Another Woman's Man by Shelly Ellis Read Free Book Online Page A

standing next to her. Though his clothes were just as expensive, they didn’t complement his rotund frame quite as well. The buttons of his single-breasted suit were pulling so tightly they looked as if they could pop off at any second. He kept tugging uncomfortably at the starched white collar of his dress shirt.
    He stuck his finger in his collar even now and tugged at it again as he shook his head. “Whatever you think is best, baby.”
    Cynthia stifled a groan. If neither of them made a decision soon, they would be wandering around this mansion forever.
    â€œWell,” Cynthia ventured, “if neither of those options work, you could even—”
    Cynthia stopped when she suddenly heard a light melody tinkling, letting her know her cell phone was ringing. She glanced down at her phone screen and saw that Dawn was calling her. Considering that Dawn was probably calling to talk about yesterday’s meeting with her father, Cynthia guessed it would be better to answer this one without their mother around.
    â€œMama, I have to take this call,” Cynthia said, pasting on a smile. “Would you guys excuse me?”
    Yolanda and Reginald were just walking into one of the sitting rooms. At Cynthia’s words, Yolanda turned away from her fiancé.
    â€œIs everything all right, honey?” Yolanda asked.
    â€œOh, everything is fine. Just fine! Why don’t you guys continue to look around? I’ll be right back.” Cynthia then walked toward the front hall, tossing her sun-kissed locks over her shoulder.
    â€œHey,” she whispered after pressing a button on the glass screen.
    â€œHey! Sorry I didn’t call you yesterday, girl. I got home a little late,” Dawn answered.
    â€œYeah, I was wondering why I didn’t hear from you.” Cynthia walked farther away, hoping their mother couldn’t hear her in the echoing, vacant rooms.
    Though Dawn knew Cynthia didn’t approve of her clandestine meeting with her father, they both knew Cynthia still counted on being the first person Dawn called after the meeting. The two oldest siblings in the Gibbons clan had always been the closest: best friends as well as lifelong rivals.
    â€œSo how’d your ‘date’ with Daddy go?” Cynthia asked.
    â€œWell, it was . . . Wait. Why are you whispering?”
    â€œTo cover your ass.” Cynthia took a cautious glance over her shoulder. “Mama and Reginald are nearby. I’m giving them a tour of Glenn Dale today. Mama’s thinking about holding the wedding ceremony and reception here. Remember?”
    â€œOh, yeah! Totally forgot. Well, anyway, the ‘date’ went pretty good, I guess.”
    â€œYou guess?” Cynthia paused. “Why? What happened? He didn’t turn out to be an asshole, did he?” Cynthia slowly shook her head and sucked her teeth. “I knew it! I told you that it was a bad idea to agree to meet him again. There was something about that—”
    â€œCalm down, Cindy! He’s not an asshole. He’s nothing like that. He seems . . . amazing, actually. It’s just . . .”
    â€œJust what?”
    â€œIt’s just . . . weird, you know? I mean, this person was a total stranger to me a couple of weeks ago and now he’s my dad! My dad! He has all this history and his own family. He has a wife and a daughter. And listen to this, Cindy—he wants me to meet them!”
    â€œSay what now?”
    â€œYeah, I know, right? We’re supposed to have dinner together around Christmas Eve.”
    A dinner at Christmas Eve? Cynthia leaned against the foyer wall. She pulled back the thick velvet curtains and peered out the window at the mansion’s snow-dappled front lawn and pebbled driveway.
    Though one part of Cynthia had worried that Dawn meeting her father would only lead to heartache, the other part of her had worried that it would lead to something much different: Dawn building a