Bristol was waiting for him on her porch, and ran to the car, smiling.
“Are you ready?” she asked, slapping a kiss on his lips. He grunted, then tugged at her hair and tilted her head back as he took her mouth completely. She moaned into him, clutching his shoulders.
“Well, then. That’s a hello. What for?”
“I felt like it. Got a problem with that?” he asked, raising a brow.
“No problem at all. I liked it. This is going to be fun, though. I’ve been with you for one tattoo, but this is going to be great.”
“Well, I hope so. Getting into your cousins’ shop is ridiculously difficult.”
“That’s because Austin is amazing. And so is Maya. But you’re working with Austin today, right?”
Marcus nodded and pulled into the driveway.
“Yes, mostly because Austin’s done nearly all of my other work. Maya hasn’t, and you know how your cousins always fight over who gets to claim more territory.”
“They joke about it. But if you let her do the iris, then that’ll wipe the slate clean.”
Marcus gave her a look before he got onto the highway.
“What was that look for?”
“Because you think I’m going to get a Montgomery iris,” he replied, keeping any teasing out of his tone.
“You’re not?” she asked, clearly insulted—though it was probably only for show.
“I may have had my mouth on your iris. Doesn’t mean I’m going to get one of my own.”
“That sounds far dirtier than it needed to be,” she said, snorting. “But I thought you wanted one. Don’t you?”
“Maybe. Not all those who marry into your family get one, do they?”
“I think nearly all of them do. I don’t think my cousin Meghan’s ex-husband did. Neither did Alex’s ex-wife. But, you know, they weren’t the best people anyway.”
That was a complete understatement, but he wasn’t going to dwell on that. “So, you’re saying if I don’t get the tattoo, we are automatically going to end up divorced?”
“No, I’m saying that the data does seem to prove that fact.”
“Okay, whatever you say. I might get that tattoo. One day. But then I’m going to have to get my family names and crest somewhere on my body so my family’s okay with it, too.”
“Maybe all of them can get the Montgomery iris.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind,” Marcus said, laughing, and then he took her hand, and they made their way south towards Denver. Thankfully, it wasn’t rush hour, it was the middle of the day during a workweek, so the drive wasn’t that bad. And, thanks to the Montgomerys having a small parking lot behind their shop, parking was easy and free.
Of course, you had to work at the shop or be a Montgomery to park there, but Bristol had the connections.
“We’ll go get ink today,” Marcus said, getting out of the car. “But no iris.”
“No matching tattoo, either. Other than the iris, because that’s like a family crest, not a weird matching tattoo.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you know, because a relationship’s death is a matching tattoo or putting your name on me.”
“We’re not doing that,” a woman with dark hair, tattoos along her arms, and a wicked grin said from the back door.
“Maya!” Bristol said, running toward her cousin. Maya hugged her hard, and they danced around a bit, the tough woman in boots looking like a little girl along with Bristol as they giggled.
“Seriously, though, no names.”
“We promise. We were only joking.”
“Good. Now, I see you’re here to see my brother and not me. I get you. You’re allowed to do that. But just know, once you’re part of the family, you have to start alternating.”
Marcus shook his head. “I don’t know, Austin’s done almost all of my work now.”
“That is true, that means I get the rest of you.” Maya winked and then wrapped her arm around Marcus and pulled him into the shop.
“Now, let’s go play.”
Marcus looked over his shoulder at Bristol, who clapped her hands and laughed.
The Montgomerys were indeed all crazy, and he loved the fact that he was already family.
Chapter 14
Bristol let her body move with the music, her bow against the strings, producing the exact notes that she wanted. Though at this point, she wasn’t thinking note per note, or even looking at the pages in front of her. She had her eyes closed, and she let herself breathe into the song.
The piece wasn’t one she had written but was one she was putting on her next album. It was one of age, of sorrow, but also of great love. And it was one that took every ounce of her soul, her body, and skill.
And she loved it.
Though she practiced hours per day, and had performed countless times, she knew that if she didn’t keep up with it, even with all of the years of experience under her wings, she wouldn’t be able to play this song.
And that was why she loved what she did. Because she was constantly learning, she was consistently adding to her repertoire and earning the love and adoration of those who enjoyed her work.
Bristol was still figuring out exactly who she needed to be and what type of artist she was going to turn into eventually, but that was why she played as she did. That was why when she was asked to play at this concert in downtown Denver, she had readily agreed because she loved what she did and wanted to do it.
It helped that she knew that those who loved her were in the audience, as well.
Marcus was there, along with his mother and father. Her parents were there, as were her brothers, and their women and Lincoln. Aaron had said that he would bring a date, although she was pretty sure he had been joking with her. He was too busy working on his projects to focus on dating. At least, that’s what he had said the last time their mother had asked.
After all, all of her other baby chickens were now in a nice little row, and Aaron was the only one left.
She let all of those thoughts flow through her even as she focused on her music, on who she needed to be.
This was what she loved.
The music, the cello beneath her fingers, and between her legs.
She loved the fact that she could feel a connection to the audience as they moved with her while she continued to play. And as she reached the last note, the one that made her catch her breath, the one that stung the backs of her eyes as she transcended into the song, she let it linger, and then there was silence.
Absolute silence.
When the first claps began, she opened her eyes and smiled.
While she loved the applause and the fact that she connected with others, despite what some may think, her favorite part was the music itself. The idea that others could listen and have their interpretation of the song was also a significant part of why she did this. But not the only piece.
She let out a breath and then set her cello aside so she could stand, bowing a bit as the audience began to cheer. She waved, trying to look into the faces under the bright lights to see those she loved, but she couldn’t. She knew they were there. She had seen them before she even started, after all.
But now she was tired and wanted to go home.
She wasn’t as young as she had been when she first started this life of hers. Not being in her early twenties made a big difference. But she was in shape and practiced enough that she could have probably gone for a couple of additional hours before she passed out.
However, instead of going out to a party, or dancing the night away, she was going home with Marcus to get some sleep.
She had added this performance at the last minute, so to make sure that she was ready for it, she had practiced day in and out. To the point where the two of them hadn’t been on another date since she’d first said yes to the concert. She hadn’t seen her family and rarely talked to anyone. No, she had been focused on her music, to the detriment of everyone and everything else.
Perhaps she needed to change that.
Because it wasn’t only her now, she was an item. A duo. A couple. She had never been good at dating, so maybe she needed to find a way to be good at this.
She exited the stage, and her assistant was there to help her with her cello.
She used her assistant, Chelsea, mostly on tour, because honestly, Bristol couldn’t do it all. Chelsea also helped with her social media, though Bristol tried to be herself as much as possible on there. Although Instagram was pretty much the only place she really visited anymore.
It was odd to think that in some circles, people knew her name and her music. She wasn’t merely Bristol Montgomery, daughter, sister, friend, and now fiancée.
She smiled at that, and Chelsea gave her a curious look.
“Nothing, thank you for everything.”
“No problem. I’ll get everything ready for you, but you’re all set. You can head home if you want. I know you must be tired—this sort of crept up on us.”
“I know. And I know there’s that cocktail party that I’m really too tired for.”
“Everybody already knew you would be tired. And we made sure that it wasn’t you being a diva or anything,” Chelsea said, rolling her eyes.
Bristol grinned at that. “Yeah, we don’t need that to be my reputation.”
“You, a diva? Never,” Colin said, and she stiffened. She hadn’t expected that British accent. No, she had thought Colin had gone home.
Apparently, he hadn’t.
Now, here he was, backstage at her event, where even her family wasn’t allowed.
Of course, he had wheedled his way back here.
But others were watching, so she pasted on a smile and air-kissed his cheeks.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said, trying not to sound accusatory.
“Of course, I’m here. You are my girl.”
“Colin,” she warned, still through a smile on her face.
“I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing fantastic. You truly are. Look at all of this. I mean, I’m so proud of you. Look how far you’ve come.”
Had he always been so condescending, or was she only now noticing it? She couldn’t quite believe that she had dated him for as long as she had. It didn’t matter now, though, she was done with that, and she was moving on.
“Hey,” a voice said from her side, and she turned, relief slamming into her.
“They let you back here,” she said, throwing her arms around Marcus’s waist. He held her close and then kissed the top of her head, careful of her hair and makeup. She was grateful for that because it had taken her forever to get ready for the show that morning since she was exhausted.
“Ah, the boyfriend’s here.”
“Fiancé, but it’s good to see you, Colin. Are you playing today?” Marcus asked, keeping his arm around her waist. He didn’t sound jealous at all, or even territorial. She liked that. Because she could take care of herself, and Marcus knew it.
“No, sadly, but maybe one day I’ll come down and do something for them.”
She knew for a fact that they hadn’t asked Colin to play. Maybe because he was an asshole the last time they had. Colin was making it sound like he wouldn’t lower himself to play. But there was nothing she could do about that, and now people were starting to watch. Great.
“Anyway, thanks for coming, Colin, I’m going to head home. I’m a little tired.”
“I see,” he said, looking into her eyes.
Asshole.
“Are you sure you’re not going to come and see your fans at the cocktail party? They’re going to miss you.”
“No, I already told them when I signed up that I wouldn’t be there for that. But I did do this at the last minute. I need to head home now, Colin, if that’s okay.”
“Of course, it’s okay, darling. I’ll go in your stead. Don’t you worry.”
She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze just a little bit. She honestly didn’t hate him, even though she often said she did. When they worked together, they produced beautiful music. But he was starting to annoy her, and she had a feeling it had more to do with her being tired than anything else. At least, that’s what she hoped.
Others started to look at them even more, and whisper, so she rolled back her shoulders, leaned into Marcus’s side, and smiled.
“Have a great night, Colin. You ready to go, Marcus?”
He squeezed her hip and nodded. “Yes, let’s head home.”
She didn’t miss the way Colin’s eyes narrowed at that word. But her hearing it? It felt amazing.
This had been a start for them. An idea of who they could be in the future when they had promised to marry one another. Now, it felt real. This could be a future. Her playing, him being there, and her finding a way to make sure he knew that she appreciated him in every way possible.
She just wasn’t sure what would happen when she was gone for so long the next time.
It had all started with a promise that could have been a joke, but now it was real, and her mouth was going dry at the thought.
“Everybody’s heading to your parents’ house tonight. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but they wanted to give you some space here. I hope that was okay.”
She pulled herself out of her thoughts at the sound of Marcus’s voice. “That sounds great. I don’t have to be on at my parents’ house,” she whispered as they made their way out of the building and to his car.
“That’s what they figured. You can take off your shoes and fall asleep on the couch if you want.”
“That sounds amazing. I might fall asleep on the car ride home.”
“You’re welcome to do that, too.” He paused for a second, and she looked at him. “You’re amazing. I mean, I’ve watched you play for what seems like my entire life, but tonight? You were transcendent.”
She lost all thoughts, merely blinked at him. “Really?”
“Yes, really. God, Bristol. I can’t believe you can do that. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
She frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not saying this right. You were just so amazing, and watching you play, it felt like you were a whole other person. I’m glad I got to be here for it. I mean, I’m not the best at classical music, or even knowing everyone in your circles, but what I do know, I follow because I love watching you play, and because it’s part of your world. You know?”
“I know. Not everybody has to know every single famous cello player or the name of the pieces I play. But you’ve always tried. And I’ve always appreciated that.”
“Well, I’m going to try harder. Especially since I know you have a tour coming up.”
She winced.
“Yeah, I guess we need to talk about that.”
“I figured we should do the wedding after that,” he said, casually.
“So, you’re going to be okay that I might be gone for a while, though, right?”
“It’s part of your job. We’ll figure it out. I don’t know exactly how, but we have time. We’ve always figured it out before.”
And as she slid her hand into his, she let out a sigh and hoped that he was right.
Because she was falling for him, or maybe she had always had him in her heart in ways she hadn’t let herself dwell on.
She just hoped that they weren’t making mistakes.
That would cost them more than anyone had to give.
Chapter 15
Marcus leaned against the back of the couch and watched Bristol flail her hands as if she were trying to fly. He just shook his head and laughed.
"A birdcage?" he asked, and she sighed, flapping her hands again, and then putting her elbows to her sides before waving them even more.
The other Montgomerys started to laugh, and Marcus shook his head, confused.
"I have no idea."
"Time," Liam said, and Bristol cursed under her breath.
"We're usually much better than this."
"What the hell were you?"
"A velociraptor."
Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Marcus burst out laughing, trying to keep from falling off the couch. "You were pantomiming flying."
"I thought there was evidence that velociraptors could fly." She winced, and Marcus snorted again. His woman. He just couldn't sometimes.
"Sure, I've heard that too, but don't put it in a game of charades," Aaron said, wiping tears from his eyes.
Holland was his teammate and was currently sitting next to him, laughing so hard she indeed did fall off the couch.
"I thought you guys were the reigning champs," Arden said, looking confused.
"We usually are. Must be an off night," he said, reaching out his hand.
"Come here."
"No. You're going to laugh at me." Bristol folded her arms over her chest, but Marcus simply smiled.
"That wasn't a velociraptor, babe. And you know it. We're still going to win. We have two more rounds. And I kicked ass earlier."
"Fine. You're the reason we're good at charades. I am evil." She came to him then, and sat on his lap, even as her brothers glared at him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, not caring that other people were looking. Because this was his fiancée, people could suck it.
"Maybe you were better at charades as best friends, rather than an engaged couple," Aaron said, and Marcus frowned as the other man went pale. "Sorry. Forget I said anything. That was fucked up."
"Yes, it was," Bristol said before sliding off of Marcus's lap to take her seat on the couch.
"It's fine," Marcus whispered, not wanting to get into a fight with any of the Montgomerys just then. He and Bristol had been a little bit on edge ever since the concert. He wasn't sure why. He wouldn't have noticed but Bristol wasn't talking with him. Oh, they were at the Montgomerys having a fun game night since they hadn't wanted to go to a bar or out in a large group. Except it was as if the two of them were drifting apart, and he didn't understand why. Maybe their game of charades was the reason for him noticing.
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