Chapter 69

Trey

As Kiara and I step into Mom's house, the aroma of a home-cooked dinner fills the air. Candice arrived before us, perched on the kitchen counter while Mom finishes cooking, both of them drinking large glasses of wine. From her perch on the counter, Candy glances at us for only a second, grimacing before looking back down at the glass in her hand.

I guess she's truly willing to set aside her grudge with Mom because she believes my relationship is about to crash and burn. Jokes on her; I'm not even proposing tonight. But I can see just how petty she can be now.

Mom's face lights up with an ear-to-ear smile at the sight of Kiara, and she rushes over to give her a warm hug. "There's my future daughter-in-law!" she exclaims. In my periphery, I catch Candy rolling her eyes.

"Smells good in here, Mama. Need any help?" I inquire, planting a gentle kiss on Kiara's forehead before releasing her to mingle with my family.

Even though I volunteered to cook and bring dinner,