Can't Stop Loving You (14 page)

A
nother successful event at Jireh had brought great reviews in the Living section of the newspaper that Kendrick was reading on his front porch.

The place had been packed, and, as reported, everyone had had a great time. The bookings for special events seemed to increase each day, and Kendrick had Kaycee to thank for it.

It had been her idea to host the Salsa lessons followed by a dance, and he was glad that he had relented and allowed her to broaden his vision to take the café to another level.

The thought of her drew his mind immediately to their exchange in the refrigerator. Kaycee didn't know it but she was going to have to make a decision soon.

As if he had summoned her, Kaycee appeared on her front walk dressed in a pair of running pants with a matching shirt and sneakers.

Kendrick leaned forward in his seat as he watched her walk to the edge of her driveway swinging her arms.

She stopped and bent over to touch her toes. Holding the stretch for a few seconds, she extended her arms into the air while she leaned her torso to one side and then to the other. She jogged in place for a few seconds and stooped down to tie her shoelace.

Kendrick stood up on his porch, wondering what to say. He really wanted, needed to talk to her. She had been on his mind since last night, and he had to release himself from the feelings swelling inside, but he didn't know how to do it.

It seemed as if every chance he got to break down his feelings to her was foiled by some unexpected scenario.

Kaycee stood and began jogging in place as she waited for a car to pass by. Kendrick's heart raced in his chest. His mouth was as dry as a cotton gin. Stepping off the porch, he started down the walk. It was now or never.

 

Kaycee was about to take off down the road when she heard someone call her name. She turned around and smiled when she saw that it was Kendrick. Her eyes glowed with appreciation of his thick build in the black Pittsburgh Steelers jersey and black sweats.

“Hello, neighbor,” she greeted.

“Hi, yourself.” He held up the paper. “Did you get a chance to read this?”

“Read what?” she asked.

Kendrick proceeded to read the positive review to her.

Kaycee jumped for joy. “Kendrick, I'm so happy for you.”

“Without you, it wouldn't have happened,” he replied. “Thank you for your suggestions.”

“It wasn't me. Jireh was doing well before I even came into the picture.”

He shook his head in disagreement. “You made a better impression than I ever could.”

The dubious look on Kaycee's face led Kendrick to want to explain further.

“Can we take a walk?” he asked. He held out his hand for her to grasp.

Kaycee hesitated because she was unsure what the gesture meant.

“C'mon, I won't bite,” he egged her on and held it out more directly so that she couldn't mistake his offering for anything else but the fact that he wanted her near to him.

With a slight smile, she reached out and placed her hand in his. He smiled down at her and he began to lead them down the street.

A giddy feeling came over Kaycee. She didn't know what to make of Kendrick's sudden attentiveness, but she enjoyed it very much. It felt so natural, as though their hands were meant to be fitted in such a way.

They walked along silently, pondering their discovery of one another with anticipation and hope.

“So, what do you have planned for today?” he finally asked, breaking both of their private reveries.

“I don't have to go into the restaurant today, do I?” she asked with a sidelong glance.

Kendrick chuckled slightly, realizing where she was headed with her comment. “No, you do not.”

“Then I guess I'll do nothing.”

The blossoming crape myrtle trees lining the median down the center of the road created a picture of beauty and uniformity. The crape myrtle was one of Kaycee's favorite trees. She already had planting a few on her list of things to have her yardman do before fall set in.

Kendrick noticed her admiration of the landscaping and announced, “They're beautiful.”

“What are?”

He pointed to the trees with his free hand. “I love crape myrtles. I'm having some planted this week.”

Kaycee immediately stopped in her tracks, preventing them from going farther.

“What's wrong?” Kendrick asked.

“Kendrick, what is this thing with you and me?” she blurted out in frustration.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your comment…the crape myrtles. My yardman is coming…you're planting, too,” she blabbered. “It's all making me crazy!”

Kendrick wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

Kaycee closed her eyes and melted against his chest. His touch, his scent, all brought up the flood of feelings that she'd had since they'd first met.

“There, there, baby,” he whispered. “What's wrong?”

His sweet sentiment caused her to draw back in fear.

“It's that, Kendrick,” she replied, stepping out of his hold. “I want to know where we are going. I'm tired of playing these games.”

“What games, Kaycee?”

“For starters, you calling me baby and wanting to hold my hand. Then when we get back to Jireh, I'll be back to Ms. Jordan if I say or do something that you don't agree with. I'm not a light switch, Kendrick. I do have feelings.”

Kendrick shook his head and slipped his hands into his pants pockets. “I'm sorry that you feel that I'm trying to play games. I'm not.”

“Then what do you call it?” she asked, stepping forward with a stern look. “I think I made myself clear on how I felt about you back at the cabin. If you don't want me, then you need to let me know. I've been through this kind of thing already and I don't need to go through it again!”

“What do you want from me, Kaycee?” Kendrick asked.

“What do I want from you?” she shrieked. “What do you want from me? It's more than just me in this.”

“You are completely right. I've been doing some serious thinking lately—about us, in fact.”

Kaycee's brow raised with apprehension, but she remained silent.

“I've been trying to make sense out of why you and I fight so much, yet we have so much in common.” He paused to search her face for confirmation and he could tell she was agreeing with him.

“And I'm tired of fighting. I think we—” before he could finish, a white Volkswagen Passat whipped around the curving street and came to a screeching halt beside them.

Both turned around to find Sidra sitting behind the wheel with a look of urgency on her face.

“Sid?” Kaycee said recognizing the car immediately.

“Kaycee, please get in the car!” Sidra cried.

Kaycee walked to the door. Her eyes widened when she noticed her friend's red and tear-soaked eyes. “What's wrong, Sid?”

Sidra shook her head. “Please get in the car,” she repeated. “I
really
need to talk to you.”

Kaycee turned back to Kendrick with an apologetic look.

Kendrick returned her stare as if he was willing her to remain with him. Looking back at Sidra, Kaycee couldn't deny the obvious desperation in her friend's eyes. She was in between a rock and a hard place and she didn't know which way to go. Taking both instances into quick consideration, she made a quick decision.

“Kendrick, can we please finish this later?” she asked, not wanting to leave him hanging.

He sighed with frustration and shook his head. “Do whatever you feel is necessary.”

She stood for a second looking between the two of them. The two people who she cared about most were trippin'. Both of them were in emotional states and needed her.

“Kaycee can we go—please!” Sidra cried from the driver's seat.

She sighed. “I'll talk with you later, Kendrick, I promise.”

Kendrick didn't wait around to reply, he turned on his heel and started jogging away. Kaycee called his name and when he didn't turn around, she got inside the car with a heavy sigh.

She watched from the passenger window as his speed picked up and her heart longed to follow behind him. The resolution was so close and now here she was, back to square one. She continued staring until he turned the corner. When she turned around the first thought that entered her mind was that Sidra had better have a real emergency.

“P
regnant!”

Sidra responded with a tearful nod of her head.

“Sidra, you are almost thirty years old. How did you slip up and get pregnant, and who's the father?”

Sidra took a deep breath as she held on to the mug of hot coffee with both hands. A wadded tissue was pressed between the mug and her palm to catch the tears that continued to fall.

“It was a mistake. It just happened.”

“You weren't using anything?” Kaycee asked.

Sidra shook her head. “I was trying to do the celibacy thing like you.”

Kaycee rolled her eyes. Sidra probably didn't know how to spell
vow
, let alone keep one.

“Who's the father?”

Sidra paused for a few seconds before mumbling, “Hampton Barnes.”

“Hampton Barnes who was at the Jireh event?”

She hoped she wasn't hearing her friend correctly. Hampton Barnes was an arrogant man who thought he was the master of suaveness. He was also a friend of Paul's and that fact did not score any points with her.

Sidra nodded.

“Have you told him yet?”

She shook her head.

“Are you going to?” She asked the question because she really wanted to know what Sidra intended to do with the baby. Her theory was if you did the crime you needed to do the time.

Sidra shrugged. “I don't know yet. All I know is that I feel so stupid!”

“Why didn't you use protection, Sid?” Kaycee asked. “We always talk about protecting ourselves from diseases. Why didn't you use something?”

Sidra shrugged and wiped her nose. “Things got out of control. Before I knew it, I was naked and we were rolling all over the bed. Protection slipped my mind.”

“And now you're going to be a mother,” Kaycee said. She wasn't getting bent out of shape by the fact that her friend was with child. What bothered her was the fact that Sidra was a professional woman with common sense. She was also a woman who desired a family, yet had no prospects for a husband. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if her friend had put herself in this position on purpose.

“Look, whatever you decide to do, I'll support you,” Kaycee announced. “But you do know my feelings toward abortion. I want no part of that.”

“I'm not going to have an abortion,” Sidra emphatically replied.

“Then what will you do?” Kaycee asked.

Sidra shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I'll have to have it.”

Kaycee snorted, “Yeah, right, you hardly take good care of yourself.”

Sidra's head dropped to the side as though she couldn't believe that Kaycee had said that.

“Excuse me, but I am a grown woman. I can make decisions for myself.”

“You're right,” Kaycee said and leaned over to give her friend a hug. “I'm sorry, girl, it's just that I can't believe this.”

“You? How do you think I feel?” Sidra buried her face in her hands. “So much for living the single life.”

Kaycee stroked her back. “We will get through this, Sid. I will support you in every way that I can, I promise. Children are not accidents, they are gifts from God.”

Sidra curled up on the sofa, embraced one of the throw pillows and yawned.

“Kaycee, I know I say and do some really stupid things, but thanks for being my friend anyway.”

“Don't mention it,” Kaycee replied.

“Will you pray for me?” Sidra whispered sleepily.

Kaycee was surprised by her friend's request. Sidra had always opposed anything dealing with the church, which surprised Kaycee because her friend was a preacher's kid. But Kaycee was no angel herself even though growing up in Katherine and Russell's home had meant everybody went to church.

Kaycee had been obedient, but when she went off to college, the party life consumed her and she turned away from her parents' ways. It wasn't until she and Paul got together that she began to go again. However, the church Paul attended wasn't necessarily her cup of tea. Everything seemed to be based more on what you had than on who you were and that disturbed Kaycee. She didn't want to be known by the pastor only because she was one of the largest tithers in the house.

Since her breakup with Paul, she had visited a few churches here and there, but she hadn't found the one she was looking for. Kaycee walked over and kneeled on the floor beside the sofa where Sidra lay.

She wasn't perfect, either. She made many mistakes, but Sidra needed her. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for her friend.