“For the love of it, it’s not like I don’t know how to carry on polite conversation with people I’m not interviewing,” she muttered and grabbed the towel off the chair and went to hang it in the bathroom. And then realized she still didn’t have anything to do.
Should she call Riley or wait for his call? Deciding that calling him after he said he’d call her made her needy, she shut off the bathroom light and walked back into the room. Grabbing a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, she sat on the bed and turned on the TV. Channel surfing seemed like a good way to pass the time.
Fifteen minutes later, she almost jumped out of her skin when her phone rang. She smiled when Riley’s name and number came up on the screen. “Hey,” she said softly and relaxed back against the pillows.
“Hey, yourself,” he said. “How are you doing?”
“Good. Just relaxing.”
“Did you get some time to visit with your folks?”
“Just my dad. Mom was tired and wanted to soak in a hot bath and crawl into bed. RV sleeping is not the greatest.”
“I can relate to that. It doesn’t matter how much they trick out those tour buses, the beds are never great.”
“Exactly. So Dad and I hung out by the pool and chatted for a while and now I’m just flipping through the channels, hoping to find something to watch.”
“I’m not a big fan of late-night talk shows,” Riley said. “I’ve done almost all of them and they’re all great guys, but I always feel bad for whoever they have on that night for the interview.”
“Why?” she asked, curious.
“It can be really intimidating. The way you and I are doing the interview is laid-back and relaxing and no one is watching. But with a television interview, everyone’s watching. Even though they tape it early in the day and air it later and some things get edited out, the studio audience is there for any blunder or stupid thing you do.”
“I’m sure you haven’t done anything stupid,” she said sweetly.
“I threw up backstage at The Tonight Show—back when Leno was still hosting.”
“No!”
“True story. I wasn’t sick, we’d done the show before, but something about the whole thing had me twisted up in knots and when they came back to tell us it was time to go on, I just…hurled.”
“Ew…gross!”
“Uh-huh.”
“So what did they do? Did you still go on?”
“They moved some segments around and we went on and I was fine. But Jay didn’t ask us back.”
“Wow. That sucks.”
“Yes, it did,” he said. “So what are you watching? Anything good? I’ll turn on the TV and it will be like we’re watching it together.”
Aww… “Um, I haven’t really found anything good. The local news was just ending when I turned the TV on and I was just checking out some HGTV when the phone rang.”
“Ooo…House Hunters. One of my favorites.”
Savannah laughed. “Stop. It is not!”
“It’s true! I watch a lot of HGTV. I get a kick out of watching other people figure out what kind of house they have to get because they can’t afford what they really want.”
“That’s one way of looking at it,” she chuckled and got more comfortable on the bed.
“Okay, hang on for a sec. Let me just grab something to drink…”
“Okay.” She was about to reach for her own water when there was a knock at the door. Frowning, she approached it slowly. Was something wrong with her parents? Did they need something? Why didn’t they just call? “Who is it?”
“Housekeeping!”
Housekeeping? She didn’t call for anything. Peering through the peephole, she gasped and then unlocked the door. Pulling it open, she never got a word out as she jumped into Riley’s arms and immediately met his lips in a searing kiss. Spinning them around, Riley slammed the door shut and backed her up against it.
When he finally lifted his head, he was smiling. “So you wanna watch some TV in bed with me?”
“With a king-size bed, I can think of a lot of other things I’d rather do with you,” she said and then pulled him in for another kiss.
He carried her across the room and brought them both down on the bed—where they spent the rest of the night exploring all the possibilities.
* * *
The sun was coming up as Riley stood and stretched. The view from Savannah’s hotel room was breathtaking. He’d stayed later than he had originally planned, but every time he tried to get out of the bed, Savannah would sigh or reach for him and he couldn’t make himself leave.
Now, she was lying on her side watching him—a sleepy smile on her face.
“I’m going to see you later at the church, right?” Riley asked as he got dressed.
“Like I have a choice,” she said with a grimace. “You and your nice family and their genuine invitations. How were my parents supposed to say no?”
He chuckled. “They weren’t. And neither were you. Obviously I underestimated your stubborn streak.”
“Well, now you’ve been warned, so be prepared.” Rolling over onto her back, she sighed. “Do you really have to go?”
“Baby, I should have left hours ago. Not that I have a curfew or anything…”
Savannah laughed. “Yeah, but now you have to risk doing the walk of shame in front of your dad.”
“As long as I do it before Darcy gets home, everything will be all right.”
Sitting up, Savannah combed her hair away from her face. “Do I need to be worried about meeting her? Everyone seems just a little bit intimidated by your sister. And she’s the baby of the family.”
“Darcy is…” Riley shook his head. “She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with. I think growing up with five older brothers has made her bold and we’re all still getting used to it. She didn’t start getting quite so vocal and argumentative until she was almost eighteen so it’s still kind of new to us.”
“I couldn’t imagine what it was like for her. Seriously. You must have scared away every boy in town.”
“And in the surrounding ones,” he said with a grin, tucking in his shirt.
Slowly, Riley walked back over to the bed and kissed her thoroughly before reluctantly pulling away. “Try to get a couple more hours of sleep. I’ll see you at two at the church.”
“Stop reminding me,” she sighed.
Riley was going to tease her but he could tell she was already half asleep. As quietly as he could, he walked to the door and left. Out in the hallway, he took a minute to catch his breath. He hated leaving her—even now he was arguing with himself about going back inside and staying with her until it was time for the christening. But Savannah needed her sleep and he needed to get home and face the music.
When the elevator doors opened, a young couple looked up as they were about to step off, their eyes going wide with recognition. “Morning,” he murmured and smiled nervously as he stepped into the elevator and they stepped out. He pulled his cap down low and waved as the door closed.
And then breathed a sigh of relief.
On the ride home Riley hoped his father had chosen this morning to sleep in. He couldn’t help but run through the scenario in his head—walking in the door and his father catching him. That hadn’t happened since he was seventeen, and yet the fear was still there. He was a grown man and didn’t owe anyone an explanation of where or how he spent his night, but the thought of his father finding out about him and Savannah made him uneasy. She wasn’t ready for his family to know, and he wanted to respect her privacy.
For now.
Everyone was going to find out eventually—and sooner rather than later, he was predicting—because there was no way Riley could hide the way he felt about her. No matter who was watching. They were adults and as such, they were entitled to what they were feeling.
Damn interview. It was a pain in the ass no matter how he looked at it. But then again, if not for the interview, he would never have met Savannah.
“And there’s your silver lining,” he muttered as he pulled onto his father’s block.
He was driving along and noticed a car coming in the opposite direction—which was odd for this time of the morning. And the closer he got, the wider his eyes got.
“Son of a…”
Ian Shaughnessy was just pulling into the driveway.
Riley had to laugh. What were the odds of him and his father sneaking in at the same time? Well, technically, Ian wasn’t sneaking—it was his own house. But it still seemed incredibly comical. Parking behind his father’s car, Riley climbed out. Together, father and son walked to the door without meeting one another’s gaze.
Once inside, Ian went to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Riley sat at the table, staring at his hands. Within minutes, they each had a mug in their hands.
“I, um…” Ian began, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t share this with your siblings.”
“Right back at you,” Riley murmured.
They drank their coffee in awkward silence before Ian put his mug down and finally met his son’s eyes. “Can I just say that I hope it was Savannah who kept you out all night?”
Riley grinned.
And that, in turn, made Ian grin. “Good.”
* * *
The church service was beautiful. Savannah couldn’t help the tears that welled in her eyes as she sat in the pew next to her parents and Riley and watched as little Connor Rylan Shaughnessy was baptized in the arms of his godparents—Aidan and Zoe.
After the family took about a thousand pictures in the church, they stepped outside and waved to the few members of the paparazzi who were waiting outside. Everyone took it in stride, and for the most part, Savannah would say that Riley hid his annoyance well. From what she could remember from her research, there were hardly any photos of him at home with his family. So this was pretty much a first for them.
Afterward, they all drove over to the godparents’ house for the party. Savannah still didn’t feel one hundred percent comfortable, but it wasn’t for anyone’s lack of hospitality. From the minute she was spotted at the church, she had been hugged and welcomed and thanked by everyone. And so had her parents.
Well, by everyone except Darcy.
Savannah had been anxious to meet the lone Shaughnessy daughter, but she hadn’t seemed to be around when initial introductions were made. Now that they were at the party, she almost felt like it was a mission to track her down.
The family was spread out between the massive yard and inside Aidan and Zoe’s home. Savannah had managed to send Riley to get her something to drink while she went in search of his sister. Not that she told him her plan, but it was what it was. When she stepped outside and went to the edge of the deck, she spotted the girl off in the far corner of the yard sitting next to a large garden. With a steadying breath, Savannah began to head over.
Darcy Shaughnessy was beautiful. Not that Savannah expected anything less—the entire family seemed to have the beautiful gene. A gentle breeze was blowing and Darcy was combing her dark hair out of her face when she noticed Savannah’s approach.
“Hey,” Savannah said with a smile. “We didn’t get to meet earlier. I’m Savannah Daly.” She held out her hand to Darcy and frowned when she simply looked at it but didn’t shake it. Trying not to take it personally, Savannah slowly lowered it. “Do you mind if I sit down?” There were two benches by the garden, and she opted to take the one Darcy wasn’t sitting on when the girl merely shrugged.
“I hear you’re only home for the weekend,” Savannah said, trying to draw her into conversation. “That’s got to be rough with all the flying.”
Darcy shrugged again.
O-kay. Now what? Looking around the yard, Savannah almost prayed for Riley to find her. “So…what are you taking this semester at school?”
Finally Darcy acknowledged her.
With a roll of her eyes.
“Look, spare me the whole you-want-to-be-my-friend thing,” Darcy said. “You’re a reporter. You’re here because you’re doing a story on Riley. You’re no better than those photographers hanging around outside the church.” She paused and gave a look of disdain. “It’s not like you really care about me or who I am. You’re looking for dirt on my brother.”
Wow. “And that bothers you?”
Darcy looked at her like she thought Savannah was a moron. “Uh…yeah. It does. Why can’t you people just leave him alone? What gives you the right to come to a private family party? I mean, it’s a major invasion of privacy! I don’t think—”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Savannah interrupted, “I didn’t want to come. As a matter of fact, I pretty much tried to make sure I wouldn’t have to be here. I convinced my parents to drive here from Kansas so I’d have something to do.”
“Then why are you all here?” Darcy asked sarcastically.
“Because your family is too damn charming and they refuse to take no for an answer!”
A small twitch of Darcy’s lips was the first sign that maybe she was starting to relax.
“I had the whole weekend planned out—where we were going to go, what we were going to do—museums, aquariums, war ships! I had every tourist brochure for the area highlighted and ready to go! But one hour with your dad and all of a sudden they were like long-lost friends who couldn’t bear not to spend time together. It was pretty damn annoying.”
This time Darcy did chuckle. “Tell me about it. Dad used to almost be antisocial; now he’s like a friend to the friendless.”
“It’s not necessarily a bad trait.”
“No, but…it’s annoying. As you’ve clearly discovered.” She sighed and studied Savannah. “So what were you going to do? Really. You know, if you weren’t here.”
“I wanted to show them the coast. Living in Kansas, they don’t have any beaches. I thought it would be nice to spend the day out in the sun, maybe do a little swimming and fishing. Maybe grab some fresh seafood for dinner.” She shrugged. “Turns out they wanted steak and a backyard. Who knew?”
“Wow. Bummer,” Darcy said and then began to laugh.
Savannah nearly sagged to the ground with relief. She’d broken down the barrier. “I’ll get over it. At least we’re staying at a hotel on the beach. I can see and hear the ocean, and maybe before they leave I’ll get to walk along the shore with them.”
“When do they leave?”
“I think they’re planning on hitting the road Monday morning. They’ve never been here on the East Coast so they’ve planned a bit of a road trip for themselves in their RV.”
“Yikes. No offense, but RV living does not sound appealing.”
“I’m with you on that. I’m glad they got into it after I moved out. We traveled a lot when I was growing up but luckily we flew. The thought of sleeping in a big box on wheels just…” Savannah shuddered. “Let’s just say it’s not my thing.”
“It’s a lot like the buses Riley uses on tour, I guess.”
“I bet my parents wish it was more like one of those tour buses. Their RV is kind of small—really just for the two of them. Nothing glamorous about it.”
“Well, that stinks,” Darcy said and gave Savannah a small smile. “So now you’re stuck here.”
“It’s not so bad,” she replied honestly. “It’s a beautiful day and the ceremony was very nice. I’d never been to a christening before so it was something new for me.”
“You’re lucky Connor was so good. I’ve been to ones where the baby screams the entire time. Those are not fun at all.”
Savannah chuckled. “He seems like a really good baby. Hugh and Aubrey are very blessed.”
Darcy shrugged. “I don’t know about that.”
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“What do you mean?”
Looking around to make sure no one was listening, Darcy scooted closer to Savannah. “Aubrey had cancer when she was younger. They didn’t think they’d ever have kids and there’s always the possibility of the cancer coming back. I don’t know if I could live like that.”
“They told me about that last weekend and I felt the exact same way. But I think it’s great that they don’t let the fear rule their lives. They’re so happy and now they have a beautiful baby.” She sighed.
“I am happy for them,” Darcy said, “and I hope when I’m home on my next break they’ll let me stay with them for a bit and watch Connor.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t turn down the offer.”
“Here are my two favorite girls,” Riley said as he strolled over, drinks in hand. “I see you finally met the princess.”
Darcy groaned. “One trip to Disneyland and I can’t shake that nickname!”
Riley sat down beside his sister and grinned. He handed Savannah her drink. “I hate to break it to you, but Disney has nothing to do with the nickname. That was all you way before then.”
“Says you,” she grumbled.
“So what are you two lovely ladies talking about?”
“RVs, buses, and babies,” Darcy said and smirked at the confused look on Riley’s face. “We started talking about Savannah’s parents and their RV, which led to your tour buses, and then we moved on to Connor and how awesome he is.”
“Ah,” Riley said. “Got it.” He sighed and smiled. “I’m glad we all got to be here for his big day.”
“How long are you here for?” Darcy asked him.
“A couple of weeks. I wanted Savannah to get to meet everyone and see if she could interview them for the article.”
“And that’s going to take a couple of weeks? Seems to me you could be on a plane home Monday. I’m sure she’s talked to everyone—God knows we’ve all been dying to share embarrassing stories about you with the press for years!” Then she looked at Savannah. “Let me tell you, it is no dream having a rock star for a brother!”
This Is Our Song Page 19