Chapter 16 Chanel
Chanel
True to his word, Vincent had introduced Chanel exactly as he’d said. And now she had an entire group of people focused solely
on her, and she had to stifle the urge to flee.
Mrs. Bradley grabbed her up in a crushing hug. “Oh, Chanel, welcome to our home.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Bradley.”
The older woman waved her off. “None of that Mrs. Bradley stuff. You can call me Mama Yvonne like the rest of the family.”
“Okay.” The three women he’d introduced as his sisters-in-law were all beautiful. “Is there anything you need me to help with
for dinner?”
“Like they told me on my first visit, you get a guest pass,” Kamryn said. “Next time we’ll put you to work.”
Next time?
“Dinner is almost ready, but there are appetizers on the bar. Help yourself.” Giselle pointed.
“Thanks, but everything smells so good, and I don’t want to ruin my appetite.”
Taylor hooked her arm in Chanel’s. “Come on over here and tell us how you two met. Vincent, bye.”
Vincent threw up his hands. “So that’s how you’re gonna treat me now? Austin, I don’t know about your woman.”
“I do. She’s a keeper.”
“Does this mean we’ll be having another wedding soon?” Giselle asked. “I’m already brainstorming ideas for the perfect place.”
Chanel noticed a look pass between Austin and Taylor. She recalled Vincent saying he thought they would be next to get married.
Then Kamryn pulled out her phone and seemed to be recording. Tariq smiled and eased over to the stove to remove the chicken
from the pan. There seemed to be an inside joke or something that she wasn’t privy to or that she’d missed.
“Then what are you going to do about it?” Mama Yvonne said with her hands planted on her hips.
“I’ve already done it.”
Taylor left Chanel and went to stand next to Austin. They both raised their left hands, and Austin said, “Bam!”
There was shocked silence, then pandemonium.
“Wait, y’all got married?”
“Hold up. Did you elope?”
“You got married without telling anybody?”
The rapid-fire questions kept coming until Austin’s sharp whistle cut across the room.
Austin held up a hand. Gazing into his wife’s eyes, he said, “Yes, Taylor and I got married in February. She came to visit
me, and I knew I didn’t want her to leave without making her mine forever, and she graciously accepted my proposal.”
The love between them could be felt clear across the room. And the way he looked at her . . . Chanel felt as if she was intruding
on a private moment.
“Now, you know we’re happy for you two, son,” Mr. Bradley said, “but we sure wish you’d let us be a part of it.”
Mama Yvonne ran a hand across her forehead, still seemingly in shock. “I don’t even know what you wore or if you had a dress.”
“You will be, Papa Aaron,” Taylor said. “Mama Yvonne, I’ll need your help to plan a reception and find a dress to wear.” She
walked over to the table and pulled a photo album from a tote. “This is for you.”
Mama Yvonne sat at the kitchen table and opened the album as the family gathered around. “Oh my.”
Until now, Vincent’s other sister-in-law, Giselle, hadn’t said anything. She turned to Kamryn and said with disgust, “I should’ve
known you had something to do with this.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with their decision,” Kamryn fired back.
Ooo-kay. Family drama? Chanel made a mental note to ask Vincent about it. The last thing she wanted was to be involved in more drama.
“This was mine and Taylor’s decision,” Austin said. “I called Tariq and asked him to step in as my best man.”
Shawn clapped Austin on the shoulder. “It was your and Taylor’s day, and you did it the way you wanted. Congrats. It’s about
time you put a ring on it.”
Vincent echoed the sentiment.
“Okay, let’s get this food on the table.” Mama Yvonne stood. “I’ll finish looking at these pictures later. I want you to have
a full stomach when we start the planning.”
“Oh my goodness, Taylor,” Kamryn said with a laugh, “you should see your face.”
Taylor hugged her mother-in-law. “Can we please keep it simple? You know I’ve never liked a lot of fuss.”
“Whatever you want, baby.”
“Mmm-hmm. Mom, you know you always get excited when it comes to this kind of thing,” Austin said, laughing.
“Oh, hush. I’m not that bad.”
All the guys, including Papa Aaron, lifted one finger and tipped out of the room. Everyone fell out laughing.
The love swirling around this family made tears sting the backs of Chanel’s eyes. This was what she and Jada had missed growing
up. Needing a minute, she asked, “Can someone show me where to wash my hands?”
“Of course. Follow me.” As Kamryn led her down a hallway, she said, “I have a question.” Her dark eyes sparkled with laughter.
“What is it?”
“You wouldn’t happen to work with Vincent at the imaging center?”
“Ah . . . yes.”
Kamryn did a little shimmy. “Oooh! I love it. Come on back to the kitchen when you finish.”
Chanel really wanted to ask how she knew, but before she could, Kamryn strutted back down the hall. Chanel went into the bathroom
and washed her hands. When she made it back to the kitchen, the family was all there, and several platters and bowls lined
the bar. Vincent came over and held her hand.
“Since we’re going to eat outside, I’ll bless the food in here and you all can fix your plates,” Mr. Bradley said.
Without a word, they formed a circle and held hands. Giselle stood to her left. The blessing ended with a rousing “Amen!”
“Vincent, let Chanel get her plate first,” his mother said.
Vincent handed Chanel a plate.
Smiling, she stepped up to the bar. “I don’t even know where to begin,” she murmured. “Does she cook like this every time you all get together?”
“Every time.”
She took a little of everything, then waited for him to fix his. Vincent opened the screen to the sliding glass door and gestured
her forward. “Wow! This yard is huge and gorgeous.” The deck was elevated from the rest of the manicured yard. Off to one
side, she saw a gazebo and swing. On the other was a complete outdoor kitchen and a few loungers.
“My mom wanted what she called an outdoor home retreat, so Dad made it happen.”
The rest of the family joined them, and soon lively conversation ensued. However, what grabbed her attention the most were
the loving touches and teasing smiles she witnessed between his parents, as well as between his brothers and their wives.
The sadness of what she’d never had rose up swiftly, and Chanel forced it down. Giving herself a mental pep talk, she vowed
to forget about the past and enjoy the present.
“Chanel, what do you do?” Mr. Bradley asked.
“I’m a radiology technologist.” Every eye turned in her direction, and a slow smile spread across Vincent’s mother’s face.
Warning bells sounded in her head, and once again, she felt as if she’d missed something.
“Is that where you and Vincent met?” his mother asked.
She hesitated a beat before answering, “Yes.”
“Took you long enough, baby brother.” Tariq lifted his glass in a mock toast.
Everyone was smiling at her, and she leaned closer to Vincent and asked quietly, “Am I missing something?”
“I’ll tell you later.” And as if reading her mind, he added, “It’s nothing bad, I promise.”
“I’m holding you to it.”
He smiled, gave her a quick kiss, and continued eating.
Chanel risked a glance across the table and found Taylor and Kamryn watching with huge grins on their faces. Both gave her
the thumbs-up, reminding her of her own sister’s antics. She wondered how long the two women had known each other, because
they seemed to be more like best friends than sisters-in-law.
By the time dinner ended, she’d learned a little about the family. Tariq and Austin were the most outgoing, while Shawn appeared
to be more reserved. She didn’t know if it stemmed from him being the oldest or if it was just part of his personality. Vincent
fell somewhere in the middle. The brothers’ wives complemented them perfectly.
Vincent stood with his plate. “Do you want anything else?”
“No, thanks. I’m so full.” He took her empty plate inside with his. “Everything tasted wonderful, Mrs. Bradley.”
“Thanks, baby. We’ll let our food settle, then have dessert.”
Vincent returned on the heels of his mother’s comments. “I see a cake container. Kam, please tell me you made a pound cake.”
“Sorry, not this time. I did, however, make a 7UP cake. You can have the piece after Chanel.”
“Thanks, sis.”
Chanel laughed. “You’re serious about that cake.”
“What? You didn’t believe me?”
Shawn nodded. “When it comes to Kam’s baking, I can’t blame him.”
Kamryn made the heart symbol with her hands. “Y’all are the best brothers-in-law a girl could have. I might have to make you
your own little cakes. Austin, I’ll send one to you with Taylor. You guys make sure you share.”
Everyone started clearing the table and Taylor said, “Girl, I’m gonna cut my piece before Austin even sees it because it’ll be gone.” She playfully bumped Austin.
“Okay. Keep playing. See if I make you another steak.”
“Hold up. I didn’t say I was getting a big piece, though.” This brought on another round of laughter.
“Come with me.” Vincent grasped Chanel’s hand and led her down the steps and over to the swing. He waited for her to sit,
then lowered himself next to her. He draped an arm around her shoulders and used his foot to start a slow sway.
“Your family is great. So what was the inside joke about us working together?”
“They are, and we have a lot of fun. As far as your question, last year Mom was hassling me about dating, and I happened to
mention that a cute girl had started working there.”
She eyed him. “Me?” Had he been checking her out for an entire year? “Wow. I’m flattered.”
“Yes, you.” He shifted to face her. “Now, is everything okay?”
“Yes. Why?”
“A couple of times today, I noticed you had this sad look, kind of like the day we went to lunch. Did someone say something
to you?”
The fact that he hadn’t even been with her the entire time meant he had to be pretty observant to see those fleeting moments.
“No. Everyone has been really nice.”
“Then what is it? When something is bothering you, it bothers me.”