Brenda Jackson - Perfect Fit  

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Copyright 2003 by Brenda Streater Jackson

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eISBN-13: 978-0-7582-6773-3
eISBN-10: 0-7582-6773-8

First Hardcover Printing: May 2003
First Trade Paperback Printing: April 2004
First Mass Market Paperback Printing: April 2006

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To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr. and to my sons, Gerald Jackson, Jr. and Brandon Jackson.

To Cindy Clay for letting me pick her brain on a subject where I have no experiencegetting back into the dating scene.

To my aunts, Jennie Bell Mercer and Josephine Cooper. Thanks for always being there for me.

To my Heavenly Father. Im everything I am because you love me.

Gabe

Detroit, Michigan

G abriel Blackwell had a low tolerance level for women who constantly tripped on excess emotional baggage, and the one sitting across from him had bags packed so heavy he wondered how she was lugging them around.

After listening to her moan, weep and groan for the past hour, hed just about had it. There were only so many burdens a mortal man could take from a woman who refused to see the light of day because her lover of the past two years had made one mistake too many.

He lifted the wineglass to his lips and took a sip as he continued to listen to her whine. Since this was their first date, she was evidently clueless that this was not the way to go about establishing a new relationship with someone. When hed picked her up for dinner, hed been truly impressed since she definitely was a looker who had everything in all the right places. For once he had thought his mother, whod harassed him into going out on this blind date, had finally done something right. It didnt take long for him to change his mind and decide that instead, shed definitely done something wrong. En route to the restaurant when a certain song by Luther Vandross began playing on the cars radio, the woman had begun crying her eyes out over what shed tearfully described to him as painful memories. Evidently the pain only got worse, because shed been sobbing ever since. Several times he had offered to take her back home, but shed refused, saying that at some point she had to get on with her life. And each time hed come close to telling her that she was exhibiting a piss-poor job of doing so.

He knew of very few men who needed or wanted the stress of getting involved with someone who couldnt regain control of her emotions and let go. Hed found out the hard way three years ago that some women actually enjoyed bemoaning a lost cause. He had fancied himself in love with such a woman. After they had dated exclusively for ten months, she broke things off between them the moment her ex-lover returned to town and decided he wanted her back. The scars from that encounter had been slow to heal.

I guess Im not making a good impression tonight with it being our first date and all, but I cant help it, the woman said, breaking into Gabes thoughts as she sniffed into the handkerchief hed given to her earlier.

When he didnt say anything, she continued by saying, I cant believe Im still upset over the fact that he left me. He was nothing but a total jerk anyway. A few minutes later she added, But still, after what we used to mean to each other, youd think he would have the decency to at least return my phone calls.

Gabe lifted a brow, wondering if she really thought a jerk would actually do something decent. Then, belatedly, what shed said caught his attention. Youve tried calling him? he asked, more in astonishment than interest. She had spent the past hour telling him how shed discovered the guy had hocked her jewelry to pay his gambling debts, as well as the fact that hed been carrying on an illicit affair with a woman in the office where he worked. As far as Gabe was concerned, the man had two strikes against him. She was definitely better off without him and had said so herself several times during the course of the evening. Yet in the same breath, shed just admitted that shed tried contacting him. Gabe determined she was a glutton for punishment and was taking obsessive love to an all-new high or in his opinion, a very disgusting low.

Yes, Ive been trying to reach him for the past two days, ever since I found out about my condition, she finally answered as fresh tears appeared in her eyes.

Gabe inhaled sharply, almost choking on the wine hed just sipped. He cleared his throat and shifted uneasily in his chair, then inquired as calmly as he could, Your condition?

Red, swollen, tear-soaked eyes met his gaze. She again put his handkerchief to use as she sobbingly replied, Im pregnant.

The next day

Joella Blackwell looked at her son and said calmly, The situation you described doesnt sound like a major crisis to me, Gabriel.

Gabe shook his head in disbelief, clearly stunned. After a brief moment of recovery, he was almost certain he had misunderstood his mothers response, so he decided to tell her again.

I said the woman who you talked me into taking out last night announced over dinner that shes pregnant.

And just in case his mother still didnt get it, he clarified by saying, Shes going to have a baby, and before you give me an all-accusing stare, just remember that last night was our first date and under the circumstances it was definitely our last.

Joella Blackwell raised a dark brow as she continued the task of setting the table for dinner. Christopher Chandler, Gabes best friend and business partner, whom she considered her surrogate son, and his wife and their ten-month-old son would be coming, and she looked forward to seeing them. She was pleased that at least one of her sons had finally put aside his whoring ways to marry and start a family.

I know what being pregnant means, Gabriel. All Im saying is that at least she was honest and up front with you. So the way I see it, to decide you wont be seeing her again is acting rather hasty. I would think you could put the issue of her pregnancy behind you and move on.