Cherished - By Kim Cash Tate Page 0,8

waiting for me. Call you tonight?”

She smiled. “You better.”

Kelli clicked off as Cyd entered the room in her silk robe. “Oh no.” She bent over, patting her thigh. “Reese, come.”

The dark chocolate dog rolled over on her back, showing her patches of tan underneath, paws dangling in complete comfort as Kelli continued to stroke her.

“I’m totally enabling her disobedience but she’s too cute.”

Cyd gave Reese the eye. “She woke you up, didn’t she? I’m sorry. She’s normally in our room, but I guess she wanted to check out her new playmate down the hall.”

“It’s fine,” Kelli said, legs still under the covers. She scratched behind Reese’s ears. “Better be glad you’re adorable.” A yawn escaped. “What time do y’all leave for church?”

“I’m not sure today,” Cyd said. “We normally go to the nine o’clock, but with the road trip yesterday, eleven thirty’s looking pretty good. Cedric’s still asleep.” Cyd paused. “Don’t feel like you have to come with us. I know you’re tired.”

Kelli’s bones issued a hearty amen. She could easily rest till noon. But before she could give it more thought, they heard slow steps moving down the hall, the hardwood creaking underneath. Cedric appeared, wearing wrinkled athletic shorts, a T-shirt, and a slouch that said he wanted back in bed. “Howdy.”

Kelli exchanged an amused glance with Cyd. “You look terrible.”

“I want to know one thing.” Sleep coated Cedric’s voice. “Whose idea was it to leave Austin in the middle of the night, drive fourteen hours straight, then unload a moving van?”

“Yours,” Kelli and Cyd said.

And Cyd added, “While pumping your fist in the air and saying, ‘Let’s do this!’”

“And if I remember correctly,” Kelli said, “you called Lindell a chump for suggesting we leave later and find a halfway point to stop overnight.”

“I must’ve lost my mind.” Cedric ambled over and collapsed across the foot of her bed. “I thought I was still your age.”

Reese traded Kelli for Cedric, pouncing on him immediately.

Cyd sat beside him on the bed, massaging his back. “Poor baby. I’ll get you some ibuprofen. You and Kelli should go back to bed. I wish I could. I got up to let Reese out, and now I’m wide awake.”

Cedric looked at Kelli. “How are you feeling?”

“A little sore. Not too bad. You and Lindell did most of the heavy lifting.” She smiled. “I kinda like having my brothers around again. Y’all are handy.”

Cedric cocked his head, as if considering. “I kinda like having you around too.”

“I know I do,” Cyd said. “I’m so glad you decided to come.”

“Thanks, Cyd, but I was thinking . . .” Kelli switched to lotus position. “You’ve got to be a tad overwhelmed. All these years, you’ve had this house to yourself. Then you got married a month ago, and Cedric moved in. And now, here I come.”

“Are you kidding?” Cyd asked. “I bought this house eight years ago hoping it’d be filled with other bodies.” Clayton was a perfect location for her, since she was a professor at Washington University. “I just hate that it took so long. Come here.” Cyd leaned across the bed, and Kelli met her halfway for a hug. “I really want you to consider this your home, for as long as you want to stay.”

Kelli’s eyes misted. “Okay.” She’d gone back and forth about this move, especially when things progressed faster than anticipated. She’d thought it would take weeks to sublease her apartment— time to ponder further, time to change her mind. But an occupant surfaced quickly, and next thing she knew, all her belongings were on a highway headed north . . . along with her and her mixed feelings. But one thing was sure. She loved being here with Cyd and Cedric . . . and she loved that Stephanie and Lindell were only minutes away. Suddenly she giggled.

“What?” Cyd and Cedric asked.

“You might need some Spanx,” Kelli said, imitating Stephanie’s voice. “What a nut! I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in years.”

“Ah, yes,” Cyd said. “Only the privileged few get to experience Stephanie in all her nuttiness over the course of several hours.”

The three women had taken turns driving Kelli’s car from Austin, while the guys drove Cedric’s with the moving trailer attached.

Kelli laughed again, remembering. “If you want to learn to cook gourmet meals for your husband but don’t want to learn your way around the gym . . . and you want to pretend you still wear the same size, you might need some Spanx.”

Cyd was laughing