A scene from "MY STEPS ARE ORDERED" second in the "On the Right Path Series" with Urban Books. Coming Jul. 29th.
“Say you’ll be here for Gina’s party. Colleen and Terence can’t make it, so I’m counting on you to show your ugly face. Trey’s been asking for his favorite Uncle Keith. ” Michael Ward threw in that last tidbit for emotional blackmail.
Keith Ward grinned, picturing the little rambunctious boy giving Gina a run for her money. “I’m his only Uncle Keith. Is he still running like his pants are on fire?”
“Yup, and you should see Gina try to pick him up when he’s already half her size.”
Sitting in a leather chair in his offices located on Queens Blvd in New York, Keith propped his foot on another chair and looked up at the ceiling. Going to Atlanta would mean that he would be seeing her again. Gina. His blessing, and his curse. Who was he fooling? Of course he’d be there.
“Okay, I’ll be there and let me know if you need me to take care of anything on my end,” Keith offered. As soon as he ended the call, he grabbed his briefcase to head to the courthouse located two blocks away. He’d gotten a call that the judge was ready to make a ruling on the Harper case. After two grueling months, he was glad a decision had been made.
While he walked, he took a stroll down memory lane. Michael had been love struck when he’d met Gina Price, at the time, at his business partner, Terence Hayworth’s wedding. His brother tended to attract psychopaths so Keith had been prepared to dislike and dismiss this new woman who had his brother spellbound. But the moment he’d seen Gina Price, he’d gotten the shock of his life.
Before Gina, Keith hadn’t known that there was such a thing as instant love at first sight or even real animal attraction, but that was how it had been. Before her, he’d only been in love once, and Vanessa Arnold had been killed by a drunk driver. However, his feelings for Vanessa had paled in comparison, to what he felt for Gina.
Gina was like a fire that consumed him.
Keith stopped. He stood at the foot of the ten steps leading up to the entrance of the courthouse. He dragged his hands down his face, pulling on his cheeks as his memories flooded him.
Twice. On two sweet occasions, he’d been with Gina.
The first time was right before his brother’s near fatal car accident. Gina had found out that Michael had cheated with his crazy ex, Karen Newton, and had broken things off with him. He’d rushed to her house. To Keith, that had been fate, and he hadn’t had any reservations about professing his love. It sounded like the plot of a cheap romance novel, but he’d been convinced that Gina was his destiny. This was his time—his moment, he’d told himself, and his heart had rung with joy when Gina confessed she’d felt the same way.
However, for them there had been no happy-ever-after.
After he and Gina had shared one of the most mind-boggling, emotionally charged intimate experiences uniting their soul… Remembering, Keith felt the old guilt begin to eat at him again… The call came. And he’d had her, for one sweet night that he’d hoped would last forever. Little did either of them know, Michael, guilty about cheating on Gina, while speeding to her house, lost control of the vehicle and crashed, almost killing himself.
He remembered how his body had shaken with fear when he’d learned that Michael was in a coma. The wait had been agony. So, when by some divine intervention, Michael had awakened with no residual brain damage, Gina patched things up with him. At her urging, Keith and Gina agreed never to talk about what had transpired between them.
Plagued with guilt, Gina pressed, “It never happened.”
After his near death experience, Michael had wasted no time in putting a rock on Gina’s finger and wedding plans had commenced with so much speed that Keith felt like he was in a time warp.
Keith trudged up the stairs as her words pounded in his head. It never happened. He made a fist. But, it had.
And then, again.
There had been a second time. Keith shrugged. He’d better leave that as a secret of the past.
Keith Ward grinned, picturing the little rambunctious boy giving Gina a run for her money. “I’m his only Uncle Keith. Is he still running like his pants are on fire?”
“Yup, and you should see Gina try to pick him up when he’s already half her size.”
Sitting in a leather chair in his offices located on Queens Blvd in New York, Keith propped his foot on another chair and looked up at the ceiling. Going to Atlanta would mean that he would be seeing her again. Gina. His blessing, and his curse. Who was he fooling? Of course he’d be there.
“Okay, I’ll be there and let me know if you need me to take care of anything on my end,” Keith offered. As soon as he ended the call, he grabbed his briefcase to head to the courthouse located two blocks away. He’d gotten a call that the judge was ready to make a ruling on the Harper case. After two grueling months, he was glad a decision had been made.
While he walked, he took a stroll down memory lane. Michael had been love struck when he’d met Gina Price, at the time, at his business partner, Terence Hayworth’s wedding. His brother tended to attract psychopaths so Keith had been prepared to dislike and dismiss this new woman who had his brother spellbound. But the moment he’d seen Gina Price, he’d gotten the shock of his life.
Before Gina, Keith hadn’t known that there was such a thing as instant love at first sight or even real animal attraction, but that was how it had been. Before her, he’d only been in love once, and Vanessa Arnold had been killed by a drunk driver. However, his feelings for Vanessa had paled in comparison, to what he felt for Gina.
Gina was like a fire that consumed him.
Keith stopped. He stood at the foot of the ten steps leading up to the entrance of the courthouse. He dragged his hands down his face, pulling on his cheeks as his memories flooded him.
Twice. On two sweet occasions, he’d been with Gina.
The first time was right before his brother’s near fatal car accident. Gina had found out that Michael had cheated with his crazy ex, Karen Newton, and had broken things off with him. He’d rushed to her house. To Keith, that had been fate, and he hadn’t had any reservations about professing his love. It sounded like the plot of a cheap romance novel, but he’d been convinced that Gina was his destiny. This was his time—his moment, he’d told himself, and his heart had rung with joy when Gina confessed she’d felt the same way.
However, for them there had been no happy-ever-after.
After he and Gina had shared one of the most mind-boggling, emotionally charged intimate experiences uniting their soul… Remembering, Keith felt the old guilt begin to eat at him again… The call came. And he’d had her, for one sweet night that he’d hoped would last forever. Little did either of them know, Michael, guilty about cheating on Gina, while speeding to her house, lost control of the vehicle and crashed, almost killing himself.
He remembered how his body had shaken with fear when he’d learned that Michael was in a coma. The wait had been agony. So, when by some divine intervention, Michael had awakened with no residual brain damage, Gina patched things up with him. At her urging, Keith and Gina agreed never to talk about what had transpired between them.
Plagued with guilt, Gina pressed, “It never happened.”
After his near death experience, Michael had wasted no time in putting a rock on Gina’s finger and wedding plans had commenced with so much speed that Keith felt like he was in a time warp.
Keith trudged up the stairs as her words pounded in his head. It never happened. He made a fist. But, it had.
And then, again.
There had been a second time. Keith shrugged. He’d better leave that as a secret of the past.
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