“When is Lori due?” she asks quietly.
“Next month. We’re all getting too old for touring all year long anyway. It’s not like we need the money.”
“It’s good that you can be choosy,” she agrees.
I nod and kiss her again. I can’t stop kissing her sweet honey-scented hair.
Fuck, I have it bad.
“It’ll be good to be near Meg too. Keep an eye on her.”
“Wait.” She sits up and frowns at me. “Why all these big life changes?”
“Oh, sunshine,” I whisper and smile gently. “Haven’t you figured out that I’m completely in love with you?”
Her eyes go wide and her hands grip onto my shirt and for the first time since I met her, I think she’s speechless.
“You had to know that, baby.” I kiss her forehead and cup her face in my hands. “I don’t bring women around my band. I don’t write songs for girls. I don’t bring them here. I certainly don’t talk about my family with just anyone. I love you, Samantha.”
“Oh, wow,” she whispers and drags her fingers down my face, watching my eyes with her beautiful, bright blue ones. “I’m afraid to fall.”
“I’ll catch you, baby.”
She blinks and swallows hard, her brain in overdrive. We sit quietly, listening to the rain, as she processes her thoughts. I expected this from her. She’s not a girl who would squeal and throw herself at me, screaming her love for me.
That’s not how she works, and that’s just one of the many things I love about her.
“I love you too,” she whispers so quietly, I can barely hear her through the rain.
I tip her chin up with my finger, forcing her to look me in the eye. “What was that?”
“I love you too,” she repeats, louder this time. “You scare me.”
“Good, ‘cause you terrify the hell out of me.” I laugh and pull her in. “But being without you scares me more.”
“Are you really moving to Seattle permanently?” She asks, her face hopeful and happy.
“Yeah.”
“You’re not living with me.” She scowls suddenly, making me bust out laughing. “We’re not ready for that.”
“Last time I checked, I have my own place,” I remind her.
“I guess this means I’d better find a job in Seattle,” she murmurs and kisses my cheek sweetly.
“It would be convenient,” I agree.
“What about when you’re on tour?” Her brows are pulled together in a frown, and I rub the soft skin with my thumb.
“If you’re not busy, you can come with me. If you can’t come along, we’ll survive it.”
She nods and smiles. “No more ugly Malibu house?”
“No.” I laugh and hug her close. “I’m selling the ugly Malibu house.”
“Thank Christ.”
Chapter Eighteen
Samantha
“You’re here!” A pretty blonde jumps out of an Adirondack chair on the patio by the pool and runs for Leo and I. “You are Sam,” she informs me and throws her arms around me, hugging me tight.
“Yes, I am.” I look around the pool area of Gary and Lori’s gorgeous home. It’s amazing to me how quickly the weather changes down here. Just a few hours ago we were listening to the rain on Leo’s porch, and now it’s sunny and warm again.
Lori’s laughing eyes meet mine and I mouth “Help!” to her but she just laughs harder.
Traitor.
“I’m Cher.” She pulls back and grins. “Lori was right, you’re hot. She’s hot,” she says to Leo who is laughing his ass off next to me.
“Yep, she is,” he agrees.
DJ, with his tall Mohawk, joins us and wraps his arm around Cher’s shoulders. “Cher is my wife.” He grins lovingly down at her. “She’s been excited to meet you.”
“Leo never brings women around to meet us.”
“Really?” Leo asks loudly. “Are we going to go through this every damn time?”
“Well, now she’s met everyone.” Jake snickers.
“Come sit with us,” Cher grabs my hand and pulls me over to the shaded patio where Lori is resting, her hands rubbing her belly, and motions for me to sit. I look back over my shoulder, and Leo is watching me, his eyes happy.
He loves me.
He shrugs and takes the beer DJ offers him and wanders over to hang out with the other guys standing near the grill.
There are a few things I know for certain in this life, and one of them is men can always be found near the grill.
Gary is grilling, the other guys are in chairs or standing around, sipping beers from the bottle and laughing. Eric is holding a sweet little boy, around two years old, making faces at him and grinning.
The world-famous rock band Nash is just a bunch of normal people.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Lori smiles.
“Thanks for having me,” I respond and glance around her lush back yard. “You have a lovely home.”
It’s true. The pool is kidney shaped and large, with an attached hot tub at one end. The entire space is covered in cobblestone, with a huge outdoor fireplace at one end, surrounded with plush furniture. A large child’s play area with swings, a slide, and a tree house take up another corner. The patio we’re sitting on has twice the square footage of my apartment, is covered, and also furnished with comfortable and colorful chairs and tables. The guys and the grill are about twenty feet away, also on the patio.
“Thank you,” Lori responds with a smile. “We don’t get to spend much time here, so when we’re home, we enjoy having everyone over.”
“I can’t believe how big Maddox has gotten,” Cher comments, pointing to the little boy on Eric’s lap.
“I know, he’s growing like a weed,” Lori agrees. “That’s our son, Maddox,” she tells me.
“He’s adorable.”
“I want to talk to you guys about something,” Leo begins and everyone frowns at him.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of taking on another leg of tour dates right now.” Lori scowls, her voice hard. “In case you didn’t notice, I’m about to give birth.”