Jazz stuck out her tongue. “Not my news to tell.”
Nick stopped strumming. “Should I put my guitar down for this?” He pulled the cigarette out from behind his ear and stuck it in his mouth before taking it out again to flip it around at the filter.
Harper moved next to Deacon, linking their fingers. “We’re doing this now?” she asked him out of the side of her mouth.
Simon climbed onto the couch and perched on the back support. “This better be good. I have a very dirty woman waiting for me who’s been sexting me for the last hour.”
They’d gone over how to tell the band at least fifteen times since they’d woken up that morning. She opened her mouth to ease them into it like they discussed.
“We’re having a baby,” Deacon blurted.
Or they could just spit it out. “That is not how we rehearsed.”
Deacon’s cheeks flushed. “Sorry.”
Jazz popped off the couch and jumped into Deacon’s arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and levered herself up to kiss his cheek. “This is so great.” She jumped back down and tacklehugged Harper. “So, so awesome.”
Nick looked from Deacon to Harper, then swung his gaze to Jazz. “Are you high? We’re a band. What the hell you so amped about the idea of a baby on a bus for?”
“Hey, watch it.” Harper’s voice rose.
Nick turned on her. “What, it’s not enough that you guys are married? You gotta bring a kid into this? Now?”
All strong and valid points that she’d lived with for days now. Except everything was different now.
Deacon stepped in front of her. “Look, man, I know it’s not ideal.”
“Ideal? Holy shit, D. What the fuck?”
Harper pushed past Deacon and stalked to Nick. “This wasn’t planned, but you know what? We’re dealing with it. We’re having it. There is no discussion here. I realize this will make things difficult scheduling wise—”
“Difficult?” Nick paced the room. “Difficult is adding a sixth person to the bus. Catastrophic is a fucking…what do you call it? A goddamn playpen.”
She felt Deacon seething at her back, but she held up a hand to him. “You don’t think we’ve thought of that? That I’ve thought of that? The baby wasn’t planned, but it’s a reality. Our reality.”
Nick collapsed back onto the couch. “What the hell happened to my band, man?”
Jazz plopped down next to Nick. “It became our band. Now more than ever.”
Simon crossed his arms and walked over to Harper. “So, a baby?”
“A baby,” she confirmed.
He nodded. “Can I borrow it sometimes? Chicks really dig babies. Makes them think I’m all sensitive and shit.”
Harper laughed. “No way in hell.”
Simon gave her a pouty face. “I’ll wear you down.”
Deacon looked at Gray. “What do you think, Vapor?”
Gray crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s going to be an interesting tour.”
Deacon gently gripped Harper’s shoulders. “Never liked boring anyway.”
Gray gave a rare smile. “But I’m happy for you guys. This is good news.”
Jazz hopped off the couch and went to the side drawer. She waved a book at them. “I’ve been doing some reading.”
Nick flipped open his Zippo and slammed out the back door, a puff of smoke in his wake.
Harper gripped Deacon’s hand on her shoulder, leaning into him. “Not quite as bad as I thought.”
Deacon wrapped an arm around her waist. “Impressive mama bear growl there at Nick,” he said low into her ear. “That was hella hot.”
She laughed. “You’re a sick man.”
“What? I like when you get all territorial about our kid. It’s pretty awesome.”
“Nick brings it out in me.”
Deacon snorted. “He brings it out in most people.”
“So it says here that your boobs get sensitive. Like, you can have an orgasm just from sucking on the nipples sensitive.” Simon looked up from the baby book Jazz had apparently handed him. “Is that true?”
“That’s the first question you ask me?”
Simon shrugged. “Sounds like a perk to me.”
Gray gave a soft snuff of a laugh before standing up. “I’ll be back later.”
Jazz looked up from the book, elbowing Simon out of the way. “Where are you going?”
“Out.” Gray grabbed his coat from the closet. “Don’t wait up.”
“What was that about?” Deacon asked as the door closed.
Jazz brought the book to her chest, arms wrapping tight. “He never stays home anymore.”
Harper frowned. Definite undercurrents there. “You okay?”
“Sure.” Jazz sighed, opening the book. “I am now.”
Harper linked her arm through Jazz’s and peeked over her shoulder. “So, tell me what you’ve learned.” She listened with half an ear as she watched Deacon go out the back door. She hoped he could talk Nick down. A lot of changes were going to happen. She didn’t want to cause another rift within the band. This baby was happy news no matter how Nick reacted. Jazz’s cheerful chatter helped support that.
A few minutes later, Deacon returned with a tiny shake of his head.