by Mari Carr
“How fucking hot was it out there?” Bryson was grinning from ear to ear and dripping with sweat. They all were.
“I don’t know,” Dani said. “Somewhere between a hundred and fifty degrees and the surface of the sun?”
Bryson held out his arm. “Yeah, well you can stick a fork in me because I am well done.” And as usual, Bryson focused on the simple stuff.
She laughed and tugged at her shirt. “Come on. Let’s take advantage of those showers in our dressing rooms.”
Aiden grasped her hand. “I think we can make do with just one. I’ll scrub your back if you scrub mine.”
Bryson walked beside them, shaking his head. “Part of me still can’t believe we’re here.”
Dani understood that sense of wonder and amazement. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to it. “It’s incredible, isn’t it?”
They walked into Dani’s dressing room and slowly peeled off their damp clothing. Aiden handed them each a bottle of water. “Better hydrate.”
She laughed as the three of them—naked as the day they were born—chugged the water like they were dying of thirst.
“Race you to the shower,” she said, as she sprinted toward the shower. She bent over to turn on the water as Bryson strolled in behind her, stroking her ass, his fingers dipping into the slit between her legs to do a little exploring. They were approaching their six-month anniversary. Maybe it was juvenile to count the time in months, but it was a step up from her initial celebrations…of days, then weeks.
With every day that passed she fell more in love with them and the anxiety she’d felt at the beginning faded, even started to feel ridiculous. How could she have ever doubted this?
They’d only just stepped beneath the water of the dual showerheads, when there was a knock at the dressing room door.
“Ignore it,” Aiden murmured, kissing the side of her neck. “Maybe they’ll go away.”
Dani didn’t have any problem with that suggestion until she heard Jett’s voice through the door.
“Dani? You all in there?” Jett yelled. There was the sound of other voices, all chattering away in the hallway. She recognized every voice, every laugh.
There were only a handful of people she wouldn’t ignore in lieu of a shower with her guys. And they were apparently standing right outside the dressing room.
“Give me a minute,” Dani yelled back. “Changing my clothes.”
Neither Bryson nor Aiden called her to task for answering. In fact, Bryson had immediately started doing a quick clean—hair and body, sluicing off the soap and stepping out.
She and Aiden followed suit, showering off the sweat quickly, before turning off the water and drying off.
Bryson had always been the quickest to get ready. The man could, as he liked to say, “shit, shower, shave and be out the door in five minutes.”
Crude, but accurate, Dani decided as Bryson threw on a clean t-shirt and shorts. He left her and Aiden drying off in the bathroom, closing the door behind them so he could let their guests in.
Bryson had become particularly close to Caleb when her foster brother had given him the ink he’d always wanted on his left pec. Dani had to admit. The new tat was hot.
Dani dressed quicker when she heard Mama Lewis talking to Bryson about the show. She was dying to hear what she thought of it.
Loud cheers greeted her when she stepped into the room.
“What are you guys doing in here?” Dani asked. “You’re going to miss the main act. Lucas Bryan is terrific.”
Justin shrugged, unconcerned that they’d just vacated front row seats at a sold out concert. “We already saw the good stuff. The three of you were amazing. Twenty bucks says Lucas What’s-His-Name is opening for you within a year.”
Aiden grinned and slapped her brother on the back. “Man, I wouldn’t mind that.”
“You’re our star, Dani,” Mama said, walking over to hug her. “My God. You were just incredible.”
Chloe came up next to give Dani a hug. “Mama cried when you dedicated that song to her.”
“I didn’t cry, Chloe,” Mama Lewis said. “I just had something in my eye.”
Dani giggled, knowing it was a lie. Even as she spoke, Mama Lewis had tears in her eyes.
“It was a beautiful song, baby girl.”
She sensed Mama Lewis wanted to say more, but couldn’t. Dani felt a lump form in her own throat. She’d written the song shortly after returning to Nashville. The lyrics had practically fallen out of her. It was a song about being lost, then found again and the undying love of a mother. As soon as it was finished, she’d sung it for the guys and Benji and they’d all insisted that it needed to be included on their first album. The music company agreed.
Given the response of tonight’s audience, Dani suspected the song would begin to see some airplay soon.
“I wouldn’t be here tonight if it weren’t for you,” Dani said.
Mama Lewis shook her head and started to disagree, but Dani wouldn’t let her lessen the importance of her role. She’d taken Dani out of a terrifying, loveless home and given her a safe place to stay, unconditional love and the courage to reveal parts of herself that might never have seen the light of day.
“You told me I could sing. You were the first person to ever tell me my voice was beautiful. Then you bought me that guitar and encouraged me to explore, to let my talent grow. The guitar was the greatest gift I’ve ever gotten.”
Mama Lewis smiled, not bothering to hide her tears any longer. She opened her arms and Dani walked toward her as the two of them embraced for several moments.
“I love you so much, Dani. And I’m so very proud of the woman you’ve become.”
When they broke apart, Jett was there, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “What do you say we go out and celebrate? Take Bourbon Street by storm.”
Aiden chuckled. “Jesus. Is that even possible? That place is wilder than a Midwest tornado and that’s on a weeknight.”
Carissa took Jett’s hands. “We can kick off the bar crawl at the Royal Lunch. Hurricanes are on the house.”
Bryson walked over, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles. “What do you say, bird? Want to hit the town? Show the Big Easy how we do it back in Nashville.”
“I’m in.” She took Bryson and Aiden’s hands as they followed her family out of the arena.
And when she crawled into bed with them six hours later—six hours!—she realized it had indeed been the very best day of her life.
Big Easy
To read more about the Lewis family, check out these other stories in the Big Easy series, available now!
Blank Canvas
Crash Point
Full Position
Rough Draft
About the Author
Writing a book was number one on Mari Carr’s bucket list. Now her computer is jammed full of stories — novels, novellas, short stories and dead-ends. A New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller, Mari finds time for writing by squeezing it into the hours between 3 a.m. and daybreak when her family is asleep.
You can visit Mari’s website at www.maricarr.com. She is also on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Sign up for Mari’s newsletter HERE!
If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review.
Waiting for You
Sparks in Texas
Mari Carr
Coming July 1, 2015
How do you protect the woman you love…when the greatest danger is sleeping in her bed?
Sydney Sparks can’t remember a time when Chas wasn’t part of her life—from childhood playmates, to high-school sweethearts, to long-distance friends. Now, after twelve long years, Chas is leaving the Marines and coming home. Sydney’s thrilled to have him back on American soil, safe and sound, even if his return is doing funny things to her heart.
The second he stepped off the plane and locked gazes with Sydney, Chas refused to waste a minute more on their “just friends” status quo. Together ag
ain, it feels as if they were never apart, the love they’d shared as innocent teens now vastly more intense as adults—with a sexual hunger to match.
However, despite his newfound happiness, Chas can’t seem to shake the memories of his tours in the Middle East, of the firefights, the killing…the deaths of his friends. When the flashbacks grow stronger, Chas struggles to hide his increasing lack of control, terrified of losing everything he’d just regained—including Sydney.
Enjoy this excerpt from Mari Carr’s Waiting for You.
Sydney stood next to Gran, who was flanked by Julian on the right. The three of them were standing at the international arrivals gate, grinning like fools as they held the banner Sydney had made. Chas’ flight had landed and her heart was racing a million miles an hour. She’d seen him just a few months earlier over the holidays. They’d exchanged small gifts and consumed a bottle of eggnog together. Chas had even told her a little bit about two friends he’d lost in combat, the story breaking her heart.
Chas had ended up sleeping on her couch that night, while she’d tossed and turned in her bedroom, fighting the urge to go out and comfort him. However, there had been something in his eyes—some dark, unfamiliar sadness—that had stopped her, that had told her to keep her distance.
Several more people walked through the gate. Sydney watched as relatives reunited with hugs, laughter and sometimes tears. She loved coming to the airport, loved the energy and the atmosphere, the hustle and bustle. It was a hotbed of emotions unlike any other place.
Gran captured her attention with a nudge of the elbow. “There he is.”
Chas strolled through the doors in jeans and a t-shirt. It would seem so weird to see him dressed in civilian clothing rather than his fatigues from now on, and she wondered if he’d give up the crew cut he’d kept for so many years and return to the longer style of his youth. He looked around the area, searching for them. Sydney smiled and waved when his eyes met hers.
Chas walked faster then, laughing when he read their banner. Sydney took it from Julian and Gran, stepping back so that Chas could greet his family.
She was shocked when he bypassed both of them and walked right up to her. He tugged the banner out of her hands and dropped it to the floor a split second before he grabbed her in his embrace and kissed her.
His mouth was demanding, forcing her lips apart so he could stroke her tongue with his. Sydney fought off a wave of dizziness and disbelief. Even a bit of embarrassment when she recalled his grandmother was standing less than five feet away from them. She put her hands on his shoulders, intent on pushing him away, but Chas only gripped her tighter, one of his hands rising to cup the back of her neck, his fingers lightly stroking the sensitive skin there.
She was a goner. Sydney stopped giving a shit who was there and what they were seeing. Chas was home. And he was kissing her.
Twelve years melted away into a haze of nothingness. He was home. Finally.
Other Titles by Mari Carr
Trinity Masters:
Elemental Pleasure
Primal Passion
Scorching Desire
Forbidden Legacy
Sparks in Texas:
Sparks Fly
Big Easy:
Blank Canvas
Crash Point
Full Position
Rough Draft
Second Chances:
Fix You
Full Moon
Status Update
The Back-Up Plan
Never Been Kissed
Compass Brothers:
Northern Exposure
Southern Comfort
Eastern Ambitions
Western Ties
Compass Girls:
Winter’s Thaw
Hope Springs
Summer Fling
Falling Softly
Black & White Collection:
Erotic Research
Tequila Truth
Rough Cut
Happy Hour
Power Play
Slam Dunk
Naughty is Nice
In the Running
Just Because:
Because of You
Because You Love Me
Because It’s True
Cowboys:
Spitfire
Rekindled
Inflamed
Lowell High:
Bound by the Past
Covert Affairs
Mad about Meg
Wild Irish:
Come Monday
Ruby Tuesday
Waiting for Wednesday
Sweet Thursday
Friday I’m in Love
Saturday Night Special
Any Given Sunday
Wild Irish Christmas
Wild Irish Boxed Set
June Girls:
No Recourse
No Regrets
Madison Girls:
Kiss Me, Kate
Three Reasons Why
Madison Girls boxed set
Boys of Fall:
Free Agent
Scoundrels:
Black Jack
White Knight
Behind the Scenes
Under the Lights
Over the Threshold
Foreign Affairs:
Princess
Cowboy
Master
Hands
Foreign Affairs Boxed Set