Zaire surprised Harold by giving him a hug. “It’s good to see you, cousin.”
He walked over to Barbara and gave her the flowers. “I hope that you don’t mind, but I brought someone with me.”
Looking past him, Barbara asked, “Where is she?”
“She’s outside talking to Livi and Blaze.”
“Is it Amy?” Zaire inquired.
Harold nodded.
Zaire bit back her smile. She recalled that he and Amy had spent most of the evening talking and dancing at Livi and Blaze’s wedding reception.
Barbara escorted Harold to the patio, where Malcolm was heating up the grill.
“Is there something I’m missing?” Tyrese asked. “Who is Amy?”
“Livi’s friend,” Zaire responded. “They met when Livi and Blaze got married.”
Just then, Livi and Amy walked inside, laughing and talking.
“That’s Amy?”
Zaire smiled and nodded. “I think Harold’s got a thing for her. They make a cute couple. I just hope he won’t hurt her.”
* * *
Harold’s sister arrived with her fiancé.
“Is that my brother’s car out there?” Meredith asked.
“Yes,” Sage responded as she laid the sleeping baby on a blanket someone had spread on the sofa. “He’s out back with Dad.”
“I’m so glad he decided to come.” Meredith glanced over at Amy and waved. “They have been seeing a lot of each other,” she whispered.
Zaire found that Harold possessed stellar skills on the basketball court.
When he made his third three-pointer, she yelled, “I see you, Harold. You go—”
“Hey, stop cheering for my opponent,” Tyrese told her.
She laughed. “I’m sorry, babe.” Zaire put her hands to her mouth. “You go, Tyrese. I see you.”
“That’s a pity cheer,” he complained from across the court.
“No, it isn’t,” Zaire yelled back.
“Yeah, it was,” Sage told her. They were seated next to each other on the newly installed bleachers. Baby Honor was in the house with their mother.
Natasha and Ari joined them.
“Where are the babies?” Zaire asked. “And my little man, Joshua?”
“Christian and Crystal are in the nursery with your mother and my mom,” Natasha said. “Joshua is over there with your dad. He wants to learn how to grill.”
Natasha glanced down at Zaire’s hand. “Oh, my goodness! You’re getting married.”
Ari took his attention off the game. “Who’s getting married?”
“I am,” Zaire stated.
“Wow. I didn’t know you two were that serious. Are you sure you aren’t moving too fast?”
She boldly met her brother’s gaze. “Ari, I love him and he loves me. Why shouldn’t we get married?”
Natasha laughed. “He’s just messing with you, Zaire.”
“Did you see her?” he asked Natasha. “She was about to take my head off.”
Zaire gave him a playful slap on the arm. “I was not. I was just letting you know that when two people love each other the way Tyrese and I do—the next step is marriage. I figured you should know that since you married Natasha.”
“I’m really happy for you, sis.”
“Thanks, Ari,” Zaire responded. “I’ve never been this happy. It defies all reason.”
Natasha nodded in agreement. “I know that feeling well.”
Ari embraced his wife and planted a kiss on her forehead.
Zaire smiled as she observed her brother’s affection for his wife. She was looking forward to raising a family with Tyrese and growing old together. In a few short months, she would be his wife.
* * *
The next six months flew by, bringing them closer to their wedding day.
Zaire packed up to go home and then stopped by Tyrese’s office.
“I’ll call you later,” Zaire said from the doorway. “I’m meeting Sage and Livi for dinner.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Tyrese told her as he pushed away from his desk.
They took the elevator down to the lobby area.
“Have you ordered your tuxedo yet?” Zaire asked as she scanned through a checklist on her iPhone.
Tyrese shook his head. “I’m going by the store on Friday. I’ll do it then.”
She gave a short, impatient sigh.
He looked puzzled. “What?”
“Babe, we leave on Wednesday for the Daniels Auto retreat. You won’t be in town on Friday.”
“That’s right,” he responded. “I’ll take care of it tomorrow, sweetheart. I promise.”
Zaire gave him a look that clearly said that she didn’t believe him at all.
“I will,” he insisted. “I will order it tomorrow.”
Zaire made a mental note to follow up with Tyrese. He already owned several tuxes, but she wanted a custom one for their wedding. She had spoken with two fashion designers before deciding on the one who would create their wedding attire.
“I hope you’re not upset with me.”
She kissed him on the lips. “I’m not angry with you, babe. I just need you to get fitted so that we can order your tux.”
“I won’t let you down, sweetheart. I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
Zaire smiled at him. “I know that.”
Tyrese waited until she was safely in the car and driving out of the garage before he returned to his office.
He walked into his office to find a woman dressed in black waiting for him.
“Kennedy, what are you doing here?” Tyrese was glad that Zaire had already left the building. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“Every time I’ve tried to talk to you, you hang up on me. Ty, you treated me like dirt in New York. If this was just about me, you would never hear from me again, but it isn’t.”
“What are you talking about, Kennedy?”
She held up a photograph. “This is about him.”
Tyrese felt as if he had been kicked in the gut. “What does this child have to do with me?”
“He’s your son,” Kennedy announced with a smile. “Yours and mine.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I found out that I was pregnant right after you left Chicago,” she told him. “The truth is that I thought Ross was the father. We found out that he wasn’t a couple of years ago when Matt got sick. Ross left me when he found out.”
Tyrese shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t be happening.”
“Ty, we have a child together, and I want you to get to know Matt. He’s such a beautiful little boy.”
“Kennedy, you are a liar and you will say anything to get what you want. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you.”
“Our son is five years old and he needs his father. He needs you.”
“I want a paternity test.”
She looked offended. “I’ve already told you that Ross divorced me because Matt is not his son.” Kennedy pulled a document out of her purse. “Here are his results. They clearly state that he is not the father.”
“I’m getting married.”
“Do you really want to go through with a marriage when we have a child together?”
Tyrese couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You can’t actually believe that I would leave Zaire for you.”
“Maybe you won’t do it for me, but what about Matt? He needs you.” Kennedy walked over to him. “I still love you so much. I’m sorry for all of the lies, but if you’d give me another chance—”
He cut her off. “No. I don’t want anything to do with you. If Matt is my son, then I will be a father to him, but as for you—what we had is over.
Zaire is my life.”
“How do you think she’s going to feel about you having a child with another woman?”
“It happened long before I met her. Zaire and I will work through this situation.”
Kennedy shrugged. “I hope that you’re right.”
“I need some time to digest this news,” he stated.
“Okay,” she murmured. “I will be out of the country for about a month. This should give you enough time to figure out the best way to handle this situation. I know that you will do the right thing.”
When she left, Tyrese sat down at his desk with his hands to his face. He had no idea how he was going to tell Zaire.
* * *
Zaire noted that something was going on with Tyrese. He had been quieter than normal for the past couple of days. He had gotten fitted for his tux and the order had been placed, much to her relief.
They were en route to Denver, Colorado, for the Daniels Auto retreat. She reached over and covered his hand with her own. “What’s wrong?”
He looked at her. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“You look troubled,” she responded. “Did something happen that I don’t know about? Tyrese, you don’t have to keep anything from me. You know how I hate secrets.”
“Honey, everything is fine,” Tyrese said. “We are getting married soon. This should be our main focus.”
“It is,” she told him, “but I am worried about you.”
Tyrese kissed her. “Don’t be. I’m okay.”
He was keeping something from her. Zaire was sure of it, but she had no idea of what it could be. She wished that he would confide in her.
Tyrese worked most of the flight to Denver. She moved to sit beside Max to avoid disturbing him.
The plane landed in Denver shortly after ten o’clock. They were whisked by limo to the Willow Creek Ranch.
“I really hope that everything goes well this weekend,” Zaire said. “If it does, then Bill is going to sign a five-year contract with us.”
Tyrese patted her hand. “It’s going to be perfect.”
She smiled. “No event is ever really perfect, babe. But I hope to get as close to it as possible.”
He still wore that distracted look on his face, which troubled Zaire. She didn’t need this right now. She needed to focus on the retreat, making sure that everything went according to plan.
Later, when they checked into their room, Zaire confronted him. “Tyrese, please talk to me. I know that something is going on with you.”
“I just have some issues on a project,” he said. “Honey, I’m not going to do you any good here. Why don’t I fly back to Los Angeles?”
Zaire hid her disappointment. “If that’s what you want to do.”
“I think it’s best,” he told her. “If I can get this taken care of quickly—I’ll fly back down on Friday.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Okay. Hopefully, I’ll see you on Friday.”
* * *
He wanted desperately to confide in Zaire, but now was not the right time. She was producing her first event, and Tyrese did not want anything to distract her. He also feared losing Zaire. He knew how she felt about family. She would rather give up her own happiness than keep Tyrese from his own child.
He was still not sure whether Kennedy was telling the truth about Matt. Until he knew without a doubt that the little boy was his son, Tyrese was not going to say anything to Zaire. He would use the next couple of days to get himself together, and then he would fly back to Denver to be with Zaire.
Leaving in the first place had been a mistake, Tyrese realized. He was going to make it up to her. He knew exactly what to do.
* * *
Zaire gasped in surprise when she entered her hotel suite. “When did you get here?” she asked Tyrese.
“An hour ago,” he responded.
She fell into his arms. “I missed you so much. Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming?”
“I wanted to make it a special night for you,” Tyrese replied. “I’ve ordered dinner for us—none of that healthy stuff that you all have been eating all day. We even have chocolate.”
She clapped her hands in delight. “Yes...”
He covered her mouth with his, kissing her with his entire being.
Zaire matched him kiss for kiss.
She didn’t protest when he picked her up and carried her over to the bed.
Tyrese undressed her and then removed his own clothes.
He joined her beneath the covers.
Zaire clung to him, kissing him passionately as they made love.
Afterward, she lay in his arms. “Dinner was a bust, but at least we still have chocolate.”
Tyrese laughed. “If you’re hungry, I can order more food.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” Zaire sat up in bed. “I’m glad to see that you’re back to your old self, babe. I guess everything worked out the way you wanted it.”
“Not really,” Tyrese said, “but I’m working on it.”
She kissed him. “I’m so glad that you came back. Now it feels like everything is going to work out great.”
“I can’t wait to marry you,” Tyrese stated with a grin. “You know...we don’t have to wait. We can get married right away.”
She gave him a sidelong look. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I’m ready to make you my wife.”
“We’re getting married in a few weeks,” she reminded him. “Everything is all planned.”
He met her gaze. “So you want to wait?”
“Yes,” she told Tyrese. “I love you and I’m very excited about marrying you, but Max and I have worked hard planning this wedding. It’s going to be perfect.”
“I know it will,” he said. “Because you are going to be my wife.”
Chapter 21
The week after the retreat, Zaire and Tyrese joined Harold in France to check out the villa she had suggested for his company’s retreat. This was the last business trip she and Tyrese would take before their wedding, which would be in two weeks.
Saint-Tropez was instantly one of Zaire’s favorite places to visit. She fell in love with the pink, orange and deep red town houses that framed the flotilla-filled port. “Tyrese, the city is everything that I read it was. I could actually live here.”
He smiled. “Is that a hint?”
“No,” she responded. “I just think it’s beautiful and picturesque. I’m sure it inspires artists from all over.”
They walked hand in hand along the waterfront.
“Are you ready to head back to the hotel?” Tyrese asked. “We’re meeting Harold for lunch in an hour.”
“Can we stop at this shop for a moment?”
Tyrese looked down at the four bags in his left hand. “You don’t think we’ve done enough shopping already?”
“We can get an early start on Christmas shopping this year.”
He kissed her. “Anything you want, sweetheart.”
Zaire took a few photographs of interesting studios and historical structures. Her favorite was the Musée de l’Annonciade.
They headed back to the hotel.
Harold was already seated and looking through the menu when they arrived.
“How long have you been waiting?” Zaire asked.
“Not long,” he responded with a warm smile. “I hope that you two enjoyed your sightseeing.”
“You should have joined us.” Zaire picked up her menu.
“I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Harold, you’re family. You are not intruding.”
She glanced around the dining area and smiled. “I love the decor.”
Tyrese glanced up. “It is nice.”
<
br /> When their food arrived, Zaire announced, “The food smells delicious. I sound like a tourist, don’t I?”
Tyrese and Harold both laughed.
“Well, I am a tourist. This is my first trip to France, but it definitely won’t be my last. I love it here in Saint-Tropez.”
Tyrese agreed.
“Harold, I hope that you don’t mind my asking, but are you and Amy dating?” Zaire wondered.
He looked at her. “We are exploring the concept.”
Zaire laughed. “I like the way you put that.” She held up a hand. “You can relax. I won’t ask any more questions.”
“It’s fine. I really like Amy, and we are just taking it one day at a time.”
“She seems really nice,” Zaire said.
After lunch, Harold announced, “I’m going to meet up with a friend I went to college with. We can meet for breakfast tomorrow morning if you’d like.”
“That’s fine,” Zaire replied. “Have fun.”
“So what are we going to do now?” Tyrese asked as they took the elevator to the floor they were staying on.
“I have an idea. We can...” She leaned over to whisper in his ear.
“I’m right behind you.”
* * *
“When I was growing up, I always dreamed of going to Disneyland or Disney World—it didn’t matter which,” Tyrese said. “My parents couldn’t afford it. The first time I ever came out here was for a special event.”
Zaire embraced him. “I love you so much.”
“You have given me a reason to live, sweetheart. My life has taken on new meaning since the day you walked into 640 San Vincente.”
“Tomorrow, you will be my husband. We will have our happily ever after.” She broke into a grin. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
“We can always elope,” Tyrese suggested.
“My parents would probably kill us both if we ran off and got married,” she told him. “Look, this is Mickey’s house.”
“I love seeing you so happy,” he said with a grin.
She surveyed his face. “You know, you could look a little more excited at the thought of my being your wife.”
There were times when Zaire thought she detected something intense in Tyrese’s gaze, but she could not be sure. Perhaps there was something still going on at work. He did not seem to want to discuss whatever it was with her. He was a private man, and she realized that there were some things he would never share with her.
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