waiting in the long receiving line to greet Bishop Yarbrough and the first lady.
As she and Tamia inched down the aisle, Tamia’s gaze followed Brandon around the bustling sanctuary. He and his father expertly worked the crowd—shaking hands, slapping backs, kissing babies, and conversing with Bernard’s constituents in an effort to shore up votes for next November’s election.
At one point, Brandon looked right over at Tamia and mouthed, Don’t go anywhere .
Delighted that he’d apparently been aware of her presence the entire time he’d been schmoozing, Tamia smiled and mouthed back, I won’t .
He grinned, flashing those sexy dimples.
Shanell looked from one to the other, then glanced heavenward and sighed. “This is gonna get so messy. Lord help us all.”
Tamia grinned at her. “Why do you need help?”
“Because I’m gonna get caught in the middle between you and Cynthia, and I’ll probably end up having to find another church home.”
“That might not be such a bad idea,” Tamia muttered.
Shanell arched a brow at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know.” Tamia gestured around the opulent sanctuary, her nose wrinkling with distaste. “This place just seems so over-the-top and fake.”
“You’re not feeling the megachurch experience, huh?”
“Not really.”
Shanell chuckled. “It takes some getting used to, I’ll admit. But Bishop Yarbrough knows how to preach the word. I always come away feeling like he was speaking directly to me.”
Tamia snorted. “Oh, I definitely felt like he was speaking to me. Every time he mentioned Jezebel, I swear he looked right at me.”
Shanell laughed, reaching inside her purse for a pack of peppermint gum. She offered a piece to Tamia before unwrapping one for herself.
Tamia folded the stick of gum into her mouth, then smiled softly at her friend. “Thank you.”
“For what? The gum? I’m the one whose breath was kinda tart.”
Tamia laughed. “Your breath was fine. And I wasn’t thanking you for the gum. I was thanking you for being supportive, and for not telling me to give up on Brandon. I know you and Cynthia are friends, so this whole situation has probably been pretty awkward for you.”
“It has,” Shanell admitted, smiling and waving at someone across the sanctuary. “I like Cynthia and I have a lot of respect for her. But you’re my girl, Tamia, so you know I got your back. Besides, Brandon was your man first. You deserve a second chance to make things right.” She gave Tamia a meaningful look. “As long as you don’t do anything crazy to get that brotha back.”
“I won’t,” Tamia vowed. “Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Good.”
As they moved up in line, Tamia observed Joseph and Coretta Yarbrough as they greeted their adoring congregants. The charismatic minister was tall, lean, and attractive, with a walnut complexion and a neatly groomed natural and mustache. In contrast, his wife was short and heavyset—homely in a way that no amount of professional makeup, expensive jewelry, and designer clothes could disguise.
Tamia had already met the couple earlier that year at Bernard Chambers’s campaign launch party. They’d been coolly polite toward her because she was Brandon’s girlfriend, which interfered with their plans to marry their daughter off to him. Tamia knew they’d rejoiced in the streets when she and Brandon broke up, clearing the path for Cynthia.
When Tamia and Shanell finally reached the front of the line, Shanell hugged the Yarbroughs and told the bishop how much she’d enjoyed his sermon.
“I’m so glad to hear that, Sister Jasper.” Joseph’s dark gaze shifted to Tamia. “And what about you, Sister Luke? I hope you received God’s word today.”
Tamia forced a smile. “I did, thank you.”
“That’s good.” His answering smile was as sanctimonious as his next words. “I thank the Lord for using me as a vessel to shed light in the darkness of
As she and Tamia inched down the aisle, Tamia’s gaze followed Brandon around the bustling sanctuary. He and his father expertly worked the crowd—shaking hands, slapping backs, kissing babies, and conversing with Bernard’s constituents in an effort to shore up votes for next November’s election.
At one point, Brandon looked right over at Tamia and mouthed, Don’t go anywhere .
Delighted that he’d apparently been aware of her presence the entire time he’d been schmoozing, Tamia smiled and mouthed back, I won’t .
He grinned, flashing those sexy dimples.
Shanell looked from one to the other, then glanced heavenward and sighed. “This is gonna get so messy. Lord help us all.”
Tamia grinned at her. “Why do you need help?”
“Because I’m gonna get caught in the middle between you and Cynthia, and I’ll probably end up having to find another church home.”
“That might not be such a bad idea,” Tamia muttered.
Shanell arched a brow at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know.” Tamia gestured around the opulent sanctuary, her nose wrinkling with distaste. “This place just seems so over-the-top and fake.”
“You’re not feeling the megachurch experience, huh?”
“Not really.”
Shanell chuckled. “It takes some getting used to, I’ll admit. But Bishop Yarbrough knows how to preach the word. I always come away feeling like he was speaking directly to me.”
Tamia snorted. “Oh, I definitely felt like he was speaking to me. Every time he mentioned Jezebel, I swear he looked right at me.”
Shanell laughed, reaching inside her purse for a pack of peppermint gum. She offered a piece to Tamia before unwrapping one for herself.
Tamia folded the stick of gum into her mouth, then smiled softly at her friend. “Thank you.”
“For what? The gum? I’m the one whose breath was kinda tart.”
Tamia laughed. “Your breath was fine. And I wasn’t thanking you for the gum. I was thanking you for being supportive, and for not telling me to give up on Brandon. I know you and Cynthia are friends, so this whole situation has probably been pretty awkward for you.”
“It has,” Shanell admitted, smiling and waving at someone across the sanctuary. “I like Cynthia and I have a lot of respect for her. But you’re my girl, Tamia, so you know I got your back. Besides, Brandon was your man first. You deserve a second chance to make things right.” She gave Tamia a meaningful look. “As long as you don’t do anything crazy to get that brotha back.”
“I won’t,” Tamia vowed. “Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Good.”
As they moved up in line, Tamia observed Joseph and Coretta Yarbrough as they greeted their adoring congregants. The charismatic minister was tall, lean, and attractive, with a walnut complexion and a neatly groomed natural and mustache. In contrast, his wife was short and heavyset—homely in a way that no amount of professional makeup, expensive jewelry, and designer clothes could disguise.
Tamia had already met the couple earlier that year at Bernard Chambers’s campaign launch party. They’d been coolly polite toward her because she was Brandon’s girlfriend, which interfered with their plans to marry their daughter off to him. Tamia knew they’d rejoiced in the streets when she and Brandon broke up, clearing the path for Cynthia.
When Tamia and Shanell finally reached the front of the line, Shanell hugged the Yarbroughs and told the bishop how much she’d enjoyed his sermon.
“I’m so glad to hear that, Sister Jasper.” Joseph’s dark gaze shifted to Tamia. “And what about you, Sister Luke? I hope you received God’s word today.”
Tamia forced a smile. “I did, thank you.”
“That’s good.” His answering smile was as sanctimonious as his next words. “I thank the Lord for using me as a vessel to shed light in the darkness of
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