The Replacement Wife (25 page)

Q
uentin followed Montana back home after they'd left the restaurant. He was glad that Emoni had invited him. He felt that it was her way of letting Montana know that she, and everyone else at church, would be fine with her dating him. And it seemed necessary, because Montana had, all of a sudden, gotten a case of cold feet.

Quentin jumped out of his car to walk Montana to the door of her cottage. She rewarded him with one of her smiles.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Quentin asked.

Montana nodded. “I did. Did you and Emoni plan that whole thing?”

“No, but I think maybe she planned it. You're not mad at her, are you?”

“I'm not mad, but I don't know if I want everyone to know about us yet.”

Quentin slid his hand in hers. “I know you don't. But no matter when it comes out that we're dating, it still won't change what Chloe said in her lawsuit.”

“You thought you'd slip that in, huh? We're not officially dating yet, sir.”

Quentin said, “Why aren't we?”

“I'm not sure,” Montana said with a shrug.

“You know, I prayed about this before I went to Bishop Prentiss and asked if I could come back. I asked God to forgive me for what happened with Chloe. That's why I decided to give her the twenty million she asked for.”

“You asked God to forgive you? Wait you gave her twenty million dollars?”

“I asked God to forgive me for my sin. Chloe was a part of that. I want to be a better father—well, a better man. I know I can't do that without God in my life.”

“But you gave her twenty million dollars?” Montana said.

“It was worth it to be done with Chloe. I didn't want a long drawn out lawsuit. I want to be with you.”

“You did all that so we could be together?” Montana asked.

Quentin smiled. “I am falling in love with you, Montana. The right kind of love. I don't want you to be my girlfriend or arm candy. I want you to be my wife. I know you're not ready yet, but do know that is my goal.”

Quentin felt relieved that he'd gotten it all out. Montana had to know that this was different than what he'd had with Chloe. His love for Montana was pure and not sullied with sin. He wanted to keep it that way.

“Are you okay with that being my plan?” Quentin asked.

She answered him with a kiss that buckled his knees. Then she turned her key in the lock to the cottage door.

“Good night, Quentin.”

“Good night.”

With his lips still tingling from her kiss, Quentin jumped down the cottage steps and jogged to his car. He felt his heart beat out of his chest with love for her. He wasn't falling, he had fallen. There was no way he'd be able to date Montana for five years or even five months without making her his bride.

I
t was the day of the masquerade ball, and the mansion was abuzz with activity. The florists had started arriving yesterday and were placing flowers everywhere. It smelled like a honeybee's amusement park with the sweet scents of the roses, lilies, and tulips.

Darrin had arrived early in the morning to start the meal preparation, so in addition to the flowers, the scents of slow-roasting meats filled the mansion. Montana's stomach growled in expectation, but she was so nervous that she couldn't eat anything if she tried.

Montana made her way to the kitchen, where Emoni and Trent were assisting Darrin. They were his kitchen staff, and they were probably free labor.

“Moni, babe, hand me that spatula,” Darrin said.

Emoni rolled her eyes. “Did you forget to say please? Don't just be barking orders. Trent and I are volunteers.”

Trent handed Darrin the spatula and said, “Here you go.”

Emoni poked out her lips and rolled her eyes. “You are empowering him, Trent! You teach people how to treat you!”

Darrin looked up and saw Montana. He smiled and waved. “Montana, will you please remove your friend from my kitchen. She is messing up my cooking vibes with her fussing.”

“Remove me?” Emoni said. “See this is exactly what I'm talking about. He is always bossing somebody and barking . . .”

Darrin crossed the space between them in two steps and silenced her with a kiss. “Hush! It is stressful in here, babe. I will be barking orders all day. If you don't want to hang, you don't have to. Go help Montana, please, and thank you. Love you.”

“Do you have everything you need?” Montana asked.

Darrin nodded. “I do. This is going to be huge for me. I'm sure to have a bunch of clients after this. Thanks for pulling some strings for me.”

“You're my brother! Of course!”

Montana pulled Emoni out of the kitchen and into the parlor and living areas that had been transformed into a ballroom equipped with tables with white tablecloths and chairs with big white linen bows on the back of each one. The floral centerpieces added color against the white and silver scheme.

Emoni burst into laughter. “Girl, thank you for rescuing me from that kitchen! All that steam was going to sweat out my roller set.”

“So you were just gonna fuss until he kicked you out?”

“Um, yes. I couldn't seem like I wasn't supporting his dream.”

Montana burst into laughter. “You are a real hot mess, do you know that?”

“Only lukewarm, baby. God is working on me.”

“So what's up with your date?” Emoni asked.

Montana scrunched her nose into a frown. “What date?”

“I think it's the perfect time to come out with this. Chloe showed her behind to all of Atlanta. So why keep it a secret?”

“Because I don't want it to seem like I stole him from her.”

“She gave him to you. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

Montana shook her head. “Oh no. I don't feel guilty. I'm just saying there's a better way to do this. We don't need to humiliate Chloe further.”

“Why do we care about Chloe again? She's gone!” Emoni said.

“Do you have your dress for the party here, or do you need to go home and get dressed?”

“No, I have it here. I was hoping to be able to get dressed in your little cottage.”

“Oh, not a problem. We might even get a chance to relax before this thing starts.”

Estelle descended the spiral staircase with a smile on her face. She'd already had her hair done in a high, curly bun. She looked regal, and she wasn't even wearing her ball gown yet.

“How is everything progressing?” she asked Montana.

“Everything is perfect. It's going to be wonderful.”

Estelle touched Montana's arm lightly as she approached the two young women. “Well, then, I want you to relax. Go and get beautiful. You've got to look flawless in that gown, honey.”

“Oh, I'm wearing one of my dresses from church.”

Estelle said, “I may have left something for you to wear in your cottage.”

“Estelle, you didn't.”

“I'm not sure what was done, actually. I think you're going to have to go and see,” Estelle said with a laugh.

Montana and Emoni squealed like two teenagers on their way to their first concert. Montana hugged Estelle gently, making sure not to muss her hair.

“Thank you so much for whatever you've done, Estelle. And thank you for what you've already done.”

Estelle said, “Only the best for my son.”

Montana's eyes filled with tears. It meant so much to her that Estelle believed that she was a match for Quentin. A lot of women had to spend time convincing their man's mother that they're even worthy, but Estelle had been her advocate from day one.

Montana and Emoni dashed out of the main mansion to Montana's cottage. Montana stopped in her tracks when she walked through the front door. There were racks and racks of designer dresses, stacks of shoes, and a display case of jewelry in her living room.

“Are you Montana?” asked the petite British woman standing in the center of the room.

“I am! Is all of this for me?”

The woman smiled and handed Montana a note. “I'm supposed to give you this first.”

Montana grinned from ear to ear as she opened the note.
Montana, I know this is really last minute, but I was wondering if you'd be my date for the evening. And please forgive me, but you can't go to a formal ball wearing one of your church dresses. I think you're beautiful in your church clothes, but I wouldn't want the society ladies to have anything negative to say about my date. Please let Serena dress you. I can't wait to see the results. Affectionately, Quentin.

“What does it say?” Emoni asked.

Montana winked at her. “None of your business. I'm ready to pick a dress now.”

“My name is Serena, and I will be your stylist for the evening. Quentin wasn't sure what you'd like, so he had me bring lots of options. Do you have something in mind?”

Montana fingered through one of the racks of dresses, unsure of what she should wear. The only time she'd ever worn a formal dress was at her prom.

“Do you have anything in a pale blue?” Montana asked.

Emoni said, “Yes! Pale blue and shimmery.”

“Yep. Like Cinderella.”

Serena smiled. “Yes, I have just the thing.”

The dress Serena selected was a knee-length, pale blue halter dress with a crystal covered bodice. The skirt had mini pleats and flared. It was perfect.

“The only jewelry you need for this dress is a pair of diamond earrings and a diamond tennis bracelet. And of course glass slippers,” Serena said.

Serena's idea of glass slippers were clear sling-back pumps covered in crystals. They completed the fairy-tale look.

Next was hair and makeup. An entire crew of stylists worked on Montana and Emoni, creating a fierce updo for Emoni and a headful of ringlets for Montana. The curls were pinned up on one side, giving Montana a very youthful look.

When she was completely dressed, Serena led Montana to a mirror. Montana yelled when she saw her reflection. She almost didn't recognize herself.

“You look incredible,” Emoni said. “Who knew you cleaned up so well?”

“I know I didn't,” Montana said.

Emoni said, “This looks so much better than your church dress.”

They both laughed.

“You ready to go and get your prince now?” Emoni asked.

“It seems like he's insisting on it, huh?”

Quentin certainly didn't have a problem with letting his intentions be known. He was in pursuit of Montana and planned to claim her, at least for the evening. But as much as Montana loved the new dress, shoes, and jewelry, she wasn't impressed. Spending money was easy for Quentin. He'd have to do more than buy her things to win her heart.

Q
uentin stood at the foot of the spiral staircase, fully dressed in his tuxedo and bow tie, and beheld the mansion transformed into a ballroom. With all of the drama that had gone on in the past couple of weeks, Quentin hadn't taken time out to remember what the event was all about. They were going to raise a boatload of money for the women at Transitions.

The auction area was full of unique and rare jewelry pieces and an art collection by a local painter who was featured at a New York City gallery. Of course, the rich bachelor auction was sure to rake in the dollars as well. It was going to be a great event.

Estelle walked up and kissed his cheek. “You look quite dapper, son. I wish your father was still alive to see you in a tux.”

“He did, at my wedding, remember?”

“That's right. Well, you're older now, and more handsome. You look just like him.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

The guests had started to arrive, so Estelle turned on her hostess charm. She moved through the room, granting air kisses to her associates and real hugs and kisses to her dear friends. Estelle was never fake, and every one of the party's guests knew where they stood with her.

It was hard to tell who was who with the sea of masks floating through the front door. Quentin had opted not to wear a mask, but many of the men did. The masks gave the event a haunting feel that made Quentin apprehensive.

The party really became festive when the band started to play. They had opted for old-school R & B and jazz instead of classical or gospel, and many of the couples took to the dance floor even though dinner hadn't yet been served.

The social circles in Atlanta were quite small, and most everyone had heard about the demise of Quentin and Chloe's relationship. Quentin felt fortunate that no one, so far, had asked him where Chloe was. He planned to say to anyone who asked, “I don't think she's going to be able to make it.” It was the truth without giving away any of the bad blood or embarrassing Chloe even further.

Emoni walked by and hugged Quentin. “Look at Lord Chambers, looking quite scrumptious. I might just have to ditch my boyfriend. Who's your date for the evening?”

Quentin laughed. “As much as I would love to have you on my arm, I've asked Montana. Plus, your man is kind of swollen in the biceps area, so I think I'm going to pass.”

“Your loss. It would've been grand!”

“You are a nut. Where's Montana?”

“Well, she has to make an entrance. She looks spectacular. You better make her official real quickly, because if you don't, she is going to have a long line of suitors after tonight.”

Quentin nodded. “I hear you. I plan to make that happen real soon.”

“Don't snooze, playa.”

“How did you get so hood, Emoni? Where did Bishop go wrong?”

Emoni punched Quentin in the arm. “Where did he go right, you mean? Don't make me beat you down and get your little tux all dusty.”

And then Quentin saw Montana walk into the room. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her in the pale blue dress. The sparkling shimmer of the fabric seemed to extend to her arms, face, and shoulders. She was aglow, and like the star that she was, she caused all activity in the room to cease. Dancers stopped dancing, chatters stopped chatting, and those who were eating appetizers stopped chewing as she captivated all with her presence.

From head to toe, there was not one flaw Quentin could find in Montana. He wanted to end the party right then and sweep her away somewhere, to Vegas, and make her his bride.

While everyone gazed at Montana, she seemed to have eyes only for Quentin. She beamed at him as she stood facing him. Who was Quentin kidding with not announcing Montana as his date? Anyone who looked at them would see that something was there. And that something was an attraction so deep it was almost like there was no one else in the room.

“Hi, Quentin. What do you think?” Montana asked.

“Uh . . . wow. I can't think! You look incredible.”

Her smile grew. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome. You can have every one of those dresses if you want. I'll plan a formal dinner every night of the week just to see you wearing them.”

Montana slapped Quentin on the arm. “Stop trying to buy me stuff.”

“No. I am not going to stop buying you stuff. You're just going to have to get used to it.”

“They're about to serve dinner,” Montana said. “I promised the members of Freedom of Life that I'd sit with them. Is that okay with you?”

Montana looked so breathtaking that he didn't want her out of his sight. “Of course it's okay. I want to sit where you're sitting.”

Montana blushed and looked away from Quentin's intense gaze. Quentin was serious about what he'd said. He wasn't going to stop buying her things. He wasn't going to stop wooing her. He wasn't going to stop chasing her until she was caught.

Montana waved as she made her way to the tables reserved for their church members. Estelle had wanted them to have a high-society experience, just like they were millionaires too, so their table was near the center of the room. Bishop and First Lady Prentiss looked stunning in their attire, and Bishop Prentiss's assistant, Oscar, looked like he was having a good time for a change. Emoni and Darrin were perfect together.

The men at the table stood when Montana and Quentin approached. Montana waved for them to sit down, but they waited until she slid into the chair Quentin held out for her.

Tyler, Bishop Prentiss's oldest son and fellow bachelor in the auction, said, “So who does everyone think is going to get the highest bid in the auction tonight? Me or Quentin?”

Quentin laughed out loud. “I think it's more than obvious that you are going to lose, Tyler. It's all right, though. You can graciously defer to your host.”

“Man, listen! Lots of women want to be a preacher's wife.”

Darrin said, “Y'all should just be glad Emoni wouldn't let me be in the auction. Every woman wants a man who can cook.”

“And why would you be in a bachelor auction?” Emoni asked. “This is how you get yourself in trouble.”

Darrin laughed, “I wouldn't, sweetheart. I'm just teasing you.”

Emoni frowned until Darrin kissed her cheek and her sour facial expression melted. Quentin couldn't wait until he and Montana had that rapport. He knew that they were at the beginning of their journey, but Quentin was convinced that he and Montana would be soul mates.

“Montana, honey, you look lovely,” First Lady Prentiss said. “Estelle just raves about you all the time. She said she couldn't have done this ball without you.”

“We worked really hard to pull this together. And it's for a wonderful cause.”

Bishop Prentiss said, “A blessed cause. Quentin, Montana has been telling me so much about the work you do at Transitions, and Freedom of Life wants to be a help to you. You don't need to do it alone.”

“Right, Quentin,” Tyler said. “We've got ministry partners who would be glad to volunteer for shifts at Transitions.”

“Freedom of Life wants to partner with you,” Bishop Prentiss said. “It was Montana's idea, though. She saw the ministry there. You never stopped serving God, son. Your ministry was outside the church walls.”

Quentin grinned at Montana. He wanted to kiss her right here at the table. She'd gone, on his behalf, to talk to Bishop Prentiss, because she saw a need. He needed help with Transitions. It was time for him to stop carrying that particular burden alone.

“Bishop Prentiss, I welcome your help,” Quentin replied.

“Well, you've got it. We'll meet and talk about it next week.”

Quentin squeezed Montana's hand under the table. He kept talking to God about Montana, and all he felt was confirmation that she was the one and that He didn't fail.

God didn't fail, but Quentin was all too aware of his own imperfections. He'd been blessed with a near-perfect woman in Chandra, a soul mate and a partner. Could he be blessed again? Would God favor him that much to give him a second woman of his dreams?