The Other Side Read online

  Also by Trice Hickman

  Dangerous Love Series

  Secret Indiscretions

  Deadly Satisfaction

  Unexpected Love Series

  Unexpected Interruptions

  Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies

  Looking for Trouble

  Troublemaker

  Playing the Hand You’re Dealt

  Breaking All My Rules

  The Other Side

  Published by Dafina Books

  the other side

  TRICE HICKMAN

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Also by

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 2 - TESS

  Chapter 3 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 4 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 5 - TESS

  Chapter 6 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 7 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 8 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 9 - TESS

  Chapter 10 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 11 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 12 - TESS

  Chapter 13 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 14 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 15 - TESS

  Chapter 16 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 17 - TESS

  Chapter 18 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 19 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 20 - TESS

  Chapter 21 - ARIZONA

  Chapter 22 - BERNADETTE

  Chapter 23 - TESS

  Chapter 24 - TESS

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  DAFINA BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2019 by Trice Hickman

  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.

  Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-0932-5

  ISBN-10: 1-4967-0932-2

  ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-0934-9 (ebook)

  ISBN-10: 1-4967-0934-9 (ebook)

  This book is dedicated to my father, the late Reverend Irvin Leon Hickman Sunrise~ January 19, 1947—Sunset~ February 14, 2019

  Daddy, you were a friend to many, a pillar in your community, a dedicated pastor to your congregants, a humble servant to God, and a beloved husband, father, sibling, and uncle to your family. We all miss you terribly, but have comfort in knowing that we will see you again and will rejoice with you on the other side.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, God, for allowing me to complete another novel. It is His grace, mercy, and love that sustain me and let me know that anything is possible if you have faith and hold on to His unchanging hand.

  Thank you to my best friend, helpmate, and husband, Todd T. Hayes, Sr. You are an amazing, hardworking, God-fearing man who leads our family with love and courage. I prayed for you and God gave me more than I asked for. Thank you for believing in me, loving me, and standing by my side through whatever comes our way. Thank you to my industrious and hardworking son, Airman Todd T. Hayes, Jr., for being a kind and loving young man. I am so very proud of you! Thank you to my beautiful daughter, Eboni Hayes (my Sweetie!), for making me laugh, encouraging me, and being an awesome young lady! I am so very proud of you!

  Thank you to my father, the late Reverend Irvin Leon Hickman, for loving me, teaching me valuable life lessons, and instilling in me a hard work ethic and love of God; I miss you dearly. Thank you to my mother, Alma Hickman, for always being by my side, nurturing me, loving me, supporting me, and showing me by example how to be a good wife and mother. Thank you to my sister, Melody Hickman, for loving me and making me laugh when I need it. We have shared special moments and built a bond that will live with me always. Thank you to my brother, Marcus Hickman. Thank you to all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends who have supported me through the years.

  Thank you to my fantastic agent, Janell Walden Agyeman: your wisdom, guidance and calm spirit have enriched my literary journey and life in more ways than you know. Thank you to my talented and skilled editor, Tara Gavin, whose suggestions, patience, and knowledge helped to make this story stronger. I truly appreciate you! Thank you to everyone at my publishing house, Kensington (Dafina Books), who helped bring this novel to publication. Thank you to the many bookstores and booksellers, event organizers, industry professionals, bloggers, as well as book promoters and marketers who connect my books with readers.

  Thank you to my dear sister friends who lift me up and always have my back. You ladies are true blue, tight like glue; Vickie Lindsay, Sherraine McLean, Terri Chandler, Tammi Johnson, Jeneane Davis, Tracy Wells, Tracy McNeil, Kim-berla Lawson Roby, Lutishia Lovely, China Ball, Renee Alexander, and Tiffany Dove.

  Thank you again and again to the wonderful and dedicated readers and book clubs who support me and help spread the word about my books. Each and every one of you is phenomenal! I’m honored that you continue to hang in there with me book after book, and I hope you enjoy this one!

  If I didn’t mention your name, please blame it on my head and not my heart. There are so many individuals and organizations that contribute along the way (a lot goes into writing and publishing a book) and I’m thankful for each and every one of you.

  XOXO

  Trice Hickman Hayes

  Chapter 1

  BERNADETTE

  Five Years Ago

  Bernadette Gibson had suffered many disappointments in her forty-five years of living, but in all her experiences, she knew without a sliver of a doubt that Walter Pearson was her worst and most costly mistake to date. Their relationship was the reason why Bernadette completely understood how someone could be pushed to the brink of committing premeditated, cold-blooded murder . . . with one’s bare hands.

  Bernadette had met Walter at the Prince George’s County Urban League’s Annual Black Tie Gala. She had immediately been attracted to his engaging smile, witty conversation, and charismatic style, not to mention the fact that he was easy on the eyes, with the type of looks that could have easily earned him a spread in the pages of Esquire magazine. She’d thought his perfect diction, refined mannerisms, and air of entitlement were the telltale signs of a man who most likely hailed from a pedigreed family with good genes and deep pockets.

  Bernadette had worked hard clawing her way out of the projects of southeast Washington, DC, for the opportunity to be in the company of men like Walter. She’d earned excellent grades in high school, which had given her a full ride scholarship at Georgetown University. Getting into such a prestigious college had allowed her to join the right social and professional organizations, and those accomplishments had provided her access to attend the right churches, socialize with the right people, and land the right, well-paying corporate jobs. This was all in an effort to meet the right kind of man with whom she could build a happily-ever-after life. Walter Pearson had checked off the boxes for what Bernadette had deemed a good catch, and from their first hello, she’d been determined to have him.

&
nbsp; “He’s perfect,” she’d told her mother.

  “Ain’t no such thing as a perfect anything, let alone a perfect man,” her mother had quickly rebuffed.

  “Well, he’s perfect for me!” Bernadette had shot back.

  Bernadette loved her mother dearly, but she also felt that her mother’s bitterness toward men often clouded her judgment. Bernadette’s parents had divorced when she was five years old. Her father had cheated on her mother for years before finally leaving her for a much younger woman, the pain of which her mother had never overcome. Growing up, Bernadette couldn’t recall ever seeing her mother date or show affection toward a man, and she’d never supported Bernadette in any of her relationships, always giving her boyfriends a serious side-eye. So when her mother objected to Walter and told Bernadette that he was a snake who couldn’t be trusted, that warning went unheeded.

  Bernadette loved that Walter was equally determined to have her—but what she hadn’t realized was that his dogged pursuit was for vastly different reasons than her desire to be with him—and he’d played his hand like a professional croupier, dealing out deceit coated-lies. He’d wooed her with candlelit dinners at upscale restaurants, taken her for long, romantic walks in the park, and surprised her at home and at her job with weekly bouquets of softly hued flowers accompanied by sweet notes that read “Just Because” and “You Mean So Much to Me.” Walter had even cooked gourmet meals for her in his marble-tiled, stainless steel cook’s kitchen, replete with signature cocktails on his sprawling lanai and ending with hours of beautiful lovemaking.

  Walter was always on time, always answered his cell phone when Bernadette called, always treated her with respect, and always did exactly what he said he was going to do. Bernadette had known that men like Walter were like unicorns, especially in the dog-eat-dog dating pool of eligible men in Washington, DC. Looking for a good man who was straight, employed, and single with no attachments or serious baggage was the equivalent to mining for gold; the prospect of striking the mark was extremely slim.

  “I feel like I need to pinch you, and myself,” Bernadette had said to Walter, “to make sure you, and this, is real. This seems too good to be true, which my mother says it is. And I guess a part of me believes her because no one has ever treated me like this.”

  Walter paused for a quiet moment, then looked directly into Bernadette’s eyes. “Bernie, I understand where your mother is coming from because she loves you and she’s just being protective like any parent would. I can’t speak for the men who came before me, but I can assure you that I don’t want any to come after me. I want to be your one and only, because you’re my one and only. I love you, Bernadette.”

  Tears formed in Bernadette’s eyes. “I love you too, Walter.”

  Statistics had told Bernadette that as a single, middle-aged African American woman with a college degree, making a mid-six-figure salary, living in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in the heart of the nation’s capital, her meeting and marrying an African American man of equal standing was a long shot. She counted herself lucky to have a man like Walter in hot pursuit of her affections, professing his love for her. She thought he was a dream come true, and after a three-month-long whirlwind romance, Walter proposed with a flawless, brilliant cut, four-carat Tiffany ring. Bernadette enthusiastically said yes and within days she picked out a date and began interviewing caterers and florists for what she envisioned was going to be a wedding to rival all weddings.

  “Bernie, I don’t trust him,” Bernadette’s mother had said, when against Bernadette’s better judgment, she’d asked her mother to accompany her as she tried on wedding dresses.

  “Mom, please. For once can’t you just be happy for me, or at least don’t discourage me? I’ve finally found someone who loves me, and I love him.”

  Her mother shook her head. “I love you too much to lie to you, baby. You’re my only child, and I wouldn’t tell you anything untrue or that I thought would hurt you. I’m trying to help you,” she’d said as she’d assisted Bernadette out of the ivory-colored sheath wedding dress she’d just tried on.

  “I thought this was going to be a great mother/daughter moment for us, and that it would help you get over your bitterness so you’d find a way to be happy for me. If I’d known you were going to act this way I would have never asked you to come.”

  Her mother snickered. “Is that what you think? You think I’m not happy for you because I’m bitter?”

  “You’ve never gotten over what my father did to you, and you’ve let your anger and resentment rule your life. But, Mom, as much as I love you, I can’t allow you to poison my relationship with Walter or cast a shadow over the happiness I feel when I’m with him.”

  Bernadette’s mother reached out, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Oh, honey, you don’t have a clue. Yes, I might be bitter, but don’t mistake my shortcomings as a reason for why I think your relationship with Walter isn’t going to last. Trust me, time will prove me right.”

  Bernadette’s mother/daughter dress-shopping excursion came to an abrupt halt, as did their daily phone calls. Bernadette vowed to surround herself only with people who were supportive of her relationship with, and impending marriage to, Walter.

  With more determination than ever, Bernadette continued her wedding plans. She knew that Walter’s custom-built, seven-thousand-square-foot home would be the perfect setting to celebrate what would be the beginning of their fairy-tale life together. His home sat on several acres of land in Prince George’s County, close to a beautiful man-made lake, and Bernadette couldn’t wait to host a lavish outdoor wedding befitting the power couple that she and Walter had become. She couldn’t imagine being any happier than she was today because although at her age she had ruled out the possibility of having children, her dream of growing old with someone was finally within reach. But one month after Walter had proposed, Bernadette’s happily-ever-after came to an end with breakneck speed.

  Walter’s work schedule had been hectic ever since they’d met, which made the fact that he always found a way to make himself available to her even more special in Bernadette’s eyes. But after he’d proposed, his long hours kicked into overdrive.

  “I’m working hard so you won’t have to,” he told Bernadette one evening over steak, lobster tails, and vintage wine.

  She’d been so touched by his dedication to their relationship and the loving care he consistently showed for her that she wanted to do something special to show her appreciation for his thoughtfulness.

  Wednesdays were Walter’s work from home days, so Bernadette decided to surprise him with lunch from Panera Bread, which was the spot of their first lunch date. She slipped inside Walter’s house unnoticed through a side entrance near his garage. She planned to set up their romantic feast of delicious sandwiches, savory soup, and tasty pastries in his bedroom and then cap off the meal with an afternoon tryst. She smiled with anticipation because she knew Walter would be pleasantly caught off guard and thrilled about spending time with her.

  Bernadette didn’t think Walter was home because she hadn’t seen his luxury sedan when she’d peeped into his garage, so she was startled when she heard his voice booming from the direction of his home office. But instead of sounding his usual calm, confident, and polished self, his voice had taken on a hard edge, filled with the frustration and desperation of someone about to lose control. Bernadette was shocked and momentarily couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “Uh-huh, yeah . . . I understand,” Walter said to the person on the other end. “I’m tellin’ you, just give me a little time and I’ll get you your hundred grand in another month or two after I lock up this trick I’m about to marry.”

  Bernadette covered her mouth in disbelief as she continued to listen to her real-life nightmare unfold.

  Walter smirked on his end. “Yeah, man, the one you saw me with last month . . . yeah, she’s gonna be my ticket to easy street, and once we make things legal I’ll have access to everything s
he’s got. And I’ll need it, too, ’cause trying to pay for all these fancy restaurants and flowers is adding up.”

  Bernadette continued to listen to a story that sounded as if it was ripped from a novel. Walter went on to say that he didn’t have the money to pay off his $100,000 gambling debt because every penny he made went to spousal support for three ex-wives and child support for seven children, not to mention the fact that his girlfriend on the side had just announced she was pregnant with his child.

  Bernadette was rendered motionless and speechless in the middle of Walter’s hallway, tightly gripping her Panera Bread to-go bag. But slowly, she summoned the strength to put one foot in front of the other and make her way into Walter’s office.

  Walter kept talking on the phone, oblivious to the fact that Bernadette was standing in his doorway. “You son of a bitch!” Bernadette yelled.

  Walter’s eyes enlarged to the size of baseballs and his face looked as if he was staring at a ghost. “Baby, I can explain.”

  “My mother was right about you!” Bernadette threw the cup of fresh-squeezed lemonade she was holding and hit Walter square in his face, then she reached into the bag, pulled out a steaming hot container of broccoli-cheddar soup and drenched him in the creamy greenish-yellow liquid.

  But in that instant, Bernadette realized she’d gone too far because Walter flew into a rage.