to stop turning to others to save her from her own demons. After her rape in college and not knowing her father, she’d relied on Tina and Sara far too much. Then she’d allowed Stanley to become her rock—her savior—and it almost cost her life. His total domination of her life had destroyed something deep inside of her. She had no strength of her own. It was time she broke the cycle and it started today when she asked Adam to let her handle Stanley.
A smile tugged on her mouth, because she knew that from now on if there was a battle to be fought, she, along with the help of the Lord, would be fighting them. She felt free in her spirit—pure liberation flooded her soul. Yes, she would meet with Stanley because it was time to slay her Goliath.
The sound of a car engine caught her attention, but she resisted the urge to walk over to the window. It was probably Sara or Cynthia and the twins coming home. Stanley had left almost an hour ago with Adam leaving shortly after him. He hadn’t come over to say goodbye. She really didn’t blame him for that, either. His face held a look of being shocked by the whole situation so she wasn’t surprised when he got in the car and just left. She’d lied to him from the moment they’d met, because she never really told him the truth about herself.
Destiny wasn’t happy with herself at the moment, but it was hard to be sad about the relationship she’d developed with Adam, even if he hated her for what she’d done. He was an incredible man and he believed in her. It was easy for her to laugh when she was around him. Why couldn’t she have met him three years ago? She poured her cup of tea and walked into the living room. Hearing the doorbell, she put her cup down and opened the front door without checking the peephole. Stanley was standing in the doorway. Shock registered on her face at the same time he offered an ugly smirk.
“Baby, guess who’s coming to dinner?”
Chapter 34
Adam stopped reading his Bible. After closing it, he stood. Stretching his arms above his head, he yawned. He had been working nonstop since he left his brother’s house. It had been a tremendously blessed couple of days in Tacoma. But everything changed with the arrival of Stanley. He hadn’t talked to her since they got back earlier but she wanted to handle things with him her way. He hoped to complete this week’s sermon, or at least most of it, but his thoughts were all over the place.
Adam returned to his desk and shut down his laptop. Glancing around the room, he found himself daydreaming about Destiny rather than getting his sermon finished.
At the sound of a knock at the door, he forgot those thoughts. Running his hands down his face, he moved to the door and opened it.
“Pastor, there is someone here to see you.” His secretary seemed nervous. “She insisted on following me in here.”
Alexandra, always the effi
cient secretary, was upset. But when Adam saw Regina, he understood why. As she walked into his office, her eyes danced around the room.
Turning around, her expression showed her annoyance. Her eyes darkened as she smiled. “That will be all, Alexandra. I promise not to bite him.”
Adam knew his secretary and he could tell by the lines of tension forming around her eyes that Regina was getting on her nerves. It was only after he gave her a nod indicating everything was fine that she turned to leave. He knew she didn’t like the way Regina presented herself.
Regina dismissed Alexandra, stating, “She doesn’t seem very obedient.” Her eyes were not warm as she watched her leave. “Did she come with the church?”
“Regina, that was not a very nice thing to say about Alexandra. She has been my personal assistant since coming to Greater Community.” He watched her now, remembering why he’d called off their engagement. She was a selfish and spoiled woman, nothing like Destiny.
One of the first things he noticed was that she had changed her hair color to a rich auburn. Her thick curls went to her shoulders. She hadn’t gained any weight, still a slender woman. His gaze automatically moved over her figure. A blue silk blouse was tucked into a short gray skirt at her tiny waist, which accented her long legs. He shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to figure out how to get rid of her.
She moved gracefully as she took the time to look at all of his pictures and plaques on the walls around the room. After watching her for a few moments, Adam asked the obvious question. “Regina, what are you doing here?”
“It’s been a while.” She walked toward him, stopping to grab his hands. “I’ve missed you.”
He snatched his hands from hers. “How in the world did you find me here?”
“Come on, Adam. You’ve got the fastest-growing church in the Northwest. You are known all over the country for your seminars on the dangers of the Internet for pastors. It wasn’t hard. You used to talk about Seattle all the time when we were engaged.” She bent toward him, but he dodged her kiss. Smiling, she moved to sit in one of his chairs, crossing her legs at the knee and swinging them slightly. Regina’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she slowly uncrossed her legs, the source of Adam’s distraction.
“Daddy is in town for a revival, and since I was here, naturally I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to come see you. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about me in all of these years.” She smiled sweetly while twirling a curl around her finger.
“Everyone in this city speaks highly of you and the things you’ve done in this community. From the gossip I’ve been hearing, you’re still very much a single pastor. I assume there must be a reason for that since we broke up years ago.”
Adam couldn’t believe she was even discussing this with him. They were finished.
“Adam, don’t you think it’s time our little break was over? I’ve forgiven you for leaving me, so now we can resume our relationship again. I presume you’ve realized the mistake you made when you left Atlanta…without me.”
“Regina, what are you talking about?” He was staring at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads. “You are a piece of work.”
“Adam, darling, let’s go have an early dinner, then we can talk after I have eaten. My throat is parched, and I haven’t eaten since earlier this morning.” She began to prance toward the door, not giving him time to answer.
Adam trailed after her, searching for a way to get her to leave as soon as possible.
Alexandra was at her desk when they walked out. She smiled at Regina, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Is there something I can do for you, Pastor Wheeler?”
“Thank you, Alexandra. Is there still a tray of sandwiches in the kitchen from the Sunday school teachers’ meeting earlier?” he asked her.
Standing, Alexandra turned, heading toward the kitchen. “Yes, there is. Would you like for me to fix you both something? I think there’s even some lemon cake and tea left. I’ll just be a minute.”
When she returned with the sandwiches, Adam thanked her. “This looks wonderful, Alexandra.” Adam pulled out two chairs as they sat down at the table.
“No cake for me, please.” Regina smoothed down her blue silk blouse. “I’m trying to maintain my perfect size four.” Her fingers were busy smoothing out invisible wrinkles that only she could see.
Alexandra discreetly rolled her eyes after she turned. Adam forced back a laugh.
Wanting to get this lunch over with, Adam asked, “So how are your parents?”
She sat opposite him, her nose crinkling at the sandwich and iced tea before her. Ignoring his question, she answered, “I came with Daddy, but it was you I really wanted to see. I’m here to convince you that we need to take up where we left off.”
He watched as she pushed the tea glass away from her reach. “Why would I want to take up where we left off, Regina? You made it easy for me to understand that you wanted to stay in Atlanta when I wanted to come back home to pastor.”
“And you’ve done a wonderful job. I’m not trying to take that away from you, but even my father, your mentor, feels it’s time you find a wife. Your church needs a first lady. It would be ridiculous of me to ask you to leave all of this now. Besides, Seattle is your home.” She turned in her chair when she heard Alexandra enter the dining room. “Please, come here.”
Alexandra moved toward her. “Yes?”
“This tea is weak. I don’t drink weak tea. Just get me some water.” She waved her hand and sniffed her nose in the air.
“Here is your cake, Pastor Wheeler,” she said through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off Regina.
“Thank you.” Adam reached out and squeezed Alexandra’s hand.
“I’ll get you that water.” Alexandra snatched her unwanted tea glass. As she walked by her, she caused Regina’s chair to rock just a bit.
“How rude,” Regina commented, straightening in the chair. “If I were your wife, she would be fired. Why is she still here with that attitude?”
“You are not my wife, and as I stated earlier, she’s been here since I became pastor. She’s part of the Greater Community family. Please treat her with respect,” Adam stated.
“Part of the family, huh? What about this Destiny woman I’ve heard so much about? Is she a part of the family as well?” She asked taking a sip of her water.
“She is and what does that matter to you?” He asked.
“I want us to be a family and she’s keeping that from happening.”
Adam laughed. “Regina, are you joking?”
“No, I’m serious. I could move here,” she responded while sipping her water.
Sitting in this dining room with Regina was the last place Adam wanted to be. But he guessed for her that desperation was an unwelcome persuasion. Because in all of the years he knew her, she prided herself on needing no one. So for her being here with him showed she had to be desperate. He didn’t care if she did want him back. There was no going back down that road. Adam had heard rumors that things had not been going well at home for her.
Adam’s heart was thudding against his chest. He rose abruptly because he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. The nerve of this woman! Couldn’t she take a hint? She was determined to drag him back into what he had walked away from years ago. And the worst part was that now Destiny seemed not to need him as well.
“Look, Regina, I have a lot to do today. It was great seeing you again, but what we had all those years ago is over. I’ve moved on. I’m sure you understand there’s no going back for us. Now if you’re finished, I’ll ask Alexandra to show you out.”
Stunned, Regina pushed back her chair abruptly and stared into the eyes of Adam Wheeler. He walked toward the door where she’d hoped to make her escape without being any more embarrassed than she already was. He’d pay for this. She’d make sure of it. He closed the door behind him.
“Walking away again. You do that well!” she yelled with a mocking smile on her face.
Regina kept her head held high and tried to appear calm while her insides quivered uncontrollably. She walked past Alexandra in the hallway; she didn’t need anyone to show her out. She’d foolishly hoped that Adam had been pining after her since he hadn’t married. But now she’d seen the foolishness in that.
She couldn’t deny how handsome Adam still was. He’d looked good this morning, standing in a pair of black trousers and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked older, more mature, and those eyes…she’d never forget the way they used to soften when he looked at her. Nor would she forget that day, all those years ago, when she’d allowed him to walk away from her. “I…this was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come today, but soon I’ll have the last word,” she said on a breath.
Chapter 35
“Aren’t you glad to see me?” Stanley brushed past Destiny to walk further into the house. “I thought I’d save you a trip to my hotel.” He plopped down in one of the side chairs in the room.
Destiny left the door open on purpose and turned to look at Stanley. A jolt of unexpected adrenaline sizzled through her veins; she walked over to stand across from him as he tried to scare her with his sullen facial expression. He immediately put his legs on the coffee table, crossing them.
“Could you please take your legs off the table?” Destiny looked sternly at him. “Make me.” He said getting up from the chair. He walked toward her, causing her to miss a step as she moved backward, stumbling and loosing her balance on a magazine stand on the floor. She tried to regain her balance.
Stanley took a glanced around the room without offering to assist her, wrinkling his nose. “So you gave up living in my mansion for this? Looks to me like a dump but I guess it’s what you’re comfortable with.”
After steadying herself she blurted out, “What are you doing here? I thought you were sick earlier.”
He smirked again. “Sick of being played for a fool. I was glad to get a tip that you were here.”
No Wasted Tears Page 23
