Authors: Cheris Hodges
Betting On Love (30 page)
“I know, we damned sure didn't have a good role model in that department,” James said. “But you know what? As much as we love these women, just imagine how much more we're going to love these children. I just hope and pray that Jade has a boy.”
“I'm saying the same prayer for Kenya. I don't think I could handle having a daughter knowing what I know about the games men play.”
“Especially since you invented a few of them,” James joked as the doors to the elevator opened.
“Whatever.”
They entered the chapel, which was decorated in gold and white. The lights were dim, and candles flickered near the altar. Maryann was sitting in the front row, already dabbing her eyes with a white handkerchief.
“Ma, are you all right?” James asked. Maryann rose to her feet and hugged him, then pinched his shoulder. “Yes, I'm all right. But I can't believe you and Jade were going to try and do this without the family.”
“I didn't know you all would want to make the trip up here,” James said.
Maryann shook her head. “I can't wait to welcome her into the family. She's good for you, and she's going to keep you out of trouble.”
Maurice pushed James aside and hugged his mother. “How was your flight, Ma?”
“It was fine,” she said. “I'm glad you finally decided to give the girl a chance and stop being so damned judgmental.”
“Ma,” Maurice said, furrowing his brows. “Isn't this a church?”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “Whatever, boy. Where's Kenya?”
“Helping Jade get ready. They should be up here shortly,” Maurice said, then turned to James. “Unless Jade came to her senses and changed her mind.”
“Why would I do a thing like that?” Jade asked from the doorway.
James's breath caught in his chest as he took in the vision that was Jade in her formfitting off-white gown. The strapless gown showed off her sexy shoulders and brought out the highlights in her skin. With her hair pinned up and a few curls framing her face, she looked like a queen. James wanted to skip directly to the “you may kiss the bride” part.
“Wow,” he finally said. “You're beautiful.”
Jade smiled demurely. “And you look great yourself,” she said as she crossed over to him.
Moments later the reverend walked into the chapel. “Hello, everybody,” he said. “Are we ready to begin?”
Jade and James looked deeply into one another's eyes before saying in chorus, “We're ready.”
The ceremony was short and to the point. But when it was time to kiss the new Mrs. Goings, James didn't rush it. He pulled his wife into his arms and brushed his lips against hers. Then he devoured her lips as if they were the most luscious fruit he'd ever tasted. She wrapped her arms around his neck, losing herself in their kiss and melting against his body.
Maurice and Kenya, who stood on either side of the couple, tapped them on their shoulders.
“You two have the rest of your lives for this,” Maurice said, spurring the couple to break off their passionate embrace.
“The rest of our lives,” Jade said.
“That's right,” James said.
Maryann walked up to the couple and held her arms out to Jade. “Welcome to the family, baby,” she said. “You are a beautiful bride. Now, if you two will excuse me, I'm going down to the casino to press my luck.”
“Ma,” James and Maurice said in unison, “you be careful down there.”
Maryann waved her hands at her sons and headed out the door.
Kenya walked up to Maurice and linked her arm with his. “I know what I want to play,” she said. “And it's not on the casino floor.”
“All right. See you later,” Maurice said as he and Kenya made their exit.
“Mrs. Goings,” James said, “let's get our honeymoon started.”
“I'm ready, Mr. Goings.”
James lifted his bride into his arms and looked into her eyes. “I love you so much,” he said.
“I love you, too,” Jade said. “Too much to describe.”
Kissing her lips gently, James silently swore that he'd love her forever.
EPILOGUE
Grand opening day
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The television cameras were poised to record the moment that the doors of Hometown Delights opened. But the general manager was nowhere to be found. Maurice smiled at the reporters. He'd told Jade and James that he'd cut the ribbon and make sure all of Charlotte knew about her business, but he wasn't doing a damned thing until she showed up.
Serena walked over to him, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “Where is your sister-in-law?” she demanded.
“Not here,” he said. “They will be here.”
Kandace walked up to them and placed her hand on Serena's shoulder. “Maybe she had the baby.”
“It would be just like her to give birth and not tell us,” Alicia said as she joined the group.
The three women looked at Maurice and rolled their eyes playfully.
“Ladies,” he said. “Had I known one of your phone numbers, I would've gotten you to Vegas. But, hey, I almost didn't make the wedding myself.”
“Mighty funny that you were in all the pictures,” Kandace said.
“And speaking of babies, didn't you and your wife just welcome a bundle of joy into the world?” Serena asked.
“Yes, Nairobi LaRae Goings. She's at home with Kenya and her grandmothers,” Maurice informed them.
“Her mother's name is Kenya, and her name is Nairobi. That's interesting,” Alicia said. “I wonder how many people will understand the significance of that?”
“Not many,” Maurice said.
“Here they come,” Kandace said, pointing at James and a very pregnant Jade as they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant.
“Hey, sorry we're late,” James said. “Somebody couldn't figure out what to wear.”
Jade glanced down at her black trapeze dress. “I don't want to look as big as this building on camera,” she said.
“Baby, you're not fat,” James said. “You're pregnant and totally beautiful. I dare anyone to say different.” He looked pointedly at Maurice, who threw his hands up.
“I love pregnant women,” Maurice said and then leaned into his sister-in-law and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “James is right. You are beautiful. Now, can we cut this ribbon so that I can get back to the women in my life?”
“How is little Nairobi?” Jade asked as she rubbed her belly. “I wish her cousin would hurry up and join her.”
Serena rolled her eyes. “Are we ever going to open this damned place?” she asked.
“You got a hot date or something?” Jade asked.
Serena shook her head. “No. I have to get back to Atlanta before ... Oh my God, what's he doing here?”
Jade looked over at Antonio and shook her head. “I thought you two were ...” She stopped talking when she saw a buxom woman grab his hand. “Whoa.”
“Whatever. He's free to do what he wants to do. Maybe she wants to be tied down. I certainly do not,” Serena said as she tore her eyes away from Antonio, who was staring her down.
Jade turned to James. “Please tell me that this is going to go off without a hitch,” she whispered.
James kissed her on her plump cheek. “It will. Mo's going to cut the ribbon, you're going to say âWelcome,' and we're getting out of here so that you can put your feet up and have my son.”
“How do you know it's a boy?” Jade quizzed.
“Because it is. I put in a special order with God,” James quipped. “Come on. Let's get up front and get this party started.”
Charlotte's mayor arrived just as Alicia handed Maurice a pair of giant scissors to cut the yellow ribbon at the door.
“Are we ready now?” Jade asked as she joined Maurice, the mayor, Alicia, Kandace, and Serena at the front of the restaurant.
“If someone will get Kandace off the phone, we'll be ready.”
Jade clutched her stomach as the baby pummeled her with a succession of kicks. “We're going to have to do this without her.”
James leaned into her. “Are you all right?”
“If this is a boy, he has soccer in his future,” Jade said as the baby kicked her again.
“Are you going into labor?” James asked.
Jade shook her head. “Not until these doors open,” she said.
James tapped Maurice on the shoulder. “Let's get this thing started before she has the baby on the doorsteps,” James said.
Maurice walked up to the podium, and the crowd began to cheer for the Super Bowl MVP. “Thanks for joining me and the ladies who are about to open your new favorite restaurant, Hometown Delights. Food Network's Devon Harris and his staff have been cooking all day, and I don't know about y'all, but I'm ready to eat!” Maurice held up the scissors, and the crowd began cheering again.
James, however, was focused on his wife, who was grimacing in pain. “Babe,” he said.
“My water just broke,” Jade said. James scooped her up in his arms and dashed toward their car.
Maurice handed the scissors to the mayor. “Help me out, dude. Cut the ribbon. I'm about to be an uncle.”
Maurice caught up with James and Jade. “Hey, my car is closer, and I'll come get you from right here.”
“All right,” James replied, his gaze never leaving Jade's face. “You all right?”
Jade closed her eyes and moaned. “No, I'm not all right,” she replied hotly. “I'm in labor.”
Seconds later Maurice pulled up in his Mercedes SUV. James loaded Jade into the backseat. “Breathe, baby,” he said. “Remember yoga breaths, through your nose.”
She grabbed James by the collar. “Would you shut up!” As a contraction struck, she gripped his collar tighter. “Oh my God! It hurts so bad.”
“Mo, hurry up, man!” James shouted when Jade loosened her grip on his shirt.
“Going as fast as I can,” Maurice said, glancing at them in the rearview mirror. “She got the kung-fu grip, too, I see.”
Jade gritted her teeth as she felt another contraction.
“Did you call her doctor?” Maurice asked.
“What?” James said.
“Call the doctor. Let him know we're on the way to the hospital,” Maurice said.
“Right, right,” James said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the doctor's number. “Dr. Harris, James Goings. My wife, her water broke, and we're on our way to the hospital.”
“All right, James,” the doctor said calmly. “I'll meet you all at the emergency-room entrance, and then we'll go up to the maternity ward.”
“Okay.” James hung up the phone and turned back to Jade. “How are you?” He stroked her sweaty forehead.
She took a breath and closed her eyes. “Kenya didn't tell me that it was going to feel like this.”
“Just breathe. Remember those yoga classes we took?” James turned to his brother. “Can you move a little faster?”
“This car doesn't fly. There's traffic in front of me, dude,” Maurice said. “We'll be there in five minutes.”
Jade grunted. The contractions were coming every three minutes. She silently prayed that the baby wouldn't make his or her grand entrance in the back of her brother-in-law's SUV.
James stroked the back of his wife's hand. The baby was due tomorrow, and he had told her that they shouldn't go to the grand opening of the restaurant, but Jade wasn't going to stay away. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Like there's something kicking and screaming inside me,” she moaned.
“We're here,” Maurice said as he pulled up to the emergency room of Presbyterian Hospital.
James hopped out of the car and grabbed a wheelchair from the entrance while Maurice gingerly lifted Jade from the backseat.
“Jade,” James said, “breathe slowly.”
Jade dug her nails into Maurice's neck as another contraction hit her.
Maurice quickly deposited her in the wheelchair and placed his hand on his neck, checking for blood. “Damn, why do women get superhuman strength when they deliver children?”
James shrugged his shoulders as he wheeled his wife into the hospital.
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Two hours later James and Jade welcomed their son, Jaden James Goings, into the world. Jade lay back in the bed, holding the nine-pound-three-ounce baby boy against her chest. James stood over her, smiling down at her and at his son. The little boy was a mixture of his parents: his coloring was like James's, and he had his mother's black hair.
The door opened, and Serena, Alicia, Kandace, Kenya, Maurice, and Maryann walked in.
“Ooh, look at my grandson,” Maryann squealed as she walked over to Jade. “He looks so much like his father.” She gently stroked his cheek, and Jaden's eyes fluttered open.
“He knows who Grandma is,” Maurice said.
“Jade, how are you?” Kenya asked as everyone else cooed over the baby. “Once you give birth, everyone forgets about you.”
Jade smiled. “This feels so unreal. You don't even remember the pain once you're holding this little one.”
“I can't believe you're somebody's mother,” Alicia said. “But you look like you're going to be so good at it.”
“Are you crying?” Serena asked Alicia. “My goodness, all of you are getting soft on me.”
Alicia wiped her eyes. “I'm really happy for Jade and James. That's all.”
“It's okay,” Jade said in a quiet voice as her mother-in-law took the baby from her arms. “Serena has a soft spot, too, and the day someone finds it, we're all going to be crying.”
Kandace laughed. “Yeah, right.”
“You have a beautiful family,” Alicia said.
“And if it wasn't for us taking you to Vegas, all of this would've never happened,” Serena added.
Jade looked up at James and smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. “I love you, baby,” he said.
“I love you more,” Jade replied.
“Okay. We're out of here. I'm going to stick around and fill in as the general manager until you're back on your feet,” Serena said.
Jade raised an eyebrow at her friend. “And I'm sure this has nothing to do with Antonio.”
“Who's that?” Serena said as she bolted out the door. Kandace blew Jade a kiss and followed Serena.
Alicia gave Jade a quick hug and a kiss. “I love you, girl. Take care of that beautiful little boy.”
Jade nodded. “I will.”
Shortly after Jade's friends left, Maurice, Kenya, and Maryann said good-bye as well, leaving James and Jade alone with their son.
Jade wrapped her arms around the little boy. “Are boys supposed to be beautiful?” she asked her husband as he eased into the bed, beside her.
“Only when they're babies. Then they become handsome, and rugged when they grow up.” He gently tweaked the sleeping baby's nose.
It didn't take long for Jade to drift off to sleep. James slipped off the bed, took the little boy from her arms, and held him against his chest. “Jaden, you're a lucky little boy,” he whispered. “You know that? You have the best mommy and daddy in the world. There's going to be so much love surrounding you. There's your crazy uncle Mo and auntie Kenya and your little cousin, Nairobi. And your grandma is going to spoil you and Nairobi like it's nobody's business.”
Jaden sucked his fist and looked up at his father as if he understood just what he was saying to him. James kissed his son's forehead, then placed him in the bassinet and watched him until he went to sleep. James had never felt such peace and such responsibility. Turning back to his sleeping wife, he got back in the bed with her and snuggled close to her. This was perfect. This was the payoff from his ultimate gamble in Vegas, and he'd hit the jackpot.
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