Fourth Down (Portland Pioneers 1)

The only thing Elena is doing is holding up my moving on with Autumn. We’ve talked about her moving in, but she won’t until I’m divorced. She doesn’t want Elena showing up and causing a scene and us having no recourse. As much as I agree with her, I hate it. I hate that Elena still controls my life.

Noah and I are at the jewelers. He’s looking for a gift for Peyton but doesn’t know what. Every time I say, “How about this?” he shakes his head. After the tenth time or so, he finally admitted he doesn’t know what he wants to get her but wants it to be unique. He let it slip a few weeks ago, after one too many drinks, that they’re struggling to get pregnant, and each time they find out they’re not, Peyton begins to shut down. He’s hoping that the trip they’re taking to see family at Christmas will help her because he’s afraid he’s out of options.

It occurs to me that I might be able to help him. “Can I take you somewhere?” I ask him. He nods, and we head out and to my car. I drive us to a part of town I only visit when I can’t get out of a funk, which happens after I’ve had to deal with Elena and her bullshit. I pull up to a row of stores and park along the curb.

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t want you to laugh, but I started seeing this woman to help me with my stress. She’s a healer.”

“You brought me to a voodoo shop?”

I shrug. “Sort of. Just follow me.” I open the door, and the bell chimes over the stop. The young salesclerk looks up, smiles, and then goes back to reading the magazine she holds. I take Noah over to the jewelry case and point. “Each stone represents what you need. For instance, I have an amethyst that I carry when I have to go to the lawyer or when I have to talk to Elena. I find that it helps, and I’m not angry all the time. Maybe it’s my mindset or thinking the gem works, I don’t know, but I wasn’t a believer until I came here on a whim. I’m not saying this could help Peyton, but it might.”

“Julius, hi. You brought a friend.”

Madame Keisha steps out from behind the curtain. She eyes Noah for a long while and then shakes her head. “I have something that can help with that ache you’re feeling.”

“I’m sorry, what?” he asks after his head pops up. “I feel fine.”

She nods and says, “Okay.” Keisha disappears behind the curtain and then is back with a small jar of what looks like a white cream. “Put this on before bed. Nothing is wrong, but your body is telling you to stop and listen. This will help.”

Noah takes it but does so with great reluctance.

“Now, you’re looking for,” she takes his hand in hers and smiles. “Baby. Do you desire to have children?”

He nods. “My wife is having trouble conceiving.”

Still holding Noah’s hand, her smile fades. “There was trauma. She’s hurt.”

Noah nods again. “She was in a bad accident. I almost lost her.”

“You did lose her, but she came back.”

I stand there in awe of Madame Keisha. Maybe people don’t believe in her craft, but I do. She sets Noah’s hand down and goes to her case. She starts putting gems together on a string and then slips them into a bag.

“Give this to your wife. She must wear it until the babies arrive.”

Noah coughs. “Babies? What are you talking about? She’s not pregnant.”

“Yet,” Madame Keisha winks. She looks at me and says, “Julius, I have something for you.” She hands me another small bag. “Give this to your love. She will need it.”

“What—”

“You’ll find out in time.” With that, she goes behind the curtain and leaves us standing there until the clerk clears her throat. I direct Noah to the cash register where we cash out. Back in the car, Noah looks confused.

“Sorry for bringing you. I didn’t think you’d freak out.”

“It’s not that. It’s what she said about Peyton ‘she’s hurt.’ She said it in the present tense like something is wrong with her now.”

“The babies part doesn’t freak you out?”

He shakes his head slowly. “No. Peyton’s doctors have told her the chances of conceiving naturally would be hard. The damage from the car accident left her scarred. But we try. And we’ve talked about doing IVF or looking for a surrogate. The surrogate is out. She doesn’t want to use one. Peyton’s read too many horror stories where the surrogate wants more money or decides to keep the baby.” He looks down at the bag in his hand and smirks. “This shit is just propaganda.”

“Then how did she know that stuff about Peyton?”