Chapter 33

Brandy smiled when she finished opening her gift, a joint venture from Carla and Amber. Her smile widened when she looked at the skimpy nightgown they’d bought her as an early Christmas present. “And just what am I supposed to do with this?” she asked, holding it up to take a closer look. She was glad the three of them were locked away in Carla’s office, which gave them plenty of privacy.

“If you have to ask then you’re in worse shape than we imagined,” Amber said laughing.

A teasing frown touched Brandy’s face. “Hey, no fair. Just because you two are getting some on a regular basis these days is no reason to be mean,” Brandy said, pushing the gift box aside. She then looked at Carla. “And I noticed you went out of town a couple of days ago.”

Carla leaned back in her chair and smiled brightly. “Yes, Jesse and I went away for the weekend. We flew to Barbados and had a wonderful time.”

Amber chuckled. “Yeah, I can just imagine how good a time you had. Who kept Craig?”

Carla smiled. “Sonya but she had some help from Jesse’s friend Mike.” Although she decided not to say anything, Carla knew that Sonya and Mike were now an item, a very hot item. They were seeing each other on a pretty regular basis and Mike stayed over at Sonya’s place occasionally. This was the happiest she had ever seen her friend and wished her the best.

“Will Craig be getting a brother or sister anytime soon, Carla?” Amber asked grinning.

Carla’s smile widened. “We’re trying to be careful but decided if I end up pregnant again we’d get married right away.”

Brandy raised a brow. “And if you don’t end up pregnant?”

Carla grinned heartily. “Then we’ll have a July wedding.”

Brandy and Amber were out of their seats screaming with joy and exchanged hugs with Carla. “Oh, Carla, that’s wonderful. Have you told Craig yet?” Amber asked, happily.

Carla chuckled. “Yes, but he doesn’t understand since Jesse has become a permanent fixture around our house anyway. I enjoy waking up with a man in my bed.”

Amber smiled dreamily. “I know the feeling.”

Brandy gave them a pretended pout. “Well, I don’t know the feeling so let’s change the subject. Amber is getting married in the spring and now you’re getting married in the summer. I guess I have to save up to buy wedding gifts,” she said chuckling.

Brandy began rewrapping her gift. She would be leaving in a few days for Macon to attend her father’s birthday party and then a few days later she would join her cousins, Taye, Rae’jean, and Alexia with their families as they celebrated Christmas at Alexia and Quinn’s huge getaway cabin in the Tennessee mountains.

“Brandy, have you heard anything from Grey Masters since he left?”

A shiver of pain coursed through Brandy with Carla’s question. It had only been three weeks but it felt more like three months. She met Carla’s gaze. “No, I haven’t heard anything from him. I guess he’s trying to forget me like I’m trying like hell to forget him.”

She then sighed deeply and said, “Hey, I refuse to turn this into a pity party. It’s a time to celebrate the both of your good news and I’m happy for each of you. And since this is an official sistah circle meeting, I think I have the perfect principle and when I came across it, I immediately thought of us.”

Amber lifted a curious brow. “What is it?”

“A ship in harbor is safe but that’s not what ships are for.” Brandy swallowed deeply. “The three of us are like ships, and for two years we’ve pretty much stayed in harbor, not wanting to venture out into the turbulent and choppy waters. But we’ve finally decided to hoist our sails. We’ve recognized that we’re strong, sturdy and dependable. We have weathered the storms and now we’re confident that we can withstand anything that comes our way; an iceberg, tidal wave or even a hurricane. And what makes it so special, especially for you two, is that you have good, strong men at the helm to guide you, protect you and take care of you. The two of you were made to love, and I’m so glad you found special men who love you in return.”

Amber wiped a tear from her eye. “And it’s my prayer, Brandy, that you find someone to love you as well. I believe in my heart that there’s someone out there for you; a man who will love you unconditionally and treat you with the honor and respect that you deserve.”

“And I agree,” Carla said, wiping a tear from her eyes as well.

Brandy smiled and she grabbed hold of her friends’ hands and held tight. “If it’s meant to be, then it will be.”