Lakeshore Lyrics: The McAdams Sisters (By The Lake Series Book 5)

by Leah, Shannyn

  “Yes.”

  “Avery, I hate to be the one to ask, but I feel like everyone is thinking it. What about Ems?” Kate asked.

  Abby stretched her arms across the table, leaning to look at Avery. The humor in her face was gone and instead was her concern, equal with his other sisters.

  “We are friends.” Abby’s eyebrows went up in the air in question. “We are working at being friends,” he corrected. “I didn’t love her. At the time, I thought I did, but it wasn’t love. What I feel with Cece, there’s no mistaking that’s love.”

  Always on the mother card, Kate asked, “And Drew?”

  Avery grinned. “I punched him in the gut and he punched me in the jaw.” Abby grabbed his chin, pulling it one way to check his skin, than the other. Avery took her hand away. “I’m fine. Then we talked and we are working on being friends too.” Avery went around the table, looking at each sister as he spoke. “I am good. The band is getting along again and I’ve found that one special person that I can’t live without.” Sets of glazed, happy eyes watched him. “Plus...I’m at the AHJ.” All his favorite fans cracked smiles and just in time because the band arrived with rounds of hellos joining them at the table. Shortly after, Cece and Riley sat down too.

  Abby scooted over and Cece slid in beside Avery. “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey.” Avery wanted to kiss her, but with Riley sitting down beside her, watching them warily and his family watching them expectantly, a kiss might commence a raging war.

  The table conversation lightened, but the noise increased with laughter. As they finished eating and were standing, Cece whispered, “Abby told your sisters, didn’t she?”

  His siblings had been overly nice and curious toward Cece, but in a subtle manner Avery appreciated. “Yes,” he admitted. Avery snatched Cece’s hand to keep her from following everyone else heading to the recycling tent. When they had some privacy, Avery said, “My sisters like you.”

  “My brother doesn’t like you.”

  Avery took a deep breath. “This is hard. I want to pull you into my arms and kiss you, but everyone’s watching.”

  Cece touched his stomach, resting both hands against it and smiled at him. “What’s stopping you? I thought you said we were holding a united front.”

  Avery wrapped his hands around Cece. “Riley doesn’t dislike me. He’s worried about you. He’s your brother and I can tell he’s no happier about us then before you two left.”

  “We didn’t talk about it. He was all shop talk,” she admitted. “He has that new hard jaw set look on his face, so I didn’t want to push him.” Avery knew the one.

  “Exactly. I don’t want to push him either. Not now in front of my family. He needs time to adjust to us.”

  Her eyes lightened. “Now I want to reach up and kiss you for being so thoughtful.”

  “That’s the only reason?”

  She laughed and he loved the sound. “No, and if I wasn’t your manager I would sneak you away from your merch duties today...”

  That sounded like a wickedly perfect and naughty plan to Avery. “Do it,” he teased, but he was only half joking. She would have no protest from him if she chose to drag him away from the merchandise tent.

  Cece laughed again.

  “I’m coming to the merch tent,” Abby called over Avery’s shoulder. Avery loved his sister, but her timing today was horrible.

  Cece patted his stomach before taking her hands away. “No sneaking today,” she said and walked around him to loop her arm around Abby’s and direct everyone to the merchandise tent.

  Avery followed behind, Riley on one side of him, his family like his groupies following behind.

  Cece was right. With all these people present there would be no sneaking today.

  ***

  CECE STOPPED BY the merchandise tent an hour before the band was scheduled to go on stage and confirm the band had left to get ready. She found the band gone and Abby around a group of fans pumping them full of Inch Away merchandise. Their hands spilled with shirts, hats, cell cases, and the eager fans looked thrilled to be purchasing.

  When Abby spotted Cece, she waved and excused herself from the group, leaving them to pay with a crew member.

  “Hey!” she called, stopping behind the display tables and grabbing a t-shirt before joining Cece. A hug followed and again Cece squeezed back more than usual, not bothered by the affection. She had changed so much, it was amazing. It felt wonderful to not shy away from people, show more warmth and friendliness to those around Cece and it was all because of Avery. Because he had opened her eyes back to life, instead of staying shut down from it.

  Cece couldn’t be more thankful that Abby was supporting her relationship with Avery. If Riley paused from his stubborn thoughts for one moment, he would realize that if there was anyone to be concerned about here, it was Avery. He was a good guy. Cece on the other hand, had a bit of Riley’s stubborn attitude.

  “Apparently, I should have hired you to sell Inch Away gear,” Cece said.

  “I don’t take no for an answer,” Abby explained. She turned and yelled to the group, “You gals got your bags, right?” The girls in the group all held up their black canvas totes with the Inch Away logo on it. “Awesome!” Abby turned back to Cece with a wink.

  “I have noticed.”

  “I made this for you.” Abby held up one of the bands t-shirts that Abby had taken a pair of scissors to. The sleeves were missing, turning the t-shirt into a tank top and the bottom was fringed. It looked similar to the ones Abby wore often.

  Cece took the shirt and held it up against her body. “When did you have time?”

  Abby shrugged. “I’m a multi-tasker.”

  Cece caught Avery’s scent, but he wasn’t around. She smelled the shirt then looked up at Abby. “This smells like Avery.” It smelled delicious and sent naughty thrilling desires through her body.

  Abby grinned mischievously. “That’s because it is Avery’s shirt.”

  Cece’s mouth fell open. “You cut up Avery’s shirt?” she asked, shocked.

  Abby shrugged innocently. “It was for a good cause.” There were hundreds of shirts on the tables just behind Abby and she cut up one of Avery’s? As if reading her mind, Abby said, “You will thank me when he’s on stage and all you have to do is smell that shirt and it will be like he’s standing right beside you.”

  That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for Cece. Cece pulled Abby into another long hug. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Thank you for everything Abby, really.” Cece pulled away, but didn’t let go of her arm. Abby had the same dark, brown eyes as her brother and they lit up just like his often did. “Your brother is the most amazing man I have ever met. He treats me so good. In the short time that we have spent together, we’ve been through so much and talked. He is there for me like no one else has ever been. He has changed me, like you and Riley changed each other.” She braved the next words. “I love him. I know that I haven’t been your favorite fan, and that makes your support mean even more to me.” Especially with Riley acting like an ass.

  “Riley will come around,” Abby said.

  Had Cece said it out loud or was it that obvious written across her face.

  “I hope so. I have to go.”

  Another hug and Cece left, wondering if Riley really would come around. She hoped he could see that for the first time in years Cece felt like herself again, that she was happy. She wasn’t hiding behind her fears, or the sadness that had once consumed her. She was standing up for what she wanted and who she wanted and he was worth it. Avery found the light in Cece that she’d long distinguished and he’d lit it scorching high. He was the source of her light and she didn’t want to spend another day without Avery in it. But, what would she do if Riley didn’t come around? She finally just got him back again and didn’t want to lose him. One day at a time, one hour at a time...but now she had a band to prep for stage.

  Chapter Twenty-T
hree

  THE FANS ROARED from the crowd, anxiously waiting for Inch Away to step onto the stage and give them a show. And the show of their lives was exactly what Avery planned on doing.

  The ground beneath Avery vibrated and the air around him was exhilarating. They stood in the tent beside the stage, getting ready to step onto the platform and deliver their talent. Avery stared across the platform of lights, equipment, and it was like the path to his future...part of his future. The rest remained with Cece.

  Avery could hear Ems, Drew and Sean pumped behind him and Cece barking off orders in every direction like the amazing manager she was. She left no concern in his head about the setup, the stage, the props...nothing. He only had to concentrate on his performance. And he wasn’t worried. Inch Away practiced their whole career for this very moment and they were ready. After today their career would only skyrocket upwards. They had interviews lined up for late night shows next month where they would announce their tour in the New Year.

  Their cue to perform sounded and Cece was in front of Avery touching Ems hair and outfit, pulling Sean’s hat up at the front and fixing the collar of Drew’s shirt as each passed her. When it was Avery’s turn, her smile was personal, soft, tender and only for him.

  “You look amazing.” Her hands fixed his collar, slid down his front of his shirt and went around his waistband, like she was prepping and pampering him. Only Avery knew everything was perfectly intact. He’d just checked. She wanted to touch him. Avery smiled at the thought. He wanted to touch her too. Spending the day ‘off limits’ because of Riley had been torture.

  “You’re going to be amazing.” Her hands stopped at the guitar slung around his back. They were almost hugging. She pulled away and stepped back. The biggest, proudest smile crossed her face followed be a saucy, go.

  Avery smiled. He loved this woman. All of her from her saucy tongue to her sweet embrace...every last inch of her was perfect.

  Avery followed the band, but not before stopping and kissing the side of Cece’s cheek and whispering, “I will make up for this lack of kissing later. I promise. After the AHJ you won’t be able to keep my hands off you.” With that, he climbed the stage, only glancing back to send Cece a wink before all his attention was focused solely on the stage, his music, and his fans.

  The lights paved a path for them across the stage to their positions. The crowd went wild. Avery had played at a lot of venues, on a lot of stages, but nothing compared to the AHJ and the thousands of fans beyond his sight. It was euphoric.

  ***

  IN THE MIDDLE of Inch Away’s performance, Cece snuck away from the tent beside the stage, to stand with Riley and the entire McAdams clan. Typically, she resided in the tent, in case they required her, but today she wanted to watch Avery perform from the crowd.

  Standing in the middle of his fans, she basked as the woman Avery McAdams was in love with, the woman he loved...the woman who loved him. She watched him from a girlfriend’s perspective, taking in how handsome he looked, wearing a leather black fedora that glimmered when the light hit it just right, matching his vest. She silently envisioned his hard abs under the stark white button-up shirt he was wearing and bit her lower lip remembering how the black dress pants had hung low on his waist this morning. This man was gorgeous. This man was all hers. His voice touched her soul, her heart, the womanly part of her that wanted to scream, that’s my boyfriend to the crowd. However, the manager in her was still domineering some parts of her...thankfully. She bent her head down and inhaled the scent of Avery’s shirt under her jacket. Abby was right, the shirt made this evening perfect.

  Inch Away was fantastic. Ems and Sean stood on either side of Avery. Ems was killing it with the banjo and stomping her cowgirl boots when needed. Cece wasn’t sure why Sean was still single, after standing in the crowd and listening to the women going wild over his beard and tattoos, but Cece was busier noticing him stay right on beat. Drew inhabited the back on a raised platform with his keyboard, but made sure to add his humor to the microphone when they talked to the fans, pumping them full of energy. Their concert rocked the park. These fans would not leave without downloading Inch Away’s songs to their music list.

  Avery was fantastic.

  Cece wanted to scream, I love you. All day, she’d considered allowing the personal side of her to grab Avery’s vest and drag him away from his responsibilities to confess her love, but the moment wouldn’t have been right...not like when he’d told her.

  They were on their last song and Cece had to meet them at the tent. Avery would be pumped, all the band would. This was his special day, his special moment, and she didn’t want to take away from his success with her confession of love. She could wait until tonight when they were alone in his bunk. It couldn’t come soon enough.

  Cece glanced to her right, where the lineup of McAdams began with Haylee and ended with Avery’s dad, with all the rest in between yelling and out-cheering the wild fans around them.

  Cece felt a content smile taking over her lips. These people might be on the edge of obnoxious, but they were wonderful and loving just like Avery. They hadn’t looked down on her the way she’d expected, after Abby had made it common McAdams knowledge that she was dating their brother, because she was Avery’s manager...not the way Riley had. It was quite the opposite. They only had smiles and pleasantries for her. No judgement.

  Cece’s head turned to her left, where Riley and Abby stood. Abby was cheering and whistling at the band as they finished the show, thanking the crowd. Riley had the dead-set look on his face he’d been bearing all morning and Cece had the urge to slap it off him. Instead, she wasn’t going to let her brother ruin this wonderful day for her. Inch Away was awesome and Avery loved her.

  “I’m going back stage!” she yelled over the crowd.

  Abby acknowledged her by touching her shoulder, still jumping with her fingers in her mouth sending shrill whistles through the crowd.

  “Meet you guys at the tent party afterwards,” she told Abby and Riley, who was still giving her the cold shoulder.

  Cece hurried back through the crowd and into the tent, just as Inch Away came off the stage, roaring in excitement. Avery spotted her and the restraint he’d held earlier was gone. He wrapped both arms around her and spun her in a circle. He didn’t put her down before planting a long, hard kiss on her mouth. Cece didn’t shy away. She tightly hugged his neck and kissed him back.

  “That was awesome!” Sean roared when Avery finally put her down. Avery kept one hand around her waist, pulling her against his side, while the other did rounds of high fives with his band.

  “That was by far the best concert we have ever played,” Ems said.

  Drew agreed.

  Cece let them have their moment of excitement before she reminded them they had a tent party to attend. They all rushed back to the bus for showers.

  Avery pulled Cece to the front of the bus, shutting the door behind them. He grabbed the side of her face and kissed her long and hard, dipping his soft tongue inside her mouth until she was forced to pull away from a loss of breath.

  They both were breathing heavy. Avery rested his forehead on hers. “I missed you all day,” he said.

  “I missed you. You were amazing up there. You were incredible.”

  “I want you,” he said so bluntly she almost laughed. “I want to make love to you right here.”

  They couldn’t. They were in the front of the bus. Sure the curtains had been pulled across the windows and no one could see in, but...

  Avery was undoing Cece’s pants.

  “Avery...” Her protest was feeble, her desire for him outweighing it.

  His mouth captured hers at the same time he pushed her pants down. Cece wiggled the rest of the way out of her pants, kicking them off, while her fingers unbuckled Avery’s pants and he kicked his away. Avery lifted her in the air and set her derriere on top of the dashboard. He laid his heavy, hot kisses across her cheek, and down her neck, and then he stopped. His
head drew back with a curious look on his face. “Is that my t-shirt?” Abby. “Was that my t-shirt?”

  Cece couldn’t help it, she laughed.

  ***

  AN HOUR LATER, Cece sat with Avery’s family, while he was surrounded by fans. Cece wanted to stand by his side, but this was his moment to shine and she wasn’t taking that away from him.

  “Do you like the theater?” Kate asked Cece.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Have you been to the De’laine Theater?”

  Cece nodded. “Not for a few years. But it’s beautiful and their performances are amazing.”

  “Marc and I were thinking of coming to Oakston for a weekend. A little getaway.”

  Marc was sitting next to Kate with his arm draped around her shoulder. He kissed the side of her head. “Just the two of us,” he said.

  “We are going to see a show. Maybe you and Avery could join us. I would ask Abby, but last time we were there she didn’t behave so well.”

  “I’m right here,” Abby said.

  “I know. You’re just lucky the Braxtons don’t know what you did.”

  “You should consider yourself lucky you do know,” Abby said.

  Cece had no idea what they were talking about.

  Marc was shaking his head. “Don’t even ask,” he warned Cece. “Sometimes when they aren’t offering it’s best not to ask.”

  “Anyway,” Kate said. “I will text Avery with the details if you’re interested.”

  “Yes, that sounds like fun.”

  Cece turned back to Avery as Riley sat down beside her. Maybe we can have a nice conversation. Please.

  “Look,” Riley said, nudging her side and directing his head at the security gated entrance. “It’s Rusty.” As Riley said his name, Rusty came into view, passing straight through security and into Inch Away’s party.