“Our kids?” I sat up straight. “Whoa, buddy. Slow down.”
“Did I say that?” He grimaced, his cheeks turning pink. “I meant to say your kids. Future kids. If you have them.”
“Now who is the adorable one?” I teased, patting his knee. “We would have cute kids.”
He gave me a relieved look. “Yes, we would.”
“Didn’t you say you had good news for me?” I said, changing the subject.
“Good news?” Trisha asked as she came into the room. “Are you volunteering to answer my daughters’ questions about why Aunt Brook is having a boy sleep over?”
“They already got to you?” I asked guiltily. “I was going to tell you what happened.”
“They didn’t see anything salacious,” Wyatt promised.
Trisha waved a dismissive hand. “Eh, whatever. They see worse things than that on cable. What’s the good news? Am I allowed to hear?”
“Sure.” Wyatt pulled out his phone. “I talked to my agent this morning and the song we performed last night is blowing up on the internet. Some people posted recordings of it and it’s already been viewed like, a million times or something.”
He tapped something on his phone and then handed it to me. Trisha leaned close to watch over my shoulder as the video played. I cringed at first, wishing that I hadn’t gone quite so casual with my look at the concert. I looked like a wallflower next to Wyatt and his easy good-looks. Wyatt reached over and turned up the sound.
“You sound amazing, love. No one would ever know that you haven’t performed in ten years.” Wyatt was busy looking at me and he didn’t notice the small gasp that Trisha made when he called me love. “My agent wants us to record the song and release it as a single. He thinks it could be huge. If it takes off, you could come on the road and perform it with me.”
“Record it?” I looked at Wyatt. “I’m not a singer.”
“I think that video proves otherwise.” He took the phone back and turned it off. “Just think about it. If you really don’t want to do it, I’ll tell him no. But if the only reason you don’t want to do it is because you think you aren’t a singer, you’d be making a huge mistake.” Wyatt squeezed my shoulder as he stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get started on the pancakes. Where are my helpers?”
“It’s just Jax today,” Trisha said. “The younger girls are at a sleepover and I don’t think any of the teens are going to be useful unless you perform better with teenage girls gawking at you.”
Jaxson ran into the room and went straight to Wyatt who had already found the supplies needed to make pancakes. “I’m here to help,” he said.
“Thank goodness. I couldn’t do this without you.” Wyatt picked him up and put him on a chair so he could help stir the ingredients together.
“He’s good,” Trisha whispered with a smile. “Are your ovaries hurting right now?”
“Ugh.” I groaned and admitted, “A little.”
“You should record the song,” Trisha said. “If he asks you to go on the road with him, do it. Stop denying yourself a chance at happiness just because you’re scared.”
“Okay, Mom,” I said with an eye roll.
Trisha gasped. “Oh my god. Now I know where the twins learned that!”
When Brian entered the room, he wasn’t surprised to see Wyatt. He said good morning to us and then turned to his wife. “Time to go. Can we trust these two not to have sex in front of the kids right here in the kitchen?”
“Oh geez.” I groaned and went to the coffee maker for a refill.
“Wyatt seems trustworthy, Brook less so.” Trisha smirked at me as Brian and Wyatt both laughed.
“Jax and I will keep her in check,” Wyatt said smugly.
I glared at him over my coffee. Brian and Trisha left and a moment later, the gaggle of teens was back. This time, they were being shy and quiet.
“Ladies, I’m glad you are here.” Wyatt came over and plucked my coffee from my hands. “Thanks, love. Can you take over in here for a sec?”
I heard the girls swooning when he called me love. “Sure, I can take over the job that I’ve been doing every Sunday for the last two years.”
“You’re the best,” he said, pretending not to notice the sarcasm. As I poured pancake batter onto the griddle, Wyatt joined the girls at the table. “I need your honest opinion, okay?” The girls all nodded as they stared at him adoringly. “What did you think of the show last night?”
Suddenly, six girls were all talking at the same time. I saw Wyatt wince and then he held up his hand. “How about we go around the table and take turns? You, go first.”
Each girl took about an hour to lavish praise on Wyatt. They loved the show, they loved his songs, they loved the band, they loved his clothes…I had thought that I was obsessed with Wyatt, but even I was gagging by the time it was Kelsey’s turn.
“I thought the concert was great, but my favorite part was when you pulled Aunt Brooke on stage and sang that song with her. I’d never heard that song before. When did you write it?”
“I didn’t write it,” Wyatt said, glancing at me. “Your aunt wrote it a long time ago.”
“She did?” Kelsey stared at me. “That was an awesome song, Aunt Brook. I posted the recording on my socials and my friend are all freaking out about it.”
“I didn’t write the whole song,” I said. “Wyatt and I both wrote it.”
Wyatt frowned. “You know, girls, my agent thinks that song could be a hit. He wants me to record it with your aunt and release it as a single. Your aunt is not sure if she wants to do that.”
“You have to do that!” Arya smacked her hand on the table. “Aunt Brook, you could be famous!”
“I’m already your aunt. Nothing could be better than that.” I kept my focus on the griddle, ignoring the stares of the six girls. Jaxson was spinning in circles around me for no apparent reason and was quickly becoming my favorite of Trisha’s kids.
“You are so lame,” Kelsey declared. “Being famous is way better than being our aunt. Besides, if you were famous then we would have the coolest aunt and you’d be rich and you could buy us all kinds of cool stuff.”
“I pity your future husband, Kels,” I said. “There’s more to life than fame and fortune.”
Wyatt was unsuccessful at hiding his smile. “I think she made some excellent points, Brooklyn.”
“Plus, you always say you want to travel,” Arya added. “If the song is a hit, you could travel all over performing it.”
“Again, an excellent point.” Wyatt smiled at Arya and she flushed bright red. “These young ladies are very astute. You really should listen to them.”
I took the platter of pancakes to the table, ignoring Wyatt. “Jax, honey, what kind of pancakes do you want?”
“Um, all of them?” he said, eyes wide.
I got his plate ready for him as Wyatt continued to stare at me. When I wouldn’t look at him, he slid away from the table and went to the coffee maker. “Sweetheart, could you come help me for a second?” he said.
Again, the girls all gasped in delight at the term of endearment. I didn’t bother holding back my groan as I joined him. “What do you want, sweetheart?” I put extra sass on the last word and he winked at me.
“I’ve got to go do an interview in a bit. I should’ve mentioned it earlier.” He looked a little nervous.
“That’s okay. Do whatever you have to do.”
“Can I see you tonight?” he asked hopefully.
I hesitated. “We can’t stay here again,” I said.
“I figured you’d say that.” He smiled faintly. “I’ll get us a room somewhere.”
“Or there’s always your backseat…” I quickly checked to make sure the girls couldn’t hear us. They were all staring, but their blank expressions confirmed that we weren’t being overheard.
“Aunt Brook! Are you bringing Wyatt to Family Fun Night?” Kelsey yelled.
“Oh crap.” I groaned. “I completely forgot ab
out that.”
“Family Fun Night?” Wyatt raised an eyebrow. “Why do I get the feeling that is an ironic title?”
I giggled. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Once a month we take all the kids somewhere fun. Tonight is bowling. You are welcome to crash, but I definitely won’t blame you if you’d rather do anything else.”
“Bowling?” Wyatt’s crooked smile returned. “What time does Family Fun Night end?”
“The kids are in bed by 8:00,” I said. “Plenty of time for Sexy Fun Night afterward.”
“What a relief.” Wyatt brushed my hair over my shoulder. “As long as I’m spending time with you, I don’t care what we do. What time do I need to be here for the family fun?”
“5:00.” I kissed him even though the girls were watching. “I like you, Wyatt Hudson.”
Wyatt stroked my cheek a few times with his thumb and kissed me. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
He turned to the girls. “Ladies, it was nice meeting all of you. Thanks for being such great fans. Kelsey, Arya, I’ll see you tonight for some bowling action.”
Wyatt shot me one last killer smile before leaving the room and the teenagers were no longer the only ones swooning. The girls immediately launched into another interrogation and I was glad when Trisha and Brian came home early. I went back to the carriage house and collapsed on my bed. The sheets still smelled like Wyatt’s cologne and I inhaled deeply. The deep breathing was effective because I fell asleep immediately.
CHAPTER NINE
I slept deeply and didn’t wake for several hours. When I finally did wake, I nearly fell out of bed. I wasn’t alone. Wyatt was passed out next to me.
“Holy shit,” I muttered, struggling to catch my breath.
“What’s wrong?” he mumbled.
“How the hell did you get in here?” I demanded.
He peeled open one eye. “Your door was unlocked. You really should be more careful. Some weirdo could sneak in while you are sleeping.”
“I see that,” I snapped. “Did you come here to take a nap?”
“No.” He yawned and opened both eyes. “I came to ravish my girlfriend, but she was asleep. If you can’t bang ‘em, join ‘em.”
“A midday shag?” I smiled at the thought. “Why didn’t you just wake me up?”
Wyatt shrugged. “You were sleeping peacefully. Didn’t seem right to wake you up just because I was horny.”
“There are a lot worse reasons to wake me up,” I said. “But I appreciate your restraint.”
“We’re both awake now,” Wyatt said.
“I told you, not here.” I fixed him with a level stare.
He sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I heard you. At least get over here and spoon me.” I didn’t move. “What? Am I not even allowed to cuddle with you?”
“You called me your girlfriend,” I said. “You like me.”
“Not right now I don’t.” Wyatt rolled onto his side, turning his back on me. “Could you keep it down? I’m trying to get some sleep since someone kept me up all night. Literally.”
“Was it your girlfriend?” I teased.
“Was is the operative word.”
I scooted over on the bed and curled my body around his. I pressed my lips to the curve of his neck. “I’m glad you’re here,” I said.
“Sounds like you’re the one who likes me,” he replied, snaking an arm backward and running his hand over the back of my thigh. “Did you give anymore thought to my proposition?”
“About ravishing me?”
“No, silly. About the song.” He caught my hand and brought it to his lips.
I sighed, keeping my lips against his neck. “If you want me to do it, I will.”
“This isn’t about what I want, love. What do you want?” Wyatt turned onto his back.
“I just want to be with you,” I said honestly.
He smiled and touched my cheek. “I’m glad you feel that way. I have another proposition for you.”
“Should I be nervous?”
“No, but I’m a little nervous.” Wyatt sat up and a ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sure you know I was only planning to be back in Starlight for a little while. I’ve got to head back out on tour soon.”
“How soon?” I had known that he would be leaving, but I’d been trying to ignore that fact. It was too depressing.
“Two days.” He frowned when he saw my reaction. “I know. It’s too soon.”
“It’s not ideal,” I agreed. “It’s your life, though. I didn’t expect you to give that up just to be with me.”
He looked into my eyes. “I would. I’d give it all up if you asked me to.”
“I would never do that.”
“I know.” Wyatt took a deep breath. “That’s why it’s so hard for me to ask you what I’m about to ask you.”
“Wyatt, you’re freaking me out. Just ask.” I put a hand on his arm.
“Come on tour with me,” he said with a sudden urgency. “Throw some things in a bag and come with me. I can show you the world, Brooklyn. We can be together.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. Of all the things I’d thought he might say, I had not expected this. “I can’t just leave Starlight,” I said, sitting up. “What about the café? What about my family?”
“What about me?” he said quietly. “What about us?”
“That’s not fair,” I said. “You’re the one leaving.”
“I’m not leaving,” he said firmly. “I’m just doing my job.”
I took a deep breath. I didn’t even know why I was so upset. I’d been planning to leave Starlight ever since I’d moved back. I’d never planned to stay and leaving with Wyatt actually sounded like an adventure I would enjoy. As I thought about what was causing my reaction, I realized it had very little to do with him and everything to do with me.
“I don’t want to lose myself chasing you,” I said softly.
He turned to look at me. “Did you stop to think that maybe you’ll find yourself?”
“No.” I smiled faintly. “Are you saying I’m lost?”
“You don’t want to be here, Brooklyn. Even the kids know it. You want to see the world and I’m offering you that chance, but now you’re refusing to go.” He put his hand on my leg. “How am I not supposed to take that personally?”
“Because you know that I love you,” I said. “I’m not saying no, Wy. I just need some time to think about it. I do have responsibilities that I can’t just walk away from.”
“I know.” He gave me a tight smile. “Take whatever time you need. It’s an open invitation.”
“Thank you for understanding, sweetheart.” I said with extra emphasis.
Wyatt was done being understanding. He moved quickly, pinning me to the mattress while digging his fingers into my side. I squirmed and gasped. “Do you want me to say yes or not?”
“Do you know how many girls would kill to be pinned down by Ryder Strong?” he teased, continuing to tickle me.
“That’s only because they don’t know Wyatt Hudson.” I freed one arm and caught his hand in mine. “He’s way sexier than Ryder Strong and I’d let him pin me down anytime.”
“Oh yeah?” Wyatt’s smile was pure sex. He easily broke my grip on his hand and moved it back to my side, this time sliding it under my shirt. “So you’re saying that if I do this, you aren’t going to stop me?”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” I said honestly. I used my free hand to pull his head down, kissing him with a swell of desire. Wyatt matched my intensity and I quickly forgot everything else except how much I wanted him.
“Wait,” he said as I was unbuttoning his pants. “You don’t want to do this here,” he reminded me.
“Why do you have to listen to me and respect my weird rules?” I said with a groan.
Wyatt chuckled as he kissed my neck. “I thought respecting women was supposed to be a good thing.”
“I thought it was impossible for a man to be as perfect as you,” I said, digging my fingers i
nto his back as he continued to kiss his way down my neck.
“I’m not perfect, love.” He lifted his head. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Oh boy. Not something a girl wants to hear from the guy in her bed.” I ran my fingers slowly through his hair. “What is it? You look so serious.”
“Do you remember the fight we had in New York?” he asked.
I grimaced. “Of course. I wish I could erase it from both of our memories.”
“I did for a long time. I told myself that you were just upset that I was leaving and I blocked out the rest of it.” Wyatt twirled a strand of my hair between his fingers, concentrating on it rather than looking me in the eye. “Then, a couple years ago, I hit rock bottom. I was drinking all the time and experimenting with drugs. I partied all night and wouldn’t sleep for days. Then, when I finally did sleep, I’d stay in bed for a week. I was a mess and I was on the verge of throwing away my career.”
I stayed quiet, not wanting to do anything that might deter him from continuing. I could tell that Wyatt was struggling to admit this to me, but I was sure that he needed to get it off his chest.
“I went on a binge and overdosed. I ended up in the hospital.” Wyatt continued twirling my hair, but he looked at me. “When I was recovering, I had a lot of time to think about what you said to me during that fight and I realized you were right. I had a problem.”
He took a deep breath, his chest heaving from the effort. “I checked myself into rehab after that. I didn’t want to be the guy that you thought I was. I wanted to be the guy that you would want to be with.”
“Wy.” I put my hand to his cheek. “I never really meant those things I said to you. What happened to Ryder wasn’t your fault and you are nothing like your father.”
“Maybe I wasn’t when you said that to me, but I wasn’t far from it when I checked myself into rehab.” He finally dropped my hair. “I took some time off from work after that and focused on my recovery. I was doing really good until about six months ago.”
I was about to ask what happened six months ago, but then it hit me. “The ten-year anniversary,” I said softly.
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