Can't Stop Loving You (20 page)

Russell reached for the cordless phone and began to dial.

Kendrick pressed his hands against the locked screen door and shouted. “Kaycee, baby!”

Katherine shook her head. “Kendrick, she's not here, you may as well leave before it gets worse.”

“I'm on the phone with the police!” Russell informed him. “If you don't leave my property now, Thompson, I'll tell them to send the boys.”

Kendrick realized that he wasn't getting anywhere, and, not desiring to have anything mar his record, turned and walked away. He would have to get to Kaycee in another way.

 

The ambience in the labor and delivery room was peaceful with dim lighting and soft music playing. Kaycee glanced around the room and was grateful to see family who were there to offer support.

“You're doing good, baby!” Darius, Alexa's husband, encouraged as he wiped her brow with a cool damp cloth.

“One more push will do it, Alexa!” Dr. Robinson announced.

“You're doing good, Alex,” Maya, her best friend, added from behind the video camera.

“Question is, do I look good?” Alexa joked, garnering laughter from everyone in the room.

“You look like a pro!” Maya replied with a thumbs-up.

“Baby girl, you are doing so good!” Alexa's mother Beverly said, rubbing her daughter's legs. “My grandbaby got a head full of hair!”

Kaycee stood by Alexa's feet where she had a good view of the baby's head sticking out. Never in a million years would she believe that a woman's vagina would stretch so wide. But that was another wonder of God.

She looked back at her cousin who was determined to get it over with, and quickly reassumed her job of holding Alexa's legs.

“Okay, everybody ready? Like I said, Alexa, one good long push will do it. Okay, one…two…three puuush!”

Alexa screamed as she bore down and pushed like she never had before. As she did, the baby slipped out into Dr. Robinson's waiting hands.

“Congratulations! It's a boy!”

Everyone screamed with joy. The doctor placed the wailing little boy on Alexa's chest. At the first glance of their baby, Alexa and Darius began to weep for joy.

“We did it, baby!” Darius cried.

“I know, thank you, Lord!” Alexa shouted. “Thank you, Father!”

Kaycee stood by while the doctor allowed Darius to cut the cord. The nurses quickly cleaned him up and swaddled him so that he could be placed back into his mother's waiting arms.

There were prayers and tears as baby Joshua Isaiah Riverside was passed around for all to admire. Everyone commented on how much he looked like his father with the exception of his mother's light brown eyes.

When it came Kaycee's turn to hold him, she was trembling like a leaf.

“Don't drop our baby, now,” Darius teased.

“Don't worry,” Kaycee replied, bringing him securely to her bosom. “I wouldn't dream of dropping this young prince.”

She walked across the room, rocking him along the way while gazing at his handsome face and marveling at the size of his little nose and tiny hands.

“He's so beautiful,” Kaycee whispered. At the sound of her voice, his little eyes blinked open. Right then and there, Kaycee felt the tug of motherhood pulling at her heartstrings. It was as if an angel had delivered a message. And she whispered a silent thank-you for answering her prayer.

C
afé Jireh was eerily quiet. The usual patrons were there, the regular staff was in place, but it was missing something. Kendrick knew that the missing piece was Kaycee.

He sat in the dining room and peered out the window at the people passing by without really seeing them. Since the incident at the Jordan's home a week ago, he felt that he had exhausted all of his options. Kaycee wasn't answering her cell phone and her voice mail at home was full. Full of messages from him, no doubt.

With a sigh, he rested his bristly chin in his hand and realized that he didn't remember the last time he'd shaved. He shook his head pathetically. Three weeks had passed and Kaycee was nowhere to be found. The realization that it might finally be over made him crazy.

“Kendrick,” a voice called his name.

He looked up to find Martinique standing above him.

“How's it going, Martinique?”

“I should be asking you that!” she retorted in disdain. “Kenny, what is going on?”

He shrugged.

“We're planning your wedding. Why are you down in the dumps? Are you getting cold feet?”

He shook his head, dismissing that possibility. He didn't want her to get any ideas.

“Then what is it?” she asked, opening up her planner. “I've done everything that you asked me to do. I've paid the caterer and the band. I even got the white carriage on lock. What's going on?”

“I don't know if there's going to be a wedding.”

“What!” Martinique exclaimed. “Tell me you're joking.”

“I wish I was,” he replied. Planning a wedding in Kaycee's absense and without her knowledge seemed like a good idea at first. He had hoped that everything would have smoothed over by then and wanted to get married right away. Now he wasn't sure it was a good idea after all.

“Why? What happened? Did she change her mind?”

“Did she change her mind,” he repeated with a half laugh. “The question is, did she even know about it?”

Martinique couldn't believe her ears. She'd heard of people not having enough money for a wedding, or being real creative to have a one-of-a-kind event, but never had she planned a wedding without a bride in place.

“Kendrick, what are you doing?” she asked in exasperation. “Are you trying to waste my time or better yet your money? Does the child know that you want to marry her?”

He nodded. “I proposed, but a huge situation happened between me and her family.”

The confused look on Martinique's face caused him to explain exactly what had transpired.

When he finished, she sank back against her seat in disbelief. “Oh, my goodness.”

“Now, I don't know what to do. She's not answering her cell phone and I haven't seen life over at her house for weeks.”

“Do you know where she is?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“Then you need to go find her.”

Kendrick gave Martinique a look that said “duh.” He breathed deeply to control his annoyance.

“I've tried that,” he reminded her, irritated by her thoughtless response.

Martinique grabbed his hand. “Kendrick, listen to me. You have got to get up, clean yourself up and go after her. I don't care what her parents say, you have got to give it all you've got and you can't stop. You got to make them understand that no matter what they say, she's going to be your wife.”

Kendrick reared back at Martinique's take-charge approach. He found it surprising that she was championing the very woman whom she had considered competition a few months ago.

“It can't be that easy.”

“Have you ever tried?” she asked, sipping her water. “What happened to the driven Kendrick Thompson that I knew?”

Kendrick shrugged. “I guess he got old.”

“Whatever!” Martinique huffed. “He's in there and it's up to you to revive him. Pull out that Steeler spirit if you have to.”

Kendrick smiled. “You think it will work?”

She nodded emphatically. “Hell, yeah. Besides, women like that kind of stuff. It lets us know you really care.”

His expression softened. “Thanks, Martinique.”

She shook her head. “No problem. I just need you to take care of your bride so that I can finish doing my job.” She stood up and kissed him on the forehead. “I'm envious of Kaycee.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because she has a good man,” she said and patted his shoulder.

“Thanks, Martinique,” he called behind her.

As soon as she left, the first thing he did was get on the cell phone and call his barber. Martinique was right. He'd come this far and he wasn't about to let his future slip through his hands so easily.

 

The doorbell rang incessantly.

Kaycee, who was upstairs watching television, glanced at the clock on the nightstand and wondered who could be coming by at eight o'clock at night. She quickly dismissed it as one of her brothers coming by to see her parents and lay back down on the bed.

The bell rang again just as Katherine reached for the knob.

She was surprised to find Kendrick standing there again.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I want my wife!” he told her firmly.

“She is not your wife,” Katherine dryly replied.

“She will be,” he replied. “May I come in?”

Katherine paused for a moment and realized she didn't want a repeat of his last visit with him yelling through the door, especially not at this hour. Reluctantly, she undid the screen door and let him pass through.

“Thank you, Katherine,” he said gratefully.

Katherine led him into the living room where he took a seat.

“Who's at the door, Kat?” Russell called from the family room in the back.

“I think you need to come out and see!” she replied.

The second Russell rounded the corner, his eyes narrowed in response. “What are you doing here?” he bellowed.

Kendrick stood up. “Wait, Russell, let's talk like men.”

“I don't want to hear a damn thing you have to say!” Russell replied. “Now get out of my house.”

“Russell, I've lived with the guilt of Vickie's death for years because I believed it was my fault. I wish I could take it all back, but I can't. I begged her not to come to Alabama, but you know how stubborn she was. She was determined.”

“Why didn't you try to call us?”

“Russell, I was away in Alabama, the only way I could call her was by pay phone. If I'd known things would turn out that way, I would have called.”

By now Kaycee had recognized Kendrick's voice and had rushed downstairs. Almost immediately, she could smell his presence. His aftershave was a pleasant memory. Her heart ached to hold him, but she knew that the conversation taking place had to be over before she could talk to him. She sat on the steps to listen.

“You killed my sister,” Russell accused him. “First you hurt her then you killed her.”

“Look man, I'm sorry that I got involved with her. I really am, but I can't change that. All I can do is do right by Kaycee.”

“Over my dead body!”

“Russell!” Katherine shouted.

“Man, do you honestly believe that I would give my blessing to you after what happened?”

Kendrick nodded.

Russell laughed, smacking his knee. “Man, you are crazy.”

“I am,” Kendrick replied. “If crazy means coming this far for the woman I love, then I'm crazy.”

“Kendrick, why Kaycee?” Katherine asked warily. “She's young enough to be your daughter. Why not marry a woman your own age?”

“Katherine, when my wife died seven years ago, I thought I was done with relationships. I didn't think my heart could love anyone on that level again, but then I met Kaycee. She's charming, beautiful and intelligent. We connected right away, like we'd known each other forever.

“I realized she was younger than me and believe me, I tried to keep my distance, but every day signs kept popping up telling me that we were supposed to be together.”

“I don't want to hear this!” Russell boomed and turned his back.

“Please, hear me out,” Kendrick pleaded.

Katherine nodded for him to continue.

“Kaycee is an exceptional woman. When she came to work with me at my restaurant, she came with a lot of fresh ideas that I wasn't even open to at first, but that is how she is. She can turn the heart of her greatest challenger and her love is pure. She doesn't try to push her opinions on others, she doesn't place stipulations on you, she just loves unconditionally and that's how she won my heart.”

The room was quiet. When neither of the two responded, Kendrick took that as his cue to continue.

“I asked Kaycee to marry me because I love her. I would prefer that I have your blessing before we get married, but know that I don't intend to drag things out. She is a good woman and she deserves a proper wedding.”

By this time the tears were flowing down Kaycee's face. He'd come for her, and he was willing to stand up against her parents to get their blessing. Her heart filled with joy.

Russell's shoulders heaved and tears fell down his face. Katherine gently rubbed his back.

“Kendrick, thank you for telling us how you feel about our daughter. We already know how special she is and apparently she feels the same way about you. Knowing this, what kind of people would we be if we stood in the way of your love?”

He sighed with relief that the wall of resistance had come down. Clasping his hands in a prayerful gesture he lowered his head.

“Can you please, please tell me where I can find your daughter?”

“All you have to do is turn around,” Katherine calmly replied.

Quickly, Kendrick did an about-face to find Kaycee standing there crying silently. Slowly he approached her and raised his hand to her face to wipe away her tears with his fingertip. Smoothing his palms down her arms he caught her hands in his own where he weaved his fingers through hers.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you, too.”

He stood back and opened his arms, inviting her back into his world and she stepped into his strong embrace, knowing that she would never walk out again.

“I love you, Kaycee,” he whispered to her, moving his lips against hers. “I won't stop, can't stop loving you.”