Page 53 of Finding You
“You’re right. You look too good to waste all that,” Nyla said, waving her hand up and down at Raven, “on my knuckleheaded brother.”
Raven giggled. “Oh, it wouldn’t be a waste. Your little brother is worthy of all this and more.”
Nyla pretended she was gagging, and they all started laughing. “But seriously, come to the club tonight,” she said of Moody Days, the jazz club she owned. “My man is performing this evening. I’ll even treat you to a drink and some wings.”
“She’s such a big spender,” Cree cracked, and Nyla threw the robe she’d been wearing earlier at her.
“Hey, we all ain’t ballin’ like you, sis, but maybe one day. Just not today.”
Another round of laughter ensued as they headed out. Raven couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much fun, and she was so glad she hadn’t backed out on attending. The best part of the day—getting to know Zion’s sisters better and their personalities. They were uniquely different, but it was impossible to miss how much they cared for each other.
Family.That’s what it was all about, and Raven finally got a taste of what it was like to have siblings. If things continued to blossom between her and Zion, maybe she’d one day be able to call the Priestly family her family.
Anything’s possible.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Raven tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and bobbed her head to the beat of Luther Vandross’s “Power of Love” that was flowing through her SUV’s speakers.
She had to laugh at herself because she couldn’t remember the last time she sang in the car. Clearly, the experience at the spa had done wonders for her mood and her emotional state. That, along with the fact that she had a date tonight, had her happier than she’d been in days.
She grinned and glanced at the rearview mirror, glad the twins weren’t fussy even though they were awake. Instead of Zion picking them up as originally planned from his parents’ house, Raven told him she’d get them. That would give him more time to get home and get changed for their date. He was taking her to Nyla’s jazz club for a nightcap and dancing. Supposedly, Nyla’s boyfriend, Harrison, who was performing tonight, was an amazing saxophone player, and Raven couldn’t wait to hear him play.
“Okay, you two. Auntie Dorian is coming over to babysit,” she said to the twins, as if they understood what she was saying. “And Mommy wants you guys to be on your best behaviorbecause, if you’re good, she might babysit more often. Then your daddy and I can go on more dates. Maybe even once a week.”
Raven exited the freeway, mentally thinking about what she had in her closet to wear. She should’ve allowed herself more time to get ready, but she hadn’t left Virginia and Israel’s cottage until eight. Now, she was going to end up rushing, especially since she wanted to get the babies settled in before she left.
She and Zion weren’t heading to the club until ten, but it was going to take time to pull an outfit together. She wanted to look cute and sexy for her man, but dating had been a thing of the past since giving birth, and her wardrobe reflected it.
Yet another thing to add to her to-do list—update her wardrobe.
“And another thing you two,” she said, “I’m in love with your daddy, and I might ask him…”
What the heck?Raven squinted and slowed the SUV when she was blinded by high-beam headlights coming from the opposite direction. It was a two-lane road, and not very wide, and the car’s lights were making it difficult to see in front of her.
“Dude, you don’t need the high beams,” she grumbled, then gasped when the car crossed over into her lane.
Ohmigod! Ohmigod!
She jerked the steering wheel to get out of the way just as the other vehicle slammed into her. She heard herself scream, but then everything went black.
Zion climbed into his truck after a long day at work, glad he was finally heading home. He had originally planned to have a couple of beers and camp out in front of the television to watch abasketball game. But when Raven called, sounding happier than she had in over a week, he was ready to do whatever she wanted.
His baby didn’t ask for much, and when she mentioned wanting to go to Moody Days, Zion was all in. They needed a date night, and it helped that Dorian had offered to babysit.
After they had returned from their trip to Houston, they asked his sister if she’d be the twin’s godmother. She cried and said she’d be honored, and ever since then, she’d been spending every chance she got with the babies.
The moment Zion started up his truck, his cell phone rang through the speakers, and he was glad to see it was Wiz. Hopefully, he had good news.
“Hey, man. What’s going on?”
“I have news,” Wiz said by way of greeting. “I found the person who helped Maximus at the clinic.”
“Seriously?” Zion dropped back against his seat, and it felt like a load had been lifted off his shoulder.
The last few days had been tense because it was taking Wiz longer than he thought it would to find anything. Maximus had covered his tracks well, but Wiz was confident that someone inside the clinic had to be part of the scheme. He had also considered a hacker could’ve been involved, but he’d wanted to investigate employees first.
“Yeah, man. We got her.”
