Right beside you, p.1
Right Beside You, page 1
Also by Mary Monroe
The Neighbors Series
One House Over
Over the Fence
The Lonely Heart, Deadly Heart Series
Can You Keep a Secret?
Every Woman’s Dream
Never Trust a Stranger
The Devil You Know
The God Series
God Don’t Like Ugly
God Still Don’t Like Ugly
God Don’t Play
God Ain’t Blind
God Ain’t Through Yet
God Don’t Make No Mistakes
The Mama Ruby Series
Mama Ruby
The Upper Room
Lost Daughters
Gonna Lay Down My Burdens
Red Light Wives
In Sheep’s Clothing
Deliver Me From Evil
She Had It Coming
The Company We Keep
Family of Lies
Bad Blood
Remembrance
“Nightmare in Paradise” in Borrow Trouble
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.
RIGHT BESIDE YOU
MARY MONROE
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PROLOGUE - FELICIA
CHAPTER 1 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 2 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 3 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 4 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 5 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 6 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 7 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 8 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 9 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 10 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 11 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 12 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 13 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 14 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 15 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 16 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 17 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 18 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 19 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 20 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 21 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 22 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 23 - FELICIA
CHAPTER 24 - RICHARD
CHAPTER 25 - FELICIA
EPILOGUE - RICHARD
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Teaser chapter
DAFINA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2019 by Mary Monroe
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2019940162
Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4967-1584-5
ISBN-10: 1-4967-1584-5
First Kensington Hardcover Edition: October 2019
ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-1585-2 (e-book)
ISBN-10: 1-4967-1585-3 (e-book)
This book is dedicated to my beloved nieces,
Mona Lisa Williams and Sarah Louise Nicholson.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is such an honor to be a member of the Kensington Books family.
Selena James is an awesome editor and a great friend. Thank you, Selena! Thanks to Steven Zacharius, Adam Zacharius, Karen Auerbach, Vida Engstrand, Lauren Jernigan, Samantha McVeigh, Elizabeth Trout, Robin E. Cook, the wonderful crew in the sales department, and everyone else at Kensington for working so hard for me.
Thanks to Lauretta Pierce for maintaining my website.
Thanks to the fabulous book clubs, bookstores, libraries, my readers, and the magazine and radio interviewers for supporting me for so many years.
To my super literary agent and friend, Andrew Stuart, thank you for representing me with so much vigor.
Please continue to email me at Authorauthor5409@aol.com and visit my website at www.marymonroe.org.YoucanalsocommunicatewithmeonFacebookatFacebook.com/MaryMonroeandTwitter@MaryMonroeBooks.
Peace and Blessings,
Mary Monroe
PROLOGUE
FELICIA
Commuting to and from work by bus five days a week was more enjoyable to me than driving or carpooling. Some of the passengers I rode with were fellow coworkers I liked to network with. However, that was hard to do during business hours. We all had busy jobs and were scattered throughout the building. It was easier to catch up on each other’s lives on the bus.
Richard Grimes and I were employees at the same firm, but in different departments. Unless we had to attend a staff meeting, bumped into each other in the elevator, or I needed his tech support assistance, I could go for days without seeing him at the office. Some weeks the only time we saw each other was on our commuter bus. When I didn’t see him, I missed him.
Richard and I usually shared the same seat near the rear of the bus where it was easier to kick back and chat. We had a lot in common and never ran out of things to discuss. We had been fellow commuters for several years and had developed a close, platonic relationship. And now, I looked forward to being with him more than the men I dated . . .
CHAPTER 1
FELICIA
November 23rd
I usually wore my shoulder-length, dark brown hair in a style that would enhance my delicate features. But this particular Friday, I’d spent so much time on my couch, lying on my back and shifting from side to side, that my hair was a hot, matted mess. Rather than fuss with it, I had covered my head with a black scarf my cousin Wendell had left at my place a couple of weeks ago.
I was not trying to impress anybody dressed in a bulky sweatshirt and jeans, so it didn’t matter that I looked like a frump when I decided to make a trip to Ralph’s Market a few minutes after seven p.m. It was only a couple of blocks from my apartment. I didn’t think I’d be out long enough to run into anybody I knew.
I was sorry I hadn’t put on my earmuffs, muffler, and gloves. Northern Ohio was known for its brutal winters and late November was when it began to get bitterly cold. There was already a thin blanket of snow on the ground, but I knew that as early as next week, the snow could be up to my knees. That was the reason I owned several pairs of thigh-high boots. The ones I had on now had flat heels, so I didn’t look as tall as I did in the four-inch Louboutin high heels I owned.
“Excuse me. I’m sorry, ma’am.” The deep voice belonged to a man who had accidentally bumped into my shopping cart with his in the health-care products aisle. When I turned around, he did a double take. His eyes widened as if he’d just been frightened. I was so embarrassed I wanted to run out the door.
“Felicia, is that you?” His eyes returned to their normal size as he slowly looked me up and down. I couldn’t tell from the expression on his finely chiseled, nut-brown face if he was disappointed or amused to see what I really looked like without help from various cosmetics created specifically for women of color. In his black wool overcoat, red muffler, and leather gloves, he looked as dapper as ever. I held my breath as he gently caressed his goatee. This was the first time I’d noticed a few flecks of gray in it, but it still looked distinguished and sophisticated.
“Um, yes. It’s me,” I replied meekly as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. The large bottle of Gas-X Extra Strength I had just plucked off the shelf was still in my hand. “How was your Thanksgiving, Richard?” I silently prayed that he wouldn’t detain me too long. Richard Grimes and I had been coworkers and commuter bus seat mates for over eight years and he’d never seen the “real” me until now.
“It was great. The girls and I had dinner with the family in Cleveland. And boy, what a feast! Turkey, ham, dressing, collard greens, and all the other trimmings. My mother-in-law bakes such mean sweet potato pies, I ate a whole one by myself.” He grinned and patted his stomach. “I’ll be counting calories for the next few weeks. How was yours?”
“Mine was great, too. We had a meal fit for a king. My grandmother bakes mean sweet potato pies, too. I ate three slices one right after the other without leaving the table, and enough of everything else to feed an army,” I said with a chuckle as I sucked in my stomach.
“Did you make it to any of the Black Friday sales today? You mentioned doing so a few times on the bus the other day.”
“Well, when I thought more about it, the idea didn’t sound so appealing anymore. I decided to skip all that chaos this year. I spent most of the day watching holiday programs. This is the first time I left my apartment today.”
Richard rolled his sparkling black eyes and continued. “I wish I could say that. I’ve been in and out of my house all day. With two teenage girls in the house and other female relatives popping in and out, we’re always out of something.” His cart contained hair products, toiletries, toothpaste, and a huge box of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn.
I got lightheaded when I noticed how he was staring at the items in my cart: corn removers, bunion pads, an enema bag, Poligrip denture adhesive, and a large bag of Cheetos. “Picking up a few things for my grandmother,” I quickly explained, gently placing the Gas-X into my cart. I made a mental note to visit the spirits aisle and grab a bottle of wine for myself. After this embarrassing encounter, I would pop it open as soon as I got home.
I rarely ran into any of my
This man makes my knees weak. And he had no idea.
I was glad he interrupted my thoughts. “Do you have big plans for the weekend?” he asked.
“Um . . . just more shopping. Christmas is still over a month away, but I have a very long gift list. I don’t want to wait too much longer to get started. I still have to find a dress to wear to Marybeth’s wedding in January and I’d like to take advantage of some of the amazing end-of-year sales.”
“I advise you not to buy one that’ll attract too much attention. My cousin Stella wore a dress to my wedding that was so over-the-top, our guests couldn’t keep their eyes off her. My bride was not happy about being upstaged on her big day.”
“I can understand that. When I get married, I hope another woman doesn’t steal my thunder.” I rarely said bonehead things. I couldn’t believe I’d just mentioned my wedding, because I wasn’t even in a serious relationship and hadn’t been in years.
I was about to excuse myself and go pay for my merchandise when a petite honey-colored woman in a beige wool coat and black leather boots with heels at least three inches high pranced around the corner. Regina Dobbins was the kind of woman who always looked like she belonged on a fashion magazine cover. She stood out in a low-end store like Ralph’s Market. Her makeup was flawless. Her thick auburn hair was in a French roll that made her look even more elegant. “Richie, I told you they’d be out of those—” She stopped talking when she spotted me. “Oh, hello.” From the confused look on her face, I could tell she didn’t recognize me, either.
“Reggie, you know Felicia Hawkins, right? She shared a table with us at our office Fourth of July picnic this year.” Richard nodded in my direction.
“Of course, I know Felicia. We had a couple of classes together in high school.” There was a reserved look on her face when she added in a sugary-sweet tone, “Are you still engaged to marry that football player?”
Before I could respond, Richard answered. “That’s Marybeth. She’s part of Felicia’s clerical support staff,” he explained.
“Oh yeah.” Regina paused and glanced at the items in my cart. “Doing some weekend shopping, huh? I didn’t attempt to make it to any sales at the big stores today. Black Friday brings out the worst in some people. Dozens of desperate shoppers stormed Walmart before daybreak this morning. What I saw on the news this afternoon scared me to death. The police arrested a woman for pepper-spraying another customer when she tried to cut in line.”
“Last year I was one of those desperate shoppers,” I admitted dryly. When Regina glanced at my purchases again, this time with her lips scrunched up, I said, “Like I told Richard a few moments ago, I didn’t bother with it this year. The only reason I came here this evening was to pick up a few things for my grandmother.”
“Guess who else was a desperate shopper this year?” Regina said with a snicker. Then she playfully elbowed Richard’s arm and winked at me. “This man stood in a block-long line at Walmart for two hours before daybreak this morning. And all he bought was a new case for his iPhone.”
“I didn’t see anything else I needed,” Richard said in a low voice with a sheepish grin. Then in a firm tone he abruptly told me, “Felicia, I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Thank you. I hope you will, too.” I didn’t want to ask what he and Regina had planned for later tonight because I didn’t want to know. She told me anyway.
“I promised Richard a beer if he’d give me a ride home,” she stated. “My car is in the shop, so I took Uber to get here. I was lucky to run into him on my way in. I’m going to try and talk him into going to the Black Tiger bar with me later.”
“That’s a nice bar, so I know you’ll both have a good time,” I muttered. I was disappointed to hear about Richard’s possible “date” with this gorgeous woman, but I was pleased to see such a woeful look on his face.
CHAPTER 2
RICHARD
Felicia’s comment about her getting married was still ringing in my ears. I was still so surprised that a woman like her wasn’t already married . . .
“Richard, what’s the matter? Why did you get so quiet and glassy-eyed all of a sudden?” Regina asked in a concerned tone as she shook my arm.
“Huh? Oh! I was just trying to remember if there was anything else I needed to pick up,” I fumbled. “I’m fine.” I gave her a tight, fake smile. I was glad she’d interrupted my thoughts. But as soon as she started chatting with Felicia again, my mind wandered off in another direction anyway.
I spent time with several different women, but Regina Dobbins was the one folks saw me with the most. I had dated her in high school and we had taken our relationship to the next level during our four years at Ohio State. We’d planned to have a future together. She’d balked when I told her I wanted to do a stint in the army before I settled down. But she wanted to stay in the relationship anyway. We got together every time I came home on leave and we corresponded by letter on a weekly basis. However, six months before my discharge, she stopped answering my letters. I called her a few times from Iraq and was never able to reach her. Finally, two months before my discharge, she sent the “Dear John” letter that ended our engagement—in the same envelope with the announcement of her upcoming wedding. By the time I returned home, she and her new husband had moved to Alaska. Less than a year later, I met a wonderful woman named Margaret Pritchard at a church fundraiser. I married her eight months later. While I was on my honeymoon, Regina’s husband divorced her and she returned to Mandell.
Five years ago, when my daughters were eight and nine, Margaret was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It was so aggressive, she died three months after her diagnosis. I was devastated.
Somehow, I recovered and started dating again four months after the funeral. Regina and I still socialized with some of the same mutual friends, so we’d bump into each other from time to time, always with other dates. When we finally ended up without dates at the same neighborhood cookout one weekend, we decided to start going out again. She wanted a more serious and permanent relationship. So did I, but not with her. The main reason was because she had no desire to have children, which was why her husband had divorced her. I wanted to have at least one more, so we could never have a future together.
I still had feelings for her and I enjoyed her company. But I’d made it clear from the get-go that I would still see other women. She spent time with other men as well.
Regina must not have noticed that I’d become distracted again. I could hear her and Felicia talking, but it sounded like gibberish to me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “It was nice seeing you, Felicia. I’ll see you on the bus next week,” I told her.
“Bye, Richard, Regina. Have a blessed night,” she replied.
* * *
I walked through the checkout line and out the store in a daze. Even though Regina had looped her arm through mine, I had almost forgotten she was with me. That’s the kind of effect Felicia Hawkins had on me.
