Love of a Rockstar
Page 20
“I don’t like surprises,” I yelled after her as she disappeared into the house.
“But you’re so fun to surprise.”
Turning around, my mouth hung open in disbelief. “No,” I uttered. “You’re not real.” I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them.
Luke’s blue eyes twinkled in the sun, highlighting his tea colored skin. A five-piece suit hugged his upper torso and defined the cut of his waist.
“Baby, I am as real as the earth,” he said.
Nil ran toward Luke, her scream echoing in the still country air. He dropped to his knees and opened his arms. As she smacked into him, she knocked them off their feet. They tumbled to the gravel driveway in a heap.
“Daddy, you came!” Nil cried out.
So it wasn’t a mirage. Luke was really here at my grandmother’s house, handsome as a prince. “Well, I do declare,” I muttered in disbelief.
Luke extracted Nil’s arms from around his neck and plucked her off his lap. Struggling to his feet, he dusted the dirt off his pants. “You sure have a lot of strength for a little girl.”
Nil puffed out her chest with pride. “Mama said I am like Mighty Mouse.”
“That’s an accurate description.” His eyes flicked to my face then back to Nil’s. “Can you go help your grandmother in the kitchen for a bit?”
“Only if you promise not to leave again.”
Luke held out his pinky as a promise. Nil hooked her finger around his and they shook on it. Satisfied, she sprinted into the house without a second look. I could learn a thing or two about trust from Nil. Despite the fact Luke broke her heart yesterday, she still had faith in him he wouldn’t did it again.
Luke and I met halfway down the porch steps. “Hi,” I said.
“Hi.”
We stared at each other with goofy grins plastered on our faces. I still couldn’t believe he was here in the flesh.
“Did you get my message? Is that why you’re here?” I shivered.
Luke stared at me as if I had two heads. “What are you talking about? What message?” He shook his head. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I have something to show you.” Bounding off the steps, Luke opened the passenger side door to my car. “Get in.”
I glanced behind me at the farmhouse. My grandmother’s wedding was in three hours. I couldn’t leave.
Sensing my hesitation, Luke reassured me. “Don’t worry. I will have you there and back before the ceremony.”
“Where are you taking me?”
He winked. “Can’t tell you that. Now get your cute little behind into the car.”
Curious to what he had up his sleeve, I slipped into the passenger seat. Handing over the keys, we started to drive. The rolling green pastures gave way to cement sidewalks and skyscrapers as we reentered the city. Whenever I opened my mouth to ask a question, he would shush me.
“My lips are sealed,” he said.
Two surprises in one day were one too many for somebody who doesn’t like surprises. My knee bounced in anticipation. The car slid to a stop in front of a creaky old gate, overgrown with weeds. A cedar shingled house sat in the middle of the lot that looked as if it had been abandoned for years.
“We’re here,” Luke announced.
I glanced out the window, then back at him. “Seriously?”
“Yes, come on.”
Luke was lucky I trusted him or else I would think he was trying to kill me. I got out of the car and followed him into the front yard. The closer to the house we got, the more spooked I became.
As he was about open the front door, I laid my hand on his arm. “We can’t trespass. There might be bums in there ready to shank us.”
“Shank?” he repeated. “We aren’t in a prison movie.”
I eyed the boarded up windows warily. “This isn’t funny”
Ignoring my concerns, he grabbed a key from his pocket and swung open the door. “Give me your hand.”
Pitch-blackness greeted us when we walked inside. My grip tightened as he led me down the hallway toward a faint glow.
“Luke,” I hissed. “I think somebody lives here.”
The narrow passage way opened up to a living room lit with candles. Luke dropped my hand and turned to face me. “Marlene, when I left, you put your dreams on hold to raise our daughter. And you did a terrific job, but it’s about time you share your talents with the world.” He gestured to the barren room. “I bought this house in hopes we could open a restaurant together.”
My hand clasped over my mouth as I struggled back a sob. “Seriously?” I choked out.
“Yes, I’ll run the kitchen while you run the pastry department.” He cupped my face. “And we will call it Norma Jean’s.”
I threw my arms around Luke’s neck, deliriously happy. “You are an incredible man, Luke”
“There is one condition though.” He slipped a dainty diamond ring onto my finger. “I want to get married in Paris and have an extended honeymoon before we start our next adventure together.” His eyes twinkled with excitement. “Opening our own restaurant.”
“What about your tour?”
“I’ve already told Sebastian this will be my last one.” He brushed a tear off my cheek. “It’s about time I came home.”
NICOLE SIMONE WORKS in digital media by day and at night, pen’s character driven romance novels that will make your mama blush. She lives in Los Angeles, C.A with her fat bulldog named Humphrey. Love of a Rock Star is Nicole’s first novel but certainly not her last.
For more information about Nicole and her books, visit:
http://nicolesimoneauthor.blogspot.com/
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
About the Author