“I am.”
“His new songs are incredible.” Thankfully, Ashley seemed to have forgotten the awkwardness from a few minutes ago as she smiled at him and said, “I can’t wait until the whole world gets to hear your new music.”
“I’m really inspired, Ash.” Because of you.
“Who has gotten to hear the new songs so far?” Maddie wanted to know as the bus pulled into the lot behind the venue, and James checked in with security to make sure everyone was in place for their arrival.
“Just the engineers I’ve been working with in the studios we’ve dropped into on the road...and Ashley.” If his family hadn’t figured things out by now, that was the final piece of the puzzle they’d need to slide into place.
They were all inside the venue a few minutes later. Drew and his father stood off to one side while Ashley chatted easily with everyone. He was glad to see that her earlier nerves seemed to have all disappeared.
“Ashley is great, Drew.” His father was smiling as he said it, the first real smile Drew had seen on his face in a very long time. “She’s exactly the kind of woman I was hoping you’d find one day.”
Michael Morrison had always known what his kids were thinking and feeling. Even better, he’d understood them. Just as he understood Drew now, regardless of all the things Drew couldn’t say yet about the woman he’d fallen head over heels for.
“I’m lucky to have found her. Really lucky. But—” Damn it, he hated having to say, “We’re trying to keep things private for now. Even though I want to tell the whole world she’s mine.”
“I’d be nervous about being with a big star, too,” his father said with a nod, as if Ashley’s request made perfect sense to him. “Heck, your mother wasn’t even famous, and I was still terrified about asking her out. And then when she said she’d go out with me? I completely panicked and almost told her to forget it.”
Drew had never heard this story before. What’s more, he hadn’t heard his father talk about his mother at all since she’d passed away, as if it hurt too much even to share memories. “If Mom said she wanted to be with you, why’d you panic?”
“Because she was the most beautiful, vibrant, incredible woman in the world. And I was just me. I honestly couldn’t see how it could work.”
“It worked great. You had the best marriage of anyone I knew growing up.”
“We did.” His father inhaled a shaky breath. “We sure did.” He shook his head as if to clear it before adding, “I know you would never want to overshadow anyone, Drew—”
“No one could overshadow Ashley.”
His father met his gaze and held it. “Because she’s the most beautiful, vibrant, incredible woman in the world to you?”
“Damn straight she is.”
His father pulled him in for a hug, and they both held on tight. But Drew could see that Olivia’s brain was on overdrive as she watched Ashley talking about the music business with Grant.
Ever since their mother had gotten sick, Olivia had tried so hard to step into Lisa Morrison’s shoes and keep the family together. She’d done a great job, but Drew didn’t want her to think she had to worry about him anymore. Not now that he had Ashley.
James gave him a hand signal to let him know he had ten minutes before he needed to hit the stage. “I’m going to see if I can grab Olivia before the show starts. Thanks, Dad. For everything.”
He gave his father another hug, then headed toward his sister. “Can you hang with me in my dressing room for a few minutes?”
“Sure, I’ve been wanting to grab you for a private chat.”
Olivia didn’t say anything as they headed for his dressing room, but as soon as the door closed, she said, “I thought you weren’t going to go near your professor’s daughter.” She parroted his words from a family barbecue a while back: ‘I wouldn’t touch her in a million years.’ Isn’t that what you said to all of us? Does her father know about you two?”
“Not yet.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You say that like you’re actually planning on telling him.”
“I am.”
“I haven’t had Professor Emmit for any classes, but I know plenty of people who have, so I think I have a pretty good sense of what he’s about. He likes rules. Likes everything to line up neat and straight. Especially his daughter, I’m going to guess.”
His sister was too damned smart to miss a thing. “Right.”