Until Now

“You know,” her father began, “there’s no reason that you have to leave so soon. Your house hasn’t even sold yet.”

“Callie’s sister is getting married on Saturday,” Tamara said, something she had already explained.

“I understand that,” her father said. “But you can fly out there for a few days, enjoy the wedding and then come back. I don’t understand why you’re selling your house if it’s a temporary move.”

“Because she doesn’t want to live in the house she shared with Patrick,” her mother pointed out, sounding a little exasperated. “Surely you can understand that, Howard.”

“Yes, that makes sense,” he said. “But shouldn’t she be here to see about securing another property, at—”

“I want to go to Cleveland,” Michael suddenly interjected.

Surprised, Tamara and her parents all looked down at him.

“Tomorrow,” Michael went on, looking at Tamara, his eyes pleading. “I don’t want to wait.”

“I know, baby.” Tamara stroked his face, feeling his pain. She knew it hadn’t been easy for her son in the months after his father’s arrest. The kids at school hadn’t been kind. They’d had to stay in Florida to deal with the charges and the trial, but it was clear now that Michael was ready for a fresh start as much as she was.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Don’t you worry, son. We’re going to Cleveland tomorrow, just as planned.”

Cleveland represented a new beginning.

A new life.

Chapter 2

A trial, a divorce and a wedding.

Tamara played the words over in her mind as she drove into Cleveland, thinking that she might just have come up with the next winning title for a British comedy. Starring Idris Elba, of course—one seriously fine British brother.

Only Idris wouldn’t play her crazed ex-husband. No, he would have to be a new, sexy stranger who would come into her life.

Tamara rolled her eyes and chuckled mirthlessly, then concentrated on the task at hand—looking for the exit that would lead her to St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church. Why were her thoughts even heading in the direction of any type of sexy stranger? Now that her divorce was final, she was literally and figuratively free of anyone holding her back, and the last thing she was interested in was dating. Her only focus was herself and her son completely.

A short while later, Tamara exited Interstate 490 and headed onto East Fifty-Fifth Street. She maneuvered her way to Cedar Avenue, where the historic church was located. As she reached the church, she saw a white Bentley parked outside the front. A bow adorned the car’s front emblem, with two lengths of white ribbon extending to the side mirrors. White ribbon was also looped through the wrought-iron railings lining the steps, and capped off with bows at the top and bottom. A red carpet extended from the church doors down the steps to the road where the car was parked.

It was elegant and beautiful. And reminded Tamara of her own wedding day. She inhaled sharply with the memory. She didn’t want to think about that day, not with the reality of how horribly her marriage had turned out.

Tamara turned into the parking lot and found an available space without too much trouble. She spent a few minutes touching up her makeup, which was all the time she could afford. She was running a little later than she had hoped, getting to the church with about twelve minutes to spare before the ceremony was to begin. She’d taken an extra day during her drive from Florida, which meant she had to travel on the day of Deanna’s wedding, and that had put her a bit behind schedule.

“You ready, Michael?” Tamara said as she opened the back door for her son.

He nodded, but his eyes were still glued to his Nintendo DS gaming system.

“Okay. Time to put away your DS. We have to go inside and get a seat.”

Tamara wished she had gotten to Cleveland earlier so that she could have changed into her dress at Callie’s house. But traveling with Michael, she hadn’t wanted to spend two excessively long days on the road. So driving this morning had been a must. As Michael got out of the car, she smoothed the back of her dress, hoping that the three-hour car ride hadn’t made it too wrinkled. Then she grabbed the blazer for Michael’s suit from the backseat and helped him into it.

Tamara hurried into the church with Michael. An usher handed her a glossy wedding program, with a lovely photo of Deanna and Eric posing on either side of a tree. Then Tamara and Michael headed into the sanctuary and settled in seats halfway up on the bride’s side.

“Where’s Kwame?” Michael asked.

“I don’t know, son, but he might be in the wedding. You’ll see him later.”

Michael nodded but didn’t look up. His gaze was on his hands. Tamara put her arm around him and squeezed. A year had passed since Michael had seen Kwame, and Tamara had no doubt that the boys would pick up where they’d left off. There was a two-year age difference between them, and Kwame had always been like a big brother to Michael.

Kwame’s relationship with Michael was one of the reasons that Tamara made the decision to head back to Cleveland. She’d grown up here, but left for Florida when her parents moved there. Later, she’d started college there, and Callie had come down to join her in the “sunshine state” after she got pregnant.

Tamara looked around, taking in the various guests at the church. Through the windows in the doors at the back of the church, she caught a glimpse of Callie moving around. She smiled, as she always did when she saw her friend. Then she glanced at the clock hanging above the doors. Two minutes until noon. Looked as though this wedding was going to start on time.

Tamara looked over her shoulder again and saw a man and woman briskly entering the church just as a man was propping the back doors open. The woman was striking, wearing a red dress that was cut too low for the occasion and looked as if it could have been painted on. The man had his hand on the small of the woman’s back as they walked forward and quickly slipped into a pew closer to the front.

As the smiling man glanced backward, Tamara drew in a sharp breath. She recognized the handsome face.

Oh, my goodness, it was Marshall Jennings. She hadn’t seen him in thirteen years, but certainly could never forget him. Tall, fit and seriously fine, he’d been known as a playboy. A rich playboy who’d had his share of the women in Cleveland. Tamara’s cousin, Gloria, had been one of those women. At first, Gloria had been thrilled with the attention Marshall had doled on her. But in the end, she had been devastated when he had quickly moved on to a new woman after getting her into his bed.

Tamara remembered that Marshall had been a friend of Nigel’s, and perhaps she would have seen him at Callie and Nigel’s wedding months ago—if she had been able to attend. But a winter storm had ravaged the eastern seaboard, canceling flights all over the country. Hers had been one of them, and she’d been crushed that she hadn’t been able to make it to Cleveland for her best friend’s winter wedding. That was why—even if she had to drive forty-eight hours straight—she would not have missed Deanna’s special day.

Tamara noticed the woman in red lean close and whisper into Marshall’s ear. Could she be his wife?

The classical music that had been playing in the church stopped, and the opening score of an instrumental love ballad began. The groom and his groomsmen entered from a door near the rostrum and took their place on the right side. It would have been easy to spot Eric even if Tamara hadn’t seen his picture on the program. He was the one beaming from ear to ear.

Once the men were in place, two flower girls started down the aisle. The crowd oohed and aahed at the darling little girls. Tamara realized that she was right—Kwame was in the wedding—when she saw him carrying the rings down the aisle on a pillow made of white satin. Then came the bridesmaids, followed by Callie, the matron of honor. Tamara looked at her friend and grinned. Callie spotted her and her eyes brightened as she smiled back at her.

A woman walked onto the rostrum, and a few moments later, the music changed again. A man at a piano at the front of the church began to play something soft and romantic. Then the woman began to sing. Everyone stood and looked toward the back of the church, where the bride now stood with her arm looped through her uncle’s.

And then the bridal march began. Deanna looked beautiful in an off-the-shoulder dress made of satin. It was a closely fitted gown that flared at the bottom. As Deanna passed her, Tamara could see that her eyes were filled with happy tears.

Once Deanna was at the front of the church, Tamara’s eyes went back to Marshall. With his hand on his guest’s back, she could see now that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

So the woman wasn’t his wife. If Tamara had to bet, she would guess that the woman was just a plaything he had picked up so he could have her on his arm for this occasion. The Marshall she had known had liked flashy cars and flashy women. And this woman certainly fit that bill.

Eric took his bride by the hands. The minister stood before them with a large smile, and then the ceremony began.

And despite the fact that Tamara was freshly divorced, she got caught up in the magic of the day.

* * *

Tamara didn’t have the chance to say more than a few words to Deanna until the reception, once the meals were consumed and the dancing began. She was sitting at a table with Deanna’s mother and uncle and some of the extended family members. Michael had gone home with Kwame, where a babysitter was watching them now. At least at the table with family, Tamara didn’t feel awkward for not having a date.

Spotting Deanna speaking with a couple of young females at the edge of the dance floor, Tamara rose from the table and started toward her. Seeing her approach, Deanna’s eyes lit up, and she stretched open her arms in the offer of a hug.

“Tamara,” Deanna said in a singsong voice as Tamara walked into her embrace. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Of course,” Tamara told her. As she pulled back, she took Deanna’s hands in hers and squeezed. “Congratulations, Dee. I’m so happy for you and Eric. He seems like a great guy.”

“Thank you.” Deanna’s smile was as bright as the sun. “He is a great guy. An old friend I never saw as anything more than a friend until I came back to Cleveland and we got to know each other.”

“You both look very happy.”