“I don't know how I feel about the direction of this conversation,” Montana said with a chuckle.
“I didn't mean to be out of pocket. It's just that I don't think your figure is a problem. That's why I asked why you don't have a boyfriend. You just don't seem like you'd be single.”
“Well, I'm at a place in my life where I want a meaningful relationship, and that hasn't materialized yet.”
A meaningful relationship. Quentin wondered if he was capable of that again. He was absolutely available for shopping sprees, vacations, and every kind of fun imaginable, but he didn't know if meaningful was in the cards for him again.
“I hope you find someone. You're too much of a gem to be alone.”
In that moment, Quentin was struck with the awareness of how close he was sitting to Montana on the bench. He inhaled her perfume, and sighed.
Quentin leaned in until his lips nearly touched Montana's. After a long moment, he tilted his head to one side in preparation for a kiss. Suddenly, Montana jumped up from the bench.
“Quentin. What are you doing?”
Dang. He thought the moment was right, but he'd screwed up. “I'm sorry, Montana. I'm an idiot.”
“Were you trying to kiss me?”
“Yeah, I was, but I'm so sorry. It won't happen again. I was out of line.”
Montana sat back down on the bench, this time putting space between herself and Quentin. He grimaced at his own stupidity.
“Quentin, I'm not the kind of girl who kisses someone else's boyfriend.”
He nodded. “And no matter what it looks like, I'm not the kind of guy who cheats on his girlfriend.”
“So . . . do you want to forget this ever happened?” Montana asked.
Quentin's entire body relaxed. Montana would forgive him, and that was a good thing. But he didn't want to forget that it had ever happened. He wanted to finish what he'd started.
“I promise you, I won't ever try anything like that again. I really want us to be friends.”
Montana's smile lifted Quentin's spirits even more. “I do too.”
Quentin stood and held his hand out to Montana, and he helped her to her feet. “Let's go, before anyone notices we've been gone this long.”
“Okay.”
Quentin threw the rest of their now soggy cones in the trash can and watched Montana walk back to the car. He was afraid of what he felt with Montana. He was scared that even with all his money and status he wasn't good enough for her. She deserved a guy who wouldn't make a move on her while he still had a girlfriend.
But even though he didn't feel worthy, he still hungered for the type of relationship he knew he could have with Montana. Leaving Chloe would take a leap of faith. Quentin wondered if he had any of that left.
CHAPTER 21
C
hloe tapped her foot impatiently on the marble floor in the parlor of the Chambers mansion. She resisted the urge to text or call Quentinâeven though her blood was close to boiling, and even though it was almost four in the afternoon and he hadn't returned from his shopping trip with the nanny.
Ms. Levy walked into the parlor for the umpteenth time, wearing a frown on her face.
“You know I can call you when Mr. Chambers returns.”
Chloe rolled her eyes at the nosy woman. “It's fine. I can wait.”
“Well, was he expecting you?”
“I don't need an appointment to see my man, Ms. Levy.”
“Did you call and tell him you were here?”
“No. I am surprising him.”
“Why? It's not his birthday.”
Chloe balled and unballed her fists.
“Well, if you insist on waiting, you might as well sit down,” Ms. Levy said.
“I like standing.”
“You've been standing for three hours.”
“And I will continue.”
Ms. Levy shook her head and walked back out of the parlor. Chloe felt herself begin to tremble with rage. What could Quentin and Montana be doing? How long did it take to buy shoes?
When Chloe finally heard the door in the kitchen open, she spun on one heel and gathered her composure as best as she could. Then she saw Quentin place his hand at the small of Montana's back to help her inside. Her composure unraveled.
“Here you are!” Chloe squealed.
She barreled into Quentin, threw her arms around his neck, and hugged him. She felt him stiffen beneath her touch. Montana stepped to the side and looked away.
“Hey! Is everything okay?” Quentin asked.
“Yes. It is now.” Chloe glanced at Montana out of the corner of her eye. “Hello.”
Montana looked up and smiled. “Hey, Chloe.”
“Did I miss an engagement or something?” Quentin asked. “Please tell me we didn't have plans.”
“No, I just wanted to see you today. Montana, please excuse us.”
“Oh, of course!” Montana said. “How rude of me.”
“Yes,” Chloe said.
Montana smiled nervously and rushed out of the kitchen, carrying her shopping bag. Chloe narrowed her eyes at Montana and then Quentin.
“Were you out shopping with her?” Chloe asked.
Quentin shook his head. “It's not what you think. She was trying to run in shoes from Target. She was going to hurt herself.”
Chloe searched his face for deception and found none. “If I was a jealous girl, I'd think you were lying to me.”
“Well, I'm happy you're not a jealous girl.”
Quentin untangled himself from Chloe's near choke hold and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He held one out to her, and Chloe shook her head.
He took the top off and swallowed about half of the bottle in a few gulps. Then he said, “To what do I owe this visit?”
“I just wanted to spend some time with you, love.”
Quentin chuckled. “Okay, now tell me the real reason you're here.”
“You don't think I like spending time with you?”
“Yes, of course I do, but Ms. Levy texted me and said you'd been waiting for hours. You wouldn't do that for no reason. What's up?”
Chloe shook her head. Ms. Levy was a hater. “Well, I had this great idea I wanted to share with you.”
Quentin pulled a chair from the kitchen table and motioned for Chloe to sit. “An idea about what?”
Chloe waited for Quentin to take a seat across from her. “Well, I was dropping Deirdre off for a study group at the library, and something occurred to me.”
“Wait. Deirdre's at the library?” Quentin asked.
“Yes.”
“And you took her there? Why?”
Chloe shook her head. “She didn't tell you? I'm going to be her mentor. She asked me to do it. She really wants to be back in your good graces.”
Quentin frowned. “Okay, continue.”
“Well, when I was dropping her off, I got to thinking it was something that her mother would've done. Then I started thinking about all the things she was probably missing out on by not having a mom.”
“She's got me, and her grandmother,” Quentin said.
“Hear me out, Quentin. I was thinking that maybe as an offshoot of Transitions, you have another group called Transitions Kids that focuses on the children left behind when their mothers lose the battle to cancer.”
Quentin's eyes widened. She had his attention.
“What do you think?” Chloe asked. “It's a good idea, right?”
“It's a great idea, Chloe.”
Chloe clapped her hands. “You won't have to do anything at all. I'll run the entire program. I'll get sponsors and raise money. We'll introduce it at the masquerade ball.”
“I never knew you were this interested in the foundation.”
Chloe reached across the table and took Quentin's hand. “How could I not be interested in something that's so important to you? I want to work with you on this.”
Finally, Quentin smiled. It had taken long enough. Chloe was almost annoyed that he was so shocked. He acted as if she didn't have a heart. She did. And she wasn't going to let him break it by running off with the nanny.
“This is going to be incredible, Quentin. Wait and see.”
CHAPTER 22
M
ontana sat in the choir loft at Sunday morning worship service and watched the congregation members file in. Attending a megachurch gave her the opportunity to meet a lot of people, and at their church almost everyone was welcoming and kind. That spirit came straight from their leader. Bishop Kumal Prentiss was one of the most relatable pastors in the country.
Emoni sat down next to Montana and poked her in the side. “What are you thinking about? Your face looks twisted about something.”
“I made a new friend,” Montana said.
“Okay, and why would you be looking all crazy because you made a friend?”
“Because the friend is Quentin Chambers, and I so don't want to just be friends.”
Emoni laughed out loud. “Girl, I told you he was fine. How did y'all get to be friends?”
“You're gonna laugh. He bought me some running shoes.”
“What?”
“I was trying to be like him and go jogging outside, and I tore my feet up. So he bought me shoes.”
“He's practical. Saw a need and fixed it. This is a good thing.”
“It would've been, except the fact that he brought up spending the night with Chloe at the Ritz.”
“Ooh, bummer. Well, you knew he was dating her.”
Montana nodded. “I did. He also took me out to his foundation for cancer patients.”
Emoni's eyes widened. “He's inviting you into his world. Maybe he does want to be more than friends.”
“He has a girlfriend, though.”
“It's been five years. Maybe he's thinking of kicking her to the curb.”
“And he tried to kiss me.”
“What? So he did break up with Chloe?”
Montana shook her head sadly. “No. I don't know if he's going to, and if he doesn't, how can I keep working there?”
“Girl, I don't know. This has got to go on my prayer list. Better yet, I'm gonna put it on my mama's prayer list. Her prayer closet is the truth.”
Montana laughed. “Well, why don't you put yourself on the prayer list too? You're gonna lose Darrin with your runaway bride syndrome.”
“He should've thought about that when he hooked up with that hoochie at the cooking school.”
Montana shook her head and chuckled. She and Emoni had had this conversation before. Darrin went to Savannah to cooking school, and had cheated on Emoni while they were dating. Emoni said that she'd forgiven him, but every time he tried to set a wedding date, she changed the subject.
“But you're still wearing the ring.”
“That's because one day I will marry him. He's just gotta wait until I'm ready.”
“You better hope he doesn't wise up and leave you.”
“Please. He knows what a gem I am. Service is about to start, so I'm going back to the best section in the choir.”
“Sike, y'all altos are ghetto. Sopranos rock,” Montana said.
Once service started, Montana got so caught up in praising and worshiping God that she temporarily stopped focusing on her confusing situation with Quentin. She did make a brief prayer in which she asked for clarity, but after that, she left it in God's hands. If Quentin was going to be the prince of all her dreams, then a whole lot of things would have to change. First of all, his dating status needed to go from “in a relationship” to “single.” She wasn't about to share.
After the choir sang, Bishop Prentiss got up and preached a message on preparation. He said that God was preparing each person for His purpose for their lives, and that if the lesson was missed, then the person might have to learn it again. Bishop Prentiss called it the refiner's fire.
Near the middle of the message, Montana's jaw dropped when she saw who was walking down the center aisle of the church. It was Rio. Montana hoped this wasn't the beginning of him stalking her and harassing her to get back together. Rio stared at her in the choir stand and even waved when he saw her looking back.
She prayed that there wasn't another lesson she needed to learn with Rio.
After service, Rio waited for Montana at the steps near the choir loft. He smiled at her as she descended. Montana couldn't force herself to smile back. She gave him a toothy grimace instead.
“Are you surprised to see me here?” Rio said, as he gave Montana a bear hug.
“I am very surprised that you were able to set foot in the sanctuary without bursting into flames.”
“Wow. That is not how you're supposed to treat a guest. You're supposed to tell me about the love of the Lord and help me to salvation.”
“Don't play with God, Rio. He will not be mocked.”
Rio rolled his eyes. “When did you get to be such a holy roller? Good grief!”
Seemingly out of nowhere, Chloe was suddenly standing next to Rio.
“Well, hello! You're new here. Are you a friend of Montana's?” Chloe asked.
Rio laughed. “With a church this big, how can you tell if someone is new?”
Chloe gave Rio a look like what he said was absolutely ridiculous. On that, Montana had to agree. No matter how many people were in church, single women were always able to spot a new single man.
“Chloe, this is Rio Watkins, an old friend of mine.”
“An old friend?” Rio scoffed. “I am more than an old friend. I'm the man she almost married.”
“Really?” Chloe asked.
Montana laughed. “Really? I don't remember marriage ever being a part of our conversations, but okay.”
“You never know what's on a man's mind, girl. He could've been about to buy you a ring.” Chloe said.
Montana shook her head. “Rio, this is Chloe. She's my employer's . . .”
“Fiancée,” Chloe said before Montana was able to finish her sentence.
“Well, it's nice to meet you, Chloe,” Rio said. “I enjoyed your church service too.”
A huge smile burst onto Chloe's face. “Are you doing anything after church? My future mother-in-law is having a brunch at the Chambers family's Buckhead mansion. You can get a chance to see where Montana works.”
Montana gave Chloe a blank stare. There was no way she wanted Rio anywhere near that brunch.
“I love brunch!” Rio said. “The combination of my two favorite meals.”
“Then you absolutely should come,” Chloe said.
Montana said, “I don't really have permission to invite anyone. You wouldn't want to get me in trouble at work would you, Rio?”
“Chloe's inviting me.”
Chloe said, “What are you worried about? They're raving about you like you're the child whisperer or something.”
“They are?” Montana wondered who she meant by “they.” Was Quentin raving about her too?
“Yes, you can do no wrong. So let your friend come to the brunch. It'll liven things up.”
Montana thought about what Quentin might think if she brought a man to the brunch. “I don't think it's a good idea, so if he comes over, he's your guest.”
“It's like that, Montana? I came all the way to your church to visit you, and this is how you treat me?”
“What would Jesus do?” Chloe asked.
Montana stormed out of the choir loft and out the double doors that led to the foyer. Emoni stopped her by grabbing Montana's arm before she opened the door to the outside.
“What's wrong, Montana? You look like you're about to go and beat somebody down.”
“I'm just trying to get out of here. My ex showed up at church, and Chloe just invited him to Estelle's brunch. I've got to go and coordinate the children. They're going to sing today.”
“Really? Quentin's okay with his kids singing in front of everybody?”
Montana shrugged, “I didn't think he'd mind. They sound incredible.”
“Okay, well, then I'm looking forward to it. I remember their mother's voice. She was a legend at our church,” Emoni said. “I'll see you over at Estelle's.”
“You bringing Darrin?”
“Why? Are there going to be some eligible bachelors over there I should meet?” Emoni asked.
Montana frowned and shook her head at Emoni. “God is gonna get you for this.”
“Oh, all right, I'll bring him.”
Montana continued on into the parking lot and into her car. When she got behind the steering wheel, Montana realized she was shaking. She felt something in her spirit about Rio showing up at church like that, and even more anxiety about him coming to the Chambers home. Why was Chloe so intent on having him there? If she didn't know any better, Montana would think that the two of them had planned their little attack.
When she got back home, Montana used her key on the kitchen door. She didn't have a key to the big doors in front. The first thing Montana noticed was that Quentin was leaving.
“You're not staying for the brunch?” Montana asked.
Quentin shook his head. “That would be no. My mother's friends from church are coming over, and that is my cue to leave.”
“But you can't leave! The children have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise? What kind of surprise?”
“The kind you'll love, but you have to stay to find out what it is.”
Quentin started for the door again. “Well, I'm going to have to miss out, then.”
“Please, Quentin,” Montana said, as she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the door. “Don't go.”
Quentin looked down at Montana, and she put on a real show with her big, sad, puppy-dog eyes. The look he returned was full of heat, so Montana looked away.
“I love the way you beg,” Quentin said. “I will stay, but this surprise better be good.”
Not long after Montana had convinced Quentin to stay, Ms. Levy let Chloe and Rio in the house. Chloe threw her arms around Quentin's neck in a hug as soon as he and Montana came into the sitting room, where Estelle's guests would congregate before the meal.
“Quentin, baby, I'm glad you decided to stay. I didn't expect you to be here; you never stay for these events.”
“Obviously you didn't expect me to be here. You brought a date.”
Chloe jokingly punched Quentin in the arm and laughed. “This isn't my date. This is Montana's date, silly.”
Quentin's eyebrows shot all the way up. “Is this the surprise?”
“What? No! And he is not my date. Chloe invited him.”
Chloe gave Montana a scolding look. “Aren't you going to introduce Quentin to your boyfriend?”
“Quentin, this is my ex-boyfriend, Rio. He visited church today and managed to wrangle an invitation to brunch out of Chloe.”
Quentin extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Rio. Make yourself at home.”
“I will, I will. So what do y'all have Montana doing here? Is she the help?”
Quentin replied, “She's not âthe' help, but she's a big help. I don't know what we ever did before her.”
Chloe said, “You were doing a good job raising your children, honey.”
Montana excused herself from the group because she couldn't stand how Rio was staring her down. He made her feel like she had a film of slime on her body. She wondered how she ever thought he was attractive. It was like the Holy Spirit revealed the man Rio truly was once she got saved.
Upstairs, she checked on the girls to see if they were ready to sing the song they had prepared. They were all in Deirdre's bedroom, wearing their clothes from church and looking very pretty. The twins, however, seemed nervous.
“What if Daddy doesn't like this,” Morgan asked. “Will he fire you?”
It hadn't occurred to Montana that he might ask her to leave after this. “I don't think that's going to happen. I think God wants me to be here.”
Deirdre said, “If God took our mother away, why would He let you stay?”
Montana sat down on the edge of Deirdre's bed and tapped the empty spot next to her so that Deirdre could sit down. Deirdre plopped down and folded her arms across her chest in a huff.
Montana beckoned for the other three girls to come too, and they gathered around. Danielle sat on Montana's lap even though she was too big for that.
“Look, I know how much it hurts to lose your mom. I lost mine when I was in high school. And I know this doesn't make sense, but sometimes you have to trust that God is going to make everything okay.”
“Did your mother have cancer?” Danielle asked. “Why doesn't God just get rid of cancer?”
“My mother had a heart attack. No one expected it, and I didn't get to say good-bye.”
Madison gasped. “That's awful. I'm so sorry, Ms. Montana.”
“I miss my mother still. Every day. But do you know what I learned when she went to heaven?”
“What?” Deirdre asked. “That life isn't fair and that no matter what you do, bad stuff is still gonna happen to you?”
“No. I learned that everyone in your life is temporary, except God. He's the only one who stays forever.”
The girls were quiet. Then Danielle said, “So Daddy's gonna die too?”
“Someday,” Montana said. “Hopefully when he's an old, old man.”
Danielle laid her head on Montana's shoulder. “If Daddy fires you, can you still come and hang out with us?”
Montana laughed out loud. “Let's stop with all this sad talk. We've got a song to sing and a crowd to wow. Help me carry my keyboard downstairs so we can get our applause.”
All of Estelle's guests had arrived since Montana left the room, so she and the girls quickly set up the keyboard right outside the sitting room. The girls stood in a line, and Montana stepped into the room with the company. She noticed how uncomfortable Quentin looked and felt sorry for him.