Perfect Timing (20 page)

Going into the living room he picked up the phone to call his coach. A few minutes later he was hanging up the phone after telling the man that he needed to miss practice tomorrow for personal reasons.

Garrett walked out the door, locking it behind him. The vision of Mya standing in their bedroom crying tore at his heart and he knew he would feel just as betrayed if he had found out that she had kissed another man. So in a way, he understood her hurt but still, she should have let him stay with her to work things out. She had no right to throw away what they had together.

When he got inside his Mercedes he leaned over the steering wheel as emotions tore into him. He felt ashamed for what he had done and he felt angry for being such a weak person and allowing it to happen. Inhaling deeply he leaned back and picked up the cellular phone next to him. He needed to hear his father's voice. He needed to tell someone what a fool he was.

“Hello.”

“Dad? It's me, Garrett.”

“Garrett, how are you, son? Is everything okay. How are Mya and the boys?”

“Not good,” he said choking out the words. “I screwed up, Dad. I've really screwed up. It involves another woman and Mya wants me to leave. She doesn't want to be with me anymore. I've hurt her. I've hurt her bad.”

There was a long silence and David Rivers didn't say anything. Garrett could hear his mother in the background asking what was wrong. Finally, his father spoke.

“Look, Garrett, I'm not going to ask for any details but I will give you some good advice. You and Mya have been together too long to throw anything away. What I want you to do is pray and seek counseling from your minister.”

“I don't have a minister, Dad.”

“Then find one. What about that minister you used to have?”

“Reverend Stonewall? The one who committed adultery? Just what can he tell me?”

“For starters, something about forgiveness. Before Mya can forgive you, you must seek forgiveness for yourself. If you ask me, the best person to talk about something like this to is someone who's been there.”

Moments later after pulling out of the driveway, Garrett had to concede that his father did have a point about Reverend Stonewall. Sister Stonewall had forgiven her husband for his indiscretion—which was worse than what he'd done—and they were still together.

After checking his watch Garrett made a quick decision. He headed toward the subdivision where he knew the Reverend lived. It was Wednesday, prayer meeting night, and he hoped he would be quick enough to catch Reverend Stonewall before he left for church.

A
s Maxi paced the floor, worriation was evident in her face. She wondered where Mya was. She had tried calling her a few moments ago and she still wasn't home. Taking a deep breath she glanced down at her watch. It was past ten o'clock. She had left several messages on Mya's answering machine asking that she return her call but she hadn't heard from her.

Mya had called her from her cell phone around five o'clock and told her she had just left Garrett at the house packing. She had not gone into the details of their conversations but she did say he had admitted to kissing another woman.

Maxi jumped when she heard the phone ring and raced over to it. “Yes?”

“Maxi, it's me.”

“Girl, where have you been? You had me worried. I've been trying for hours to reach you.”

“I know. I can tell by the number of messages you left. First I drove around town a while then stopped at a café and got something to eat. When my cell phone rang I thought it was Garrett and started not to answer it. Then I realized it could have been Mrs. Butler concerning the boys. But it was Garrett's mom.”

“Oh. Did she know about you and Garrett?”

“Yes, he had called them earlier. From what I understand he didn't go into a lot of details but he did tell them we were having problems and were separating for a while.”

“How did Mrs. Rivers handle that?”

“Well, you know Ma Rivers. Garrett may be her baby boy but she never takes sides and I've always appreciated it. She just wanted me to know that the family would be praying for us and that she hoped things worked out. She also told me that she was still my mother as well as Garrett's and if I needed to come home for a while to do so. I've always been so blessed having her for a mother-in-law.”

“Yes, you have. But you still haven't said where you've been for the past five hours.”

“Mrs. Rivers suggested that I go talk to my minister. Since the one we have at the church I'm attending is fairly new, and I haven't been going often enough to know him that well, I decided to go to Reverend Stonewall's new church.”

“Reverend Stonewall?”

“Yes, he was the minister of my church before he left to start another church elsewhere.” Mya didn't want to get into a deep discussion as to why Reverend Stonewall had left.

“Well, did you? Did you go to Reverend Stonewall's church tonight?”

“Yes, they were having prayer meeting and I joined in on that. Afterwards, I talked with him a while in his study. He told me that Garrett had dropped by his house to see him earlier tonight.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“Right now I'm still incapable of feeling, Maxi.”

“That's understandable, Mya. You're probably still in shock.”

“Probably. Right now I'm feeling more hurt than anything. It was easier to talk to Reverend Stonewall than I thought. And he did tell me that Garrett sought God's forgiveness tonight and that I should find it in my heart to forgive him as well. The problem, Maxi, is that I don't know if I can forgive Garrett. Even though he didn't sleep with that woman, I still feel betrayed just the same.”

Maxi nodded. She could understand why. Mya had always felt secure in her relationship with Garrett. During all the years she had known Garrett, he had never shown any interest in another woman. Of course there had been girls at school who had shown interest in him but it had meant nothing to him. Mya had been wrapped around his heart pretty tight. Mya and football was all he had ever cared about. “Do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Take a shower, go to bed, and get a good nights sleep. Do you have to go to work tomorrow?”

“No, I'm going to take the day off and spend time with the boys. I have to get them prepared for the fact that Garrett won't be coming home to them every day like he used to. Daniel and David are crazy about their daddy.”

“And he's crazy about them, Mya. You know Garrett will still come to see them, even if the two of you are separated. I hope you don't plan to stop him from doing that.”

“No, of course I won't. I won't make my sons suffer because of what is happening between me and Garrett.”

“Good. Now do like I ask and take a shower and go to bed. I'll call you tomorrow to make sure you're okay.”

“Thanks. Are you and Christopher still planning on going to Las Vegas this weekend?”

“Yes. I haven't spoken to him in a couple of days. He called Monday night to say he had made all the necessary arrangements. I'm to meet him in Atlanta on Friday evening, and then we'll catch a plane to Nevada together.”

“I'm so happy for you, Maxi.”

“I'm happy for me, too. I'm glad I went to Detroit to see him.”

“I'm glad you went, too. You deserve happiness, Maxi. I love you.”

“And I love you, too, Mya. And I believe that things will work out for you and Garrett.”

“We'll see. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Maxi hung up the phone then bowed her head and said a silent prayer for her two friends. She had just lifted her head when she heard the sound of her doorbell. She wondered who would be paying her a visit at this late hour. Crossing the room she squinted her eyes when she glanced through the peephole in her door.

Her heart jumped and she brought a hand and held it to her chest. It was Christopher. She quickly unlocked the door. “Christopher?”

Christopher stood under the porch light looking at Maxi. For a moment he couldn't form words to say anything. He just wanted to absorb her beauty, her presence, the essence of everything that had ever been right in his life.

“Christopher? Aren't you going to come in?” She looked at him closely, shocked to see him. “What is it?”

He continued not to say anything and she took a step back when he came inside.

Maxi closed the door behind him. She wondered what had brought him to Savannah, a town he'd sworn he would not return to? She noticed he did not glance around the room. His eyes stayed glued to her. She reached out and touched his hand. “Christopher, please tell me what's wrong?”

He captured her hand in his then said. “I'm going to have to withdraw my offer to give you a baby unless you agree not to let anyone know I'm the father.”

M
axi didn't say anything. Neither did she withdraw her hand from his. In fact she did the opposite. She tightened her hand around Christopher's. She remembered their weekend. She also remembered his phone call to her Monday night. He had sounded excited as if he was looking forward to their weekend together in Las Vegas. So what had happened since then? She watched as he looked down at their joined hands and felt tension radiating from him. “Are you going to tell me why?” she finally asked quietly, meeting his gaze.

He lifted his head and met her gaze. “It will be for the best.”

“Shouldn't I be the one to decide that, Christopher?”

“Yes,” he agreed, still looking at her. “You should and you probably will agree with me once I tell you why.”

“All right, let's hear it.”

He glanced around the room for the first time, liking what he saw. The décor of her home reflected her, soft and warm. “Is there someplace where we can sit and talk?”

“Yes.” She led him through her living room and into her kitchen. “I was just about to have a cup of coffee. Do you want one?”

He shook his head as he sat down at the table. “No, thanks. Isn't it kind of late to be drinking coffee?”

“Not if you have papers to grade.” She sat in the chair across from him. “Okay, Christopher, let's hear it.”

He reached across the table and enfolded her hands in his, feeling a need to touch her and be connected to her in some way. He gently stroked the back of her knuckles, liking the way her hands felt in his. “Although I haven't lived a celibate life, I've always been selective. I made sure any woman I slept with understood that sleeping with me was just what it was—a good time in bed and nothing more. Well, it seems that one of the women I've been involved with off and on for the past three years got married and didn't tell me. The last time she came to town, two months ago, we were seen together. Someone, for whatever reason, took a picture of us kissing. The photograph was sent to me.”

Maxi shrugged. “So what's that got to do with me? I know you hadn't lived a celibate life.”

“No, but don't you see the implications of someone taking that picture and sending it to me? As far as I can tell it could very well be some sort of scandal in the making, Maxi. Since I'm single and she's the one who's married, I can only assume that someone wants to expose her extramarital activities and will use me to do it, although I didn't know she had gotten married when I slept with her this last time.”

Maxi nodded. “I still don't understand what that has to do with me.”

Christopher lifted a brow. He knew Maxi was too smart to be dense. Either she was deliberately playing dumb or she really didn't understand. “I'm talking about a possible scandal, Maxi. People in this town who know enough about my past will think you're crazy for having my baby, and I won't put you in the position of defending yourself in the wake of this new possible scandal. Nor do I ever want a child of mine to grow up embarrassed that I am its father. The only way I'll agree to get you pregnant now is if you promise to tell no one—and I mean no one—that I'm the child's father. A person's name and reputation means everything. I've been involved in a scandal before so it will be old hat for me. But I won't let you get involved in one because of me. I can't and I won't.”

Maxi looked across the table at Christopher for a long time. She then shook her head feeling more love for him at that very moment then at any time in her entire life.

Here he sat, trying to protect her. She had learned during the cruise how he had protected her and looked out for her in school when she hadn't even been aware he was doing so. Now it was her time to look out for him and to protect him. “No deal.”

“Excuse me?”

She met his leveled gaze. “I said no deal. I intend to have your name on my child's birth certificate and anyone who asked—and I'm sure many people will—I'll proudly tell them that you're my baby's daddy. And my baby will grow up proud that you are its father.”

“Maxi, listen—”

“No. I don't give a royal damn what people say or think. Besides, it's too late.”

He glared at her, not understanding why she was being difficult. “What's too late?”

“It's too late for you to back out. I slept with you last weekend without protection. I could be pregnant now, as we speak,” she said, although she knew chances were she wasn't since she had been on her period the week before going to Detroit. But as far as she was concerned he didn't have to know that. However, she did know for a fact that this coming weekend her womb would be a good time for her to get pregnant if her calculations were accurate.

“Are you?” he asked softly.

She shrugged. “Too soon to tell. But if I am, everybody in Savannah will know you're the baby's father because I refuse to keep it a secret.”

“Why? Why do you have to tell anyone?”

“Because I will be proud of the fact that you cared enough for me to father my child. And I've never been ashamed of you and I won't start being ashamed of you now, so don't ask me to.”

He sat there, remaining silent as he looked at her. She looked back at him, refusing to back down.

“Haven't you heard anything I've said?” he asked tersely.

“Yes, I've heard everything you said but it doesn't matter. Besides, nothing may come of it. You may be getting worked up for nothing.”

He sat up in his chair. “And what if something does come of it? There are some who'll believe I make sleeping with married women a habit.”

Maxi sighed. “Let them believe whatever they want. I'll know differently.”

He met her gaze, challenging her. “Will you?”

“Of course.” She reached across the table and took his hands in hers. “I know, Christopher. I know how you feel about married people breaking their vows. Have you forgotten that I also know why? And I also know why you don't want to get caught up in a scandal. I know just how you feel about that, too.”

Christopher frowned. “I shared too damn much with you during the time we were in school together, Maxi.”

“No,” she said with a reminiscent smile. “You didn't share enough. You didn't let me know how you felt about me during that time.”

“I had my reasons,” he said huskily.

“Yes, just like I'm sure you have your reasons for wanting to protect me now but it won't work.”

He glared at her. “Tell me something,” he said in a low, furious voice. “Why are you being so damn stubborn about this?”

She smiled wryly. “Oh that's an easy answer. Because I love you.”

“Maxi, I don't—”

She quickly pressed her finger to his lips to silence him. “I know you don't love me back and I understand. It's enough to know how much you care. If you didn't care you wouldn't be willing to give me such a precious gift. I may not have you but I will have your child and for me that will be enough.”

He nodded, knowing he did care for her more than any woman he knew. He had done things with her that he had never done to other women. But he didn't want her to love him. She needed to love someone who would love her back.

“May I ask who is this woman?”

“Mrs. Adam Benedict.” He watched her expression when he gave her the name. She didn't seem too surprised. Maybe it was because Tori was married to a much older man or something. “Until I find out who sent that photograph and the reason it was sent, things may be unpredictable.”

“Let things be unpredictable. I can handle pregnancy and unpredictability. Now will you take me in your arms and kiss me?”

He didn't have to be asked twice. He stood and walked around the table to her, pulled her up into his arms and gave her the kiss he had wanted to give her when she had first opened the door.

When he finally ended the kiss she smiled up at him. “Where are your bags?”

“Outside in the rental car. I had planned on checking into a hotel tonight. I have to fly back out in the morning.”

Maxi nodded. “Stay here with me tonight.”

He smiled at her invitation. “Umm, I think I will.”

 

In every possible way, their lovemaking had been beautiful. Afterwards, they talked and laughed and made all kinds of plans for the weekend. It was during that time Maxi told Christopher about Mya and Garrett and the problems they were having. And like Maxi, Christopher hoped things worked out for the couple because he knew just how much in love they were.

“So are you as excited as I am about this weekend?” Maxi asked smiling up at him while lying naked in his arms.

“Yes, although according to you, this weekend may not be necessary.”

“Maybe. But I want it anyway.”

He pulled her into his arms. “So do I, baby. So do I!”