Heaven Forbid by Lutishia Lovely

ministry, but he ended up with the minister instead. It hadn’t been pretty, and both were sorry that the affair had happened, but neither was sorry for the outcome. They’d asked forgiveness for their former transgression—from God, from Carla’s former husband, and from her children—and then they’d moved on to embrace the love that God had given.
    That they were soul mates was not even a question. Carla and Lavon fit together like white on rice, eggs and bacon, chicken and waffles, sausage and grits. That their professional lives melded together as easily as their private ones was further proof that theirs was a love meant to be. Lavon was the executive producer of Carla’s nationally syndicated talk show, Conversations with Carla, a show that had flourished under his hands-on guidance. Carla knew many of her Christian friends would disagree with her, but she believed it was God who had sent Lavon to their church to film the Logos Word ministry. And as hard as the subsequent disgrace had been to endure, Carla felt God had a hand in that too. For the prize she now held, and who held her in his arms, she’d again endure the cross of persecution. Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all this world go free….
    “A penny for your thoughts, Puddin’.”
    “Is that all they’re worth?” Carla reached over for a sheet to cover them. “I was just thinking about a message left earlier, on my private line at the studio.”
    “Who was it?”
    “Believe it or not, it was Maxine Brook, Tai’s mother.”
    “Girl, I know who Mama Max is. I once belonged to King and Tai’s church, remember?”
    “Oh, yeah, I forgot that you’re a church ho, changing your membership like women change shoes.” Carla laughed when Lavon pinched her tittie.
    “Your fine butt is what pulled me away from Mount Zion, believe that. What’d Mama Max want?”
    “Wants me to call her. Says she just heard a story that needs to be told, and she thinks my show is the place to tell it.”
    “Oh, Lord. With Mama Max, that tale could be just about anything, especially if it has anything to do with her sleep-around son.”
    “King? Not anymore. He’s being faithful to Tai, at least he’d better be.” Carla was silent for a moment as she thought of Tai Brook, her sister in the Lord, who’d endured her own share of pulpit pain down through the years. “No, I don’t think it’s about Tai and King. But whoever or whatever it’s about, Mama Max will have my ear. But not until Monday because,” Carla purred, kissing Lavon’s chest, “this weekend”—she kissed his neck—“is all about…just the two of us.” Carla kissed Lavon’s lips and continued singing the Grover Washington classic as she eased off the bed. She turned, jutted out her sizeable assets, and put her hand on her hip. The stance was saucy and seductive. “I’m going to take a shower. Care to join me?”
    Anyone watching would have been surprised to see a big man move so fast. “Baby, this sounds like round two.” Lavon sidled up behind Carla and rocked her in his arms. “Just the two of us…” The lovers hummed and two-stepped their way into the shower.

10
A Different Kind of Meal
    Passion pushed away from the computer. She was trying to come up with a Thanksgiving menu, but her heart wasn’t in it. Stan had asked her to fix an intimate, preholiday dinner for the associate ministers and their wives, to be served the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It wasn’t that Passion had a problem cooking. She was a Georgia peach who felt she could throw down with the best of them. No, the turkey in the pan wasn’t the problem, but the turkey sleeping in her bed was. Stan wanted her to keep on the happy-first-lady face, let the world believe that theirs was a happy marriage. But Stan was finding more reasons to stay at his church office, while she’d found more unmentionables in his office at home. The truth of the matter was that Passion was becoming unhappier with each