The other ladies were friendly, and as expected, they commented on her last name, which always opened the door for her to witness for the Lord. “My family carries our last name with a badge of honor.”

  “Well, if you and Landon get married, you get to ditch the name,” Misty, Jay’s lady friend, said.

  “I like my surname.” Gina didn’t say more. Since she didn’t know them, Gina wouldn’t drop morsels of information about her relationship to a group for gossip material.

  Even though her sister didn’t come with her, Gina hadn’t had as much fun at a sports game since her older brother was in high school. “I didn’t sign up for attending sporting events,” Denise quipped when Gina extended the invite to the Friday night youth and adult basketball game. “Shopping, lunch, or spa—sign me up. Sports—clock me out.”

  Landon was her world now, and she wanted to support him as he had been there for her during the latter part of tax season.

  Denise joked about momma’s claws coming out. She hoped she wouldn’t need girlfriend claws. Gina didn’t. the night ended on cordial goodbyes.

  That Sunday, on Mother’s Day, Denise and Gina smothered their mother with breakfast at home, flowers, a nice dinner at an expensive restaurant, and there was a three-hundred-dollar gift card from their brother. Landon also spent the day with his mother and grandmother to celebrate Mother’s Day. He still sent her three texts, reminding her that he missed her.

  Next weekend, it’s about us. Landon.

  The following Sunday after service, Landon and Gina changed into something more casual, wearing matching denim and yellowish-gold shirts—a jumper for her and shorts for him.

  Landon couldn’t stop staring at his lady as they drove downtown for the Annie Malone parade, the spring highlight for African Americans in St. Louis. Gina glowed with excitement.

  Her smile made him smile. When Gina faced him, she asked, “What?”

  Landon chuckled. “Oh, I just love you and like seeing you happy.”

  “Awww, I love you, too.” She covered his hand. “The Annie Malone parade never gets old to me. I’m glad to know that for more than a hundred years, it has reached the status of the second-largest African-American parade in the country to celebrate the Black pioneer who helped so many. Every Day is Christmas charity purchased sixteen uniforms for cheerleaders for the event. I can’t wait to see the girls. They worked hard on their grades to earn them.”

  “I’m excited because you’re excited. I’ve volunteered with the organization throughout the years.”

  Gina nodded. “I just don’t have that type of time. Instead, I created the Every Day is Christmas charity five years ago to support the children’s home twice a year. On a smaller scale, some local downtown businesses participate in our Round-Up program with snack boxes, too.”

  “You are amazing.” He squeezed her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. Gina’s hand lotion was as intoxicating as her beauty, and Landon was addicted.

  Landon found a parking spot a distance away and was glad Gina had changed from her heels into comfy walking shoes, knowing they were coming to the parade.

  Families and spectators had started to gather along the parade route. He slipped his fingers through Gina’s and kept her close to his side, passing food vendors and merchandise kiosks.

  Both saw random friends and clients they knew, and he and Gina introduced themselves. Landon felt Gina’s excitement as she waited for the group her charity had sponsored uniforms for to strut down Market Street.

  A trail of convertibles from the St. Louis Corvette Club drove media personalities and other local celebrities. The parade had it all: marching bands, high-steppers, and floats. This was a major fundraiser for Annie Malone Children’s Home and a not-to-be-missed event in St. Louis.

  Finally, Gina grinned and pointed. “Ooh. That’s them. They look so cute. My babies,” she gushed and clapped loudly as young girls began cheers and gymnastics for the onlookers.

  “I never imagined coming to the parade without bringing my children,” he said, gauging her thoughts on motherhood.

  “I want children, Landon.” Gina beamed, then whipped her head back to the parade.

  “Good to know.” He hugged her. Gina Christmas was the one.

  No blemishes.

  She checked all his boxes with brains and beauty.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gina massaged her forehead with her fingers. She didn’t have a headache, but would if she continued stressing about the Black angels for Landon’s grandmother.

  Denise had suggested some covert activity to either get Landon’s grandmother out of the house or to go in with a body camera. Gina had to laugh at that one because her sister was a mystery show fanatic.

  Whenever Gina asked Landon about Granny Lonna, his response was “about the same.” He never mentioned another visit.

  Gina had prayed diligently for three days about what to do next to ease her worry, but no word had come from the Lord.

  So now she had to take matters into her own hands. She believed it was perfect timing as Christmas items began to trickle in from the children’s home. Each year, the items for the auction became more impressive. These were the ones that passed quality assurance.

  Ray stopped what he was doing and leaned back in the chair. “How is Landon’s grandmother doing? Is her mind current, or is she starting to miss things?”

  Gina shrugged. “Honestly, I let Landon lead that discussion. I’m at a crossroads. If I ask about Granny Lonna, I don’t know if I’m not adding to his burden to worry about her. On the other hand, if I don’t ask about her, I don’t want him to think she’s not important to me.”

  “Pray for wisdom, and God will guide the words. Just because someone isn’t saying anything doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering alone,” her father advised, then returned to his computer.

  Okay, Lord, this a Word from You. She hadn’t prayed for wisdom. Nodding, Gina finished unwrapping the pieces, inspecting the child’s name, age, and year inscribed on the bottom of each piece before taking photos for Landon to show his grandmother. It was important for the children to get recognition for their talents.

  The feel of Christmas in July wouldn’t be complete without the decorations, and that would come soon, and then there would be no holding back.

  Landon came through the doorway with to-go containers filled with sandwiches and salad. She walked out to the lobby to meet him.

  “Hi, Mr. Christmas. Hey, baby.” After kissing her cheek, he rested the bags on the counter, which were enough for all three. Landon shook her father’s hand, then glanced around at the decor. He sniffed and chuckled. “Is that gingerbread and nutmeg I smell?”

  “Scented candles.” Her father chuckled. “That’s my daughter’s ploy to get people to think about Christmas and cooler weather because it’s too hot. We add cool treats to the snack box for the Round-Up program. With school starting, students need help with supplies and school uniforms. As I’m sure Gina has told you, families and children are in need every day.” His eyes sparkled as he watched Landon embrace her in a hug.

  Gina nodded at her father. “What do you think about letting Granny Lonna see these photos?”

  Landon was quiet, then kissed her forehead. “That’s a good idea. We can go this weekend after the taste testing at the Asian Foundry.”

  While there, Gina planned to inspect Granny Lonna’s items more closely. If those items were from her charity, she would need to see who purchased them. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, but because he distrusted charities, she didn’t want to give him a reason to think Every Day is Christmas didn’t keep accurate records.

  Gina pushed her concerns aside on the first day of the Christmas in July auction, which would run all month long and feature new items weekly as they become available. She called Leslie: “I’m loving the flyer that dropped in my email this morning. Let the bidding begin.”

  “Yes!” Leslie was charged up. “Melody said the children at the home are working like elves to get their pieces done. As you can see, we’re starting with ten and will add more each week. This never gets old.” She sighed.

  “Not for me either. Talk to you later.” Gina called Landon. “Our Every Day is Christmas auction is live!” She giggled, and he chuckled.

  “Wow, baby. That’s great. Give me the website, and I’ll take a look and make sure Granny Lonna looks too.”

  “Thank you, Landon. It ends the first week in August, and items are shipped immediately. Last year, the children created thirty items. This year, they want to do fifty. But Melody reminded them of quality over quantity. Melody said they quickly lowered the number to forty, which is still more than last year.”

  Landon didn’t interrupt as she rambled while he was on the website, perusing the items. His praise of the pieces made her fall more for him than she already had. When he showed his grandmother the photos on the website, Granny Lonna raved about the artistry but none were what she had in mind.

  The day’s plans were a washout—literally. Between the weather alerts on Gina’s phone and the pounding rain that turned streets into rivers, it had been a journey to make it home from her office Friday night, and it hadn’t stopped raining all day on Saturday.

  “Lord, will it rain forty days and forty nights?” Her voice was barely audible over the relentless rain drumming on her windows and roof. The thunder and lightning didn’t ease her worry.

  “You will see the rainbow in the sky as My Word says that I will not destroy man by water again,” God whispered.

  Denise’s ringtone interrupted her musing. She was in New York at a sales conference. “Hey. I see St. Louis is making national news with historic flooding. It looks bad. Images of flooding are widespread instead of in one place, usually by the Meramec River. It’s close to home. Part of I-70 is underwater, with entire shopping areas and non-stop calls for water rescues. That’s scary.”

  “What?” Gina was glad she told Landon to stay home. While listening to Denise, she padded across her bedroom floor to her home office.

  Gina sat at her desk and clicked on the laptop to see what images the world saw about her city.

  Her jaw dropped. “Wow.” She recognized some of the places at random locations. Some parts of the city had lost power, others had flooding in their basements, and motorists were stranded on parts of the highway due to the rain falling and the sewers unable to keep up.

  Another call came through. “Landon’s calling me now. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Okay, sis. Love you. Stay dry.”

  Landon’s deep voice greeted her when she swapped the calls. “You dry over there?”

  “I am safe at home.” Gina patted her chest. She couldn’t imagine getting trapped in flash flood waters. “Where are you? Please tell me you’re at home.”

  “I’m at my house away from you.” Landon was quiet. “I miss you. Before I met you, my life was satisfying, but without you, it’s empty,”

  “Awww. I miss you, too.” Gina pouted, although she was in a happy place.

  Landon huffed. “This is the first weekend I haven’t been with you since we’ve been dating, and I’m not liking it. If I owned a canoe, I’d be at your house now. But I’ll use this time to go next door and check on Bradley. Hopefully, the rain will subside by the morning when I come and get you for church.”

  Gina’s eyes were glued to her computer. One breaking news flashed after another. “Uh, babe, some churches are announcing closings because of flooding. A lot of them.”

  She shivered to shake off the fear. Although she was safe inside her home, others outside were in danger. Gina began to pray for the safety of those impacted wherever they were.

  On Sunday, both of their churches were spared flood damage, but en route to her church, the magnitude of the devastation was evident by damaged goods piled at curbs or neighborhoods where cars were in yards instead of parked in the street because of flooding.

  Monday morning wasn’t business as unusual as Gina maneuvered through flood detours to get to the office downtown.

  Some businesses, like Christmas Tax Help for All Seasons, were unaffected, but others suffered moderate water damage or power outages.

  Her father had arrived first. He packed up folders to take and secured others to leave in a safe area. “Grab whatever you need and work from home. It’s going to be a rough week. The electricity is out across the street.”

  Gina did as her dad instructed, then headed home a few hours later with files. On the way, she called Landon. “Some families in U-City have lost a lot of stuff, so I gave a sizable donation today. I went to high school with many of the residents there.”

  Landon was quiet.

  “Babe, are you still there?” She stopped at a light.

  “I hope the money gets to them. The news is warning people of scams when disasters hit. This is exactly why I don’t give money. You can’t trust people. We can give by volunteering together at a shelter.”

  “You do you, Landon, and I’ll do me. I give, pray, and have faith the right people will get it. I’d rather do that than volunteer.”

  Landon huffed, and Gina heard coworkers’ voices in the background. “Listen, baby, my comfort zone is doing and seeing that I make a difference.”

  “And I’m not trying to be selfish, but I need my downtime.” Christmas Tax Help for All Seasons was a small two-person business. Her boyfriend witnessed it firsthand when one person was out. “That’s not an option for me right now.”

  “That’s why I said it’s something we can do together. I have money to give, but it’s staying in my bank account, no exceptions.”

  Gina shook her head. This man was unbelievable. “Landon, this is not Haiti, Katrina, or other world disasters. These are our local neighbors in our backyards. I can’t take time away from work to help, and my donations will go farther.”

  “Baby, haven’t you heard a word I said? The news is alerting people of scammers. Unbelievable. I have no problem buying food, blankets, or essential supplies and materials, not money.”

  “Half the city probably needs it. You’re overthinking this.”

  “No, you’re vulnerable. You’re setting yourself up to be a victim. The criminals will alert another scammer that they’ve got a sucker and target you for more money.”

  Victim? Vulnerable? Target? And sucker? Gina was ticked now. Another call interrupted their conversation before Gina said something she would regret. “Bye, Landon.”

  “Gina, this is Melody Ransom. Bad news.”

  “Oh no.” Gina’s heart seemed to stop, and her breath escaped her. “What happened?” She prayed none of the children were hurt.

  “Well, some of the most beautiful ornaments they’ve ever created were damaged by floodwaters. Thank God no children were downstairs working, but they are devastated.”

  Gina exhaled as her heart dropped. She could hear Landon saying, “Money won’t fix this.” Although Gina had deadlines to meet with audits, whether she worked at home or in the office, this situation was personal. “I’ll be there as soon as I can today.”

  At home, she couldn’t concentrate, so she closed down her computer and headed to the children’s home. It was worse than Gina could have imagined. The basement workshop the children used was obliterated. Remnants of angels and other Christmas items were floating in a foot of water that was still being pumped out.

  Gina did her best not to cry in front of the children. She sniffed to bear the ache of disappointment in her heart. “Melody, I want you to submit a request for emergency funds, city grants, and donations from supporters.” She came out of her pocket with the needed funds for supplies for a makeshift studio in an upper room to keep the students’ minds off the disaster.

  “Okay.” The woman also did her best to show composure, but the worry in her eyes spoke of her hurt.

  “FEMA should be in St. Louis today, and hopefully, our governor will declare a State of Emergency. Agencies and local organizations have money. The state and federal government should step in after that with funds.”

  “Miss Gina!” Jodi, a brilliant seven-year-old, shouted and ran to her.

  Melody didn’t scold the girl about the etiquette of not interrupting, and Gina was glad. She looked up with tears in her eyes. “We won’t have anything to sell now.”

  Gina huffed. I know. The school needed money to buy supplies. For Granny Lonna’s sake, Landon was invested too. Too bad they weren’t speaking.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Landon hadn’t spoken to Gina in almost a week. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t like arguing with her either. It felt awkward for him to show up at his church solo. He told himself that she was just a visitor, so why did members seem surprised to see him without her?

  He had been busy, and so had she. Landon filled the void with visits to his grandmother.

  Stubborn. That’s what Granny Lonna called him for not checking on Gina. She was in her element. At any other time, Landon would have been ecstatic, but because of the subject matter, Landon was uncomfortable.

  “I’ve been busy” was not a sufficient answer. “People’s houses and livelihoods were destroyed or damaged. I am working, and my company allows employees to volunteer with the cleanup.”

  It was odd that Gina had asked to visit Granny Lonna before the flooding. Now, his grandmother seemed in her present mind and asked about Gina repeatedly.

  Women. Landon sighed. They were ladies whom he loved dearly.

  Granny Lonna’s graying eyes stared into his. An unreadable expression played on her face. Was she trying to remember something or carefully gathering her words? “I’m eighty-two, you know, and you’ve yet to live half my age. If you care for that beautiful, sweet woman, compromise, apologize, and see how far your relationship will go. Pray for the words to say. You want the right woman to hold your hand during this walk on earth.”

  Landon nodded but didn’t entirely agree. When it came to money, he liked to follow the trail. What was wrong with that? Nothing, he answered himself. Yet, Landon was miserable without seeing Gina. Why did he feel guilty? That emotion he didn’t like. She had seeped into his being, and he desperately missed her.