A Heart Reserved For Love

By Renita Williams

Tracy Robinson is happily-single, but her mother and friends believe otherwise. They think she's still hurt over her last breakup so, they set out to find her someon to live happily-ever-after with. When Tracy meets Maurice Turner, a handsome high-end car dealer, she thinks he's an arrogant jerk she couldn't possibly like let alone spend a lifetime with.

Maurice Turner has been a bachelor for most of his adult life and loved the freedom it allowed him. When he meets Tracy Robinson he is overwhelmed by the deep attraction and he knows she feels it too, even is she does play hard to get. He loves a challenge and, to him, winning the heart of Tracy Robinson will be a treat like no other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Renita Williams
• Release date: Jun 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476326429

Renita Williams

Renita Williams is a proud mother who lives and writes in Chicago. She loves to read just as much as she loves to write. Although Renita has been writing since she was a kid, she began writing with the intent to be published in 2004 when her job at the time began talking about layoffs. She immediately took Creative Writing I at Story Studio Chicago.

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A HEART RESERVED FOR LOVE

BY

Renita Williams

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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A HEART RESERVED FOR LOVE

COPYRIGHT © 2012 by Renita Williams All Rights Reserved

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely a coincidence. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material

Cover image courtesy of Jason Stitt and Dmitry Naumov from Dreamstime.com

Cover design by Stephannie Beman

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Thanks to my family and friends who always believed in me and did whatever you could to support me on this writing journey. A special thanks to my big brother, Keith, who didn’t hesitate to get his little sister off that typewriter and on to the computer as soon as I revealed my dream to him. I love you brother.

I would like to dedicate this book to my mother, Cathy Mitchell, whom I always expected to be my biggest cheerleader in the front row at my first book signing, but someone bigger than me had other plans. This one is for you mama.

This is the first tale of many I intend to write.

I hope you all enjoy it as much I loved writing it.

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A HEART RESERVED FOR LOVE

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Chapter 1

Tracy got up to check the thermostat controlling her central air; she placed her hand up to one of the vents. It was working just fine. Tracy grabbed a paper towel, blotting the beads of perspiration on her forehead. She had not experienced a hot flash in at least two weeks, but they decided to start up again on today of all days. One more thing to make the day a pain in her behind, it seemed as if some unknown force thought she needed a reminder of the day she would always remember for the rest of her life.

Today was her two-year anniversary, but it wasn’t a day of joy and thanksgiving. Instead, it was an unwelcome marker of the day her life had changed forever, a change she had learned to live with, although, along with a part of her body, some other things had been taken from her: the ability to give birth to the children she so desperately wanted along with the man she’d planned to have them with.

She’d had it all planned from the vows she would say to him before they sealed their union with a kiss to the song that would be playing at the time the last guest said goodnight. But life had other plans for her.

So on May 25th, after weeks of pain and useless tears, instead of the spring wedding she’d imagined uterine cancer had taken her into an operating room where she had a partial hysterectomy.

Counting to one hundred, she attempted to fight the emotion whirling inside of her. Memories of Jason’s verbal assault on her before he walked out played over in her mind. For months after the surgery she wallowed in self-pity. She thought of Jason, the man who had betrayed her, the man who had left her at a time when she needed him the most. She never thought she would ever have to choose between her health and love. But memories of his anger gave her the strength to resist calling him and asking him to come back at the times when she was loneliest and missed him the most.

Beyond her longing, she knew the man he’d revealed that day was not who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Therefore two years later, she was still single and alone. She did not need a man to validate who she was or confirm what she deserved as a woman.

Tracy got up to go take a shower. She thought about how funny life was. She had come so close to her hearts desire of happily-ever-after within two years time, but in a single moment it was snatched away. She could have allowed such a cruel act of fate to break her down mentally, leaving her a bitter, depressed woman full of self-pity, but to her that was to be weak; And weakness was not a part of her makeup.

She would play it safe though, stay clear of serious relationships. But she vowed to live her life happily even if she was single.

*****

Standing in her livingroom after a fresh shower, Tracy inhaled deeply, then released to further relax her mind and body. She promised herself today would be different from the previous anniversary. This day would be what she made it. So, she promised to make it a happy day starting with Mr. Calvin Mitchell over at T&T auto group.

She grabbed her keys and purse then headed for the front door. She refused to believe, Nina, her car for the past seven years was going to act up. While she knew it was past time for her to get a new car, Tracy considered Nina a friend. They had gone through some tough times together. Cold winters. Stifling hot summers. They had even endured some rainy days without AC.

She got into the car, rubbed the dashboard then told her friend good morning. When she turned the key in the ignition it started right up and Tracy smiled. She had already claimed today would be a good day.

Forty-five minutes and a few silent prayers later, Tracy pulled into a space marked customer parking, switched off the engine then double checked her purse for all of the documents she would need. She had everything. There was no reason why she should not be riding away in a new car. She’d found a blue, 2009, Chevy, Malibu on-line. She’d spoken to Mr. Calvin Mitchell over the phone about the pre-approval letter and the car. He’d assured her they could meet her request.

She got out of the car and informed the sales rep at the door she had an appointment with Calvin.

Right this way. He led her to a cubicle. Calvin will be with you shortly.

Thank you, Tracy said and sat in a chair to wait. Trey Songz’s I Can’t Help But Wait played on the loud speaker. He wanted the woman to recognize her own value and self-worth. Tracy sighed. Here she was a woman who knew her value despite the surgery and the myths about sex, despite her inability to carry a child in her womb. She was one hundred percent as much of a woman as a woman with ten kids and capable of being loved.

However, what difference did it make when most men expected their woman to be equivalent to a rare jewel, flawless.

Few men accepted the reality that no woman was perfect from the start of a relationship even if it was a fact of life. They liked to fool themselves.

She did not want to get into a serious relationship without being straight up with her mate. A game of deception was a game she refused to play because she knew a real man would love her regardless. Tracy sighed again at the possibility of being single the rest of her life. With the luck she was having she would be near the end of her days on earth before she met the one who was created just for her.

*****

Maurice Turner hung up the phone with a smile he could feel down to the bottom of his feet. He’d gotten two more lenders willing to finance customers who had filed bankruptcy even if it had not been discharged yet, which meant more business since he could meet the needs of almost anyone who walked through his doors.

Maurice stood up to look out of the window. At thirty-three years old, he figured he had done well for himself. He was proud owner of T&T auto group and it felt good to see his dream come true. Love for cars coupled with his ability to sale a secret back to its owner and an intense desire to be his own boss had him landing a job at a dealership straight out of high school. He feasted on all of the information he could digest on the ins-and-outs of running the business.

After loosing his mother, the only parent he had ever known, in a car accident when he was seventeen, it was a blessing to know he wouldn’t have to suffer through the headache of finding steady work—a problem too many black men were faced with today—or barely able to support his family when he found the right woman.

He lifted a picture of himself with his mother and his baby sister from its space on his desk. It was the last picture they had taken before the accident that claimed her life at the age of thirty-six. She would have been proud of him. His success was no doubt a result of her hard work and determination to instill in him a drive to be anything he wanted to be. Never settle for less than your best she would tell him. Day after day he had to face the fact that she was gone, but he would not let her down.

Maurice placed the picture back in its spot on his desk at the sound of a knock at the door. Come in, he called.

Hey Maurice, Dwayne popped his head in the door. I’m looking for Calvin. Did he leave for the day? There’s a customer waiting in his cubicle. I can handle it if he’s not around though. My swag gives me an added advantage with the ladies, he teased.

No, Calvin isn’t gone for the day. He should be at his desk. Maybe his wife called again. She’s been having complications with the pregnancy. I’ll see what’s going on. You just make sure you’re available to serve all of our customers, men and women alike.

You’re the boss. Dwayne winked and walked away from the door.

Maurice made his way to Calvin’s cubicle. He could hear a woman’s voice raised in irritation. So you’re telling me that you all do not have this car even after we spoke on the phone? You shouldn’t have lied to me over the phone then I wouldn’t have wasted my time coming here today. Thanks for nothing.

Maurice asked, What’s the problem here, Calvin?

No problem boss. We can’t provide Ms. Robinson here with the car she wants. Somehow, she wants to hold me personally accountable.

Why can’t we give her what she wants?

The car she wants has been sold.

Ms. Robinson, if you don’t mind going to my office, we can see if we can get you something you may want.

I don’t think you all can do anything for me. Tracy didn’t mean to be a difficult customer but, considering what day it was, she had wanted things to go smooth. She wished everything in her life could be as simple as one, two, three. She followed him to his office.

Maurice tried to keep his mind on the business at hand. But he couldn’t help thoughts of the woman beside him. Her dark brown skin reminded him of a hot mocha latte, which made his mouth moist.

In his office, Maurice invited her to take a seat. He gave her an easy smile, thinking it would be a blessing to feast his eyes on her each morning. Her half smile hinted at a unique dimple beneath her left eye. The smile didn’t quite reach her dark brown eyes though, a look he was familiar with in