“You’ve already thanked me, and Renee and Raven are smart. They needed a push.”

  “Their daddy and I could never push them in the right direction. I don’t know what your method is, but it works.”

  Lisa smiled. “My method is called believe. That’s it. I told them I believed in them.” Lisa pulled out one of her flyers. “I’m running for city council, and I would sure appreciate your vote.”

  Mrs. James took the flyer, glanced at it. “You’ve got my vote,” she said and then continued down the street.

  The last stop for Lisa was a beauty-supply store. She needed some hair grease for Kennedy, so she decided to pick some up while giving the workers her flyers. On the shelf to the left of the entry door was a whole row of different types of hair grease. She normally bought Ultra Sheen, but the store was out of stock. They did have a new brand—Hair Fabulous—with a lavender scent. She purchased it, handed her flyers to the workers, and then headed home.

  She and her family were now in the main living quarters of the brownstone while her father had taken the basement apartment. She climbed the steps to her home and opened the door. Even with sneakers on, her feet were throbbing. She sat down in the living room and kicked her shoes off.

  Kennedy came running into the room and sat down next to her. “Did you pass out all those flyers already?”

  “Pretty much. But I have more upstairs.”

  “I took your flyers to school today and gave one to my teacher.”

  Lisa leaned forward and kissed Kennedy on the cheek. “Thank you for helping out.”

  “Of course, Mommy. You’re going to win.”

  Her father walked into the living room, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. “The little one has eaten, and I left fried chicken and home fries on the stove for you and John.”

  “Thanks for watching Kennedy.”

  “Got to make myself useful in some way.”

  Her dad didn’t know how to enjoy retirement. She pointed toward the television against the wall on the opposite side of the room. “You can turn the TV on for me.”

  He turned it on, then sat on the sofa with her.

  Lisa leaned her head back and waited for the news to come on. She half watched a few commercials as she waited. The third commercial—for Hair Fabulous—caught her attention.

  “Oh, they have shampoo also.” Lisa made a mental note. If she liked the hair grease, she might try the shampoo next.

  As the commercial was ending, Lisa’s eyes almost bugged out of her head when Dana Jones came on the screen holding shampoo, conditioner, and hair grease. Dana said, “I created these products to help you look fabulous.”

  Her dad pointed at the screen. Lines creased his forehead. “Isn’t that your old friend?” He popped his fingers. “The one who got arrested.”

  “Sure is.” Lisa grinned.

  “Looks like she’s doing something productive with her life.” David stood and headed for the door.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Lisa leaned back against the sofa. “Prayer does change things. Dana Jones has made something of herself.” She took a moment to pray for continued blessings for her old friend.

  Chapter 21

  Dana had been named Businesswoman of the Year by the National Association of Women in Business. And from the way everyone was acting, it was a big deal. And now she was lying in bed on a tropical island next to the man of her dreams. It was now late July, and Dana was winning.

  “So how does it feel to wake up as Mrs. Dana Williams?”

  Dana put a hand on Jeff’s cheek as she lay in his arms. “It feels good, Mr. Williams.” There had been no beautiful wedding, no family and friends at an elaborate reception where they cut a three-layered cake, had their first dance, and took memorable photos. Just her and Jeff at the justice of the peace, with clerks for witnesses.

  Dana hadn’t wanted any questions about why her mother and father weren’t at the wedding. And she certainly didn’t want Jeff’s parents wondering why she didn’t have many friends to invite. And if she were being honest with herself, if she had taken the time to plan a wedding, she might have come to her senses and canceled the whole thing.

  They were now on their honeymoon on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Since the Atlantis opened in 1998, Dana had dreamed about vacationing at a place like this but never imagined her dreams would come true two years later.

  But as she lay next to the man she loved in their grand suite with its spectacular view of the Caribbean beach, she asked, “Is this for real, Jeff? Did we really get married?” She turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows in their room and looked out at the ocean. “And are we truly vacationing at Atlantis?”

  “We did.” He turned her face back toward him and kissed her lips. “And we are.” He kissed her again. “And you deserve to be here as much as, if not more than, all the other people at this resort.”

  She tried to smile, but she couldn’t hold Jeff’s gaze and averted her eyes.

  Jeff leaned on his elbow and moved his head until she had no choice but to look directly at him. “We’re not doing this.” Tucking a finger under her chin, he bore down on her with those all-knowing brown eyes of his. “You’re beautiful inside and out. You are special, and you are Dana Jones Williams, Businesswoman of the Year. The woman who developed her own line of hair-care products. The woman who stole my heart . . . Nothing about your past defines the woman you have become, so stop it.”

  “Well, when I hear you recite my accolades, I guess I am that girl.”

  Jeff flopped back down on the bed and pulled Dana into his arms. “No, you’re not a girl anymore. You’re a woman—my woman—and I’m a blessed man.”

  She adored him. Jeff was unlike any man she had ever met, and she truly believed one of the reasons he was such a good man had to do with his upbringing. His parents hadn’t let him run wild.

  During many of their nightly phone conversations, Jeff had told her about the structure his parents set in the household. No staying out late, no smoking or drinking. Homework was a priority, and college was discussed at the dinner table.

  Dana was proud to be associated with the Williams family.

  “So what’s on the agenda today?” she asked her husband.

  With his arm wrapped around her, he said, “I chartered a boat so we can go snorkeling. You and I are going to swim with the fish.”

  Dana propped herself up on her pillows. “Oh no we won’t. Doesn’t sound like any kind of fun I want to participate in.”

  “It’s not like we’re going to be jetting off to the Bahamas every weekend. We can’t pass this opportunity up. Come on, Dana. You only live once. Let’s have some fun.”

  Dana’s issue was she truly understood what “you only live once” meant. She also knew how life could be snatched away when you were doing stupid stuff. “It’s too risky, Jeff.”

  “You trust me, don’t you?”

  “Of course I trust you, but I don’t know the crocodiles or sharks in this water you want to dive into.”

  Jeff got out of bed, headed toward the bathroom. “I’ve already paid for the excursion, hon. Go with me. I promise you will have a good time.”

  “No! I’m not doing it.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Not me. No way, nohow.”

  He stopped at the bathroom door. “Okay, then you pick. What are we going to do today?”

  An easy grin spread over her lips. “Let’s lounge on the beach in a cabana, having food and drinks brought to us while we do nothing but swim, listen to music, or read a book.”

  “You do live on the wild side, wife.” Jeff laughed at her as he closed the bathroom door.

  “The wild side is dangerous!” Dana yelled to him. “I don’t like danger.”

  But she did like being with her husband, so she put on her light blue and white bikini and then threw on a sundress. They went to Poseidon’s Table for the best buffet breakfast Dana had ever had. With food like this, she would stay at Atlantis for an extra week if they could.

  After breakfast, they rented the cabana and lounged there while Dana read a book and Jeff took a few dips in the pool. But then he told her about a stingray experience not too far from where they were lounging. Nothing in Dana wanted to do that, but she had already halted his snorkeling adventure, so she walked down the beach with him.

  The moment the instructors told them they had to put on a wet suit and get in the pool of water with the stingrays, Dana backed out.

  Oblivious to her trepidation, Jeff put on his wet suit, then held her wet suit in his hand, inviting her to join him. Dana stood there . . . not moving. “I can’t.”

  Jeff rubbed her arm. “It’s okay, baby. I’ll do it by myself.This is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

  “I wish I was as brave as you. But too much adventure isn’t good for anyone.” Dana folded her arms across her chest.

  He smiled as he told her, “The one thing you need to remember about me is I’m a praying man. I might not attend church every week. But God is always with me.” He touched his heart. “In here. He will protect me.”

  Dana didn’t hang her hat on God’s protection. She’d seen a lot of people die in her lifetime. Maybe she was jaded. “Be careful. God doesn’t have to protect you in your foolishness.” Dana knew this firsthand.

  “I’m good. Please stop worrying.”

  She nodded, lip quivering. “Don’t let that stingray bite you, and I’ll stop worrying.”

  The instructor walked over to her. “You can’t get in the water without the wet suit and life vest.”

  She side-eyed Jeff. “Did you hear the instructor? You need a life vest for this excursion.”

  “It’s cool,” Jeff said.

  Dana rolled her eyes, then turned back to the instructor. “I’m not going. I’ll stay right here and wait for my husband.”

  “Okay,” the instructor told her, “but you’re missing one of the best parts of sea life you’ll ever experience.”

  As far as Dana was concerned, she’d already seen all of the sea life she wanted or needed in the hotel lobby with the huge aquarium that was built into the walls on the first floor of the Atlantis. It was beautiful, and she loved every minute of exploring the biggest fish tank she had ever encountered. But she did not want to swim with the stingrays. She wanted to go back to the hotel, lounge in their cabana, and look out at the shimmering blueness of the water.

  The instructor let them feed the stingrays, and then Jeff and a few other people started swimming with those creatures. Dana tried to take her mind away from this moment and the quiver inside her stomach each time Jeff got too close to one of those creatures. “Jeff, go the other way!” she screamed.

  He glanced up at her but kept swimming toward the stingray. She wished he understood bad things happen and life could be over in an instant. Why was her husband taking such a risk?

  Dana enjoyed taking risks with her business and seeing the growth with each move as she walked into her destiny, but taking unnecessary risks was not for her. She wanted to keep both feet planted on the ground . . . most times.

  Jeff put a hand on the stingray, rubbing its back. Dana was about to yell at him to back away when he went completely still and started floating.

  She rushed to the edge of the pool, leaned forward, and started yelling. “Jeff! Jeff! Can you hear me? Are you all right?” Her emotions were all over the place. Had her husband been stung? Was he dying?

  She pulled her sundress over her head and was about to jump in the water when the instructor stopped her. “You can’t go in without the proper equipment.”

  She swung around, eyes dripping with tears. “Go get him!” Fingers jutting toward the water. “Go help my husband! Don’t leave him out there. Bring him back to me.” She felt like that eighteen-year-old girl holding Derrick in her arms while blood trickled from his mouth and life left his body.

  Turning back toward the water, seeing her husband still in distress, she cried out, “Jefffff!” Sound vibrated against the side of the pool, and the water shook.

  Jeff shot up like a bullet. He swam toward them with purpose. Dana was shaking as she watched him come toward her.

  Climbing out of the pool, Jeff rushed over to her. “I’m okay. I promise. I was having fun with you.”

  Dana wanted to say something, but her tongue felt dry and thick as her chest heaved. Sweat was dripping from her forehead, but she shivered as if she’d been doused by a bucket of ice-cold water.

  He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong, baby? Talk to me.”

  In his arms, seeing he was safe, Dana felt her breathing settle. She felt the warmth of him. “You came back to me.”

  “Yes, baby, of course I came back. I’ll always be here for you.”

  * * *

  They went back to their room, ordered room service, then went to bed. Dana had not wanted to take the excursion in the first place, but she had no idea it would cause a panic attack.

  Now she was wondering whether she should have gotten some therapy since she obviously wasn’t over Derrick’s death.

  Jeff ran his hand down her back. She was facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the ocean. The waves were slow and calm.

  “You want to talk about it?” Jeff asked her.

  Dana had tried to keep her past in the past, not wanting to talk about all the mistakes she made. But she owed Jeff the truth after her reaction today. Still watching the water, she told him, “You are so brave. I’m proud of how you completely let loose and experience life. But I learned a long time ago, people who take too many chances end up dead, and I don’t want to lose you.”

  “You’re not going to lose me, hon. But I don’t understand why you were so scared.”

  She wouldn’t turn to him, couldn’t face him as she said, “I had a boyfriend when I was eighteen. I thought I loved him even though he was all wrong for me.”

  Jeff turned her around so she was facing him. “What’s caused you to be so afraid?”

  Dana squeezed her eyes shut. Shut out the memories . . . shut out the pain. But when she opened them again, her husband was still looking at her. Waiting. With a heavy sigh, she began. “He was this stupid kid who thought he could do whatever he wanted without facing the consequences, but he got shot and died in my arms.”

  A lone tear rolled down her face. “I try not to think about it, but it must still be affecting me. All I could imagine today was you lying on the bottom of the pool, dying, without me by your side.”

  “I wish you had told me this before. I never would have put you through that type of trauma if I had known.”

  “I should have told you, but I had no idea you’d fake your death.” She punched him in the side.

  “Let’s make a promise to each other.” He took her hands and kissed them. “Let’s tell each other everything—our fears, our triumphs, and even our sorrows.”

  She nodded. “I promise.” She said those words, but deep inside Dana wondered—if she truly opened the nightmare that was once her life, would Jeff run away screaming, looking for the nearest divorce attorney?

  Chapter 22

  Lisa had reached out to the officer assigned to her case at least once a week since she reported the crime. Early on, he assured her he was chasing down a lead, but since then, she’d left him message after message with no response. So today, as she walked the blocks passing out flyers encouraging constituents to vote for her in the special election that was now twenty-eight days away, she made her way up Tompkins Avenue.

  Lisa walked eight blocks, bumping into residents and shaking hands.

  “Hey, Mr. Walker. How has Mrs. Lois been doing?” she asked as he stepped out of the bodega.

  He took the cigarette out of his mouth. Let it swing in his left hand. “She’s still mean as a rattlesnake. Don’t get too close or she’ll bite you.”

  “Not funny. Your wife is the sweetest woman in Brooklyn.”

  “Yeah.” He coughed. “Sweet enough to put up with me for thirty years.”

  “Tell her I’m running for city council and I would appreciate your votes.”

  As she continued down the street, passing out flyers and listening to the concerns of neighbors, Lisa made her way to her destination—the 79th Precinct. She entered the building, asked to speak with Officer Roberts, and then waited to be escorted to his desk. Officer Roberts was a little taller than Lisa—she guessed he was about five feet seven. His hair was in that awkward stage—bald on the top but hair on the sides and the back of his head. Lisa wondered why men didn’t shave the whole head when it was like this. But it wasn’t her business, so she let the thought drift away.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Coleman. Please have a seat.”

  “Thank you, I will.” She sat down in the chair next to his desk.

  “I have received all your messages, and I am working on your case,” he told her.

  “Officer Roberts, I’m sure you have a ton of work on your plate and my issue might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me.”

  He lifted a hand. “We don’t operate in that manner at this precinct. Identity theft is a crime just as if the criminal broke into your house and stole your television.”

  “How can we get some resolution?”

  “I don’t have any news to share with you yet, but I think we’re going to find this person.”

  “Good, this has brought great hardship on me and my family. I lost a very prestigious position with Liberty Advocates. I lost out on the ability to buy my father’s brownstone, and he now has to delay his dream of moving to Florida.”

  “I get it. Someone misused your credit, but—”

  “I’m working temp assignments. My new job retracted their employment offer after learning about my credit history and my old job had already hired my replacement.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Imagine how you would feel if you had worked hard all your life to pay your bills and earn a good name only to discover someone had snatched it away from you.”