The national
bestselling author of Delilah’s
Daughters and The Amen
Sisters returns with a moving
story about a single mother who, in one
unforgettable summer, discovers the
woman she can become. . .
As a single mother, Destiny makes
sacrifices for her children—including
saying goodbye for the summer so they can
spend time with their father and
stepmother. Though she’ll miss them with
all her heart, the time alone gives her an
opportunity to address her own needs, like
finish getting her college degree. But
Destiny’s friends think her summer should
include some romance.
Destiny doesn’t want to be set up…until
she meets Daniel. The handsome, warm
and charming pastor soon sweeps Destiny
off her feet. But is romance what she
really wants? Or needs?
As the days pass, Destiny will make new
discoveries—about herself, the man she’s
fallen for, and the people around her. And
she’ll face challenging choices. But
most of all, she’ll grow in ways she never
imagined, learning unexpected lessons
about trust, forgiveness, and the price of
motherhood…and truly become the woman she
wants to be.
Seated in a
salon styling chair in the basement of
Destiny Madison’s townhouse-style
apartment, Bertice Brown turned and looked
directly at her friend.“Are
you crazy, Destiny?” she asked.
Destiny
tugged on her friend’s braid with her
hands and used her feet to pump the lever
to lock the movement of the styling chair.“How
do you expect me to make this straight and
tight if you keep turning your head and
moving around?”
“Forget my
hair for a minute,” her longtime friend
said.“You’re about to make a big
mistake.”
“You don’t
know what you’re talking about, Bertice,”
said Destiny’s other friend Natalie, who
sat in the recliner across from the
styling chair with her feet up.“You
don’t even have kids.”
Bertice
huffed.“Neither do you.Besides,
you don’t have to be a fireman to know how
to put out a fire.”
Destiny
laughed at the banter of her two best
friends.“What the heck are you talking
about, Bertice?There’s
no fire here.”
“You know
what I mean,” Bertice said.“It’s
not smart for you to let your kids go off
for the entire summer with that fat Mary
Margaret.Let them go for the weekend, not
the whole summer.”
Natalie
rolled her eyes.“What
do you think the woman’s going to do,
Bertice?She’s not a serial killer or a
child abductor.”
“Not that
we know,” Bertice said.
“Now you’re
really talking crazy,” Natalie said.“What’s
your problem with the woman?She
hasn’t done anything to Destiny, the kids
or you.”
“I don’t
trust her,” Bertice said. “If she wants
kids, she and Kenneth need to have them
and leave Destiny’s alone.There’s
something sneaky about that woman.Nobody
is as good-hearted as she pretends to be.”
Destiny had
her own suspicions about her ex-flame’s
wife.It was a sore spot for her so her
friends rarely brought it up, but Kenneth
had been dating Mary Margaret when Destiny
became pregnant.Destiny
had known about the woman, but she’d
foolishly believed Kenneth when he’d told
her it was over between him and his high
school sweetheart.“To
be honest, I thought about not letting
them go,” Destiny said.
Bertice
nodded.“That would have been the smart
move.You’re too bright not to see
through Mary Margaret.”
“No, that
wouldn’t be the smart move,” Natalie said.“This
trip will be good for the twins.They
need to see the world outside Georgia.”
Bertice
huffed again.“They
have,” she said. “Destiny took them to
Disney World in Orlando last year.That’s
outside Georgia.”
Natalie
shook her head.“There’s
no reasoning with you.” She turned to
Destiny.“You’re doing the right thing,
girl,” she said. “I know it’s hard but you
have to think of your kids first. Besides,
Mary Margaret is not that bad.”
Destiny
swallowed hard.It
was difficult to hear her friend spout
positive words about the kids’ stepmother.She
enjoyed their jabs at the woman more than
she acknowledged.“You
two are so focused on Mary Margaret that
you’re forgetting something:the
kids are spending the summer in Los
Angeles with their father and their
father’s wife,”she
said.“This is not about Mary Margaret.
It’s about the kids and their father.”
“Keep
telling yourself that,” Bertice said.“I’ve
always thought Mary Margaret needed some
tips on how to stay in her lane.She’s
too much in your business and the business
of your kids.”
“She’s
married to Kenneth, Bertice.She’s
involved because he is.”
Bertice
snorted.“Okay, Ms. Baby Momma of the Year.You
sure have softened towards Mary Margaret.I
can remember the day when you couldn’t
bear to hear her name.”
Natalie
eyed Bertice.“People
grow and change, Bertice.At
least, most people do,” she added with a
not so subtle dig.
“As usual,
you’re always on the side of Mary
Margaret,” Bertice said to Natalie,
lifting her arms in frustration.“When
did my two friends become saints right
here on earth?” She cut a glance to
Natalie.“I blame it on Gavin.We
never should have let you marry that
preacher.That’s when you two began to change
on me.”
Natalie
laughed.“Like you could have stopped me.”
Destiny let
the playful exchange between her friends
wash over her as she considered the truth
of Bertice’s words.There
had been a change in their friendship
since Natalie married Gavin, one of the
pastors at the church they all attended,
three years ago.Destiny
had watched her friend change from a
selfish, sometimes vindictive, witch with
a b
to model pastor’s wife.Natalie
still had her same spunk but it was now
couched in a genuine concern and love for
others.Destiny didn’t know much about
miracles but she believed the change in
Natalie was as close to one as she had
seen.Natalie’s compassion had been a
strong factor in helping Destiny develop a
cordial relationship with Kenneth and Mary
Margaret.Bertice was right.She
hadn’t always been accepting of Mary
Margaret.She wasn’t wholly accepting of the
woman now, but she was doing her best for
the sake of her kids.
Destiny
continued to listen as her two closest
friends debated whether she should trust
Mary Margaret.Bertice
expressed the fears that Destiny felt
about letting the woman into her
children’s lives, while Natalie presented
all the good that could come out of a
positive stepparent relationship.“The
decision is made, Bertice,” she said when
she grew weary of all the talk.“The
kids are leaving on Saturday.”
Bertice
opened her mouth as if to say more, but
she wisely closed it.
“Are they
excited?” Natalie asked.
Destiny
sighed.“Too excited.They’re
bouncing off the walls. You know, they’ve
never been on an airplane before.The
entire summer is stacking up to be a big
adventure for them. I wish I could
experience it with them.I
can’t bear to think of the firsts
I’m going to miss.”
Natalie
lowered the footrest on the recliner and
leaned towards Destiny.“You’re
doing the best you can do right now.The
important thing is that you love your kids
and your kids love you.That’s
all that matters.”
“I know,”
Destiny said, “but I want to do more for
them, more than my financial situation
will allow.I hate that Kenneth and Mary
Margaret can give them more than I can.
“You’d have
more money if Kennethvester and Mary
Margaret stepped up those child support
payments,” Bertice said.“I
know fat Mary Margaret gets a fat paycheck
from Turner Entertainment each month so
they can more than afford it.”
Destiny cut
Bertice a glare.Both
of her friends knew she didn’t want or
expect Mary Margaret’s money.
“I’m just
saying,” Bertice said.“They
seem to be adding to your expenses so I
don’t see why they can’t chip in a little
bit more.You know it’s more expensive to
live in Gwinnett County near them than
where you live over here with the folks in
South DeKalb.”
Destiny
sighed.“That may be a moot point now,” she
said.“I may not be moving to Gwinnett
after all.”
“What?”
Natalie asked.“I
thought it was all set.”
Destiny
shook her head.She
hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell
her friends that her grand plans for the
summer had fallen apart.As
she looked at the concern and questions on
their faces now, she knew she had to tell
them.“They rescinded the job offer so
I’m not going to have the money to move
into the house.”
“What
happened?” Bertice asked.
Destiny
shrugged.“They said it had something to do
with funding but I’m not sure I believe
them.It doesn’t matter really.There’s
nothing
I can do about it anyway.”
“Well,”
Natalie said, “you’ll just find something
else.We’ll help you look, won’t we,
Bertice?”
“That’s
right,” Bertice added.“In
fact, I may have the perfect the business
opportunity for you.Recently,
my life between paychecks has gotten
considerably better.”
Natalie
rolled her eyes.“I
don’t know if I want to hear this.Please
tell me the police are not going to come
rolling up to your house anytime soon.If
you get in trouble, you’re going to end up
with a public defender and a life
sentence.”
Destiny
laughed.“Stop it, Natalie.”
“It’s the
truth and Bertice knows it.We’ve
heard about her business ventures
before.They range from sorta shady to
really shady.”She
stared at Bertice.“Pyramid
schemes are not legal.Please
tell me this isn’t one of your pyramid
schemes.”
Bertice
shook her head.“My
ventures were networking marketing
opportunities, not pyramid schemes.There
is a difference.Amway
is network marketing and the guy who
founded it now owns a basketball team.I
bet he had his naysayers, too.Besides,
this opportunity is not network
marketing.”
Casting a
wary eye at Bertice, Natalie got up from
the recliner.“I’m
leaving,” she said.“I
don’t want to know about your hair-brained
scheme.That way, I can honestly tell the
police that I don’t know anything.I
would hate to have to testify against
you.”
“Oh, ye of
little faith,” Bertice said, laughing.
Natalie
picked up her purse.Then
she leaned over and brushed a kiss on
Destiny’s check.“Don’t
get yourself in trouble listening to this
crazy woman.Braid her hair and get her butt out
of here.”
Destiny
laughed.“I won’t let her lead me down the
wrong road.”
Natalie
stared down at Bertice.“You
need to be more careful of what you get
caught up in, Bertice.One
day things are going to go really bad for
you.”
Bertice
stood and gave Natalie a kiss on the
cheek. “You worry too much, Miss
Preacher’s Wife.I’m
not going to get into any trouble.”
“I’ll be
praying for you,” Natalie said to Bertice.
The concern
in Natalie’s voice raised alarm bells in
Destiny’s mind, but she pushed them aside
as she walked her friend up the stairs
from the basement where she had set up her
makeshift salon and to the front door of
the townhome she shared with her twins.
“I worry
about Bertice,” Natalie said, after they
were upstairs.“And
you, too.”
“Don’t
worry about me,” Destiny said. “I’m not
going to get caught up in any of Bertice’s
crazy schemes.”
“It’s not
that,” Natalie said.“Kenneth
is not going to take the kids from you.”
Bertice
closed her eyes briefly as she let the
words that captured her greatest fear
settle over her.When
she opened them, they were damp.“He’s
going to try,” she said.“He
already convinced me the kids needed to go
to school in his district since they were
the better schools.Now
he’s harping on all the shuttling
back-and-forth of the kids between school,his
house and here that we do each week.He
makes a good point about it being more
convenient if the kids just stayed with
him and Mary Margaret during the week, but
I don’t want that.I
want my kids with me each night.I’m
their mother.”
Natalie
brushed at a tear that fell down Natalie’s
cheek.“Of course, you want them with you,
which is where they’re going to be.We’re
going to work this out, Destiny.When
the kids get back from California, they’ll
come back to a new home in Gwinnett County
close to their schools just the way you’d
planned.I’m believing God for it.Can
you believe with me?”
Destiny
nodded, silently thanking God for good
friends like Natalie and Bertice.
“Then dry
those tears and give me a hug.I
have to get out of here.”
Destiny
leaned into her friend’s embrace.When
she pulled back, Natalie gave her a
sheepish smile.
“What?”
Destiny asked.
Natalie
sighed.“Because Gavin and I know how much
you’re going to miss the kids this summer,
we want to give you a weekend trip to
California to visit them as an early
Christmas gift.With
your new job and all, we figured you
wouldn’t be able to get away any longer
than that.”
Destiny
shook her head.She
couldn't take such an extravagant gift,
even knowing her friend was coming from a
place of love. “It’s sweet of you to offer
and I love you for even thinking of it,
but I can’t let you do it.”
Natalie
lifted a brow.“What
do you mean you can’t let us?It's
our idea. We want to do it.”
Destiny’s
heart warmed.“I
know, but you do enough for me already.More
than enough really.You
and Bertice both help out more than you
know by paying me to do your hair.I
hate to take money for something I enjoy
doing for my friends.No,
you’re both doing enough.Please
don’t treat me as a charity case.Besides,
with my second job situation up in the
air, I have no clue what my schedule will
be.”
Destiny
knew her friend wanted to say more, but
she appreciated her for letting the
conversation end.“Okay,”
Natalie said.“Call
me tomorrow and let me know what crazy
scheme Bertice has gotten herself involved
in.”
Destiny
laughed.“You can count on it.”
“And don’t
forget I want you to meet Gavin’s old
friend, Daniel Thomas, who’s moving to
town.He’s a great guy.You
two will hit it off.”
“I’ll think
about it,” Destiny said, though she
already knew the answer.She
wasn’t
ready to dive back in the dating pool,
despite Natalie's determination to push
her back in there.
“Don’t
think about it,” Natalie said.“Come
to dinner one night so you can meet him.It
doesn’t have to be a big deal.Just
some friends getting together for a meal
and some good conversation.”
“I don’t
know, Natalie.I
can’t see myself going out with a
preacher.I’m no saint.”
“Neither is
he,” Natalie said.“And
neither am I but look who I married.Forget
Daniel is a preacher andthink
of him as someone who has the same kind of
hole in his heart that you have in yours.”
Destiny
closed her eyes briefly and then opened
them.“I doubt that.”
Natalie
looked as though she wanted to say
something more, but she just pulled the
door open.Before she stepped through it, she
pressed another kiss along Destiny’s cheek
and whispered, “You’re not the only person
in the world recovering from a broken
heart.It’ll heal if you allow it.God
wants
to heal it.”
Destiny
leaned against the closed door after her
friend stepped out into night air and let
her parting words wash over her. Was her
personal pain that obvious? Kenneth had
broken her heart and the recovery was
taking longer than she expected.The
twins were six and her heart still ached.How
sad was that?Destiny
pushed the thoughts away as she moved away
from the door and made her way back to the
basement where Bertice was waiting for
her.
“Natalie is
too uptight,” Bertice said, when Destiny
reached her. “She never should have
married the preacher.”
Destiny
took a seat on the stool behind Bertice's
chair and picked up her comb.“Gavin’s
a great guy.”
“He’s not
bad, for a preacher,” Bertice said,
fidgeting in her chair.
“If you
want me to braid your hair, you’d best be
still.”
Bertice
looked up at her with a grin on her face.“So
do you want to hear about my business
opportunity?”
“I’m sure I
shouldn’t,” Destiny said with a chuckle,
“but tell me anyway.”