by Pat Simmons
Prison changed her. She was guarded and chose her friends carefully. Her best friends were also former felons, but all three had surrendered to Christ while in prison. Once they were released, they gave back to the community by opening Crowning Glory, a full-service salon and barbershop that helped people get back on their feet.
Jet became not only a thorn in Karyn’s side, but the sides of Buttercup and Halo who had tied the knot once their probation period had expired. Now, the two of them were hoping to start a family soon. At the time, Jet worked as the finance manager at the bank that was reviewing their business proposal. She initially turned down their loan. That’s when Nalani came on the scene and forced Jet’s hand to reverse the decision.
To say there was bad blood among Jet, Halo, and Buttercup was an understatement. Levi barely tolerated her. Karyn was determined to be her friend. At least Rossi, the man of God that he was, was long suffering when it came to Jet. No one was better than him at winning souls for Christ.
Karyn joined them in the bedroom and watched from afar as Dori meticulously wiped her brother and sprinkled a little baby powder on his bottom. Once she was finished, Little Levi scrambled off the bed and made a beeline to Karyn. She smiled at his toothy grin.
Jet praised Dori with accolades about how caring she was and the good job she’d done. Dori beamed.
“Well, sweetie, I’d better go so I can get settled.” Jet turned and looked at Karyn. “Unless you have any objections, I would like to take my niece to the park tomorrow.”
“For a picnic?” Dori’s eyes widened in excitement. “Yeah.”
“Yes.”
“Can Little Levi come? Dori pleaded.
Almost in union, they both said no, then glanced at each other. Karyn wondered about Jet’s reason. Did she not want to be around her son? A stab stuck in her heart. Since they already had a family gathering, she had a perfect excuse to avoid a direct answer. “Do you mind a rain check? The Tollivers are celebrating Uncle Ross’ retirement.”
Of course it was rude not to invite Levi’s sister-in-law who had been part of the family before her, but she didn’t want to make that call.
“I cash in rain checks,” Jet said in a no-nonsense tone before kneeling to give Dori a goodbye hug. When Little Levi waited for a hug, Karyn scooped him up. She didn’t want to give Jet a chance to reject her son. They both had trust issues to overcome if they were to have a shot at a genuine friendship.
After waving goodbye at the door, the children returned to their toys while Karyn prayed. Lord, help us to love one another.
Minutes later, she stepped out on the deck, and informed Levi and Rossi that Jet had left. Rossi looked disappointed; her husband, relieved.
“Well, I guess I’d better head out,” Rossi said, then turned to Levi. “I know humility isn’t in any of our DNA, but it’s a must have to walk with Christ. Jet’s not your enemy, cuz. The devil is.”
Levi acted like he didn’t hear him.
Once Rossi left, she lit into her husband. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You didn’t have to be so mean spirited to Jet—your daughter’s aunt.”
Levi squinted. “You do remember this is the same woman who attacked you, almost got you fired, sabotaged your business…shall I go on?”
“No, you shouldn’t.” She planted a fist on each of her hips and lifted her chin. She wasn’t backing down. “I want to mend fences, win a soul for Christ—”
“I was defending your honor. Setting down the house rules,” he added smugly and folded his arms.
“Sweetie,” Karyn purred. She knew how to get his attention, and his stance relaxed. Her handsome husband was a gentle giant, but he hadn’t been in her shoes where she desperately wanted someone’s—anyone’s—forgiveness.
Lord, please help us to love one another and mend this family, no matter what it takes, she prayed.
Chapter 4
While eavesdropping on Levi and Jet’s conversation, Rossi debated with Karyn which one should step into the ring. “I’m going in.”
“Me too.” Karyn stepped into the kitchen before him.
“Hey, I wasn’t finished,” Levi fumed when Karyn stopped him mid-sentence.
“Trust me. You are,” Rossi said and physically shoved him out the door to the deck. Levi might be shorter than him, but his cousin was solid, so he wasn’t going willingly.
Once outside, Rossi folded his arms like a bouncer and blocked Levi’s path from re-entering the house. “Have a seat.”
“Are you crazy? She may try to hurt my wife.” His nostrils flared like an irritated bull.
Rossi needed to calm himself down too. As boys, they would horse around and throw punches. As men and practicing Christians, they settled their disagreements through prayer, but his cousin was making it rough. “I mean it, Brother Levi. Grab a chair.”
Calling him Brother gave Levi pause. Whenever Rossi went church mode on a family member, they knew there was no compromise. Levi complied, but it wasn’t without some grumbling. “You owe Jet an apology.”
“For what?” He leaped from his chair. “She came into my house…”
“And did nothing.” Rossi continued to block Levi’s view as he walked to the table and took a seat in front of him. “Jet came in peace. I’ve never seen her hold her peace, but she did—until you went too far. She’s right, man. I know how much you loved Diane. She wouldn’t want you treating her sister like this.”
“I loved Diane, and I love Karyn.”
“And as a brother in Christ, what about Jesetta? Doesn’t she deserve and need your love?” He paraphrased a couple of verses from 1 Corinthians 13. “Love suffers long and hard. Love is kind and doesn’t behave badly, and most of all, love is not easily provoked.” Tilting his head toward the door, Rossi shook his head. “From where your wife and I were standing, you failed, bro. There was no love on your part.”
The conviction must have pricked Levi’s heart because he bowed his head and groaned. Putting his hands on the glass-top table, he glanced up. Weariness was in his eyes. “What am I supposed to do, huh?”
“Pray for Jesetta. God took her sister away. Dori’s getting older. Your daughter doesn’t need to feel or see this friction between two people she loves. You’ve recovered. Now pray that Jet does too.” He paused and chose his words carefully. “And a word to the wise, don’t ever talk to her like that again.”
Levi squinted. “Are you threatening me now? Over Jet?”
Rossi wasn’t about to confirm or deny his cousin’s accuracy. As protective as Levi was of Karyn, Rossi’s heart was coming to Jet’s rescue, but he couldn’t compromise allegiance to God’s work. He repented. Lord, I know according to Romans 2:11 that you show no partiality to us. Help me, Jesus, to judge situations fairly. Help me, Lord. Help me to bring peace to Levi and Jet.
“Are you?” Levi frowned.
“No, cuz.” Rossi shook his head. Until God resolved the tension, it was going to be a balancing act when Jet and Levi were in the same room. “If you need to fast and pray to overcome this tension, then I suggest you do that. God hates hypocrisy. As saints, we are not to be guilty of it.” He needed to tend to Jet’s wounds—if she had any after the tit-for-tat with Levi. “I’m heading out. Do you want prayer before I leave?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Levi stood.
Since when did a saint turn down prayer? Rossi got to his feet too. “Well, we’re going to pray anyhow.” He bowed his head. “Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus, You are not the Author of confusion, so we come before You naked with our sins and ask that You forgive us and give us more grace to overcome this trial. In Jesus’ matchless name.”
They both said “Amen” together.
When Karyn informed them that Jet had left, Rossi’s heart dropped. They had a lot of catching up to do, and he had hoped to spend some time with her today.
“Was she okay?”
“Are you okay?” Levi asked his wife.
“We’ll both be okay, eventually.” Karyn e
yed her husband.
Rossi took her “you’re in trouble now” look as his cue to leave. He said his goodbyes. As he walked out the door and to his SUV, he debated if he should call Jet since he had no idea where she was staying.
Common courtesy overruled his desire to see her. He decided to give her space and head home, but Jet stayed on his mind during the drive to his loft. Less than twenty minutes later, he strolled through his front door, frustrated. Jet was not to blame for the turmoil. Calling it as he saw it, he put the blame on Satan who was the master of confusion. Rossi began to pray and rebuke the demons that caused mischief whenever Jet and his cousin were in the same room.
Once peace had recaptured his soul, he ended his petition to the Lord. His stomach growled, but he craved seeing Jet to satisfy the hunger reigning in his heart. First, he wanted to know where her heart was with him and God.
Hours passed before he called her. “Did I wake you?” Checking the time, it wasn’t nine o’clock yet.
She yawned. “Just taking a nap.”
“You’re getting old on me already, huh?” They chuckled together.
“No. Tired. I drove from Nashville earlier, remember? Then I had to deal with your cousins. The Tollivers are draining.”
“Hey,” he said, feigning insult. “I’m a Tolliver.”
“Umm-hmm. I know. You’re included when you get on my bad side.” She paused, then added, “But you’re okay.”
“You mean I’m not your favorite?” he teased her.
“Nope. Get in line behind Dori.”
“Fair enough. So…” He crossed his living room and flopped in an oversized chair. “If you’re not doing anything tomorrow, the families are getting together to celebrate pops’ retirement. I’m sure everyone would love to see you.”
Silence, then finally, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t have energy for back-to-back drama.”
Rossi sighed. Maybe he was pushing too hard too fast. He had no comeback. Once Levi decided to marry Karyn, it didn’t take long for her to win over the family. Everyone was glad when Jet stop coming to the get-togethers because of the tension she brought. Of course, no one would go on record confessing to that. “I want the best for you, Jesetta,” he said softly.
“Thanks,” she replied in a softer voice. “I believe you.”
“So what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Probably house hunting.”
“Want some company?”
“I don’t think I’ll win brownie points taking away the favorite son from his father’s party. I’m a big girl and a home girl. I know my way around.”
Jet didn’t know he was willing to show up late so that he could put the wheels in motion to woo her not only to God, but himself. “You have no idea how much we love you, especially me.” That part was true… Well, it might take pulling teeth for Levi to admit to that. “What about Sunday? I’m the speaker/preacher for our annual family and friends’ day.”
“Although you do hold my attention, I think I need to keep my contact with Levi and Karyn to a minimum—for now. I’ll look for another church to attend.”
She was looking? Rossi perked up. He liked the sound of that. “For the record, Levi changed membership after they got married. Since Crowns for Christ was instrumental in Karyn’s salvation and they work with the prison ministry, he felt they should be unified in helping others…”
“Who were in prison,” she finished. “To this day, I still don’t understand how a woman can kill her baby. Then again, I don’t understand how anyone can take another person’s life.” She released a mock chuckle. “It’s a twist of fate that they can move on and I seem to be stuck. How can they just move on?” Her frustration was apparent.
“It’s never okay to sin—never. God does forgive, Jesetta, and to be a Christian, we have to ask God to help us to forgive one another. Let me give you two scriptures to consider, and I hope you will come Sunday and support me.”
“You don’t need my support.”
“Trust me, I do.”
They were about to disconnect when Jet yelled, “What about the scriptures?”
Rossi blinked. She was actually reminding him? Good sign. Thank You, Lord. “Read Genesis chapter four and verse fifteen. No—make that the entire chapter in the Old Testament and Matthew chapter five in the New Testament. You’ll learn about the magnitude of God’s forgiveness.”
“Okay. See you Sunday.” Click.
He roared at her antics. Jesetta was back, and Rossi was going to enjoy getting to know Jet as a woman after his own heart.
Chapter 5
Jet thought about reconsidering Rossi’s offer seconds after they disconnected. The Tolliver family get-togethers were legendary—food, fun, and fine brothers. She first met Rossi at one of their parties. If anyone wanted to host a male auction, the contestants were on deck. The Tolliver clan was made up of good-looking men, including Levi and his younger twin brothers. Rossi was the oldest of four siblings and three years older than Daniel, five years older than Titus, and seven wiser than Chaz.
Amazingly, their resemblance was unmatched as if they were quadruplets. Some were practicing Christians, a term she’d heard Rossi say, a few were trudging in lukewarm water—another Rossi Tolliver term—yet Jet understood neither.
Besides Levi and his younger brother, Seth, who happened to be a twin to Solomon, most were unattached. She thought about the former Tia Rogers who had married Seth. The woman had a magnetic personality that easily drew people into her circle of friends. Jet was one of them.
When Diane was alive, Jet’s presence was expected at the parties. No invitation was needed, and she rarely missed a gathering, but things changed after Karyn’s past was revealed. The Tollivers seemed so accepting and forgiving. Was it part of their Christian duty? It didn’t matter as Jet’s appearances became less frequent until she stopped going altogether.
“Yep, I made the right decision to decline Rossi’s offer,” she said to herself. Jet’s sanity depended on keeping minimum interaction with the Tollivers.
She stood and strolled across the thick carpet to her sliding patio door. Stepping outside, she observed the buzz of the crowd below her hotel room—workers, shoppers, and tourists having places to go. Leaning on the railing, her mind wandered again.
Levi had so irritated her by the way he had approached her, then Karyn’s chatter confused her. What was God thinking when He snatched Diane, a loving mother, away from Dori, and allowed Karyn to take her sister’s place? Where was the justice in that? Then the woman blamed her actions on postpartum depression. That nonsense just plain annoyed Jet.
Obsessing over the Tollivers took way too much brainpower. Jet took one final glance around downtown St. Louis and stepped back inside her suite. After working at Layla’s luxury hotel, she couldn’t see herself staying anywhere that didn’t rate four stars. And the Magnolia Hotel was amazing. She gave herself a month or so to decide where she wanted to live.
As far as income, Layla insisted on keeping her on the payroll as a consultant until Jet found work. With a finance degree and banking background, Jet hoped to have a job within a week, but there was no rush. She knew how to manage money, and over the years she had invested and saved well.
Still, there was no place like home, and before moving to Nashville, Jet had built a lavish house in Illinois not far from Levi to help with Dori. Since her services were no longer needed, Jet decided to stay in St. Louis again. Levi. She huffed. She was so proud of herself that she held back. Diane would be proud too.
Reconcile with your brother before coming to My altar, God whispered. Read Matthew 5:24.
Jet paused. Rossi had suggested that same chapter. Was that a yea or nay from the Lord? Frowning, Jet’s jubilation was instantly deflated. Since she began reading her Bible more while in Nashville, she liked it when the Lord spoke to her every now and then, but it always seemed to be in a riddle, and she was clueless how to decipher it.
As she reached for her Bi
ble, her phone chimed. Seeing that it was Layla, she answered it, flopped on the sofa, then crossed her ankles. “Hey, girlfriend.”
“Hey nothing! I’ve waited all day to hear from you to see how everything went,” she fussed. “You’re calm, so that means your homecoming was well received, right? I’m crossing my fingers.”
Her cheerleader. She and Layla had hit it off instantly when they met at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. They were both tall at five-feet-ten. Layla had rich dark skin and had been wearing her hair in stylish cornrows. Whenever they used to walk into a party, they grabbed attention. Who would have thought thirteen years after graduation neither of them would have found their soul mates or have at least one child?
Maybe men were intimidated by their independent nature and professional status. Whatever the reason, they both were thirty-five, and their clocks were ticking. Yes, they were professional women. They were inseparable in college, but over the years, life had gotten in the way, and they’d lost touch. They reconnected after Diane’s death. When Jet had confided that she needed a clean start, Layla had opened her door. They promised to stay better connected this time around, and already Jet had forgotten to touch base with her friend. “Well, uncross them.”
Layla groaned. “Uh-oh. Do you need any reinforcement?”
“Nope. No ‘man down’ here, but—”
“But what?” Layla pressed. “Do I have to leave my business here to come down there and get in your business? What’s going on?”
Closing her eyes, Jet sighed before explaining. “I felt like my brother-in-law picked up where we left off.” She shook her head. “Granted, it was strained, but I was willing to be fake for Dori.”
“You can’t let that man get to you.”
“Right, says my best friend who kicked me out to the wolves.”
“I did not!” Layla argued, then chuckled. “You’ve been running from your pain, and left untreated, it will kill you. I just want to see you move on and share memories about Diane without breaking down.”
