Curtis kneeled on the floor. “We already went over that, remember? Daddy has a conference to speak at for Christian women, and it’s not for little girls. I’ll be back in the morning, though, and we’ll do something fun tomorrow afternoon, okay?”
“Okay.”
Charlotte shook her head because some things never changed. Every time Curtis had to travel, Curtina made the same comment and asked the same question. But today, Charlotte felt the same as she did and wished Curtis didn’t have to go.
“Now give me a big hug,” he said. “Daddy loves you.”
“See you later, Dad, and I love you, too,” Matthew said, embracing his father when he stood up.
Charlotte smiled because on any normal day, Matt and his dad always fist-bumped before one of them left the house; she guessed because it was the cool thing to do. But no matter how old Matthew got, when his father went out of town, he always hugged him.
“I love you back, son. Okay, I guess this is it,” he said, sliding on his sunglasses and kissing Charlotte one last time. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
He opened the door, and Carlisle, the driver they always requested through the local car company, was already standing at the side of the sleek, black stretch limo. But now he walked up the steps to grab Curtis’s bag.
“Good morning, Mr. Black. Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Good morning, and yes, it’s perfect flying weather.”
“Good morning to you as well, Mrs. Black, and hey, kids.”
Charlotte walked closer to the threshold of the doorway. “Good morning, Carlisle. Good to see you again.”
When Carlisle closed the trunk and then Curtis’s door, he went around to the driver’s side, got in, and curved the limo around the water fountain. Curtina waved one last time, and Charlotte shut the door. Matthew went into the family room, and Curtina followed behind him. Charlotte went back upstairs, but as soon as she walked inside the bedroom, she noticed the stack of photos they’d taken on Curtina’s birthday and flipped through them. She scanned through a number of them but stopped when she saw one that Matthew must have taken of just her and Curtis. They weren’t posing in any particular way and certainly hadn’t realized they were being photographed, but they stood side by side, laughing and applauding as they watched Curtina blowing out her birthday candles. Oh how very much Charlotte loved this man, her children, and the life they’d been blessed with, and suddenly she had an excellent idea. She hadn’t thought about it before now, but why shouldn’t she go to Detroit and spend the night there with Curtis? It was a little late for her to pack, book the same flight Curtis was on, and make it over to the airport in time, but she could certainly take a later one and surprise him. Yes, that’s exactly what she would do.
So, she went into her office, signed on to one of the online reservation sites, and called Lana’s cell number. She knew she was already at the conference, but she hoped maybe the first seminar hadn’t started yet. Sure enough, Lana answered her phone.
“Good morning, Charlotte, everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. How are you and how’s the conference going?”
“I’m wonderful, and, honey, when I tell you the speakers yesterday were dynamic and so profound that’s exactly what I mean. Every one of them, and can you believe I finally got to hear and meet Dr. Betty Price? You know, she’s the first lady of Crenshaw Christian Center out in Los Angeles.”
“Of course I know her. Isn’t she fabulous?” Actually, Charlotte would never forget Dr. Betty or her book, Warning to Ministers, Their Wives, and Mistresses, as it had been such a huge help to her and so many others she knew.
“Oh my goodness, talk about a true woman of God. It was a blessing just to be in her presence, and she made me feel so special. She made every woman here feel important, and I was tickled pink when I got a chance to say hi to her. I so wish you’d been here.”
“Well, actually, that’s why I’m calling you. I know I’ve missed most of the convention, but I still want to surprise Curtis this evening if I can. So, what time do you think he’ll be finished with everything?”
“Well, he’ll be speaking at four, probably for about an hour, and then he’ll be signing books for maybe three or four more hours. So, I’m guessing he’ll be back at the hotel around nine-thirty or ten.”
“That’s pretty late, but I still think it’s worth coming.”
“Of course it is! You and Pastor need some alone time away from home, and it does my heart such great joy just hearing you’re going to surprise him.”
“Thank you, Lana. You’re always so supportive of our marriage, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that.”
“You know Pastor is like my son, and I love you like a daughter.”
“We love you back.”
“Okay, well you’d better get off the phone and make those reservations, and if you need anything, just call me.”
“I will. See you soon.”
Chapter 29
The COBO arena was filled to capacity, and it seemed all twenty thousand women were having the time of their lives. Curtis had arrived at the convention center right on schedule, and now the founder of the conference had finished reading his bio and was finalizing her introduction of him.
“So without further ado, I give you the man of the hour, this powerful man of God, the one, the only, Pastor Curtis Black!”
Curtis strutted onto the brightly lit stage, waving and then hugging the founder of the conference, a fiftysomething woman with lovely white hair, and went to the podium. The crowd of women gave him a standing ovation and joyfully applauded. This, of course, wasn’t the first time Curtis had spoken before thousands of people, but every time he did, it felt like a new beginning. No matter how many times he spoke, he experienced a certain euphoria, and adrenaline rushed through his body. He’d certainly come a long way since childhood, growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood on the south side of Chicago and living with an alcoholic father who had cared nothing about his wife and children. But thank God for all His grace and mercy and for having a different plan for Curtis.
Thank God for all the ups and downs, all the good and bad, and all the struggles and triumphs, because after all that had happened, he was still alive and well, and doing God’s work. He was delivering the Word every chance he got and trying his best to lead people down the proper path. It was true that he was still a work in progress himself, the same as every other human being, but he was proud of the fact that he’d made major improvements. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man who now strived to do the right thing as much as he could, and he was never content when he didn’t—he was never pleased when he did anything immoral. He was thrilled about his new philosophy, because it meant he finally had a conscience and didn’t want to disappoint God.
Curtis waved to the crowd again with a huge smile. “Thank you so much. God bless you. Thank you so much.”
The women applauded more and acted as though they were waiting to hear from a rock star instead of a pastor, and he appreciated such a warm welcome and all their love.
When the crowd finally settled down and took their seats, Curtis said, “Wow, you ladies really know how to boost a man’s ego.” Laughter could be heard throughout the entire building, and Curtis laughed with them. “As most of you know, my latest book is entitled God’s Favor and How to Accept It,” he said.
But before he could finish the rest of his sentence, there was more clapping, and Curtis laughed again. “Okay, now, I hope all this excitement means that at least a few of you have already read it.” The women roared, and many of them held up their copies. “I really appreciate that. You’re all so very kind. And since my book is about favor, I figured that’s what I would talk to you about tonight—favor and how to accept it. If you haven’t heard the song ‘Favor Ain’t Fair’ by the very talented gospel artist Kim Stratton, then you’re missing a treat. It’s one of my all-time favorites, and part of the lyrics go
something like, ‘God doesn’t choose those who are qualified, He qualifies those who He calls.’ And you see, what that means is that you don’t have to be on top; you don’t have to be the best-looking; you don’t have to be the most talented; you don’t have to have a PhD, or any degree for that matter, yet if God calls you to do great things for Him, He’ll give you all the skill and qualifications needed to get the job done. It was the same way when Jesus Christ chose His twelve disciples. These were common men who were uneducated, you know, plain, ordinary folks, but these very men were responsible for spreading the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and they also wrote several books in the New Testament.”
The arena was quiet. Women nodded or shook their heads in agreement, completely mesmerized, and Curtis went on with the rest of his message. He felt like God had lit a fire under him, because his heart overflowed with happiness. He knew a lot of it was because he loved, loved, loved delivering God’s Word, but he also knew much of it had to do with Charlotte and their recent reconciliation. Life was good, and Curtis looked forward to getting back to his family tomorrow.
As soon as Curtis finished speaking and thanking everyone, four escorts and his publicist, Lisa, led him off the stage and down a long corridor toward his signing table. As they passed a line of people that wrapped as far as his eye could see, he smiled and spoke to as many as he could and even shook a few hands.
“We love you, Pastor Black,” one woman said.
“You completely changed my life with your last book, Reverend Black,” another said.
“Girl, did you see how gorgeous that man is?” yet another woman said.
“Your message was magnificent, son, so please keep doing what you do,” a woman who looked to be in her seventies or eighties commented, and Curtis stopped and hugged her.
When he arrived at the table, he immediately shook hands with one woman after another and signed their books. Some shared major testimonies and thanked him for writing on specific topics, and one woman thanked him for taking time out of his schedule to come share with them tonight.
Curtis signed three copies for the next woman in line, and Lana walked up and placed her arm around him. “Guess who’s here, Pastor?”
“Who? I wondered where you ran off to.”
“I went down to the entrance to meet your surprise.”
Curtis turned around. “What surprise?” But then he saw Charlotte and smiled. She winked at him and smiled back.
He signed another fifty or so books, all the while chatting and having his picture taken, but then a group of five women surrounded the table. “We’re a small book club, Pastor Black, and it’s so great to finally meet you,” one of them said.
“It’s great meeting all of you as well. So, where are you ladies from?”
“Dallas.”
“Wonderful. My wife and I love Dallas.”
One of the women looked behind him. “That’s her right there, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.”
“Do you think she’d mind signing her name in our books, too?”
“Of course not,” he said, turning around and beckoning for Charlotte. “Baby, these nice ladies would like for you to sign their books.”
Charlotte took a few steps forward. “Wow, what an honor, and thank you for supporting my husband.”
“We love him, Sister Black, and we love you, too.”
“That’s very sweet of you. Thank you.”
Curtis signed each of their books and passed them on to Charlotte.
One of the women snapped a picture with her digital camera. “Thank you both so much.”
Curtis smiled when the next woman approached the table because it was the same older woman he’d hugged when he’d been on his way to begin the signing.
“Baby, this nice lady said some very kind words to me,” he said.
Charlotte smiled and shook the woman’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, and while I don’t know either of you personally, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been praying for the two of you for years. I prayed for your marriage because I was married to a pastor myself, God rest his soul, for fifty years, and it wasn’t always easy. We had a very large congregation, so we went through many of the same things as the two of you have—had a lot of the same problems I’ve heard you talk about in your books, Pastor Black. My husband and I were young when we first started out and still had a lot to learn, but we hung in there because no matter how many times we hurt each other, there was one thing that never changed, and that was the love we shared. So, I’m telling the two of you to please hang in there. Stick together, let the past stay in the past, and go on and live a happy life.”
Curtis was touched and knew for sure he’d met this woman for a reason. Her words had come at the right time, and it made him think. As it was, on Monday God had allowed him to see that his relationship with Sharon was wrong and he’d ended it (even though she still wouldn’t stop calling him), on Tuesday Tanya had encouraged him and insisted he needed to stay married to Charlotte, and now here was the woman standing right in front of him.
Curtis covered the woman’s hand with both of his. “Your words mean a lot, and thank you for sharing your story. And please excuse me for not asking before now, but what is your name?”
“Iris Jackson.”
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Jackson.”
Charlotte grabbed the woman’s other hand. “Yes, very much so.”
Curtis looked over at Lisa. “Can you write down Mrs. Jackson’s phone number for me and make sure she has Lana’s direct number?” Then he looked back at Mrs. Jackson. “If you ever need anything at all, please call us.”
“Just be happy,” she said. “That’s all I want.”
Charlotte beamed and Curtis thanked God for opening his eyes before it had been too late. They’d been given another chance, and he was grateful.
Chapter 30
Charlotte nestled farther under Curtis’s arm. They were inside the limo, heading down the highway and only minutes from the hotel. “After all these years, it’s so great to still see so many people supporting you and the ministry.”
Curtis stretched his legs out. “I know. I was thinking the same thing earlier and how it truly is a wonderful blessing. And then to meet that wonderful lady, Mrs. Jackson.”
“She was such a sweetheart, and then to hear how she’d been praying for us all along, even though she’d never met us.”
“It just goes to show that there truly are some very special people in this world. Men and women who genuinely care about others.”
Charlotte leaned her head back, and while it was pretty dark inside the limousine, Curtis looked at her and kissed her. Their passion was intense, and it was a good thing the tinted partition that separated the driver from his passengers was closed, otherwise Charlotte wouldn’t be able to look at the man when he dropped them off.
“I’ve really missed you,” Curtis said. “I know it probably hasn’t seemed like that, but I have.”
“I’ve missed you, too, and thank you for changing your mind. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“No thanks needed. What I want us to do now is take Mrs. Jackson’s advice.”
“Which is?”
“Leaving the past in the past. I know we can’t erase it, but we don’t have to focus on it. What we have to do now is concentrate on the present.”
“I agree, and I’m glad you feel that way.”
Curtis and Charlotte held each other for the rest of the ride, and soon the limo pulled in front of the hotel.
One of the greeters opened their door. “Welcome back, sir.”
“Thank you,” Curtis said, stepping onto the pavement, taking Charlotte’s hand and helping her out of the car, too.
The driver still walked around to where they were standing. “It’s been a pleasure driving you today, Pastor Black, and I’ll be here at eight a.m. for the airport.”
Curtis pulled out
his wallet and passed him a fifty. “Thanks again for everything, Chris. We’ll see you then.”
They went inside the ritzy hotel, adorned with exquisite marble flooring, and Curtis said, “Is your bag with the bellman?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll call for it later.”
Charlotte smiled. “And why is that?”
“Because we’ve got business to take care of and can’t be disturbed.”
“Sounds good to me.”
They strolled through the lobby and down to the elevators, and Curtis pushed the top button. The doors opened immediately, and when they stepped inside, Curtis inserted his key just above the floor selections, since this was the only way to access the VIP/concierge floor. When they arrived at their destination, the doors slid open again and they proceeded to the end of the carpeted hallway. But before Curtis opened the double doors to his room, he took Charlotte into his arms, kissing her forcefully, and she could barely stand it. He was driving her wild, and now she believed he really had missed her as much as he’d said. Their being together felt like old times, and she was relieved that all her waiting—and yes, praying—had been worth it. She’d thought for sure that this time she’d lost Curtis for good, but here they were together, happy as could be.
Curtis slid the plastic card inside the slot and opened the door, and Charlotte couldn’t believe her eyes. Candles lit the entire living room area, and one of Luther Vandross’s beautiful love songs played softly from what must have been the bedroom.
Charlotte lovingly touched the side of his face. “You still never cease to amaze me. You still know how to romance me no matter what.”
“I wish I could take credit, but I can’t.”
“Well, then who set out all the candles?”
Curtis paused for a minute and then smiled. “I’ll bet it was Lana. She’s the only one who knew you were coming, and I’ll bet she asked someone to do this for us.”
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