Prologue

“Jesse James.”

At the sound of the low raspy voice, the nineteen-year-old college student swung around. Her eyes roamed the crowd of people flooding the quadrangle, in search of a familiar face. She found several. However, the only person trying to get her attention was an old lady standing behind a booth at the edge of the carnival.

“Chile, you hear me talkin’ to ya?”

Jesse removed a pair of sunglasses perched on her short straight nose. Gazing across the green grass, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How do you know my name?”

A secretive smile formed on the old woman’s lips. “I’m supposed to know.”

Yeah, right. The teenager didn’t believe that for one moment, but decided to leave well enough alone, for now.

Jesse took a quick glance at the sign over the booth: Ms. Persia, Fortune-Teller. You’ve got to be kidding. She’d never been superstitious and thought psychics to be a lot of bull.

“Come on over here, chile.” The frail turban-wearing woman crooked an index finger and signaled the teenager to move closer. She obviously sensed Jesse’s hesitation because she added, “You don’t have to believe, just listen to what the crystal ball has to say.”

Frowning, Jesse looked around. Students were everywhere. But where was Chanelle? She mumbled a string of choice words under her breath. Her best friend had to be behind this. Ever since she had come out from using the port-a-potty, Chanelle had been nowhere to be found. Jesse could bet she was somewhere close by, watching and laughing.

Jesse turned her attention back to the woman waiting anxiously for her response. Okay, I’ll play along. “Alright, how much is this going to cost?” she asked as she strolled forward.

“Five dollars.”

Jesse grumbled as she placed her glasses in her purse and removed a five-dollar bill. Five dollars was a lot for a struggling college student. The least Chanelle could have done was prepay the woman. Unlike most of her friends at the University of Illinois-Chicago, UIC, her parents weren’t paying her way. She was fortunate enough to have earned a full-scholarship. Even then, she still worked a part-time job to cover her daily living expenses. “Okay.”

As Ms. Persia’s long thin fingers caressed the crystal, Jesse fixed her eyes on the woman’s exotic features. Her mahogany complexion was pulled taunt over high cheekbones. She had a long nose, big lips and slanted eyes that were as dark as blackberries. The only signs of aging were her wrinkled hands and bony fingers.

The rays of the sun cast marvelous green shadows on the ball and to her surprise, Jesse found the object fascinating. Shifting her gaze back to the fortune-teller, Jesse discovered Ms. Persia staring intensely at the beautiful object, as if she were peeking through a window.

“I see the word Will.”

Jesse arched a sweeping, curved eyebrow. “Will?”

“Maybe Wayne…no, it’s Will. He will change your life forever,” she predicted with a decisive nod of the head.

Whatever. No man was ever going to change her life. Her last two boyfriends had destroyed any fantasy she might have had about finding her soul mate. She and the male gender didn’t mix. And as far as Jesse was concerned, a man was the last thing she needed. Without another word, she thanked the woman for wasting her time and walked away.

“There will also be a baby,” Ms. Persia called after her.

Jesse stopped in her tracks, then spun on the heels of her sneakers. “A baby? Me?”

“Yes, a baby boy,” she replied with a nod.

“Lady, you’re crazy!” Jesse was cracking up as she turned and moved into the thick of the crowd. Having a baby required the help of a man. Both were the farthest things from her mind.