A Mighty Love Read online

  A Mighty Love

  By

  Vanessa Miller

  SMASHWORDS EDITION

  *****

  Published by:

  BFP Publishing

  A Mighty Love

  Copyright © 2011 by Vanessa Miller

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook 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 person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  Other Books by Vanessa Miller

  Long Time Coming

  A Promise of Forever Love

  A Love for Tomorrow

  Yesterday’s Promise

  Forgiven

  Forsaken

  Through the Storm

  Rain Storm

  Latter Rain

  Abundant Rain

  Former Rain

  Anthologies (Editor)

  Keeping the Faith

  Have A Little Faith

  This Far by Faith

  EBOOKS

  Love Isn’t Enough

  A Mighty Love

  The Blessed One (Blessed and Highly Favored series)

  The Wild One (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  Chapter One

  “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.”

  As Shay Lamont listened to the minister read from The Song of Solomon, the only book in the Bible in which the main plot was about human love, she realized that she had been settling for less than she deserved. Her cell phone buzzed and she rolled her eyes as she received yet another text message from Kevin Davis. She had been dating Kevin for about three months and things were beginning to heat up. Kevin had explained to her in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t into self imposed celibacy and that when he dated a woman he expected some action.

  The speaker said, “You may think you want the type of love that Solomon was espousing to his lady love, but too many Christian women are allowing men to lead them away from God when they should be telling these men… if you don’t want anything to do with the God I serve, then you don’t want anything to do with me.” Had this man been reading her mail or what?

  Another text from Kevin came in. “Why haven’t you called me back. I need you.”

  Shay stood up and walked out of the back sanctuary door like an obedient pup responding to her master’s call. She huffed her way to the fellowship hall, sat down at a table near the bookstore and called Kevin. “What’s so important?” she asked when Kevin picked up the phone.

  “I thought we were going to hook up.”

  “I told you that I was going to church tonight.”

  “Church, church, church… that’s all you ever talk about,” Kevin complained. “I need my lady to be with me on Friday nights. Not up in some church drooling over the preacher. Now can you handle that?”

  They’d had this argument numerous times since she began dating him. Her answer was always the same. “That depends on what you need me for?”

  “What do you think a man needs his woman for?” Kevin asked. Then with a huff he added, “Just forget it. I don’t even know why I wasted my time with a church girl in the first place.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Shay asked defiantly.

  “It means you are way out of your league. You need to go find a church boy who doesn’t mind cold showers. Because that ain’t me.”

  “You’re not being fair, Kevin.”

  “Look, I’ve got to go pick up my lady. You’re holding me up from a real date.” With that said, Kevin hung up the phone.

  There. It was over. She had lost another boyfriend because of her relationship with God. Every guy she went out with dumped her because she wanted to wait until she was married before having sex again. She’d tried it the other way and ended up with nothing but a bunch of ex-lovers and a broken heart.

  Two years ago when her last ex-lover had suddenly fallen in love with another woman and left her to deal with his betrayal on her own, instead of running to another man for comfort as she’d done so many times in the past, Shay ran straight into the arms of God. She began attending church, fellowshipping with the members and reading her Bible. In Hebrews 13:4 she’d read: Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

  From that moment on, she’d wanted to be seen as honorable in God’s sight. But the men she dated didn’t seem to care what God thought of them. And there in lied her problem. Shay knew she was thought of a beautiful. Men had often commented on how much she resembled Beyonce Knowles… face and body. But she needed a man who was interested in something more than what he saw on the outside.

  Shay looked down at her outfit and suddenly, she felt exposed. No wonder men gawked at her. Her boobs were practically falling out her blouse. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? She grabbed her keys out of her purse and ran to the car. Driving home, tears tricked down her cheeks. She couldn’t find real love, because she was unlovable… she’d made herself an object that men loved to be around but didn’t want to attach themselves to.

  As she pulled up in her driveway her cell phone rang. It was Malcolm Harris. He thought he could bug her at any hour of the day or night. Their boss had assigned them to work together on several projects. So she understood the needed to make themselves available for emergency situations, but it was eight o’clock on a Friday night. What could be so urgent? The man had a brilliant mind for business and his white boy charm helped to reel the customers in.

  He wasn’t really a white boy. Malcolm was like President Obama and Halle Berry. He had a white mother and a black father, but unlike Obama or Halle, Malcolm more resembled his mother’s side of the family than his father’s.

  “What’s up?” she asked as she wiped the tears from her face and answered the phone.

  “Hey, where are you?” Malcolm asked.

  ”I’m at home, why?”

  “Why did you leave church?”

  “What? How’d you know I was at church tonight?”

  “You invited me, remember?”

  When had she invited Malcolm to church? Shay frantically searched her mind and then it hit her. They had just concluded a meeting on an account they were going after and Malcolm had asked her to go out to a club with him that night so that everyone could see how bootylicious she was. She’d been offended at his comment, but instead of telling him off, she’d said, “Sure, I’ll go to the club with you, just as soon as you go to church with me.” And she walked out of his office.

  “If you think I’m going to some club with you, then you’ve got another thought coming, mister.” The anger in her voice was venomous. She had been treated like an object one time too many and Shay wasn’t going to let Malcolm or anyone else get away with it.

  “Calm down. I don’t want to go to the club. I actually had a really good time at church tonight and wanted to thank you for inviting me.”

  “Oh, well, you’re welcome.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about what happened tonight, if you have some time,” Malcolm said.

  Shay touched her finger tips to her forehead. “Do you mind if we talk later. I have a headache that won’t go away and I need to get in the house and get some pain pills.”

  “Okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “All right Malcolm, and thanks for coming to church
.” As she hung up the phone she couldn’t believe those words had escaped her mouth. Malcolm Harris, total hound dog, was in church tonight. What was the world coming to?

  Chapter Two

  Looking in the full length mirror, Shay did not like what she saw. Oh, she knew that most men liked every inch of her display… they liked it a little too much. But nothing on the outside of her had ever caused any man to fall head over heels in love enough for him to beg her to stay in his life. So, if she wanted true love, then she needed to make some changes.

  About a month ago, Shay read Knight in Shining Armor by P. B. Wilson. The book was all about preparing oneself for a husband, but the thing that stuck out in Shay’s mind was the part that said ‘the Lord wants to be our first love’. Shay had loved so many men who didn’t love her back that she needed her fingers and toes in order to count the number of loves that she’d had. Now, at the age of twenty-seven she discovers that if she had made the Lord her first love… she might not have had so much trouble finding a loving husband.

  She looked to heaven and cried out, “Lord, I need to do something different.” She grabbed handfuls of her long curly blonde locks and decided that the pretense must end. Picking up the phone, she dialed her hair stylist and made an appointment for the morning.

  When Shay arrived at Adorable Hair and Nails, she sat down in Erin Jackson’s chair and said, “Take it out?”

  Erin’s eye brow raised with confusion as she asked, “Take what out?”

  “My weave.”

  “What?” Erin practically yelled the single word.

  “I’m serious, Erin, I don’t want to pretend anymore. No more weave, from now on, I’m wearing my own hair.”

  “But you’ve worn weave since I started doing your hair over eight years ago.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not the same person I was eight years ago. I’m in a relationship with God now.” She lifted the mounds of hair and flung it, as she added, “And He don’t like fakes.”

  Erin grabbed the scissors from her station. “Okay, if you’re sure this is what you want.”

  As the scissors drew closer to her head, Shay shut her eyes tight and put her hands over her face.

  “You look nervous, hon. What’s up? Speak now, before it’s too late,” Erin warned.

  ”It’s not everyday that a girl sees her real self. I am nervous, but this needs to be done.”

  For the next few hours, Shay watched as tons of hair dropped from her head to the salon floor. She then had Erin cut her real hair into an asymmetrical bob. The left side of her hair was cut just above her ear. The front swooped to the right, while the right side of her hair hung below her right ear.

  Erin turned her around in the chair and then handed her a mirror. “Shay, girl, you are smokin’ hot. I like this look much better than all that weave.”

  Shay touched her hair as she glanced in the mirror. “I thought you wanted me to keep the weave?”

  “I was wrong. This is a much more sophisticated look.”

  Shay had to admit that she liked her new look also. It was stylish and professional with a little bit of attitude. She stood up, paid Erin and then grabbed her purse. “I’m off to the mall.”

  “Going to show off your new cut?”

  Shaking her head, Shay told Erin, “I need a new wardrobe to go with this hairstyle.”

  ***

  Shay met up with her friend, Darla Jenson at the mall. Darla had impeccable taste and in Shay’s opinion, dressed very conservatively. So, she’d called on her friend for help.

  “Okay, now what’s all this about changing your look. And by the way, I love your hair,” Darla said as they stood outside of Macy’s.

  Before Shay could respond, a guy in a purple and white Nike jogging suit, with a baseball cap turned backwards walked by. He scanned her body with lust in his eyes. Nudging his friend, he said, “I’d love a piece of that.”

  Scoffing at the rude comment Shay turned to Darla. “That’s why we’re here. I’m tired of men like that ogling my body and never taking the time to figure out what’s inside of me.”

  “Is that why you cut off your hair?”

  “It was a weave, and I cut it out of my hair because it’s time that I become comfortable with me. I don’t want to be on display for anyone but God anymore. So, do you think you can help me find some clothes that are stylish but don’t show too much cleavage or my curves?”

  “We might be able to cover up your boobs, but you’ve got too many curves to hide.”

  “I’m serious, Darla. I’ll wear baggy clothes if I have to.”

  She grabbed Shay’s hand and walked into Macy’s with her. “Come on. Let’s see what we can do.”

  They spent the rest of the day looking for clothes that fit her age but didn’t show the crack of her behind or too much cleavage. Shay smiled as a blue jean dress caught her eye. She picked it up and showed it to Darla.

  Darla was unimpressed, she shook her head as she took the dress out of Shay’s hand and put it back on the rack.

  “What’s wrong with that dress?”

  “It’s too long and it billows out at the waistline. Need I say more?”

  ”Exactly,” Shay said “Don’t you get it? No one would be able to see my curves in that dress.”

  “Look, Shay, I would wear the dress you just picked out. But I’m a married, fifty-three year old woman. You are only twenty-seven and you’re single. There is no since in dressing like a grandmother when you’re not even a mother yet.”

  “But I must be doing something wrong, Darla. There’s something in the way I dress… the way I look, that makes men think they can use my body but not commit to me in any sort of way.”

  Darla studied Shay for a moment, then said, “Okay, I will admit that the clothes you wear are a bit revealing. And maybe you could attract a better quality of man if you dressed more appropriately.”

  Shay grabbed Darla by the shoulders and said, “Listen to me, please. I’m not trying to attract a man. I’ve been there and done that. I want to be attractive to God right now. I want Him to rejoice over what He sees in me.”

  “I can respect that,” Darla said. “When I first gave my life to the Lord, I stopped dating and focused on getting to know God. Funny thing was, Herald was on the same journey and that’s how we met.”

  “You met your husband at church?”

  “At a Bible conference I attended with a group of friends. Harold was on the front row praising God and looking so cute, that I forgot all about my vow of not dating. I snagged that man so fast he never knew what hit him.”

  Shay laughed.

  Darla lifted a black Donna Karan pants suit off the rack and asked, “What about this?”

  “Ooh, I like that. The jacket will cover my backside.”

  “Whatever, works for you, girl… whatever works.”

  They kept looking and found several dresses and pants suits that Shay felt comfortable with wearing to work and church. Her style was changing, so she no longer needed those four inch heels she’d become famous for. Shay found herself purchasing one and two inch heels. However, there was one stiletto that was too cute to pass up, but it was only a three-inch heel so she was okay with that.

  “We don’t have enough arms to carry anymore bags, so I think we’re done,” Darla said as Shay paid for her last box of shoes.

  “Yeah, I have plenty. And I think my credit card is tired. So, let’s get out of here.”

  As they headed to the front entrance of the mall, discussing what outfit would look good with which pair of shoes, Shay wasn’t paying attention to oncoming traffic and walked right into a young girl with olive tone skin. Her bags tumbled to the floor as she grabbed the girls arm to prevent her from falling. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “I’m sorry too. I was running towards my friends.” The girl pointed toward a group of teenage girls standing in front of the cookie counter. “I didn’t see you.” The girl bent down and helped Shay pick up her packages.


  “Carly, didn’t I tell you not to run through the mall.”

  Shay recognized that voice. Her head snapped up. Yep, it was Malcolm Harris all right. The young girl he was approaching was a beauty, she’d give him that. But the girl was much too young for him. She had half a mind to get her cell phone out of her purse, call the police and report this pedophile. “Malcolm, what are you doing here?” she asked as she stood back up, bags in hand again.

  “I’ll be over there with Faith and Lisa,” Carly said as she skipped away.

  Malcolm turned his attention to Shay. As his eyes focused on her, recognition set in. “You cut your hair. I had no idea that Carly was over here with you.”

  “Yes, yes, yes, I cut my hair,” she said impatiently, as she turned toward Carly. “Who is that, Malcolm? Do I need to call the police and report you?”

  His hearty laugh mocked her.

  Shay pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “Like President Obama said, ‘don’t call my bluff’.”

  “Go ahead and call the police,” he said. “Ask them to come rescue my wallet from my teenage niece who is bound to want every new pair of jeans this mall has to offer.”

  “Ha ha ha, very funny. How was I supposed to know she was your niece? You’re such a hound, I wouldn’t put it past you to date a teenager.”

  Darla nudged Shay. When Shay turned toward her, she asked, “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

  “Oh.” She pointed from one and then the other as she said, “Darla this is Malcolm. Malcolm, this is my friend Darla.”

  Malcolm shook Darla’s hand. “I work with Shay, the pedophile police chief.”

  Darla laughed at his joke. “Shay’s not that bad. She was just concerned for that young girl, I’m sure.”