“Hey, as uncle, it’s my job to spoil her.” I laugh at his antics. “So, when are you thinking?”
“Well, since you’re open, how about next weekend? Your parents leave for the cruise this week, and mine can’t get away to drive down.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll make sure I stock up on some of her favorites.”
“Don’t tell her. I know she’ll spill the beans to Chloe if she knows she gets to stay with you. I’m taking off early Friday, so I’ll pick her up from daycare, pack her bag, and drop her off. My plan is to be home with mine and Chloe’s bags packed as soon as she gets home.”
I grip his shoulder. “Pussy.”
“I’m getting it regularly,” he fires back.
“Dude, that’s my sister. Not to mention there is no lack of in my life.”
“Yeah, that may be true.” He brings his bottle of water to his lips. “But I know where mine has been.”
“I get variety, and I always wrap it before I tap it.”
“Don’t knock it, man. You should try it sometime. You don’t plan to be a bachelor forever, do you?”
I shrug. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m good with life right now. Living my dream. Who knows what could happen. But I can tell you that what you have with Chloe is not on my radar.”
“It never is, my man. It never is.”
“Daddy!” Mia comes tearing into the room. Kyle leans down and picks up his daughter. She places both of her little hands on his cheeks and kisses him. “Can we open pwesents now?” She bats her eyelashes. Damn, she’s got him wrapped around her little finger.
“Let’s go get Mommy,” he tells her.
Figures, he’s going to let Chloe be the bad cop. Not bad advice. I imagine Kacen will be the same way.
I watch as Kyle and Chloe set Mia at the head of the kitchen table, right in front of her cake. Mom has her camera, snapping pictures. Kyle lights the four candles and Mia’s eyes light up. We sing “Happy Birthday” and, in her four-year-old dramatic fashion that only Mia can pull off, she blows out her candles. Mom takes over cutting the cake and passing out small plates, while Chloe and Kyle hand Mia gift after gift. She blows through them, oohing and ahhing at each one. Mine is the last, and it’s something that she saw on a commercial when she was with me a few weeks ago.
“Unca Cowe! Will you haf a tea party wif me?” she asks, batting those damn eyelashes. She’s wasting the cuteness on me, because there is no way I can tell that little girl no.
“You got it, Princess Mia. Go play with your friends, and we can have tea after.”
“If the paparazzi could hear you now,” Chloe jokes, coming to stand next to me.
“Shut it. Those fuckers make shit up anyway.”
“True. She loves it. How did you know she wanted one? I expected you to call and ask for gift suggestions.”
“A few weeks ago when I watched her, there was a commercial on TV. She told me she wanted it for her birfday.” I chuckle. “So, I pulled it up on my laptop and ordered it.”
“I’m impressed, big brother.”
“Hey now, I’m more than just a pretty face.” I wink at her.
“Big plans for tonight?”
I take a swig of my beer. “Yeah. Mia and I are having a tea party.” I grin.
“I mean after that. Surely, Mr. Rock Star, you’ve got plans, ladies lining up around the corner.” She sticks her finger down her throat as if she’s gagging. My sister never has been fond of the . . . attention my career brings. Of course, she wants to be an aunt.
“I do, and she’s this cute little thing. Brown hair, likes to wear pigtails. Today’s her birthday, so we’re doing it up big.” I avoid looking at her, because if I do, I’ll crack up laughing.
I feel a punch to my arm. “Oh, what the hell, Chloe?” I rub my arm as though she actually hurt me. She didn’t, and we both know it.
“What’s up with you?”
“Nothing, I promised Mia. I didn’t make any plans for today because it’s her birthday.”
“You’re acting . . . weird.”
I drain my beer and set the empty bottle on the counter behind me. “I’m fine, just not feeling it tonight. Even rock stars needs downtime.”
“You know I was just giving you a hard time, right?”
I can hear the concern in her voice. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’m just chilling here tonight. Kacen and Logan come home tomorrow, and we’re going to start tying up some loose ends on the new tracks. We’ve also got a few things to finalize for the tour coming up.”
“How long this time?”
“Just three months. It’s a short US-only tour. Kacen didn’t want to do more than that, being a newlywed and all, and we all agreed. It’s about making the music for us. The only reason we tour is for our fans. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a rush, but family’s first, you know?”
“I do know. You all are a unique bunch. I’m glad that fame and fortune have not changed you. Now if I could just get you settled down. I want my nieces and nephews to be close to my kids. Mia’s four.”
“Hey now, just because you decided to reproduce doesn’t mean I have to.”