What God Has For Me (5 page)

“Nope.” Desi had shaken her head and gave her
a deadpan stare. “He’s
my
brother-in-law. To you, he’s an
eligible bachelor—very eligible—and I think he has a crush on you,”
she said in a teasing tone.

“I wouldn’t mind having another Bishop man as
a son-in-law,” her mother added to the pot with a sparkle of
mischief in her eyes. “Zach’s not too young for Tracey or too old
for Halcyon. He can take his pick. Plus, he likes children…”

Tracey had quickly refuted, “Leave me out of
it.”

Halcyon hadn’t said a word and did her best
to ignore their comments, but now with Zachary so close to her, she
was aware of his sexiness. Talk about the power of suggestion. She
blinked to dismiss those thoughts.

She was comfortable with the relationship she
and Zachary enjoyed. He was like the brother she never had. He was
sweet, charming and a practicing Christian, careful in his words
and actions. And Halcyon was the opposite. She was always
determined to have her way, which Granny Rose reminded her could
get her into trouble and of course, it did.

As her mind wandered, Zachary hadn’t said a
word. She turned her head and stared into his face. He was truly,
undeniably handsome in his navy blue and white striped polo shirt
and tan shorts that showcased that he was not only built at the
top, but he had muscles in his legs, as well. Strong, fierce, yet
gentle. “Why aren’t you married?” She was curious.

“Because the woman I want hasn’t said yes.”
Zachary didn’t blink.

So there was someone.
Halcyon didn’t
know if she was supposed to be happy that he found someone to love
or jealous that a lucky woman was getting a jewel while she had
chosen a jerk. She swallowed under his intense stare that seemed to
soften. “Have you asked her?”

“Not yet. She’s been through the fire to
purify her and rid her of all the trash that was in her life. Now,
I’m waiting for her to recognize her precious value as a treasure.
Until then, it’s a waiting game and I’ll continue to pray for her
from the sidelines.”

“
Ah
, that’s sweet.” Her eyes misted
and she disengaged their hands so she could rub his jaw. “You’re
such a good man, Zachary Hezekiah Bishop.” She wondered if the
mother of his children would carry on the tradition of a Biblical
name for his middle name.

“And you Halcyon Bridget Holland are an
exceptional gem. Just because one man didn’t show you how precious
you are, make no mistake that another man will appreciate your
worth.” He squeezed her hand again then closed his eyes as if he
was praying, then stood.

As she followed his swagger out to the yard
to join in a game with the children, Halcyon shivered. Was there
still hope for her? Would another man accept her children as part
of the package?

Could Halcyon not see his love? Zachary had been
asking himself that same question over and over since the barbecue:
from the kiss that landed on his lips, the touch, and his heartfelt
words, did she know that he wanted more from her?

Maybe Michael did have a point. Zachary was
moving too slow. After all, he had been waiting four years—no
fifty-one months—for a chance to explore a more personal
relationship with her.

“Lord, I’m planting these seeds in Halcyon’s
heart, please cause the increase,” Zachary whispered his morning
prayer as he headed for work, prepared for a busy day.

By mid-morning his mind was still on Halcyon,
so right after a conference call, he ordered a fruit basket to be
sent to the Holland household filled with balloons, snacks, bears
for the ladies and toys for the children.

Next on his agenda was to visit two of his
three franchises, including Car Craze, a thriving business of
mobile minor auto repair services with a fleet of four mechanics
now. He couldn’t believe how fast the concept was growing. The day
stretched out to be a long evening. Zachary seriously considered
hiring more managers.

It was late when Zachary returned home that
night. The only thing he wanted was food and a bed. In less than
twenty minutes, he stepped out the shower refreshed and ready to
warm up some of Mrs. Holland’s leftovers from Sunday’s dinner. His
grip was on the refrigerator door handle when a musical chime
floated in the air, coming from his bedroom. He recognized his cell
phone.

Immediately, Zachary glanced at the time on
the microwave: 11:12. It was too late for a casual call. Something
had to be wrong. He hurried to the phone. After checking the caller
I.D., he answered without the cordial greeting. “Mom Holland is
everything all right?” His heart pounded, wondering who was sick,
in the hospital or worse.

“I hate to bother you, sweetie, at this late
hour. It’s Halcyon—”

“I’m on my way.” Zachary reached for his
pants.

“Wait,” Mrs. Holland halted his movement.
“She had car trouble on her way to work and she’s stuck on I-370,
waiting for AAA—”

Zachary didn’t let her mother finish. “I’m on
my way,” he repeated. This time Zachary ended the call as he donned
his discarded clothes from earlier. He wasn’t a worrier by nature,
but when it came to Halcyon, she drove him crazy followed by her
two adorable children. Without saying the words to her, she had to
know he loved them fiercely, always had.

Concerned about her safety, being stranded on
a highway at night and alone, Zachary tested the grace of exceeding
the speed limit. Soon he could see the hazard lights flashing less
than a mile ahead when he exited onto the interstate, yet the
distance seemed so far away.

Finally, Zachary slowed to park behind
Halcyon’s black Sonata. Looking in both directions, there was no
sight of a motorist assist truck. Grunting, he stepped out of his
vehicle and walked swiftly, peering into the back seat. Halcyon
jumped when he tapped on her driver’s side window. Relief flooded
across her face when she recognized him.

Once Halcyon unlocked her door, Zachary
practically lifted her out the seat. With his arm secured around
her small waist, he kept her close, shielding her from oncoming
traffic as he pulled her on the other side of the car, even though
there were few vehicles on the road. Halcyon didn’t resist his
closeness as she seemed to melt against his chest.

Zachary reluctantly loosened his hold so he
could get a look at her and make sure that she was okay. Once he
was satisfied, he whipped out his cell phone and called Mrs.
Holland. “I got her,” he said when Halcyon’s mother answered.

“Praise God.” She sighed in relief. “Thank
you, sweetie.”

“She’s safe.” After telling Mrs. Holland
goodnight, he turned his attention back on Halcyon. “What’s wrong
with the car, Bridget?”

“It’s the check engine light; it flashed on
again.”

“Again!” Zachary gritted his teeth to keep
from saying more.
Women,
he huffed. How many times had he
reminded the Holland women that proper maintenance will keep a car
running? He folded his arms.

“Yeah...” She cast him an alluring smile that
he didn’t fall for this time. Well, maybe a little. “It came on
once yesterday, then went off, so I forgot it until just now. I
planned to get it checked out in the morning.” She smiled again and
capped it off with big brown eyes that pleaded for his
forgiveness.

Zachary refused to fall for her charm. He
wanted to strangle Halcyon for putting herself and potentially the
children in danger. “Hmm-mm.”

Pulling his arms apart, she attempted to give
him another hug. “Don’t be mad at me. I was almost at my exit when
it died. I called AAA, but they said it would be at least an hour
and a half. I don’t know why the delay. At this hour, everybody
should be in bed.”

“Including me,” Zachary mumbled. Suddenly, he
remembered how exhausted he was an hour or so earlier. That was
before his adrenaline gave him a shot when he conjured up all the
possible scenarios that Halcyon could be facing.

She must not have heard his comment because
she rattled on. “I called my supervisor and told her I was going to
be late. Wanda didn’t even ask if I was all right or if there was a
problem. She told me the warehouse had a light load, so don’t
bother. I didn’t question whether that meant I still had a job or
not.”

“Get your purse,” he ordered, glancing up and
down the dark highway. There was still no roadside assistance in
sight. Once she complied, Zachary guided her to the passenger side
of his SUV and made sure she was inside before he came around and
got behind the wheel.

As he angled his body to look at Halcyon, he
noted that the full moon had cast a soft glow on her face,
highlighting her seductive eyes outlined with thick lashes. He was
supposed to be mad at her, not be seduced by her.

Zachary cleared his throat to regain control.
“Number one,
I
am your AAA”—he patted his chest—“so call me.
I don’t there to be a next time. I do own a mobile auto repair
business, you know. Now, back to the problem. There’s a reason why
the light alerted you in the first place. Second, I’m not concerned
about your boss’s cryptic message. I’m in need of an office manager
at my main electronics store. You’re hired. Come in the morning and
fill out the paperwork.” Zachary couldn’t believe he had created a
job like that in an instant. There was no turning back now. “I’ll
pay you twice as much as what you’re making, with benefits.”

Halcyon’s jaw dropped. “You’ll double $20.00
an hour?”

“Don’t push it.” He scowled, then winked.

“Just teasing. I wish I had made that much
there.” She looked away. “But I have to keep telling myself that
this job allows me to be at home with the children. I can’t afford
a daycare for two, so if I include that perk, I’m making more than
enough money.” Halcyon sounded as if she was trying to convince
herself.

“Bring them with you tomorrow, Super Mom.” He
sweetened the deal.

Out of nowhere, tears spilled from Halcyon’s
eyes faster than she could swipe at them. Zachary couldn’t stand to
see her so upset. Reaching over, he gathered her in his arms. “I’m
sorry, Bridget,” he cooed. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.
Shh
.”

That’s when she really sobbed and shook her
head. “Zach, I don’t want to be a charity case.”

Zachary held her while she continued to sob.
What Halcyon needed was Jesus’ charity, but she would be too
defiant to accept the Lord’s spiritual blessings.

Once she began to sniff, she rummaged through
her purse and pulled out a tissue. Since Zachary had Halcyon all to
himself with no distraction, including the tow truck driver, he
made up his mind he might as well put everything out there.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Miss Holland.”
He lowered his voice and searched her face to make sure he had her
complete attention. “I love you. You’re my heart, and Ashanti and
Jonathan are my heart drops. I take care of people I care about and
I’ve been there for you…”

She nodded. He hoped she recalled some of the
many times he had cheered her up about some unspoken problem or
gave Ashanti more one-on-one attention than her own father. “I
know,” she barely whispered.

“The only reason I didn’t give Scott a beat
down, besides wanting to maintain my integrity with Christ, is
because you were never Scott’s in the first place. God had you for
me.”

Realization of what he was saying must have
finally sunk in because Halcyon’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy? Are
you listening to yourself? God wouldn’t handpick a woman already
living in sin with a man, then having his two children out of
wedlock for a godly man like you,” she argued.

Zachary thought about one instance in the Old
Testament when God led Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, for His
purpose and as a testament of His love for His people. He doubted
Halcyon would appreciate the analogy.

“What does your past have to do with what’s
in my heart? At some point in our lives, God has kept us all from
self-destructing. Been there and done that. I’ve been smitten since
I saw you at Desi and Michael’s wedding.”

“That was before you knew I was living with a
man.”

“You weren’t married to him. That was before
you knew I existed…small technicality.”

“No, that was huge, Zach!” she countered. “I
thought we were going to get married too. You mean to tell me that
you have been holding out for four years for me?”

“Actually, four years and three months,”
Zachary corrected. He could tell that he was beginning to frustrate
her because she started finger combing through her hair, but he
refused to back down now. It wasn’t as if he planned to tell her he
loved her inside his vehicle instead of across the table, enjoying
a candlelight dinner, but he could thank her car trouble for
that.

“What if…” she began as the tow truck finally
arrived.

“Let it go, Bridget,” Zachary said, then got
out to meet the driver. After speaking with the man who apologized
for his tardiness because he got a flat tire, Zachary assured him
that everything worked out fine, then opened his car door. Halcyon
didn’t look at him. “Is it okay for me to have it towed to Car
Craze? I’ll send one of my cars to pick you and the children up
tomorrow.”

When he climbed back into his SUV, Halcyon
was dabbing at her eyes. “Bridget, what’s wrong?”

“I’m overwhelmed. Scott told me he loved me,
but I never saw it. I’m finally seeing it.”

Zachary grinned. His mission was
accomplished. Strapping on his seatbelt, Zachary headed to take
Halcyon home. “If you think this is something, can you imagine
God’s unconditional love?”

My life is getting out of control,
was the
only thought running through Halcyon’s mind as she sat quietly in
the passenger’s seat. Yes, she needed another job, but not another
relationship—not yet. Could Zachary—nothing more than a man who had
her big brother up until…a few minutes ago—accept that?