She sent the text, and still nothing. He hadn’t even read it. Which didn’t mean anything. He could have just gotten held back for some reason. She wouldn’t think the worst. She’d done that enough with him before.

“Please tell me we’re not related to him.”

She followed her cousin’s gaze, and finally. Keiran stood at the gate, hesitation visible in the tense set of his shoulders. Dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved grey Henley, he personified casual sexiness. Cherisse let her eyes wander over his shoulders, down his arms. The damn fabric clung. The Henley’s material was so thin his nipples were saying a hearty hello.

“Nope,” Cherisse said, cringing when her cousin Michelle shouted, “Hallelujah!” but she couldn’t really fault her now, could she?

“Well, don’t just eye-fuck him. Go get your man,” Remi said, voice lowered but eyes on her like a hawk.

Cherisse broke away from their little group, aware her mother’s eyes had already swung Keiran’s way, but Keiran looked good enough to eat, and she’d deal with her mother later.

He stuck his hands in his pockets. “Hey. My phone died. Sorry, I’m late.”

“It’s okay.”

“You’re just the breath of fresh air I need right now.” Keiran sighed like he had the entire weight of the world on his shoulders. What the hell happened after they’d parted those few hours ago? But before she could ask, he smiled. “It’s weird, isn’t it? We just saw each other a little while ago, but damn, Cherisse, my heart’s working overtime.”

Her face was certainly red right now. How could he say these things so bravely? “Is everything okay?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I ignored several calls from my dad before my phone died. It’s the worst time to do that, but I just wanted to get to you. I don’t want anything to mess up your day.”

She understood that his relationship with his father was tenuous, but this felt like more. Like something else was causing the furrow between his brows. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. It’s your party. Anything else can wait. Show me off to everyone?”

That she could do. She didn’t go so far as to hold his hand or anything, but her cousins were no fools. They were already playfully nudging each other as Keiran walked beside her.

“Hey, everyone, this is Keiran. My, um...” She cleared her throat. Why was this so hard?

“Yes, yes, he’s your boo, we got it.” Michelle extended her hand. “Enchanté.”

“Girl, you not French,” her other cousin, Venetia, commented.

Michelle sucked her teeth, whipping her hair over her shoulder. “We got French Creole in this family, don’t try to police my heritage.”

Keiran took Michelle’s hand, then Venetia’s. “Nice to meet you both.”

Venetia held Keiran’s hand a tad too long for Cherisse’s liking, and what the fuck, was she jealous? “Damn, that’s a good grip. Strong. Firm. Big hands. You know what they say about big...”

“Okay, we get it,” Cherisse interjected, yanking her cousin’s hand away. Keiran chuckled, not looking the least offended.