Too Little, Too Late (32 page)

S
LOWLY
, J
ASMINE CLOSED HER
B
IBLE
. For the seventh time in as many days, she’d read the complete Book of Hosea. Somehow, she found peace inside those pages. Maybe it was seeing her husband’s name over and over. Or maybe it was that she saw a little bit of herself in Gomer. Not that she was a whore like Gomer, but it was clear that Gomer, like her, had been so misunderstood.

Now, all she needed was for Hosea to have the same heart of forgiveness that Gomer’s Hosea had. Could her Hosea—like the prophet—forgive her twice?

She sighed and wondered what she could do to make that happen.

Let Jesus take the wheel.

That’s what she really wanted to do, but it just seemed as if sometimes God could use a little help. Especially when it came to making life happen faster.

“Mama, look.”

Jasmine glanced at her daughter and couldn’t do anything but smile. While she’d been reading, Jacqueline had been doing the same with her picture book, turning the pages slowly. Her eyebrows were bunched together, exactly the way Hosea frowned when he was in deep thought.
She really is his daughter.
And then she felt the ping of pain. That little ache that always made her wonder if prayers would be enough to bring Hosea home.

“Here, babygirl,” she said, taking the book that Jacqueline held upside down and turning it upright. “Let’s read this together.”

But before she could share a word, her cell phone buzzed. She flipped it open quickly when she recognized the number.

“Mr. Quimby,” she said, without saying hello. The private investigator never called her.

“Yeah, little lady. I got something for you.”

Already, her heart was beating fast with fear. He would only call if Natasia had changed her routine. And that couldn’t be any kind of good news.

“Your friend changed her plans last night. She drove over to the Extend-a-Stay Motel in Burbank around midnight and—”

Oh, God.
Jasmine stood, paced. Held the phone to her ear with one hand. Clutched her Bible with the other.

She had been doing exactly what Reverend Bush had told her to do. She had tried to be still. But that hadn’t done a doggone thing. Natasia had still spent the night with her husband and…

“She was there for about twenty minutes and then she drove back to the Rendezvous.”

His words stopped her descent into misery. “What?”

Even though he repeated what he’d said, it still took her a moment to digest the private eye’s words.
She didn’t stay with Hosea?

Jasmine sank back onto the sofa next to her daughter. “She left and went back to her hotel—alone?”

“Yup, she was alone. I figured I’d call and tell you. Can’t imagine that it would mean anything, but that’s what you’re paying me for—information, right?”

“Thank you, Mr. Quimby.” If he was standing in front of her, she would have kissed him. “Please keep me informed.”

She hugged the Bible closer to her chest and imagined how the scenario had played out. Natasia had gone to Hosea’s hotel and she was out in twenty minutes. Nothing could have happened. Natasia had gone after Hosea and he had turned her away.

She looked at the Bible she held, thought about all those prayers she’d been saying. Maybe God was handling this.

She lifted Jacqueline onto her lap and then opened the Bible again. “You want Mama to read something to you?” she asked.

Jacqueline nodded.

This time, Jasmine opened her Bible to the chapter that Mae Frances had told her about this morning.

“When you’re reading,” she’d said as she glanced at Jasmine’s open Bible on the couch, “make sure you check out Proverbs thirty-one. Start at verse ten.”

“Why? What’s that about?”

Mae Frances had rolled her eyes toward heaven as if she couldn’t believe she had to deal with this heathen. “Chile, don’t you know nothin’ ’bout your Bible?” She shook her head as if she’d been reading her Bible every day for thirty years. As if. She said, “That’s about that virtuous woman. Whew! She was no joke. Take a few lessons from her, and when Preacher Man comes home, he’ll never leave again.”

Jasmine would have grabbed her Bible right then if she and Jacqueline weren’t on their way to the park. But now that she’d read about the prophet Hosea again, and she had this great news from Mr. Quimby, she was ready to check out this Proverbs woman.

Jasmine found the scripture. “Who can find a virtuous wife?” she read to her daughter. She paused, read those words again silently. This was going to be interesting.

She sat back, hugged Jacqueline to her chest, and shared with her daughter the scriptures that Mae Frances had told her to read.

“Y
OU SURE YOU DON’T WANT
me to stay, Preacher Man?”

Hosea smiled. Kissed the top of Jacqueline’s head again as he held her and shook his head. “Nope, Nama. My pumpkin and I are going to be just fine.”

“Hmph. You and your pumpkin would be better off—”

Hosea held up his hands, stopping her before she could even begin her rampage about him and Jasmine. “Mae Frances, please. Let me work this out.”

She glared at him. “Are you praying?”

He smiled. Of all the people to ask him that. “Yes. I am.”

“Then, I guess it’ll be all right eventually.”

He kissed her cheek. “Have the driver take you wherever you want. You got money to do some shopping?”

She pushed her shoulders back. Stood taller. “Yes, I do. I got a job, you know. I don’t need you and Jasmine Larson looking after me like I’m an old woman.”

“You’re not old. But we’ll always look after you, because we love you.”

“If you loved me so much, you would—”

Hosea directed her out the door. “Bye, Nama. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

Once alone, Hosea held Jacqueline in his lap. “So, how’s Daddy’s pumpkin doing?”

She giggled when he tickled her.

Then he held her close. God, how he missed her. He wanted his life back—wanted to be with his daughter all the time, every day. But he couldn’t get his heart to move.

The knock on the door startled him.

“Hey, Boss.” Brittney stepped inside. “I know you didn’t want to be disturbed, but Steve is here with some guys he wants you to meet.”

“Now?”

She nodded. “He just walked in. They’re dressed casual, so I don’t think he wants a long meeting or anything. Looks like he just wants to make some introductions.”

Hosea frowned.

“I’ll watch Jacquie,” she said, reaching for the girl. “She and I get along just fine.”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve watched her before. Lots of time with Jasmine.”

But this was different. This was his time with his daughter. “All right. Keep her in here.” He lifted her off his lap, handed her to Brittney. “I’ll be right back, my pumpkin.” He kissed her before he dashed from the room.

He’d make this quick and get right back to his daughter. He took a breath before he opened the door to the conference room and with a smile, he stepped inside.

Hosea glanced at his watch. It had only been twenty minutes, but to him that was too much time. He said his good-byes to the network executives, then rushed back to his office.

He stepped inside with a grin, then frowned. Quickly, he scanned the empty room. He dashed down the hallway, chuckling a bit. If Brittney had to return to her desk with Jacqueline, he could only imagine how frantic she must be. His daughter and telephones just did not mix.

“Hey,” he said before he turned the corner. But when he did, his smile was gone. Brittney was on the phone, but there was no sign of Jacqueline. “Where’s Jacquie?” he whispered.

Brittney held up a finger, asking him to wait.

He shook his head. “Put them on hold,” he demanded. “Where’s Jacquie?”

His tone made her press the hold button. “She’s with Natasia.”

“What?” He didn’t know why his heart raced.

“The phones were ringing off the hook,” Brittney spoke quickly, “and Natasia said she would watch Jacquie for me. I didn’t think you’d mind.” But now, Brittney sounded as panicked as he felt.

He barely heard the last of Brittney’s words before he ran toward Natasia’s office. Another empty room.

His heart was pounding; even the deep breaths he took didn’t calm him. But then he wondered, why was he worried? Jacqueline was with Natasia—she was a friend. A woman he once loved.

The tires on his SUV—that’s what he thought about first. And then her missing keys.

I’m not about to let you walk away this time.

He had wondered then what that meant. And now he prayed Jacqueline wasn’t part of her plan.

“Your imagination is in overdrive,” he whispered to himself. “Jacquie’s fine.” That became his mantra as he searched through the studio, finding nothing.

She’d left the building, with his daughter. Where could they have gone?

And then he heard the sweetest giggles. Behind him.

He turned around and Natasia was coming through the studio doors. Her arms full—with Jacqueline and a bag stuffed with toys.

“What are you doing?” He grabbed his daughter and the little girl frowned.

“Hosea!” Natasia’s eyes were wide with shock. “What’s wrong?”

Feeling Jacqueline’s eyes on him, he kept his voice soft. “Where did you take her?” His teeth were clenched.

“I didn’t take her anywhere.” She tried to calm him with her tone. “I was helping Brittney and I had some toys in the car. I took her with me to the car to get the toys.”

His glower deepened. “You just happened to have toys in your car?”
What kind of crap is that?

“Yes, I had toys.” And then she glanced around. Saw Brittney and Sharon staring at them. Natasia lowered her voice. “You’re making a scene.”

He glared at her for a moment longer. Turned and carried his daughter away.

Natasia was right behind him. “Why are you making a big deal about this?”

He didn’t say a word until he was in his office. “Because
this
is my daughter. And I didn’t tell you to take her anywhere.”

“I didn’t take her
anywhere.
” Natasia folded her arms. Now her tone matched his. “I took her to my car.”

“Without telling anyone? That was some fatal attraction—” He stopped. Thought about all the times that Jasmine had warned him that Natasia was crazy.

Natasia looked at his daughter and smiled. “I was only trying to help,” she said softly. “I wanted you to know that Jacquie and I were friends.” She reached toward the girl and Jacqueline buried her head against her father’s chest.

“Natasia,” he began, composed now, “I’m sorry. Thank you for watching Jacquie. But you can go now. We’re fine.”

“I thought the three of us could hang out—”

“No.” He stopped her. “I just want…to be with Jacquie.”

She nodded slowly. Held up the bag. “What about these?”

“You can take them.”

“I can leave them and then next time—”

“Take your toys,” he said sternly.

She shrugged, waved at Jacqueline, and then left them alone.

Hosea sat down, and sighed as he rocked his daughter back and forth. Wondered why this had upset him so much. Was it because he didn’t know where Jacqueline was? Or was it because she was with Natasia? Or both?

Or maybe it was just discernment.

He leaned back, looked at Jacqueline. Now, she smiled. And he did the same.

–Thank God,
he thought. Thank God that she was safe.

He strapped his sleeping daughter into the back of the Town Car and kissed her.

“So, Preacher Man, everything okay?”

“Yeah.” He slammed the door and turned to Mae Frances. “Why’re you asking me that?”

Mae Frances shrugged. “That gal at the front desk said there was some confusion earlier with Jacqueline.”

He pressed his lips together. He’d have to remind Brittney that what happened in the office, stayed in the office. Then said, “There was no confusion.” He paused. Wondered how much Brittney had said. Looked into Mae Frances’s eyes and prayed that she would say nothing to Jasmine. “Please don’t start any drama, Nama.”

“What you talking ’bout, Preacher Man? Do you know me to ever start drama?”

He rolled his eyes and walked Mae Frances around to the front of the car. He kissed her before she slipped inside.

“You still praying?”

“Yes, Mae Frances. I pray all the time.”

She nodded. “Good. Make sure that you say each prayer three times. And then say them over again if you have to. After you’ve prayed all that you need to pray, then you need to say what you need to say and ask what you need to know.” She held up her hand in a “Hallelujah” motion and closed the car door before the driver edged away from the curb.

Say what you need to say? Ask what you need to know? What did that mean?

Hosea stood on the street, watching the car roll away. Thinking about Mae Frances’s words made him shake his head. He wouldn’t ever be able to figure out Mae Frances. Anyway, he had other things to do. He had to get back in the studio and explain some things to Brittney. And at the same time, he had to figure out a way to stay far away from Natasia.