He lay back on the couch and pulled her next to him. “Don’t worry, baby. We won’t let her get to us. And did you hear what she said? We can get the girls next weekend.” Gary wrapped both his arms around her. “I’m gonna be so happy for us all to be together.”
“Me too, honey,” Shauntae said numbly. Gary squeezed her tight. She was gonna miss that feeling, like somebody finally loved her.
She’d get on the last bus on Sunday and head back to her mama’s house. No way could she stay in Atlanta, because by Monday afternoon not only would Devon and Cassandra be wanting her in jail, but Darla would too. And maybe even Gary when he realized how she had played him.
“What do you want to do with the girls next weekend? We should do something special to celebrate the beginning of our family coming together.”
“I don’t know. Whatever you know the girls like to do.” Shauntae wiggled her body until she found a comfortable spot in Gary’s side. She was going to enjoy this until the very last minute.
“Hmmmm . . . I guess it really doesn’t matter. They love being with their daddy. They’re both daddy’s girls. No matter what she’s tried to do, Darla hasn’t been able to poison them against me. Those girls know I love them more than anything.”
Shauntae had a scary thought. What if she messed things up for Gary? When Darla found out that Gary’s new baby mama had a warrant out on her for neglecting her first child, she would try to make it so he never saw his children again.
“Nobody could ever separate me from my girls. I honestly think I’d kill somebody if they did anything that would make me lose my girls.”
Shauntae buried her head in Gary’s side. Maybe she should warn him. She should’ve never written her real name on that paper. She should’ve written a fake name and then been gone before Monday morning. At least that way, Gary wouldn’t have lost his girls.
“Sorry, honey,” Gary said. “I know that’s not a very Christian thing for me to say. I guess I should let God take care of things, huh? ‘Vengeance is mine said the Lord,’ right?”
“Right.” What would God’s vengeance be against her for messing up Gary’s life?
There had to be something she could do. She had to find a way to block Darla from doing that background check. Shauntae worked her brain but couldn’t think of anything. Maybe Mama was right. Maybe she was too stupid to figure something out on her own. “Baby, I gotta go to the bathroom again.” Shauntae stood up.
Gary’s face looked concerned. “Is everything okay?” He rubbed her stomach.
She put her hand on top of his. “Everything’s okay. Just pregnant. I’ll be back down soon. Wanna catch up on CNN until I get back?”
He leaned over and kissed her belly. “Okay. Hurry back.”
Shauntae heard the TV coming on as she walked up the stairs. She found herself in another closet in the master bathroom, the one that would never be hers. Her hands shook as she called Sherice.
“That was quick. Is the ex-witch gone already?”
“Sherice, I need your help bad.”
“Aw, man. What happened?”
Shauntae could barely get the words out as she explained about Darla and the background check.
Sherice was quiet for a long time. She finally said, “You know what you gotta do, right?”
“Yeah. I gotta go.”
“What time do he go to sleep? I can be there around midnight to get you.”
“Tonight? I was gonna leave late Sunday night while he’s sleep.”
“Are you crazy? You think the ex-witch is gonna wait until Monday to check you out? As soon as she get home and put her daughters to bed, she going straight to the computer. You gotta roll out tonight. Otherwise, I promise, you’ll see those flashing lights before midnight.”
Shauntae’s heart started beating real fast. “You think she gon’—”
“I know she is. What’s your problem? You done got settled in that house and it’s gone to your brain? The game . . . is . . . up.” Sherice said it all slow like she was trying to make sure her words was sinking in. “It’s time to roll out. Pack up your stuff. I’ll be there to get you as soon as he fall asleep.”
“But—”
“But what? Why you actin’ all slow in the head? You wanna go to jail tonight?”
“No . . . but what about Gary?”
“What do you mean, what about Gary?”
Shauntae explained trying to figure out how to keep him from losing his girls because of her. “If you could help me—”
Sherice cussed real loud. “What is wrong with you? You going to jail to try to keep that man from losing his children? It’s not your problem.”
“But it’s my fault.”
“You’s a fool. You done fell in love with that man. How many times have I told you that if you gonna play, you gotta respect the game? You cain’t be falling in love. Now stop being stupid. Get up outta that closet. You need to figure out a way to make that man have sex with you so he can go to sleep early. Pack your stuff and then text me so I can come get yo’ tail before I have to get you outta jail.” Click.
Shauntae looked at the phone. Why couldn’t Sherice understand? Shauntae was about to dial her back, but she knew Sherice would probably cuss her out and then she might not be willing to fool with her no more.
And besides, Sherice was right. She did need to leave tonight.
Shauntae pulled herself up off the floor and made herself go downstairs. She put on her saddest face when she got to the family room. She might not know how to fix the problem she had made for Gary and the girls. But there was one thing she knew how to do.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Gary asked.
“Nothing. I guess I’m worried. I want us all to be a family, but it seems like Darla is bent on making trouble. You just got custody of the girls back. But what if me being here messes that up? What if she hates me so much that she tries to take your girls again? I couldn’t bear for that to happen.”
Gary pulled her down onto the couch next to him. “Baby, don’t be worried. God’s got us. There’s nothing Darla can do to separate me from my girls. Like the courts saw through her lies, they’ll see through anything else she tries to do.”
“I know, but . . . I don’t want to make things worse for you. I . . . I don’t know why she hates me. What did I do wrong?” Shauntae let a few tears roll down her cheeks.
Gary wiped the tears. “Aww, honey, don’t cry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Shauntae let the tears flow in full force. “Then why does she hate me? It’s like . . .” Shauntae took a few deep, dramatic breaths. “It’s like she thinks I’m not good enough for your children. She made me feel like I’m not good enough for you.”
Gary pulled her into his arms. “That’s not true, honey love. You’re perfect for me. You’re everything I want in a woman. You’re a good, solid Christian woman. You love family; that’s everything I want.”
“But you were embarrassed that I didn’t go to a fancy college or have a fancy job.”
Gary held her at arm’s length so he could look her in the face. “Darla went to Princeton and she’s a lawyer and look at how we ended up. We can’t even be in the same room without arguing. I don’t want a fancy university and a fancy job. I want you. I love you.” Gary bent to kiss her.
Shauntae kissed him back with everything in her. “You love me?”
“Yes, Shauntae, I love you.” He kissed her again. Shauntae felt the wall crumbling that Gary had put up to keep them from “falling into sexual sin.” She wrapped her arms around him to pull him closer and deeper into the kiss.
“I love you too, baby,” she whispered. Shauntae felt Gary lifting her up onto his lap. The kisses never stopped.
She had him.
Next thing she knew, he was carrying her up the stairs and they were in the bedroom. She looked at Gary’s face. It was different from most men’s faces when they was doing it. It wasn’t about him liking sex. He looked at her like . . . like she was spe
cial. Like she mattered to him. Like he really loved her. Shauntae had never seen that look on a man’s face in her life.
And so she pretended in her mind that she was an executive secretary and a good Christian girl who loved children and family. She pretended that she loved Gary and was excited to be having his baby. She pretended that when Darla did that background check, she wouldn’t find out that there was an arrest warrant out on her for being the worst mother in the world. And she pretended that she and Gary would live happily ever after in this beautiful house with a beautiful life.
It wasn’t long before Gary was good and asleep.
Pretend time was over. Shauntae wriggled out from under his arm and quietly slid out of the bed. She tiptoed down the hall as quietly as she could and went into her room and closed the door.
The suitcases were still at the foot of the bed. She hadn’t even put them inside the closet. Maybe somewhere deep down she had knew it wouldn’t last. She packed as quiet as she could.
When everything except the clothes she had left on Gary’s floor was in the suitcases, Shauntae sat down on the bed and looked around the room. She couldn’t believe it was over. What she really couldn’t believe was that she had thought it would work.
As she was about to text Sherice to come and get her, she heard Gary’s cell phone ring. They had left it downstairs, but his ring tone was so loud she was scared it would wake him up. He was in the middle of some big business deal and was always tied to the phone.
Fast as she could, Shauntae opened one of her suitcases and pulled out a big fluffy robe Gary had bought her. She stuffed both suitcases in the closet and pulled the sliding door shut. She ran down the steps to get the phone in case it started ringing again.
She got to the family room and Gary was standing there with the phone to his ear. By the look on his face, something was wrong. Really wrong.
Shauntae froze in her tracks. Was it Darla? Had she already done the background check and was calling Gary to tell on her? Were the police on the way to the house? Shauntae knew it was time to run.
“Okay . . . yes, I’ll be right there.” Gary reached out and clamped his hand around her wrist. Tight. Shauntae imagined that’s what a handcuff would feel like.
Gary dropped the phone and grabbed her other wrist. He held both her arms so tight, she was scared. Was he going to hurt her?
“It’s Darla. There was an accident. I have to get to the hospital.”
Twelve
Shauntae had been asleep on the couch for a few hours by the time she heard the key turning in the garage door. She got up and rushed to the kitchen to meet Gary. When the door opened, Shauntae was shocked to see that it wasn’t Gary that walked through it, but Morgan. Then Daphne. Gary followed close behind with two suitcases in his hands.
“Oh!” Shauntae said. “You brought the girls.”
“Of course I brought the girls,” Gary said. “You thought I would leave them?
“No, of course not. I . . . I didn’t know the accident was that bad. Is Darla . . .” Shauntae followed Gary and the girls through the foyer to the foot of the stairs.
He stared at her. “Shauntae, can you help me get the girls upstairs and into bed? They’ve had a long, difficult day.”
“Oh. Of course. Sorry.” Shauntae wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do. Couldn’t the girls walk up the stairs by themselves and get in the bed? Was she supposed to carry them? She thought for a second. What would Clair Huxtable do?
Shauntae held out a hand to each of the girls. “You poor dears. Let’s get you upstairs and into bed.”
The older girl rolled her eyes and walked past Shauntae. Shauntae knew Daphne was gonna be a problem. The younger one, Morgan, let Shauntae guide her up the stairs and into her bedroom. Gary followed them with the suitcases. They looked heavy. How long were they gonna stay?
“Their pajamas should be in this suitcase.” Gary put the bigger suitcase on Morgan’s bed. Daphne stood in the doorway waiting while Shauntae and Morgan had found the pajamas.
“Okay, you girls go ahead and put your pajamas on and get in the bed. You need your rest,” Shauntae said.
Daphne frowned in the same rude, snooty way her mother did. “We have to brush our teeth and wash our faces first.” She looked at Shauntae like she didn’t know anything.
“Of course. Change your clothes, wash your faces and brush your teeth, and then get in the bed.”
Morgan looked up at Shauntae and said, “Will you say our prayers with us?”
Shauntae put a hand on Morgan’s back and rubbed up and down, like Clair Huxtable would. “Of course, dear.”
Daphne gave her another nasty look. “You can say prayers with Morgan and Daddy will say prayers with me.”
Shauntae waited in Morgan’s bedroom until she came back from the bathroom. “You ready?”
Morgan nodded. She was a pretty little girl, and even though she looked exactly like her mother, Shauntae decided she was gonna try to be nice to her. Daphne, well . . . she was gonna have to work hard to keep from slapping her.
Morgan got down on her knees beside the bed, bowed her head, and folded her hands. Shauntae sat there and waited for her to say her prayers. Finally Morgan opened one eye. “I thought you said you would pray with me.”
“Oh, I’m supposed to pray? I thought you were saying your bedtime prayers.”
Morgan shook her head. “No, my mother says prayers for me. I don’t have to say them myself until I’m eight.”
“Oh. Okay. All right, then.” Shauntae bowed her head. “Um, dear God.” Shauntae tried to think of the things Gary said when they prayed together. “Um, we pray for Morgan’s mother, Darla, that you would take care of her and help her get better. Um . . .”
What else was she supposed to pray for?
Morgan opened one eye again. “What’s wrong, Miss Shauntae?”
Shauntae’s eyes widened. “Huh?”
“You’re not praying.”
“Oh. Um, I’m just upset about what happened to your mother.”
“But you have to pray or I can’t go to sleep.”
“Oh. Okay. Ummmm . . .” Shauntae couldn’t think of anything to pray for.
Morgan called out, “Daddy, can you come say prayers with me when you finish with Daphne?”
Not even an hour with the girls in the house and she was already failing the Clair Huxtable test.
Gary appeared in the doorway a few minutes later. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Morgan looked at Shauntae suspiciously. “She said she would say bedtime prayers with me, but she won’t. You know I can’t go to sleep without bedtime prayers.”
“Of course, dear.” Gary knelt beside Morgan. He prayed in that rich bass voice, “Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you so much for life, health, and strength. We thank you for love and family . . .”
Shauntae knew she should focus on every word he was saying and try to memorize it so she would be able to say it if Morgan ever asked her to pray again, but her mind was spinning. She was supposed to be getting on a bus to California right now and instead she was playing mother to Gary’s kids?
“God, we trust you to heal Mommy. We know that you’re a healer and that you’re watching over her right now. Father, I thank you that you give the girls peace, that they won’t fear, but that they will trust in you . . .”
What should she do now? She should’ve been on that bus before Gary got home. But since Darla was in an accident, she couldn’t do a background check. Shauntae had more time.
Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She knew who it was. She wanted to figure out a plan before she talked to Sherice, so she wouldn’t get cussed out. After a few seconds, it stopped buzzing. Almost as soon as it stopped, it started buzzing again.
“In Jesus’ name, amen.” Gary finally finished praying. No wonder Morgan said she couldn’t fall asleep without bedtime prayers. They was so long and boring it would put anyone to sleep.
“Daddy, would you tuck me in?”
“Is Mommy going to die?”
“Of course not. God is taking good care of her.”
“So why couldn’t we talk to her on the phone?”
“Mommy is asleep right now. The kind of sleep where she can’t wake up to talk to you on the phone.”
Shauntae’s cell phone continued buzzing as Morgan climbed into the bed and Gary pulled the covers up over her. He sat down on the bed next to her.
Shauntae held up the phone. “It’s my mama. I gotta get this.”
Gary was all caught up in his little girl, like Shauntae wasn’t even in the room.
Shauntae slipped out into the hall and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Heffa, what is your problem? I’m down the street waiting for you. Come outside and walk down the block to the right. I’m at the corner parked not too far from the stop sign.”
“I can’t.”
“When I drove by, I saw that the house was all lit up. He woke up? You must not have handled your business.”
Shauntae went down the steps and into the family room. “Darla was in a accident. Gary went to see her and then brought the girls back here to stay until she gets out the hospital.”
“And so you had plenty of time to get out of the house.”
“But if Darla was in an accident, she can’t do the background check. She in the hospital.”
“And?” Sherice said. “Women like her travel with they laptops. And the hospital probably has Internet. She could type in your name at any time, Shauntae. This don’t change nothing. You still need to get on that bus and get out of Atlanta.”
“I think she in a coma. She can’t do no background check in a coma.”
“Shauntae, you done gone completely fool? That big house done gone to your head? Or is it the man? You done fell in love? Because what you doing right now is stupid. You wanna be pregnant and have a baby in the county jail?”
“But if she can’t do the background check, I won’t go to jail. And if she in a coma, she ain’t gonna wake up and first thing she think about is a background check. I’ll have time to get out of here when I find out she’s awake.”
Becoming Mrs. Right Page 8
