Breaking the embrace they gazed into each other’s eyes, no words were exchanged. No words were needed. The kiss sealed their fate. Simultaneously they reached for the other’s hand as they continued their leisurely stroll hand in hand as if they’d been lovers for years.
Chapter 4
Present Day
Month of December
Why is everyone standing around me shouting in my face? Where am I anyway? That’s right, I’m at work. What happened? Wasn’t I getting a bag of IV fluids from the cabinet?
Gently patting her friend on the face, Ava tried to arouse her. “Summer, Summer are you all right?”
Blinking her eyes and shaking her head to clear it, Summer sat up frowning. “Ava, what are you yelling and smacking me in my face for?”
“Girl, you passed out,” Ava told her as she backed up to give her room.
Summer waved her hand dismissing the fact she’d just fainted. “No, I didn’t. I just got a little woozy that’s all.” Ava gave her an incredulous look. “Woozy my foot! I’m calling your doctor.” Rushing over to the phone she began dialing Dr. Neil, Summer’s obstetrician.
“Ava, get off the phone. I feel better now.” Summer demanded, downplaying she’d just fainted at work. Standing up she was a little off balance. She felt Starr’s arm supporting her weight by holding onto what used to be a slim waist.
“Summer, let Ava talk to your doctor. Didn’t you just have an appointment yesterday?” Starr questioned as she helped Summer sit in a chair.
“Yes and everything went well. I probably just moved too fast or something.”
The entire time Ava was on the phone with the doctor’s office she kept Summer in her line of vision.
“Mmm-hmm, I see. Okay. I’ll let you speak with her now.”
Handing the phone to Summer, it didn’t faze Ava one bit her friend was shooting daggers at her as she took the phone placing it to her ear.
Not saying a word, Summer nodded her head as if the person on the other line could see her.
“Okay, thanks Sheila. Bye.”
Starr looked at Summer with a curious stare. “What did Sheila say?”
“Calm down already. I’m pregnant not deathly ill.” Summer rolled her eyes. She knew Ava and Starr didn’t mean any harm, but they were more than overbearing at times. “Sheila said that my hemoglobin is a little lower than it was the last time I had blood drawn. And as you Nancy nurses know that’s why I got all dizzy and everything. Sheila said Dr. Neil wants me to start taking my iron pills three times a day instead of twice a day. Okay. Satisfied?”
“Well, you know what I think?” Ava ignored Summer as she spoke to Starr.
“What girl?” Starr knew Ava was about to send Summer into a frenzy, that’s why Ava was ignoring her.
“Summer works too hard. What she needs to do is take her pregnant self home and go to bed.”
Ava stared Summer down, daring her to put up a fuss.
Summer wasn’t intimidated by the stare. Crossing her arms she shot daggers at both of them while pressing her lips in a thin line.
“What? Don’t look at me like that, Miss Thing. I’m not the one selling you wolf tickets,” Starr snorted. Pointing her finger, Summer snapped, “First of all I can look at you anyway I want to. Second, I’m not going anywhere. It’s almost time to go home, anyway, for your information.”
Snatching a patient chart off the desk, Summer flipped it open writing a shift note.
Humming a tune, ignoring her friends as they went on and on about how she should start her maternity leave now and not two weeks before her due date. They must be crazy if they think I’m going to sit up in the house bored to death all day until this baby is born.
Starr whispered to Ava, “Look at her, ignoring somebody with her little nasty self. I swear she ain’t our sweet little Summer anymore since she’s been pregnant.”
“Mmm-hmm, chile done went and grown a backbone. It’s gotta be those crazy pregnant hormones.”
“Humph, must be. I can’t wait until she has that baby.” Starr threw out loud enough making sure Summer heard every word.
“Tell me about it.” Ava agreed.
Standing up walking over to Summer, Starr tugged on her ponytail. “Maybe she’ll be nice again.”
Summer giggled as she nudged her. “Get away from me. You make me sick.” Looking Ava up and down, wrinkling her nose, she playfully snapped, “You make me sick, too.”
Ava threw her head back and laughed. “Yeah, I love you too, Boo.”
♥♥♥
The week went by uneventful; Summer hadn’t had any more fainting spells. Ava and Starr were still being royal pains in the butt. Summer didn’t know why she went to work; they’d taken to tag teaming her, doing the bulk of her work before she could get to it. And if they weren’t calling her every day after work, they were popping up unexpectedly at her front door. Not to mention they would call Summer’s parents giving them minute by minute updates on her as if they were channel 6 Action News or something. Their over protective actions led to Summer getting calls almost on a daily basis from her parents. She didn’t mine though; she missed her parents something awful. Summer’s parents were upset when she told them she’d decided not to tell Nick about the baby. Her mom had called him every dirty name in the book. Whereas her father had lectured her mother that the man couldn’t be blamed if he didn’t know he was going to be a father.
Every conversation usually ended with one of her parents asking, “Have you seen or talked to Nick yet?” Summer knew her parents were hinting at if she’d told him about the pregnancy. Her response was always the same, “No, I haven’t.”
She never explained to her parents why she kept the baby a secret from Nick. She’d been too ashamed to tell them she had gotten pregnant by a man who made it clear he had no desire whatsoever to be a father. Summer innocently discovered this when he told her about a situation which occurred years ago with a woman he ‘thought’ he loved. The woman played Nick, making him believe he was about to become a father. When it was discovered he wasn’t the father, he set out to ruin the woman for humiliating and making a fool of him.
After he shared that bit of information, Summer just had to know, “What would you do if a woman told you she was pregnant by you again?”
Summer was only curious; she hardly had any plans on becoming a mother before marriage. She was somewhat taken aback when he stared at her with his jaw clenched and eyes cold as ice. “I’d tell her to flush it.”
After an awkward second of silence, he added, “Don’t find yourself pregnant…at least not by me.” His warning was unmistakable. He didn’t want to have anything to do with children.
During their early days of dating, Summer read several business articles about Nick. She wanted to know everything about him. She’d learned he was shrewd and ruthless in his business dealings. Nick was referred to as a sheep in wolves’ clothing because of his ability to be charming one second, and then cut throat the next. Many of the articles reported such characteristics were the reasons why at the age of thirty-seven he was one of the wealthiest, self-made African American men on the east coast.
Summer witnessed his wrath once after he learned a trusted employee embezzled $350,000.00 over a two-year period. Nick told her then, he only gave a person one chance to cross him. So if and when they did, they’d better make it good, worth their while.
Nick made sure the federal prosecutor filed every charge allowable by law against the man.
Vigorously, Summer rubbed her arms from the chill that ran through her as she thought about Nick. Without meaning to she’d crossed him. She had gotten pregnant and God help her, decided to keep the baby. With all her heart she believed if she’d told him right away he would have demanded she have an abortion. He had told her as much. Heaven forbid if she told him now, he’d think she was trying to trap him into marrying her or worse yet, giving her a large sum of money to avoid a paternity suit. Summer had known Nick long enough to know how hi
s mind worked. He could think the absolute worst of someone when he wanted to.
As Summer sat thinking, a strong emotion weighed heavy on her…fear. Part of Nick’s ruthlessness was attacking a person’s most vulnerable spot. Summer loved children. Whenever Starr babysat her niece and nephew Summer volunteered to help keep the adorable toddlers entertained.
Even though Summer wasn’t pleased with the whole single mother thing, she would love her baby enough to be both mother and father to it. If by any chance Nick believed she had crossed him he’d strike like a cobra at her weakest spot. As much as she loved him an overwhelming sense of fear chocked her. Nick could never find out about the baby…ever.
Brrrg! Brrrg! Brrrg!
The loud ringing of the phone snapped Summer out of her reverie.
“Hello?”
“Hi baby.”
A huge smile broke across Summer’s face. “Hi mommy, how are you doing?”
“The question is ‘how are you, Miss Summer?’ Ava called me, told me ‘bout you passing out at work. Baby, why didn’t you call us?”
Summer groaned. Ava had a big mouth; she couldn’t hold water sometimes to save her life.
“Mommy, I’m all right, my hemoglobin was a little lower than normal. I’m feeling much better now.”
Summer was trying her best to sound convincing as not to worry her mother.
“All right baby, but the next time you better call me and your daddy. You hear me?” Her mom’s tone was firm but loving
“Yes ma’am, I promise.”
With that out of the way she and her mother talked. They caught up on the latest as Summer padded back and forth with the cordless phone from her bedroom to the bathroom. She was getting everything set up to take a nice relaxing bath. Lately her lower back had been bothering her, probably from how the baby was laying. Which she didn’t understand since the little munchkin moved all over the place, all the time.
The conversation flowed nice and easy. Summer kept her fingers crossed hoping her mother wouldn’t ask about Nick. She hadn’t seen nor heard from him in months. Doubt she ever would, at least no time in the near future.
Thank goodness, her mother never asked about Nick. Before hanging up her mother told her Ava might stop over to check on her since Starr was away at a conference.
“Okay, mommy, I’ll keep an ear out for Ava. Tell daddy I’m sorry I missed him and I’ll call later.”
“Bye baby.”
“Bye mommy.”
Finally adjusting the water temperature, standing in front of the mirror piling her hair on top of her head with hair pins, Summer couldn’t wait to soak her sore back. Before she stripped out of her clothes she started to call Ava to tell her not to come over. “I just want to be alone tonight.” With any luck she wouldn’t see Ava until Sunday morning at church. But just in case, she left the bathroom door slightly ajar to hear the doorbell.
Lighting scented candles, strategically arranged throughout the room, Summer turned off the light before easing down into the soothing water. She didn’t know what smelled better, the rose scented candles or the lavender bath salts she added to the water. Whichever it was totally relaxed her. Taking baths always reminded her of Nick.
The first time they made love she was a virgin. Nick had been gentle with her, yet she still was sore and swollen. Wanting to ease her discomfort he drew a bath for her in his Italian marbled Jacuzzi. When he returned to let her know her bath was ready she attempted to walk
to the bathroom.
“No, Beautiful, I’ll carry you.” As he lifted her in his arms, Summer tucked her head in the crook of his neck. She couldn’t believe how he was taking such good care of her.
Although her heart ached over losing Nick, memories like this one caused her to smile. Things with him from the beginning were always good. That’s why for the life of her she couldn’t comprehend his logic for ending their relationship.
When the baby moved Summer shifted her attention to her belly. She placed her hand on her stomach and rubbed a soft circular pattern as she closed her eyes and hummed a lullaby. This usually calmed the baby’s movements.
She was definitely having a Calgon moment. Moments like these, reminiscing about Nick and his ability to be tender was giving her a glimmer of hope. Maybe if I call his office he’ll speak to me and then I can tell him. He’ll understand.
As Summer daydreamed pleasant thoughts of the man she still loved, her eyes closed and she drifted between deep relaxation and sleep.
Summer’s eyes popped wide open at the sound of a loud, obnoxious doorbell.
“Great timing, Ava.”
Chapter 5
Turning off the ignition, Nick had second thoughts now that he was outside of Summer’s house. The clock on the interior of the Benz read 10:05 p.m. Glancing up at her bedroom window, the lights were on. She was home. Summer was a homebody; she was probably reading a book or watching television.
Hesitating for a minute, he swung the car door open, stepping out heavy-footed. The day had been trying. Negotiations had not gone as expected with the textile company. It was going to take longer to add this one to his collection.
Nick had no business here. He was not in the best frame of mind, but he’d put off going to see Summer long enough. He’d been in town for over two weeks now.
Taking long purposeful strides, he made his way to her front door. Extending a long finger, he rang the bell.
Gingerly, Summer rose from her sitting position in the tub. Reaching for the towel quickly drying herself off, she grumbled, “Ava, why are you bugging me now?”
Snuffing out the candles Summer clumsily quickened her pace. Reaching on the back of the door for her thick pink terrycloth robe she donned it as she searched for her slippers.
Surveying the room, where are my slippers? Deciding to forgo her search because Ava was ringing the doorbell like a madwoman, she left the bathroom in a hurry.
Holding on to the banister to keep from falling, Summer was really going to wring Ava’s neck! Didn’t she know her big belly got in the way these days?
Nick became increasingly aggravated. What was taking her so long? The thought crossed his mind she had someone in the house with her. He clenched his jaw, balling his large hands into fists at the thought of another man touching her soft, delicate body the way he’d been privy to.
He’d spent restless nights tossing and turning in bed remembering how her petite body felt beneath his. How he had to position himself just so to keep from crushing her with his weight. Imagining her with someone else in such an intimate way made him see red. This time Nick didn’t ease up off the doorbell.
When her foot hit the last step, Summer swore, this girl has lost her ever-loving mind. Waddling over to the door, snatching it open she began tearing into Ava.
“Girl, are you cra−”
Immediate disbelief, panic, terror, and then fear overtook Summer as her heart begin to wildly pump in her chest. Her first instinct was to slam the door shut, and pray he’d go away.
Nick must have sensed what Summer was thinking, her reaction to him was frightening to say the least. Her facial features transformed from one of annoyance to fear within milliseconds. Quickly, he wedged his foot in the doorway and with one strong arm pushed the door open before she could shut it.
With all her might she tried to close the door. But her body and the little life in her womb betrayed her. Her arms suddenly had no strength as she pushed against the door that wouldn’t
budge. A sudden sharp kick to the ribs left Summer gasping for air, and releasing her hold on the
door sending her awkwardly stumbling backwards.
Stalking forward while simultaneously slamming the door shut with his foot, Nick couldn’t believe his eyes. He had to be seeing an illusion, a vision, or a dream. This can’t be.
Summer jumped and took a step back at the sound of the slamming door. Advancing another step toward her, he wore an incredulous expression as his eyes roamed her from head to
toe. He couldn’t believe it. Summer was pregnant! Pregnant!
Retreating back another step, Summer’s mind was racing. Maybe I can make it to my bedroom if I run fast and lock the door and then he’ll leave.
Nick was terrifying with his bulging eyes, flaring nostrils, and pulsating jugulars. Never before had he responded to her with such a crazed temperament.
Summer’s mouth suddenly became dry, she wanted to swallow, but couldn’t. Wanted to say something, but no words would form in her brain to leave through her lips. Remembering she didn’t have any clothes on under her robe, self-consciously she gathered the front near her breasts with one hand.
An evil smirk marred Nick’s features. Always the modest one, I guess that changed. Little tramp went and got herself knocked up.
Again, Nick advanced to close the distance between them. As Summer lifted her right foot to take another step back, he barked, “Don’t you dare move another inch, Summer Jackson.”
Startled by his outburst, Summer let her head drop as the tears she fought to keep from falling, fell one by one.
“I see you’ve been busy, Miss Jackson.”
Nick’s tone was cold and sarcastic as he closed the distance between them. He didn’t care she was crying. He did care however, she’d met someone and gotten pregnant while he couldn’t look at another woman, let alone bed one.
He continued his insult through clenched teeth. “Didn’t take you long to let some punk crawl between your legs.”
Summer was appalled at how Nick was speaking to her. Jerking her head up, attempting to give him a disgusted glare, she backed down from the daggers he threw at her more than the harsh words he spewed slapping her in the face.
“Nick, what are you talking about?”
“You know damn well what I mean. I go away for five months and come back to find you pregnant!”
Finding courage she questioned, “Did it ever occur to you I was pregnant before you left?”
A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) Page 4
