Brothers and Wives
Read Brothers and Wives Online
Authors: Cydney Rax
Praise for
My Sister’s Ex
One of
Essence
magazine’s Best Reads of 2009
“Cydney Rax has a way [of] adding a twist to her plots; she makes you think about things that for some are unimaginable and unforgivable.”
—The Pink Reviewers
“With a feel-good quality … this book is a must-read and will have you begging for more.”
—Cheryl Hayes, APOOO Book Club
Praise for
My Best Friend and My Man
“There are some parts where Cydney has you laughing out loud and others where you want to reach in and throttle the characters. Cydney has another hit on her hands!”
—Desiree Day, author of
Crazy Love
and
One G-String Short of Crazy
“Smart, sexy, and wickedly funny … Once again, Cydney Rax displays her keen ability to weave a story of romance and mayhem with characters that you’ll both love … and love to hate.”
—Nancey Flowers,
Essence
magazine bestselling author of
No Strings Attached
“Cydney Rax is phenomenal with her pen game. This blueprint on how to win in the game of love is sure to be a bestseller.”
—Joy King, author of
Hooker to Housewife
and
Superstar
“Truly a satisfying read that pulled me in from page one …
I
couldn’t put it down.”
—Cheryl Robinson, author of
Sweet Georgia Brown
“Whatever’s in the water in Houston, Cydney Rax should drink eight glasses a day.”
—Patrik Henry Bass, senior editor,
Essence
magazine
Praise for
My Husband’s Girlfriend
“Provocative.”
—
Ebony
magazine
“A twisted tale of infidelity.”
—Today’s Black Woman
“The Book We Can’t Put Down … the scandalous new novel … you’ll find yourself drawn to Rax’s juicy tale of out-of-order Buppies in love and lust.”
—Essence
magazine
“One of the most provocative, entrancing, and insatiable naughty novels of the year has arrived. Cydney Rax is on her way to being a serial bestseller.”
—Disilgold Soul
magazine
“Rax manages the fallout … with insight, zip, and wit, and airs multiple conflicts within black middle-class life in compelling detail.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Grabs your attention from the start … complicated characters add depth, and their emotions make the novel seem realistic.”
—Romantic Times
Praise for
My Daughter’s Boyfriend
“Best Guilty Pleasure Read.”
—Upscale
“Juicy debut, capably written. Rax keeps it real, and Tracey is genuinely likable, for all her sins.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Emotionally charged … scandalous in nature, though tastefully written … Rax’s novel forces deep reflection.”
—Romantic Times
“One of the hottest and heaviest secret and lustful relationships to debut in a novel … Get ready to hold your breath.
My Daughter’s Boyfriend
is a heated and sexy page turner…. Cydney Rax is a powerful and masterful storyteller.”
“A fascinating, witty, and thought-provoking novel full of memorable characters … the perfect summer read.”
—Zane
Also by Cydney Rax
My Sister’s Ex
My Best Friend and My Man
My Husband’s Girlfriend
My Daughter’s Boyfriend
This one is dedicated to all my loyal readers
.
Part 1 -
Rules of Engagement
Chapter 1 -
Dani: More Than Just a Pretty Face
Chapter 2 -
Anya: My Reality Is Far Different from My Dream
Chapter 3 -
Scottie: An Afternoon with Scottie
Chapter 4 -
Dani: Neil Still Loves Me
Chapter 5 -
LaNecia: Gotta Get My Face Time
Chapter 6 -
Scottie: Hurricane LaNecia
Chapter 7 -
Anya: Take the Good with the Bad
Chapter 8 -
LaNecia: I’m Sick of You Leaving Me
Chapter 9 -
Anya: Middle-Aged Beauty
Chapter 10 -
Dani: Love Is Sometimes Selfish
Chapter 11 -
LaNecia: Trying to Play the Game
Chapter 12 -
Dani: Olive Juice
Chapter 13 -
Anya: Thankful
Chapter 14 -
Dani: Scottie’s Ultimate Surprise
Chapter 15 -
Scottie: I Want to Be Your Husband
Part 2 -
For Better or Worse
Chapter 16 -
Dani: Why Are You Marrying My Brother?
Chapter 17 -
Anya: The Day I Turn Forty
Chapter 18 -
LaNecia: You Got It Bad
Chapter 19 -
Dani: The Pain of Marrying Scottie
Chapter 20 -
LaNecia: Wedding Day Blues
Chapter 21 -
Scottie: Another Man’s Wife
Chapter 22 -
Anya: Surgery
Chapter 23 -
Dani: A Great Sex Life Keeps a Man at Home
Chapter 24 -
Scottie: Why Am I Going to Jail?
Chapter 25 -
Dani: Waiting on You to Come Home
Chapter 26 -
Anya: I Hear Love
Chapter 27 -
Scottie: I’m Going to Make You Love Me
Chapter 28 -
Dani: Marriage Isn’t Always What It Seems
Sometimes reader interest can birth books. After
My Husband’s Girlfriend
(MHG) was released, I received a variety of responses from readers. Some folks thought the topic was implausible—and they didn’t hesitate to tell me just that. Actually, I understood what they were feeling. This wild and crazy story line is strictly fiction, right? But then the e-mails started pouring into my Inbox. One older male reader confessed that he and his wife were going through the same problems as the characters Neil and Anya. He sadly told me that his own wife actually suffered from FSAD (female sexual arousal disorder). They weren’t having sex. Period. “What should I do?” he asked me. I responded with a nice e-mail, and afterward I felt like,
Whoa! I’m not an advice columnist
.
A few other readers sent e-mails stating they, too, could relate to the MHG drama. One guy had encountered his own “Dani” in real life, and so on. And quite a few wanted to know, “Cydney, when are you going to make this into a movie?” Ha! If only it were that easy … I’d be somewhere right now … (okay, let me focus).
One librarian in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said MHG was one of the best urban fiction novels she’s ever read. I was shocked and thrilled. Authors love receiving this kind of e-mail. Trust me.
But the e-mails I received from a slew of others are the reason I wrote
Brothers and Wives
—the stand-alone sequel to MHG. Simply put, some folks demanded, “When’s the sequel coming out?” At first I told everyone, “Nope, no. No sequel.” But a couple of years after MHG, the characters began talking to me again. Creativity started flowing. And here in your hands is the result of fan interest. Plus it was great to get involved again with Neil, Dani, and Anya and find out what’s going on in their lives these days.
I love the book. I hope you do, too. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, for every ounce of your support.
Cydney Rax
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
—1
—
D
ANI
More Than Just a Pretty Face
It’s the last weekend
in July. I’ve just pulled my pickup into the parking lot of the Bear Creek Pioneers Park on the west side of Houston. I open the door of my Toyota Tundra and carefully lift my nearly three-year-old son, Brax, from his car seat. “Come on, baby, watch your step,” I tell him and watch him closely so he won’t stumble on parts of the picnic grounds that dip unevenly. We walk toward the aroma of hickory-smoked meat. From a short distance, I can see a flurry of activity in front of a covered pavilion that’s draped by a large banner with the words Meadows Family Reunion.
Once I arrive at our picnic area, I set my red cooler, a family-size bag of pita chips, and several containers of hummus on a green rectangular metal table. I rearrange my orange and red bikini top so that my nipples aren’t totally showing and give my white Bermuda shorts the once-over. I nervously inhale and take in the scene around me and do a quick count. It looks like seventy-something people are here already. Some folks are holding little mini fans in their hands trying to stay cool; they are wasting their time—it’s so hot outside I feel like I’m swimming in a pot of boiling water.
“Mommy, I’m thirsty.”
“Okay,” I tell Brax and reach for a bag of cups that’s on the table and pull one out. I fill it with cold water from a huge orange beverage container and watch him take a long swallow.
The sound of laughing children captures our attention, and we both practically run toward a play area where dozens of his cousins are swinging, climbing monkey bars, and going for rides down the sliding board. Brax plays on the swing until a teenage cousin asks for my permission to include him in a group of kids who are going for a quick visit to the wildlife habitat. I say okay and make them promise to try and bring my son back within a half hour.
I walk back toward the pavilion, where I’m drawn to thumping, mesmerizing music that’s blaring from a few speakers. Several feet away, about a dozen couples are partying on a concrete floor in an open area right by the picnic tables. Riley Dobson, Neil Meadows’s next-door neighbor, grins and waves at me from the dance floor. I wave back. Thank God for a friendly face. In the past, when I was going through hard times, she temporarily let me live with her, and I’ve always appreciated her generous heart.
Feeling spirited and confident, I squeeze past folks till I reach the dance floor. It’s been a while since I’ve been around some of Neil’s relatives. I want to relax and not feel uncomfortable. I’m sure there’re still some relatives who are upset over the fact that Neil, a married father, got me pregnant with Brax a few years ago.
Even though I lack a dance partner, I twist my ass to the new Ray J song, snapping my fingers and singing quietly. Right in front of me is the deejay booth, which holds a long, transportable table that stands on a slightly raised
platform. A couple of laptops and mixers are spread across the surface. Two guys are standing behind the table; one is an average-looking guy sporting nerd glasses. But the man working the turntable makes me ask myself,
Who the hell is this?
