The Summer of Me (21 page)

D
ANIEL LOOKED AT THE STACK OF LOAN APPLICATIONS
on his desk and thought about Destiny. Trying not to think about her was a futile activity. In a short time, she'd come to touch every aspect of his life. He looked again at the stack of applications. She had been right to go through the deacons and other church leaders to identify families who might be helped by a loan. The quickness with which the applications had been returned was a testament to how much the loan program was needed. He only wished he could focus on them. He'd probably been through the stack twice. Why did he even bother? He was going to fund them all anyway.

Now that that was settled he let his thoughts freely go to their chosen destination: Destiny. He hadn't liked the way he had left things between them in California. At first, he'd thought he should have fought harder to stay out there with her and help her work through whatever she had to work
through about their relationship. Now though he recognized the wisdom in her decision.

“How was Memphis?”

Daniel looked up at the sound of Gavin's voice. “Hey,” he said, welcoming the interruption. “Come on in.”

Gavin walked fully into the room. “So how was it? Did the trip help keep your mind off Destiny?”

Daniel looked up at his friend. “That wasn't the purpose of the trip.”

Gavin only grinned. He took a seat in the chair in front of the desk. “It was either that or you were avoiding Natalie.”

“Why would I avoid Natalie?”

Gavin chuckled. “Because she'd hound you for an update on your relationship with Destiny. We've noticed that you two have been seeing a lot of each other. Don't worry, I'm not going to hound you about it. I'll leave that to Natalie. I want to hear about Memphis and the guys.”

Daniel looked at his friend and knew that it was time to tell him the truth. “I misled you about the reason I went to Memphis, Gavin. It wasn't a social visit, it was work.”

“What work? Were you doing something related to the financial programs you're planning?”

He shook his head. “Not that kind of work.” He sighed deeply. “There's something I need to tell you. I wanted to tell you when I first got to town.”

“Tell me what?”

“About the case I've been working on for GDW Investigations since I've been here.”

Gavin leaned forward in his chair. “Case? I thought you stopped that work when Gloria became ill.”

“I did, but George and William asked me to take on one last case when I came to Atlanta. It was a fraud investigation involving a temporary services business. A lot of good people have gotten caught up in the scam. They were offering high-paying jobs as a cover for a money-laundering and identity-theft crime ring.”

“Sounds serious, but why all the secrecy?”

“This is a wide-reaching scam and George and William were concerned that some members of your congregation might be involved.”

Gavin's eyebrows shot up. “I know George and William. Are you telling me they thought I was involved?”

“Not really,” Daniel said. “They were more concerned that you might know people involved or that you or Natalie would somehow tell the wrong person about my investigation. It was safer all around to keep you and Natalie in the dark.”

“Since you're telling me now, I assume you've wrapped up the case.”

“Almost,” Daniel said. “There are still a few loose ends that have to be tied up. I'm telling you now because you and Natalie know a couple of people who got caught up in it.”

Gavin sat back in his chair. “Are you trying to tell me that some people from the church are involved?”

Daniel nodded. “It's even worse. It's a couple of people who are close to both you and Natalie.”

“Who?”

Daniel let out a deep breath. “Destiny and Bertice.”

“Destiny and Bertice?”

Daniel nodded.

“How did they get involved?”

Daniel shrugged. “They were both having money troubles and the opportunity presented itself to make some easy money. They couldn't walk away from it. It's a scam and a lot of good people fall for scams. Even though the whole thing was too good to be true, they let themselves be convinced that it was all on the up-and-up.”

“Man, I hate this. How much trouble are they in?”

“It's a long story.”

“This is important,” Gavin said. “I can make the time. Tell me.”

Daniel told Gavin everything, starting with Phil Harris's initial involvement, his recruitment of Bertice and Destiny, and his decision to reach out to GDW for help to get out.

“I don't believe it,” Gavin said. “I thought Bertice and Destiny were smarter than that.”

“Scams wouldn't work if smart people didn't fall for them.”

“But still—”

“Don't judge them too harshly, Gavin. They're not going to be prosecuted but they will have to pay.” He eyed his friend. “In fact, Destiny has already paid.”

“Explain.”

Daniel took a deep breath. “I didn't only go to Memphis this weekend. I also went to Los Angeles.”

“Los Angeles? You went to see Destiny?”

“Not exactly,” Daniel said. Then he explained how Destiny had ended up at the police station. “Somebody stole her identity and then used it to commit credit card fraud.”

“That must have been pretty scary for Destiny. I'm sorry to hear it happened. How is she?”

“Overall, she's fine,” he said. “She's angry at herself for getting involved with HR Solutions. And she's angry that the whole mess landed her in the police station. Being taken to the police station was traumatic for her.”

“I'll bet it was,” Daniel said. “Are you sure she's all right? I can't believe she didn't call Natalie but I find it very interesting that she called you. Sounds to me like you two have developed a close relationship in a short time.”

“Before she left, I would have agreed with you. I'm not sure where we are now. She thinks we need to reconsider our relationship in light of the new information we have about each other.”

“In other words, she's a little upset that you kept the secret from her?” Gavin asked.

“That's part of it.”

“Well, I think you made up for it after you went all the way to Los Angeles to help her out of a legal mess that she created by her own reckless actions.”

“You're being too hard on her, Gavin.”

“And you're letting her off too lightly. She should be holding on to you with both hands and both feet.”

“Of course I agree with you, but she says she needs time to reconcile her feelings for the Daniel she knew before she left town and the Daniel she met in Los Angeles. I think she
likes both of us, but she's unsure what the future holds. She's also worried that my feelings for her may be complicated by her role in the case. It's a mess.”

Gavin shrugged. “Women can be unpredictable. You both have got to put yourself in the other's shoes. That's relationship rule number one. It seems you've forgotten it.”

Daniel pondered Gavin's words long after his friend had left him alone in his office. As he sat there, his thoughts turned to Gloria. GDW had brought the two of them together and it had almost torn them apart. Was that history repeating itself with Destiny?

D
ESTINY BOARDED THE PLANE FOR
A
TLANTA FEELING
good about her trip. Yes, there had been a few bumps, but things had turned out well. As she looked ahead, the life waiting for her back in Atlanta looked pretty promising. She'd have her kids, her house, and school, and if things worked the way she wanted, she'd also have Daniel. “Which seat do you want, Mom?” she asked when she reached their assigned row. “Window or aisle?”

“I'll take the window,” she said.

Destiny stepped back and let her mother enter the row first. After she was settled in, Destiny took the aisle seat. “Comfortable?” she asked her mom.

“I'm fine,” she said. “How about you?”

“I'm good,” Destiny said. “We had a long day today, so I'm glad for the rest.”

Her mother chuckled. “I know what you mean. Despite the drama that led to it, I'm glad we were able to spend a couple of extra days here.”

Destiny agreed. “I wish we could have stayed even longer, but I have to get back to my responsibilities.”

Her mother looked at her. “I don't know if I've told you this, Destiny, but I'm really proud of what you're doing with your life this summer.”

“Proud?” Destiny repeated. Given that entire police and HR Solutions fiasco, Destiny hadn't expected to hear the word
proud
from her mother for a very long time.

“Yes, proud,” she said. “I know you think I'm too hard on you, but all I've ever wanted was for you to live up to your potential. I always saw it in you, but you never saw it in yourself. I could never understand why. Sometimes I blame myself for your lack of confidence. I think things would have been different if your father had lived. Two parents balance things out. I could be the taskmaster when your dad was there to be the nurturer. After he was gone, I didn't do a very good job of combining our roles. It was just easier for me to stick with what I knew. I was so afraid when your dad died.”

“Afraid? You never seemed afraid.”

“Of course I had to put on a strong face for you, Destiny. All I wanted you to see from me was strength. Then I had the first breast cancer occurrence when you were about the age that KJ and Kenae are now and I was terrified you'd end up an orphan. I think that's why I was so hard on you. I needed you to be prepared for life without both of your parents. I guess I still do.”

“I didn't know that, Mom. I wish you had told me.”

“It's hard to talk to you, Destiny. You take every word I say as criticism.”

Destiny looked over at her mother. “You do criticize me a lot.”

“That's not how I see it, so we'll have to agree to disagree. That's why I want to go on the record and let you know that I'm proud of you.”

“You certainly picked a strange time to tell me. A couple of days ago I was hauled off to a police station. You didn't seem too proud of me then. You seemed more disappointed than anything.”

“I was disappointed,” she said. “What mother wouldn't be? Why can't I be both?”

“Because they're contradictory emotions, Mom.”

Her mother shook her head. “That's not true. I can be proud of you, in a general sense, but disappointed about a specific act. Yes, I'm disappointed that you felt you needed to take a shortcut to get money this summer. I thought I'd raised you better than that.”

“You raised me fine,” Destiny said.

“Maybe. Maybe not. But we're getting off track. I need you to hear that I'm proud of you. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you.”

“What do you think I'm proud of?”

Destiny shrugged. “You're proud that I'm going back to school to get my degree.”

Her mother nodded. “And I'm proud that you're doing it while working at Marshalls, planning those financial programs with Daniel at the church, and doing an apprenticeship at the salon. And I'm especially proud that you're
working to move you and the kids into a house closer to their school.”

Destiny eyed her mom. “I thought you were worried I was doing too much.”

“You are,” she said, “but I realized that most mothers, especially single mothers, end up doing too much. It's our lot in life.”

“I guess it is,” Destiny agreed.

“But I'm even more proud of the way you handled yourself this weekend,” her mother continued. “You faced some adversity, self-inflicted adversity, but adversity just the same, and you didn't let it beat you down. Kenneth hit you with a low blow when you were already staggered by the police, but you didn't give up or give in. You stared him down and got him to back down. If something happened to me tomorrow, I know you'd be okay.”

“Don't even think like that, Mom. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“I'm a two-time breast cancer survivor, Destiny. Nothing is promised to me. Every day is a gift. I don't want to leave you, but it gives me comfort to know that you can take care of yourself and the kids.”

Destiny turned to her mother. “What are you trying to tell me, Mom? Have the doctors told you something?”

Her mother took her hand and squeezed it. “I have good news and bad news.”

Destiny closed her eyes briefly and prayed a silent prayer for her mom to be okay. “Tell me,” she said.

Still holding her hand, her mother said, “The bad news is that the cancer is back. The good news is that Charlotte, Mary Margaret's mother, told me about a clinical trial that will be starting in a couple of months. She thinks I'm a good candidate and she's practically guaranteed me a spot in it.”

Destiny felt tears well up in her eyes. “How long have you known about this?”

“Not long,” her mother said.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because I didn't want to upset you,” her mother said, using her fingers to wipe away Destiny's tears.

Destiny covered her mother's hand with her own. “You still should have told me.”

“I know, sweetheart, but I needed time to come to grips with it first. And I wanted to better understand my treatment options. Charlotte did a good job of making those clear to me. She's a really nice woman, once you get beyond that harsh exterior. We're a lot alike. I think it's because we're both single mothers. You've got that same toughness. It was just simmering there below the surface waiting to be activated.”

“What are you talking about, Mom?” she asked, though she really wanted to discuss her mother's treatment options. She just didn't think this airplane was the place to do it. No, she'd hold off until they were home. And she'd make it a priority to be at her mom's next doctor's appointment.

“You handled your business like a woman,” her mother continued. “Kenneth's threats, both of them, scared you. I know they did. But the fear didn't paralyze you. No, it sent you into action. You started looking for a house closer to the
kids' school after the first threat and after the second you sought legal advice. Then armed with that advice, you called for a sit-down with Mary Margaret and Kenneth. I just wish I had been there to see you in action.”

“There was nothing to see. We had an adult conversation.”

“Exactly,” her mother said. “You handled your business like a woman and Mary Margaret and Kenneth had to take notice. You fought for yourself and your kids and you fought the right way.”

“I don't know what to say. What else could I have done?”

“Nothing. That's the point. You did the right thing and you did it the right way. At least, you did with Kenneth. I'm not so sure about Daniel.”

“What are you talking about?”

Her mother shot a glare in her direction. “You know what I'm talking about. It was nice to see you start a new relationship. I don't like to think of you old and alone. You deserve someone to love you and share your life—the good times and the bad. I was hoping Daniel was that special man for you.”

“He still might be.”

“Then why did you send him away?” her mother challenged.

Destiny thought about her last conversation with Daniel. “I needed to think about what I wanted from him and I needed him to think about what he wanted from me. Daniel knows the worst of me, Mom. He's had a front-row seat to my moral failures. I can't hide from him. That's pretty scary.”

“But wonderful if he knows all that and still wants to be with you.”

She nodded. “That's right. I know what kind of man he is and he knows exactly what kind of woman I am. There's no hiding with us. We're either going to move forward together full force or we're going to go our separate ways. That's just who we are. I guess I'll find out which way things will go when we meet next Tuesday.”