by Pat Simmons
“What do we have here?” An officer ran up to them with one hand on his holster. Removing his weapon, he ordered, “Turn around and put both hands behind your back. I’m sure there’ll be some pants to fit you where you’re going.” When the officer pushed the injured man to the ground, Kidd put the safety back on his gun and stuffed it in his sock.
A few neighbors were standing around and started cheering. Parke nodded with a smirk. “Good job, Jamieson.”
Duke’s eyes widened in disbelief, and Malcolm grinned, as he, Parke, and Duke began a round of applause. Within minutes, some in the crowd started chanting his last name, as if it was his first.
Before the suspects were manhandled into a police car, the officer in charge approached Kidd.
“Thanks for your help. We need you to stick around. After we conduct a full sweep of the house, one of our men is going to get a detailed report from you. I’m sure you have a license to carry that weapon.”
“Sure officer, I’ll be happy to speak with you. But if you don’t mind, in the meantime I’ll take some pictures. I’m sure Mrs. Beacon will want to post them on Twitter and Facebook.”
Kidd took out his iPhone and aimed the camera at the crooks. “Can I get a smile, please,” he taunted.
When they didn’t, Kidd bent to Silent Killer. “Okay, boy, get ready.”
“Okay, okay,” one snapped.
“Fine!” A tall, dark brotha wearing Stacy Adams on his long feet shouted. Something about his attitude made Kidd surmise that he had to be Bay-Bay.
“Say, cheese.”
Their toothy grins were wide, displaying plenty of gold.
Kidd snapped away.
Chapter Thirty-Four
It was almost six o’clock when Eva opened the door. She had a serious attitude and didn’t hesitate to show it. Frowning at Kidd standing in her doorway, she asked, “Where did you go for my chicken? To Perdue farm to ensure it was fresh? Kidd, you left work and never came back. When I tried to call you, I got your voice mail. What’s going on?”
Kidd lifted the bag. “I got your Popeye’s chicken and biscuits!” He grinned and stepped around her to walk inside.
Eva squinted, locked the door, and twirled around. There was a whole block of missing information. She stared, waiting for more. He had the nerve to break eye contact, which was something he usually didn’t do.
With a self-assured smile, he held up the bag again. “Paper, plastic, or china plates?”
She grabbed the bag. “I should feed you on paper. It’s a good thing I’m hungry, almost eight hours later. Miss Gertie wasn’t cooking at the facility today, so you can imagine what was being served.” Still curious, she lifted a brow. “Why the disappearing act?”
“Baby, if we can just eat first, then I’ll tell you everything.”
Why did the man have to look so innocent, handsome, and devilish all at the same time? She narrowed her eyes. “Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like whatever you have to say?” Reluctantly, Eva gave in. “Okay, wash up.” She pointed to the bathroom right off the kitchen.
Kidd scrubbed his hands and lifted his voice over the running water. “I didn’t curse, maim, or kill anybody, so no repenting is necessary,” he gave as a peace offering.
Minutes later, they had blessed the food. Eva was famished but listened intently as Kidd began to weave a tale that was hardly believable. However, she was clearly beginning to build trust in him. Actually, she found some of it funny. The story about the Stacy Adams shoes and the part about the pictures of the thieves seemed almost laughable, but that was all. It seemed like the entire stunt was pushing him farther away from a fine line and his walk with God.
“A gun, Kevin? I don’t blame Cheney’s reaction.”
“She called?”
“Yep. Cheney said you were a hero, but wouldn’t go into details because she thought you would want to tell me yourself. We chatted about other things, and she invited me to go shopping with her, Hali, and Imani this weekend.”
Eva resumed her reprimand. “How could you keep a gun around children?”
“They were never in any danger. Plus, I didn’t need it anyway. Her dog got to the jokers before I did. I don’t know why Silent Killer didn’t attack me.”
“Besides Jesus watching over you, the only reason I can think of is maybe you had Grandma BB’S scent on your hands or clothes.”
Kidd snapped his fingers as if he’d just experienced a eureka moment. “That’s it! I guess it was a good thing I didn’t wash my hands before I left work, like I usually do.”
He was acting as if they were having a casual conversation, but Eva wasn’t buying it. “Back to your craziness. You should’ve let the police handle it. You’ve got to decide which walk you’re going to take. God only knows, it’s beyond me. I don’t have enough spiritual intellect to discern whose side you’re on: God’s or the demons that seem to override your common sense.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
That night, Kidd couldn’t sleep because he was thinking about Eva’s indirect ultimatum. Having booked himself into a room at a four-star hotel didn’t make matters any better. The pristine environment was too cold and impersonal for him to get any rest.
If it was any other woman besides Eva, Kidd wouldn’t have had to ask if he could stay overnight until he found an apartment or made some other arrangement. The invitation would have been gladly extended indefinitely. However, he wouldn’t disrespect Eva by asking, and he knew she wouldn’t offer.
When Kidd finally drifted off, he was in a semiconscious state until Eva called late Saturday morning.
“I’m checking up on you. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, babe.” He sighed. “I thought about my actions yesterday and our talk … I don’t want you to feel like I’m out of control.”
“It’s your spiritual world that’s out of control, Kevin, not you. We’ve prayed. So my confidence is in God. I take comfort in the fact that He won’t stop until His work in you is completed. Meanwhile, you’re a hard man to love.”
His heart pounded at the mention of that four-letter word coming from her lips. “Does that mean you can’t love me, or you can’t help but fall in love with me?”
Eva didn’t answer right away. Kidd prompted her again, this time directly.
“Do you love me, Eva?”
“Yes, I do. But, Kevin Jamieson, it’s not Beyoncé’s Crazy Love. Don’t force me to walk away. I need a commitment,” she said forcefully.
Kidd knew what she was talking about, but he baited her anyway. “I love you, and if I thought you would say yes, I would put a ring on your finger. Beyoncé would have it no other way.”
“God needs a commitment from you first—either to repent of your sins or die because of them. It’s a no-brainer, Kevin.”
Kidd sighed. There was no hiding her frustration. It seemed like he had the same level of frustration all his life. He softened his voice and spoke from his heart, “If you really believe that God started a work in me, please pray that He will finish it. I can sense the tug-of-war in my soul. And I did call for spiritual backup before this whole fiasco went down. I am serious, Eva. You know I don’t play games. You love me and that’s all I’ve wanted from you, so I have the home-field advantage.”
“Well then, imagine that’s the same kind of relationship God has with us, Kevin. We love Him because He first loved us.”
As the mood lightened, they talked a few more minutes. Finally, they agreed to go to the theater in the afternoon and watch an old movie.
“Can’t wait to see Jumpin’ the Broom again.”
He couldn’t believe how many times she said she’d seen it when it first came out. The first time with her sister, next with her mother, and then with Dawn. Now it was his turn.
On Sunday, Kidd attended church with Eva. At least he didn’t have to repent for the Bay-Bay episode. The sermon was powerful, and again he went to the altar for prayer. When he returned to the family pew, Eva reached for h
is hand.
“Do you still love me?” he whispered.
“I never thought I would fall for a bad boy from Boston. Yes, my heart won’t let me stop, but—”
“Shhh.” He hushed her. He remembered what her father had said about losing her. Eva herself had voiced a concern about his commitment. Yet she continued reaching out to him.
“I love you and you are worth fighting whatever demon for.”
“Prayer changes things,” she whispered in his ear before Elder Taylor said the benediction. Kidd’s heart swelled with emotion.
Monday morning after a decent night’s sleep, Kidd was in a fairly good mood. He hit the hotel gym. Energized by his workout, he showered, trimmed his beard, and dressed. After eating a complimentary breakfast downstairs, he headed to work. His hotel was farther away from the facility, but he made it on time.
Wearing a grin, he opened the doors to Garden Chateau, and there she was. Posted outside his office, waiting for his arrival, was none other than Mrs. Beacon.
“You got pictures for me … and how’s my dog?” she fired at him, not wasting any time.
Kidd withheld his chuckle. Did she not have any concern for her house or outcome of the thieves who tried to break into it? “I’d say Silent Killer is well-fed.”
She nodded and started to roll away before he stopped her. He imagined Grandma BB couldn’t wait to check out the pictures he posted for her.
“Hey, don’t you want to know about the bad guys?”
“Nope. I figured between you and the other Jamiesons, plus Imani, those ba—oops, those gentlemen are no longer visiting.”
“No, they’re not. They were arrested on the spot. The police mentioned something about violating parole, so they won’t be back. Now the bad news …”
Mrs. Beacon flinched and her body stiffened. “What?”
“I think they messed up a good pair of Stacy Adams.”
Grimacing, this time she did curse, before Kidd charged a nearby aide with returning Mrs. Beacon to her room.
Kidd was still laughing as Eva rounded the corner. “Good morning, babe. You want to be my real estate agent and help a homeless man find shelter?”
She smiled and slapped his chest, but he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Lifting his brow, he felt like kissing her breathless this morning. He settled for caressing her hand with kisses.
“Kevin, I can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re up to no good.” She scrunched her nose. “While you’re hiding from residents in your office this afternoon, look up some properties. We can take a look after work.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
It wasn’t until the following Saturday that Kidd and Eva had enough time to do some serious house hunting. Eva had spent the previous Saturday with Cheney and the girls. She confessed they—or more like she—had badmouthed him. Amazingly, despite the big hoopla about his gun, the women couldn’t sing enough of his praises. Including Imani.
Kidd didn’t know what to make of the Jamiesons’ love; it was quite humbling. His heart warmed when Eva relayed how upset Kami had become when anyone tried to utter a bad word about her cousin uncle.
During the first week of house hunting, Kidd was amused to watch his woman nitpick over the smallest details about properties. The second week, he learned his lesson the hard way; and by the third week, he simply remained quiet. Once, to no avail, he folded his arms and refused to budge from the front door of a property. A short distance from his job, it was tucked away into a neighborhood of mature trees and quiet streets. She was prepared to leave him there.
As he and Eva continued to compare houses, Kidd realized he could get more for his money within Old Town Florissant. New homes filled gaps between older maintained two- and three-bedroom bungalows.
Eva glanced over her shoulder and frowned. “Honey, I thought you liked this house.”
“From the outside, it’s nice.”
“Don’t you want to see the renovations and floor plan?”
“If you like this one …” he said, a little too nonchalant for Eva’s taste. Then, holding up his hands when it appeared she was about to protest, he completed his thought. “If the price is right, I’ll take it.”
Eva’s mouth dropped. “Just like that?” She snapped her fingers. “Don’t you want to check out the furnace, plumbing, roof … you know, that important stuff?”
Kidd walked over to her and tilted her chin. His kiss swallowed up the rest of her words. “Baby, you should know by now; no one is going to take advantage of me. I’ll check out all those things. Okay?” he whispered sweetly, as she nodded in submission.
The Realtor cleared her throat to remind them of her presence. When Eva and Kidd turned around, the woman grinned and Eva blushed.
“So when is the big day?” the realtor asked.
“Big day?” Kidd repeated.
“Your wedding.”
“Oh, we’re not getting married or even engaged,” Eva corrected.
The older woman looked embarrassed. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I forget couples move in together without marriage. I’m really sorry.”
“We’re not one of those couples. If you don’t see a ring on this third finger, you won’t see my pantyhose hanging out to dry. When Jesus comes back, I don’t want Him to find me in a compromising situation.”
The Realtor nodded, but was clearly uncomfortable as she glanced at Kidd. He gave her a shrug. He would buy a ring before he bought a house, if he thought she would say yes. Women and their stipulations. He was a good man. It was just taking him a little longer to walk with Jesus.
“Okay,” the woman said, clapping her hands together. “Shall we continue the tour?”
When Eva nodded, the woman relaxed. The two of them disappeared into the dining room.
God, I know Eva is my blessing. A woman I probably don’t deserve, but man to Man, if You can give me a little more time, I’ll come on Your terms. I’m not playing with You, Jesus. I just need to be 100 percent ready to stay. I want to be faithful to You, unlike my father was to me, he prayed silently. Then he took his time and gave the house a detailed inspection.
Finally, Eva returned, jubilant. Twisting her hands, she pronounced, “It’s perfect for you!”
“Sold! I’ll take them,” Kidd said, referring to both the house and Eva. But she and the Realtor were too excited to hear.
“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Eva said, finally convincing him to have a housewarming party. Personally, he couldn’t care less. As far as Kidd was concerned, he could get by with a bed, a couch, and a flat-screen TV.
The first night he moved in, he sat on a box and stared at the moonlight through partially opened blinds. Kidd fell into a melancholy mood as he surveyed his surroundings. The living room was sparsely furnished, and pictures Eva had convinced him to purchase were waiting to be hung.
“Baby, I don’t need pots, pans, and dishes,” he had told her when she insisted on shopping for kitchenware. “That’s why they have buffets.”
Eva crossed her arms and arched a brow with a smirk. “You’re not going to say it?” she teased.
“What?” Kidd was honestly clueless.
“You also have a woman who cooks.”
He looked sheepish. “Well, ah, I didn’t want to assume. But now that you mention it … thanks for the unlimited offer.”
Wrapping her arms around his waist, Eva laughed. Kidd’s piercing eyes searched her face. There was a brief period of silence as they both cherished the moment. Ah, yeah. She is the one, he mused. She was stunning, dressed in his favorite color—maroon. He counted the freckles—they were still there; her lips—still tempting; her eyes—still sparkling.
Reflecting on the day he might propose, Kidd thought of how he would address her father, Mr. Savoy, may I have your lovely daughter’s hand in marriage? I would say I’m doing something right.
“Are you going to talk to me?” Kidd whispered, towering over her in the living room of his new home
.
She frowned. “Weren’t you listening?”
Was this a trick question, or something? “I didn’t hear a word, but I read the expression on your face. You’re happy.”
“So you did listen to my heart?” She smiled.
“That’s what I do.” Once more, they embraced without saying another word.
For the rest of the day, Eva stayed on the subject. “Okay, the time for the housewarming will be …”
Kidd’s emotions were fluctuating all over the place. With so many things for him to consider, some kind of change must be taking place in him. He recalled the time when he wouldn’t have given a second thought to shutting out the whole world—if he felt so inclined.
Now he listened attentively as Eva rambled on. Was he supposed to invite his neighbors? Of course, there were his cousins. Parke and Malcolm had reached out with phone calls. Malcolm had even driven from his office downtown to North County just to take him to lunch. Thanks to Eva, Kidd accepted Malcolm’s olive branch even though he wanted to decline. She convinced him that family would always have his back, a saying his mother had drilled into him as a boy.
Kidd surprised himself as he reflected on how much he cared about his present circumstances. He knew he couldn’t shake Parke and Malcolm without breaking the children’s hearts, so he decided to embrace the family wholeheartedly. Although he really did like them, he was too stubborn to admit it in a humble fashion. In their opinion, he had redeemed himself by capturing the bad guy.
Then there was another feather in his cap; he was still working at the nursing facility and keeping his commitment to watch over Grandma BB. If he were keeping track, that was a great accomplishment and should garner him a whole pan of brownie points.
Yes. Eva was the best thing that ever happened to him; she warmed his heart. But when she kissed him good-night and left that evening, his good mood suddenly turned sober again. He found himself comparing his old life in Boston to his new life in St. Louis. His fists were clinched together as if he was praying, but that was the furthest thing from his mind. Rather, he was doing some soul searching.
