“No, baby, we bought a house. This is your home now. Your home with me.” I kiss her slowly, tasting her, relishing the moment. Our first official step toward the future.
The ringing of my cell phone pulls me away from her. It’s the call I’ve been trying not to think about.
Gavin.
“Hey, man,” I greet him.
“C, you around?” he asks.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I’m playing it cool, but I’m nervous as fuck.
“We’re at Kacen’s. Tristan is on his way, thought we could have a little get-together and go over the meeting.” He says it as if we’ll be discussing the weather.
“Be right there.” I end the call. “Gavin wants us all to meet at Kacen’s. They’re back,” I tell Stacy.
She nods, the smile on her face vanishing as worry sets him. I tell Tom to get everything in order and to call me when it’s ready, then head down the road, not even a mile to Kacen’s. I want to be excited that we’ll be living so close, but first I need to know what the outcome of today was.
Tristan pulls in behind us. The three of us are quiet as we enter the house, following voices to the living room. Kace and Logan are on the small loveseat, their hands clasped around her growing belly. Gavin sits in the chair, Tristan taking the other while I lead Stacy to the couch. I pull her onto my lap, needing her close for this conversation. She grounds me.
“Well,” Tristan asks.
Gavin smirks. “He signed them. We’re free from our contract with Stone Records. He agreed to all our terms.”
I take what feels like my first breath in weeks.
“He was wasted, higher than a kite. We also got his recorded confession from that night. You won’t have to testify,” Kacen tells Stacy.
“Wh-what? How?” she stammers.
I rub circles on her back, though I’m not sure if it’s to soothe her or me.
Logan smiles, tears in her eyes at the news.
“I called Detective Morris, wanted to keep her in the loop with what was going on. They wired us.” Gavin points to his chest. “It’s official, so it will hold up in court. He even went a little further and divulged what his plans were had he not been interrupted.”
I clench my fists.
“That’s why I didn’t want you there, man. Even without that, you wouldn’t have been able to hold your temper. Having Tristan stay back was a decoy of sorts. Couldn’t have you thinking you were the only one.” Kacen smirks.
Stacy hops off my lap and rushes to Kacen. Leaning down, she hugs him then she and Logan share a crying hug as well. She stands and heads toward Gavin, who rises to greet her as she hugs him tight. For good measure, my girl also leans down and gives my man Tristan some love as well. Then she comes right back to me, where she belongs.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” she cries into her hands.
“You’re family, Stacy. Remember that,” Gavin explains.
“Good news all around today,” I remark.
“What did I miss?” Tristan asks.
The others are looking at me with the same question in their eyes. “We”—I give her leg a gentle squeeze—“bought a house.”
“No shit. Congratulations!” Tristan says.
“That’s big-time, C,” Gavin adds. “Where is this casa al la Hampton?”
I look at Kacen. “Right down the street the house with the brick entrance gates.”
“I love that house,” Logan chimes in.
Kacen nods; this isn’t news to him. “Congrats, man.”
The guys and I start talking about the next phase. The board is holding a meeting Monday morning and the decision will be made to sell the label. Gavin has already turned in our offer in writing. We discuss options and how we want to process, even the name—we refuse to leave it as Stone Records. Stacy and Logan are laughing and smiling in their own conversation.
Can it ever get any better than this?
It’s hard to believe that we’ve lived in this house a month today. Between Wilson’s sentencing, buying all the furniture we need to fill this place, and the guys buying out Stone Records, this month has been hectic. Not to mention that baby Warren arrived two weeks ago. He’s so precious. Andrew Michael Warren stole my heart the minute I met him. They decided on Andrew, with Andrews being Logan’s maiden name. It’s fitting with all the name play those two have done in their relationship.
I’ve spent a lot of time over there, watching him while they nap. It’s not exactly a hardship to hold that little guy. Logan says I spoil him, but that’s my job as Aunt Stacy.
Today, we’re having a house warming of sorts. We’re finally settled not only in the house, but in our lives. Wilson is behind bars. Turns out, his confession wasn’t just about what he did to me or planned to do; he also confessed to laundering money and a slew of other criminal offenses. He won’t be seeing freedom for years to come.