All I'll Ever Ask (The Greatest Love Book 1) (11 page)

Camille loved Paige but could not have her flexing in Mother Carol’s home. She whispered back to Paige, “I’m fine, don’t worry about her.”

Paige nodded and said, “But I got your back Mille, that’s all I am saying.” 

“I know girl, but stay cool, I’m fine.” Camille looked toward Karen and Frankie, who were sitting across the table from her. They looked like a happy couple and Camille’s heart was warmed. Nikki was chatting it up with the other children, at a kid’s table. This dinner was nice and gave Camille a deep desire to have a family of her own. She was happy with the possibility it may happen one day.

As everyone was finishing their dessert and coffee was being served, Benjamin stood and got everyone’s attention by hitting his dessert knife on his glass. He rose and then said “May I have your attention, please?” Everything went quiet and all eyes were focused on Ben, as he stood in his crisp white dress shirt and diamond cufflinks. His shirt was neatly tucked in his blue and white pin striped trousers. Camille swallowed hard because she was ogling the man, as he was trying to make a family speech, to end dinner she guessed.

Ben cleared his throat, gave a nervous but heart–stopping smile. “Family it has been great breaking bread with you today. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen some of you and I am happy to find that you all are doing well. I have been busy as usual for the last six months or so. Besides work, my time has been occupied by getting to know an extraordinary young lady.” Ben turned and scanned the room. You all have been introduced to her today.” Ben walked to Camille, and took her hands to help her stand up. “I want to say to Camille Danyelle James, six months ago, when you stepped out of your SUV, I instantly felt a connection and it was so strong that it took my breath away. It was not just your beauty, as I could not clearly see you that night. It was your spirit, your essence that traveled to greet me.  Unfortunately, you were involved in an accident before we had a chance to speak face to face. That accident has allowed me to see what you were made of; you are made with the stuff that lasts forever. I have seen you overcome physical odds, when the doctor said you may walk with a limp for the rest of your life. Your faith in Jesus’s healing powers and your tenacity, allows you to wear those three inch heels you should not be in (chuckles were heard all over the room). I have watched you have courage, strength, and all while running a company from your bed. You are a friend like none other, this I know, because your friends have never left your side and that is why I asked them here today. Camille you have turned my dark life into a bright sunshiny day. I love you with God’s love, I love you as his Word commands me to love a wife. I love you like I love myself. I am willing to die for you, to live with you baby and I want to have you carry my name, carry my children inside your body, and share my life until I no longer have breath to breathe. Camille James will you marry me?”

Camille could not believe the words coming out of Benjamin’s mouth. The tears, the trembles, the snot, would not stop. Benjamin was really on one knee, in front of his entire family and all their friends asking for her hand in marriage. Not one romantic book she had ever read was as sweet as this. She felt as if she was outside of her body, her mind and heart was screaming YES! OH YES! But nothing was coming out. She looked around and saw Karen, Mother Ellen, Paige, Tabitha and everyone else with tears streaming down their face.

Paige finally said, “Camille, don’t leave the man hanging, answer him already.” There was laughter all around.

Camille finally came to her senses, lowered to her knees and said “yes Benjamin George Adams, I will marry you.” They kissed on the lips and hugged each other tightly as applause was heard all around them.

              No one noticed until it was too late, that Mrs. Carol had come up behind Ben and knocked him in the head with an iron skillet from the kitchen. Ben toppled over and Mrs. Carol stood screaming, “NO! You can’t have him! What about my Lauren?” Mrs. Carol started charging for Camille, who was down checking on Benjamin. Uncle Jack and Frankie took the skillet from her and dragged her in another room.

Mother Ellen was screaming, “The Blood of Jesus, The Blood of Jesus!” The remainder of the house went up in pandemonium. Kevin had to grab Paige, who was running after Mrs. Carol and the men carrying her, screaming obscenities. Tabitha placed the 9-1-1 call. Karen helped with getting an ice pack for Benjamin until the paramedics arrived.

Camille could not believe one minute she was saying yes to the love of her life and the next he was out cold. What was with the pivotal moments of their lives? Their first date, she gets hit by a car. Their engagement Ben gets knocked out by his deceased girlfriend’s mother. Was the Lord sending warning signs? Saying, Danger do not enter! Yield, proceed with Caution! It could be an enormous, stop! Camille was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sirens. The paramedics and police where there. The sirens also stirred Ben as he began to wake and immediately grabbed his head. Camille took his hand. He glanced to her a smiling, “you said yes.” That one sentence gave Camille the peace she needed to know he was alright and this was right.

The paramedics rushed in and took Ben’s vitals and examined his head. Because he was out for over five minutes and had experienced trauma to the head, they took him to the emergency room to be examined as a precaution. Camille and Mother Ellen rode with him in the ambulance. The entire ride, the paramedic named John asked Benjamin pertinent questions such as his name, birthday, and who the president was. When John asked him what today was, he answered, “The happiest day of my life, my lady said yes.” The entire crew and mother Ellen laughed out loud.

John looked to a blushing but concerned Camille and asked, “Are you his lady?”

“Yes,” she proudly answered. John shook his head, never had he seen star stricken lovers before, until now.

A couple hours later Benjamin, Camille, and Mother Ellen were being told all the scans looked good and there were no signs of blood clots, swelling, or ruptures and he was free to go. They advised him if he had any headaches that caused blurry vision or dizziness to go to the Emergency Room immediately. Benjamin agreed and they all waited for Kevin to arrive to drive them home. Benjamin, had already decided he would not press charges against Mrs. Carol, as she was still grieving and in shock. Camille did not care for that decision but what could she do? Mother Ellen agreed that Mrs. Carol needed time to adjust. However, it wasn’t lost on Camille that neither of them asked her what she thought.

Kevin and Paige were on their way to the hospital to pick up Benjamin and the ladies (together). Only Kevin could calm Paige down, she was set on slapping that crazy heifer for hitting Ben and charging at Camille. Karen, Tabitha, and Benjamin’s family tried to tell Paige that Mrs. Carol was still hurting over the loss of her only daughter. Paige couldn’t care less.

Paige yelled, “well I’m about to make her hurt over the pain in her eye when I sock her in it. She won’t be thinking about her daughter or anybody else.” Kevin had to forcefully pull Paige away from the room Mrs. Carol was in. He grabbed her by the shoulders to have her face him as he looked eye to eye, he said, “Paige you have to calm down. Fighting will not help Benjamin or Mrs. Carol. You are scaring the children and their parents, so stop this now!” That got Paige to quiet down and take a seat. Kevin held her while she shook with tremors. Paige became quiet and balled up in a fetal position shaking as if she were in Alaska. Kevin rocked her in his arms until she was back to his Paige.

Now Paige sat quietly on the passenger’s side of Kevin’s car, wondering what happened. Again she had lost time and could not recall in detail the events of the evening. All she remembered was someone trying to hurt her best friend…her family and that was not allowed. She was grateful Kevin was there, if he hadn’t been, who knows what she would have done. She leaned over and rested her head on Kevin’s shoulder. He turned and kissed the top of her head. How he loved this unpredictable and crazy woman.

***

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep;

Keep me safe through the night and wake me with the morning light

If I should die before I wake, I pray for Lord my soul to take. Amen

Frankie and Karen were kneeling with Nikki beside her bed saying her good night prayers. This was the first night they did this as a family unit. Nikki’s Sunday School Teacher taught her class the prayer over the last few Sundays and Nikki had been faithful. Frankie was overtaken by his emotions as he kissed his baby girl’s forehead and she said, “Night Daddy, I love you.” He let the tears fall on her forehead and she wiped them away looking at him curiously but remained quiet. It was as if she knew her daddy had come to the conclusion that he could not take leaving her any longer. He wanted to be there every night to say her prayers and every morning to thank God for a brand new day.

Karen hugged and kiss Nikki. She rubbed Frankie’s back to give him comfort. She could see he was struggling with his emotions but did not know in what direction he would be going. It had been such a long day. There was the powerful worship service, their talk on the way to Mother Ellen’s, where they decided they would put the brakes on intimacy until marriage and the fiasco after the proposal. They needed time for her to process it all. When they made it to the living room and sat side by side on the couch, Frankie blurted out, “I can’t do this.”

Karen’s heart fell through her stomach, as it had not been 24 hours yet. Was his emotional breakdown due to him walking away from her and Nikki without even trying? Karen felt her flesh wanting to say forget abstinence if it will make you stay. She mentally told Satan to get behind her and that thought left as quickly as it came. She slowly asked Frankie, “You cannot do what, Frankie?” It felt like time stood still, their short time as a family flashed before her eyes like a movie trailer. But then her heart rejoiced as the words became audible to her that Frankie spoke.

“Karen, I can’t continue to tuck our baby girl in and go back home like some young boy. I am a forty-two-year-old man. I am too old to date. I know you are my future. You, Nikki, Dawn, and Autumn are my family and my world. I want to marry you as soon as possible. We can go to marriage counseling but I don’t need a how-to- date- my- woman class. I need you emotionally and physically and I am ready to marry you as soon as you will have me. So tell me that you are ready to, say yes to our family – say yes to us.”

              Karen leaped on Frankie screaming. “Yes, Lord thank you! Jesus, Yes! Frankie I was so scared you were going to break up with me and walk out on Nikki, when you were having your moment…Jesus, I was so scared.”

Frankie grabbed Karen’s hands and put them on the side of her face. Then he took one hand and brushed her tears away. He tilted her head up and said “Karen I am never leaving you, ever. Well, I will leave tonight and each night until we are married. But I am never walking out on you two.”

Karen kissed him and they held each other tight for minutes. They both told each other they loved one another and agreed to speak to the counselor at Liberty on Tuesday night about attending marriage counseling. They would be taking their vows as soon as possible.

Frankie stopped the conversation and said, “Karen after speaking to the counselor on Tuesday, we will go pick you out a wedding ring that will tell the world that you have been touched by my love.” Karen happily agreed and Frankie scooped her up in his arms and gave her a twirl. Karen giggled like she was three-year old, instead of the mother of one. Frankie bent down and gave her a lingering kiss then abruptly stopped and said, “let me get out of here, before we have to call the pastor tonight to marry us. Come walk me out, love.”

Karen walked him to the front door and said, “good night,” as she closed the door. Then she did the cha-cha and started screaming, “I am getting married! I am getting married!”

Chapter 6

Love, Honor, and Respect

“Karen that is the tenth dress you have tried on, pick one already!” Paige screamed at Karen as she frowned while looking in the mirror at her. Camille was standing by Karen’s side straightening out the bottom of the silver dress Karen was trying on. The ladies were out shopping for Karen’s wedding dress and their bridesmaid dresses.

          Karen turned to face Paige and put one hand on her hip. “What is your problem Paige?  If you don’t want to be here, then go home. I am fine with just having Camille, Dawn, and Autumn as my bridesmaids. You are dismissed because I am sick and tired of your pouting!”

        “Ladies let’s calm down, no one is going anywhere.” Camille said firmly. “Paige you have been a pain all day. We understand it’s because you are in limbo right now with Kevin. But that is your own doing.”

Paige gasped, “What do you mean my own doing?”

Camille chuckled and shook her head while she watched Karen take a twirl in the dress like Kenya Moore, the reality star on Atlanta Housewives. Paige stepped in front of Camille rolling her neck and eyes. “Mille what do you mean my own doing?”