Page 76 of The Secret to a Southern Wedding

His body responded to her sexy moan, but his brain focused on what she’d said. Was she really serious about them giving this a try? “But you’re moving back to Florida. You don’t think they’ll be upset if we’re only hooking up when you come to town?”

She swallowed then licked the corner of her mouth. “I don’t know if I want to move back to Florida.”

The woman had to be teasing him. Tempting him with his wildest dream. If she wasn’t, he was prepared to give Halle and Tracey free beers at the bar for the rest of their lives for whatever they’d said to her. “What?”

“It’s true. I mean, I can’t just quit. I have to at least finish up my year there, but I can make a difference here. Peachtree Cove needs a doctor who’ll care about all the citizens, not just the ones they want to pick and choose.”

He leaned forward and placed his hand over hers. She’d spoken with confidence, but she wouldn’t quite meet his eyes. As if she were still unsure of either her decision or his reaction. He wanted her to know that his only reaction would be positive. When her eyes met his, he asked, “You’re really thinking of moving back here? To make us work?”

She bit the corner of her lip before nodding slowly. “It wouldn’t be because of us. Though that would be a benefit, but I miss my mom. I miss having Tracey and Halle in my life. I don’t want to just be a poster child, but to make a difference. There are a lot of reasons for me to come back.”

“I’d love for you to be here.” He didn’t hesitate to admit his feelings. He understood how difficult it had to be for her to admit that she wanted to stay, even if he was just a small part of it. If she were going to go out on the limb then he was going to dangle out there with her.

“Really? And to tell my mom and your dad?” The unsureness in her voice was also accompanied by hope.

A hope he could dash with the truth. Everything in him wanted to keep that look in her eye, but he couldn’t move forward until Imani understood the entire story. “I think you’re right about them, but first I need to tell you something.”

“Okay, what?”

He swallowed hard and pulled back his hand. He wasn’t a praying man, but he sent up a quick one that the budding emotion in her eyes didn’t turn into fear, or mistrust. “It’s about my mom. I told you about how she died.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“There was more to the story. More that you need to know.”

She frowned. “You said they caught the person who did it, right? You don’t have to go through the details if it’s hard to relive.”

“It is hard...but you also need to know everything.” He took a deep breath then opened his mouth to speak.

“Cyril! I thought that was you.”

Cyril’s body froze as a voice he hadn’t heard in years reached him. A voice so similar to his mother’s that he’d often confused them on the phone. His heart rate speed up and he jerked around to look at the older woman standing near their picnic table. The blood drained from his head so quickly he was light-headed for a moment. His aunt Gayle, his mother’s younger sister, and the last person he expected to ever see in Peachtree Cove stood a few feet away.

He stood immediately. “Aunt Gayle? What are you doing here?” He took a step toward her, but she shifted back and held out a hand. Cyril froze, the spark of joy in his heart dimming from the small rejection.

Gayle crossed her arms. “I heard your dad was getting married. I couldn’t believe he would have the gall to try and trick another woman the way he did my sister.”

Imani sucked in a breath from behind him. Cyril’s entire body went hot. No, no, no! This was not how this was supposed to happen. “Aunt Gayle...please don’t do this.”

She nodded stiffly. “I have to. I know he’s your dad and you love him. I don’t blame you for trying to be loyal to the one parent you have left, but I’ll never forgive him for what he did.”

“He didn’t do anything to her.”

Gayle lifted her chin. “I don’t care what they say. There’s no way your dad had nothing to do with it. He killed her because he wanted the insurance money.”

Imani gasped. Cyril turned to face her. The horror and disbelief on her face sliced through him with the cold efficiency of a scalpel. He’d asked her here because he wanted to finish the story. To tell her about the accusations against his dad. Accusations that were proven to be wrong. He didn’t want her to hear it like this.

He had to get his aunt to leave. He looked back at her and pleaded, “Aunt Gayle, please don’t do this. We left. We all need to move forward and start over. This doesn’t help.”

“If I can prevent another family from going through what my family did then I’ve done enough,” she said her voice rising with anger. “I’m sorry, Cyril. I do love you because you’re my sister’s child. But I can’t keep letting you go down the wrong path of following your dad.”

“It’s not the wrong path. I know my dad. We all know what happened. He’s heartbroken over what happened.”

“Not so much if he’s already marrying someone else. I won’t let him hurt her, too.”

“Mom!” The sound of his cousin Daryl’s voice cut in.

They both turned as Daryl ran from the bathroom toward them. He threw Cyril an apologetic look before placing an arm around his mom’s shoulder.

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