Because Chivalry Is Not Dead: Heaton Family and Friends

By Taretha Jones

Tabitha Jenkins is a beautiful sista. But her life is left in shambles after her marriage to her abusive husband, Dr. Xavier Carrington, fails. Homeless, jobless and almost penniless, she’s not exactly sure which steps she should take to make her situation better. However, her faith is strong and she’s certain that God will somehow make a way for her. When the snowstorm of the century leaves her stranded with the kind-hearted, saved, and handsome Dave Heaton, they both notice a mutual attraction. But in the end, will Tabitha allow herself to let go of the pain of her past, so that she can finally receive the love of a lifetime that the Lord has been waiting to bless her with?

• Language: English
• Publisher: FMP
• Release date: Dec 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386772569

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An Inspirational Romance Novel

Taretha Jones

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Copyright © 2014 Taretha  Jones

All rights reserved. No part of the work may be reproduced without the expression written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All characters, events, and incidents in this book are a product of the author's imagination.

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DEDICATION

I'd like to thank first and foremost, God. Without HIM I would not have had the courage and drive to complete this work.

I'd like to thank my parents, Rev. Charlie Edward Moore and Mrs. Irene Jenkins Moore, who taught me the value of reading and writing, at an early age.

I'd like to thank my husband, Lorenzo, who always encourages me to follow my dreams.

I would also like to thank the remainder of my family for their love and support.

THE STORYLINE

Tabitha Jenkins is a beautiful sista. But her life is left in shambles after her marriage to her abusive husband, Dr. Xavier Carrington, fails.  Homeless, jobless and almost penniless, she’s not exactly sure which steps she should take to make her situation better. However, her faith is strong and she’s certain that God will somehow make a way for her. When the snowstorm of the century leaves her stranded with the kind-hearted, saved, and handsome Dave Heaton, they both notice a mutual attraction. But in the end, will Tabitha allow herself to let go of the pain of her past, so that she can finally receive the love of a lifetime that the Lord has been waiting to bless her with?

CHAPTER 1

Tabitha Jenkins ascended the steps that led to the front door of the Imani Center. This is the best part of the day, she thought to herself.

Good morning, how are you doing today? questioned the gentleman who had been been squirting oil on the hinges of the entry doors to the large brick building. He moved to the side and held the door open for her to enter the facility.

Tabitha flashed him a bright smile. Wonderful. I'm feeling blessed today, Mr. Heaton. She stopped on the cement landing that led into the interior of the building. How are you this morning?

He returned her cheery smile with one of his own. I can't complain. Just hoping we don't get any snow later this afternoon.

She frowned, tilted her head to the side and looked up at the horizon. With all of the beautiful Carolina-blue sky that was peaking through the smoky-looking thin white clouds, it didn't look too much like snow to her. Snow? she asked in disbelief. Is the weather forecast calling for snow today?

He nodded his head in response and looked up at the clouds as well. Yeah. It doesn't look like it, but AM 1510 Gospel and News 2, both forecasted a dusting later on this evening.

She passed through the full glass door that he was still holding open, then turned around and added with a grin, Well, me too...I hope we don't get any snow. She grimaced. Normally, I like snow. But I'm hoping that it passes us by this time.

Tabitha switched the oversized gym bag to her other shoulder and subconsciously frowned. She had really been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather they’d been having lately.

She sighed. Well, see you later, Mr. Heaton.

He inched the door closed a little farther and then called after her retreating back, See you later, Ms. Jenkins. Enjoy your workout.

Dave watched as Tabitha made her way into the interior of the building. She’s pretty and sweet, he thought to himself. Then he frowned. Tabitha had been coming to the Imani Wellness Community Center for a little over a year and he liked her a lot. He paused deep in thought and added a little more oil to the hinge. If he’d met Tabitha years ago, his younger self would’ve asked her out on date. Out to dinner, or maybe a movie. He frowned again. But that was a long, long time ago. That was before he’d decided to never get serious with a woman again.

He continued with his work at hand. He'd had to settle with making small talk with Tabitha instead. Settle for exchanging polite pleasantries — impersonal back and forth banter that was never designed to lead to anything significant.

With Tabitha on his mind, Dave carefully applied a little more oil to the door. He was fairly certain that she wasn’t married. There wasn't a ring on her finger, and she had never come to the center with a man. 

He thought about all of the woman who frequented or volunteered at the Imani Center as often as Tabitha did. They all eventually showed up there with their man in tow — if they had one. Either the husband was coming in to workout with his wife, or the husband was coming in to pick the wife up after her workout.

Tabitha always came to the Center alone. She arrived every morning between seven and eight o'clock. She was very polite to everyone. Even old man Hendrix had taken a liking to Tabitha. And that was unusual, seeing that Mr. Hendrix was notorious for being gruff and stuffy with nearly everybody who crossed his path.

Inside the building, Tabitha handed over her membership card to be swiped by the elderly gentleman at the reception desk. His brown face lit up in a smile upon seeing her. Good morning, Sunshine.

Tabitha smiled back just as warmly in return. Good morning, Mr. Gatling. I hope you’re having a blessed day so far.

He nodded in agreement. I can't complain, the Lord’s keeping me. We missed you at church yesterday.

She smiled. Yes, I missed you all, too. I had some unexpected business to pop up. I had to take care of it at the last minute.

He nodded his head again as he swiped her card through the machine that registered attendance. Yes, I understand, baby. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. He handed the card back to her.  I sure hope we see you next Sunday then.

Tabitha took the card that he’d handed her. None of the women there got angry when Mr. Gatling called them baby. He didn't use the term in a downgrading manner. He was at least seventy-five years old. In his eyes, all of them were youngsters or babies.

Tabitha nodded. Lord willing, I’ll be there. She flashed him another genuine smile before walking through the doors and disappearing into the main atrium of the building.  

See you later, Mr Gatling, she called back over her shoulder.

See you later, Sunshine.

Mr. Gatling then turned his attention back to tidying up the reception desk.  Dave, if you don't hurry up and close them doors, you're gonna let all the heat outta here.

Dave let the full glass-paned door close and stepped back inside the building. He wiped the oil from his hands with the rag he kept in his utility belt.

Sorry about that, Mr. Gatling.

Mr. Gatling straightened out the fan of magazines that were on the reception desk —the ones that they kept handy for the patrons of the Center. Young folks these days. He shook his silvery head, slightly annoyed. That girl’s been coming in here for over a year and Dave’s been pining after her for as nearly as long.  Mr. Gatling chuckled to himself. He probably thinks nobody notices how he looks at her when he thinks nobody’s watching.

Without looking up from his task Mr. Gatling said, You gonna have to step up your game, young man, and ask her out. Then he looked up and stared Dave straight in the eye.  Ask her to go out for coffee at that little shop that Tyria and Myra just opened  'round the corner.

Dave looked at the elderly gentleman with a quizzical look on his face. What are you talking about, Mr Gatling?

Mr. Gatling frowned. Boy, don't play with me. How old are you now? Thirty-eight, thirty-nine? You old enough to know what I'm talking 'bout.

Dave stroked the short, neatly-trimmed stubble on his chin and grinned. Here he was, thinking nobody suspected how he was feeling about Tabitha Jenkins, but Mr. Gatling had known...probably all along.

Dave grinned. "A brotha can't get anything past you, can he, Mr. Gatling?"

Mr. Gatling pinned Dave with a stern look...a look not too different from the one a father would give a son he’d caught doing wrong. Not nowadays, Son...not nowadays.

Then Mr. Gatling balled his hands into fists and placed them on his hips. Dave immediately recognized it as the stance that he took...right before giving out one of his many life lessons. Son, I been on this here Earth seventy-four years, he paused. I been a lot of places and I done a lot of things. If you keep on waiting, somebody else is gonna swoop that girl right on up. 

Mr. Gatling sat down and drained the last of the coffee in his cup. Have you seen the way that new fella that's been coming in here is looking at her?

Dave's ears began to twitch as he arched his eyebrow. What new fella, Mr. Gatling?

Mr. Gatling scowled. Don't this boy notice nothing, he thought to himself. He shook his head. The one that Joe Hill just hired at his law office.

Dave frowned. The new attorney, Cameron Morris. Yeah, he’d heard about him alright. According to his youngest sibling, Charmaine, all the up and coming, high-society African-American ladies in town were interested in going out with Cameron Morris. Truth be told, even many of the young White, Asian, and Latina socialites in town were trying to snag the hot-shot Black attorney from New York. Rumor had it that he was the real mastermind behind getting famed basketball player J.T. Hunt off free when his wife had been murdered two years ago. Cameron had scored a seven digit salary for his courthouse victory on that case.

What do you mean he's been looking at her?

Mr. Gatling settled himself more comfortably in his desk chair. Yeah, he came in here yesterday and signed up for a membership. Said he wants to be a sponsor, too. He fiddled with the magazines again, trying to get them just right. Then he began folding towels and neatly stacking them on the rack by his desk — he always made sure their guests had fresh towels upon entering the facility.

Done with his tasks, Mr. Gatling turned his attention back to Dave. You know, you'd think a wealthy young man like him would want to go to one of the high-end fitness places off of Battleground Ave, but he told me, if it hadn't been for volunteer centers up in New York, he never would’ve made it off the streets. Mr. Gatling paused then added, Now, he wants to give back.

Dave placed his supplies in his bag. It had been over seven years since he'd asked anyone on a date, and  three years since he'd been in a relationship. He could count on one hand the number of dates he'd been on in the last year, and those dates had all been arranged. He'd only gone out on those occasions to appease his twenty-four year old younger sister, who was constantly worrying about her big brother's lack of a social life.

Dave set his lips into a thin line. He'd been doing just fine living on his own and keeping to himself since his divorce from Jennifer three years ago. He'd had his work here at the center and his volunteer efforts at various charities throughout the city to keep him busy.  Yeah, he thought to himself, after Jennifer, I have no interest in going out. It would take a whole lot more than a pretty smile and beautiful brown eyes to get me to go down that path again.

He flashed his mentor a smile. Thanks for the advice, Mr. Gatling. I'm good. I'll leave that road for Cameron Morris to travel.

With that being said, Dave picked up his tool bag. Now, I think I'll go check on those drop ceiling panels upstairs. Mr. Anderson said he thinks one of them needs replacing.

As Dave disappeared into the elevator on his way to the second level, Mr. Gatling shook his head in dismay.

* * *

Tabitha placed her gym bag into the cubicle, closed the door and activated the lock. She always got this strange feeling when she ran into Dave Heaton.  She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but it was something about him that gave her butterflies. Maybe in another time, another place, another lifetime, she would open up herself to explore those types of feelings. But as things currently stood in her life, she had no time or interest in those types of things. She couldn't allow it.

She frowned and thought back over a conversation that two other female patrons there at the Imani Center had been having about Dave several days ago. They had been in the aerobics room. The women were new members and it was obvious that the two were friends, but they’d been arguing over which one was going to ask Dave to take them out. It had pained Tabitha's heart to hear their heated exchange. Whatever happened to the days of women waiting for the men to ask them out, she’d wondered. The women had both stalked out of the room in a huff and Tabitha was pretty much sure they were not on speaking terms anymore. She shook her head.

Yes, it was undeniable that Dave was handsome — with his dark brown skin, chiseled features, and broad chest — but there was something beyond the physical about Dave that was intriguing to Tabitha.

Probably his eyes, she thought to herself. She smiled. Yes, that's exactly what it is. It was as if, whenever she saw him, she could see into his soul, and what she saw was a spirit of strength, kindness and compassion... intertwined with deep hurt and pain.

Tabitha nodded her head. Yeah, hurt and pain. She was very familiar with those two. She could identify that look anywhere. 

Deciding to push thoughts of Dave from her mind, Tabitha placed her headphones into her ears and scrolled through the music directory on her iPhone, landing on her favorite gospel recording artist, Willie Moore. She slowly smiled. There was nothing like inspirational Gospel hymns to uplift a downtrodden spirit.

She stood, placing both arms above her head and stretching her muscles in preparation for her aerobics workout. Then she exited the locker room and made her way to the aerobics section of the facility. She adeptly climbed onto the elliptical machine, adjusted the settings, and pushed her body into motion.

* * *

Ten Minutes Later:

Dave placed the ladder in the hallway outside of the aerobics room. He glanced through the full view glass windows that comprised the walls of the workout area. There she is again, he thought to himself.

He climbed the bottom three rungs of the ladder and reached up to unfasten the casing that held the fluorescent light bulbs in place. He had noticed earlier in the morning that one of the bulbs had blown out and needed to be replaced. He’d decided that he’d might as well take care of this little job before tackling the problems with the dropped ceilings that Mr. Anderson had mentioned.

He unobtrusively glanced through the glass wall, mesmerized by the gentle sway of Tabitha's body as she swiftly moved the pedals of the elliptical machine back and forth. Before Tabitha had started coming to the Center, if you had asked him if there was a such thing as exercising gracefully,  Dave would’ve said,No. But she somehow made her sweat-inducing