A Baby for Christmas (Love at The Crossroads) (2 page)

Candace had cringed. “Well, maybe we can tweak it a bit…”

The processional music began in the chapel. Everyone was already in place in the next room, except for Solae, so she stood and walked to Candace, giving her a nod of approval. “You’re beautiful, my friend. Don’t worry about me. I’ve been through this before and I survived.”

“That’s why I do worry about you—”

Shaking her head, Solae silenced her. “This is your day.”  She made a ritual of air kissing both cheeks, stepping back, and then smiled. “Be happy.”

“You’ve always wanted me to be happy.” Candace blinked and seemed thoughtful.

“And I always will. That’s what sister-girls do. Now, bring me another niece or nephew from the honeymoon.”

A soft tap on the door stole their attention. Solae’s mother, Minerva, entered. A smile brightened her face. “Candace, dear, you look lovely.”

Candace gushed without seeing the flash of sadness on her mother’s face.

The moment was bittersweet for both of them.  “God bless you with years of happiness, sweetie.”

“Thank you, Mom Minerva,” Candace responded with a title of endearment since both of her parents were deceased.

“You’re welcome. Well, I better go and get a seat. Everything is so beautiful.” As her mother backed out the room, Solae followed. Her mother gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. “God hasn’t forsaken you, even when it feels as if He has.”

“I know, Momma.” Solae sniffed and sighed. “It’s just…I’m the big three-o now. It would have been nice to have at least one proposal on my resume.” She shook herself to snap out of the melancholy that was trying to overtake her on this festive occasion.

“God’s got a blessing for you. Your father and I didn’t marry until we were in our late thirties and look at the beautiful daughter God gave me,” Minerva said proudly.

True, but Solae no longer had a nest for the Lord to give her a baby. Even without a child, Solae wanted a lifelong love. That was something her mother had in Washington Palmer. Before Solae could say another word, the wedding director beckoned for her to get in position behind Julia Kavanaugh—Hershel’s sister-in-law and the only other bridesmaid in the wedding party.

Taking a deep breath and plastering a dazzling smile on her face, Solae jutted her chin and stood ready to make her entrance as a bridesmaid.

The sanctuary was filled with about one hundred well-wishers, including a heavy dose of firefighters. The decorations were bountiful and beautiful. Strings of white Christmas lights wrapped in tulle overtook the altar.

Measuring her steps, Solae looked ahead. She willed her eyes not to divert in the direction of the groom’s best man.
Don’t look, don’t look
, but her heart screamed,
I will not be denied!
Even if her eyes were closed, all her other senses would be aware of Hershel’s presence.

Solae chanced a glance at the three Kavanaugh brothers—tall, built, and handsome. She smiled at Trent, the youngest. He and Julia had an adorable baby girl—the jewel of the family.

Next was the groom. Royce nodded at her. Solae winked and veered to the opposite side, right in direct view of Hershel. She could feel the intensity of his unusual shade of brown eyes on her before she even met his gaze. One…two…three. She willed herself a glimpse, then wanted to faint from the power of his charming smile. Then he had the nerve to mouth,
I love you
.

She groaned.
I can get through this. I can get through this
.

When the guests
ooh
ed and
aah
ed, Solae pulled away from his stare. Favoring a princess with her tiara, Candace’s daughter sprinkled red rose petals on the white runner in a meticulous manner. Solae’s heart warmed at the reality that Lindsay was finally getting a daddy. Lindsay stopped in front of her and grinned.

“You did a good job,” she whispered and tweaked the girl’s cheek.

Next came
her boys
—as Solae thought of Hershel’s sons—three-year-old Harrison, and Brandon, who was five, and in the same class with Lindsay.

The two were so adorable, walking side by side as Brandon carried the pillow that secured Candace’s ring. Once the brothers got to the altar, they made a beeline to Hershel.

Rocking on the side of his shoes, Harrison gave her a bashful wave. Solae returned it, then her eyes traveled back to Hershel who seemed to be waiting for her attention. Lifting a brow, he silently flirted as if they were the only ones in the sanctuary.

Solae blushed. Oh, how she loved this man, then the moment of exhilaration passed when she realized that Hershel seemed in no hurry to remarry. Maybe he was satisfied with the status quo of their relationship. If for no other reason, why stay celibate as a Christian when he could have a wife?

“Will everyone please rise?” Pastor Reed instructed the guests as the organist struck the first chord to the wedding march.

Solae was immediately snapped back into the present.

Candace graced the runway to the altar. She never looked so happy, not even when she married her late husband. Thank You, Jesus, her friend had found love again. An older gentleman, a longtime friend of the family, escorted her down the aisle.

Royce met her halfway and whispered something that made Candace mouth, “I love you”, then retracing his steps, Royce walked back to Pastor Reed with his fiancée at his side.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to join together this man and woman in holy matrimony…”

Reciting his vows with so much emotion, Royce even made Solae become teary-eyed. Candace wasn’t shy about her declaration to love, honor, and obey her husband.

Once they made their commitment, Pastor Reed prayed for their unity before giving his closing remarks: “Therefore what God has joined together let no dishonest man or conniving woman put asunder.” It was a customary twist he added to all nuptials he officiated. The look of surprise on Royce’s face was priceless.

Yes, Lord,
please don’t let either of them be led astray. Give them a long life as a family
, Solae prayed silently.

“You may now kiss your bride
.”

“Is he my daddy now, Aunt Sollie?” Lindsay whispered loud enough for those close by to hear and stir snickers around them.

“Yes, baby. You now have a daddy.”

Wow.
Hershel couldn’t help but gawk. His nostrils flared with excitement at seeing the woman he loved. Solae’s beauty was mesmerizing. His eyes left her figure briefly to do a quick sweep of the guests, and he mentally dared any of his brotherhood of firefighters in attendance to linger on her assets. It was a known fact that she was his.

He observed her every movement. Some commented that Solae reminded them of a younger version of Nia Long. There was no comparison. She was just as unique as her name.

Solae worked the crowd with little effort. She was a beauty with her one dimple and engaging smile. What made her more alluring was the mass of curls that were swept up and piled on the top of her head. Each bounced with every step. Her natural strut was flirty and exclusive to her because Hershel had yet to see another woman duplicate it.

“Man, she looks hot,” he mumbled under his breath as his heart pounded wildly with longing. He missed her.

“She’s not the center of my attention here, dude,” Royce said in a bad impression of a ventriloquist.

“She is mine,” he whispered back. Hershel was tempted to leave his post and sweep Solae off her feet to make up for all the times they were apart because of their hectic lives.
Despite their conflicting schedules, his sons never lacked Solae’s attention. She picked up Brandon from school whenever he needed to be, fed him, and helped him with his homework.

As if that wasn’t enough, she would smother Brandon and Harrison with the love that should have come from their mother, who deserted her family for another man.  Solae was the one he should have married first…He paused—Solae wouldn’t have been able to give him the sons that he loved dearly.

Forcing his assessment off her legs, Hershel admired her bridesmaid’s dress until he beheld her face. Her eyes sparkled with happiness. Wait—he squinted. They also glistened as if she was about to cry. Women—they were so sentimental when it came to these affairs. He relaxed.

Hershel’s mind continued to drift until Pastor Reed made the proclamation. With his single brother officially hitched, Hershel could get to Solae.

As the bridal party began to exit the sanctuary, Hershel held his elbow for Solae to take since he was the best man to escort the maid of honor as they trailed the bride and groom. He kissed Solae’s cheek in order to leave no doubt in the minds of any guests that she was his. Her lids fluttered. Hershel liked to see his effect on her. “Hi, baby. You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you.” Her voice was soft and unsteady—almost unsure of how to respond to him. Odd.

The wedding director turned into a task master as she ordered the attendants to follow her outside for pictures and then back inside the sanctuary. With every pose, Hershel kept a possessive hand on Solae’s waist and shoulders. Usually, she gave him an encouraging smile, but she barely acknowledged his touch. Something was definitely wrong.

Hershel endured the never-ending receiving line for his brother’s sake, then on to the reception. He pulled out Solae’s chair at the head table. “I’ll fix our plates. What do you want?”

“Oh, thanks, but take care of the boys. I can get my own,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

That was one thing he loved about Solae. She always put his sons’ needs first. For their first date, she suggested
Dave and Buster’s
to make it a family event. Now, almost a year later, she was still doing it. “All right.” Hershel frowned and slowly walked away. But something was off and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Throughout the night, every time Hershel attempted to initiate a private conversation with Solae, someone interrupted him.

“I heard you’re a lieutenant at the fire house,” Mrs. Pearlman said, shuffling her way down the head table. The longtime family friend would babysit the Kavanaugh brothers when his parents were away. Her hair was just as gray and her square glasses thicker.

“A captain,” Hershel corrected. “I have been for three years.” He was about to introduce Solae, but she beat him to it.

“Hi, honey. You’re sure a pretty thing. Are you Hershey’s wife?”

Hershel groaned as Solae giggled at the eighty-something woman’s nickname for him. His brothers’ names were also massacred: Trenty, and Roycie.

“No, we’re not married,” Solae answered with an edge to her voice.

Mrs. Pearlman gave him a curious look. “You always were the slow one.” She patted his hand and was about to say more, but another old neighbor snagged her attention.

“Can you believe she said that?” He faced Solae who still seemed to be amused. “You think that’s funny, huh?” He tried to sound threatening, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. It felt good for them to relax together.

When Royce and Candace had their first dance, Solae swayed in her seat to the words of gospel artist, Antwaun Stanley’s, “By Your Side.” Closing her eyes, she seemed to shut everything out, including him.

I don’t think so.
“Babe.” He gathered her hand in his. “I’m on duty the next three days, so how about I take you out to dinner on Thursday—just the two of us—no boys.”

Opening her eyes, Solae stared into his. “Can I let you know?”

Hershel calculated his breaths to rein in his frustration. Her nonchalant answer rattled him. Solae made it known that he and the boys were her priority. Whatever she had on her plate, she —without hesitation—would reshuffle it to be there for him on his irregular off days.

Lowering her flashes, she seemed to struggle with what to say. “Do you love me?”

Where did that come from? “Of course, I love you.” He angled his head to really study her profile. “Why? Did something happen that I need to know about?”

“Sometimes a woman just needs to hear it, see it, feel it…”

“Every time I look at you, I say it; every time I touch you, I say it; and every time I see, text, or speak to you over the phone, I say it. So how can you doubt something so tangible?”

The microphone shrieked as the wedding director fumbled with it, giving Solae a reprieve not to answer, causing everyone to look that way, except him. His focus was on Solae and trying to read between the lines.

“It’s now time for the bride and groom to cut the cake,” the woman announced as guests applauded.

Hershel noted the whimsical expression on Solae’s face. When she shivered, he smirked, recalling the first time he had seen her do that.

“Are you cold?” he had asked one night when they were out with his boys.

Shaking her head, Solae had leaned in to brush her lips against his. “No, for some reason I can feel when you’re looking at me
.”

A group of firefighters approached the head table. A few slapped him on the back, one or two nodded at Solae.