Page 355 of Kentrell

“You are so beautiful, Zoe…”

Shaniece’s voice pulled me out of my head… soft and full of genuine pride. She was tearing up as she looked me over… something I definitely didn’t need to see, especially after Ayesha had already touched up my makeup for the fifth time this morning. Between this baby and the meaning of this day… I’d been a wreck.

“I knew you would,” Shaniece said, dabbing under her eyes with her knuckle. That’s when I caught sight of the gold watch on her wrist… a delicate blue face catching the light with every motion.

“This…” she noticed my eyes lingering on it and gave a soft laugh, shaking her head like she felt silly for getting emotional. “This was my mama’s watch. She wore it every day ‘cause Daddy gave it to her.”

I didn’t say anything at first… just let her have the moment… but what she didn’t know was that Kentrell had already told me her family’s story.

The way her father had done her mother…

Keeping her tucked away on the other side of town with three of his kids, while he lived a whole other life with a wife and more children somewhere else.

Maybe Shaniece saw her mother’s decision to hold onto this watch as foolish… a reminder of heartbreak.

But me?

I saw the love in it.

Whatever her daddy did… that woman loved him… and keeping his gift was her own way of honoring that love—no matter how complicated it had been.

“I didn’t know if you had something blue,” Shaniece said, shaking herself out of her own thoughts. “Trell told me you was back here, so I came.”

“I don’t, actually… and I love this,” I told her, holding out my wrist without hesitation. “The sentimental value gives me something old… and something blue.”

Her smile wobbled but stayed strong as she fastened it on me, taking her time with the clasp like she didn’t wanna let go too quick.

“What new thing did my son get you?” she teased, twisting her lips like she already knew Kentrell had gone over the top.

I grinned, tilting my head from side to side, showing off the dangling 20-carat raindrop diamond earrings… and the matching dripping necklace stretched across my collarbone.

“These.”

Shaniece let out a low whistle, eyes wide. “My son got taste.”

“Don’t he, though?” I laughed, slapping fives with my soon-to-be mother-in-law.

“Don’t I what?”

Kentrell’s voice boomed from behind me, making me flinch and whip around.

“Boy! You know you ain’t supposed to be in here seeing Zoe like this!” Shaniece fussed, already on his heels like she might chase him out the room.

“Man, Ma… I’on care about none of that superstitious bullshit…” He rounded the corner, coming right up to me. “Zoe know she not going no…” Then he stopped mid-sentence…

Eyes locking on me like the world outside this room didn’t exist.

“Look at baby K’s mommy…” he said, his voice soft… eyes warm and full of something I could feel all the way to my toes.

Just like that…

I felt baby K give the tiniest little swirl in my belly…

Already reacting to their daddy’s voice… just like me.

My future hubby… in less than thirty minutes… looked like straight debonair—Fine-shit. That chocolate-on-chocolate combo worked too damn well with the man standing in front of me. I swear, had his mama not been right here in the room, I would’ve jumped his bones without hesitation. Between these hormones… and the way I knew without a doubt that he was gon’ put it down like always—yeah…I need that. Every day. Every night. Every hour. Whenever. Wherever.

I was going.

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