by Anna Paige
The rumors were definitely accurate.
She was the coolest grandmother ever.
•••
When I finally made my way to the stage, the crowd had thinned considerably, and I realized Kade was missing. Lennox pointed me in the direction of the lodge, saying Kade was headed that way when he’d been seen last. I thanked him and made the excuse that I needed to talk to the singer about the upcoming tour bus auction, scurrying off in that direction.
It was quiet as I entered the wide double doors of the main house. The space was gorgeous, the foyer opening into a huge commons area that was filled with comfy couches and rocking chairs, all in bright, vibrant colors that made the room feel alive with energy. Rather than having a TV as the focal point of the room, all the seating was situated to face the mammoth stone fireplace. The mantle that ran the length of it was covered with framed drawings, all of them in crayon. I glanced around at the two archways that led out of the room, wondering where they led. I was curious about the rest of the lodge, but felt like I shouldn’t snoop around on my own.
Maybe I could ask Kade to explore with me, if I ever found him. And of course I would be able to do a little investigation while I tracked him down.
I stopped and listened for a minute, unsure where I should even start. Thankfully, a dull clanging noise down the hall to my left caught my attention and made the decision for me.
I crept quietly down the long hallway, noting the framed artwork covering the walls; more children’s drawings. All of yellow daisies and yellow butterflies. All addressed to Milly with love. I forced a swallow as I looked each one over, emotion welling in my throat. This place was just so amazing, it was almost too wonderful for words.
Quiet voices cut through the air, interspersed with rhythmic clanging that sounded like metal.
As I neared the end of the hall, I caught Kade’s hushed voice. “You’re doing great, Alex. Let’s try five more and call it a day, okay?”
I crept closer to the last door, which I now realized led to the therapy room of which Lauren and Brant had spoken.
“Okay.” Alex’s voice was strained, breathless from his workout.
Kade counted down from five to one, the soft clang punctuating the space between each number. When he finished, I heard a final loud clatter and then a loud exhalation, probably from Alex.
“Great job, man,” Kade praised. “Here’s a towel.”
I couldn’t see around the corner, but I imagined Kade standing alongside some piece of weightlifting equipment while Alex recovered. “Thank you, Mr. Edenfield,” he said hoarsely.
“Kade. Call me Kade.”
There was a moment of hesitation. “Okay. Thanks, Kade.” Alex’s voice was low and disbelieving.
“That’s better. And you’re welcome.”
No one spoke for a while, and I was tempted to risk getting closer, but I was too afraid of interrupting to chance it.
Kade eventually broke the silence. “So, you’re trying to bulk up, huh?”
“I think I need to, don’t you? I’m fifteen and I look like a little kid.” He sounded ashamed, which tugged at my heart.
“That’s not your fault, Alex.” Kade’s voice was even, brokering no argument. He clearly didn’t realize teenagers would argue with anything.
“Maybe not, but it’s still on me to fix it. I can’t be this forever, can I?”
“This what?” Kade challenged.
“This pathetic little nothing.” Alex sounded near tears.
There was a scraping sound, like Kade was pulling up a chair. “Don’t call yourself that. You’re neither pathetic nor a nothing. Don’t devalue yourself that way. Understand?”
“You can’t devalue something that was never worth anything to begin with. You don’t know what this is like. What it’s like to have to go through your entire life knowing your parents didn’t care enough about you to feed you or get you medical help when you were near death. They were totally okay with watching me die, man. I look in the mirror and see sunken cheeks and skinny arms on a body the size of someone half my age. Because of them, because I was nothing to them. I don’t want to be this anymore. If I don’t do something about it, I think I may go insane.” His voice shook and I knew just from the sound that he was crying. “How can you not think I’m pathetic? My idol just walked in here and helped with my workout, and how do I thank him? I break down crying like a pussy.”
“Hey.” Kade cut him off. “I said stop that shit. And stop thinking that your worth is tied to anyone who was too stupid to love you the way you deserve. Just fucking stop, Alex. You think you’re alone in this, but you’re wrong. Brant and Lauren love you. Clay and Ali love you. Spencer and Talia love you. Baby Parker is your number one fan. I’ve heard all about how great you are with him, how you protect him and love him like he was your brother.” He lowered his voice, sounding earnest. “And I think you’re pretty fucking cool, no matter how much you weigh or how tall you are or how many pounds you can bench. I see myself in you, bro. I see resilience and determination. I see someone who’s going to kick ass at whatever he chooses to do in life. And those parents you think defined you? They won’t even be a blip on your radar. Your life will be too filled with people who see you for the amazing person you are.”
“Were your parents like my birth parents or were they like Lauren and Brant?”
“Somewhere in between, I guess,” Kade muttered. “I don’t usually get into this, but I feel like I can trust you. Can I?”
Alex must have nodded, because Kade continued.
“My mom is the greatest, has always been the greatest. Not a mean bone in her body. She loves to cook for me whenever I visit, fusses over Kane and me like we’re kindergartners instead of grown men. She’s amazing, and happy, and everything I could have ever asked for.”
“And your dad?”
There was a long silence followed by a deep breath. “He’s a piece of shit, and I thank God every day that my mother got away from him before it was too late.”
“The way I got away from my piece of shit parents,” Alex interjected.
“Exactly,” Kade agreed. “And I’m no more a reflection of him than you are of your folks. We can’t control other people’s actions; all we can do is decide how we react to them. Don’t let what happened define you, buddy. Use it as a measure of how far you’ve come, but never as a measure of your worth, understand?”
“Yeah, I understand. Thanks, Kade. I always knew you’d be cool, but I never expected you to be this cool.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual, Alex, because you’re pretty damn cool yourself. Maybe one day you can come on tour with us, work on the crew for a summer or something. Only if Lauren and Brant give the okay, though.”
“Hell, yeah!” Alex chirped happily. “I’ll be plenty buff by then, so I can carry around all that equipment.”
Kade laughed softly. “You have plenty of time. Don’t overdo it, or you’ll do more harm than good.”
“I won’t.” He sounded excited. He also sounded like he was making his way to the door. Shit. I took a fortifying breath and stepped through the open door, nearly colliding with an extremely excited Alex.
“Whoa.” I stopped short. “Sorry, Alex. I was looking for…”
“Hey, warden.” Kade gave me a once over. “Looking for me?”
Alex glanced between us, not missing a thing. “I’ll just leave you two alone.”
Kade stood, holding up his hand. “Hang on. Let me see your phone.”
Alex didn’t hesitate like most teenagers would when asked for their most prized possession. He put in the code to unlock it and handed it right over. Kade typed for a minute and handed it back with a soft smile. “I programmed in my number, in case you ever need anything. Just don’t give it out, okay?”
Alex looked down at his phone, eyes bulging. “Are you serious?” Poor kid, he looked like he was about to swallow his tongue.
“As a heart attack,” Kade said, smiling and nodding. “You need anythin
g, feel free to text or call or whatever. I sent myself a text from your phone so I can program in your number, as well. You just keep on moving forward, and I’m around if you ever need a pep talk.”
Alex practically floated out of the room, his phone clutched tightly in his hand.
And I found myself on the verge of tears.
Again.
Jeez, the things this man was doing to my poor heart.
Chapter Twelve
Aubrey
The buses headed away from Denson the following morning, all three of them. Marcus insisted on driving Kade and me, leaving the new driver to take his spot driving Kane and Lennox. It was hard to leave the MM family behind, particularly Alex—whom I had quickly come to adore—and the wives, all of whom had become fast friends. Phone numbers were exchanged, hugs were filled with emotion, and no one wanted to say goodbye.
Denson was a small town, but it was home to a lot of damn good people.
I missed them already.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.” Kade’s deep, gravelly voice was strained by fatigue.
“What? You mean three hours of sleep isn’t enough? What kind of rock star are you?” I smirked, trying to cover a yawn, but I wasn’t fooling him. We’d stayed up most of the night, not even drinking that much, just enjoying the company of our friends. And they really did feel like our friends, not just friends of the band.
“The kind that outgrew that ‘party all night’ mentality about six tours ago.” He sat on the couch across from me, his gaze tracking from my eyes to my cleavage and back. “Three hours might have been enough, though, if I’d gotten that much. I didn’t sleep at all last night thanks to your constant teasing.”
I feigned innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Edenfield.”
“Horse shit,” he drawled, leaning forward. “Every time I looked up, you were eye fucking me, wetting those sweet little lips, crossing and uncrossing your legs like you were all hot and bothered.” He slid to the floor, crossing the few feet between us on his knees until we were inches apart. “I had a raging hard-on all fucking night because of you.” His voice was a growl that shot heat straight to my clit.
I tried to shrug it off, playing at indifference. “You could have taken care of that yourself, genius. I’m sure you’re familiar with the practice.”
He leaned in and roughly thumbed my nipple through my shirt, making me flinch. “Not fucking happening. You got me worked up, and you’re gonna get me off. Since I had to wait so long, I think I’ll make you take this massive load down your pretty throat. Then maybe I can get some rest.” His hands moved to my knees, jerking them open so he could settle between my legs. “If you suck me nice and deep, I might be inclined to throw an orgasm your way before I pass out for the day.”
My tongue darted out to pass over his bottom lip. “I guess I better bring my A-game then, huh?”
He grabbed my ass in both hands and pulled me against him as he stood, carrying me toward the opulent new bedroom. “Don’t you always?” His breath tickled my neck as he lowered me to the bed and tugged me into the position he wanted, my head hanging over the edge. He wasted no time divesting himself of his clothes, and soon he was pushing the plump head of his cock past my waiting lips.
I worked him like a pro, licking and sucking, swirling my tongue over the fleshy spot just under his tip. I gave the best head of my life that morning, and Kade doled out a proper reward, as promised.
Several, in fact.
When I awakened a little while later, it was to the sound of my phone ringing from somewhere near the front of the bus. I drowsily peeked at Kade, his massive, tatted back facing up as his face pressed into the pillow, one arm threaded under the pillows and the other reaching back to drape across my midsection. He was utterly spent by our exertions and in no danger of waking anytime soon.
I hated to let my phone’s constant ringing ruin his rest, so I slipped quietly from the room, pausing briefly to take in the sight of my tattooed bad boy on my way out.
I snapped the phone off the kitchen counter and steeled myself for Trish’s wrath as I accepted the call. “Hey, Trish. How are you this morning?”
She wasn’t interested in niceties. “You better have a damn good excuse for not returning my calls, Aubrey. It’s been three days,” she screeched angrily.
“My phone got wet and I was waiting for it to dry out. Wasn’t even sure it would turn back on, but apparently it’s working now because here we are.” I rolled my eyes so hard I made myself dizzy. “I had my laptop, of course, and I was going to email you, but I didn’t have anything new to report so I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“It’s a huge deal, moron. I was trying to get in touch with you, and since you’re on the damn clock, you’re obliged to answer, no matter what.”
“How would I know you were calling, Trish? My phone was off and in a bag of rice. I apologize if I worried you, but I’m back in touch now so how about we move on and you tell me what was so urgent?”
“One, you little snot, I wasn’t worried. I don’t worry, especially about dispensable players like you. I wasn’t imagining you dead in a ditch; I was picturing you packing up your desk after I got your ass fired.” The ditch comment wasn’t a coincidence. She knew about my parents, about what happened to them, and she was taking the opportunity to point out my weaknesses. Again. “Two, I don’t have to have urgent business to call in for an update. Whether you like it or not, Miss Holier-than-thou, you do answer to me, and you will keep me apprised of your progress, or I’ll have you yanked and demoted to the mail room faster than you can say insubordination. And that’s if I’m feeling generous.”
I took a calming breath to keep from telling her off, pressing the phone between my ear and shoulder as I scoured the new kitchen for coffee. “Fine, Trish. I’m still working on a few angles and the progress we’ve made so far has brought up public opinion of the band considerably.”
“Elaborate, Aubrey,” she barked testily. “What angles?”
Aha! Found the coffee. I took the bag of coffee from the freezer and grabbed a filter, needing to keep moving so I didn’t throw something. “Well, a lot of small appearances, mostly pre-recorded stuff to boost their visibility in a positive way, but the biggest move we’re planning is a bus auction. They still have a couple of their old tour buses in storage and have just taken delivery of a new one, so they’ll be retiring one more. That’s between three and four major auctions, the proceeds of which will benefit their favorite charities.”
“They picked up a new bus while already on tour? How did they manage that?”
“They had this weekend blocked off for a family event, and the bus was delivered during that time.” Please, just let it drop.
“Family event? In Pennsylvania? That wasn’t exactly on the tour route was it?”
I gritted my teeth. “No, Virginia. Which wasn’t far out of the way if you’ll consult a map. They have family all over, just like everyone else.”
She was quiet for a moment. “So, that’s why you didn’t answer, huh? Did they take you to meet mommy? Whose arm were you on?” Her lurid tone grated on my nerves.
“No one’s. I went because I had to, as a condition of the assignment. I was doing my job.”
“Oh, I’m sure you did a job, alright.” She snorted. “Oh, wait, no. You probably wouldn’t have the guts for something like that. At least if you had the nerve to bang one of them, I might be able to respect your gall. But for you to scurry around behind them like a timid little mouse… God, Aubrey, that’s just so pathetic. You want to know why I dislike you? That right there is why. You’re too tied up in the freaking rules. It never occurs to you to make your own. People like you don’t get ahead because you’re too scared to rock the boat, shake things up. It’s laughable, really.”
“So, I should fuck my way to the top like you, then?” I blurted, too angry to care. Who did she think she was? Heinous bitch. “Well, maybe not all the
way to the top. Since Miles hates your guts, you’ll never get him between your liposuctioned thighs, and you know it. You’ve gotten as far as you can on your back, so you’re bitter toward those of us who actually earned our positions, because you know one day it’s us you’ll be answering to.”
I was prepared for rage, screaming, and possibly a pink slip. What I didn’t expect was laughter. Not crazy, cartoon-villain laughter either. It was genuine. Her voice was still shaking with amusement when she finally spoke. “Good for you, little mouse. It’s about time you grew a pair.” She laughed a little more, and I was tempted to show her just how wrong she was about me once and for all. I wasn’t a cutthroat bitch like her, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have a backbone. What I had was class, something she knew nothing about.
Her next point made that painfully clear.
“And there’s a lot to be said for getting into bed with the boss, both figuratively and literally, so don’t knock what you don’t understand. A word to the wise, though; be careful about assuming you know how far people will go, little mouse. You’d be surprised what they are capable of. Never let your guard down. Never. Or you’ll live to regret it.” She sighed, finally recovering from her outburst. “Now, take that speck of bravery you’ve scrounged up and go jump a rock star. I still say bassists are the most fun, but that may just be my preference.”
She hung up without saying goodbye, and I was left gaping at the phone, wondering if she’d taken up recreational drug use since I’d been gone.
•••
Kade woke up a little while later and tried to drag me back to bed, claiming we shouldn’t waste our remaining hours of solitude. I hedged a bit, making it seem like I was going to turn him down, inciting a quick glaring match that had us both on fire by the time we did make it back to the bedroom—after a delightful stop on the new kitchen table where Kade made a meal of me.
We lay there some time later, sated and sleepy, my head on his broad chest. I couldn’t help trying to get him talking, and figured the moments right after sex were probably his most relaxed, which gave me the best shot. I kissed his peck and ran my fingers over his abs, loving the way his belly fluttered under my fingers. He was ticklish, and I found that adorable. “Kade?”