His First Lady Read online

  “The First lady is not a topic that you and I discuss. Anyway, I’ve got plans to run for city council and I don’t need any problems so if you just stick to the plan.”

  Ariel raised her eyebrows inquisitively. “City council? Where is this coming from?”

  “I haven’t told anyone yet and it’s just the beginning.”

  Ariel looked at him, baffled. Leon leaned in closer to her and placed his hands on top of hers. “I’ll make sure you always have all the bags, jewelry, and furs that you want for the rest of your life.”

  “That’s what you think of me?” Ariel asked.

  “Isn’t that what you want?”

  Ariel looked at Leon but disputed nothing then looked at her menu. Leon looked over at his waitress who stood a few feet away with another table summoning her with his index finger. The waitress returned to the table just as Ariel put her shades back on her face and picked up the menu.

  “I’ll be having the T-bone steak and lobster.”

  Chapter 24

  Evan’s morning run hadn’t helped clear her mind much. There were still so many questions and so little answers coming forth in regard to Sam. Running just gave her that time with God that she missed when she was always surrounded by people.

  Finishing up her run, she huffed towards the edge of her driveway noticing Leon’s car still parked in the driveway instead of the garage. She thought he’d be gone by now; she secretly wished that he was gone. It seemed like they barely spoke anymore and it seemed the house was only peaceful when he wasn’t in it. She stopped and stood in place trying to catch her breath. She removed her ear buds before walking inside and toward the kitchen.

  She noticed Rosalie bent down on the floor, her bottom hanging out of the refrigerator as she scrubbed the inside of it. She must have recently arrived since she wasn’t there when Evan had left for her run.

  “Good morning Rosalie,” She said grabbing the bottle of water from the counter that Rosalie routinely sat out for her after her run.

  “Good morning Meese,” Rosalie said with a smile as she backed out of the fridge door showing her sweet face to Evan.

  “How are you today?” Evan managed to get out after a long gulp.

  “Fine, Meese; and you?” Rosalie asked not bothering to look at Evan but continuing to wipe out the fridge.

  “Fine, thank you.” Evan knew that Rosalie didn’t like to be disturbed when she worked so she sat at the dining room table and removed her shoes. With them in hand, she ran up the stairs toward her room. Leon frowned when she opened the door abruptly.

  “You’re still here?” Evan asked walking in and closing the door behind her.

  “Looks like it,” Leon said sitting on the bed and putting on his socks.

  Evan began removing her running clothes. She looked over at him just to see if he was watching her; secretly wishing that maybe he’d sneak a peek reassuring her that he was still attracted to her in some small way. He didn’t.

  Down to her underwear, she walked past him toward her drawer. “I tried calling Katie to check on Sundi but the phone is disconnected.”

  Leon looked over at her. “Obviously, she doesn’t want to hear from anyone.” He didn’t look long.

  “We’ve only heard from her one time since the hospital. I’m going to ride over to her apartment after my shower. You want to come?”

  Leon shook his head. “No, I don’t. She doesn’t want to be found and you need to understand that and mind your business. Leave them alone.”

  Evan closed her drawer with her clothes in her hand. “Why not? We haven’t been able to reach them in weeks?”

  A scowled look crossed Leon’s face. “Don’t ask me why I don’t want to do something? You’re not my mother and you sure as heck can’t make me do something I said I’m not going to do.”

  Evan grabbed her robe from the bed and put it on. “I just asked.”

  “That girl wanted attention and giving it to her is the wrong thing to do. Don’t go over there looking for her, feeding into that. Don’t you have other things to do?” Leon asked putting on his jacket and walking out of the bedroom without waiting for her answer.

  Evan watched Leon close the door behind him. As usual she was left standing watching his back as he closed a door again in her face. But no matter what he said, she had her convictions and wouldn’t be swayed this time. She walked into the bathroom to start her shower. She had already made up her mind.

  Leon had left without a word but it wasn’t anything that she wasn’t used to. Evan had been to Katie’s apartment once before so she knew exactly where it was. After climbing the stairs to the apartment, she walked around the outside; peeking in bare windows where she could but saw no sign that anyone still lived there. Evan banged on the door for a little bit but decided that it was useless because it was painfully obvious that they were gone. It was like they had just vanished.

  Leaving Katie’s apartment, she tried to recall if Katie ever mentioned where she worked; she didn’t think so. She really didn’t know them as well as she thought she had. She was basically out of leads and she knew she’d have to do a little more digging. Driving home, she thought about Sam again. There still weren’t any leads in his case. She just wanted answers. In quick thought, she made a sudden U-turn and headed back down the interstate.

  Evan drove slowly approaching Emily’s home, she saw a for sale sign in the front of the beautifully manicured lawn and a truck that looked like Greg’s in the driveway. Her original intention wasn’t to stop but seeing that it was Greg’s truck, she did. She pulled up behind his truck and got out of her car.

  She looked around curiously then walked up the walkway to the front door. It was locked. She quickly walked to the side door which was opened slightly, pushed, and then walked in. The house was cold and quiet. The overwhelming sadness she felt hit her hard just as it did when she arrived to the house right after Sam’s death.

  Folding her arms across her body from the chill, Evan froze at the spot where she remembered seeing Sam lying on the floor. She began hyperventilating and the more she recalled the events of that night, the more her body began to shake. With her hand to her chest, the reflex to vomit returned. Suddenly she felt a hand grab her around the shoulder pulling her out and into the living room.

  “First lady?” Greg asked surprised to see her. “Are you okay? What are you doing here?”

  A shocked Evan pushed Greg’s arm away as she bent over to catch her breath. When she stood upright Greg stood staring at her.

  “Are you alright?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  She looked up at Greg who looked so unlike himself, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans.

  “I don’t know. I just wanted to drive by and I saw your truck. I guess I wasn’t as prepared as I thought to come inside.”

  Greg looked concerned. “Yeah, it’s pretty difficult being here.”

  “What are you doing here?” Evan asked immediately noticing but unable to pretend like she hadn’t noticed Greg’s muscular arms in his white t-shirt.

  “Once a cop, always a cop; I didn’t lose the investigative officer in me just because Jesus called me to preach.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Evan said glancing around the house which was still fully furnished.

  “Why is that for sale sign outside? How can they sell the house when there is a murder investigation going on? Won’t it mess up any evidence?

  Greg sighed as he folded his arms. “Well, I suppose they’ve gathered as much evidence as they feel they’re going to get.”

  “I can’t believe that; can that be right?” Evan asked desperate to hear someone agree with her.

  Greg scratched his head. “That’s why I’m here. Nothing’s adding up although I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for.”

  Evan breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Something is strange about all this and Leon seems to think I’ve lost my mind. He ha
d me almost convinced.”

  “No, you haven’t lost your mind and we’re going to find out who did this,” Greg said as he began walking around the house. “My former partner Ben has been keeping me up to date on any progress they make. According to him, there isn’t much for them to go on and they don’t have any more leads right now. But he doesn’t miss much and he knows what this means to me.”

  “Good to hear. You almost seem like you miss it,” Evan said noticing how he seemed to light up when he spoke about the force.

  “Miss it?”

  “Police work,” Evan answered.

  Greg looked over at her and smiled. “That bullet didn’t remove my love for the force or for the people I worked with. I just love ministry more.”

  “I couldn’t imagine being the wife of a cop. It must have been tough for Cara,” Evan said no longer finding the mention of Cara, a forbidden subject.

  Greg paused. “Cara actually hated the force. She never really said it but I knew how she felt.”

  “Wow, she was an amazing woman.”

  “Ridiculous amazing.” Greg smiled. “She knew I loved being an officer but she always told me that God told her that I was going to be a pastor. I wouldn’t say that she was glad that I got shot but she was glad when I retired.” Greg laughed.

  Evan was glad to see Greg laugh when he spoke about Cara. “I can see that. You fit the part.” Evan grinned along with him.

  “Oh yeah?” Greg chuckled.

  “Yeah. So she knew her calling was to be a First lady?”

  Greg shook his head. “Naw, she wasn’t into titles. She said that if I ever became a pastor that she wouldn’t take a title because it was man made and she’d didn’t need it to know who she was. God knew who she was.”

  “Really?” Evan asked with a curious smile. “That’s something my mom would say.”

  “But you can always look at it like the pastor’s wife should always be the First lady by his side. You’re a perfect First lady for Pastor Leon,” Greg said.

  Evan shook her head embarrassed. “Not perfect.”

  “I didn’t say without flaws although I can’t imagine you with many.”

  Evan blushed. “I have quite a few to be clear.”

  Greg ran his finger down the edge of the kitchen door entrance. “None of us are perfect but there’s something about the connection that a man and a woman find with God and each other that they share with no one else,” Greg said then examining the residue on his fingers. “I miss Cara. When I married her, I felt that God gave me the shiniest of all the diamonds.”

  Evan could tell that Greg really loved Cara; it was in his eyes when he spoke about her. “I hate that I never had the pleasure of meeting her. I’ve heard that she was just as beautiful inside as she was out.”

  Greg nodded as if remembering. “That she was,” He said.

  Evan knew that she was beautiful from the pictures that Greg had of her in his office. She looked like his type; a beautiful brown angel faced woman with a beaming smile.

  Greg took a deep breath. “I’m missing something.” He got off the subject quickly. “I’m just trying to find anything that will stick out as odd to me.”

  Evan knew she had pushed him a little about Cara so it was time to move on. “This house has all kinds of creepy in it now.”

  “Yeah it does,” Greg said continuing to walk around and take notes. “But God isn’t going to let the person who did this get away with it.”

  “I think that’s what I’m afraid of,” Evan said.

  “The bible tells us that God does not give us the spirit of fear; have faith.”

  Evan nodded as she anxiously began rubbing her arms. “You’d think you wouldn’t have to remind a First lady of that.”

  “First ladies are human,” Greg said examining the kitchen island then stopped and turned to her. “Do you know if the pastor spoke with Sam about the land shortly before he died?”

  Evan thought for a second. “Yes. Why?”

  “I don’t know; curious I guess. The pastor made mention of it that the two of them spoke about it.”

  Evan folded her arms and fingered her ponytail. “They spoke. Well Leon spoke and Sam seemed more so to listen.”

  A concerned looked crossed Greg’s face. “How’s that?”

  “Sam didn’t want to talk about it but Leon wouldn’t get off of it. He wanted Sam to sign off but Sam didn’t seem prepared. Sam was still as gracious as ever though.”

  “That was Sam,” Greg answered as he began walking around the house. “So, it was a bit tense?”

  “Uncomfortable,” Evan said as she followed Greg to the back door. He placed his hand on his chin and looked around. He looked closely at the window then checked the back door. He pulled out a tiny flashlight from his back jeans pocket and shined it on the cracks of the back door. Then he pushed on it.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Greg said as he continued inspecting the door.

  Evan watched him inspect the door and found herself inspecting him. It was different seeing him in jeans; casual. It made him so human and relaxed and it didn’t hurt that his chiseled body was clearly defined in t-shirt and jeans.

  “Did you visit Sam and Emily often?”

  “Huh?” Evan asked embarrassed not having been focused enough to hear the entire question.

  “You and the pastor, I mean? Did you visit them often?”

  Evan shrugged. “No, not as often as I should have. I think Leon and I may have come over once during the holidays last year.”

  Greg nodded then pushed on the door a bit. He then stepped back glaring at the door.

  “Greg?” Evan called his name curious at the look on his face.

  “I’m sorry, First lady, I was just thinking about something.”

  “Please call me Evan.”

  Greg looked over at her. “I’m just going to admit that I don’t remember to do that so if you don’t mind, I’d like to just call you First lady.”

  Evan appreciated his honesty. “I don’t mind.”

  “Look why don’t you go ahead and I’ll finish looking around. I know this place is a bit uncomfortable and I’m kind of used to situations like this,” Greg said.

  “Oh, okay,” Evan said not wanting to leave even if it felt a little weird being there. It was something about Greg that made him easy to talk to. “Can you keep me posted if you find out anything?”

  “I will. Go home and get some rest,” He said giving her a quick look before focusing his attention back to the kitchen.

  Leaving Emily’s home left Evan feeling a bit nervous. She didn’t know for sure if it was the eeriness of Emily’s house or how she seemed to feel like a school girl when she was around Greg.

  Chapter 25

  The bedroom was dark except for the flickering of lit ivory candles placed around it. The site of which and the sounds of Luther Vandross playing softly in the air were a shock to Evan’s senses. Her initial reaction was to turn the lights on when she first entered but after realizing that the ambience was purposeful; she looked around trying to understand what was going on.

  “Do you like it?”

  Leon’s voice startled her. She looked over at the bed where Leon sat. She could see through the candle lit setting that Leon had a smile on his face. That alone was strange enough seeing as she couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled at her or initiated intimacy with her. She just stood unable to move; perhaps to protect herself.

  “I started a bath for you,” Leon said standing up and walking toward her.

  He cupped her face in his hands, bent down and kissed her. “I know that this is a surprise and I don’t blame you for being speechless. I wanted to let you know that I love you.”

  “Leon,” Evan said before he placed his fingers on her lips. He began kissing her face then her neck. Evan closed her eyes remembering how it used to be with her husband forgetting that he had unexplained absences, neglected her calls, yelled,
degraded, humiliated, hit, and ignored her. She wanted to forget that man and just wanted to remember the man that used to kiss her hand like she was the Queen of England; the man that had gotten down on one knee and proposed to her; the man like the one kissing her now.

  “You are the reason I breathe and I apologize that I haven’t been available to you lately.”

  She motioned and looked him in the eye. It all seemed so odd but her heart melted hearing Leon’s words. She closed her eyes. He spoke them gently causing her to remember how much she did love him and this was what she had wanted and waited for; for so long. She opened her eyes and saw his looking back into hers. Swooping her up in his arms, he carried her into the bathroom.

  With her eyes closed and feeling as safe as she’d ever felt, Evan lay on Leon’s bare chest with his strong arms wrapped around her tightly in their bed. He kissed her forehead and it was just like when they had first married and was so in love. The way he held her, the way he touched her, the way he smelled reminded her of how it used to be and how she had always wanted it to be with her husband. Nothing could compare to the way he had made her feel like at that very moment, she was the only one that mattered. A tear rolled down her face as she thanked God that he had heard every cry and saw every tear that she shed.

  “Are you crying?” Leon asked.

  Evan said nothing; she couldn’t explain to him what she was feeling; only God would truly know how deep her tears originated. He lifted up her face and wiped her eyes.

  “I love you, First lady.”

  Evan swallowed and tried to hold her tears in. She forgave him. She was ready to start over. They had made it through the hump in the road. She suddenly hated herself for doubting Leon and ogling Pastor Greg. She loved Leon and that’s where she needed to place her energy.

  “I love you too,” Evan said managing to get the words out.

  Leon began rubbing her hair. “I want us to have a baby,” Leon said.