When Love Comes Around (Love Conquers All) (15 page)

“Yeah, whatever.”

Sucking her teeth, Summer chastised her husband. “Boy, you’re so mean sometimes.”

Nick lifted a thick brow. “You just worry ‘bout if I’m mean to you or not.”

“Humph…been there, done that.” Summer sarcastically drawled out as she took her purchase to the register.

Veronica leaned against the opposite side of the wall humiliated. She had heard everything her former lover and wife had said.

“Dude, are you still pissed with that woman?” Kevin asked as they sat in the family room of Nick’s home.

“Nah.” Nick chuckled, shaking his head. Taking a long swig of his beer, he added, “I was just shocked seeing her after all these years.” He often wondered what he would do if he ever ran into her. It didn’t matter now. In hindsight, Veronica’s betrayal was the best thing that happened to him. A faint smile twitched his full lips as his beautiful wife and children flashed across his mind.

“Yeah, that was a long time ago.” Kevin agreed as he remembered how crushed his best friend had been. For months, Nick drowned his wounded heart and ego in the bottle. The only thing that snapped him out of his drunken stupor was the threat of his own company being taken over by corporate sharks. That was a very dark period of Nick’s life; not many were privy to it, not even his wife.

“Yep, sixteen years.” He said thoughtfully as he sat the beer bottle on an end table.

“Damn, Nick you’re getting old.” Kevin joked.

Chuckling, he came back with, “Punk, we’re the same age.”

Grinning, his buddy pointed out, “You’re four months older than me. Therefore, you’ll always be older.”

“Yeah whatever, man.” Changing the subject, he questioned, “So what’s up with you and Starr?”

Over the last several weeks, Nick noticed the two were getting closer, spending all their free time together. Today when he showed up at the office with her, Nick decided he would just come out and ask what was going on. No one knew better than him Kevin’s track record with women. Heck, in their early years they had chased tail all over the tri-state area together. Having this knowledge made him nervous. Like it or not, his best friend’s sole interest in women had been to satisfy his carnal cravings. The last thing he wanted was to see Starr get hurt since she’d become like family to him.

“Come on man; don’t look at me like that.” Kevin all but pleaded with Nick. He knew exactly what Nick was thinking. He was thinking Starr was just another woman to temporarily keep his bed warm at night. That wasn’t the case. Kevin really wanted a future with Starr.

Feeling the need to defend himself, Kevin firmly stated, “I am being careful where Starr’s concerned.”

Nick raised a questioning eyebrow. “Like?”

Here we go.
Unconsciously, he rubbed his head.
“Like, I cut those other women off.”

Not believing it, Nick’s gaze held skepticism. “Word?”

“Word.”

Nick titled his head, appraising his lifelong friend. After marrying the woman of his heart’s desire, he repeatedly assured Kevin that being committed to someone you loved was a thousand times more fulfilling than having a different flavor each month. Kevin would always chuckle telling him, “Man, they’re too many flavors out there I’ve yet to sample.” Now here he was telling him he was no longer interested in sampling.

“So you mean to tell me you’ve given up all your skirts…including Trina?”

As far as Nick was concerned, he should have given that one up a long time ago. The girl was touched. Damn near crazy. He would never forget the time she showed up at a dinner party wearing a dress so short and tight, nothing was left to the imagination. When Kevin discreetly led her outside and told her to take her inappropriately dressed behind home, she had the audacity to demand, “What’s wrong with what I got on?” Yeah, the girl definitely had a few loose screws.

Kevin let out a harsh, tensed breath. “Especially Trina.” Pausing to take a sip from his bottle, he filled Nick in on her latest fiasco. “You know she had the nerve to call my Moms, harassing her about my whereabouts?”

“What? I know Moms was mad as hell!”

“Man, you know it. She told me, ‘you better tell that gal to stop calling here bothering me while I’m trying to watch my shows. She keep messing with me I’m gonna take my strap to her.”

Both men cracked up as Kevin imitated his elderly mother. Beverly Dawson was no joke. On several occasions as out of control teenagers Kevin and Nick were introduced to Beverly’s leather strap. The most memorable was the time they staggered in way past curfew smelling like a brewery. They quickly sobered up when Beverly appeared out of the darkness swinging her strap landing blows all over their lanky frames. After whipping their behinds, she made them stand in the corner the rest of the night like a couple of pre-schoolers.

After reminiscing about their many escapades as wild teens, Kevin announced, “I took Starr to meet momma.”

This is serious.
His man had given up his skirts
and
taken Starr to meet his momma.
Maybe he is ready to settle down
.

“How’d it go?”

“Good. She liked Starr as soon as they met.” Which he found surprising since his mother was usually a little on the reserved side when meeting any of his female acquaintances. Most likely because she knew nothing serious would ever come of it.

“Did you tell her she was meeting her daughter-in-law?”

“Nah”

Nick lifted a dark brow. “Why?”

“We agreed not to tell her just yet. You know just in case things don’t work out.”

“So you guys are going to try to make this work?”

“That’s what we’re hoping.”

Nick was speechless for a minute. This was the same man who swore he would never marry, but by a strange turn of events, he ended up married to a woman who had never given him the time of day.

Finding his voice, Nick held out his fist. “Word?”

Holding out his fist, making the motion to complete the brotherhood pound, Kevin confirmed, “Word.”

“That’s what’s up.” Nick broadly smiled giving Kevin his blessings. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Kevin was a man of integrity. If he made a decision to build a life with Starr, he would do everything humanly possible to make it succeed.

“Girl, I don’t believe it! I had no idea that chick was
Veronica
when I was asking her about a job for my cousin Kimmy,” Ava swore.

“Summer, you didn’t see her while you were looking for a dress?” Starr asked from her position on the plush loveseat in the living room next to Ava.

“Chile, please. You know when I’m on a mission shopping I don’t see a thing. But, I did have a strange feeling like someone was watching me.”

“She probably was watching you. That Amy chick kept yelling, ‘Mrs. Stiles this, Mrs. Stiles that.’ She was driving me crazy.”

Laughter bubbled from Starr and Summer at Ava’s imitation of the overzealous sales girl. “It’s a wonder if everyone in the darn store didn’t know who you were.”

A sad expression overcame Summer. “Mmm, I feel sorry for her.”

Her friends looked at her like she was crazy out of her mind. “What ?” they both chorused in disbelief.

“Summer, why do you feel bad for her?” Starr asked incredulously. As far as she was concerned, Veronica only had herself to blame for her demise. As much as Marcus had cheated on her and then blamed her because of his wandering, she had no sympathy for cheaters when they got caught.

“Because I do. That’s a shame what Nick did to her,” Summer softly mumbled with compassion. Though she loved her husband and forgave him, she never forgot how terrible he had treated her when he found out she was pregnant with their son. No one knew better than she how cruel Nick could be.

Ava got up and sat on the arm of the chair Summer was sitting in. Putting the back of her hand to her forehead, she checked her for a fever. Summer had to be feeling ill. “Honey, I know you have a soft heart. But because of that woman your life was a living hell once upon a time.” Giving her friend a pointed look with dark brown eyes, she reminded her, “And she did do your man dirty.”

“Real dirty. I’m talkin’ dirty, dirty.” Starr piped in. “How could she stoop so low as to try and put that baby off on Nick knowing good and well he wasn’t the daddy? Scandalous, just scandalous.” Starr wrinkled up her nose in disgust.

Lifting a perfectly arched brow, Ava again reminded Summer, “And don’t forget not only did she cheat on your man, she swindled thousands of his dollars.”

Rolling her eyes towards the ceiling Summer thought,
Do these two ever listen when pastor preaches on forgiveness?
Cutting another look at them, she could tell by their around the-way-girl facial expressions they were holding firm to their beliefs about Veronica.
Apparently, the
y
don’t listen.

“Okay, okay, enough of ancient history. I want to know what the deal is with Miss Starr and Mr. Kevin.”

Letting out a small sigh, Starr knew this moment would come. No longer could she hide the fact that over the last few weeks she and Kevin were practically joined at the hip. Without much effort, a small smile touched her lips as she thought about Kevin. The man had taken to courting her the old-fashioned way and was doing a darn good job at it.

At first she believed they would every once in a while talk on the phone or go out. But surprisingly, Kevin had taken her out on several dates. None of which
she
had to pay for. He was incredibly thoughtful. Each morning he would call to wish her a good day and then, later in the evening follow up to see how her day had went. Having a man express this much interest in her at times was a little unsettling. Old demons would come out to play and taunt her.
He’s going to use you too. You better get out while you can.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Starr was grateful that Kevin had been the initiator, relieving her of the awkwardness of making the first move. Now it seems almost natural for her to pick up the phone in the middle of the day to talk to him. Her world had become somewhat less intense thanks to Kevin. Getting to know him had definitely helped her to focus on more positive things instead of on her health issue. The one thing she loved about Kevin was his ability to be carefree and spontaneous. She discovered this when he called her three weeks ago on her day off at six in the morning.

“Wake up sleepy head I need some company. Be ready in forty-five minutes. Put on some sweats and sneakers.”

An hour later, Starr found herself doing laps on LaSalle University’s outdoor track with Kevin. Exercising three days a week at the gym certainly made it possible for her to keep her pace. And it most definitely didn’t hurt that she had been on the track team in high school and in college. The only running she did now was on a treadmill, which was no comparison to an outdoor track. It felt good actually hearing and feeling the pounding of her feet on the ground, as she inhaled crisp air into in her lungs.

Since that morning, they agreed to a standing date twice a week for an early morning run. It was during their runs they talked and learned tidbits of information about one another.

With all of her musing, she hadn’t noticed her friends throwing and catching questioning looks between the two of them. Neither of them missed the dreamy look glistening in her dark eyes.

“Well?” Ava pressed, now curious more than ever.

Down playing her involvement with Kevin, she shrugged her shoulders.“Nothing much.”

“What? Whateva, Starr.” Summer drawled out rolling her eyes. “Every time I call you you’re never home or you’re on the phone with him.”

“I know that’s right. Why you being so secretive? Like you don’t want us to know?” Ava fired, turning her head in Starr’s direction squinting one eye.

Playfully sucking her teeth and grinning from ear to ear showing off her dimples, she denied it. “I’m not being secretive.”

Throwing a plush throw pillow, hitting Starr square in the face, Summer agreed with Ava. “Yes, you are. Now tell us before I pinch you.”