Come Share My Love (41 page)

     She finally got her hand away from him settling them on her hip ready to read him the riot act, but just as she began her cousin walked in from the kitchen.

     “Shy!  Did I hear the doorbell?” 

Shyla rolled her eyes.  At least five minutes had passed since the doorbell rang so she knew her cousin already had some idea who it was.

     “Oh, hey Zack,” she walked into his stretched out arms.

     “Hi, Beautiful.  What’s going on?”

     “Not much.  What about you?  I haven’t seen or heard from you in a long while.”

     “I’m doing alright.”

     “Just alright?  Working hard?” she asked?

     “You know the routine, girl.  Working hard hardly working.”  They sat.

“I’ve been back from Napa about three weeks and that place is a mad house.”

     “
Felt told me that you had to go and see about your parents.  How are they doing?”

     “They’re doing fine.  It was not as bad as it seemed.  Dad has a touch of Angina but he’s going to be fine, now.  Upset because mom has him on a strict diet.” 

     “That’s good.  I know how close you all are.”

     “Did Felt remind you about tomorrow?”

     “Yes.  He said we need to be ready by three in the morning.  Don’t you think that’s a little too early?”

     “Are you kidding me?  Do you know that if we leave at that time we will be there by eight and we’ll miss all the Thursd
ay morning traffic going that a way.  Most people will be just getting started at that time.  If it wasn’t such a problem we’d be leaving tonight but Felt was still at work when I left and traffic is a terrible right now.”

     “I know.  I guess that’s not so bad.  It is the 4th of July weekend.  Vacationers, commuters
, not something I would want to deal with tomorrow morning.”

     Shyla watched as they continued their conversation.  At first she wondered what they were talking about then she remembered that Zackary had invited all of them to his family home back in Napa, California a month or two
before the cruise.  She had declined but her cousin talked her into it, saying that they had never been apart for the holiday and she didn’t want them to start now.  They were all that each other had except for Essence’s husband Felton. Felton and Zackary had become best friends in college and decided on the same profession, so it wasn’t news to anyone that the two would open a veterinarian clinic together.

     Essence turned to her.  “I see you’re wondering what we’re discussing.  Tomorrow we’re going up north.”  Shyla looked to Zackary and then back at Essence.  “Zack’s family own property up there remember?”  Shyla still didn’t respond.  What would she say?  She pretended not to remember, so Essence continued on.  “We talked about it a few weeks back and you promised that you would go.  Don’t bail on me now, Shy.”

     Shyla wasn’t sure she wanted to be in Zackary’s company for five days.  It was so much unresolved between them and she didn’t know how long she could keep up the charade of being mad at him.  “I don’t recall that conversation.  I think I’m going to be busy tomorrow, Ess.  I must have forgotten because I made plans with Kemah.”  That wasn’t entirely a lie but it wasn’t the truth.  Kemah told her that if she didn’t have anything planned that she could spend the holiday with her and her cousin but later recanted because she did remember that Zackary was going to get her up to his place, with the help of Essence.

     “Well cancel them,” Essence replied.  “I’m your cousin.  We’re never apart for the holidays and you
promised.”  Shyla could see the sadness in her cousin’s eyes but she also knew she was being played.

     “I know Ess but what about Kemah?”

     “Ask her to come with us.”  She then looked at Zackary.  “You don’t mind right Zack?”

     He shook his head, saying no.  “The more the merrier.”  As long as he got to spend some time with Shyla, he thought silently, any and everyone was welcomed to come.  This time he would not let anything come between them.  He was going to go out of his way to get and keep this woman in his life.  Come hell or high water he would succeed.

     “Shy it’s only five days and we have so much planned.  We are going to have so much fun, you’ll see.”  Then she added, “And since I’m not taking no for an answer I suggest you go home and get packed.  We don’t want to be waiting on you for hour’s tomorrow morning.”

Shyla rolled her eyes.  “It doesn’t take me but a few minutes to pack.”

     “Does that mean you’re still going?”

     Inside Zackary was smiling.  He didn’t know what she had planned but if Essence couldn’t convince her to go then he definitely would.  There was no way he was heading to Monterey for a five day weekend and leaving this woman behind.

     Shyla’s speaking brought his attention back to the conversation that she and Essence was engaged in.

     “What about my job?  I do have clients.  What if I am needed for an emergency?”

     Essence laughed.  “That’s funny Shy.  You’re your own boss, you don’t have to work unless you want to and I know for a fact that you have an on-call assistant.”  If Zackary hadn’t known this information, Essence would have busted her in front of him.  Shyla rolled her eyes once again.  She wanted to go but she didn’t want Zackary to think she was anxious about spending some time away with him.  She had a feeling that he already had that idea in his head.  He was a little too happy.  He had a giant smile on his face.   Maybe they could start over and get to know each other better.

     “So Shy, are you going or are you going?”

     She looked at Zackary and then back to Essence who was poking out her lips waiting for an answer.  Even though Essence was the older she was spoiled and had ways of getting Shyla to do what she wanted.  Shyla could not say no to her favorite and only cousin.

     “Yes, Ess,” she sighed.  “I’m going.” 

     Essence jumped from her seat hugging her.  “We are going to have so much fun.  You’ll see.  I know we will.”  Shyla looked over at Zackary who was still smiling, then turned and winked at her.  ‘What am I getting myself into this weekend?’  She thought.  It almost seemed like Zackary was reading her thought.  His smile widened and then he mouthed the words while pointing from him to her several times.  “This weekend, you and me,” she moaned.  She was really in trouble.

     Felton was not surprised to see Zackary sitting in his favorite spot when he walked into the house minutes later.  He was the one to tell him where he could find Shyla, while Shyla thought it was his wife.  Felton wasn’t sure if he should because both of them had been hurt
badly before and had promised never to get heavily involved with anyone else but he also knew that Zackary cared a lot about his wife’s cousin.  He wasn’t quite sure how Shyla felt about him but he prayed that she wouldn’t hurt him like his ex-wife had.

   Back in college Zackary had met and married the woman he thought
would be his forever.  It seemed to be love at first sight.  Gloria had other ideas, he soon found out.  The wedding started off right but after six months it was on a slow slope to hell and it grew faster with each passing day.

   Gloria was a beautiful woman and she knew it.  That was her problem.  She was spoiled and selfish.  Zackary gave her everything, asking for nothing but her love in return.  She took and took until she chose to walk away.  She left a year before college ended. 

   Zackary became a veterinarian and established his own office in the city then built himself a home on his family’s property in Monterey California.  Word got back to Gloria and she slithered her way back into his life.  After all they were still married.  She came back and Zackary welcomed her with opened arms.  She explained that she was not ready for that kind of a commitment at that point in her life, she was young and eager and wanted to see the world but now she wanted what she had left behind.  The man she loved.  Some of his family members were not happy with the situation but he was his own man and it was his life.  Less than three months after her return she fell pregnant. 

   Once again he catered to her every need, giving in to whatever she wanted.  After giving birth to beautiful
twin daughters Gloria was no longer the only female in his life.  His daughter’s, they became the apple of their father’s eyes.  Zackary no longer catered to Gloria.  He still loved her, he still did the things that she needed but he was there for his daughters more.  Soon she became jealous of their children.  Everything he had done for her he was now doing for his children.  Bathing them, feeding them and spending quality time at home.  Nothing else was more important. 

Gloria was not being the mother th
at Zackary felt their baby girls needed.  She was still spoiled, self-centered and a user.  Zackary bought beautiful diamonds and other valuables that the girls would inherit when they became of age. 

   He started trust funds and college funds for them.  Things any good parent would do for their child whether they thought they could afford it or not.  This disturbed Gloria to the point of leaving with the girls and only accepting monetary payment to get them back.  It wasn’t kidnapping, these were her children, also.  It was only fair, she had given these babies to him and she deserved something in return.  She lost her figure she couldn’t party like she was used to.  She was still in the early stages of womanhood and she wanted to flaunt her stuff.

   After opening an account in Gloria’s name only she brought the children back.  In less than 2 months the money was gone.  Finally Zackary gave her an ultimatum.  Either be a mother to the girls and a wife to him or get to stepping.  He didn’t want to do that but what choice did he have.  He wanted his wife and his children needed their mother.  Two weeks later he came home from work and could hear the girls screaming before he got to the porch.  He wondered why his wife was letting this happen.  When he entered the house he knew. 

   Gloria had left, her possessions and part of his, gone.  Attached to the crib was a note that she was gone and would not be returning.  She also had stated that she had wiped out the joint account.  It was her money and she earned it.  Thank God it was only a couple hundred thousand dollars there.  The bulk of their money was tied up in other accounts and bonds. But Zackary didn’t care about the money his main concern was his daughters. 

   Gloria no longer wanted to be a wife and mother and that was fine but he couldn’t believe that even in the state she was in that she would leave two helpless, innocent babies alone.  He found out months later that she was involved with another man.  They had planned to marry and he needed to sign divorce papers.  She didn’t ask for anything because she knew she had messed up and left too much for him to use on her in court.  The other guy was some sort of doctor.  Good for him.  Now she was his problem.

     “What’s up my people?”

     Everyone stopped talking when Felton walked in.  “Hello wifey.”  He pulled Essence into his arms and gave her a hug and what seemed to be a long steamy hello kiss.

     “Hello husband.” 

     “Umm.  You have the best kisses, baby.”  He pulled her even closer.  “Let me have another.”  Zackary and Shyla stared at one another looking for some sort of reaction.  Zackary pretended to be massaging his neck while Shyla rubbed her hands together as if drying sweat off.

     “Not in front of our company.”  She tried to move out of his reach but Felton Childress was not having any of that

     “Forget them,” he snapped jokingly.  “I need my sugar.  And if they were bright, which at the moment they are not, they would be trying to get them some.” 

Shyla gasped in disbelief.  Zackary continued to smile, nodding in her direction.

     Essence cuddled into Felton’s embrace.  “And you shall have your sugar my handsome husband.”  She gave him a kiss that spoke volumes.  He lifted her up in his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck not breaking their kiss.  Shyla and Zackary were both blushing.  What would it take to get that from him she thought and he was thinking the same.

   Felton had been so detained by his wife’s lips that he almost forgot that company was seated in the same room as them.  He was about to head up stair when Zackary cleared his throat and Shyla sat rolling her eyes.  “Get a room.  Dang!”

     Felton put his wife to her feet and patted her on the bottom before he turned to his friend.  Essence ran into the kitchen to check on dinner.  “I was about to get a room had the two of you not stopped me.  So now I have to wait until the two of you leave.  And you are leaving.  You ain’t gotta go home…you know the rest.”

     “You are a sad little man, Felton Childress,” Shyla said.

     “Why?  Because I love my wife, because we have a very, very active sex life.”

     “That’s a little bit too much info for my tender ears, cousin.”  She put her hands to her ears.

     “Whatever.  You both need to try it.  Believe me it works and when the stress levels are up, there is nothing that relieves it faster than having the house all too yourself and getting it on in every room of the house with your significant other.  One time we were in the game room and oh boy, talk about christening the pool table.  We don’t even play pool anymore.  That there is for special recreational pleasures,” he tugged at his belt buckle.