Once You'Ve Touched the Heart Read online

  Tears flowed down her face as he talked. She listened and tried to control the tears.

  “You will never be alone, Sugie. I will always be here, just like before, nothing is changing. If you ever need to reach me for any reason, just tell Harrison. No one else, unless he says it’s okay, do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  Trying to make her smile, he stepped back. “Damn, Sugie, you are all that and some more. Why don’t you have a man looking out for you?”

  “Because I got tired of you scaring them off and gave up.”

  “Oh, yeah; I did do that, didn’t I?” Turk laughed. “Sugie, look at yourself, you can have any man you want. Just make sure he’s worth it.”

  “Oh, now you will let me have a man? All my life growing up it was stay away from those knuckleheads; they ain’t no good.” She smiled.

  “Well they ain’t, but I might be willing to let up a little bit, if he’s worth it.”

  “Thanks a lot. But it’s a little late; nobody wants me now.”

  Everybody looked up at each other, Jeffrey, Brian and Tucker, and then looked at her.

  “Shit, I don’t believe that,” Tuck sneered.

  Turk glowered over her shoulder at Tucker and he turned away. Brian and Jeffrey both laughed. “Where the hell did you get that idea?”

  “Cynthia tells me that all the time. Apparently she’s right. Never had one and don’t see any in the near future.”

  “Who in the hell is Cynthia and why you letting her control you?”

  “Don’t ask,” JD stated.

  Turk looked at him.

  “We have to go,” Brian announced, looking at his watch.

  The tears were starting to form again, but Tracy held them back this time. She did not want Turk seeing her for the last time with tears in her eyes.

  “As soon as I can I will let you know how I’m doing so you won’t worry. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, Sugie, and I’m still here.”

  “I know. I love you, Turk.”

  “I love you, too, Sugie.”

  He hugged her tight. “What about Harrison? He’s a man,” Turk whispered in her ear.

  “He’s way out of my league,” Tracy replied.

  “You sure about that, little sis?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure, and so is Cynthia.”

  “Cynthia, huh. Okay, I got to go.” He kissed her cheek, and then got into the Suburban with Brian.

  Tracy waved goodbye to Turk and Brian pulled off. She stood there and watched as the Suburban drove out of sight. JD went to her and put his arms around her. She put her head on his chest and quietly let the tears flow. He held her and tried to console her, as every tear seemed to go straight to his heart. He looked at Tucker as he gave the motion that they had to go. “Tracy, we have to go now.”

  She nodded, lifted her head, and wiped her tears. “Okay.”

  JD put her in the car and closed the door. He went over and shook Tucker’s hand. “Good luck, man.”

  “You too,” Tucker replied. “I’ll follow you out.”

  JD nodded and got into his car. As they were pulling off, she asked, “Jeffrey, do I have to put the dumb headband back on?”

  He grinned and said, “Blindfold, blindfold!”

  “Headband,” she replied.

  He took the headband and threw it out of the window. She smiled with tears in her eyes. He took her hand in his and held it. She laid her head back and fell asleep.

  Every woman JD had ever dealt with played some kind of game. This woman sitting beside him was different. She was simple, honest, beautiful inside and out. She affected him in a way that made him feel like a man. Not in the sexual way, but in the love, honor and protect way. Well, since it was his thoughts, he admitted: she was sexy as hell to him. But, now a few things from the past were a little clearer to him. The incident with Uncle Joe was a reminder in some way of what Al took her from. JD remembered the conversation they had years ago. Now, he thought, she might be right. He would not ever knowingly break the law, but given the right circumstances, like the thought of someone hurting her, would make him have the “propensity for violence,” as she put it. He smiled to himself. Yet again, she’s off limits, but this time because of the case.

  ♥

  Jeffrey pulled into his mother’s driveway and turned the car off. His first instinct was to kiss Tracy’s hand to wake her, but he couldn’t do that. So he squeezed her hand.

  “Hey, time for some real TLC,” he said.

  Tracy opened her eyes and turned towards him. She smiled at him and looked around.

  “We’re at your mom’s house?”

  “Yeah. Come on, let’s go inside.”

  “Okay,” she said sleepily.

  “Does your mom know we’re coming?”

  “No.”

  “Jeffrey, we can’t just stop in without calling, that’s rude.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Not with family.”

  “Yes, with family, too.”

  “Where did you get that from?”

  “Cynthia.”

  “I should have known. I have to keep you away from her,” he said and put the key in the door. “Hey, Mom.”

  “JD?” his mom called out.

  “Yeah, I have someone who needs your dinner.”

  “Tracy.” Martha said as she came into the living room. “Hi, honey, how you doing?” She gave Tracy a hug.

  “I’m fine, Mrs. Harrison. How are you?” Tracy replied with a smile.

  “Oh, honey, I’m just fine. Y’all come on in the kitchen; I got dinner on the stove. Tracy, it’s funny you came by, I was gonna call you later.”

  “You were? Did you need something?”

  “Oh, no, honey, I was just gonna check on you. Ashley said you were feeling a little down and I just wanted to tell you I was thinking about you.”

  “That is so special, thank you.”

  “Well, you’re here now. I can feed you. That always makes you feel better.”

  Tracy smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Harrison. May I help you with anything?”

  “No, honey. Just sit down at the table and tell me about your day.”

  “I had an okay day. How was yours?”

  JD smiled. He knew Tracy had a hell of a day and did not need to be alone. This is what she needed today, family. He stood in the doorway, loosened his tie and watched his mother work her magic on Tracy.

  Ashley came over after work. JD had called her earlier and had given her a summary of the day. They were all sitting out on the patio eating dinner and talking when JD received the call from Brian that all was settled and well. JD took Tracy by the hand and walked her over to the swing set at the end of the yard. He sat her in the swing and told her about Al. She nodded. “Okay. I know you will do what’s right by Turk and he trusts that you will, too. You just need to wrap it up and seal the deal, right?”

  “Right,” he replied with a smile.

  Desperate now to talk about anything except Turk or her future, she sighed. “Why does your mother’s flower bed stop there?” Tracy turned and saw where the other side stopped. “And there, like it’s a gap.”

  JD stood to see what she was referring to. “Oh, that.” He smirked. He walked over to the area and she followed him. “My dad was putting a border of flowers around the fence for my mom. He never had a chance to finish it before he died.” He hunched his shoulders and sighed. “I keep telling her I will finish it, but I haven’t yet.”

  “Why not, you’ve been too busy?”

  “Not really, I could do it on a weekend.”

  “JD, are you making promises and not keeping them?” she joked.

  He turned and smiled back. He liked the way her eyes lit up when she smiled. “No.”

  Tracy could see he was having a difficult time expressing his feelings with this.

  “When I look at this it reminds me of my dad. I’m afraid if I finish it, I might forget him. Hmm,” he frowned. “I have never said that out loud. Thoug
ht it, but never said it.”

  “How long has he been gone?”

  “Eight years this summer,” he replied as he put his hands in his pockets.

  Jeffrey is such a proud man, Tracy thought. It has to be difficult for him to say he’s afraid of something. He and Ashley were so much alike. She looked at him. “You know, Jeffrey, when someone touches your heart, and I mean truly touches your heart, you can never forget them. Your dad will always be a part of your heart; he will not be forgotten.” She looked up at the sky, then back to him. “Seems like you have a few things to wrap up.”

  She turned and began walking back to the house. He stood there for a moment and then followed her. As they walked in silence, JD thought, It’s so easy to be around her; no drama; no pretenses. Damn, she scares the hell out of me.

  Ashley and Martha sat on the patio and watched the two of them.

  “Mom,” Ashley said, “do you see what I see?”

  “Yep,” Martha replied.

  “Is that okay with you?”

  “She’s your friend, are you okay with it?”

  “Do you think JD’s ready for her?”

  “You know, honey, if you had asked me yesterday, I would have said no, but after what I’ve seen and heard today, he’s definitely ready. The question is: does he know he’s ready? Your brother’s been out there playing around for a long time. He may have a hard time letting the lifestyle go. Tracy may not understand that.”

  “I see it a little different,” Ashley said. “I think the question is, does Tracy even know what’s happening? The girl is naïve when it comes to men; no experience, clueless. JD’s background with the women may scare her off.”

  “Well, honey, she knows something, because she’s got your brother’s interest.”

  Ashley and Martha laughed, and went into the house.

  Chapter 5

  Ashley beamed with pride as she and Tracy rode the elevator to the 12th floor of the state building. She had finally contributed to the company she and Tracy started during their junior year at Harmon. Well to be honest it was really Tracy. As a way of making money, Tracy began working for a small business in the Norfolk area as a filing clerk. In the course of her job, she began making suggestions on how to organize and work more efficiently. The owner was so impressed with the outcome of Tracy’s suggestions that she introduced her to a few other mom and pop business owners in the area. Tracy seemed to have the same magical touch for them. Her boss suggested Tracy start an efficiency business that specialized in small business organizations. One of the top reasons small businesses failed was because the owners knew their tasks very well, but did not know the business end. Tracy began with 3 small businesses that she acted as a consultant to help organize and then ventured into suggestions on investing their capital. The only problem was Tracy was not a people person, so explaining to people what she did was difficult. That’s where Ashley came in. She had no problem talking to people and loved to boast about Tracy’s IQ. So, she began talking to other business owners about what Tracy was capable of and Next Level Consulting was formed. Ashley would set up meetings to get the clients interested. Then Tracy would go into the business and assess the need. She would put a proposal together then explain it to Ashley, who would in turn present the project to the clients for a very reasonable fee. By the end of their junior year, they had 6 clients with five-year contracts. At the end of their senior year they had twenty. By the time they graduated, Next Level Consulting was grossing enough income to give both of them six-figure salaries.

  At Next Level Consulting, things were progressing. Proud of the fact that she had initiated and closed their first major deal, Ashley set up a meeting for Tracy and the Commissioner of Special Services, James Brooks, to meet. He had signed the contract, but wanted to meet with the person At Next Level who would be handling employee development. The meeting was being held at the state office, which was located on Broad Street in downtown Richmond. When Ashley and Tracy stepped into the office, there were several people present. Ashley stepped forward. “Hello, Mr. Brooks, it’s good to see you again. This is Tracy Washington, owner and developer for Next Level Consulting.”

  Tracy extended her hand. “Good morning, Mr. Brooks.”

  “Ms. Washington, it is indeed a pleasure to finally meet you.” He smiled. “Let me introduce my staff: Angel Brown, Human Resources, Herman Kraft, Accounting, and Karen Holt, Assistant Commissioner.”

  Ashley began the program. “Good morning, everyone. If you will take a seat, we can get started.”

  She waited a moment while everyone took a seat and settled down.

  “Thank you. My name is Ashley Harrison. This lovely person is Tracy Washington. We are the owners of Next Level Consulting. Before we get started, we would like to take a moment to thank you for entrusting your organization with us. Now, we will show you how we plan to reward that trust. I will be handling the presentation and Ms. Washington, our efficiency expert, will be available for technical questions.”

  Ashley gave a clear, concise presentation, not leaving anything to chance. Tracy answered all questions regarding how the tasks would be accomplished. The two of them together could convince a drowning man to buy a case of bottled water.

  After the meeting James approached Tracy. “Ms. Washington,” he said in a rich, deep voice, “Ashley tells me you are the person who actually put together the package for our organization.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I must say I’m more than impressed and a little astonished.”

  “Astonished?” Tracy questioned. “Why?”

  “The layout of the plan is nothing less than brilliant. I have no doubt if the plan is followed this agency will experience the efficiency level we need to serve the public.”

  “I believe that also. That’s what you were looking for. Did you doubt our ability to deliver?”

  “Usually that level of comprehension and detail comes from experience. You don’t appear to be much over the age of 18. Yet you have a firm grasp on the pulse of the business world.”

  Tracy thought for a moment. This was the very reason she preferred not to deal with clients, because of her tendency to say exactly what came to mind, which, on most occasions, was not very tactful.

  “Mr. Brooks, I genuinely believe there was a compliment in that statement. I am certain that it was not a question of the integrity of our company.”

  He smiled. “You are very protective of your company. That’s admirable. But please know I was simply admiring your work.”

  “If that’s the case, please accept my apology. And, yes, I am very protective of our reputation. We are a young organization, as you mentioned.” She smiled. “I’m afraid our reputation is all we have at this point.”

  James was more than a little taken with this beautiful young woman standing in front of him.

  “Well, Ms. Washington, I will be open to accept that apology over lunch. Will you join me?”

  Tracy frowned a little, then smiled. “In case you haven’t picked up on this little tidbit, I’m not the people person in our organization. Believe me, there is a reason for that. I’m certain I would bore you to death. So before I cause more damage than I already have, I’ll pass on lunch.”

  “You know, a simple no would have sufficed,” he said with a laugh.

  She laughed with him. James’s heart leapt at her smile.

  “Do you know your face lights up when you smile?”

  Tracy stepped back. She was a little uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going. Sensing her uneasiness, James commented, “Please know I don’t mean to be offensive and normally I am not so forward. But I am more than a little impressed with you.”

  Tracy blushed. “Thank you.”

  “Are we ready to wrap up?” Ashley asked as she approached.

  “Yes, I believe we are,” Tracy replied. “Mr. Brooks, it was a pleasure.” Tracy extended her hand.

  “The pleasure was entirely mine.” He took Tracy’s han
d and held it. She pulled away after a moment.

  “Good day, Mr. Brooks,” Ashley said as they walked away.

  Tracy turned back and smiled.

  ♥

  JD could not sleep. He would usually call Carolyn or some other lady to help him relax, but not tonight. His mind kept thinking about Tracy. So he called Calvin instead.

  “Hey, man, you asleep?” JD asked.

  “Well, let me think about that for a minute, JD.” Calvin yawned. “Not anymore. What’s up?’’

  “I’m trying to work on this plea agreement and I need your help.”

  “I thought the agreement was 40 years on the kingpin charge and 10 on the racketeering, to be served concurrently.”

  “That was it, but I need to do something a little different,” JD said and then went silent.

  When JD did not continue, Calvin asked, “What are you not telling me?”

  “I need something that would satisfy Gavin, the AG’s office, and not be devastating to Tracy.”

  For some reason, that was very important to him. It should not play a role in his decision, but it did. He did not want to destroy the trust he saw in Tracy’s eyes the night before. Calvin sat up in bed, turned to look at Jackie, lying next to him. He did not want to leave that woman tonight.

  “All right, man, you better be glad I love you like a brother. I’ll be there in 15.”

  JD had a drink waiting for him when he arrived. Calvin took the drink and looked at JD. “Tracy, huh?” Calvin smirked.

  JD turned and started talking about the case. Calvin sipped his drink and wondered to himself how JD was going to pull this one off. He had no doubt that JD would find a way, but it was always amazing to see his mind at work.

  The arraignment was held at 8:00 a.m. in Judge Margaret W. Mathew’s courtroom. Judge Maggie, as JD referred to her, was tough but fair, and he knew he could trust her to do the right thing by Al. The deal took place with the Attorney General, JD, Calvin, Day’s attorney and of course Al. One officer and a clerk reporter were in the courtroom. Al accepted the deal and the conviction was sealed with sentencing guidelines and location. No one outside of that courtroom knew where Al Day was going, and JD wanted to make sure it stayed that way.