A Sister's Secret

Book 1: Reeves Sisters

by Cydney Rax

Genres: Women's Fiction

Synopsis

In the wake of a major loss, five sisters agree to meet on the regular to keep it real. But secrets they never saw coming will challenge them and everything they counted on.

Savvy and decisive, Burgundy Reeves feels blessed with a good husband and a successful career. She is the sister everyone envies. Since her beloved mother's death, she's given troubled youngest sister, Elyse, a stable home when she needs it most. And she's taken it on herself to keep her contentious siblings together.

Under her guidance, they all meet bimonthly on "Sister Day", a time when they get together to bond, to receive a challenging "assignment", and to cope with a range of things—including their many differences. Among the sisters' most challenging assignments: tell the truth. But truthfulness leads to an unveiling of secrets that may destroy lives.

Burgundy is struggling to show Coco the real deal about her unreliable baby daddy. If she and level-headed Drucilla can also convince hard-headed eldest sister Alita to give Coco more love than tough talk, that might heal a longtime rift. But it's teenage Elyse's truth that will shatter Burgundy's perfect world beyond repair. And putting the pieces back together could make the sisters stronger together than ever—or pull them apart for good.

Release date: February 27, 2018

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 352

Sample

One Saturday morning in early September, the Reeves sisters gathered for their fifth Sister Day of the year. For the past few years, they’d congregated every two months beginning in January. Their meeting was similar to a self-instituted family holiday.

Their mother, Greta Reeves, had passed away nearly four years ago due to complications from surgery. Greta had still been in the hospital trying to recover when she unexpectedly took a turn for the worse. The doctor told the family to get to the hospital as soon as possible. And on that late December morning, all the daughters gathered around Greta’s bed, standing together in a circle, clutching each other’s hands, praying, crying and trying to hold it together. It hurt to realize their mother was losing her battle with leukemia right before their eyes. They knew they’d be left motherless once she took her last breath. But Greta Reeves was tired of sickness ravishing her frail body. She was ready to meet her Maker.

“Alita, Burgundy, Coco, Dru, Elyse.” She struggled to talk with a voice so hoarse it sounded like a whisper.

“Yes, Mama,” Burgundy replied, tears wetting her cheeks.

“I want all of you to look out for each other, ya hear?”

“We will,” Dru promised and gently squeezed Greta’s bony fingers.

“Stay strong, no matter how I look like now. Don’t remember me like this. Remember your mom as someone that loved and feared the Lord.”

“Okay, Mommy,” Coco wailed, barely able to keep herself from crawling onto the bed and lying next to Greta.

“I love you, girls. Don’t ever forget it.” Her faint scratchy voice was barely audible. “And I want you to love each other like I love you.”

Back then Elyse had just nodded. At fifteen, she was too stunned to realize what was actually happening.

Greta’s final words were, “His mercy endures forever. See you girls on the other side.” Then Jesus or the angels came to escort Greta, and she died in peace.

Since their mother’s untimely passing, Burgundy had stepped up to the plate. She could never forget the things that her mother wanted from them as a family even after her death. Burgundy always held a deep passion for Sister Day. She put a lot into planning their special days, and her commitment and enthusiasm quickly spread to her siblings. It grew into the lifeblood and new legacy for the Reeves sisters.

Including herself there were a total of five “Reeves” sisters: Thirty-six-year-old Alita was the eldest, and Burgundy was next in line. Then came Coco, followed by Drucilla. Last of all was Elyse, the youngest at nineteen.

So it was time for the Reeves sisters to meet again. Alita complained she was low on gas, so Dru agreed to pick her up from her southwest Houston apartment, since she lived about ten minutes away from her. Then she and Alita drove on until they arrived at their favorite nail salon, which was where their meetings were typically held.

Elyse and Burgundy arrived soon thereafter. The sisters warmly greeted one another, glanced at their watches, and walked through the wide aisle of the spacious salon until they reached the pedicure stations.

“Where’s Dark Skin?”

“Don’t know,” Burgundy told Alita, “but we are not on her time schedule, that’s for sure.”

Fifteen minutes later, Coco raced through the salon door.

The sisters all looked up. They were in the early stages of getting a super-deluxe pedicure.

Alita scowled at Coco, who was gasping for breath. She was breathing hard and holding her hand against her chest. Her thick hair was parted in the middle and flanked by one big Afro puff on each side of her head. She wore dark purple lipstick, and purple rouge had been dusted on her round cheeks.

“’Bout time you got here,” Alita said. “Where your kids at?”

“I hired a sitter, Ms. Nosy.”

Coco clumsily climbed up on her chair and quickly lowered the armrest. She pressed buttons on the remote control to start the back massager. She reclined and briefly shut her eyes. When she opened them, all the sisters were gaping at her.

“Why you late?” Alita asked.

“Don’t start.” Coco shot her a warning look.

“Why your forehead all sweaty and shit like you just got through fucking?”

“Maybe I did just get through—”

“Don’t. No place now,” Elyse murmured and covered her ears. She gave a pained expression as she trembled in her chair.

“I can’t believe she spoke two sentences in a row,” remarked Alita. “I need her to speak up more so we can know what’s going on inside that sneaky little brain of hers.”

“Leave her alone,” Burgundy ordered Alita. “You know Elyse is shy. She doesn’t have to be loud and ghetto like you and Coco.” But Burgundy’s heart felt heavy as her eyes swept over the baby of the family. Even though the girl had been living with her since their mother died, there were times when dealing with Elyse caused Burgundy’s patience to wear thin. She didn’t know if her sister acted withdrawn because she was trying to get attention or if she was still mourning the loss of their mother.

Elyse was average height and very thin; when she woke up for the day her breakfast usually consisted of a piece of toast and a tiny apple. She barely had an appetite for the remainder of her day, choosing to pick at her food and sneaking to throw away her dinner when she thought no one was looking.

And today, even though the temperature was high, Elyse’s tiny frame was covered by an oversize men’s shirt, a pair of baggy cargo pants, and some high-top Chuck Taylors. Her uncombed hair was capped by a baseball hat worn backward.

As Burgundy returned her focus to her other sisters, she noticed that Alita was running her mouth as usual.

“Who you calling loud, B? I am not that loud, and ain’t nothing wrong with being ghetto. I’m proud of where I come from. South Side, H-town, all the way. All of us was raised there. But even though you’ve moved far away to the suburbs, you seem to have forgotten that you started from the bottom like most of us.”

“Alita, now is not the time,” Burgundy replied. “I am not about to fight with you over nothing. It’s going to be all love and peace today. Okay? Can we agree to disagree?”

Alita slouched in her chair and closed her eyes.

“Alita,” Burgundy repeated. “I was talking to you. I said, love and peace today, all right?’”

“Alita will behave,” Dru spoke up. “Now, what’s the new assignment, B?”

Burgundy smiled. “First of all, how did everything go with y’all concerning the last assignment? Did you get anything out of telling each other the truth and confronting someone in a nice way? Do you feel it helped you grow as a person and especially as a sister? Did you have any struggles with this assignment?”

“Well, it wasn’t a stretch for me ’cause I always tells the truth,” Coco said with attitude. “That’s just how I roll. It was no challenge.”

“Dark Skin, you a lying ass,” Alita hooted and hollered. “You only think that you always keep it real. But I know when you’re lying.”

The nail attendant looked at Alita then at Dru. She quickly pretended she wasn’t listening to their conversation. But Coco knew she had heard Alita’s insensitive comments.

“Look, dammit,” Coco complained, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I’m sick of you calling me Dark Skin. Dru is brown skinned and so is Elyse; yet I don’t hear you giving them that type of nickname.”

“Uh, what?” Alita’s face registered pure shock. She was so accustomed to calling Coco “Dark Skin,” and seeing her respond to the nickname, that she had never thought twice about how the woman felt about it.

“Uh, nothing,” Coco retorted. “I am way more than the color of my skin, and I do not appreciate you calling me that.”

“But I’ve been calling you that since you were in elementary school.”

“And now that I’m grown up, I am asking you to stop. That’s not my name. My mama told me she named me Coco Chanel Reeves. And she told me that Coco means I’m passionate.”

“True that,” Alita said with a chuckle.

“And compassionate,” Coco added.

“I don’t know about that.”

“And romantic.”

Dru nodded in agreement. “Okay, now that’s accurate.”

“So anyway,” Coco continued, “I want to be called by my name. You understand?”

“All right . . . Dark and Lovely,” Alita said with a smirk.

“Oh, fuck it. You’re lame and you’re wrong.”

“Funny because that’s exactly how I feel about you, Coco,” Alita replied. “And you just use that nickname shit as an excuse to keep us from facing the more important matters.”

“What you talkin’ ’bout?”

“I’m still trying to figure out the pregnancy thang.”

“We on that again?”

“Yes, we are. Now. Why did you lie? We supposed to tell the truth and here you go, steadily lying.”

“W-w-well,” Coco sputtered. “Maybe I got good reasons for not wantin’ to tell e’rything you feel you need to know.”

“That could be true, Coco,” Burgundy said. “But still, you should try to be truthful. Or even find a new way of telling us the truth.”

“Ain’t. Easy.”

The room grew eerily quiet except for the sounds of bubbles splashing inside each girl’s pedicure pan. Coco, the ultimate “fronter,” was the one who liked to put on a façade. She wanted the sisters to think she was holding life down. Yet her life was frustrating, complex, hard, and exhausting, and she didn’t want everyone commenting on it.

“What’s not easy, Sis?” Burgundy replied.

Coco loudly exhaled and settled back in her chair, harboring a distant look in her eyes.

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it. I already got two of Calhoun’s kids. I love ’em to death. But it don’t always keep him at home. So having another mouth to feed . . . I already know it won’t make him act right.”

“Thank you for admitting the truth.” Alita sat up straighter in her chair. She loved when she was dead-on right.

“Can’t really deny it,” Coco shrugged.

“Take it from me,” Alita replied in her piercing voice. “No-good men don’t make good husbands.”

“Nobody’s perfect.” Coco’s voice was light. “Not even me. We all got issues. So I decided to accept Calhoun as he is.”

Alita groaned. “Just because people have issues doesn’t mean you have to settle, girl.”

“Alita, why you think you know everything about my relationship?”

“Anyone with a pair of eyes and common sense can figure out you two.”

“Look, you’re not with us twenty-four seven!” Coco’s voice trembled. “I-I know he’s trying. He loves me the best he can.”

Alita frowned. “Does he treat you with kindness and respect twenty-four seven?”

Coco paused. “Yes.”

“See, now I know you’re lying.”

“All right then.” Coco sighed, growing weary of the conversation. “No, he’s not kind every single second.”

Alita continued. “Does Calhoun get on you whenever you do something he doesn’t like?”

“Yes, he puts me in check, just like I put his ass in check.”

“Does he ever tell you that he’d like to seriously marry you?”

Coco said nothing as she glanced down at her feet, which were dipped in the warm, bubbling water. Coco hated being scrutinized, even if the truth was being told. She despised her sister for always getting on her about things in her life that she wanted to remain undetected.

“I could go on, Coco, and you know it,” Alita continued.

“Okay! Calhoun has issues, and that’s that! But overall he’s good to me. My man is young, just in case you forgot. He’s got a lot more growing up to do, then he’ll be all right.” Calhoun was twenty-three and acted every bit of his age.

“And what shocks me is how you’re fine with that,” Alita remarked. “Yet you still have this obsession about weddings and honeymoons and marriage licenses? Big ole fool.”

Coco snapped back, “I took this man’s virginity when he was barely legal. We’ve been together seven years. I ain’t checking for no other man. It’s ’bout time I be Calhoun’s wife. What’s wrong with that?”

“Marriage does not work, Dark Skin. Oops, I meant to say Coco. Marriage can’t do nothing but fail.”

“Alita, your pathetic relationship didn’t work. And you’re so bitter about it that you’re trying to rob me of my happiness.”

“What I’m doing may feel like a robbery . . . but it’s a rescue mission . . .”

“Guess what, Alita? If you are my only hope, then I’ll pass on being rescued. I’d rather swallow a bottle of pills than be anything like you.”

Alita’s eyes grew wet with moisture, but Coco was unrepentant and downright savage. “But my beautiful sister Burgundy, she’s who I really look up to. Burgundy Taylor should give all of us hope. She found a way to make a marriage do what it’s supposed to do. Get over any problems and stay married . . . no matter what.”

“We try. We’re blessed. Thanks, Sis,” Burgundy said.

“That’s my whole point, Coco.” Alita butted in. “Calhoun is nowhere even close to Nathaniel. Nate has a good head on his shoulders. Calhoun doesn’t use his head half the time. And it’s exactly why you shouldn’t be so quick to marry him or any other man.”

“Well, whatever. This is my relationship. I want what I want—and that’s that,” Coco retorted.

“You are a fool,” Alita spat. “Word on the street is that he don’t even believe this unborn baby is his.”

“And that’s why I thought about aborting it,” Coco finally said, her voice trembling.

“What?” Burgundy and Dru yelled at the same time.

“Hell, yeah. I said I thought about it.” Coco sighed. “That’s why I didn’t want the family to know, ’cause I had to make a decision. I tossed and turned every night and worried myself half to death. Could I have it? Should I abort? But naw. I ain’t killing my baby. Plus, I know it’s his. Just ’cause he don’t know don’t mean I don’t. It is his.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Dru couldn’t help but ask, considering what had occurred last time.

Coco sat, her cheeks flaming hot with shame as she mentally pondered all of her sins. She hated anything that spoke of her dreadful past; not now, when she was ready to move forward. “Am I sure that this new baby is Calhoun’s?” Coco repeated the question to her sister. “Yeah, Dru. I’m sure. Hell, yeah.”

“Well, I’m glad it’s his, and I’m happy that you’re keeping it,” Dru replied. “Say what you want about the baby daddy, but at least you two make beautiful babies.”

“You got that right,” Alita said.

“And that’s a pretty fancy trick for a woman you think is shaped like an elephant.” Coco cheerfully winked at Alita.

Coco’s skin was as pretty as an ice cream bar. Her teeth, as white as a movie star’s. Her body resembled a hippopotamus’s: thighs shaped like plastic toy baseball bats that rubbed together when she walked. But her standout feature? That award would go to her enormous behind. Coco’s shapely rump could capture any man’s attention. No silicone. No padding. She was blessed with one hundred percent pure ass. And because of that fact, no matter what folks said, no one could label Coco ugly to her face and get away with it.

While growing up, people would say that Dru was the “look-but-don’t-touch sister.” And Coco was the “touch-but-don’t-look sister.”

Feeling satisfied that her family now knew the full state of her baby’s paternity, Coco settled back to enjoy her pampering session. She hoped they’d lighten up with all their nosy questions.

“Happy. Love new baby,” Elyse said in a low voice.

Coco winked at her baby sister and reached over to squeeze her hand.

“Awww, Coco loves her some Elyse,” Burgundy said.

“Of course I do. I love all my sisters. Even the evil ones.” Coco laughed and winked at Alita.

“Love you too.” Alita rolled her eyes. “Even though you’re stupid as hell.”

Burgundy couldn’t help but be amazed. “You are a mess. But I’m happy that we’re getting some things off our chests.” She sighed in contentment. “This is exactly what our mother wanted. Good job, sisters. Now, before I move on to the new assignment, does anyone have any more comments about the last one?”

Dru cleared her throat. “I have a comment.”

“Go on, Pretty Girl,” Alita teased.

“Oh, hush with all that. Anyway, I want to say that . . . I struggle with truth.”

“You do?” Alita sounded stunned. “I thought everything that came out of your mouth was full of truth.”

“I want it to be that way, but it doesn’t always happen how I want. Especially when it comes to my man.”

“How are things with you and Tyrique?” Burgundy said. Tyrique Evans was Dru’s devoted boyfriend and they’d been dating exclusively for almost three years.

The moment that question was asked, Dru’s cell phone rang. It was as if Tyrique was listening in on their conversation and wanted to make his presence known.

“I wonder if I should I take this?” Dru said.

“Go on and answer, girl. You know how your man acts when he can’t get in touch with his boo,” Coco laughed.

“Um. No. I won’t pick up. It’s Sister Day, right?” Dru laid down the phone and continued talking to Burgundy. When the phone rang incessantly, she slid her finger across the screen to power it off. She dropped the phone inside her hobo bag and zipped it shut.

“Wow. No wonder Tyrique be tripping,” Coco said, looking at Dru with open envy. “He can’t call just one time and give up like some men do. He’ll keep trying. I like that.”

“There’s no need for him to spaz out ’cause I don’t answer.” Dru responded. “I don’t know why he was calling, but unless it’s an emergency, he should trust what he’s got.”

“Hmm,” Coco said. “Now that’s something I just can’t completely do. I’m always scared I might get played.”

“Well, an untrustworthy man can’t be trusted. That’s because he hasn’t earned it,” Dru coolly replied. “Once your man has proven himself, that he shows a lot of consistency in doing good things, he is where he says he is, then it’s safe to let down your guard. You will know what you have at that point.”

“Dru Boo, you should have given that speech years ago.” Alita bristled. “Because I didn’t know what I had till it was too damn late.”

“What do you mean?” Dru asked.

Alita laughed. “Don’t tell me you can’t remember how Mr. Leonard Washington was acting when we first met?”

“I remember,” Burgundy cut in. “You would call me and tell me that you thought you had met ‘the one.’”

Alita ignored her. “Anyway, I’ll never forget one day when we were together. He picked me up in his car. It was clean too. That’s one compliment I’ll give him. He washed that bad boy every weekend, even if it looked like it was about to rain. The inside and the outside of that car was clean.”

“Okay, cool,” Dru murmured. “At least there is one good memory that you have about Leonard.

“But all that good didn’t last, Sis. And that’s the problem. If you gonna be my knight in shining armor, at least keep on acting the way that a knight is supposed to.”

Coco burst out laughing, unable to help herself.

“What, Dark Skin?”

Coco gave Alita the evil eye but continued. “That man’s still got power over you, even though you hardly ever see him these days. You ain’t giving up the pussy to your ex-husband like some chicks do, none of that. But Leonard Washington is still on your brain and in your mouth.”

Burgundy nodded. “I’ve noticed that too. It’s been three years, Alita. At some point you’re going to have to let go.”

Alita glared at each of her sisters and cleared her throat.

“Two words,” she said. “Fuck y’all.”

Coco giggled. “Don’t be mad. Truth hurts, Lita, right?”

Burgundy spoke up. “Life can be painful, and if any of our sisters are hurting, we should hurt too. So please let Alita continue talking, because it sounds like she wants to get something off her chest.”

“She’s been trying to get the same shit off her chest for years.” Coco mumbled to herself and suddenly couldn’t wait until this Sister Day event was over. She was wondering what Calhoun was doing, even though she knew he was at work.

Coco picked up her phone and texted Calhoun. “WYD.” Then she turned her attention to Alita.

“Go on ahead, Lita, damn. You’re taking all morning just to tell your little story about what happened with you and Leonard.”

Alita continued in her effort to remind them about what happened. “So, as I was saying, Leonard Washington lured me in with all his fancy talk, his sweet words that I ate up like a moist piece of chocolate cake. Back then he was just starting out working in used car sales. And when he’d get off, he’d come over and spend all his free time with me. We hung out every day. He’d give me money for groceries, paid my phone bill, offered to get my hair and nails done so I could ‘stay pretty,’ as he liked to say. Of course, I loved that. And I could tell things with him were getting serious. Then, it happened. He called me ‘a trophy worth keeping.’”

Burgundy smiled. “Did he, Alita?”

“He sure did, B. A trophy, okay? At the time I really didn’t know what a ‘trophy’ was, but it sounded impressive. And when he said he wanted to get married and start a family, I said yes. I went from an awkward single woman to a wife. And things were sweet at first. But I had to learn the hard way that once some men get their trophy, they admire it at first. Then when they get bored, they set the trophy somewhere high up on a shelf to collect dust. They then get busy trying to collect new trophies. Trophies with bigger boobs, a fatter ass, a better shape, you name it.”

“Damn, Sis,” Coco said. “That must have hurt.”

“You think?” Alita replied. “At first I was in denial. I’d be at home waiting on Leonard after I slaved over a hot stove trying to cook our dinner. I’d end up putting that food in the refrigerator, uneaten. By then he did so well selling used cars that he got promoted and started working in new car sales. He’d work longer and longer hours. And sometimes I’d pop up at his job without calling. And I’d catch my husband flirting with a pretty woman that had a couple of kids with her. Or he’d be driving women around, ‘test driving’ is what he called it. All that wasn’t necessary.”

“Hmm,” Coco said. “Your eyes told you what you were seeing, but you didn’t want to believe it, huh?”

“I’d ask him what was up with all these women, and all I’d get was one weak excuse after another. And when I finally opened my eyes and learned who I actually married, my dumb ass thought I could change Leonard. But let me drop some truth on you. Ain’t no such thing as that. I don’t care if the president of the United States declares it on national television and it gets tweeted a million times, a woman cannot change a man. He’s gonna do whatever the hell he feels he wanna do.”

“If that’s the case,” Coco spoke up, “why doesn’t Tyrique act like that? Like a bitch-ass punk?”

“Tyrique is the definition of a good man,” Dru admitted. “I’ll give him that. I wouldn’t expect him to act like Leonard or Calhoun. No offense.”

“You and I lucked out, Dru Boo.” Burgundy smiled with pride. “We know what we have, and we must learn to appreciate it. The things you don’t value can get taken away from you.” Her smile turned into a frown.

“Like when our dear mother was here. I hate to say it, but sometimes I was impatient with her, especially when she got sick.”

“I can’t believe you’re admitting this,” Coco said.

“Well, I put on a good front for a long time, but sometimes you need to be real. That’s why we do this,” Burgundy said. “It helps us to face our truth.” She gave a tiny smile. “And just by listening to you ladies, I’m reminded just how good I have it. Sometimes I feel guilty. Other times I don’t.”

“Ha?” Alita scowled. “Are you looking down on us just because of Nate? Because even though he is a good man . . . he’s still a man, Burgundy.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. He’s an exceptional man.” Burgundy calmly defended her spouse, which was what good wives did, even when they did not feel like it.

“When Nate does well,” Burgundy continued, “I should back him up. When he messes up, and it’s very rare that Nate slips and falls, I keep our dirty laundry in our house. I privately kiss his wounds and help him to get back up. But it hardly ever happens.”

“Lucky you,” Alita said sarcast. . .