Before Cree could leave, Essence blocked her path.
“You’re here now. You might as well come in and join the rest of us for girls’ night. You know, the night that has been planned for two weeks, and the one that you’re an hour late for.”
“Crap. I forgot.”
“Clearly,” Dorian said from behind her, and Cree turned to glare at her youngest sister. At some point, she had moved across the room and now stood a couple of feet behind her. “You can’t leave now Cree. We want to know who you’ve been swapping spit with.”
“Oh, my gawd. You’ve been spending too much time with Nyla because that sounds like some crap she would say!” Cree grumbled and rubbed her forehead, trying to decide if she should stick around or get out now.
She moved away from the front door and stood on the edge of the living room. The last thing she wanted to do was share her personal business. But she might not have a choice considering the way four sets of eyes were watching her.
Nyla poured tequila into two shot glasses, then crossed the room wearing an oversized suit jacket, a sports bra beneath it, and ripped jeans along with combat boots. “How about a little liquid courage to get you started?”
Cree huffed out a breath and took one of the glasses. She clinked it against Nyla’s, then slammed it back, cringing as the strong liquor burned its way down the back of her throat. And already, it was helping.
She handed the glass back to her sister. “Make it a double, and I’ll stick around.”
“Deal.”
Cree followed Nyla farther into the living room, dropped down in the recliner, and threw back a second shot.
“Now, start talking,” Raven said as she piled snack food onto a small plate. The others did the same, and Cree marveled at how well their sister-in-law fit with the family. It was like she’d been a Priestly forever.
She and Cree’s brother, Zion, had first met in Vegas. Their one-night stand produced a set of the most adorable twins, but Zion and the rest of the family hadn’t found out until recently. While in Vegas, he and Raven had only exchanged first names. So when she later learned she was pregnant, she had no way of reaching him. Thankfully, fate played a hand at them running into each other at Cree’s family’s bed and breakfast. Needless to say, they were all shocked by the news, but Raven and the kids were a gift.
Cree fixed a plate, loaded it with cheese, crackers, pepperoni, and a few grapes. No one spoke as she took her time piling on the food while deciding how much to share. The tequila did its job. She felt more relaxed than she had all day, and her mind was clearer. Clear enough to come up with a way to buy herself some time.
“I’ll share a little about my mystery man, but only after Dorian tells us what’s going on with the wedding.”
“Seriously, Cree? You do realize you were over an hour late getting here,” Nyla snapped. “We already talked all things weddings. You’re just stalling.”
“So Dorian, how are the plans going?” Cree asked, ignoring Nyla who threw a handful of grapes at her.
“I hope you know you’re cleaning that up,” Essence said in what they referred to as her momma voice while she glared at Nyla. “What you’re not going to do is come in here throwing food. Now pick it up!”
Nyla dropped to her knees to pick up the grapes, and Cree couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face.
“Cree, quit playing around and tell them,” Essence said, and Cree huffed out a breath.
“Fine. You guys know I don’t like people in my business. So if I tell you what’s going on, you have to promise to keep it to yourself. You can’t even tell your husbands or soon to be husbands. Do we have a deal?”
“Come on, Cree! You know if I told Harrison to keep it to himself, he wouldn’t say anything.”
“The same with Lynix,” Dorian said, frowning. “What is it? Did you kill someone?”
“Cree, I have a feeling, Tristan is here to stay,” Essence said quietly. “Just tell them.”
Cree kept her mouth shut. All these years she’d been able to keep her secrets from her family, but Essence was right. Tristan wasn’t going anywhere, and Cree knew her resolve was weakening where he was concerned. She just didn’t know what she’d do with him yet.
Raven threw up her hands. “Fine. We won’t say anything, and I won’t tell your brother. Just spill it.”
“She’s right, we’ll keep your secrets. Now who’s the mystery man?” Dorian asked. “I’ve been dying to know since seeing him at Jada’s boutique.”
“Fine. His name is Tristan Whitmore… and he’s my ex-husband.”
Chapter Thirteen
Cree almost laughed at her sisters’ wide eyes and mouths hanging open. She knew she could trust them, but she just wasn’t good at sharing. Maybe it was time she stopped making a big deal about the past and tell them a little about her and Tristan.
