Chapter 21 #2
By the time we made it to the door, Pastor Williams was standing there. “Good to see you, Sister Deanna, Sister Kandi.” His eyes dropped to my expanding stomach, then to baby Zoe. “I’ve been praying for both your families.”
“Thank you, Pastor,” Kandi answered with a smile. “The prayers are working. Zariah got that job at the hospital, and my son got into the Air Force.”
“That’s wonderful news,” he said, though his attention remained on me. “And you, Sister Deanna? How are you finding God’s grace in your... situation?”
“Abundant,” I kept my voice pleasant. “New life is a miracle, wouldn’t you say?”
His smile faltered. “You know the community talks. People are... concerned. It isn’t too late to—”
“Live by faith and not reputation?” I cut him off. “I’m already doing that, Pastor. But I appreciate your concern. Have a great day.”
Without waiting for his response, I stepped into the sunlight. Kandi followed, carrying Zoe, who had fallen asleep against her shoulder.
“The nerve,” Kandi muttered once we were safely out of earshot. “Man talked about love throughout the sermon, then tries to shame you in the next breath.”
“It’s fine,” I said, following her toward her car. I fumbled in my purse for my water bottle.
Kandi was struggling to get the baby into the car seat without waking her when a black SUV pulled into the empty space beside us. The tinted window rolled down to reveal Aris’s handsome face in the back seat.
“Kandi,” he said with a polite nod. “Do you need help?”
“Hi, Dee’s future husband,” Kandi’s tone was as sweet as honey, and I rolled my eyes. “I’m okay. She’s buckled in now.”
Markos appeared at my elbow and opened the rear door for me.
Kandi gave me a quick hug. “Call me later.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you too.” She stepped back, closing her rear door before sliding into the driver’s seat.
I settled into the leather seat beside Aris, watching as Kandi pulled out of the parking space.
“How was it?” he asked.
“Amusing. Pastor Williams has strong opinions about my life choices.”
“What did he say to you?”
I scooted closer to him as Markos pulled away from the church. “His sermon was something about desire versus love, straying sheep and lions’ dens.” I rolled my eyes. “Very dramatic. Very aimed at the pregnant woman in the third row who previously declined being his first lady.”
“So this pastor, he had aspirations beyond spiritual guidance, yes,” he said, his accent thickening as it often did when something displeased him. “And now he uses his pulpit to shame you for rejecting him?”
Every man I’d ever known took. Took my time, took my body, took decisions out of my hands and called it love.
Aris was no different, except he was. When I drew a line, the man actually stopped at it.
He listened to me. Heard me. This terrified me more than the demanding ever had.
“Can we not waste our Valentine’s Day talking about a man whose feelings I don’t care about?” I kissed his neck. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going. Should I be worried? Because the last time you whisked me away, I ended up pregnant.”
His hand slid to my stomach, possessively. “I promise the only thing you will end up with, it is satisfaction.” He caught my chin, tilting my face toward his. “And no, I am not telling you.”
I didn’t pull away from his touch. My body never could when it came to him.
“Fine. But if I end up somewhere without stretchy pants and antacids, we’re going to have problems.”
“Though I suspect you will forgive me, yes.” His mouth latched onto mine, and heat bloomed instant and fierce.
I parted my lips, and he took the invitation, deepening the kiss until I forgot about church, about Pastor Williams, about everything except the taste of him.
He made a rough sound low in his chest and shifted me in the seat until I was nearly in his lap despite my belly.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless. His lips hovered just above mine, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.
“You are still worried about where we are going?” His voice was rough.
“Can’t remember my own name right now.”
He smiled, pressing one more kiss to my lips, then reached beside him for a wrapped package I hadn’t noticed. The wrapping was elegant, and the bow was perfect.
“This, it was delivered to your house.” His voice had gone cold. “While you were at church.”
“What is it?”
“I do not know.” He turned the package over, and I caught sight of a card. “There is no return address. Only your name.”
Something in his tone made me look at his face more carefully. His jaw was set, eyes hard.
“Who is sending you Valentine’s gifts?”
“Are you jealous?”
“Yes.” His eyes met mine. “I spent our children’s entire wedding watching your stomach, believing you went back to your ex.
Then today this pastor, he decides he should have been the one to put those babies in your womb.
And now someone, they are sending gifts to your house. ” He muttered something low in Greek.
I stared at him. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing important.” His hand tightened on my hip.
“Let me see it.” I reached for the package, turning it until I could see the handwriting on the card. The moment I recognized it, I had to bite back another laugh. “It’s from Tia.”
The tension drained from him. “Open it, yes.”
I opened the box, and inside was a delicate necklace. The pendant was a piece of sea glass in soft aqua, wrapped in silver wire. A note in Tia’s handwriting was tucked beneath it.
Mom, found this on the beach during our honeymoon in Hawaii. Made me think of you. Happy Love Day! - T
My throat tightened. She’d been thinking of me during her honeymoon and took time to turn a piece of beach glass into something beautiful.
“It’s lovely,” Aris said.
“She made it herself.” I traced the smooth glass with my finger.
“Tia, she has her mother’s eye for beauty, yes.” His hand found mine. “You are ready for your surprise?”
I nodded, clutching the necklace. “As I’ll ever be.”