Cherise reached over and gave Ivy’s hand a light squeeze. “It’s his loss.”
She smiled and nodded.
The girls were getting restless and fretful, so Cherise and Ivy attempted to keep them busy until the others arrived. They both sighed with relief when the other plane arrived on time.
After everyone had arrived and were gathered together, they made their way through customs and baggage claim. Outside the terminal, two stretch limos were waiting to whisk them off to the hotel where they would meet up with the rest of the family.
It was around four when they finally reached the hotel. Some family members wanted to do some sightseeing, but Cherise opted to go straight to her room and sleep until it was time for dinner. She didn’t like sleeping on planes, so she could barely keep her eyes open.
Cherise was asleep by the time her head touched the pillow.
She didn’t get up until shortly after seven, when she showered, slipped on a sundress, then rushed off to meet her relatives downstairs.
Laine had prearranged for them to eat in one of the private dining rooms at El Gran Café, since there were almost forty people in their group. They were once again transported by stretch limousines.
The large dining room had lovely hardwood floors and enormous windows adorned with rich, red velvet curtains. Laine and his wife, Regis, had preselected the menu of seafood croquettes and prawns with garlic for starters, followed by a choice of roasted lamb, monkfish or a veal fillet with foie gras and mushroom sauce, and for dessert, caramelized crema catalana, a specialty of the restaurant.
Afterward, everyone retired to their hotel rooms to settle in for the evening.
Cherise and Ivy weren’t tired and decided to watch a movie together in Ivy’s room.
While her daughters slept, Ivy said, “I’m not sure I can do this.”
“Do what?”
“Raise them by myself,” she responded. “Cherise, it’s hard, and I’m so tired all the time. I’m taking on more shifts now at the hospital, since I can’t depend on Charles to do what he’s supposed to do.”
Ivy was a registered nurse, and until her separation and divorce had worked two days a week.
“You are going to go after him for child support, right?” Cherise asked.
“He doesn’t want to do it through the courts, but I’m going to have to get them involved because now that he’s married again, he wants me to be understanding of his financial obligations.”
Cherise shook her head. “His new wife and kids don’t have anything to do with you. Ivy, you do what you have to do for those girls. As for raising them—you’ve been the one doing that all along. Charles wasn’t always around.”
“You’re right,” Ivy admitted. “He was too busy chasing skirts.” She shook her head sadly. “I just wish…”
“What?” Cherise asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ivy responded with a dismissive wave of her hand. “There really isn’t any need to talk about it. He’s a jerk.”
Her cell phone rang.
Ivy looked down at it and said, “It’s the jerk calling right now.”
Cherise wanted to give Ivy some privacy, so she went to her bedroom and placed a quick call to her mother. “I just wanted to let you know that we made it to Spain.”
“Julian called me earlier, but we lost our connection,” she told Cherise.
“He’s been having trouble with his phone since we arrived.”
“Jazz really wanted to go, but she just didn’t have the money after getting her car repaired and buying that new house.”
Cherise was surprised by her mother’s words. “Mama, why didn’t she come to me? I could’ve worked something out with her.”
“You know your sister. She doesn’t like people in her business. Don’t you mention that I told you, Cherise, okay? Jazz would be mad.”
“I won’t say anything.” Cherise knew a thing or two about keeping secrets. She had been keeping one for years.
Chapter 2
After their stay in Barcelona, the family was transported to the cruise ship. Cherise and Ivy were in the Sapphire Suite on deck nine, which featured two bedrooms, a living area with sofa, dining room and entertainment center, and two bathrooms.
“That suite that Laine and Ray are sharing is nice,” Cherise said.
“Carrie told me that they had to have at least eight staying in there to book the suite. It can hold fourteen people. She and Ray have the three kids, and then Laine and Regis have their two, so that’s nine. Garrette’s kids are staying in there, too, so they almost have fourteen.”
Elle and her family were in the owner’s suite, while Jillian and Kaitlin and their families shared the Ruby family suite, which featured a loft. The other family members were in staterooms along the ninth and tenth floors.
“I don’t know why I agreed to come on this cruise this year,” Ivy complained as they waited for the elevator. “You should have talked me out of it. The last thing I want is to be around a bunch of lovers.”
“This is what you need, what we both need,” Cherise assured Ivy. The doors to the elevator opened and she was struck speechless by the sight of the handsome, dark-skinned brother inside. He smiled, then stepped out of the way to let them enter.
They took the elevator to deck nine.
Cherise noted that he got off on the same floor, following behind them.
When they arrived at the suite, Cherise waited until they were inside before asking, “Did you happen to get a good look at that fine hunk on the elevator with us? He got off on this floor.”
Ivy shrugged nonchalantly. “He looked like any other man.”
Cherise’s eyes opened wide in response to her cousin’s comment. “Ivy, have you gone blind? That man was gorgeous.”
“Well, he just didn’t look that hot to me, that’s all.”
“If you say so…” Cherise muttered, almost to herself.
Inside their suite, Ivy turned to Cherise and said, “It’s not that I hate men or anything like that. I’m just not in the mood for games or trying to figure out if I’m being played. I have two small daughters to worry about, and I have to protect them. They are my first priority.”
Cherise nodded in understanding. “I know Charles didn’t do right by you, but just don’t forget that there are still some nice men out there, Ivy.”
Ivy pulled a stack of clothes from the suitcase and placed them in a drawer. “I actually had a nice guy a
