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  “We talk about it, but neither of us wants to rush into anything.”

  “Well, he’s always telling Phillip how in love he is with you, and I know you love him, so I don’t see what you guys are waiting for.”

  “We just want it to be right and make sure we’re definitely ready. Marriage is a serious commitment and when we take our vows we want it to be forever and without question.”

  Alicia would never admit it openly to Melanie, at least not today, but she didn’t blame them for taking their time. She didn’t blame them because while she did love Phillip, she didn’t like all the arguing or the restrictions he was constantly trying to impose on her. She didn’t like the idea that to a certain extent, he was trying to control her. He might not have been doing it intentionally, but that was what his complaints and demands were starting to feel like, and she wasn’t happy about them.

  Alicia sipped some of her water and then set the glass back down on the table. “Did you ever think either one of us would end up falling in love with men who were ten years older than us?”

  “No, not really,” Melanie said, chuckling. “Although I guess we shouldn’t be all that surprised because we’re both so much more mature than the average twenty-two-year-old.”

  “Isn’t that the truth. But with a father like mine, I had no choice but to grow up, fast and in a hurry,” Alicia said and they both laughed. “From the time I was seven, I saw and heard just about every adult situation there was, whether I wanted to or not. And when that happens, you sort of bypass a lot of your childhood years. I even think my father’s history with women and the way he slept around all the time had a lot to do with why I ended up surfing around on the Internet and meeting that guy who ended up raping me. I was way too young to be meeting any boy I didn’t even know but at the time, I was searching for love wherever I could find it because my father was always busy with the church or sneaking around with his mistress.”

  “I’m so sorry that that happened to you.” Melanie spoke with saddened eyes.

  “It was bad, Mel. It was the worst. And sometimes it seems like only yesterday when it happened, even though it was nearly nine years ago.”

  “I can’t even imagine, and I wish I’d known you back then so I could have been there for you.”

  Alicia’s voice trembled but then she smiled. “I know. But the good news is that you’re here for me now, and I’m so glad we met when we did.”

  “I am, too. It was a good thing you decided to spend part of the summer here with your dad and Charlotte before we left for college.”

  “You’re right,” Alicia said, remembering how she and Melanie had connected at church and had clicked immediately. Alicia had seen Melanie from time to time whenever she visited her father on weekends, but she and Melanie hadn’t truly gotten to know each other until the summer before their freshman year in college and, as it had turned out, they’d enrolled at the same university without even knowing it.

  During the first semester, though, Melanie had lived in a dorm room with a roommate, and Alicia had lived in a four-bedroom apartment with three other roommates herself. But by the time their second semester had rolled around, Alicia had explained to her father that she didn’t like sharing space with three other girls and that she wanted a much nicer apartment, off-campus, for her and Melanie. Melanie’s parents had said an apartment like the one Alicia had chosen wasn’t in their budget, however, Alicia had talked her father into paying the total amount.

  Then, during the last semester of their senior year, Melanie had wanted to live closer to the hospital where she was doing her clinical work, and once she moved out, Alicia had let another friend of theirs, Sonya, move in. Alicia had been fine with the idea of living alone for those last few months, but when she’d learned that Sonya was having financial aid problems, she’d offered to let her stay with her free of charge. She’d liked Sonya a lot, but it hadn’t been the same without Melanie.

  Melanie took a bite of her tilapia and then patted her lips with a napkin. “You know, you’re not the only one who was exposed to adult drama when you were growing up, because my parents had just as many problems. They bickered like enemies all the time and it wasn’t until my father had that car accident and almost died that things changed between them. His illness really woke them up and by the time I entered high school, they’d started going to marital counseling and also to church every Sunday. Then, when your father founded Deliverance Outreach, they joined as charter members and they’ve been happy with each other ever since.”

  “That always trips me out when you talk about the way they used to be because the Mom and Dad Johnson I know are so much different from that. They’re the ideal couple and the kind of people you can’t help but look up to and want to be like.”

  “I’m proud to call them my parents but because they said whatever they wanted in front of me whenever they got into it, it was only natural for me to act a lot older than most of my friends. I can even remember one time when my mother told my father he should worry less about those porn movies he liked watching so much and spend more time trying to figure out how to satisfy his own wife. She told him that what he needed to do was take a class or something because his sexual skills were just plain pathetic. Then, she went on to say that what she needed was a man who was packing something a lot bigger than what he was carrying and someone who knew how to make her scream.”

  Alicia almost choked on her food and then giggled under her breath. “She said that right in front of you?”

  “Well, not directly in front of me, but it wasn’t like we lived in some huge mansion, so my bedroom was right next door to theirs. I heard everything they said, all the time, even when our doors were shut.”

  “How old were you then?”

  “Seven at the most!”

  “Wow.”

  “But like I said, they’ve definitely changed, and I’m really happy they did.”

  “I am, too, and actually my father has changed a great deal as well. I really believe him now when he says he’s done committing adultery and doing all the other terrible things he used to do. At first, I was a little leery, especially after Curtina was born and his ex-mistress starting causing so many problems, but he’s definitely different and trying his best to prove to Charlotte that all he wants is her. He’s also doing everything he can to build up Deliverance Outreach and create as many ministries as he can to help as many people as possible. It took years for him to get to this point, but I’m very proud of him, the same as you are of your parents.”

  Melanie pulled out her wallet and removed one of her credit cards, and Alicia couldn’t resist messing with her. “I’ll bet this is the first time you’ve used it in months, isn’t it?”

  “Whatever,” Melanie said, smiling, and then she slipped her card inside the leather folder on top of the check.

  Soon after, the waitress processed the payment and brought back the receipts. “Thank you so much, and please enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You, too,” they both said. Melanie wrote in the gratuity amount, signed one of the copies, and they left for the parking lot. When they arrived at their automobiles, they hugged each other, said their good-byes, and drove in opposite directions.

  Melanie went to her condo.

  Alicia rushed to the mall.

  Chapter 3

  Phillip tried his best to concentrate on the sermon he was writing, but he just couldn’t do it. Not with all the problems he and Alicia were already having. He loved his wife, more than life itself, but he hadn’t counted on her being so stubborn about her ridiculous spending habits. He’d been trying to reason with her, but no matter what he said, she didn’t seem to be happy living a normal life. To her, normal meant expensive worldly possessions, it meant top-of-the line luxury, it meant Donna Karan, Dolce & Gabana, Ralph Lauren, and dear God, just yesterday he’d even seen an outfit by St. John. He hadn’t wanted to search through her closet, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him and he hadn’t
been able to help it. But then, a part of him was glad he had, because he’d seen loads of clothing that he’d never seen before and he knew it was all brand new. Alicia had quietly and cleverly, or so she thought, removed every one of the price tags, probably hoping he wouldn’t notice one way or the other, but Phillip knew for sure that she’d just purchased most of it over the last two months. He knew because this wasn’t the first time he’d sneaked into her closet. He’d felt bad about doing it all the other times, too, but now his top-secret closet explorations had become commonplace. He’d become almost obsessed with seeing what she was going to buy next; however, it was that sixteen-hundred-dollar off-white St. John’s pantsuit that pushed him over the edge. Shoot, if you asked him, she was way too young to even like St. John’s clothing styles, but then again, Alicia had very high standards and for all he knew, she’d purchased it mainly for status and also because of how much it cost. The tags were missing from that outfit, too, but Phillip had found it online and was quickly able to confirm the dollar amount. He hadn’t wanted to believe his eyes when he’d seen the actual numbers, but now he knew his wife had a problem—he knew she was a shopping addict.

  Phillip glanced over at the bronze-framed wedding photo sitting on his desk, then picked it up and drew it closer to him. The day he’d married Alicia had been the happiest day of his life, and he’d known for sure that they would remain happy with each other for the rest of their lives. And they still could if only Alicia would come to her senses and realize all the trouble she was causing them. If only she’d take a long look at all the money she was tossing away and recognize the damage it was doing to their marriage. If only she’d think about the negative effect it was already having on their plans to have children in a couple of years or so.

  Phillip could still remember the first day he’d laid eyes on Alicia and how he’d known right away that he was going to marry her. He’d known this with everything in him because he’d never been more attracted to anyone so quickly. It was true that she was a beautiful young woman, but he’d been drawn to everything about her. He loved her smile, her mannerisms, the way she talked, the way she walked, the way she laughed; even now, he still felt the same way—that is, with the exception of her spending habits.

  Phillip sighed deeply, returned the photo to his desk, and leaned back in his chair. He was so frustrated and wondered what it was going to take to get through to Alicia. Maybe he could convince her to talk to a counselor. Maybe there was some sort of local support group meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or Gamblers Anonymous she could go to. He’d referred some of their church members to a couple of those affiliations, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever heard of anything that could help people who couldn’t stop shopping.

  Or maybe it was time he confided to Curtis what was going on with his daughter, because there had been a couple of instances while they were dating when Phillip had heard Curtis telling Alicia that she liked to shop just a bit too much and that at some point she was going to have to think more about her future. He’d even told her that once she was married, he was ending her monthly allowance because he wanted her to become a lot more responsible and a lot less dependent on him. Of course, Alicia hadn’t cared about her father’s comments or concern in the least, but still, just remembering what Curtis had said led Phillip to believe that Curtis was starting to think she might have a problem or was eventually going to.

  When Phillip heard a knock at the door, he looked up. “Come in.”

  “Hey,” Curtis said, entering the office and taking a seat in front of Phillip’s desk.

  “Hey, how’s it going?”

  Phillip smiled when he saw the tailor-made, navy blue suit Curtis was wearing because it sort of explained, just a little, as to why Alicia had such expensive taste in clothing. Curtis always looked tip-top, and Charlotte was the exact same way, so in at least some fairness to Alicia, Phillip understood why she did some of the things she did. She’d gotten used to what she’d gotten used to, and it was hard for her to change that.

  But the thing was, she’d spent the majority of her childhood growing up with her mother and stepfather, and they certainly didn’t have a lavish lifestyle. They did live in middle-class comfort, but that was pretty much where it ended with Tanya and James—they were normal people. But even so, Alicia had somehow adopted the same tastes as her father and stepmother.

  “I’m well, and how’s everything with you and my baby girl?”

  At that very moment, Phillip wanted to tell Curtis about the difficulties he and Alicia were having and how he didn’t know how to go about fixing them. But he didn’t. He debated whether he should or not but instead he said, “We’re good.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. You’re a fine man of God, and while I know I’ve told you this before, I’m proud to have you as my son-in-law.”

  “I appreciate that and of course I’m proud to have you as my father-in-law and as my pastor. I often wonder how I’ll ever repay you for everything you’ve done for me. I mean, first you blessed me with this wonderful opportunity to serve as your assistant pastor and then you offered me your blessing when I asked for Alicia’s hand in marriage.”

  “That I did, but you don’t owe me a single thing. All I want is to see you continue to grow as a minister and be a good husband to my daughter. That’s all I ask and nothing more.”

  “And I will. I’ll do my best all around.”

  “I know you will. I have no doubt about it. I love the people of this church, and I love my baby girl, and that’s why I’ve entrusted you with both of them.”

  Phillip was glad Curtis had so much confidence in him, but now he knew he couldn’t tell him about the trouble he was having with Alicia. He wanted to, but he couldn’t chance the outcome. For all he knew, Curtis might somehow think his “baby girl” was right and Phillip was as wrong as wrong could be, and he didn’t want Curtis holding any animosity toward him. He didn’t want him reconsidering the position he’d given him or the approval he’d given him as his son-in-law. So, no, it was better to pretend that life couldn’t be better between him and Alicia and to simply leave well enough alone.

  Phillip repositioned his body in his chair. “So, the elder board meeting is still on for tomorrow, right?”

  “It is, and it’ll be good having the architects join us so they can give us an update on the designs for the new church.”

  “I can’t wait to see them.”

  “I’m pretty anxious myself, and it makes me think back to exactly where I came from. When I first became a minister, it was only a short period of time before I became a pastor in Atlanta and had three hundred members. Then, I came to Chicago to lead a congregation of three thousand. Then, I led another large church and then came here to Mitchell and founded Deliverance Outreach. I’m not sure I thought we’d have over two thousand members in only six years, especially since Mitchell is a much smaller city than Chicago, but it just goes to show what God can and will do when one vows to become a better person and works hard at doing the right thing.”

  “You’ve gone through a lot, and your entire life is such an amazing testimony.”

  “I’ve gone through a lot but it’s mostly because I took other people through a lot. I did some horrible things that some people would have never forgiven me for, but thankfully God is a forgiving God and He believes in second chances. Truth be told, in my case, He believed in multiple chances because He gave me a lot of them. He never gave up on me, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

  “Like I said, your life is an amazing testimony.”

  “That it is.”

  “Oh and hey, I got your voice message yesterday, saying that you were going to be out of town next Sunday.”

  “Yeah, that’s one of the other things I came in to talk to you about. I’m speaking at a church conference in Houston on Saturday evening, but Charlotte and I won’t be flying back until Sunday.”

  “So, how many people are they expecting?”

/>   “I hear twenty thousand.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  Sometimes Phillip still had a hard time believing that his father-in-law was the Reverend Curtis Black. He had a hard time believing he was actually married to the daughter of a world-renowned pastor and speaker, not to mention a bestselling author, but here Curtis was, clear as day, and sitting right in front of him.

  “I wish you and Alicia could travel out there with us but, unfortunately, I need you to cover both services here on Sunday.”

  “I wish we could go, too, but I know I have a job to do.”

  “And you do it very well, too, because whenever I’m gone, all I hear is how much everyone loves you and how much they enjoy your sermons. So, you know there’s going to come a time when you’ll either have to lead Deliverance Outreach or head up another location because at the rate we’re going, we’ll definitely need to branch out to another city.”

  Phillip wasn’t sure he’d heard Curtis correctly, so he didn’t say anything.

  “What?” Curtis asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “You look shocked.”

  “Well, actually I am.”

  “Why? Because I know you don’t think I’m spending all this time grooming you just so you can stand in the background. You’re my assistant pastor now, but, Phillip, you’re a true leader. I knew it when I first hired you, and as long as you stay on track and live according to God’s Word, you’ll do great things. You’re a much better man than I was when I was your age, so the sky is the limit in terms of what you can do. And from where I’m sitting your future looks extremely bright.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way, and I just hope I don’t let you down.”

  “You won’t. Because it’s like I just told you a little while ago, all I want is to see you continue to grow as a minister and be a good husband to my daughter.”

  Phillip couldn’t have been happier when it came to knowing exactly how Curtis felt about his potential. But the idea that Curtis had repeated himself, word for word, made Phillip a little nervous. Phillip had no problem working as hard as he could so he could in fact continue growing as a minister, but he wasn’t so sure he could continue being a good husband to Alicia. Well, actually, he had no problem being a good husband to her, but he wasn’t so sure he could make her happy.