Page 27 of Spilling the Tea

Felicia Laverne smiled at her son. “I have no choice. I intend to be around to see my great-grands get married. At least those on my list.”

“I understand some of them call it your ‘hit’ list,” Jonathan said, grinning again.

“Nolan the third started that foolishness and Corbin is keeping that nonsense going.” She sighed. “Thanks for dropping by and expressing your concerns, Jonathan. I’m fine with Waylon Satterfield’s great-granddaughter’s visit.”

As Felicia Laverne said the words, more than anything, she wished they were true.

***

Zoey saw Corbin the moment she stepped off the elevator the next morning. He stood by a bevy of flowers and plants in the atrium and smiled when he saw her. She smiled back.

She had chosen to wear a sundress that wasn’t too long or too short. Living with Aunt Paulina had taught her that older people would assess your clothing as part of your character. She didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with Corbin and Chance’s great-grandmother.

He moved toward her. Whereas Chance was a cowboy through and through, Corbin was the ultimate businessman in expensive suits. He was tall, handsome, and professional. She loved how his thick, neatly coiled dreadlocks flowed around his shoulders. Yesterday, he told her that he was the CEO ofthe Madaris Foundation and that he enjoyed what he did. She could see him in the boardroom more than on a horse riding the range.

Corbin continued walking toward her, and although he and Chance favored each other, it was Chance’s face that had invaded her dreams every night since they’d met. Chance who had that turn-you-on swag in his walk. Chance made her blood hot just by looking at her. Chance could light a fire in every part of her body whenever she saw him.

She knew that she needed to let it go since he belonged to another. Besides, she couldn’t forget that her sole purpose for being in Texas was to try to regain her memory, not to cultivate a romance with anyone.

Corbin stopped in front of her. “Zoey,” he greeted cheerfully. “You look terrific.”

“Thanks. I wanted to look nice. This meeting with your great-grandmother is important to me, and I want to make a good impression.”

Placing her arm in the crook of his, he led her out of the hotel. “And you will.”

She wasn’t surprised to see his car was a two-seater sports car. It suited him. They had driven a few blocks when he said, “I understand you’re into photography.”

“Yes, and I love it, although I’m sure Chance told you how my camera and equipment made him think I was a reporter.”

A wide grin appeared on Corbin’s face. “Yes, he told me.”

“I didn’t understand then, but I do now after talking to my best friend last night. A relative of yours is married to a movie star,” she said.

“Yes. My uncle Jake. He’s my great-grandmother’s youngest son. He and Diamond have been married for over fourteen years. Chance and I were surprised you didn’t know that.”

“Well, I didn’t.” She then told him why.

“I dated a couple of women who were hooked on Koreanmovies,” Corbin said. “What about when you left home for college?” he asked, turning the corner to join bumper-to-bumper traffic. “Your preference for movies didn’t change?”

“No. I rarely watched television in college. I was too busy trying to get good grades for medical school. However, since I attended NYU, I took a break from studying once in a while to see a few Broadway plays.” She smiled over at him. “So, Corbin Madaris, you can say I led a boring life.”

“And now you’re trying to find the missing pieces of that life.”

She nodded. “Yes, I am. So, tell me about yourself.”

He shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. Within the Madaris family, I’m part of the Lover Boyz Pack.”

“The what?” she asked, amused.

He grinned as well. “Let me explain. My generation of cousins were born close together. At the time, sixteen of us were grandkids from the first four sons my great-grandmother had birthed. Milton Jr., Lee, Nolan, and Lucas. Those four produced fourteen boys and two girls in less than eight years.”

“Wow. That’s a lot of pregnancies,” Zoey said, shaking her head.

Corbin chuckled. “You’re right about that. While growing up, we somehow shifted into groups. My great-grandmother likened the groupings to wolf packs. That’s how the idea came about. There are four male cousins in my group, and we were born within eighteen months of each other.”

“You said there were two girls in your generational group. Tell me about them.”

When he stopped at a traffic light, he said, “Both Victoria and Lindsay are my sisters. Victoria is twenty-eight and Lindsay is twenty-three. Vic, as we mostly call her, always did her own thing, and she hung out with Christy, one of our older cousins from the prior generation. Vic considered Christy a bigsister instead of an older cousin. However, some figured they bonded so well because of their names and looks.”

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