by Cari Quinn
This was why I loved the guy. And why it scared me to death in the very best way.
“Me too. But I still like shiny things with keys.”
He shifted me around and hooked his hand at my hip as we walked through the guitar area in the front of the store. There were ones in every color and style, along with yet more hung high on the walls. I trailed my fingertips over a dark purple bass guitar on a stand and eagerly followed him to the drum section, leaning against the wall like a dreamy-eyed fangirl when he climbed behind a demonstration kit.
With a couple testing flips of the drumsticks, he launched into Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” quickly drawing a crowd among the store’s shoppers. I couldn’t hold back my grin watching him do his thing. He wasn’t showy like some drummers, but he played with an excellence that couldn’t be matched. Here and there, he’d add a few extra flourishes, impressing the audience with his stick tricks and his effortless rhythm. The song was so flawless I half-expected Kurt Cobain to step out from behind the curtain in back and launch into the lyrics.
He played the whole song, ending it to the sound of rolling applause. The owner of the store came up to him and slapped his back, obviously excited to have someone so skilled in his shop.
“You need to meet Teagan Daly. She plays piano in the band. She’s the best there is.” He motioned to me and I joined them, shaking the man’s hand and smiling as Cooper pulled me into his side and kissed my temple.
“Nice to meet you. It’s an honor having you both here today. Is there something specific you’re looking for?”
“Yes, she wants to see your pianos. The room in back?”
The man nodded. “Yes, we have a large selection available. We have some on-site, as well as our catalog for special orders. Do you have a price range?”
“Sky’s the limit. Whatever she wants.” Cooper rubbed his hand up and down my arm.
I could practically see dollar signs dancing in the owner’s eyes. “Well, then, let’s go take a look.”
“I’m just window shopping,” I whispered to Cooper as we followed the man into the piano room. “I do not need any others. Remember that big deposit I placed on mine?”
“Sure, but why stop there? If you see one that speaks to you, let’s get it.”
Excitement bubbled in my belly as much as I tried to stuff it down. “You remember that other scene in Pretty Woman?”
His grin turned dangerously sexy. “You bet your fine behind I do.” His hand dropped to my ass. “We need to get you a red dress. Or that little teddy we got today should do nicely.”
If the shopkeeper heard our naughty conversation, he did not let on. Probably if we paid enough, he’d let us test out the pianos for sexual purposes right in the store.
That idea had some merit.
I wandered between the upright pianos on the floor, touching each one in turn. I was so tactile. A few of them I had to sit down and try out. The songs I played varied. From “Wild is The Wind” by Bon Jovi to “Flowers on a Grave” by Bush to “This Feeling” by The Chainsmokers, I played whatever caught my fancy as I evaluated the sound of each. I tested probably a third of the ones on display.
Every time I glanced up at Cooper, he was watching me with an appreciative smile, the same way I’d watched him play the drums. I would never have to worry he didn’t want me to shine. If anything, he was constantly looking for chances to give me the spotlight.
Then I saw the Grand piano on a revolving raised dais in the back. Rope lights chased around the base, highlighting the top of the line pink Steinway.
I raced off the bench I’d been sitting on so fast I nearly tripped.
Cooper steadied me with his hand on my arm, but I was moving too quickly to be contained. “This one.” My voice wasn’t steady as I asked the question. “How much is it?”
“It’s newly restored, and this pink finish is rare. It’s a special one-of-a-kind piece.”
He named a price that made my eyes cross. Damn.
I sank on the plush bench and let out a little moan. “It’s stunning.” My fingers cascaded over the keys as I shut my eyes.
This was my piano. I knew it in my bones. But that didn’t mean I had any intention of buying it right now.
Maybe once I talked to the insurance people about my townhouse and figured out how much I would receive from the fire, perhaps I would come back then.
When I finally dragged myself away from the piano, Cooper was standing near the door with his hand in his pocket. A hand he didn’t withdraw even when I tried to pry it out.
“Ready?”
“What’s in there?”
“Can’t a man have some secrets?”
“No.”
The corner of his mouth rose as I pulled on his pinky and dove into his pocket. I came out with a slightly mushy Hershey’s kiss. “This is what you were hiding from me?”
“I would never.”
To spite him, I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth. “Serves you right. I hope you learned a valuable lesson today.”
He grinned. “Oh, I did. Let’s go visit your parents.”
Nineteen
The valuable lesson I’d learned? Teagan Daly was susceptible to the ol’ bait and switch trick.
I’d had something in my pocket, all right, but not the one she’d plundered. I’d taken a chance on her inherent nosiness and it had paid off.
Big time.
Once we arrived back at the car, I hid the treasure I’d noticed on the owner’s shelf behind the cash register—an item he was not selling, as it was a priceless family heirloom. Until I’d explained my situation with Teagan, who had been spiritually communicating with the piano I’d surreptitiously bought her at that exact moment.
I walked out of there a good bit poorer, but with Teagan none the wiser.
My buoyant mood lasted until I pulled into her parents’ driveway in Jersey and looked over to see her running her fingers up and down the seatbelt as she worried her lower lip between her teeth.
“Would you parents get mad if we had sex on the porch before going in?”
“Say what?”
“Look at those cushy wicker chairs. I love it when you ride me.”
Her eyes widened. “But here? With my parents inside? I’m all for being an exhibitionist, but I don’t want to traumatize them.”
I grinned and cupped her cheek. “It seemed as good a way as any to get you to stop worrying.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“To the guy who knows you better than anyone? Yeah, just a little.”
Her smile radiated warmth through me. “That’s true. You do. Those wicker cushions are pretty padded. What do you say we—”
I unclicked my belt and got out of the car to the sound of her laughter.
Teagan rang the bell and her mom opened the door, a giant smile wreathing her face. “Baby, come here and let me look at you. Oh, thank you. My favorite.” She pulled Teagan into a hug as Teagan pushed the perfume bag into her hand.
Mrs. Daly was an older version of her daughter. She was also slight, with auburn hair touched with gray in a tidy ponytail. She wore jeans and a T-shirt that said my daughter is in a famous rock band, which made me laugh.
“Cooper, sweetheart.” Her mom stepped out on the porch and drew me into the group hug. “How are you?”
“I’m good.” Minus the flop sweat and pre-proposal question jitters. “How are you?”
“Couldn’t be better. It’s about time you come visit your parents. I was starting to think you’d adopted a new set.”
Teagan grinned. “Never. Besides, no one else makes bread like you do.”
“Coincidentally, I made fresh pumpernickel this morning. Want a slice?”
“No. I want two.”
Mrs. Daly laughed and pulled her daughter inside.
Before I could follow, Mr. Daly appeared, wearing his spectacles and a brown cardigan with patched elbows although it was pressing eighty-five outside. “Dallas. I want to tal
k to you.”
“Um, okay?”
He led me down the hall to his bookshelf-lined study before I could so much as shout to the women where I was headed. Since there was fresh bread involved, Teagan probably wouldn’t even notice I was gone.
I sat on the chair opposite Mr. Daly’s desk and took a deep breath as he shut the door behind us. The sound had an air of finality I did not appreciate.
This would not be the battle that thwarted my half-formed marital plans.
“Before you begin,” I said as he sat down, “I am going to marry your daughter. Please?”
Okay, so that wasn’t the start I’d been going for. And I’d intended to talk to her mom too, but he’d thrown me off with his stern expression and use of my last name before he dragged me off to the gallows.
Teagan’s father cocked his head. “Is this supposed to be a surprise?”
“Yes?”
I really needed to stop using so many question marks.
“Well, it’s not. How many times have you come here with Teagan?”
“Four times?”
Apparently, I wouldn’t be stopping today. Maybe tomorrow.
“Five,” he corrected me. “I knew you loved her from your second visit when you insisted she wear a jacket with a hood because, and I quote, ‘it was misty out’. To which she threatened to knee you, and you smiled at her as if she was Diana Ross.”
I wouldn’t have chosen that particular analogy, but he had a valid point. I smiled at the memory. “She complains when her hair frizzes, so I was trying to save her the trouble.”
“A noble undertaking for sure. Where’s the ring?”
“Uh…”
Mr. Daly folded his hands and waited.
“I don’t have it yet?”
“You’re not sure?”
“No. I don’t have it yet. I’m certain. I’m not prepared because, well, we only started dating on Friday.”
“It’s Sunday.”
“Yeah.” I itched the side of my neck. “How about those Yankees?”
Turned out Mr. Daly was a Red Sox fan. Strike fifty.
“I have the ring box though.”
“You have a box, not a ring,” he said slowly, as if he wouldn’t give his blessing for me to accompany his daughter across the street.
After this conversation, I wasn’t sure I blamed him.
“Her grandma—your mother, I think—gave her this crystal piano. It was really important to her, and her asshole ex destroyed it when—” I took a deep breath as Mr. Daly’s jaw turned rigid. “I love her so much. I’d give my life for her. I don’t know what else to say.”
He studied me for a long moment before he broke into a smile. “That’s it. That’s exactly what you needed to say.” He rose and rounded the desk to clap me on the shoulder when I stood as well. “Welcome to the family, son.”
I grinned as we hugged, and then he sat back down. I did the same, even though I wanted to bolt for the door and the freedom that waited on the other side.
“The fire,” he said gravely. “What happened?”
Shock curled through me. I had to clear my throat. “You already knew?”
“I’m on the insurance paperwork. I was one of the first calls, I imagine. We expected Teagan to call, but she didn’t.”
How stupid. Neither one of us had even thought of that. Then again, we hadn’t exactly had an uneventful weekend, the fire notwithstanding.
“And you didn’t call her.”
“We didn’t raise our daughter to be dependent. If she didn’t call us, we figured she had her reasons or needed time. We knew you wouldn’t leave her alone.”
“You did?”
“Without a doubt,” he confirmed.
“She’s staying with me. Permanently, I hope.”
“Did your dating coincide with her moving in?”
I had a feeling I knew what he was getting at, and I didn’t want to be kicked out of the family right after he’d rolled out the welcome mat. “In a soulful way, sir, I feel like we have dated all along.”
He surprised me by laughing. “Good save.” He quickly sobered. “Now about that fire. What happened?”
As much as I didn’t want to rehash the fire again—especially when it seemed as if I’d just made it to the top of a very large mountain—I knew they deserved the truth. I told him bits and pieces, enough to let him know that there were serious concerns, but I emphasized he didn’t have to worry about Teagan because she had a bodyguard. And she had me.
“Where is this bodyguard? I want to meet him.”
Evidently, I was not due even a single break today. I exhaled. “I wanted to give Teagan a day away before we got on the road. Starting tomorrow, the bodyguard will be with us every minute. Possibly even when we pee.”
“What happens if you have to go at the same time?”
I stared at him blankly until his face creased in a smile. “You’re too fun to mess with. I bet you were a serious young man, judging from your demeanor and with your background.”
“I was. Until she came into my life and changed me for the better. I’d like to think I changed her too. She didn’t eat pickles before we met, and now they’re her favorite.”
Right. There was a huge life shift. All thanks to me.
I’d have to stop having important conversations on little sleep. I couldn’t be trusted not to be a jackass.
“You’ll find that happens often in a marriage. Teagan’s mother kept after me until I learned to enjoy square dancing. We go twice a week.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. Good for you guys though.”
Mr. Daly chuckled as his study door opened and Teagan stuck her head inside. “Daddy, stop hassling him. Come have some bread.”
“Twist my arm, why don’t you?” Mr. Daly got to his feet while I did the same. He clapped me on my back again before he left Teagan and I alone.
“They already knew about the fire.” She frowned. “I should have called right away, but they understand why I didn’t. At least Mom does.”
“Your dad does too. Come here.”
She crossed the room to circle her arms around my waist. “Did he harass you? He likes to do that with people.”
“A little. Father’s prerogative. He loves you a lot.”
“Yeah, the feeling’s mutual.” Her gaze searched mine. “You must miss your dad. You never mention him.”
“I do miss him. Miss my mom and Jenny too. I hate losing time with them. At least there I have a chance to make some of it up, I hope.” I wrapped one of her curls around my finger. “I want you to meet them. They’re going to love you.”
Her brow wrinkled. “They know about me?”
“Babe, everyone knows about you. One of these days, I may take an ad out in the Post.”
She grinned and took my hand, tugging me with her to the door. “Sweet talker. And for that, I have a present for you. Two words: cheerleading pictures. Including the game where they ordered me a sweater a size too small, and I had no choice but to wear it until the new one came in.”
I quickened my step. “Who needs bread?”
Twenty
Our free day went by too fast. And Cole—nor Lila or Noah when we called—was not placated by our fervent apologies. He wolfed down the steak though.
Now Monday evening had arrived, and we had a new frontier to explore.
And a decision to make.
“How are we going to do this?”
Cooper dragged the back of his knuckles lightly down my cheek. “Pretty sure we figured that out days ago.” He coasted down my neck where I knew there were a few bruises. “Lots of sweat and marks.”
“I’m being serious.”
“You really think they’re not going to figure it out? According to half our band, they already did. I was the idiot.”
I twisted our fingers together on the seat between us. “You? At least you knew you were interested in me. I was clueless.”
“To be fair, I’m a soldier trained
to keep my emotions in line.”
My laughter filled the car.
“What?”
“Emotions in line. Please. You’ve been growling at me for months. I just didn’t realize why.”
He leaned into me and nipped my ear, his voice low. “Because I kept picturing ways to pin you down and fill you up until you couldn’t imagine a day without me inside you.” His tongue flicked over my pulse. “So there was no possible way for another man not to know you’re mine.”
I gave him a little more room to nuzzle along my neck. He knew it drove me crazy. “I am yours.”
“Damn fucking right.”
“But we have to live with our band.” It wasn’t as hard to say ours instead of the band. Knowing I had a space there and truly belonged was getting easier to believe. But if Pat was involved with the threat to the band, would they still think that way?
Losing them would be like losing a limb.
Losing Cooper would be so much worse.
He curled my hand in his and brought it to his chest. “We’ll play it by ear, all right? But I’m not going to lie.”
“I don’t want you to.”
“Good. Because being in close quarters on the bus is going to be—there’s no way I’ll be able to resist getting my hands on you.” His voice lowered. “Or inside you where I belong.”
I swallowed hard. My pussy instantly clenched at the thought. Even though he reminded me again and again just how true that statement was. “I just don’t want to make it weird.”
“Oh, like barbarian Oz and his way with Daisy?”
I couldn’t stop the smile. “That’s true.”
“Or Nash who pretty much wants to be surgically grafted to Lindz?”
“Okay, okay. I get it. Not like it’s really weird for our group.”
“Not at all. But I’m not going to be obnoxious. Mostly.”
I reached up to cup his cheek. “I like your obnoxious.” I dropped a light kiss on his mouth. “Mostly.”
“Two minutes out.” Cole’s voice broke us apart.
“See. We can’t even manage in the car.”
“It’s still new, babe. We’ll figure it out.”