What God Has For Me (15 page)

The evidence was stacked against Scott with no record
of child support payments, visitations, or contact with his
children; the judge was swift to terminate his rights.

“Not because you were a bad parent, Mr.
Taylor. You weren’t a parent at all,” Judge Mann said. “I will
honor Mr. Bishop’s request for adoption and wish him and Miss
Holland all the best once they are married in a few weeks.” Hitting
her gavel, her decision was final.

Halcyon watched as Scott exchanged a nod with
Zachary, then quickly glanced her way. Without a word, he strolled
out the courtroom as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

“It’s done.” She rubbed the goose bumps on
her arms.

“Yes!” Zachary lifted her off her feet in a
hug. When he planted her on the ground, Zachary squeezed her hand.
“C’mon, we have less than ten days before we’re married and I’m a
proud papa.”

Her fiancé’s excitement was so contagious,
Halcyon couldn’t help but feed off him. “Let’s go celebrate.” Now,
she had closure and she could proceed on the path to her
happiness.

Eight days before the wedding, Halcyon had
opted to work from home. It was a good thing, because she was
getting a steady flow of gifts from out of town friends and family
who wouldn’t be able to make the wedding. Plus, Ashanti had started
pre-school, so it was easier for her. She would drop Ashanti off at
school and Zachary would pick her up and bring her home, then go
back to the store.

The doorbell rang minutes after Halcyon had
just laid Jonathan down for his nap. She hurried down the stairs
before the bell rang again. Opening the door, expecting the UPS or
FedEx driver, Halcyon blinked. “Scott? Wh… what are you doing
here?”

The proud man she once lived with looked
flustered as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you mind if I come
in. I would like to speak to you.”

Without giving it a second thought, Halcyon
shook her head. “I do mind. Whatever you have to say, say it right
here on my front porch. Make it quick. My son is sleeping
upstairs.”

Stuffing his hand in his pocket, Scott began
pacing. Then stopped abruptly and faced her. “My wife found out
about Ashanti.”

Halcyon’s mouth dropped open. “You mean she
didn’t know?” She thought back to the day they saw each other at
the mall and remembered the woman’s comment about a pretty little
girl. Halcyon just assumed Scott had told her not to make a
scene.

“No.” Scott didn’t seem to be embarrassed by
his actions.

What kind of human being was he? Halcyon
pitied him.
Thank You, Lord, for not allowing me to marry this
man.
She frowned. “I feel sorry for you; so why are you
here?”

“I need you to do me a favor.”

The laugh came from nowhere. Halcyon stepped
out onto the porch and scanned the neighborhood to see if there
were hidden cameras or something. She released another round of
giggles. “No...no. I won’t.”

Scott appeared stunned. “Don’t you want to
know what it is?”

“Nope.” She tried to contain herself.

“You owe me, Halcyon. I terminated my rights,
so you would be happy with your future husband. When Natalie found
out, I had to come clean. She was very understanding, but felt that
Ashanti should be part of our lives and wants you to consider joint
custody.”

Halcyon was steaming. “You have some nerve
making demands. What about Jonathan? This is what your wife wants.
What do you want?”

“I want whatever will keep my wife happy. We
already have a son. Plus, I don’t have a connection with the
boy.”

“My son’s name is Jonathan, and you no longer
have a connection with Ashanti either. When she turns eighteen, you
can try again. Otherwise, if you want a daughter, I suggest you
either have one or adopt one!” she yelled. “Now, get off my porch.
If I ever see you within mere feet of my family, your wife will be
bailing you out of jail.” She opened the door, then pivoted back
toward him on a heel. “You need Jesus.” She walked into her house
and shut the door.

Rubbing her hands as if she was shaking off
dirt, she leaned against the door. Any other time, she would have
called what happened sweet revenge, but it was sad. It seemed as if
Scott and his wife were two peas in a pod and deserved each other.
She looked up and smiled. “Thank You, Jesus, for not only giving me
closure with Scott, but also putting a padlock on the door.”

***

“Are you okay, babe?” Zachary was fuming
because he had missed Scott by two minutes. The man had some nerve
showing up where he was not welcome and only wanting a relationship
with one of his children. Zachary wasn’t having any of it.

“Bridget, I know you don’t want me to go
behind your back when it concerns you and the children, so I
suggest you put Ashanti down for her nap and then meet me back here
in the kitchen.

“Zach, what are you planning?” Halcyon asked
when she returned.

He didn’t answer as he whipped out his phone
and punched in Scott’s work number. “Scott, this is Zachary Bishop.
I understand you were here. Maybe, I didn’t make myself clear. Your
ties are not only severed with my children, but also with my
wife-to-be. I advise you to handle your business, because the next
time you approach
my
property, I will have a restraining
order placed on you and will have no problem helping the police to
enforce it.” Disconnecting without a goodbye, Zachary pulled
Halcyon closer and faced her. “Just so you know, it wasn’t a
threat. I will make good on enforcement. Make sure you have Pastor
Reed’s name in our list of emergency contacts and your name will be
added to my bank account where there will always be bail money
available.

Halcyon laughed. Zachary didn’t. He was
serious when it came to his family.

On Halcyon’s special day, she couldn’t wait for
Zachary to slip on her wedding band. She was waiting for the knock
at the door, cuing her that her fairy tale had turned into a
reality.

There would be no more pretending that she
belonged to anyone else but the man who loved her fiercely. She
smiled just to think that Zachary Bishop had loved her all along,
but Satan had put a stumbling block in her path that delayed her
blessing.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror,
taking in the pearl-covered tiara crowning her mass of curls. Her
dress was layers of tulle and lace. She was the Cinderella for her
prince. The tap came and Halcyon inhaled and exhaled. Her eyes
misted, but she refused to cry. This was a happy day.

Moments later, Halcyon was stepping into
position. The sanctuary doors opened and she was front and center.
The altar was decorated lavishly with tulle and flowers and strings
of clear lights. Everything was beautiful—her bridesmaid, the
groomsmen, her children and her man. She slowly glided toward
him.

What was Zachary thinking?
she
wondered as his eyes followed her every movement.

Jonathan had successfully carried their
pillow holding their wedding bands and was now at Zachary’s side.
The evidence of Ashanti’s part in the nuptials was clumps of rose
petals scattered here and there. Her daughter made a pretty flower
girl, wearing a smaller version of Halcyon’s tiara.

Halcyon was almost at the altar when she
recalled Ashanti’s chatter before exiting the dressing room. “I now
have my own Daddy, Mommy and he’s going to love me forever.”
Ashanti’s eyes had been bright with excitement.

Yes, forever was a long time, and Halcyon was
ready for a forever happily ever after.

As rehearsed, Halcyon stopped at the first
pew to wait for Zachary to take her the last steps of the way. As
his long strides brought him face-to-face, nothing else
mattered.

“Exquisite,” he whispered for her ears
only.

“Stunning,” she whispered back.

Looping her arm through his, Zachary led her
in front of Pastor Reed. After her mother answered for giving the
bride away, Pastor Reed turned to Zachary to recite the vows that
he penned.
What was in his heart to say to her?
she wondered
as he took both her hands in his and brought them to his lips.

“Halcyon, my Bridget, I wouldn’t change
anything about you—nothing. You are exactly what God ordered for
me. I promise to love you and our children deeply, protect your
heart, mind, body and soul. I promise to be faithful and caring. I
promise to be patient when I don’t understand your actions, I
promise to be there…” The words seemed to pour from his soul and
not a script he had memorized.

Zachary’s promises were lengthy and seemed
never ending, but Halcyon didn’t care. The audience would have to
be patient because this was the only time she planned to marry.

When his heart seemed to have emptied every
promise known to man, Pastor Reed turned to Halcyon. She would
never forget the look of love on his face as he waited expectantly
for her promises and she would not disappoint.

“Thank you, Zachary Bishop, for loving me
when I forgot to love myself. I promise never to take you and your
love for granted. I promise to submit to you, pray for you, and be
there for you in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer…”
Halcyon’s voice cracked through the tears.

Reaching into his inside breast pocket,
Zachary pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her cheeks under her
veil. “Still beautiful.”

Pastor Reed broke into their reverie. “Seeing
that these two young people have consented to be joined together in
holy matrimony, I indeed pronounce them lawfully husband and wife
in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. What God has ordained
and put together, let no man, or woman come between you two and
tear it apart.”

She and Zachary smiled when they overheard
Michael and Desi murmur, “Amen to that.”

“You may now salute your wife,” Pastor Reed
said.

Zachary pulled her closer, whipped back her
veil, and kissed her deeply to the delight of a cheering crowd.

As they strolled down the aisle amidst well
wishes and applause, Zachary turned to her. “What God had for me, I
got it.” He pumped his fist in the air and shouted,
“Hallelujah!”

1. Do you think Halcyon was too hasty in leaving the
children’s father? Why?

2. How do you view Halcyon’s decision on not filing
for child support?

3. What is your opinion of Zachary stepping in to
meet Halcyon’s and the children’s needs?

4. Discuss Halcyon’s reaction when she saw Scott with
his new family.

5. When did she get closure?

6. What is your opinion of Scott? Do you know any
situations where the man didn’t marry his in-live girlfriend, but
another woman?

7. Did Paisley offer genuine friendship? What did you
base your answer on?

Pat Simmons
is a self-proclaimed
genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about researching her
ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her
novels. She hopes her off-beat method will track down distant
relatives who happen to pick up her books. She has been a genealogy
enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of
ninety-seven years old in 1988.

She describes the evidence of the
gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing, unforgettable,
life-altering experience. She believes God is the author who
advances the stories she writes.

Pat has a B.S. in mass communications
from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked in
various media positions in radio, television, and print for more
than twenty years. Currently, she oversees the media publicity for
the annual RT Booklovers Conventions.

She is the author of nine single titles and
several eBook novellas. Her awards include
Talk to Me,
ranked #14 of Top Books in 2008 that Changed Lives by
Black
Pearls Magazine
. She is a two-time recipient of the Romance
Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance for
Still Guilty
(2010) and
Crowning Glory
(2011), and
the first recipient of the Katherine D. Jones Award for grace and
humility as an author. Her bestselling novels include
Guilty of
Love
and the Jamieson Legacy series:
Guilty by
Association
,
The Guilt Trip
, and
Free from Guilt
.
The Acquittal
was her 2013 release;
No Easy Catch
is
her 2014 release.

Pat has converted her sofa-strapped,
sports-fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained
bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and
daughter.

Pat’s interviews include numerous appearances
on radio, television, blogtalk radio, blogs, and feature
articles.

Visit
www.patsimmons.net
or
email her at
[email protected]

Snail mail: Pat Simmons, P O Box 1077,
Florissant, MO 63031

The Guilty series

Book I:
Guilty of Love

Book II:
Not Guilty of Love

Book III:
Still Guilty

The Guilty Parties series

Book I
: The Acquittal

Book II
: The Confession, Fall 2015

The Jamieson Legacy

Book I
: Guilty by Association

Book II
: The Guilt Trip

Book III
: Free from Guilt

The Carmen Sisters

Book I
: No Easy Catch

Book II:
In Defense of Love

Love at the Crossroads

Book I
: Stopping Traffic

Book II
: A Baby for Christmas