“Seven years ago. As soon as they dropped those charges, I left town. I never looked back. This is my first time coming back.”
Vince understood why she hated the place. “Did Erica continue seeing Dr. Proctor after that?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t ask. I didn’t care. I was so traumatized I didn’t want anything to do with the subject of Dr. Proctor.”
“And now, seven years later, he’s dead and your sister is accused of murdering him.”
Ricki nodded.“Right.”
“Wow,” Vince said as he laid back down. “That could explain that truck.”
Ricki looked at him. “The truck that ran us off the road?”
Vince didn’t say anything. He just kept thinking.
But Ricki could be the sweet, silent type up to a point. She needed to know what he was thinking. “What about that truck, Vince?”
But he still wouldn’t say anything, but remained buried in his thoughts. And in that moment, as Ricki watched his bright, green eyes appear to be looking far beyond that room,she realized something profound. She’d always been a girl in charge of her own decisions, her own movements, her own life. But when she was around Vince, she realized he was in charge. Of himself. Of her. Of everything! There was no fifty/fifty with him. He ran the show. And that reality was as comforting for Ricki as it was alarming.
Then Vince threw the covers off of himself and got out of bed. He grabbed his phone on his nightstand.
Ricki leaned up on her elbows. “What’s going on? What about that truck, Vince?”
“I doubt if it was a drunk driver,” Vince finally said.
It seemed like a drunk driver to Ricki. “Who was it then?” she asked him.
“Perhaps somebody in this town who may believe you know something that would be helpful to your sister’s case. And detrimental to them.”
Ricki was floored. “You think that driver was trying to . . . tokill me?”
“No,” said Vince. “But definitely to send you a message.”
“Who are you calling?” Ricki asked him.
“My attorney,” said Vince.
Ricki sat all the way up in bed. “He’s going to represent my sister?”
Vince never wanted to get in this deep, but he felt he had no choice. “Yes,” he said.
“You believe her now? You believe she’s innocent now?”
“I believe you,” said Vince. “And if you believe her, that’s good enough for me.”
Ricki was so happy and so excited that she flung those covers off of her, jumped out of bed, and threw her arms around Vince.
Although he staggered backwards and fell onto his back on his bed, and she crashed down on top of him, he put his arms around her and held her too.
And as he held her, and as she started crying tears of joy in his arms, he knew like he knew his own face that he was in it, with her, for the long haul. He also knew, given who she was, it was going to be a very turbulent haul.
What he didn’t know was why would this particular person of all people, the one woman who worked his nerves more than any one in memory, could win him over with just a bat of her big brown eyes? Women the world over had been trying that trick for decades to steal his affection. But Ricki wasn’t even trying and stole it anyway.
And unlike all three of his previous wives, and unlike all of his numerous girlfriends in between, for the first time in his life he was doing something, not for the lust of a woman, but maybe, just maybe, for the love of a woman.
For the love of RashedaRickiRichardson to be precise. A hairstylist that didn’t bother to style her own hair. A sister, friend, co-worker that would help others before she helped herself. A woman who cussed like a sailor and didn’t make apologies for her behavior even when her behavior was wholly unacceptable to him.
It wasthat womanwho just might be the one woman with lasting power with him. And she was so much younger than he liked. She was smaller than he liked. And she was bitchier than he’d ever liked! He loved peace and calm when she was going to give him turmoil and bumpy ride after bumpy ride. But could she be the one? He had been so certain that it wasn’t possible for anybody to rock his world to that extent. But was Rasheda capable of doing it? Of all peopleher?
