Desiree nodded as the elevator door closed. “I’ll take your word for it.”
An hour later, she had to admit that Cobra was right. Eating dinner at the Lucki Pond had been a treat. He told her he loved pork chops as he ordered the Pork Marsala with mushrooms and asparagus. Following his lead, she had done the same, and she hadn’t been disappointed. For dessert, he had chosen a strawberry cheesecake, and she had ordered a chocolate mousse cake.
Knowing that, in life as well as in business, it was important to understand an adversary, she said, “Tell me about your family, Cobra.”
Her question made him look up from his dessert. His dark eyesappraisedher, and she could actually feel heat emitting from them.
“What do you want to know, Desiree?”
“Whatever you want to tell me.”
He took a sip of his wine and then said, “As you know, I’m a triplet, the youngest one. Cortez is seven minutes older thanColton and fifteen minutes older than me.” He chuckled. “Dad claimed he nearly got drunk that night. He and Mom thought they were only having twins. The doctor said I’d been lying low, lurking in the shadows like a snake. That’s why Dad decided to name me Cobra.”
He paused for a moment, then continued. “My parents are still alive and well. They were childhood sweethearts who got married after college, and who, to this day, still love each other deeply. There was never a time we didn’t know the strength of our parents’ love. And we always knew that we were a product of that love.”
Cobra placed his fork down. “We had a health scare with Dad a few years back.”
She lifted a brow. “What happened?”
“He had a heart attack. We were all away from home, in college, and he wasn’t taking care of himself—working long hours, eating whatever he wanted, and not being active. Luckily, he survived and was forced to change his lifestyle and eating habits. Mom, my brothers, and I did, as well. As a family, we all decided to take better care of ourselves.”
She nodded as she eased a slice of cake into her mouth. That had to have been scary for them. She had met his parents at Colton’s wedding. Her grandfather had introduced them to her. She would never have guessed that Mr. Masters had had a heart attack. He’d seemed in good physical shape. Suddenly, she remembered something Cobra had said. “…I try to encourage Richard to stay active and eat healthy in order to live longer.”
Now she knew that what had happened to his father likely had more bearing on why he took such an interest in her grandfather’s physical well-being. She shook her head slightly. It obviously had nothing at all to do with what she had accused him of.
“What about your grandparents? Are they still alive?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.
“No. My grandmother died within months of my grandfather.”
“My goodness. She probably couldn’t go on without him.”
Cobra chuckled. “That wasn’t the case at all. Granddad had been married five times, and Granny three. She was his fourth wife, and he had been her third husband. However, they did maintain a good friendship until the end.”
His words made her curious. “What do you mean?”
“After divorcing wife number five, Granddad Kenneth moved back into the neighborhood. In fact, his place was only a few doors down from where my grandmother lived.”
“You don’t think he was trying to get back with her?”
“No. That ship had sailed. He had been unfaithful, and my grandmother was unforgiving. But Granddad Kenneth wanted to be near his sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He said that moving so close to where my grandmother lived made it easier on everyone. We could visit him whenever we visited our granny. I admit it was nice going from one house to the other without leaving the street. Granny was the only one of his wives who gave him kids. Or, at least, that’s what we had thought for years.”
“He had other kids?”
“Just one. From his first wife. A son that Granddad Kenneth died not knowing about. We only learned about that particular Masters last year.”
“How?” If he thought she was diving too deep into his family’s personal business, he wasn’t saying.
“His first marriage only lasted six months, but when she left, she was pregnant. The baby was born seven months after they divorced. For reasons we have yet to understand, she decided not to ever tell him about it.”
He took another sip of his wine. “Last year, my cousin Quinn got a call from social services in Philadelphia. A twelve-year-old boy named Hayes Masters’ parents had been killed when the store they owned was robbed. Hayes is Kenneth’s great-grandson from his first wife. Her son, Isley, was the child she’d hidden from Kenneth. None of us knew Isley, or anything about his son Sonny. But at least we’re getting to know Hayes.”
“Where is the boy now?”
After picking his fork back up and sliding the last piece of cake into his mouth, Cobra leaned back in his chair. “He’s with Quinn and Alexia.”
She knew Quinn Masters was a well-known entertainment attorney in LA and was married to Grammy Award-winning artist, Alexia Bennett Masters. She had met them at Colton and Kelly’s wedding. “Is he okay?”
“He is, though there was a long adjustment period. After all, he’d just lost both his parents. But thanks to Alexia and Quinn, he’s on the right track. The entire Masters family came together to let him know he was one of us and that we would always be there for him.”
