SILENT PRAISE - Read the Prologue and First Chapter
Silent Praise is the third book in the Able to Love Series. Coming March 2015
Prologue “I can’t hold it.” Melanie “Lainey” King squeezed her legs together. Crouched over in the dark, she shivered from inside the three-foot oblong closet space. Lainey peered through the folds of the closet door. Her eyes were wide with fear. Mama and Uncle were asleep on the big bed. Lainey slept with Mama unless Uncle came around. Then she had to sleep in the closet.Lainey’s lower body shook. She had to go. Now. She pushed the closet door and crept outside. Lainey inched her way to her mother’s bed.“Mama, I’ve got to go pee.” Lainey whispered as quiet as she could into her mother’s ear. She did not want to wake Uncle. His snore bounced off the walls of the room. Lainey twisted her tattered, once-white nightgown, spotted with dingy brown stains. Her lips quivered.Oh no! A small line of urine trickled down her legs. She cupped her mouth to keep from crying aloud. If she peed on herself, Uncle was going to let her have it. She shook her mother again. “Mama! I’ve got to go to the bathroom!”Mama did not budge. But Uncle did.“What do you want?” He snarled at her into the darkness.Even through the dark, Lainey could see his hateful eyes.Uncle jumped and came around the bed to grab her shoulders. “What do you want?” Lainey’s teeth rattled. She opened her mouth but no words came. With a groan, Lainey emptied her bladder. Tears rolled down her face.“I didn’t mean to,” she said.Uncle sniffed. “Did you pee on the carpet?”Lainey shook her head. “It was an accident.”Uncle bent towards her. His stinky breath hit her in the face. “You’re five years old and old enough to stop peeing on yourself! Your mother’s bragging how smart you are, reading and writing and all that so you know better. But you know what, you’re just plain nasty. Yes, that’s right. You’re scrawny and nasty and I can’t stand the sight of you.”“Ahhh,” Lainey wailed, wiggling her body and holding her head. “Mama,” she screamed, but Mama did not hear her.Uncle dropped Lainey to the ground. He kicked her in the stomach. “I told you what would happen if you peed yourself again because you’re too lazy to go to the bathroom.”“I tried to wake Mama,” Lainey said. “I can’t reach the bathroom light and I’m scared of the dark.”Uncle reached down and snatched her under his arm. “But, no, you want to pee on the floor like you’re a dog.” He rubbed her face into the urine. “I’ll do you like I would a dog.”The pungent smell of her urine hit her nose. Lainey closed her eyes, pinched her lips tight, and closed her mouth. She knew this was the only way to keep from inhaling or swallowing it. Her hair and gown were wet from pee.Lainey bucked her body to fight her way out of Uncle’s strong arms. If he released her, she could run and hide. Her leg kicked him in the groin. With a plop, she landed on the floor.“You kicked me,” Uncle raged.Like a snake, she slithered under the bed. She saw Mama’s legs hit the floor. “Mama!” Lainey yelled.The lights came on.“What’s going on?” Mama seethed. “What’re you doing? Where’s Lainey?”“Your kid peed the floor and I’m tired of it.”Lainey saw his big, white feet at the edge of the bed and cowered into the center.“Don’t you put a hand on her.” Lainey heard her mother’s yell and relaxed. Mama would save her.Then, she felt a hand curl around her foot. She stiffened her body and dug her fingers into the ratty carpet. But Uncle was stronger than she was. He dragged her from under the bed and picked her up feet first, exposing her.“Leave her alone,” Mama cried, beating at Uncle with her fists.Uncle dropped Lainey and shoved Mama. Her mother hit the wall and slinked to the floor. Lainey remembered when they moved into this room and Mama had painted the walls bright yellow. Now the yellow was mixed with dirt from tossed food containers and beer cans. Mama’s head hung near the big hole from when Uncle punched the wall.Lainey saw her mother’s eyes drift close. Her shoulders sagged. Mama would not be able to help her now. Then Uncle redirected his gaze towards her. Lainey gulped. She scrambled over beer cans. Her tiny hands narrowly missed a sharp needle. Mama said never to touch the cans, needles, or white stuff. Ever.Uncle kicked the cans out of the way. He grabbed Lainey by the ears and pulled her to stand. His chest heaved. “I’ll show you what happens to girls who don’t know how to listen.” He bunched his fist and hit her right ear.Lainey screamed and fell to the floor. Her yell made Uncle madder than before; he punched her other ear.Lainey held her head. “Mama!” Uncle punched and punched her ears. Lainey kicked and scratched at him. “Mama!” Uncle punched again. Blood rolled across her face. “Mama … Mama … Help me.” Uncle kept punching away at her ears. Tears, snot, and blood made it hard for her to see but Lainey stretched a hand towards her mother. “Mama. Please … help.” Lainey went limp. Pain dulled her senses and eyes closed. For the first time in her life, Lainey was no longer afraid of the dark.***Shards of bright light hit her face. Lainey screamed. She woke up kicking and fighting. Uncle had been hitting her in the face and she had to stop him. She tried to open her eyes all the way but they hurt. Lainey clutched her head. There was a bandage around her head.“Mama!” Lainey looked around the room. Her heart started beating into her chest. Where am I? She was hooked up to monitors and she was cold. She shivered. Where’s Mama? Lainey screamed as fear shook her body.A short, brown lady—dark like her Mama—came over to her. Lainey could see the woman’s lips moving but she could not hear anything.Lainey panicked. “I can’t hear you. My ears are closed. I can’t hear you.” She grabbed her ears. “Ahhh! I’m trying to scream but I can’t hear myself.”Lainey saw the lady’s head nod and focused on her kind face. She was saying something. The lady wrapped her in her arms. Lainey stilled. This lady won’t hurt me. Lainey welcomed the woman’s soft touch. The lady lowered Lainey back to the bed and bunched the covers around her. Lainey felt a soft kiss on the top of her head.Then the doctor came in. Lainey knew him. He had fixed her broken arm and stitched her busted lip. She was so glad to see someone she recognized. “I know you! You’re Dr. James,” Lainey said. She knew she said the words right because she saw him nod his head.“I can’t hear myself, Dr. James,” Lainey said. “Can you fix my ears?”The lady covered her mouth with her hand.“Why is she crying?” Lainey’s eyes filled with tears. She looked at Dr. James. “I want my mama.”For some reason, her words made the lady cry even more. A tall, skinny man entered the room and Lainey saw the lady run to him. He gave her a hug.Melanie looked at Dr. James. “Please stitch my ears so I can hear. And can you tell Mama where I am? She might be looking for me.” She was surprised to see Dr. James wipe his eyes.She saw the needle he held and tried to move. “Mama said no needles!” She wiggled to the edge of the bed away from Dr. James. But Dr. James held her down. The last thing Lainey felt was the pierce from the needle, and then her eyes closed. “Dratted snooze button,” Melanie muttered. “I just had to press snooze one more time.” Boy did she regret her Thursday night Twilight binge. Melanie had stayed up until 2 a.m. re-watching the four movies in the Twilight saga. Edward, Jacob, and Bella had filled her thoughts that she had not prayed or read her Bible. What she would give to be in Bella’s shoes. She wanted two hot men fighting over her. Heck, she would even settle for one not-so-hot guy calling her ever so often. In her small town of Port Charlotte, pickings were slim, especially for someone with a disability.Melanie blew her curls out of her face and zipped her grey Infiniti across the lanes. It was mid-January, peak season for snowbirds. The normally scanty traffic lanes on U.S. 41 were packed with Canadian license plates. It was close to 7:30 a.m. Where were all these people going at this hour? Aren’t they supposed to be retired?Melanie saw the amber light ahead and hit the accelerator. She could not miss the light or she would be late and Nancy would be in her face. Melanie whizzed through the light right before it switched to red. She made a fist. Yes! She put on her indicator to make the left turn on Cochran Blvd. Melanie escalated to catch the green turning arrow. She glanced at the clock. She had two minutes to spare. Then she looked into the rearview mirror.Her eyes widened. Red and blue lights twinkled behind her. Moving at snail’s pace, Melanie pulled into the mini mall. Because of the early hour, they weren’t many cars in the lot. Besides the Wells Fargo, there was a Books-A-Million, Staples, Big Lots, and a McDonald’s. She hoped the officer would keep going. But he followed her. She pulled into a parking space.Great. Not only was she late, she was also going to be ticketed right outside her job. Melanie served as a bank loan officer and her manager stayed on her butt. Lord, please, now would be a good time for you to show up and show out.Melanie looked into her left side mirror. She saw tall, muscular legs unfold out of the unmarked police car. He had to be at least 6'3" with light brown hair cropped low on his head. He whipped off his sunglasses. Melanie took hers off as well.And, he was hot. She watched his confident stride. This man should be strutting on a runway somewhere. It was a sin he had his body covered under that green uniform, although he wore it well. She stole a glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her curls were in disarray. She rolled her eyes. Figures, I would be having a bad hair day.The officer tapped on her glass. Melanie plastered a smile on her face and lowered her window. She could smell the McDonald’s biscuits and coffee. Her stomach rumbled. There was no way she would have time to hit the drive-thru.Melanie made sure to keep her eyes on his lips. His lips parted to reveal white teeth and a beautiful smile.“License and insurance,” he said.Her breath caught. His sharp green eyes made her think of running through the lush fields on a hot Florida day. She nodded and dug her hands into her brown oversized Coach bag until she found her wallet. Her hands shook. This was only her second time being pulled over.Melanie handed the officer her information.She observed him keenly, noting the exact moment he saw she was deaf. He shot her a quick, sympathetic glance. Melanie stiffened her shoulders and tossed her hair. “Are you going to give me a ticket?” she asked.Her voice must have bellowed because he stepped back. “You can speak?”She nodded. “I also read lips.” This time she spoke above a whisper, she hoped. She squinted her eyes to read his name badge—Officer Chase Lawson. His name suited him.“Where are you rushing to this morning, Ms. Benson?” he asked, making sure she could see his mouth.Hearing the surname Benson jolted Melanie’s memory. She had a flashback of laying in the hospital bed. Her mama had taken her the next morning once she had awakened from her stupor. Melanie remembered her mother’s screams and terrified eyes. Uncle had been long gone. That day began her journey towards a whole new life. Melanie found out her mother had been arrested and she never saw her again.The lady and gentleman in her room that day were Gary and Rhoda Benson, her foster parents. They adopted her and gave her a new name and a new life. Melanie scrunched her nose. Why am I remembering this now?“Ms. Benson?”Melanie started. The officer had a hand on his hip and was waiting for her answer. She pointed to the bank.He smiled revealing a set of beautiful teeth. Officer Lawson patted her hand. Electricity shot through her spine. Her eyes widened. Had he felt that? Melanie affixed her gaze on his hand.His thumb caressed hers before he caught himself and removed his hand. “I’m letting you go with a warning,” Officer Lawson said. He made sure she saw his lips.Did he spare me because I’m deaf? Melanie bristled, “Just give me the ticket if I deserve it.”He shook his head. “Are you going to argue with me because I’m giving you a break?”She thought of the points on her license and her insurance bill. He was right. Why was she even arguing? “No, Officer,” Melanie said. “I’ll be sure to go to bed on time tonight.”He gave a little smile and held out his hand to return her documents to her. “See that you do that.”Their hands met. This time there was no denying the electric bolt shooting through her system. Her eyes met his. She knew he felt it too. His eyes narrowed. Officer Lawson looked around the still empty parking lot.“Melanie?”She covered her eyes with her hands to look at him. The sun was already out and viciously making its presence felt.“Listen, I know this is unconventional and in my five years on the job, I’ve never done this.” His eyes met her brown ones. He laid that smile on her again. “I’m Chase Lawson.” He held out his hand. Melanie touched his hand briefly.Her heart thumped but she made a point to look at her watch. Spit it out.“Would you like to meet up for a cup of coffee sometime?” he asked. “I’m feeling a connection here and I’d like to explore it further—”Melanie shook her head. “I can’t.”Chase held a hand up. “Oh, sorry. I should have asked if you’re seeing someone.” She watched a red hue build on his face.“I’m not,” Melanie said. She jutted her chin. “I don’t like cops. Thanks for the warning, Officer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for work.”Melanie opened her door and slammed it with a decisive shut. She reddened when she saw her floral skirt was caught in the door. She saw Chase's pearly whites and knew he was laughing at her. Melanie ignored him and opened the door to retrieve her skirt.“Have a nice day,” Chase said.Melanie held her head high and made sure she had an extra sway in her hips when she entered the bank. She turned around to see if Chase was still looking. He was already in his car. She swallowed her disappointment.“Who was that?” Rachel Morrison asked. She had been standing near the front door. Rachel and Melanie had been best friends since high school. The two of them, plus Tricia Yang, her adopted sister, made up the Tres Amigas.“I almost got a ticket,” Melanie breathed out, smoothing out her fuchsia blouse.“He could write me up any time,” Rachel said, flipping her shoulder-length blond hair. She did a two-step, not caring she wore a tailored navy blue business suit with matching sandals.Melanie giggled. “You’re such a flirt.”“Yes, and I’m proud of it,” she said, her hazel eyes flashing with excitement. “If that were me, I would have made sure to get his number.”Melanie shook her head. “Actually, he asked me out, but I turned him down.”Rachel furrowed her brows. “That was one fine man. You should have given him a chance.”Melanie pictured Chase’s smile and those green eyes. “I don’t do cops.” She glared. “You know why.”Rachel nodded. “I do, but I don’t agree.” “You don’t have to. I’m the one who has to live with my decision. Not you. Besides between work and my other commitments, I don’t have time for dating.” Melanie made her way to her office and turned on the light. Rachel followed her because Melanie felt a tap on her back.She groaned but turned to face her friend.“You don’t mind Emory,” Rachel said. “He’s a police officer.”“He’s different, and he’s Tricia’s husband. Plus we knew Emory when he was pimpled with thick glasses and braces.”Rachel’s chest moved up and down. “He’s now a perfect 10. Who knew he would have morphed into such a hunk?”Melanie saw Rachel look behind her and swung around. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Their boss, Nancy Devries had arrived. Rachel waved at Nancy before going into the adjacent office. “I need to speak with you,” Nancy said.Melanie took in Nancy’s frumpy white-colored grey dress. Which dumpster did Nancy find that in? “I have a busy day ahead of me,” Melanie said.“This cannot wait. You approved a couple of loans which needed my approval.”Lord, I don’t have time for Nancy’s nitpicking. Melanie looked at her watch. The bank was about to open. “How about we meet at 12:30? I have a couple of investment consultations and two loan reviews this morning.”Nancy bit her lip. “I’ll see you then.” Her eyes swept Melanie’s outfit. “You look colorful.”“And you look …” Melanie scanned her from head to toe, taking in Nancy’s frizzy red hair and ugly brown flats. Melanie shrugged. She could not think of something nice to say. She shrugged.Nancy’s mouth popped open before she stomped off.Melanie felt a hand tap her shoulder. She made eye contact with Rachel. “Couldn’t you be nice? You’re a child of God. You know better.”“Yes, I’m a child of God but I’m not a doormat. Nancy only double-checks my work. She signs off on your stuff without a second glance. But she scrutinizes everything I do.” Melanie signed her next comment. “She’s racist and you know it.”Rachel shook her head. “She’s jealous. Nancy almost got fired when she messed up that money transfer. You were her replacement.” Rachel signed back.A customer entered the bank and Rachel went to greet him. Melanie was glad for the interruption. She wandered back into her office to get started on her day. But, ever so often, Chase’s smiling face flashed before her. She touched her hand where his hand had rested. Then she pushed him out of her mind. Her life was too busy for romance—and romancing a cop was out of the question.
Prologue “I can’t hold it.” Melanie “Lainey” King squeezed her legs together. Crouched over in the dark, she shivered from inside the three-foot oblong closet space. Lainey peered through the folds of the closet door. Her eyes were wide with fear. Mama and Uncle were asleep on the big bed. Lainey slept with Mama unless Uncle came around. Then she had to sleep in the closet.Lainey’s lower body shook. She had to go. Now. She pushed the closet door and crept outside. Lainey inched her way to her mother’s bed.“Mama, I’ve got to go pee.” Lainey whispered as quiet as she could into her mother’s ear. She did not want to wake Uncle. His snore bounced off the walls of the room. Lainey twisted her tattered, once-white nightgown, spotted with dingy brown stains. Her lips quivered.Oh no! A small line of urine trickled down her legs. She cupped her mouth to keep from crying aloud. If she peed on herself, Uncle was going to let her have it. She shook her mother again. “Mama! I’ve got to go to the bathroom!”Mama did not budge. But Uncle did.“What do you want?” He snarled at her into the darkness.Even through the dark, Lainey could see his hateful eyes.Uncle jumped and came around the bed to grab her shoulders. “What do you want?” Lainey’s teeth rattled. She opened her mouth but no words came. With a groan, Lainey emptied her bladder. Tears rolled down her face.“I didn’t mean to,” she said.Uncle sniffed. “Did you pee on the carpet?”Lainey shook her head. “It was an accident.”Uncle bent towards her. His stinky breath hit her in the face. “You’re five years old and old enough to stop peeing on yourself! Your mother’s bragging how smart you are, reading and writing and all that so you know better. But you know what, you’re just plain nasty. Yes, that’s right. You’re scrawny and nasty and I can’t stand the sight of you.”“Ahhh,” Lainey wailed, wiggling her body and holding her head. “Mama,” she screamed, but Mama did not hear her.Uncle dropped Lainey to the ground. He kicked her in the stomach. “I told you what would happen if you peed yourself again because you’re too lazy to go to the bathroom.”“I tried to wake Mama,” Lainey said. “I can’t reach the bathroom light and I’m scared of the dark.”Uncle reached down and snatched her under his arm. “But, no, you want to pee on the floor like you’re a dog.” He rubbed her face into the urine. “I’ll do you like I would a dog.”The pungent smell of her urine hit her nose. Lainey closed her eyes, pinched her lips tight, and closed her mouth. She knew this was the only way to keep from inhaling or swallowing it. Her hair and gown were wet from pee.Lainey bucked her body to fight her way out of Uncle’s strong arms. If he released her, she could run and hide. Her leg kicked him in the groin. With a plop, she landed on the floor.“You kicked me,” Uncle raged.Like a snake, she slithered under the bed. She saw Mama’s legs hit the floor. “Mama!” Lainey yelled.The lights came on.“What’s going on?” Mama seethed. “What’re you doing? Where’s Lainey?”“Your kid peed the floor and I’m tired of it.”Lainey saw his big, white feet at the edge of the bed and cowered into the center.“Don’t you put a hand on her.” Lainey heard her mother’s yell and relaxed. Mama would save her.Then, she felt a hand curl around her foot. She stiffened her body and dug her fingers into the ratty carpet. But Uncle was stronger than she was. He dragged her from under the bed and picked her up feet first, exposing her.“Leave her alone,” Mama cried, beating at Uncle with her fists.Uncle dropped Lainey and shoved Mama. Her mother hit the wall and slinked to the floor. Lainey remembered when they moved into this room and Mama had painted the walls bright yellow. Now the yellow was mixed with dirt from tossed food containers and beer cans. Mama’s head hung near the big hole from when Uncle punched the wall.Lainey saw her mother’s eyes drift close. Her shoulders sagged. Mama would not be able to help her now. Then Uncle redirected his gaze towards her. Lainey gulped. She scrambled over beer cans. Her tiny hands narrowly missed a sharp needle. Mama said never to touch the cans, needles, or white stuff. Ever.Uncle kicked the cans out of the way. He grabbed Lainey by the ears and pulled her to stand. His chest heaved. “I’ll show you what happens to girls who don’t know how to listen.” He bunched his fist and hit her right ear.Lainey screamed and fell to the floor. Her yell made Uncle madder than before; he punched her other ear.Lainey held her head. “Mama!” Uncle punched and punched her ears. Lainey kicked and scratched at him. “Mama!” Uncle punched again. Blood rolled across her face. “Mama … Mama … Help me.” Uncle kept punching away at her ears. Tears, snot, and blood made it hard for her to see but Lainey stretched a hand towards her mother. “Mama. Please … help.” Lainey went limp. Pain dulled her senses and eyes closed. For the first time in her life, Lainey was no longer afraid of the dark.***Shards of bright light hit her face. Lainey screamed. She woke up kicking and fighting. Uncle had been hitting her in the face and she had to stop him. She tried to open her eyes all the way but they hurt. Lainey clutched her head. There was a bandage around her head.“Mama!” Lainey looked around the room. Her heart started beating into her chest. Where am I? She was hooked up to monitors and she was cold. She shivered. Where’s Mama? Lainey screamed as fear shook her body.A short, brown lady—dark like her Mama—came over to her. Lainey could see the woman’s lips moving but she could not hear anything.Lainey panicked. “I can’t hear you. My ears are closed. I can’t hear you.” She grabbed her ears. “Ahhh! I’m trying to scream but I can’t hear myself.”Lainey saw the lady’s head nod and focused on her kind face. She was saying something. The lady wrapped her in her arms. Lainey stilled. This lady won’t hurt me. Lainey welcomed the woman’s soft touch. The lady lowered Lainey back to the bed and bunched the covers around her. Lainey felt a soft kiss on the top of her head.Then the doctor came in. Lainey knew him. He had fixed her broken arm and stitched her busted lip. She was so glad to see someone she recognized. “I know you! You’re Dr. James,” Lainey said. She knew she said the words right because she saw him nod his head.“I can’t hear myself, Dr. James,” Lainey said. “Can you fix my ears?”The lady covered her mouth with her hand.“Why is she crying?” Lainey’s eyes filled with tears. She looked at Dr. James. “I want my mama.”For some reason, her words made the lady cry even more. A tall, skinny man entered the room and Lainey saw the lady run to him. He gave her a hug.Melanie looked at Dr. James. “Please stitch my ears so I can hear. And can you tell Mama where I am? She might be looking for me.” She was surprised to see Dr. James wipe his eyes.She saw the needle he held and tried to move. “Mama said no needles!” She wiggled to the edge of the bed away from Dr. James. But Dr. James held her down. The last thing Lainey felt was the pierce from the needle, and then her eyes closed. “Dratted snooze button,” Melanie muttered. “I just had to press snooze one more time.” Boy did she regret her Thursday night Twilight binge. Melanie had stayed up until 2 a.m. re-watching the four movies in the Twilight saga. Edward, Jacob, and Bella had filled her thoughts that she had not prayed or read her Bible. What she would give to be in Bella’s shoes. She wanted two hot men fighting over her. Heck, she would even settle for one not-so-hot guy calling her ever so often. In her small town of Port Charlotte, pickings were slim, especially for someone with a disability.Melanie blew her curls out of her face and zipped her grey Infiniti across the lanes. It was mid-January, peak season for snowbirds. The normally scanty traffic lanes on U.S. 41 were packed with Canadian license plates. It was close to 7:30 a.m. Where were all these people going at this hour? Aren’t they supposed to be retired?Melanie saw the amber light ahead and hit the accelerator. She could not miss the light or she would be late and Nancy would be in her face. Melanie whizzed through the light right before it switched to red. She made a fist. Yes! She put on her indicator to make the left turn on Cochran Blvd. Melanie escalated to catch the green turning arrow. She glanced at the clock. She had two minutes to spare. Then she looked into the rearview mirror.Her eyes widened. Red and blue lights twinkled behind her. Moving at snail’s pace, Melanie pulled into the mini mall. Because of the early hour, they weren’t many cars in the lot. Besides the Wells Fargo, there was a Books-A-Million, Staples, Big Lots, and a McDonald’s. She hoped the officer would keep going. But he followed her. She pulled into a parking space.Great. Not only was she late, she was also going to be ticketed right outside her job. Melanie served as a bank loan officer and her manager stayed on her butt. Lord, please, now would be a good time for you to show up and show out.Melanie looked into her left side mirror. She saw tall, muscular legs unfold out of the unmarked police car. He had to be at least 6'3" with light brown hair cropped low on his head. He whipped off his sunglasses. Melanie took hers off as well.And, he was hot. She watched his confident stride. This man should be strutting on a runway somewhere. It was a sin he had his body covered under that green uniform, although he wore it well. She stole a glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her curls were in disarray. She rolled her eyes. Figures, I would be having a bad hair day.The officer tapped on her glass. Melanie plastered a smile on her face and lowered her window. She could smell the McDonald’s biscuits and coffee. Her stomach rumbled. There was no way she would have time to hit the drive-thru.Melanie made sure to keep her eyes on his lips. His lips parted to reveal white teeth and a beautiful smile.“License and insurance,” he said.Her breath caught. His sharp green eyes made her think of running through the lush fields on a hot Florida day. She nodded and dug her hands into her brown oversized Coach bag until she found her wallet. Her hands shook. This was only her second time being pulled over.Melanie handed the officer her information.She observed him keenly, noting the exact moment he saw she was deaf. He shot her a quick, sympathetic glance. Melanie stiffened her shoulders and tossed her hair. “Are you going to give me a ticket?” she asked.Her voice must have bellowed because he stepped back. “You can speak?”She nodded. “I also read lips.” This time she spoke above a whisper, she hoped. She squinted her eyes to read his name badge—Officer Chase Lawson. His name suited him.“Where are you rushing to this morning, Ms. Benson?” he asked, making sure she could see his mouth.Hearing the surname Benson jolted Melanie’s memory. She had a flashback of laying in the hospital bed. Her mama had taken her the next morning once she had awakened from her stupor. Melanie remembered her mother’s screams and terrified eyes. Uncle had been long gone. That day began her journey towards a whole new life. Melanie found out her mother had been arrested and she never saw her again.The lady and gentleman in her room that day were Gary and Rhoda Benson, her foster parents. They adopted her and gave her a new name and a new life. Melanie scrunched her nose. Why am I remembering this now?“Ms. Benson?”Melanie started. The officer had a hand on his hip and was waiting for her answer. She pointed to the bank.He smiled revealing a set of beautiful teeth. Officer Lawson patted her hand. Electricity shot through her spine. Her eyes widened. Had he felt that? Melanie affixed her gaze on his hand.His thumb caressed hers before he caught himself and removed his hand. “I’m letting you go with a warning,” Officer Lawson said. He made sure she saw his lips.Did he spare me because I’m deaf? Melanie bristled, “Just give me the ticket if I deserve it.”He shook his head. “Are you going to argue with me because I’m giving you a break?”She thought of the points on her license and her insurance bill. He was right. Why was she even arguing? “No, Officer,” Melanie said. “I’ll be sure to go to bed on time tonight.”He gave a little smile and held out his hand to return her documents to her. “See that you do that.”Their hands met. This time there was no denying the electric bolt shooting through her system. Her eyes met his. She knew he felt it too. His eyes narrowed. Officer Lawson looked around the still empty parking lot.“Melanie?”She covered her eyes with her hands to look at him. The sun was already out and viciously making its presence felt.“Listen, I know this is unconventional and in my five years on the job, I’ve never done this.” His eyes met her brown ones. He laid that smile on her again. “I’m Chase Lawson.” He held out his hand. Melanie touched his hand briefly.Her heart thumped but she made a point to look at her watch. Spit it out.“Would you like to meet up for a cup of coffee sometime?” he asked. “I’m feeling a connection here and I’d like to explore it further—”Melanie shook her head. “I can’t.”Chase held a hand up. “Oh, sorry. I should have asked if you’re seeing someone.” She watched a red hue build on his face.“I’m not,” Melanie said. She jutted her chin. “I don’t like cops. Thanks for the warning, Officer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for work.”Melanie opened her door and slammed it with a decisive shut. She reddened when she saw her floral skirt was caught in the door. She saw Chase's pearly whites and knew he was laughing at her. Melanie ignored him and opened the door to retrieve her skirt.“Have a nice day,” Chase said.Melanie held her head high and made sure she had an extra sway in her hips when she entered the bank. She turned around to see if Chase was still looking. He was already in his car. She swallowed her disappointment.“Who was that?” Rachel Morrison asked. She had been standing near the front door. Rachel and Melanie had been best friends since high school. The two of them, plus Tricia Yang, her adopted sister, made up the Tres Amigas.“I almost got a ticket,” Melanie breathed out, smoothing out her fuchsia blouse.“He could write me up any time,” Rachel said, flipping her shoulder-length blond hair. She did a two-step, not caring she wore a tailored navy blue business suit with matching sandals.Melanie giggled. “You’re such a flirt.”“Yes, and I’m proud of it,” she said, her hazel eyes flashing with excitement. “If that were me, I would have made sure to get his number.”Melanie shook her head. “Actually, he asked me out, but I turned him down.”Rachel furrowed her brows. “That was one fine man. You should have given him a chance.”Melanie pictured Chase’s smile and those green eyes. “I don’t do cops.” She glared. “You know why.”Rachel nodded. “I do, but I don’t agree.” “You don’t have to. I’m the one who has to live with my decision. Not you. Besides between work and my other commitments, I don’t have time for dating.” Melanie made her way to her office and turned on the light. Rachel followed her because Melanie felt a tap on her back.She groaned but turned to face her friend.“You don’t mind Emory,” Rachel said. “He’s a police officer.”“He’s different, and he’s Tricia’s husband. Plus we knew Emory when he was pimpled with thick glasses and braces.”Rachel’s chest moved up and down. “He’s now a perfect 10. Who knew he would have morphed into such a hunk?”Melanie saw Rachel look behind her and swung around. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Their boss, Nancy Devries had arrived. Rachel waved at Nancy before going into the adjacent office. “I need to speak with you,” Nancy said.Melanie took in Nancy’s frumpy white-colored grey dress. Which dumpster did Nancy find that in? “I have a busy day ahead of me,” Melanie said.“This cannot wait. You approved a couple of loans which needed my approval.”Lord, I don’t have time for Nancy’s nitpicking. Melanie looked at her watch. The bank was about to open. “How about we meet at 12:30? I have a couple of investment consultations and two loan reviews this morning.”Nancy bit her lip. “I’ll see you then.” Her eyes swept Melanie’s outfit. “You look colorful.”“And you look …” Melanie scanned her from head to toe, taking in Nancy’s frizzy red hair and ugly brown flats. Melanie shrugged. She could not think of something nice to say. She shrugged.Nancy’s mouth popped open before she stomped off.Melanie felt a hand tap her shoulder. She made eye contact with Rachel. “Couldn’t you be nice? You’re a child of God. You know better.”“Yes, I’m a child of God but I’m not a doormat. Nancy only double-checks my work. She signs off on your stuff without a second glance. But she scrutinizes everything I do.” Melanie signed her next comment. “She’s racist and you know it.”Rachel shook her head. “She’s jealous. Nancy almost got fired when she messed up that money transfer. You were her replacement.” Rachel signed back.A customer entered the bank and Rachel went to greet him. Melanie was glad for the interruption. She wandered back into her office to get started on her day. But, ever so often, Chase’s smiling face flashed before her. She touched her hand where his hand had rested. Then she pushed him out of her mind. Her life was too busy for romance—and romancing a cop was out of the question.
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