“NEED SOME HELP?” Ashley mumbles, his voice gravely and husky as he crawls out of sleep.
I sit up, drawing in a deep breath as I check the time on my phone. I raise my eyebrows in surprise, noting that it’s three a.m. and I’ve just slept for six straight hours. A small smile curls my lips, and I run my fingers through my hair as I shake my head. “No, sweets. Stay in bed. You’ve got to be on the road in a few hours. I’ve got ‘em.”
I manage to get my sentence out before I’m overtaken by a yawn. I welcome the intake of air as I climb out of bed; it clears my head of the fog caused by a hard sleep while I shuffle my feet toward the nursery. A small amount of light illuminates the room as I flick the switch that turns on the lamp, on the corner of the babies’ dresser. With any luck, my sweethearts will be asleep again within the hour. I aim to keep the atmosphere in the room one completely conducive to more slumber.
Since Brighton is voicing his feelings louder than Tomi, I approach his crib first. I greet him tenderly, freeing him from his swaddling blanket. He stretches his arms and kicks his legs. As if he trusts my love and my intentions entirely in this moment, he indulges me as I lift him from his crib and pepper his cheek with kisses. He makes the cutest incoherent noises as his cries cease.
Tomi is slower to rise, but her sputtering coughs of displeasure grow louder as I change her brother’s wet diaper. It isn’t until I’ve fastened the last snap of Brighton’s footie pajamas that his sister begins to calm down. When I turn to check on her, I’m startled to see Ashley rocking our girl.
“Baby, you didn’t need to get up.”
“I know,” he mutters softly, leaning down to press a kiss against Tomi’s head. “Then you reminded me tonight will be my first night away from y’all. Not exactly lookin’ forward to it. I know most parents in my position might feel like it’s a blessin’—a night of uninterrupted sleep. Truth be told, don’t know how well I’ll sleep knowin’ y’all are here and I’m there. If you need me, I’ll be all the way across the country.”
“Frank gets in this morning. He’ll be in the guest house in case we need him, but I doubt we will. You built me this house in seclusion for a reason. We’ll be okay.”
“Don’t doubt you will be, sugar. Still don’t like it.”
My heart expands inside of my chest as I interpret everything he’s not saying. Our lives have to go on. As much as I’ve loved having him with me through all the ups and downs of our time in this baby bubble, real life is just outside. The world is waiting for Ashley Hicks. That’s the life we live. Even more, it’s the song he sings.
His first love has always been his guitar, and I don’t want him to ever lose that. Neither do I intend to ever stand in the way of it. His music is his passion and his life’s calling. Yet, his music means nothing without his heart and soul; and while his soul belongs to him and the essence of the man I love—we are his heart. He’s proven that to be true over and over and over again.
We’ll be apart for just one night. It might be a long night, or perhaps it’ll be an easy one. Regardless of how we fair without him, that’s not the point. I’ll miss him, too. We all will. He’s a part of us. He’s our rock—and we’ll feel his absence as much as he feels ours.
Knowing this to be true, I don’t bother trying to offer him any sort of reassuring word. It will hold no value. Instead, I close the distance between us and offer him our son.
“Switch with me? I’ll change her and then you’ll be on burping duty.”
“Sounds just fine to me.”
To our good fortune, after I finish nursing them, the twins hardly stay awake long enough to endure their burps. With no trouble at all, we swaddle them back up before we return them to their cribs and tiptoe out of the nursery. Our bedroom is dark when we pad on our bare feet back to bed, but I don’t feel like going to sleep again. Not yet. With more energy than I’ve had in the last week coursing through my veins, coupled with my deepened awareness of Ashley’s upcoming trip, I reach for him from underneath the sheets.
“Honey?” I whisper, slipping my fingertips beneath the hem of his t-shirt to feel the warm skin on his back.
“Sugar?”
“I know you have to get up soon, but it’s been a few days. If you’re up for it, I could send you off properly. I owe you, after your birthday.”
He rolls toward me and drapes his arm around my waist as he touches his forehead to mine. I can’t see him in the pitch-black darkness, but I search for his handsome face anyway. I concentrate on the weight of his arm and the heat of his body, my heart picking up speed when his fingers trail over my backside and grab hold of my thigh.
“Darlin’, I’m going to say this just once, you hear?” He squeezes my leg, and my whole body responds. I lean toward him, hitching my thigh around his, and his grip tightens. “Watched you give birth to those babies, Corie. You can be damn sure you don’t owe me anything—especially not this temple of a body. But you are mine, now and always. If you’re offerin’ me you, I’m always up for it.”
I lift my hand, blindly reaching for his hair as I tilt my head in search of his lips. I follow the feel of his breath, my eyes now sealed closed tight. While I do have a whole new appreciation for what my body is capable of and the marvelous ways it nurtures my babies, I think it’s far from a temple—especially sexually speaking. Yet, regardless of how self-conscious I am about my excess, postpartum curves, he is right about one thing.
I am his.
He’s barely touching me, and yet there’s a seed of desire that’s beginning to blossom deep inside of me as his voice wraps around me in the dark. “I’m yours, sweets. Take what you want.”
His mouth closes around mine even as he shifts me onto my back. His semi-hard cock is evident through his sweatpants, and I moan softly as our bodies fit together in a heavenly tease. Ashley’s tongue sweeps through my mouth, and I welcome the intrusion. He kisses me until he’s fully erect, his hips rolling against mine in a silent plea. When he pulls his lips from mine and lifts his body, I feel the bed shift with his weight before he rids his chest of his shirt. He discards it instantly and then reaches for the top of the sweatpants wrapped around my waist. I lift my hips, allowing him to work the pants and my underwear from over my backside, maneuvering my legs in an effort to be helpful as he disrobes me. It isn’t until he reaches for the hem of my shirt that I’m startled stiff.
“What—wait, what are you doing?” I murmur, grabbing hold of his hands.
“Thought that was pretty clear, sugar.”
“I, yeah, but…” I lose my words for a moment, wondering why this time is different than the other times we’ve fooled around in the last several weeks. Lately, our love making has been quite frantic and passionate—so much so, Ashley hasn’t even bothered to strip me completely naked. I certainly haven’t blamed him for his desperation. The last couple months of my pregnancy had us both practicing celibacy, a state of being quite foreign to us since our first night together. It made sense that, once we got the okay from the doctor, he wasn’t so much concerned with exploring my body so much as he was with getting us both to the height of our pleasure before we missed our chance.
But this is not that.
“But what, darlin’?” he asks, effectively scrambling my thoughts.
“I just—my body isn’t the same anymore. You don’t have to pretend you want me naked to get me off.”
Ashley goes so still, it’s as if he’s turned to stone. I can’t see his face, but his silence makes me want to crawl under my pillow in embarrassment. It’s in this very moment that I realize I’ve never voiced my assumptions in regards to how my husband must feel about my naked body in its current state. I’m not sure how much time passes before he shakes my hands off of his and climbs out of bed. I gasp, squinting my eyes when he switches on the lamp on the nightstand beside me. The scowl tugging at his handsome brow makes it hard for me to look at him; but something tells me, if I pull my eyes away from his hazel stare, I’ll only make matters worse.
“Mrs. Hicks, I suggest you take that shirt off—right now.”
His voice is so low, it sounds more like a growl. Even still, as I sit up and fidget with the hem of his t-shirt, I can’t help but to glance over at the lamp, wondering if he intends on keeping it on.
“Corie,” he grunts in warning.
I blow out a sigh, turning to face the foot of the bed so I don’t have to see my husband’s expression as I pull the shirt over my head. My hair, a mess of wavy, bed-head locks, falls down my chest and back. It’s the longest it’s ever been, hanging almost all the way to my elbows, but it’s not long enough to hide my excess fat. I’m well aware that my husband loves me and desires me. Even still, I know what I look like, and no amount of love can blind him from the truth. I’ve never been tight or toned, but I was soft and smooth—not flabby and covered in stretch marks.
I’m so busy trying to avoid looking at my husband and his huge, perfectly sculpted body, I don’t notice when he drops his pants, leaving him completely naked. It isn’t until he’s right in front of me, spreading my knees and forcing me onto my back, that I become wholly aware of his current state. He doesn’t say a word as he lowers his face between my legs, his mouth latching onto my center with no restraint.
As crowded as my mind is, his tongue is like a wand wielding the magic of sorcery. My eyes fall closed as my head is wiped clean of anything and everything but the feel of his mouth. It’s been months since he’s gone down on me. If someone would have asked me five minutes ago if I’d forgotten what it felt like, I would have insisted I didn’t. Except currently, as I ball my fists around the sheets beneath me, I can honestly say I can’t remember it ever feeling this good. It takes every bit of self restraint I can scrounge not to dig my heels into Ashley’s back and thrust my hips in greed—but I arch my back and moan his name like the eager, ravenous woman I am.
I’m blissfully aware of the way his fingertips are digging into the flesh of my thighs as he spreads me open wider. It’s almost painful, the extent to which he’s forcing me open, but I welcome the feeling. It’s hard not to as my ears are flooded with the sound his mouth makes as he enjoys the undeniable amount of arousal he continues to beckon with every stroke of his tongue. I’m on the verge of coming completely undone by the warm, wet sensation.
Ashley hums as he sucks my clit, and my belly trembles with pleasure. Soon, my whole body is shaking, my fists growing tighter and my back arching further as my pussy pulses. I cannot silence my cry as my orgasm bursts, the ecstasy of my release coursing through my body like wildfire.
I go limp instantly, but the high I feel still has me panting for breath. Only, before my lungs have a chance to bring me to a fully rested state, Ashley’s tongue is tangled with mine. I moan, and the sound is positively guttural as the evidence of my desire overwhelms my taste buds. My husband kisses me long and hard, stealing what little breath I have left. I cling to him as he dominates my mouth, intrinsically aware that in this moment—he is my lifeline.
When he finally severs our mouths, he does so with a gasp. His indulgent grunt is soon to follow as he impales me with his long, hard shaft. My eyes fly open as my breath catches in surprise. Our gazes lock, and the fire I see ablaze around the orifice of his hazel irises causes my heart to race. Except, instead of rearing his hips back in order to fuck me—he remains perfectly and frustratingly still.
Just when I think I can’t take it any longer, he finally demands, “You best not disrespect my wife like that ever again.”
Stunned by his words, I jerk my head, forcing it further into the pillow beneath me—but Ashley is not deterred. Instead, he locks his lips with mine. Only this time, as he sweeps his tongue through my mouth, it’s slow and sexy. He doesn’t linger but a moment, and then he’s staring down at me as he lifts his hips even slower—pulling out of me until I feel just the tip of his cock. His return is agonizingly tender, and it feels amazing.
Without breaking his pace, he leans down until his lips are grazing my ear. He then mutters, “It’s been less than three months since you gave birth to not just one but two babies. Shouldn’t have to remind you of this. I don’t expect your body to look any differently than it does right now. Matter of fact, don’t think I haven’t notice how you’ve been slimmin’ down. Might not be as fast as you like, sugar, but it doesn’t bother me at all. You hear me?”
He rolls his hips just right, his pelvis scrapping across my swollen bundle of nerves, and a whimper spills from my throat. It isn’t until I hear that sound that I recognize the tears in my voice. I close my eyes, and I feel it as a couple spill down the sides of my face and into my hair. I hold my love tighter, but he’s not done.
“When I look at you, I see the mother of my children. I see the love of my life. I see the woman who’s given me more joy and peace and grace than I ever thought possible. And when I see your naked body, I sure as hell am not pretendin’ to want every last inch of you.”
He pounds into me hard, then eases out of me slow.
“That feel like pretend to you? Huh?”
He repeats the act, but I have no words. I can hardly breathe, the sob in my throat clogging my airway.
“Can’t make you love what you see in the mirror, baby, but as your man—you need to know one thing for damn sure.” He pauses, rolls his hips, and lifts his head so that his nose is grazing mine. “Open your eyes, sugar. Look at me.” Completely at his mercy, I obey, freeing a few more tears in the process. “I see you. I see all of you—and I’ve never wanted you more.”
As if he can tell that I might start weeping any second if he doesn’t stop talking, he seals his speech with a kiss as he continues to make love to me. When I come for a second time, I don’t hold back. I arch my spine, my fingers digging into the flesh at his waist as my core clenches around him. His groan as he fills me with his release ignites an aftershock between my legs, and I’m breathless and overwhelmed by how incredible that felt.
Ashley touches his forehead to mine when he is spent. Our intimate connection still intact, he jerks his hips before he inquires, “Have I made myself clear?”
I squeeze my thighs around him tighter, certain of my answer. Regardless of how I might feel about myself, my husband has his own opinion. The wet, stickiness that has us bound together in this moment is proof which cannot be disputed. “Yeah, baby. I hear you.”
“Good. Stay put. I’ll get you cleaned up.”
Immediately, I miss the warmth of him as he gets up and heads toward our bathroom. While he’s gone, I look down at myself, trying to see the woman he sees. It isn’t until I close my eyes, remembering the feel of him inside of me as he whispered into my ear, that I start to feel like I might be beautiful just the way I am.
AFTER I WIPE away the evidence of our love making, I climb into bed and pull Corie into my arms. She falls asleep within seconds, and I’m grateful. I know how much she needs the rest—especially considering she’ll be on her own until I return tomorrow evening. I, on the other hand, don’t find sleep as easily. Her statement from earlier circles around my mind a few times, and I can’t help but to hold her tighter. It breaks my heart to think she’s been walking around all this time thinking her body might disgust me.
By the time sleep finds me, my alarm clock is prompting me to get up. I’m quick to silence it, hoping not to wake Corie. The sun won’t be up for another hour; and with any luck, Tomi and Brighton will let her sleep until then. They’ve been amazing little sleepers the last couple of nights. I hope and pray tonight is no different.
I don’t waste any time before hopping in the shower, knowing Travis will be here within the hour. As I go through the motions of cleaning myself, my mind drifts toward my family and how much I wish I could just bring them with me. I think back on the conversations Corie and I had when we were first discussing the possibility of bringing a child into the world—our world. Needless to say, our lives are not like most. Before I became a solo artist, I could be playing in the background just about every night. There were some years when I could count on one hand the amount of weeks I spent at home in a twelve-month span of time.
When I stepped out into the spotlight on my own, things weren’t much different. It wasn’t until I met Corie that I felt compelled to realign my priorities. Even still, she’s always gone with me—my partner in all things—traveling with me anywhere in the world. Then she got pregnant. From the beginning, there were two things we promised each other. We would both do whatever needed to be done in order to be present parents; and we’d keep our babies out of the spotlight, until they could make the choice themselves whether or not they wanted to be there.
It’s in our plans to take our children around the world. Fortunately, I’ve been in the industry long enough and I’ve surrounded myself with some brilliant people. I can come and go as life will allow. I dropped an album this year, but my promotion schedule and the tour was planned entirely around the pregnancy. The twins will be seven months old when we hit the road. I don’t imagine it’ll be a cakewalk, but we’ll have a little experience under our belts. Regardless of how convenient it may or may not be, that’s the path we’re taking. That’s how I can keep my promise and my music.
I’m not an arrogant man; neither do I know the future. I don’t know what my career will look like in the next five years. Hell, I don’t know what our family will look like that far down the road, either. In any case, we’ll adjust if we need to along the way. When it’s time to think about school for Tomi and Brighton, Corie and I will reevaluate a few things. Yet, all that being said, we’re not ready to share our children with the world today. Taking them to L.A., bringing them on the set of Dylan, it’s not a smart move, and I know it. Still doesn’t mean I like the idea of leaving them behind.
Upon exiting the shower, I walk straight to the closet and throw on some travel clothes. Knowing there will be an entire outfit waiting for me in the dressing room on set, I don’t bother dressing up. Worse even, I toss a ball cap over my wet hair before stepping into the bedroom. Something tells me my stylist will be none too happy to deal with my hat hair, but I shrug it off; a hat is my best chance at going unnoticed today, and that’s the goal.
My overnight, leather duffle is where I left it after I packed yesterday evening. I grab it from the couch in our master suite and then make my way toward the front door. Setting the bag in the entryway, I head for the stairs, leading down to my private, basement studio. I pack up two guitars—an acoustic and an electric—and then return to the main level. I barely have a chance to set the instruments down before my phone alerts me to an incoming text.
I know without even having to check that Travis is parked out in the driveway, waiting for me. Yet, instead of exiting through the front door, I cast my gaze down the hallway. Needing to see my babies one more time, I sneak into the nursery and find them both still sound asleep. I turn on the lamp in the room and pull out my phone to snap a picture of each of them, wanting to remember what they look like this very moment.
“Daddy loves you. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I whisper as I lean down to kiss Tomi’s cheek. I repeat the act with Brighton and then reluctantly shut the light out and leave them to the remainder of their slumber.
With one last goodbye still remaining, I return to the bedroom, heading straight for Corie’s side of the bed. I contemplate simply kissing her cheek and not waking her—but then I remember she’s still naked underneath the sheets. I can’t recall the last time she’s been naked for this long, and I blame myself for being ignorant of the lies she’s been harboring for the last several weeks. Knowing I don’t have much time, I lean over her in search of her lips. I rouse her with my kiss, forcing my tongue into her mouth when I sense that she’s awake.
She hums her surprise, one of her hands lifting to hold the side of my face as she kisses me in return. It isn’t until I feel my dick beginning to stir that I break our kiss. “I love you,” I mutter instead of good morning.
“I love you, too,” she whispers, her voice raspy and her eyes barely open as she looks up at me.
“Call me when you’re up and around. I’ll FaceTime you tonight.”
“Okay.”
When she lifts her freehand to grab hold of the other side of my face, I fight a smile as I yield to her gentle tug. Kissing her goodbye one last time, I remind her, “I’ve got to roll, sugar.”
As if to reiterate the fact that I’m on a time schedule, my phone sounds once more from inside of my pocket. Corie lets me go with a sigh, and I know tomorrow can’t get here fast enough.
“Be careful. Come back to me.”
“Always.”
THE SECOND MY private jet hits the tarmac, I push a call through to Corie. She doesn’t answer, but I don’t worry about it too much. We spoke before I boarded my plane, when she and the twins were up and around. I imagine, right now, she’s simply got her hands full. Knowing Frank is close by, and my mother and sister are only a couple of hours away—should anything happen—is enough to keep me sane.
My agent, Ericka, and my publicist, Simon, meet Travis and I at the airport with our SUV rental. Travis rides shotgun with our driver while Ericka and Simon take advantage of our closed quarters in the backseat to talk business. I can tell, by the speed at which Simon speaks, he’s been chomping at the bit to get me out of the shadows, making appearances and doing interviews as we gear up to start promoting the nation wide leg of my next tour. I don’t mind the conversation. Truth is, while the business side of things can get a little tedious, I’m fortunate to have a job like I do, and I’ve never been one to shy away from the work.
“That all sounds good, guys—but I don’t want to leave Corie out of this. First of the year is only a couple weeks away. I know she’s lookin’ forward to gettin’ all this stuff going, too. Why don’t you just plan on comin’ to stay a few days at the house after the holidays?”
“Damn, Ashley. It’s about time you extended an invitation,” Simon teases as we pull onto the lot. “I’ve been on your payroll for years and I haven’t seen those twins since you left the hospital.”
Ericka smirks, looking away from her phone as she jibes, “Aww, poor Simon’s out of the loop. He doesn’t know that if you show up to the house with food, you get free cuddles.”
Chuckling, I shrug my shoulders. “She’s got a point. But all jokes aside, you know you’re like family. We’ve just been keepin’ them under lock and key. The way the paparazzi were houndin’ Cor near the end of her pregnancy—”
“Trust me. I get it. I’m just kidding. Kind of.” He nudges me with his elbow and then shifts his attention down onto his phone. “I’ll get it on her calendar.”
“I’ll be on the beach for the first couple weeks of the year, celebrating my anniversary. But add it to my calendar anyway. I won’t be entirely unplugged.”
“Ericka, don’t be silly. Let that husband of yours have you to himself for a while. We’ll pow-wow when you get back.”
With our tentative plans made for the following month, everyone’s focus shifts when we arrive at our destination. I follow Simon out of the backseat, and the cool breeze that blows by is welcome as I stretch my legs. Though, while all our business talk kept my mind busy for our long trek through traffic, as soon as I feel my stomach gurgle, all I can think about is how hungry I am. Knowing I’ll be stuck in hair and makeup for the next hour, I grab my things and then jerk my chin toward Simon and Ericka. “Hey, I’m starvin’. You two eaten?”
“Late breakfast at the hotel,” Simon mutters with a shake of his head. “But I can get you something.”
“Travis?” I inquire, glancing his way.
“I could eat.”
“A burger would be great,” I tell Simon as the four of us head inside. “Preferably before I’m due on that couch.”
He hardly has a chance to respond as I’m greeted by one of Dylan’s crew members. She hugs her tablet to her chest, welcoming me back to the set, and then leads me to my dressing room. There’s a fruit basket sitting beside a tray full of Christmas cookies, and the dichotomy of the display amuses me. Remembering the birthday cupcakes I polished off just yesterday, I free my hands and reach for an apple. One bite into it, and I’m eyeing Simon intently, silently expressing this piece of fruit won’t cut it.
“I’m on it. Give me a few,” he insists with a smirk, stepping out of the room.
When Ericka gets a phone call, she excuses herself as well. Travis makes himself comfortable on the couch and reaches for a bottle of water. Not surprisingly, he avoids both the fruit and the cookies. I’ve learned the man is a bit of a hardcore carnivore who forces down vegetables because he knows he should. With a build that rivals even Leo’s, I’ve never questioned his dietary preferences.
I’m tossing the core of my apple when there’s a knock on the door. I instruct the caller to come in, and Dylan peeks her head around the barrier she holds in her hands. Grinning broadly, she greets, “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
“Hardly,” I laugh, peering down at myself. “I don’t have any bags under my eyes, do I?”
Dylan scoffs as she enters the room. “Please. You look fabulous,” she insists, wrapping me in a hug. I return her embrace only to be smacked against the arm as she pulls away from me. “Not that you need any compliments. You’re not the one who had to do all the hard work. How’s that gorgeous wife of yours?”
I can feel the pride in my smile as I reply, “She’s good. Totally rockin’ the mom thing. If I didn’t know I’d married up already, these last couple of months would have knocked some sense into me.”
“Ashley Hicks, marrying up with his backwoods belle. I knew there was a reason I’ve always liked you,” she says, playfully tapping a finger against her chin. “Anyway, I really only came in here for one thing.” She waggles her eyebrows at me, a mischievous smile curling her lips. “I know you didn’t want any pictures with their faces for today’s show, but I would love to see what those babies of yours look like. May I?”
“Are you kiddin’? Of course,” I tell her as I dig my phone from out of my pocket.
Dylan hurries to my side, and I bring up the latest photo I have of the twins together. In the image, they’re both staring right at me, their brown eyes curious as they watch me from where they lay in the middle of Corie’s and my bed. Corie had dressed them in an outfit I’d been waiting for them to grow into—Tomi’s black onesie says ROCK, while Brighton’s reads ROLL. My cutie’s bottoms were black with pink polka-dots, and my precious boy’s were black with gray stripes. Tomi even had a matching pink bow headband around her head full of hair.
God, I miss them.
Dylan claps both of her hands over her mouth, hunching her shoulders as she turns to stare up at me, her eyes wide in awe. It takes her a second, but when she looks back down at my phone, she moves her hands over her heart and gushes, “They. Are. Adorable. I don’t know if my heart can take it. Ashley! No wonder you’re hiding them!”
The massive grin that splices my face can’t be contained, and I admire the photo for a second longer myself. Sure I’ll stare all day if I don’t, I black out the screen and tuck my phone back into my pocket.
“Thank you. I’m quite proud of them.”
“As you should be. Oh, my gosh. They’re perfect. I’m going to have to travel out there—to your middle of nowhere house—so I can squish them. I mean it.”
“I’m sure Corie would like that.”
“You tell that wife of yours she won’t be able to keep me away,” Dylan insists, backing her way toward the door. “I hate to dip out on you so fast; but if I don’t, I’ll just beg for more pictures, and you and I have a show to get ready for.”
“Thanks for dropping by, Dylan,” I say with a dip of my chin and a chuckle.
“No—thank you for coming. I mean that. I can’t imagine it was easy leaving them behind, and I know this time of year is crazy for everyone. Still, I’m sure there are some fans in the audience who will be thrilled to see you. I’ll meet you out there in a few.”
Dylan’s words hit home as she closes the door behind her. I pull out my phone again as I make my way to the chair in front of the stylist’s station. After I push a call through to Corie, I get her voicemail for a second time. It’s been a couple hours since I landed, so I’m not sure why she’s still not answering, but I try not to worry. If something was wrong, she’d let me know.
It’s the distance—don’t let it drive you crazy, I remind myself.
There’s another knock at the door, pulling me from my thoughts. Assuming it’s my stylist, I don’t bother looking away from my phone as I call for her to enter.
“Heard daddy-o was hungry. Got a couple burgers here.”
My head jerks up in surprise as I peer back over my shoulder at the sound of his voice. Laughing, I twist out of my seat to greet the man properly. “Lead singer of fuckin’ Grammy award winnin’ Mountains & Men makin’ deliveries? What’s goin’ on?”
A sly smile pulls at both ends of Sage’s mouth as he tosses the food onto the coffee table and pulls me in for a hug. “Was in the neighborhood, heard you were here, caught the delivery at the door—couldn’t help myself, man.”
“It’s good to see you,” I mutter, flabbergasted.
“Yeah, you, too,” he says, stepping away from me. I watch as he gives me a dramatic once over before he tells me, “Not too shabby, for a first timer like yourself. Welcome to the team. How’s fatherhood treating you?”
I scrub a hand across my bearded cheek and blow out a heavy sigh. “They change the game. They didn’t even exist a year ago, and now I don’t want to live in a world without them. It’s incredible.”
“I know. And just when you think there’s not enough room in your heart for another, here comes one more, and that damn organ grows like a freak of nature.”
“Yeah—that’s right. I’m not the only one gettin’ less sleep these days. I knock Corie up with two, think I might catch up with you and Millie, and then you pop out another one. How are they?”
“Mom and baby are well. Jace is handling it like a champ. He loves being a big brother. Dean, on the other hand—this is his first promotion. He’s not quite sure how much he likes having to share mama with Wess, but he’ll grow into his own. He’s a little fireball.”
Shaking my head at him, I fold my arms across my chest and mutter, “Three kids and you haven’t slowed down a bit. I’m impressed.”
“Yeah, well, here you are after your two-for-one special. Don’t count yourself out.”
“True, true.” Jerking my chin in his direction, I inquire, “So, what are you doin’ here, really?”
“Alex, the guys and I are just next door,” he says, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. “We’ll be taping for The Late Late Show with Kristin Prince before we head home for some peace and quiet.”
We’re interrupted when my stylist taps softly on the open door before filling the space—her bag of tools tucked underneath her arm. I wave her in and she starts to get set-up just as my stomach growls, reminding me of the burger that awaits me.
“Guess I should get out of here, let you do your thing. I’m sure Stef will have my ass if I don’t get back soon, anyway.”
“It was great seeing you, Sage. I’d love to meet your newest addition one of these days.”
“And I yours.” He offers me his hand, and we shake before he bumps his chest against mine, patting me on the back in a quick embrace. “I’ll have Millie give Corie a call—we’ll let them work it out. Lord knows, no one handles my calendar better than she does.”
“In the same boat, brother,” I agree with a laugh.
“I’ll catch you later, all right? Have a good show—and Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Sage.”