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  The Winter Baby

  Rhonda McKnight

  Copyright 2019 Rhonda McKnight

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the story a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places and incidents is entirely coincidental.

  Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  The Winter Baby

  Rhonda McKnight

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Also by Rhonda McKnight

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my parents, Jimmie and Bessie McKnight.

  I love you both.

  Also by Rhonda McKnight

  ________________

  Restoration Series

  The Winter Reunion

  The Winter Wedding

  Samaritan Woman Series

  An Inconvenient Friend

  What Kind of Fool

  Righteous Ways

  Almost There

  Shame On You

  Jordan Family Series

  Give A Little Love

  Live A Little

  Love A Little

  Second Chances Series

  Breaking All The Rules

  Unbreak My Heart

  Other

  When She Loves

  A Woman’s Revenge

  Secrets and Lies

  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

  ~ 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

  Chapter One

  Pastor Jack

  Pastor Jack left the warmth of his house, opened the door of his old pickup truck for Abel, his fourteen-year-old German Shepherd, and then got behind the wheel. The juncos and cardinals swarmed the bird feeders.

  “They’re wrong about the weather, Abel. This isn’t going to be heavy snow. Those birds say a storm is coming.”

  Abel whined and dropped his chin to his paws. Pastor Jack started the engine and blew on his hands. The sting of the early mountain cold was hard on them.

  “I can’t tell Nan I lost another pair,” he said, referring to his wife and his gloves. Abel raised his ears. “She’s already knit two pair this winter.”

  After allowing the vehicle to warm up, he made the three-mile trip to his second home – the church.

  Reaching into the backseat he grabbed the small heater he’d brought with him. His heart was unsettled, overwhelmingly so and he couldn’t wait to enter the sanctuary so he could pray. Not that he couldn’t pray at home or in the truck, but this temple had been sacred ground for more than twenty years. Passing under its doors gave him peace.

  With Abel behind him, he entered the vestibule. The freezing air hit him. Its unforgiving bite took Jack’s breath. Abel groaned like the cold bothered him too. He parked himself at the entrance to the sanctuary like he always did.

  “I won’t be long today, boy,” Pastor Jack said, petting the dog’s head. “It’s colder in here than it is outside.”

  Pastor Jack stopped in the sanctuary. He stared at the carved image of Jesus over the pulpit. “I know you have a plan.”

  He went to his office, plugged in the old heater, and sat. He decided to write his letter first. Then he would go into the sanctuary for prayer. He pulled a sheet of paper and envelope out of the desk, picked up the pen and began to write.

  Dear God,

  Today is the 18th of December. I think I’m writing this letter more for myself than you, because of course, you already know...

  Chapter Two

  Kim

  Tamar winced.

  I took the phone and looked at the video she was watching.

  “Girl, why are you acting like this is going to hurt you more than it’s going to hurt me?”

  “Tattoo removal is painful.” Tamar leaned in to continue watching.

  My eyes fell on Tamar’s bulging eight-month pregnant belly. “So is childbirth, Mommy. I don’t remind you of that all the time.”

  Tamar’s cheekbones rose as she smirked. “I’ve done it before. I have babies fast.”

  “You had Isaiah fast and that was a long time ago.” I passed the phone back to her. “All babies aren’t the same.”

  “But most of us labor about the same. The second is usually faster, so...”

  “You’re saying my tat removal will be worse?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is this video is extra. I’m going to sit here. I’ll support you emotionally when you come out.”

  I laughed. “This is a consult.”

  “I know, but it’s too much.” Tamar winced again. “I can't believe you're getting it off. That you're going to go through all that discomfort. I would have found me another Tony.”

  I pinned the little smart aleck with a look. “You’ve got jokes. Finding another man named Tony is easier said than done. I think it’s pretty obvious I've been having trouble finding a man period. We didn’t all fall in love with our high school sweetheart.”

  “Elementary school.” Tamar lurched forward. “Wow, that was a hard kick.”

  “It’s a boy. A little running back.” I cooed. “I’m glad you and Stephen are only children, because I get to be an auntie for real.”

  “Godmother not good enough for you?”

  “I’ll be that too.”

  “Well, all I know is this baby is a kicker. We don’t know if it’s a running back or a ballerina.”

  “Because in the new millennium only you and Stephen Pierce would wait to find out the sex of a baby.”

  I could tell by the expression on her face, Tamar took delight in not knowing. “We want to be surprised. I don’t know why all of you people can’t accept that.”

  “We accept it. It’s different though.” I patted her arm. “You need to be more concerned about whether it’ll be cute. Just because y’all both are doesn’t mean the baby will be. I’ve seen some things.”

  Tamar shoved me. “You’re a mess. That’s why you’re sitting up here in th
is dermatologist office getting your ex-boyfriend’s name off your shoulder.”

  “No, the why is because my best friend is rich and she’s paying for it.” I leaned closer to her. “Thank you, girl.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I still would have found another Tony.” Tamar’s silly words came out like she was being serious. “I’m surprised Clyde didn’t offer to pay for it. I know he had to have seen it when you went to the beach.”

  “He didn’t. I covered it with makeup.”

  Curiosity snatched up one of Tamar’s eyebrows. “Is the makeup that good?”

  “The good stuff is excellent. I mean he knows I have the tat, but he doesn’t know what it says. I told him it was personal.”

  “Does he have tattoos?”

  “Clyde is an ex-jarhead and a Q. What do you think?”

  “Several.”

  I nodded. “This isn’t about Clyde. It’s about me being free of my past and previous ratchetness.”

  Tamar’s eyebrows went up. “I know a little about that.”

  “Yes, you do,” I said, laughing. “I’m sorry I said your baby might not be cute. We’ll love it no matter what.”

  Tamar rolled her eyes. “Keep trying me.” Her phone rang, the video stopped, and she took the call. When she was finished, she said, “Dell. She says the weather is going to be bad tonight. The snow is expected to pick up.”

  “Is she nervous about the wedding?”

  “No. Folks in Pine are used to moving around in snow. She’s more concerned about our travel. She wants us to leave earlier. Let me see what’s happening with Stephen.”

  “Kim Haynes,” the receptionist called. “We’re ready for you.”

  I took a deep breath and stood. “Tell your boo to hurry.”

  Tamar pushed herself up from the chair. “I’ll call Stephen when we finish.”

  “But I thought...”

  Tamar shook her head. “I’m going in.”

  It was me who cocked an eyebrow this time. “Are you sure?”

  “If you can be my backup for the baby, I can support you all the way in this.”

  I looped my arm through hers. “You are the best friend ever.”

  We walked into the doctor’s office.

  Chapter Three

  Clyde

  “We broke up.”

  I dropped the barbells. They met the floor with a reverberating crash that matched my feelings about the matter at hand.

  Stephen had been somewhat mottled on the video chat, but I could still see the disappointment on his face. “Man, you’re going to be breaking up with your floor.”

  “Sorry, I’m frustrated.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “The day before Thanksgiving.”

  Stephen looked all kinds of confused. “Why would you break up before the holidays?”

  “It wasn’t my idea.”

  Stephen’s frown deepened. “Kim broke up with you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What happened?”

  “Sex.”

  Stephen’s frown turned into a scowl. “Explain, bruh.”

  “I’m sick of waiting for us to get to it. We’ve been exclusive for seven months. She keeps saying she wants to wait until marriage. I’m not waiting until marriage.”

  “Clyde, you really, really like this woman.”

  “I don’t deny that. She’s special.”

  “Special is an understatement. Stop flexing. You know you’re in love.”

  I sighed. “Okay, so maybe I have some extra kind of feelings for her, but that doesn’t mean I want to get married.”

  “All dogs eventually have to stop running.”

  “The sex thing is driving me insane.”

  Stephen laughed.

  “It’s not funny. I mean, Tamar is a beautiful woman. But Kim is stacked. She’s got meat in all the right places and in all the right proportions. You know I like my women robust.”

  “Robust sounds like a coffee roast.”

  “Whatever, robust, big, I’m saying, the curves are crazy and she works out. Everything is bigger, but tight you know.”

  “That’s what’s wrong with you. Stop looking at the curves. Keep your eyes up and your mind on her heart.”

  “I’m not like you, Stephen. I need sex.”

  “You couldn’t possibly think being celibate for five years was easy. I guarantee you it was not. All you know is what I did. You don’t know how many times I got in my car headed for a club. How many times I pulled a woman’s number out of my pocket and reached for my phone to call, or even the times when I let someone in my hotel room and turned her around back out the door. Just because I did it, doesn’t mean it was easy. I’m not the Black Panther. I’m a man with all the same needs as other men.”

  “But you got that extra, Holy Spirit thing. I don’t have it.”

  Stephen groaned. “Man, you have it. You don’t talk to him. Relationship is what makes him real to you.”

  “I believe in God, but I don’t believe I have to have his okay on everything. I also don’t think I have to do all the stuff in the Bible. The book is a million years old.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Stephen said. “I’m telling you, you’re going to regret it. A good woman isn’t easy to find.”

  “I’m not looking for a good one.” I chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I’m looking for a bad one right now.”

  Stephen shook his head.

  “With low self-esteem and no standards.” I chuckled again, but the pain in my heart wasn’t funny. I missed Kim. “Anyway, I wanted to wait until after the holidays.”

  Stephen nodded. “I knew it. Love. The old Clyde always broke up with a woman before the holidays. Avoiding buying gifts.”

  “You have the wrong idea about my past breakups. I was setting them free to meet a new man at the holiday parties. It wasn’t about the gifts. I usually brought them wonderful gifts. It helped to ease my guilt.”

  Stephen frowned. “I never knew that.”

  “I have a trail of women who were glad to get rid of me. My exit comes with a designer handbag or diamond earrings. It depends on how long we were kickin’ it.”

  “Well, if you do that for a woman you don’t love, what are you going to buy Kim?”

  “A yacht or a house or something I guess.” I hesitated. “A new salon.”

  “A salon might be something she wants. She’s moving to Jersey.”

  I tried not to show real interest. “Since when?”

  “Since she has an opportunity to do some weddings with Deniece Malcolm, the celebrity wedding planner we used.”

  “Ethan Wright’s wife.”

  Stephen nodded. “I don’t know any of the details, but I think it’s a done deal.”

  “Well, even if I offered a salon, I doubt she’d accept it. She won’t take a Christmas gift from me.”

  “Speaking of Christmas gifts...” Stephen drew out the word. “I need a huge favor.”

  I frowned. “What’s up?”

  “I’m not getting out of here today, and Tamar needs to get to Pine. My cousin was my backup, but he has the flu.”

  I nodded. “I’m mean yeah, man. I know she’s got to get there. I’m not doing anything.”

  “I knew I could count on you.”

  “Anything for Tamar. She’s made my best friend so happy I owe her for life.”

  “I wasn’t that miserable before.”

  I chuckled, because we could laugh about it now. “You were, bruh. That long year during your recovery and you all being broken up was tragic. I could hardly stand it.”

  “I try to block that out.”

  “Who would have thought that a year later you two would be pregnant?”

  “Me.” Stephen flexed. “I put in work.”

  I laughed.

  “Anyway, I’m going to make my last appeal to you. I think you should fight for what you had.”

  “We weren’t going to make it. Breaking up sooner is better than later.”

&
nbsp; A server carrying a tray of beers interrupted Stephen. He declined. “I guess, man. But I’d rather see you go the grown-up route. Settle down. Let a woman love you and you love her. It’s a beautiful thing.”

  “You’re right, but this is bigger than me. Kim wants a church-going man. She’s hinted too many times that she thinks she deserves better, so she should go find it.”

  Stephen was interrupted by a team member. “Look, I have to go. Thanks for taking Tay. Call me once you get on the road and pack a bag. The weather is going to be bad tonight so you’ll definitely have to stay. Hanging until Christmas would be nice too.”

  “I don’t know about Christmas, but a few days in your crib with your cook, ha! It’ll be my pleasure. Call him and ask him to make that roast.”

  Stephen laughed. “I’ll take care of it. Plan for the week. We’d love to have you.”

  He ended the video chat. I showered and packed a bag. As I was leaving my bedroom, I glanced at the picture of Kim and I that she’d framed from our trip to St. John a few months ago. Her sly smile teased me. Her chocolate eyes sparkled, even in print. Her curly hair was pulled into a high ponytail. I loved her hair. I was a good-looking man – I knew that, but in a photo next to Kim, I disappeared.

  Kim chuckled. Trying to steal a peek at my driver’s license, she stretched her neck. “I’ve never met a Clyde before.”

  “Are you about to make fun of my name right now?”

  She pushed her back into the sofa and raised her knees to her chest. “No, I’m saying, I haven’t.”

  “Clyde is short for Cleophus.”

  “Seriously?” She really didn’t believe me.

  “It’s my middle name. My first name is Emmit.”

  I handed her the license. “Emmit Cleophus Stowe?”

  She stared at it like I’d made it up. She raised her head. “You’re not that old. Did somebody not like you or what?”

  “You’re a buster, you know that?” I took my license out of her hand. “I was named after my grandfather. My mother couldn’t pass on the opportunity, but don’t worry, you won’t have to have any Clyde juniors.”