Redeeming Heart (12 page)

The Colemans’ loan had been approved for a
ninety-thousand-dollar home and not a cent more. Unfortunately,
they were adamant about seeing a house with a listed price of
$102,000. They didn’t want to live in the city, but could barely
afford residence outside the city limits.

Octavia believed in options, which was why
she dropped by the office the day before to print three additional
listings. She had been surprised to see James’s Benz parked outside
the agency the day before and even more surprised at the
conversation she overheard as she neared the entrance.

“James, be patient,” Terri stated.

“I have been, but she hasn’t called.” James’s
deep voice was a tie between disappointed and annoyed.

“Tavie fills up her social calendar with
church activities,” had been Terri’s defense. “We can double date
again.”

“No. She was like a mouse caught with cheese
last time. She has to want to get to know me. She’s sexy, beautiful
and the type of woman with just enough church in her to take home
to meet my mother…”

Octavia frowned and mouthed
just enough
church
. Was that a compliment? That was akin to someone wanting
just enough of Jesus to get into heaven. She shook her head. People
who didn’t go to church and folks who did never would understand
the others’ reasoning. The bigger question was how much of Jesus
did James have. She didn’t have time to find out as she fumbled
with the knob to alert them that someone was coming in.

Their heads whipped around. Despite their
smiles, guilt was written on their faces.

James stood. “Octavia, hi. Terri said you
were stopping by. I hope you’ll let me treat you to lunch.”

“I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry.” She eyed Terri
then proceeded to her corner desk to print out the alternative
listings.

James followed, grabbed a chair and pulled it
to her desk. “Why won’t you give me a chance to get to know
you?”

If Octavia told him that for some
unexplainable, foolish reason, Landon had gotten her attention
first, he would have laughed.

“What is there about me that you don’t like?”
He toyed with her as Terri pretended to be busy. To any woman, he
was the complete package with his looks, suave personality and
other possessions. Plus, he smelled good, but she wanted a man to
share her passion about Jesus.

And Landon would?
A voice came from
nowhere.

“I don’t know you,” she said, then decided to
print out one more listing she hoped she wouldn’t have to show.

James had handed her another one of his cards
and leaned closer. “Call me any time and I’ll answer.” Standing, he
smiled at her, and his eyes sparkled. He turned and saluted Terri
then strolled out the door.

“Girl…” Terri fanned herself. “If you don’t
go out with him, I may have to leave Andre.”

Octavia laughed. “Your husband’s not going to
let you go anywhere.”

A day later, Octavia still didn’t know how
she felt about James’s description of her.
Humph.
He wasn’t
her problem. She turned down the street where the house was listed
and parked. Although she was prepared to hold the Coleman’s hands
throughout the process, Octavia prayed she wouldn’t have to show
them ten homes before finding them their affordable dream home.

Her clients honked when they saw her drive
up. Octavia unstrapped her seatbelt and got out.

“Excited?” She greeted them and grinned.

Before going inside, the trio inspected the
curb appeal, which made a big difference in the asking price. There
wasn’t much to the flower bed, but the shrubbery was expertly
trimmed and positioned for shade.

At the front door, she punched in the
combination code on the lock box, which dislodged the key. She
opened the door and allowed the Colemans to step inside first, then
together they explored the three-bedroom home, which had been fully
renovated. It would make a great home for someone with the right
income.

Octavia read their body language. Mrs.
Coleman beamed. “We want it. Can we make them a lower offer?” Her
husband wrapped his arm around her waist. They were a united front,
staring at her.

“We can try, but if someone comes with a high
offer—”

“With God, all things are possible,” Mr.
Coleman said.

“Amen.” She couldn’t argue against that. She
knew firsthand about faith, miracles and God’s rich blessings.
Still, there was a difference between “I want” and God saying,
“You’ll get.” After Octavia slipped a contract out of her case, she
suggested they pray.

“Lord, in the name of Jesus,” Mr. Coleman
began, “You said if we acknowledge You in all things, You will
direct our path.”

“Jesus, You also said that if we come to You
believing… We have been good stewards with the money You’ve given
us…” his wife added.

Octavia was touched by their faith in God.
She also knew by helping them to get blessed, she would be too, and
she wasn’t talking about the commission. Octavia ended the prayer
with Ephesians 3:20, “
Now to Him who is able to do far more
abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works within us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“By faith,” they said in unison as if they
were the Three Musketeers.

They sat at a table with four chairs that had
been part of the few furnishings staged to give the appearance of a
home, then Octavia began to write their offer. “The property is
paid for and the owner is in a senior citizens’ home. Let’s see
what her relatives have to say.” They nodded, stood and shook
hands. As Octavia locked up, she knew the hard work was about to
begin, negotiating with the seller for a much lower price.

First, she had other business on her mind as
she got in her car and drove to Mac’s Place.

Half an hour later, she parked in front of
the building. She only had one question for Landon. Clearly, he was
reared in the church to play those melodies, so what happened
between him and the Lord? Getting out her car, Octavia’s heart
pounded with each step. It was her second visit to Mac’s Place in
one day.

Another staffer at the front desk instructed
her to sign in before pointing to Landon in the common area, tucked
away in a corner and reading a Bible. As she crossed the back of
the room, Octavia felt the other men’s eyes on her. Creepy. She
shivered, not wanting to imagine their thoughts.

Landon looked so intense that she felt
conflicted about disturbing him, but she needed answers. “Hey,” she
said softly.

When he glanced over his shoulder, his face
glowed. Something had changed within him that was seeping out. He
appeared relaxed.

“Is now a good time to talk?”

Landon stood and pulled out a chair. “It will
never be a good time to talk about my past, especially with
you.”

She didn’t sit. “Are you hungry? I’m starved.
How about grabbing a bite to eat with me?” she rambled on.

“I’m not hungry, but we do need to talk.” His
expression gave her no clues what details he would share. “Let me
put this Bible in my room first.”

She was relieved when he escorted her back to
the lobby to wait, away from the prying eyes.

He returned in no time. As they walked to her
car, she said, “I’m glad you’re reading your Bible.”

“Me too.” He opened her car door.

“I came by this morning, but you were gone,”
she said, fishing for information as he got in and clicked his
seatbelt.

“I attended church with Rossi,” he said,
reaching for her hand. “I repented and God reclaimed me.”

Relief draped her as she chanced a looked at
him. “Welcome home. I’m sure the angels in heaven were rejoicing
over your soul.”

“Amen.” Landon choked and shook his head.

She could only imagine the jubilation of
being reclaimed. Octavia hoped she never experienced it. She had
been in seventh grade when the Lord called out to her. Her
classmates were testing the waters in all kinds of things and
encouraged her to do the same. God had spared her from
life-altering mistakes. She couldn’t repent fast enough, get
baptized in Jesus’ name soon enough and receive the Holy Ghost
quickly enough—it was her Nicodemus born-again experience.

Octavia and Landon were lost in their own
thoughts until she drove into Chili’s restaurant’s lot.

“I’ll get your door.” Landon got out and
assisted her.

The host greeted them and showed them to
their table without a moment’s wait. Octavia declined a menu and
ordered her salad and water. Landon asked for a soda.

Once they were alone again, Octavia sighed
and folded her hands. “Start from the beginning and tell me about
the Landon Thomas I don’t know,” she coaxed.

Landon looked away, then stared into her
eyes. “I come from a large family of Christians who follow the
Apostles’ doctrine that Jesus taught them. The Millers—my mother’s
side—has preachers, musicians, Sunday school teachers and anything
else in service for God. If I didn’t hear the Word at church, I
heard it at home or at my grandparents’ house. I fought against
it.”

“That explains your command of the
keyboards,” she grinned.

“It’s your fault,” he argued. “I had to see
you dance, but I don’t want to get sidetracked. Rossi said his
sermon on the lost sheep was already planned. I had read that
passage and heard that sermon preached over the years, but when
Rossi brought it, it stung because I knew I was reaping what I
sowed.” He inched his hand across the table and chanced pulling one
of her hands toward him. “May I?”

When she nodded her consent, he squeezed her
hand and Octavia’s skin tingled. “Before I tell you what I sowed,
Octavia, you have to believe me that I am no longer that practicing
sinner, but a redeemed saint.”

“Okay.” She nodded, but her mind was creating
all kinds of scenarios: drug dealer like Terri had implied,
embezzlement, outlaw…

Landon’s shoulders slumped and he rushed, “I
have children…”

Blinking, Octavia sat up straight. She sucked
in her breath and slowly exhaled. “Child-ren?” He nodded. “Are you
married?” she stuttered.

“No.”

Was that the right answer or the wrong one?
Her heart and head couldn’t agree. He watched her intensely. She
opened her mouth and had to force out the next question. “Are you
going to marry her?” Why did that question make her heart ache?

He gritted his teeth and glanced around the
restaurant. “Three women have my babies.”
What?
Octavia felt
like someone had slapped her or maybe she was going to faint. Her
head began to spin as his voice seemed to echo. Maybe she was
dying. She closed her eyes, so it would be quick.

“Hey,” Landon said softly, coaxing her to
open her eyes. “I’m ashamed, because I knew God’s way and ignored
it.” Before bowing his head, the shame was visible on his face.

Somehow Octavia had a hard time believing
Landon could be so callous—her Landon. Her hands shook as she began
to wipe at the tears she couldn’t control. “Am I your next target?
If you have truly repented, then I expect your honesty.”

“You never were.” It was the first time he
smiled and gave her a tender look. “I knew you were hands off when
I saw you. It was as if you were under God’s protection. I saw
purity in your spirit and knew you were the real deal, and that
attracted me to you.”

Landon reached over and wiped at her tears.
“I’m so sorry. I never wanted to see you cry. If you don’t hate me
now…” He paused as their server placed their drinks before them,
then her salad.

“Enjoy,” the woman said with a tentative
smile, giving them a strange expression.

Octavia doubted that now. Her stomach was
warning her not to feed it. If Octavia had to force feed two bites,
she had to put something inside her before she did pass out. She
closed her eyes to bless her food, but found herself praying for
Landon and the women he’d victimized. When she heard him say,
“Amen,” she opened her eyes. “I wasn’t finished.”

“I’m sorry.”

Staring at her Caribbean salad, Octavia
picked up her fork and toyed with the bits of pineapple. “That was
deep. I can’t phantom how a person—how you—could be that
cruel.”

He that has no sin, let him cast the first
stone,
God whispered as in a dare.

She took a deep breath. “Okay, okay,” Octavia
spoke to the Lord aloud. “I guess you’ll be returning to Boston
soon.”

Octavia watched Landon stalling as he stirred
his straw in his glass of Sprite, but he never took a sip. “I was a
fornicator, liar, deceiver, and any other name you could conjure up
that described me.”

Why isn’t he answering my question?

He patted his chest. “But this one thing I
know for sure,
I would have fainted, unless I had believed to
see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Octavia recognized that as a verse from Psalm
27.

“Some things I can’t make right. One of those
ladies who bore my children—twin boys—was engaged to my
cousin.”

“You mean she was once engaged to your
cousin?” she asked.

“No. They were engaged at the time.”

She was done. Her fork missed her mouth. If
Octavia was a violent woman, she would have fork-whipped him in
lieu of pistol-whipping him for everything. His whorish ways in
God’s house, his innocent babies, and his family betrayal seemed to
put him at the top of Satan’s list.

“Is everything okay?” Their server
re-appeared.

“Can I have a to-go box, please?” Octavia
reached into her purse for her wallet. Not only couldn’t she digest
her food, but her soul couldn’t digest what Landon was telling
her.

“No, I’ve got this,” Landon said. The woman
looked between her and Landon, then hurried away to do her
bidding.

They stared at each other.
Judge not, lest
ye be judged
. The scripture revolved in Octavia’s head, but how
could she not? When God saved her, Octavia was determined to be
saved for life. When others around her were dabbling in sin, she
and her sister were too scared to explore.