effort to break down the barriers she’d placed between them. When she read his last entry from two days ago, the day of the christening, she knew she was in trouble. He wanted her and was coming after her with the full intention of winning her love. Tears blurred her vision as she read what he’d written again:
When a man love s a woman, he will stop at absolutely nothing to win her heart, her trust, but most of all, her love.
* * *
Later in the afternoon, around two, Vic knocked on Baptiste’s bedroom door and entered, along with his best friend, Kevin Martin Bullock, who everyone referred to as K-Mart.
“K-Mart, don’t let Baptiste get out of this bed while I’m gone,” she said, walking over to hand Baptiste a bottle of Perrier. She leaned down and softly whispered next to his ear. “I’ma run a few errands, then pick up the girls. I won’t be gone long.”
A.J. smiled. “You promise to come back to me.”
She smiled back. “I promise. Remember what I said, Baptiste.”
K-Mart drew a glass of iced tea to his mouth. “Don’t worry, Vic. Even if I have to sit on his big behind the entire time, I won’t let him out this bed.”
A.J. and K-Mart watched Vic walk out the room.
“Doc,” K-Mart said with a chuckle, turning back around to face his best friend, “I told you years ago you needed to give up your Hell’s Angel’s ways.” He set his glass on the table next to his chair and peeled out of his suit coat. “Damn near took you out of here this time, huh?”
“Shut up, K-Mart,” A.J. replied, his voice full of humor. “Good to see you. I wasn’t at fault this go-round. Whoever hit me came out of nowhere. I didn’t even see them coming.”
A.J. knew K-Mart would rib him for the passion he’d developed for motorcycle riding, which began when they were roommates back in medical school at Howard University. Slowly, he pulled to an upright position in the middle of the bed while K-Mart adjusted the pillows at his back. “All right, who called you?”
“Everyone,” K-Mart answered matter-of-factly, loosening his tie. “Of course, you know Moni got to me first. After that, the rest of your clan started blowing my phone up every thirty minutes. Even talked to Cates the night you were admitted.”
A.J. chuckled. “I’ll say. He told me when I checked out that you called every hour for an update.”
“Absolutely. Listen, doc, we go back a long way. I needed to know what was going on with you.”
A.J. was thrilled K-Mart had finally accepted the top spot as the health officer for the Alameda County Department of Public Health and would be relocating to Oakland from Atlanta. Suddenly, he frowned, and a puzzled look fanned over his features. “Wait a minute. Your flight to Oakland was for next—”
“I know, I know. When I talked with Marcel, he offered to send the corporate jet down to fly me out, so here I am.”
A.J. nodded. He knew Russ Jenkins, the pilot for BF Automotive’s corporate jet, had no doubt flown out immediately. “ Merci, mon frère. ”
Stretching his legs in front of him, K-Mart smiled. “Listen, doc, you didn’t do justice with your description of Vic. You are one lucky dog. Man, she’s gorgeous.”
A.J. beamed proudly. “I told you.”
K-Mart shook his head in amazement. “How in the world did you luck up and find a woman who loves your girls as much as you do, is a public health nurse, has a master’s in public health on top of that, and heads up a clinic?” He lifted his brow. “Think she’d come work for me?”
A.J. didn’t hear most of K-Mart’s accolades because he was too busy trying to figure out which one of his five gossiping siblings had provided K-Mart with Vic’s life story.
“Moni told you all of this, right?” Before he got a response, he added, “You would think since Little Zach has been born she wouldn’t have so much time to spend running her mouth.”
K-Mart shook his head and chuckled. “Wasn’t Moni this time, doc.
When a man love s a woman, he will stop at absolutely nothing to win her heart, her trust, but most of all, her love.
* * *
Later in the afternoon, around two, Vic knocked on Baptiste’s bedroom door and entered, along with his best friend, Kevin Martin Bullock, who everyone referred to as K-Mart.
“K-Mart, don’t let Baptiste get out of this bed while I’m gone,” she said, walking over to hand Baptiste a bottle of Perrier. She leaned down and softly whispered next to his ear. “I’ma run a few errands, then pick up the girls. I won’t be gone long.”
A.J. smiled. “You promise to come back to me.”
She smiled back. “I promise. Remember what I said, Baptiste.”
K-Mart drew a glass of iced tea to his mouth. “Don’t worry, Vic. Even if I have to sit on his big behind the entire time, I won’t let him out this bed.”
A.J. and K-Mart watched Vic walk out the room.
“Doc,” K-Mart said with a chuckle, turning back around to face his best friend, “I told you years ago you needed to give up your Hell’s Angel’s ways.” He set his glass on the table next to his chair and peeled out of his suit coat. “Damn near took you out of here this time, huh?”
“Shut up, K-Mart,” A.J. replied, his voice full of humor. “Good to see you. I wasn’t at fault this go-round. Whoever hit me came out of nowhere. I didn’t even see them coming.”
A.J. knew K-Mart would rib him for the passion he’d developed for motorcycle riding, which began when they were roommates back in medical school at Howard University. Slowly, he pulled to an upright position in the middle of the bed while K-Mart adjusted the pillows at his back. “All right, who called you?”
“Everyone,” K-Mart answered matter-of-factly, loosening his tie. “Of course, you know Moni got to me first. After that, the rest of your clan started blowing my phone up every thirty minutes. Even talked to Cates the night you were admitted.”
A.J. chuckled. “I’ll say. He told me when I checked out that you called every hour for an update.”
“Absolutely. Listen, doc, we go back a long way. I needed to know what was going on with you.”
A.J. was thrilled K-Mart had finally accepted the top spot as the health officer for the Alameda County Department of Public Health and would be relocating to Oakland from Atlanta. Suddenly, he frowned, and a puzzled look fanned over his features. “Wait a minute. Your flight to Oakland was for next—”
“I know, I know. When I talked with Marcel, he offered to send the corporate jet down to fly me out, so here I am.”
A.J. nodded. He knew Russ Jenkins, the pilot for BF Automotive’s corporate jet, had no doubt flown out immediately. “ Merci, mon frère. ”
Stretching his legs in front of him, K-Mart smiled. “Listen, doc, you didn’t do justice with your description of Vic. You are one lucky dog. Man, she’s gorgeous.”
A.J. beamed proudly. “I told you.”
K-Mart shook his head in amazement. “How in the world did you luck up and find a woman who loves your girls as much as you do, is a public health nurse, has a master’s in public health on top of that, and heads up a clinic?” He lifted his brow. “Think she’d come work for me?”
A.J. didn’t hear most of K-Mart’s accolades because he was too busy trying to figure out which one of his five gossiping siblings had provided K-Mart with Vic’s life story.
“Moni told you all of this, right?” Before he got a response, he added, “You would think since Little Zach has been born she wouldn’t have so much time to spend running her mouth.”
K-Mart shook his head and chuckled. “Wasn’t Moni this time, doc.
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