Series Starter : Firsts in Series Collection

by Kaylee Ryan

  I turn to face him. He must see the question in my eyes.

  “I needed some air. I was standing off to the side of the building when those photographers started hassling you. You put my daughter and my family first. I wasn’t sure you would. I’ve seen way too many who are in your position who thrive on being the center of chaos and attention. You claimed our family as your own and you protected my daughter.”

  “Logan comes first with me, always. I would give it all up tomorrow if it meant that I got to live the rest of my life with her. I love music, writing is my passion, and God graced me with a set of lungs that don’t sound half bad. The band, we’ve all been best friends our entire lives.” I stop there, and then decide I might as well throw it all out there. “I love your daughter, sir. I know you don’t know me, but I will prove to you that she’s my world. I would like to ask her to marry me someday. I hope I will have your permission when I do so.”

  “Do you need it?” he asks.

  “No. I don’t need it. I do, however, want it. I’m going to ask her regardless, but it would mean a lot to me, and to her, to know we have your blessing.”

  “Good answer.” He smirks. “I had this same conversation with my father-in-law, and it was very similar. He asked me the same thing and I pretty much gave him the same answer you just gave me. If Logan chooses you to spend her life with, you have my blessing.”

  Relief washes through me. I meant what I said; I don’t need his permission, but I really wanted it for me, and for her. “Thank you, sir. I’ll cherish her always.”

  “A little soft for a rocker, don’t you think?” He laughs.

  “Not when it comes to Logan. I handed her my balls months ago,” I fire back.

  He smacks me on the shoulder. “Good man. Keep my baby girl happy.”

  “There you are. What are you two doing out here?” Logan asks, stepping out onto the porch.

  “Just getting some air, sounds like things are settling down in there,” her dad says.

  “Yes, everyone’s gone. Jase just left to take Gran home.” She looks at me. “You ready to head out? I’m exhausted.”

  “Anytime you are, babe,” I reply.

  Logan smiles and holds her hand out for me. I take it and allow her to pull me from the swing and tug her into my arms. “I love you,” I whisper into her neck.

  She giggles, so I pull back to see what she’s laughing at. Her father is standing behind us shaking his head. “You’re a goner, son,” he chides.

  “And damn proud of it.” I laugh and we follow him back into the house.

  Chapter 46

  Logan

  We’ve been back in Tennessee for a week, and I just got the call that my apartment is ready. I’ve been dreading this. Kacen hasn’t mentioned it, but he’s made it a point to tell me that I belong in his bed. That’s where I’ve been every night since we’ve been back.

  “Hey, babe.” Kacen walks into my office.

  “Hey, you guys taking a break?” The guys have been starting earlier and quitting at a decent time. Kacen says he has better places to be. Of course, he means wrapped around me in his bed. I’ve apologized to the guys, but they’ve all agreed that it’s a good trade. They get to feel like they’re an actual member of society being on the same schedule as the majority of the world. Stacy has been spending a lot of time here, and Cole tends to hang close by when that happens.

  Tristan has had his nose buried in his cell phone. He admits that he’s talking to a girl, but he’s tight-lipped about the rest. I need to wait until he’s not looking and steal his phone. Gavin has been spending a lot of time at the label. He’s being a liaison for the band as they start to plan for the next tour. This is usually Kacen’s job, but he gladly turned over the reins for this one.

  “Yeah, Gavin had a meeting at the label, and Tristan and Cole were just as eager.”

  “Hmmm, something’s brewing with the guys.”

  “Possibly. How’s your day?” he asks. Obviously, he is not as interested in the drama of his best friends’ lives as I am.

  “Good.” I hesitate. “I just got a call from the management company about my apartment.”

  “Oh, yeah? What did they have to say?”

  “It’s ready. We can move back anytime we want.”

  “I see. What’s Stacy think?”

  “She’s actually considering moving back in with her parents. She’s not loving this new job, and if she quits, it will be hard to make ends meet until she finds a new position.”

  “Good. Call them and tell them you’ll have your place cleaned out by the end of the week.”

  My mouth drops open. “And where am I going to live?”

  He stands from his seat across from me and places his hands on my desk. Leaning over, he captures my gaze with those ocean blue eyes. “With me, in our bed, in our room, in our house.”

  I start to speak, but he raises a hand to stop me. “This place isn’t just mine anymore, Logan. There is not a room in this house that doesn’t hold a memory of you over the past several months. I want you here. You belong here, with me.”

  “It’s soon,” I say half-heartedly. I say it because it feels like I’m supposed to, but it doesn’t feel soon. It feels like I’ve loved him forever.

  “No it’s not. It’s forever! I finally have you, and I’m never letting you go.” His voice is soft as he leans in, his lips hovering over mine. “Say yes,” he breathes against my lips.

  Following my heart, I say, “Yes.” His lips connect with mine in a slow sensual tangle of our tongues.

  “Call them back. I’ll call the moving company.” He gives me another chaste kiss before turning and walking out the door.

  He’s cocky and confident and sexy as hell. I can’t wait to take this next step with him.

  I call Stacy and she’s relieved. She didn’t want to leave me with the rent. I tell her Kacen is scheduling a moving company and I’ll have her stuff delivered to her parents’ house. My next call is to the management company. They agree to let us out of our lease without keeping our deposit due to the inconvenience of being misplaced for so many weeks.

  I spend the next couple of hours answering social media messages for the band. I confirm a photo shoot with Cassidy. The label is updating their website and wants new photos of all of their clients.

  My stomach grumbles and I realize I’ve not eaten yet today. I log out of my computer and make my way into the kitchen. The guys are all there eating sandwiches. Kacen smiles and hands me a plate. “I was just coming to see you.”

  “Sure you were,” I tease him.

  “You wound me,” he says, placing his hand over his heart, laughing.

  I take a seat at the table and the five of us enjoy our lunch. “So what do you guys have going on this weekend?” I ask.

  “Cole claims to have a date, as does Gavin. Tristan says he plans on staying in, that a quiet night sounds perfect. I’m sure it has something to do with whomever he’s been texting lately.”

  “Dates? Dish it, boys. I need to meet these women, make sure they’re worthy.”

  The four of them erupt in laughter. “Not happening. Not yet anyway,” Gavin replies.

  “I’m out,” Cole adds.

  “Pfft, you all are no fun. I will find out, just you wait,” I warn them.

  “What about you?” I ask Kacen.

  “You mean, what about us? I thought we could get you unpacked. Get everything moved into our room,” he says, smiling.

  “Our room,” I repeat.

  “Yeah. I thought we could just enjoy the house to ourselves for your first official weekend of living here permanently.”

  His statement is unmistakable. He wants this, with me.

  “Sounds perfect,” I say. Nothing has sounded better, other than the words “I love you” falling from his lips, in a long time.

  My cell rings interrupting us. I pull it out of my pocket and without looking at the screen, I answer. “Hello.”

  “Logan, please don
’t hang up,” Daniel says. I remain quiet on the other end of the line. “I’m sorry. I was hoping that we could meet for coffee so we could talk. I know you’re not coming back to me, but I just . . . please.”

  I think about the time I spent with Daniel and how it ended. He’s going to keep calling until I give him this. Give him the closure that he obviously needs.

  “Yeah, I can do that. When?” I ask. I feel Kacen stiffen beside me. He can hear our conversation. I need to do this.

  “How about Starbucks, say in an hour?” he asks. I agree to meet him there and hang up the phone.

  “You don’t owe him anything, Logan,” Kacen says.

  “I know that. He needs closure, and in a way, I do too. He hurt me, used me and I would like to hear his reasoning. I wasn’t ready to hear it before, now I am. I have you and I’m moving on. Trust me,” I say as I kiss his lips.

  “I trust you. It’s the ex-douche who I don’t trust.”

  “I’m going to meet him for coffee and be back before you know it. Then we can spend the rest of the day in your bed, if that’s what you want,” I say, trying to lift his spirits.

  “Our bed,” he whispers the words against my lips. “Can I go with you?”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. He’s not going to hurt me, Kacen.”

  “I know, but I don’t want him to think that he can get you back. We’re us, remember?” I hear the concern in his voice.

  “I’ll never forget. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  [ Image: image2.jpeg ]

  Walking into Starbucks, I spot Daniel right away. He’s sitting at a booth in the back corner. I make my way to him, he sees me and stands up. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” He looks over my shoulder as he is expecting Kacen to be there.

  “It’s just me,” I tell him. I can visibly see him relax.

  “I ordered for you,” he says, pointing to a cup sitting in front of me as I take a seat.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Listen, Logan. I’m going to cut right to the chase. I know he’s waiting for you. I’m sorry. Looking back, I can see how I treated you. I now understand that I was looking for something that I already had. I’ve always been that way, looking for the next best thing. All too late I realized that I had the best all along. I’m sorry I hurt you. I never meant for it to turn out that way. I really did love you. I still do.”

  “Daniel—” I say his name but he cuts me off.

  “I know that you’re with him. I’ve seen the tabloids and read the interviews of how he says you’re it for him. I can see it when he looks at you and you him. It’s just hard to see.” He’s quiet for a few minutes. “You never looked at me like that. I didn’t want to accept that you had really moved on until I saw the pictures. I’m happy for you, Logan.”

  “You’ll find her one day and when you do, make sure you treat her right.” What else can I say? Daniel is my past and Kacen is my present, my future. He’s everything.

  We say our goodbyes and I head back to see my man. He’ll be happy to see that I’m going to be home sooner than I predicted.

  Chapter 47

  Kacen

  Friday night, Logan and I watched a movie cuddled in our bed. Yesterday, the movers showed up early and we unpacked all of her things. We also moved everything of hers from the spare bedroom to ours.

  Ours.

  There was a time I thought I would never say that. That I would never find a girl who wanted me for who I am and not the fame and fortune that comes with my career. Then Logan Paige came crashing into my life like the waves of the Hawaii shoreline. She turned my world upside down, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Today is Sunday and we’re just lying around the house. Logan had a few decorations in her apartment that she loved, so we’ve spent the morning hanging a few pictures and placing her family photographs throughout the house. I want her stuff mingled with mine. I want this to be home to her and for her to feel like it is.

  I’ve just finished hanging a painting in her office when the doorbell rings. There are only a few people who have the code to get past the gate. “I’ll get it,” Logan yells from the kitchen. I assume it’s one of the guys not wanting to catch us in a compromising position. I pulled them aside and let them know this is Logan’s home now too and they need to make sure they are respectful of her privacy. They called me a jackass and said they would never disrespect her. I know that, but still, it’s my job to look out for my girl. They called me a few other choice names that referred to me being whipped, and I smiled and agreed with them. Just wait. They’ll have their turn, and I will remember this.

  I’m just walking into the foyer when Logan pulls the door open.

  “Hello dear, you must be Logan. I’m Jill, Kacen’s mom, and this is his father, Mark. Is he here?” she asks.

  “Mom, Dad, I didn’t know you were stopping by,” I say as I step behind Logan and wrap my arm around her waist. “I see you met my girl.” I kiss Logan on the temple.

  “Not officially.” Mom beams at me.

  “Come in, and we can make it official.”

  I step back, bringing Logan with me as my parents enter our home. “Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Logan. Logan, meet my parents, Jill and Mark.”

  Mom pulls her into a hug, “I’ve heard so much about you.” Dad then pulls her from Mom’s arms. “It’s good to finally see my boy happy,” he tells her.

  As we make our way to the living room, I ask, “So what brings you by?”

  “Well, I was talking to Lee and she said Gavin was home this weekend, and we figured since you boys were taking a break, we would drop in and say hello. I hope we aren’t interrupting anything,” Mom says as an afterthought.

  “Not at all. We’ve spent the weekend getting Logan unpacked.”

  “Oh, she said yes.” Mom’s smile lights up her face.

  “How’d you talk her into it, son?” Dad chuckles.

  “Easy, she loves me.”

  Logan and my parents laugh at my response. We throw some burgers on the grill for lunch and spend the afternoon together. Logan and my mom hit it off and Dad has given me the look of approval several times this afternoon. I knew they would love her and told them as much. I talk to my parents at least once a week, if not more. I have a feeling Mom got the inside scoop that Logan agreed to move in and couldn’t take the suspense of not having met her yet.

  It’s not that I didn’t want them to meet, I did. However, I spent my time getting the girl. I had planned on setting something up this week, dinner or something. They just beat me to it.

  Mom tells us men to find something else to do while she and Logan chat. I can tell by the smile on her face that Logan is good with this. I ask her anyway, because that’s my job. “You good, babe?”

  “Yes, your parents are great,” she replies.

  I kiss her soft lips before Mom’s slaps me on the back, shooing me out of the room.

  Dad and I head to the rec room in the basement. I grab us both a beer as we take a seat on the couch. “You did good, son.” He taps his bottle to mine.

  “I think so. She’s real. She calls me on my shit, and she couldn’t care less how much money I have in the bank.”

  “So what’s the next step? I know you.” He laughs.

  “Well, I actually called her dad today for a suggestion for a real estate agent in Ohio. I want to buy a house there so she knows she can go and spend time with her family any time she wants. I want to buy it, then fly her there and ask her to marry me. I want her family close, because I know she’ll want to share it with them. I was hoping you and Mom would fly out too. You could stay in the new house with us, or I’ll get you a room. It would be nice for you to meet my future in-laws.”

  “Whatever you need, son, you know that. I’m damn proud of you. Never have you let the fame or the money change you. You’ve stayed true to yourself. I wish you as much happiness in your marriage as I have in mine.”

  I choke up at
his words. It means a lot to me to hear him say he’s proud and that I’ve stayed on the straight and narrow regardless of the temptations my career provides. And as far as his marriage, my father taught me how to treat a woman. I watched him with my mother. He never left the house without kissing her goodbye and saying I love you. He came home the same way. I want that with Logan. I want it all with her.

  We finish our beers and then head back up to the women who hold our hearts. I’m a sappy love drunk fool when it comes to her.

  She’s it.

  Chapter 48

  Logan

  My mom called, inviting all of us for the weekend. When I say all of us, I mean all six of us. She also said that if the guys had anyone special in their lives, they could come too. I’m still working on figuring out that mystery.

  Apparently, my little brother will be home from college this weekend. The football team has a bye and she misses us. It’s not unusual for Mom to call and say she misses me, but to invite us all back to Ohio seems a little odd. I chalk it up to the fact that Jase and I are both moving forward with our lives. He moved away to college, and I’m back home in Tennessee, home with Kacen.

  I tell Kacen and the guys about her offer and they immediately accept, saying it will be good to get away for the weekend. I call Stacy and she’s eager to go as well.

  Kacen decides it’s best to rent a Suburban to drive up, enjoy the fall scenery. I don’t argue, because everyone seems to think it’s the best idea since sliced bread. Not sure what’s going on with all of them, but I’m determined to find out. I offered that the guys could bring a friend. Gavin said his girl had to work, and Tristan just grinned, saying he was good. Cole smirked and said his girl had plans.

  I’m not going to give up so easily.

  The drive to Ohio is entertaining. The guys riddle Stacy and me with stories of growing up together and being on the road. They even break out in song when theirs comes on the radio, saying they sound better live.