Put A Ring On It by Allison Hobbs Read Free Book Online Page A

Her body was aching from fighting Eric. She was physically and emotionally drained from yesterday’s disastrous incident. Having to cook up a story for her mother was depleting her of her last bit of strength. And sanity.
    Nivea quietly poured coffee into two mugs. She wanted to collapse inside her mother’s arms, and blab the whole sordid story. But she couldn’t breathe a word about Eric’s secret son. Too embarrassing.
    “Something’s not adding up,” her mother said suspiciously. “When is the new date?”
    “Next month.”
    “Why so soon?”
    Her mother was acting like a detective, snooping and asking so many questions, Nivea was starting to sweat. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It’s my wedding; I can change the date if I want to.”
    “Out of nowhere, you want to change your date and downsize. It doesn’t make sense.”
    “It makes sense to Eric and me.” Nivea raised her voice a notch.
    “Then why are you so upset? Something’s wrong. I can hear the anxiety in your voice.”
    “You don’t hear anxiety in my voice; you hear joy!” What a dumb lie! Trying to cover up Eric’s deception was giving Nivea a headache. She closed her eyes and rubbed her throbbing forehead.
    “You can try and deceive someone that doesn’t know you, but you can’t fool me.”
    Anxious under her mother’s scrutiny, Nivea’s hand tightened around the handle of the coffee mug.
    Mrs. Westcott leaned forward, and patted Nivea’s fisted hand. “Are you pregnant, honey? Is that the reason you want to speed up the wedding?” Her mother kept a sharp eye on Nivea’s face, reading her expression.
    “Of course not!” A lump formed in her throat as she pictured Eric’s love child. She should be the one with Eric’s baby…not that trashy Dyeesha. “Mother, what do you want to talk about?”
    Mrs. Westcott took a sip of coffee and then set the mug down. “Your sister is getting married, and she didn’t have the heart to tell you that she has to focus on her own wedding…she can’t be your maid of honor.”
    Courtney’s getting married? It was disturbing news, but Nivea kept a straight face. “I wanted my friend, Vangie, to be my maid of honor, but I listened to you. I allowed you to pressure me into accepting Courtney.”
    “You’re off the hook now.”
    “It doesn’t really matter, now.”
    “You’re right. Your father and I were waiting for the appropriate time to tell you that Courtney selected a date two weeks before your wedding.”
    “Two weeks before my wedding? You’ve got to be kidding me. That brat is always trying to upstage me.”
    “That isn’t true.”
    “Mother, it’s so unfair. Why would you and Daddy go along with that?”
    “Well, it’s water over the bridge now that you’ve changed your date.”
    “You didn’t know that when you agreed with Courtney’s selfish decision.”
    “Courtney didn’t want to steal your thunder, but she and Knox have gotten pretty serious.”
    Nivea could feel a hot jealous flush covering her face and moving down her body. “How long has she known him…like a couple of months?”
    “They’re in love.” Mrs. Westcott beamed like she was marrying Knox.
    “This seriously sucks. My little sister takes a temp job as a receptionist at Temple’s School of Podiatric Medicine. She dates one of the students. And now they’re suddenly getting married! Mother, can’t you see what she’s doing?”
    “What is she doing, besides following her heart? There’s no crime in that.”
    “Bullshit!”
    “Watch your language.”
    “Sorry, but—”
    “Your sister and Knox say that they’re in love. Your father and I believe them.”
    Nivea sucked her teeth in annoyance. “Courtney is an unskilled, unemployable spoiled brat who still lives at home with you and Daddy. She’s only marrying this guy, Knox, to make me look bad.”
    “That’s ridiculous.”
    “No, it isn’t. She’s been competing with me her whole life; now she’s trying to