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When Leah’s mom suggested that she hire Carmen Dupre to decorate for Quinton’s party, Leah wasn’t sure that was a good idea.

Leah and Carmen both grew up in Bayou, Louisiana.

They were elementary-school besties until they both realized they were besties by default.

Carmen’s older brother, Lance, and Leah’s sister, Nova, were the real friends.

Leah and Carmen were around each other so much that it just made sense to become friends too.

By the time they entered middle school, their friendship was over, and they were both okay with that.

“Are you pleased?” Carmen asked, tugging Leah away from her memories. Carmen towered over Leah, even in her six-inch heels. Although, with Leah coming in at a whopping five feet one, most people towered over her.

“I’m more than pleased. Thank you so much.”

At first, Leah had doubts about Carmen; they were very different—different interests and different tastes.

However, Leah’s hesitation ended when Carmen showed her mock-ups of how she could turn Leah and Quinton’s backyard into a tropical oasis.

Even she had to admit that the final results far exceeded her expectations.

The lights underneath the white tents added a nice touch.

She saw elegance when she looked at the round tables with white linen tablecloths.

“Is that Ms. Martha?” Carmen pointed toward the pool, which was covered in glass and was now the dance floor.

Leah smiled when her eyes landed on Martha Lefleur, her mom, who was the true definition of Black don’t crack, crinkle, or crumble .

If Leah hadn’t known her mom had just turned sixty, she wouldn’t have believed it.

Martha’s black dress fell above her knees, showing off her thick, shapely legs.

The curls in Martha’s shoulder-length black hair, thanks to Dark and Lovely, bounced as she made her way to the pool.

Leah watched as her mom eased her foot onto the glass.

“It’s safe, Mom!” Leah cupped her hand around her mouth and hollered, but there was no way Martha would hear her over Frankie Beverly.

Carmen laughed. “Your mom’s a hoot.”

“Yes, she is,” Leah agreed.

When Leah and Nova were younger, their mom was the one all the other kids wished they had.

Leah wasn’t sure why, though. Their parents didn’t spoil them, and they had rules and expectations like all the other parents they knew.

But, for some reason, everyone loved Ms. Martha.

As Leah continued watching her mom moving her body to the beat of the music, she figured that that was probably the reason people gravitated to her.

Martha was the life of all parties. She and Nova were alike in that area.

Leah was more like her dad: They liked to have fun, but they didn’t have to be the center of attention.

She and her dad were just as happy sitting back and watching Nova and Martha.

“I still laugh when I think of her at last year’s Founder’s Day festival. She danced on the stage.” Carmen laughed at the memory.

“She used to love dancing. It’s always good to see her enjoying herself again.”

“You mean after your dad passed?” Carmen’s voice dropped to a whisper as if mentioning it was a secret.

When he lost his battle with cancer two years ago, Leah wasn’t sure how she’d survive with the hole his absence left in her heart.

A hole she was sure couldn’t spread any wider from losing Nova but somehow did.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to thank you,” Carmen said.

“Thank me? For what?”

“For helping my brother. He told me that he’s been meeting with you and ...”

Leah looked around and prayed Quinton wasn’t in earshot. “It’s fine. Don’t mention it.” Leah looked up at Carmen, hoping Carmen could read the seriousness in her expression. “Please.”

Carmen’s brow lifted to her hairline. “Oh no. I wouldn’t dare say anything to anyone else. I understand.”

Leah’s knees suddenly became too weak to hold her up.

She and Lance had an understanding that their sessions were just between them.

Had she known he was going to tell his sister, she never would’ve agreed.

The last thing she needed was for Quinton to find out that she’d been counseling the one person he hated more than anyone else.

Leah may not have understood the vendetta between the two men, but she did know that their feud went way back to high school and only grew stronger over the years, at least on Quinton’s end.

Quinton, Leah’s knight in black Armani, came and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her heart thundered at the close call, even though there was no way Quinton could’ve heard Carmen over the music.

“Excuse me, Carmen. I need to borrow my wife for a second.” He took Leah’s hand and led her toward the house.

“Be back,” Leah turned around and mouthed to Carmen, though she had every intention of avoiding her for the rest of the night.

Quinton walked through the kitchen and down the hallway where his office was located. “You outdid yourself this time.” He leaned against his desk and pulled Leah to him.

“Only the best for you.” She rested her hands on his broad chest.

Quinton bent toward her and gently pecked her lips. Then another peck that led to a deep, passionate kiss. Before she knew it, they’d swapped places, and he’d lifted her onto his desk. He opened the top of her dress, exposing her red-lace bra, which barely contained her full breasts.

“We can’t do this,” Leah managed to say between the pleasure of his mouth teasing her. He knew all her spots and never missed an opportunity to give each one special attention.

“I like this much better than anything going on out there.” He slid his hand between her thighs.

“Quinton,” she said breathlessly as his hand roamed to the most soulful part of her body. His touch made her want to scream. “No, we really can’t.” Leah somehow managed to break the sexual tension that had taken over both of them. “We don’t have time.” She jumped down from his desk.

“Are you sure? We can be quick.” Quinton held her wrist and gently pulled her back to him.

Leah tilted her head. “Quick? Really?”

He lifted his broad shoulders. “Quick-ish?”

Leah laughed. “But I don’t want quick. You know what I like, and we’ll need way more than a minute for me to show you just how proud I am of you.” She winked before moving around him and crossing the room. Leah glanced through the trophy case at her reflection as she attempted to fix her lipstick.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” Quinton stood behind her and stared at her reflection. “I love your hair. You should keep it like that.”

Leah’s mind once again led her back to her sister. The void of her absence was just as deep as it was fifteen years ago.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Quinton asked, breaking the trance his words placed her in.

“Still here.” She smiled. “Come on, our guests are waiting.”

“Wait.” Quinton stood in front of her and bit his bottom lip. His eyes slid up and down her body. “To be continued.”

Leah nodded.

“You promise?” His lips brushed against hers as he spoke.

“Most definitely.”

If Leah had to sum up the rest of the evening, the word she would use was magical .

She and Quinton had been so busy lately, both running successful businesses, that sometimes they forgot to make time for each other and Skye.

Not that Skye ever complained. Leah remembered what it was like being a teenager, and the busier your parents were, the better.

It meant less time for them to be in their children’s business.

As much as Leah enjoyed the celebration, she enjoyed seeing everyone leaving equally as much. She and Quinton stood in their driveway and waved as the last guest drove away. Quinton closed the door and turned off the front porch light.

“I’m going up to shower.” He kissed her cheek.

“I’ll be up shortly.”

Leah walked down the hallway and into the guest bedroom, where her mom was standing in front of the mirror, taking off her jewelry.

Martha’s tired smile greeted Leah. “Everything was so wonderful.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Leah bent down and took off her shoes.

“Do you have everything you need?” She glanced around the large downstairs master bedroom that had the same layout as theirs did upstairs.

When she and Quinton built their house, a downstairs master bedroom was a must. Leah was a planner, and that included planning to grow old in her dream house with her dream man.

Once that happened, and their knees were too weak to take them up the flight of stairs to their current bedroom, they’d always have one that was easily accessible.

For now, though, she was happy calling it her mom’s room.

Not that Martha used it much since she lived in Bayou, only a fifteen-minute drive from Leah and Quinton’s house in Baton Rouge.

“I still think I could’ve gone home,” Martha said, as if reading Leah’s thoughts. “You know I don’t like to be away from my things.” She picked up a brush and ran it through her hair like she did every night. One hundred strokes. She still lived by that rule.

“I know, Mom, and I promise I’ll take you home bright and early in the morning. But I knew we’d all be drinking and enjoying ourselves tonight, and I didn’t want you, or us, on the road.”

Martha aimed her brush at Leah. “Okay, but if anyone breaks into my house, I’m blaming you.”

Leah couldn’t hold in the laugh. “Break in? In Bayou? Mom, we both know that the only laws broken in Bayou are traffic or littering.”

“Whatever, just be ready to take me home in the morning.”

Leah walked over and kissed her mom. “I will.”

“Hey, what happened with Renee? I thought you said she was coming?” Martha asked, sitting on the side of the bed and unzipping her overnight bag.

Leah’s stomach dropped at the mention of Quinton’s mom.

Renee promised she’d be there, but Leah knew better than to get her hopes up.

It was a good thing Renee was supposed to be a surprise, and Leah never mentioned it to Quinton.

Unlike Leah, Renee’s broken promises didn’t bother Quinton.

He’d shake his head, smile, say, “That’s Renee for you,” and then move on.

“I haven’t heard from her, but I’m sure she’ll have some excuse like always,” Leah said.

Martha shook her head. “Some people will never change.”

“I know, but Quinton had a great time, and he wasn’t expecting her anyway, so it’s fine.” Leah stepped out of the room with her hand on the doorknob. “Good night, Mom,” she said, pulling it shut behind her.

One thing Leah never had to worry about was her mom not being there for her.

She wished Quinton could say the same, especially since both his grandparents were deceased.

His grandfather died two weeks after his grandmother.

Everyone in Bayou said it was from a broken heart, and Leah believed it.

The thought of being with one person for nearly sixty years, then one day they’re gone.

She and Quinton had only been married three, and she couldn’t imagine life without him.

Leah trudged upstairs, her whole body heavy from tiredness.

A part of her wanted to crawl into bed and sleep until next weekend.

But a bigger part of her wanted and needed to fulfill the promise she’d made to Quinton.

Being with him always had a way of washing all her sadness away.

She needed it washed away tonight. Leah wondered how much time had to pass before it healed her wounds, or if the anniversary of her sister’s disappearance would always bring the sting of sorrow.