Charlene’s eyes ventured to her daughter at her words, and Tyanna knew she was thinking of David. Tyanna reached across the table and squeezed Charlene’s hand.
A moment passed before Tyanna said, “This is going to be like a wedding.’’
“Sounds like it,” Lecia said. “But at least we have four months to plan it.’’
Charlene smiled. “Maybe they’ll even renew their vows.’’
“That would be nice.” Tyanna agreed. “Hey, Lecia,” she said, changing the subject. “How’s it going with Martin?” Martin was the new man in Lecia’s life. She’d been seeing him for a month, but she didn’t say much about him.
Lecia waved a hand dismissively. “I’m not seeing him anymore.’’
“Oh, no.” Charlene frowned. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” Lecia smiled. “That was the problem. There really wasn’t a spark. I think I’m just not supposed to date another doctor.’’
Or maybe it was just the issue of trust that Lecia couldn’t get around, Tyanna thought. She’d discovered that her ex-husband, Alan Parker—a respected obstetrician like her—had had numerous affairs with patients and staff. Considering they had only been married for two years, Lecia had not only been shocked, she’d been devastated. It was her parents who had introduced her
to Alan, and everyone had been surprised at his betrayal.
“I’m too busy to be dating anyway,” Lecia added. “He still calls me from time to time, but the most we really say is hi and bye.’’
“You know what I say about all work and no play,” Tyanna joked.
“Yes, I do. And for that reason, I’m planning a cruise for the end of the year.’’
Both Charlene and Tyanna looked at Lecia in surprise. “You’re kidding,” Charlene said. “I thought you would never take a break.’’
“Martin and I had tossed around the idea,” Lecia explained. “In case we were still together at Christmas. But now that it’s over, I figure there’s no reason I can’t go by myself. I haven’t taken a vacation in, what…”
“Since your high-school trip to Jacksonville,” Tyanna supplied.
“Probably,” Lecia agreed, then chuckled.
“It’s about time,” Charlene said.
Tyanna smirked. “I’ll believe it when I see it.’’
Tyanna was driving home when her cellphone rang. It was shortly after one
P.M
., and she had to be at the gym by three.
“Hello?”
“Girl, I have got the best news for you.’’
Tyanna smiled when she heard her good friend’s voice. “Hey, Wendy. What’s up?’’
“Take a guess.’’
“I don’t know.” Tyanna wanted to keep her mind focused on the road. “Tell me.’’
“All right. I heard from Ronnie Vaughn’s office last night.’’
“Ronnie Vaughn!” Tyanna exclaimed.
“Uh-huh.”
“And you only just called me now?’’
“I called you last night, but I didn’t want to leave a message. I called this morning too.’’
“I got home late from work last night. And this morning, I was at Charlene’s place. Making plans for my parents’ thirty-fifth anniversary party.’’
“Well, listen to this.’’
Tyanna’s heart accelerated as her free hand clenched the steering wheel. “What did they say?” she asked anxiously.
“I swear, those Hollywood people must keep the weirdest hours. The call came after eleven
P.M
.”
“Oh, you’re going to drag this out, are you?’’
Wendy chuckled softly. “Okay. I won’t torture you. The guy who called me said that Ronnie was intrigued by our business proposal. He wants more from us.” Wendy paused. “He’d like a demo tape!’’
“Oh, my goodness. You’re kidding?’’
“Nope. A demo tape, Tyanna. Can you believe this?’’
“Oh, my God.” Tyanna was so excited, she veered into the lane to her left. Thank God, no car was there. She recovered, then said, “He really wants to see one?’’
“Yep.”
A million thoughts were swirling through Tyanna’s mind. “When?’’
“As soon as possible. I told him we already have one, but we’re just editing it.’’
“Wendy!”
“I didn’t want to tell him we haven’t put one together. All that means is, we’ll have to get to work right away.’’
Tyanna felt a moment of panic. “What are we going to do?’’
“Don’t worry. I’m going to call Phil. He’s
directing a lot of music videos these days. I’m sure he can help us.’’
“Oh, that’s right. That’d be great. He could get us a camera—’’
“And even add music to the video once we’ve shot it. It doesn’t have to be the best quality, but I think we should make it as professional-looking as possible.”
“I agree. Then we send Ronnie Vaughn a video that really shows him what we can do.’’
“We could actually go to Los Angeles with the video, show him how serious we are.” Wendy paused. “I’m so excited, Tyanna. This could really be a great break for us.’’
“I know.” Tyanna was both excited and nervous as hell. This was a great opportunity. A step in the direction of a mutual dream. They couldn’t blow it.
“So anything new with you?” Wendy asked. “Anything exciting happen at the gym last night?’’
For a moment, Tyanna wondered if Wendy knew. Sometimes the two were so in tune, it scared her.
Wendy had been her best friend since fourth grade, and over the years they’d developed a kind of telepathy. Not always, but Tyanna and Wendy could often finish each other’s sentences, and one often knew what the other was thinking before she mentioned it.
When Tyanna hadn’t been able to tell her sis
ters all that was in her heart about Sheldon, she’d been able to tell Wendy. And Wendy, bless her heart, didn’t judge her.
Tyanna made her way into the right lane, heading for her exit off the highway. “Why do you ask, Wendy?’’
“I don’t know. Conversation.” Wendy paused. “Did it?’’
Tyanna sighed. She’d now committed herself to telling Wendy the story. “Actually, something did happen. You’re not going to believe this—I
still
can’t believe it—but guess who surprised me outside the gym last night?’’
“Jay,” Wendy said. “What did he do this time, show up with flowers?’’
“No, not Jay.” A few weeks ago, he had surprised Tyanna with chocolate. She’d had to sit him down and tell him that while she was flattered by his attention, she wasn’t interested in dating anyone. Since that time, he had pretty much left her alone.
“If not Jay, then who? You have another admirer?’’
Tyanna paused a moment before answering. She may as well just say it. “Sheldon.”
“What? Speak up, girl.’’
Tyanna raised her voice. “Sheldon.”
Wendy squealed. “Oh, my goodness. Sheldon! The same Sheldon—?”
“Yes, the same Sheldon.’’
“He just showed up at the gym?’’
“Uh-huh.”
“To surprise you.” Tyanna heard Wendy sigh happily. “What did he say?’’
Tyanna couldn’t help rolling her eyes, somewhat annoyed. Now on a city street, she quickly pulled the car into a gas station so she wouldn’t continue driving and talking. As she placed the car in park, she said, “Sorry to disappoint you, Wendy, but it wasn’t a joyous reunion. He surprised me outside the gym, with some ridiculous story as to where he’d been for a year.’’
“Aww.”
“Wendy!” Good grief, her friend was too much of a romantic. Even though she was still looking for her Mr. Right, she hadn’t been jaded by the negative experiences she’d had.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that—you and Sheldon. You were such a great couple.’’
“And he obviously forgot that. Or just didn’t feel the same to begin with.’’
“What did he say?’’
To Tyanna’s dismay, her stomach actually fluttered as she remembered the vision of him by her car. Still as strong and handsome as she’d remembered him. “Well, he didn’t say much at first. I…I hit him.’’
“Tyanna.”
“I didn’t know it was him,” Tyanna said in her defense. “I thought it was some psycho following me.’’
“How badly did you hurt him?’’
“Not that bad. He was okay after a few minutes.’’
Wendy groaned, and Tyanna could picture her shaking her head. “All right. What did he say once he caught his breath?’’
“He said he needed to talk to me,” Tyanna explained. “I had no idea why.’’
“Hmm. Maybe we should hire a rocket scientist to figure this one out.’’
“Ha ha. Aren’t you just too funny.’’
“Fine. I’ll keep my opinions to myself—for now. You said he told you some kind of story?’’
“Yeah. Some far-fetched bit about doing some undercover work to catch the guy who killed his brother.’’
“Brother?”
“Exactly. He’s never had a brother before. I’m supposed to believe he has one now?
Had
one?’’
“That’s definitely weird. How did he explain that?’’
“Girl, this story had enough murder, mayhem, and drugs to make a
New York Times
best-seller. I gave him an A for effort.’’
“Oooh.”
“It was too incredible. I don’t even know what to think.’’
“Well, whatever his reasons,” Wendy said, “he obviously wanted to see you. That took a lot of guts after so long.’’
It was just like Wendy to look on the bright side. “The effort is too little, too late,” Tyanna said
pointedly. “I don’t even know why he thinks it would matter now. I’m over him.’’
“I know you are.” But Wendy didn’t sound convinced. “Which is really too bad—since no one has ever gotten to your heart the way Sheldon did.’’
“And thank God I’m over that. Do you remember how pathetic I was? Canceling dates to be with him. Never going out; just hanging with him watching a movie. Like some boring housewife or something. I totally lost all my spunk. I mean, since when am I a homebody?”
“Hey, with the right guy…” Wendy let her statement hang in the air. “And the way you told it, you two barely came up for air.’’
Oh, Wendy did not have to go there. Tyanna did not want to be reminded of her sex life with Sheldon.
“The truth is,” Tyanna said, feigning nonchalance, “sex isn’t everything.” But just the mention of it had Tyanna remembering how great it had been with Sheldon, which had her suddenly missing what she’d gone without for a year.
Forget the sex,
she told herself.
Please, forget the sex.
The sex with Sheldon was her weakness. For months she had spent restless nights reliving their most intimate times together. Thankfully, she’d gotten past that stage, although she did have some nights on occasion where she would remember their lovemaking.
“Tyanna?”
Wendy’s voice pulled her from memory lane. Damn, she hoped her friend didn’t realize where her thoughts had ventured. “I needed more than sex, Wendy. I needed honesty. I needed him to let me into his world. No matter how we connected in bed, I always felt he was holding back. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.’’
“You did mention that before.’’
“I brushed a lot aside then,” Tyanna went on. “For the sake of great sex.” And because in her heart, she had felt that all Sheldon needed was a little extra nurturing before he would open up completely. “But I’ve grown up.’’
“It sounds like you miss the sex.’’
“Of course I don’t miss the sex!” Tyanna protested.
“It’s only natural,” Wendy continued, as if she were deaf. “I mean, after the way you described it. Even I was jealous.’’
“All right. So I miss the sex.
Sometimes.
It’s not like I think about it every night.” Pause. “Anymore.”
Wendy burst into laughter, then so did Tyanna.
“Girl, you are too silly,” Wendy said.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Tyanna shook her head with chagrin. “Look Wendy, you know we can chat all day, but I’ve got to get ready for work.’’
“All right. I’ll let you go.’’
“Let me know what Phil says about using his video equipment.”
“Sure. I’ll call him now. I doubt it will be a problem, but we’ll have to figure out a time.’’
“And music, and location. All that stuff.” Tyanna inhaled deeply, trying to quell her excitement. “So much to plan.’’
“Definitely. I’ll be in touch.’’
“Talk to you later, hon.’’
“Later.”
Tyanna disconnected the call and got back on the road. Between Sheldon and Ronnie Vaughn, she was a ball of nervous energy.
She was looking forward to heading to work. A good workout was what she needed to get her mind off everything.
Especially Sheldon.
And if Jay was at the gym and he flirted with her, maybe today she would flirt right back.
Sheldon pulled his Explorer along the edge of the gravelly road and killed the engine. For a long while, he stayed seated in his vehicle, looking out at the row of headstones.
He finally pushed the door open and hopped out of the car. His brother’s plot was a little off to the right, and Sheldon slowly made his way there.
FORD. His hands perched on his hips, Sheldon looked at the headstone that marked his brother’s life and death.
FORD
Dwight Brendan
April 17, 1980–October 26, 2001
Gone too soon, but always in our hearts
Sheldon stared at the words etched into the granite rectangle where his brother had been placed in the ground. Grass had long grown over what was once a mound of dirt.
It was still so hard to believe that his brother’s body was forever interred in this spot. That this represented a life that had once been vivacious and full of curiosity. It didn’t seem possible, much less real.
Digging into his jeans pocket, Sheldon pulled out the charm he had brought with him. He sunk to the ground, resting his butt on his heels beside the headstone.
“Hey, little brother. I brought you something.” Sheldon always carried some type of gift for his brother. He left the flowers to others; Dwight had never been a flowers-type guy, so Sheldon didn’t bother with that.
“Nothing much. It’s just a charm.” Sheldon fingered the angel wings. “No matter what anyone else says, I know you were a good kid. You had a good heart. You just got mixed up in some crazy stuff.’’
Sheldon took the charm in two fingers and slipped it between the granite and grass, pushing it down so that no one else could see it. “That’s an angel to watch over you. The way I couldn’t in life.’’
A painful lump lodged in his throat, and Sheldon found himself brushing away a sudden tear. “I failed you, bro. And I’m sorry about that. I should have been able to get you out of this mess.” He swallowed, but the lump remained. “But at least Dino is dead. No ifs, ands or buts. I know that won’t bring you back, but at least he got the punishment he deserved.”
A drop of rain splattered against Sheldon’s nose, and he looked up at the sky. Between the time he had arrived at the cemetery and now, the sky had grown dark and Sheldon hadn’t even noticed. He knew how hard the rain came down in South Florida, so he quickly got to his feet.
“I’ll come back and visit you, bro.’’
Sheldon took a step backward. His glance moved to the left, beyond Dwight’s grave to his father’s.
Despite his objections, his mother had buried Dwight beside his father. Years ago, his parents had bought plots at this cemetery, planning for all of them to be buried here when the time came. Sheldon knew it made sense that his mother had gone ahead and buried Dwight here, but a sour taste coated his tongue every time he came here and saw his father’s headstone.
The man hadn’t been a father. He’d been a brute. An alcoholic, a philanderer, a wife beater—yet through it all, his mother had always forgiven him. Made excuses for him.
She later told Sheldon that she had stayed with their father because she had wanted desperately to keep the family together. It was the kind of mistake many women make. Kids always knew when things weren’t right, and they grew up with emotional scars.
That’s exactly what had happened with Dwight, Sheldon was sure. Though a good kid, there had always been a void in his life. Sheldon
could see this, but he had no clue what to do to make it better. In the end, his brother had looked to the wrong type of people for approval.
Their father had died six years earlier from liver failure. He had finally drunk himself to death. When he died, Sheldon had felt a sense of loss more than sadness. Loss for what could have and should have been. But he knew his mother would finally have some peace.
Sheldon had been living on his own at the time, something else he felt guilty about. He had been so tired of dealing with a drunk and abusive father, day in and day out, that he’d left home shy of his eighteenth birthday. Maybe if he hadn’t taken off, he would have been there for Dwight when he really needed a man. But if he hadn’t left, he had no clue what he might have done to protect his mother.
“You have to let go of the anger,” his mother once told him. “The anger will kill you.’’
The sprinkling of raindrops turned to sheets within minutes, and Sheldon quickly hurried back to his Explorer. He got inside and locked the door.
He blew out a ragged sigh. He didn’t see himself as particularly angry, but he knew he had his issues. Sometimes, though he was nothing like his father, he wondered if he was capable of that kind of cruelty. If he could be with a woman, claim to love her, raise a family with her, then turn into a monster overnight.
His father had had a streak of bad luck in life,
losing a job he loved due to an injury. He’d never been quite the same after that. Sheldon couldn’t forgive him for what he’d become—but he did wonder if every human being had that fine line that, once crossed, turned him into something else.
He knew that whatever issues he hadn’t worked out regarding his father had affected his relationship with Tyanna. Hopefully, one of these days he’d figure it all out.
Sheldon parked his car alongside a pay phone at a gas station. He got out and dashed through the pouring rain into the dry cubicle.
Inside, he emitted a frustrated groan, then tried to brush the water off his arms. Damn all this rain. He had to get used to it again, being back in South Florida in the summer.
He reached into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew the scrap of paper on which he’d written Maria’s number. Maria had been Dino’s girlfriend for four months, and when she decided to leave him, Dino had wanted her killed. Maria had had to go into hiding. Though he’d never met her, Sheldon had been able to locate her without tipping off Dino to that fact, and had established phone contact. His interest in Maria had to do with her knowledge of Dino’s illegal operation.
Leaning on the metal shelf in the booth, he reached for the receiver. He gave it a quick check
to see if it was decent or gross. It looked pretty clean, but still he rubbed the ear and mouthpieces on his jeans just to be sure. He took the calling card out of his other pocket and dialed the access number, followed by Maria’s number.
A couple rings later, she answered. “Hello?’’
“Hey, Maria.’’
There was a pause, then, “Is that Sheldon?’’
“Yep.” Sheldon turned around in the phone booth, leaning his back against one of the walls. “It’s me.’’
“How are you?” she asked cheerfully.
“I’m all right,” he told her. “Just a little wet. But happy to be back in town.” And he was. He’d been tired of watching his back at every turn, not knowing if Dino had tracked him down. It was through Maria that Sheldon had learned of Dino’s death. Maria was still in touch with someone from Ultimate Fitness who had given her information the few times she called.
“I know you are. I was praying for you. For both of us.’’
“I’m grateful for that. The prayers were definitely answered.”
“Mmm hmmm. As tragic as the situation is, I feel happy that I no longer have to watch every step I take. It’s all worked out for the best.’’
Maria had stayed in Florida, but moved farther north. She was still relatively close to her family, so she didn’t mind. Plus, she had met another man and was happily involved with him.
“Were you able to find out if Dino’s body was actually taken up north?” Sheldon asked.
“Yeah. It was. He was buried in New York, next to his mother and some other relatives. So that’s the end of that.’’
“All right.” Sheldon had hoped to pay a visit to the grave if it was in the area, almost as if he needed to see for himself that Dino was really dead, but it was probably best this way. With Dino dead and buried, he could put this whole issue to rest once and for all and get on with his life. “At least that’s finally finished. A miserable chapter in our lives that we can close the book on.’’
“Yes. Thank God.’’
Sheldon suddenly realized that he didn’t have to call Maria from pay phones, for safety reasons, anymore. He could really get back to living his life the way he once had. Have a cellphone in his name, a job in the area. No more running around and watching his back.
“You know what’s weird?” Maria asked. “I feel like I know you so well, yet I’ve never met you.’’
“I know what you mean.” They had talked often enough on the phone, and the situation had made good friends of them.
“I hope we can meet one of these days. I bet you’re as cute as your brother was.’’
“Cuter, of course,” Sheldon joked, but his chest tightened at the words. He supposed it always would when he thought of Dwight and how he’d died so tragically.
Maria chuckled softly. “Well, if you ever get up to West Palm Beach, call me. And you should give me your number. I’ll be heading down to Miami much more often now.’’
“That’s a great idea. I’d love to meet you.’’
“We can go for coffee or something. Or a health shake. Whatever you want.’’
“I’m staying with my mother for now. I haven’t gotten a cellphone yet, but I will soon. And maybe a place of my own. I’ll see what happens for me.” Sheldon gave her his mother’s number.
“And what about joining the police force?’’
Sheldon ran a hand over the back of his neck. His entire life, he had hoped to have a career playing basketball. But a shoulder injury in college had killed those dreams. Ultimately, Sheldon had started working as a fitness trainer, because it was the one area he loved. But after Dwight’s death and his year in Kansas, he had felt compelled to get a job that would make a difference in people’s lives.
In Kansas, he had started mentoring a neighbor’s teenage son. Soon after that, he began working at a youth center. The kids looked up to him, and he’d had some serious talks with a few of them who had displayed behavioral problems. But it was thirteen-year-old James’s arrest that affected him most. The cops had gone to his house and dragged him out screaming and crying.
Sheldon had tried to intercede, pleading with the cops to treat James like the kidhe was, but it
had been to no avail. It was a memory that still haunted him.
After witnessing that, and after hearing a few other horror stories from the teens he mentored, Sheldon had come to realize that this country could use some sympathetic cops who related to teens—especially in the black community.
To Maria, he replied, “That’s something I still want to do.’’
“You didn’t get around to it yet?’’
“Not yet. I’m basically getting settled. And I want to make sure my mother’s okay. She had a heart attack while I was gone.’’
“Oh, no.’’
“She’s fine now, but taking it easy. Doctor’s orders.” Sheldon had always planned to get his own place when he moved back to Miami, but he was worried about his mother.
“Well, I hope everything works out for you soon. I’m sure you’d make a great cop.’’
“I hope so.” Later this year, he would turn thirty. He planned to apply to the academy by then.
“And what about your old girlfriend?”
Sheldon groaned. “Ah, I don’t know. She won’t even see me right now. I don’t think she believes what happened at all. And I can’t say I blame her.’’
“It
does
sound crazy. I prob’ly wouldn’t believe you if I was her.’’
“I guess.’’
“You want me to talk to her? ’Cause I will, if you think it will help.’’
Sheldon pondered the idea for a moment. Tyanna already believed that he had left her for some other woman, which had been a lie, of course. But if he let Maria talk to her, Tyanna might wonder if there had been someone else.
“I’m not sure. If I need you, I’ll let you know.’’
“Okay.”
“She’ll come around,” Sheldon said, though he had no clue if she truly would. “I think once she’s had time to mull things over, she’ll understand why I did what I did.’’
“Well, good luck. Give her time, but let her know you’re still interested.”
Thinking about it now, Sheldon realized that there was so much he had told Maria that he hadn’t told Tyanna. The situation had warranted it; given the fact that he’d found her when she hadn’t wanted to be found, and that he had been affiliated with Dino, he’d had to share his pain with Maria so she would know he wasn’t one of Dino’s goons. Still, he thought of the expression on Tyanna’s face when he told her that he’d had a brother. One not only of utter disbelief, but of hurt. Despite her efforts to make wisecracks.
Sheldon gritted his teeth, wondering how he was ever going to work through this issue with Tyanna. He’d lied to her because he had to. But everything had changed with Dino’s death.
“Thanks,” Sheldon said in response to Maria’s comment. “Sounds like a plan.’’
“That’s the only way she’s gonna know you still care.’’
“No doubt, no doubt.’’
Maria sighed softly. “All right, Sheldon. Thanks for calling. I’m so glad this is finally over.’’
“Me too.’’
“Talk to you later.’’
“Yep. Later.’’
“God bless.’’