Working Through It Excerpt

Would you accept a promotion if taking the job meant you had to work closely with your ex? The ex whose heart you broke years ago and who had nothing but evil eyes and aspirated sighs whenever you entered a room. That’s exactly what Travis is debating in this excerpt from Working Through It, releasing on March 15.

Working Through It Excerpt

“I’m going to decline,” Travis said, tossing his napkin on his plate.

“Wait . . . what?” Regina asked, running her hand across her curly auburn hair.

Travis and Regina Beaumont had been dating a little over a year, recently becoming engaged.

They met at the Atlanta Breakfast Club one Saturday as Travis was nursing a hangover. Even with his head pounding in his ears, he knew right away that Regina was beautiful, smart, and easy to talk to. He learned later she was also predictable, which he loved because he knew exactly what to expect with her. To some, Travis’s life may have seemed boring, but he preferred routine: daily devotional every morning at 5:30; hit the gym by 6:15. Every Tuesday night, he and Regina cooked dinner together and watched an old ’90s movie afterward.

“I just think it’s more trouble than it’s worth.” He rubbed his hand across her light, golden-hued cheek before grabbing her plate. Dishes clanged as he washed their plates and utensils. e wanted to learn all that he could, but having to do that alongside Makayla would be corrosive. The one thing he hated was messy, overdramatic, know-it-alls. Even though he worked at a church, he tried to ignore gossip, which was difficult when rumors spread like wildfire through the congregation. Most importantly, he did his best not to create, invite, or associate with drama. There were always stories circulating about Brother So-and-So or Sister What’s-Her-Name. Travis believed in minding the business that paid him and distancing himself from people who seemed to revel in others’ plight.

“Because of Makayla? I get it may be weird at first, but if you set the tone early, she’ll fall in line,” Regina said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Travis scoffed. “Maybe, but I highly doubt it.” Regina didn’t know Makayla like he did. She wasn’t the type of woman who would just “fall in line.” She was the type of woman who would listen to his plan then present a thirty-page PowerPoint presentation explaining all the ways his plan sucked and why he was an idiot for even suggesting it.

“Look at me.” Regina grabbed his chin, forcing it downward. “Pastor Randolph said you needed more ministry experience, and here he is laying it at your feet. This promotion could be really big for you. You do have a fiancée you’ll eventually need to support,” she teased.

“You’re right. I have to keep you laced with expensive bottled water.” He shook an empty bottle of Smartwater in her face.

“It tastes better.”

“It really doesn’t. The filtered water from the fridge—”

“We are not doing this. Stop trying to change the subject.” Regina snatched the bottle from his hand and tossed it in the trash. “Pastor Randolph chose you because he trusts you can get stuff done.”

“He didn’t just choose me. He chose me and Makayla. He has to know that’s not going to work.” Truth be told, Travis hadn’t had a productive conversation with that woman in years, so expecting them to somehow come together and lead was asking a lot.

Regina plopped onto the tweed gray sectional with a stubborn fold to her arms.

She didn’t understand how deep the acrimony between him and Makayla ran. How could she, when he had always been so cryptic about their past. Their being Travis and Makayla. The most he would ever tell Regina was that they dated, and, ultimately, it didn’t work out. He knew she would eventually hear the stories from loose lips at church about just how serious his six-year relationship with Makayla had been.

She would hear about the way his eyes would come to life when Makayla entered the room. Or the way his hands instinctively found hers whenever she was near. How, mid-sentence, he would be rendered speechless, dumbfounded by the little dimple that would appear at the corner of her mouth when he made her smile. Everyone had a past; he just hoped Regina couldn’t tell how his past still affected him.

For more, check out Working Through It when it releases on March 15 or reserve your signed paperback copy now using the link. Preorder Signed Copy.

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