Page 4 of Through the Fire

“Be with you in a second,” I called out before continuing what I was doing.

A husky voice broke through the silence piquing my interest.

“Take your time, ma’am. My homeboy Jayce told me to check this place out. My baby girl is suffering from a bad flare-up of eczema, and I need something to help take the pain away.”

His voice sounded, so desperate I prayed I had a solution for him. Hearing my brother’s name had me standing to check this stranger out. When I turned, he was glancing up at one of the shelves hiding most of his face. He was six foot two and had bulging biceps, even though his hands were tucked in the pockets of his black Dickies. When he finally turned to look at me, I saw the emblem of Rosewind Fire on his right side and understood his body reflected the physical strength and endurance of someone who worked a physically demanding job.

Ledisi’s “Alright” flowed through the speakers of the shop. I would know those hooded hazel eyes and bushy eyebrows anywhere. Even though it’d been years, his face was still buried somewhere in the back of my mind. I was always curious about the boy with pretty eyes who loved to play pranks on me with my brother.

“Shyheim?” I hesitantly called his name.

His eyebrows knitted together in the middle of his smooth forehead before recognition flooded his features.

“Island?”

I smiled with a nod. “That would be me.”

A dazzling smile morphed his hardened features into a gentle, mouthwatering masterpiece. Shyheim had skin the color of milk chocolate with a curly fade and deep dimples in his cheeks. His nose was slightly crooked with pink, full lips that looked like they were soft outlined by a thin mustache and short goatee. Dressed in his uniform, I couldn’t lie and say he didn’t look damn good. Heim was always a little troublemaker, so I was happy to see he’d done something good with his life.

“Come give me some love, girl. It’s been forever.” His request caught me off guard, yet I somehow found the bravery to cross the distance and walk right into his spread arms. He squished me into his wide chest, causing me to stiffen. I hadn’t felt the touch of a man that wasn’t related to me in a long time. His touch coupled with his smoky scent awakened desires in me I never wanted to feel again. I stepped away quickly.

“So, uhh… What are you doing here?” I questioned him, ignoring the skeptical look on his face.

He ran a hand over his soft, curly black hair.

“Jayce told me you might be able to help me.” I realized this must’ve been what he was trying to tell me earlier when I was zoned out from Rashad’s message. Shyheim reached into his back pocket for his phone.

“I have some pictures.”

He stepped closer, once again, popping my bubble of safety. I inhaled slowly, trying to keep it together. An image appeared on the screen that made me want to cry.

“It’s gotten so bad, and nothing is helping. Please, tell me you have something in here that can save my baby from her misery.”

The desperation in his tone had me looking from the picture to his face. He looked so helpless it pulled at my heartstrings. Nothing had been able to do that in a long time.

“Poor baby,” I whispered with a shake of my head. “I know what that’s like. Do you have another photo?”

Of course, he did. He was a man on a mission. She was suffering from eczema in all the nooks and crannies on her body. I knew she was going through the worst kind of hell. Eczema felt like your skin was on fire. No baby should have to experience that pain.

Stepping away from him, I drifted to one of the shelves. Searching through everything I had for sensitive skin, I debated on what would be best. Once I found my healing ointment, I calledWater Lily, I headed back over. I handed him the jar with a warning.

“Now, I can’t make any promises, but I believe this should help.”

Hope sparked in his eyes as he accepted the jar, examining it. “I’ll try anything at this point. I’m desperate.”

The corners of his mouth folded down. When he glanced back up at me, those hazel pools were wet with worry.

“She cried herself to sleep last night. I never want another night like that again.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, showing signs of stress. His hope fell on my shoulders like a ton of bricks. His attractiveness was making it hard to think or even breathe. I dropped my eyes quickly, unable to handle his hope but knowing I couldn’t turn away from helping them.

“I understand. Come on. Let me check you out.”

He followed me to the register. His shadow overpowered mine because of how tall he was. I ignored how intriguing that was to focus on the task at hand—getting him out of my shop and away from me. I took the jar he handed to me and quickly scanned the barcode.

“Who would’ve guessed your worrisome tail would become someone’s daddy,” I teased. “I hope she is not half the trouble you were.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Right. I never thought I’d see the day, but now, I can’t see life without my Smiley.”

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