Page 59 of Finding You

They had just passed the living room when a piercing whistle bounced off the walls of the foyer.

Raven and Zion pulled up short and turned to find Wiz grinning.

“I see congratulations are in order.” He nodded to Raven’s left hand that was at her side.

How the heck had he noticed her ring so quickly?

She grinned and held out her hand to him, giving him a better view of the stunning jewelry.

Wiz gently gripped the tips of her fingers and stared down at the ring. “It’s gorgeous, just like you,” he said and kissed her cheek.

“Maaaan,” Zion growled playfully. “No one kisses those cheeks except for me. You got that?”

Raven swatted at him and laughed. “Stop.”

Zion chuckled along with Wiz and accepted a man hug from his friend who congratulated them both on their engagement.When they finally reached Wiz’s office, he directed them to a leather sofa against the back wall of the large room.

Raven had barely taken three steps before she stopped in her tracks. On the huge television hanging on a nearby wall was Christopher, and she gasped.

What the…

“Christopher?” she said, mostly to herself, but Wiz chuckled beside her.

“At first glance, most people assume that’s just a television, but I also use it as a computer monitor for video conferencing,” he explained.

“Good morning, Raven, Zion,” Christopher said, and rocked back in the tall-back, leather desk chair. She could tell he was in his home office by all the dark, rich wood surrounding him. He had one of the most impressive offices she’d ever seen in a house. Well, that was until she walked into Wiz’s space. Both were very different but no less magnificent.

Christopher’s space reminded her of old money, and she remembered it smelled of rich leather. It was warm and inviting and very masculine. The huge mahogany desk sat in front of wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor bookshelves that not only held books but also awards and other personal items. Instead of a sofa in his sitting area, he had four comfortable upholstered chairs that surrounded a small round table in the center.

It was such a comfortable space, and it was her favorite room in his house.

As for Wiz’s office, it was more tech focused and divided into dedicated spaces. His desk was modern and L-shaped with a worktable behind it. It held several computer monitors, a charging station, and a host of other tech gadgets. There was also a sitting area that looked like a small living room with a view of a man-made lake through the double glass doors.

“You two go ahead and have a seat on the sofa,” Wiz said.

As they sat, Raven’s gaze went back to the huge television. It was so good to see Christopher despite how they left things at the hospital. He looked great and healthy.

“What’s going on?” Zion asked Wiz.

“Well, I think you should know Christopher was the other person having Maximus investigated.”

Raven’s head snapped to Christopher. “Really? Does that mean you believed me?”

“Of course,” Christopher said simply. “I had already been suspicious of some of Maximus’s behavior of late, but after the altercation at the hospital, I got even more suspicious.”

“Why?” Zion asked and stretched his arm on the back of the sofa behind Raven. If she wasn’t mistaken, he had moved closer to her, which she loved. Feeling his heat surrounding her always made her feel less alone and protected.

When she glanced over her shoulder at him, his attention was on Christopher. There was doubt in his eyes as if he wasn’t ready to believe anything the old man had to say.

Raven couldn’t much blame him. Her G-Pop gave no indication that he had believed her that day in the hospital. Still, she knew him. Just because he hadn’t said much before they left, didn’t mean he hadn’t believed her.

She should’ve thought about that then but had been too deep into her feelings at the time. Christopher was always slow to speak. He was watchful, and he didn’t take anything at face value. Which was probably why he was so successful.

“Before I answer that question, Zion, let me back up a minute. For about four or five months and maybe even longer, Maximus had been seeing a paralegal who worked at my attorney’s firm. I have no problem with him dating whoever he wants to date, but not when it affects me personally.

“My attorney, Kevin, who’s also a long-time friend got wind of the relationship when he returned to the office one eveningand found Maximus there. My grandson was there flirting with the paralegal. Kevin has known Maximus since my grandson was a kid. It wasn’t a big deal to find him there, that is until he realized Maximus wasn’t there to see him. He was there to take the paralegal to dinner.”

Raven wondered what this had to do with anything, but she remained quiet knowing he’d get to the point soon.

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