“I’ll send Jimmy or someone to pick up the bus,” Eddie said. “Thanks for driving me.”

Rachel turned off the truck and turned to face him. “You don’t have to thank me. You did me the favor of going to the vet with me.”

“Yeah, well, thanks all the same. With the way I felt, I probably would’ve ended up in an accident or something. I was just so otherworlds from the shock of maybe being… you know. It’s a serious mind job.”

His golden glow looked a little paler than usual. She knew becoming a parent was a big deal and could make anyone doubt themselves, but it seemed almost traumatic for him. She rested her hand over his. “Eddie, I know parenthood isn’t exactly what you would have asked for right now – especially with your music just starting to take off – but you seem like the kind of guy that makes things work. I’m sure you’ll find a way to balance both worlds at once.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Rachel. What if I turn out a screw up like my old man? Maybe I don’t sell drugs like he did, but there’s still plenty of access to it. There’s always someone on set looking to get high.”

Rachel nervously bit her lip.

“Really? I didn’t know that was a problem with your crew.” She weighed her next words carefully. “I didn’t realize your father was a dealer, either.”

Eddie snorted. “Some father. All he cared about was making a quick buck. He probably would’ve sold me and my brother to do it if the drugs hadn’t been available.”

“You never mentioned having a brother before. Where is he? He didn’t turn out like your dad, did he?”

He glanced away, sadness filling his eyes. “Good question.”

“You mean, you don’t know? Don’t you know what happened to him, or where he is?”

He grew quiet. A long moment passed.

“No,” he finally said. “After my dad got busted, my mom went into rehab… again. I get it. I really do. It’s hard to get clean and stay that way with a husband as a ready supplier. I guess her family got tired of taking us in, though. With no one left, the state got me and Carlos. We were placed in separate foster homes and I never saw him again. Not that I didn’t try looking,” he quickly added. “I did, but could never find a Carlos Rivera anywhere. Best I can figure, he was adopted by whoever took him in and they changed his last name.”

“Did you ever consider hiring a detective?” she asked.

“I’ve thought about it, but then I wondered why he hadn’t tried finding me. I might not be some red carpet celebrity, but I’m certainly not hard to look up either.” Eddie rubbed the back of his neck, thoroughly massaging one specific spot. Rachel could only imagine the tension he must have felt. His hand dropped. “No time to worry about that right now, though.”

“Right,” Rachel agreed. She hesitated, wondering if he would find her rude if she made the odd request to meet the child. She began to speak at the same time as him.

“Would you like me to—”

“Do you think you could—”

They both stopped and nervously laughed. Rachel continued, “Would you think it too forward if I asked to go with you?”

The idea of her being there relieved him. Something about her easy-going, yet confident nature encouraged him. “Actually, that would be great.

They exited the truck and made their way across the parking lot, stopping outside the hotel when Eddie’s hand hesitated on the door. Rachel nodded at him, a tight smile fortifying him with encouragement. He pulled the door open and they entered the lobby of mute colors and dark, plush furnishings. In the far corner sat Jimmy, a terse look on his face as he conversed with a woman and child sitting opposite him. The moment he saw Eddie and Rachel, he popped up and quickly joined them.

“Don’t worry, Eddie. I’ve already contacted a lawyer to sort this mess out.” He gave Rachel a once over and sighed. “Why is she here?”

Eddie frowned. “Because I asked her to be. Besides, we were in town when you called, so the bus is back at her place.”

“What? Why?” Raised hands, Jimmy shook his head. “Scratch that. Back to the problem at hand. Do you even know this woman?”

“I don’t know, but maybe I would be able to say whether or not I do if I could go and meet her.” The tone in his voice revealed his agitation. Rachel rested a gentle hand on his arm and he noticeably relaxed. Jimmy was both surprised and impressed.

“Well, aren’t you the little snake charmer? You’ll have to excuse my bad manners, Rachel. It’s nice to see you again. Really, it is. I didn’t have the opportunity to thank you for the work you did earlier today. You have a splendid voice.” Jimmy gave Eddie an apologetic frown. “And you’re right. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. That’s my bad. I’m just a little nervous about this one. This could really be disastrous. The woman seems a little… shifty.”

“Not like you to get nervous about anything,” Eddie mumbled.

When Jimmy only shrugged Rachel took the opportunity to stick out her hand. A guy like Jimmy could be helpful to know. She better get and stay on his good side. “Thank you for this morning, Mr. Lee. It was kind of you and Eddie to find equipment to assist me. I usually use my body to feel vibrations – like when I stood barefoot on stage with Eddie. Having the modified phones worked wonderfully, though.”

The manager smiled brightly. “My pleasure, dear. I’m glad you liked them.”

“I did… and I understand your hesitation about me being here. I just wanted to offer Eddie my support, though. That’s all.”

He patted her arm. “Of course, you did. You’re such a good girl.”

Rachel glanced over to Eddie and noticed that the stress of the word “good” wasn’t lost on either of them. What was it that Jimmy had said at the diner? Something about how she was a good girl who shouldn’t be around “bad boys” like them. Was that why Eddie seemed so hesitant around her? Did he think she was too much of a “goody two shoes” to be with? True, she wouldn’t be anyone’s one night stand, but she wasn’t a stick in the mud either. She just wanted a man with the same kind of moral fiber she had… one who could still send electricity through her body when he kissed her, though. She thought back to the moment she and Eddie had shared earlier. He had specifically told her that he was leaving, and yet she knew she was falling for him. She couldn’t resist toying with the idea that maybe he’d change his mind and stay, or maybe invite her out on the road after all. He was fun and spontaneous, but he certainly didn’t seem much like the “bad boy” Jimmy had declared. In fact, with the way he was quick to assume his responsibilities as a father, he appeared to be the exact opposite – the kind of man she would have brought home to meet the parents. Could he be that guy?

She was about to find out.

A woman approached them. Tall, slender and blond, she sported a black leather mini and gray Marilyn Monroe t-shirt. She had all the right assets synonymous with someone who could be a lingerie model, with her black pumps only adding to the image that she was all legs and sensuality. In fact, the only thing that seemed out of place was the scrawny little boy hanging off the end of her hand. Scraggly brown hair framed his pale, thin face; his big brown eyes were filled with uncertainty.

Rachel looked over at Eddie. A pang of irritation and just a twinge of jealousy hit her to see his eyes wide; brows lifted sky high as he examined the woman instead of the child.

The lady gave Eddie a sultry smile and Rachel was filled with the sudden urge to rub the woman’s perfectly made-up red lips right off her face.

“Hey, Eddie. Remember me?”

Eddie squinted at the woman for a moment. He looked at Jimmy and shook his head. Then he turned back to the woman. “I wish I could say “yes,” but the fact is I don’t. Sorry, lady. You must have the wrong guy. I don’t remember your name... and I definitely don’t remember spending a night with someone like you – which I would.”

Rachel rolled her eyes and almost laughed when she saw the woman do the same.

“The name’s Mandy and you didn’t spend a night with me, Mr. Rivera.” The woman snorted – an ugly, unbecoming sound that contradicted her looks.

Both Eddie and Jimmy looked confused, and Rachel couldn’t blame them. How could the child be Eddie’s if they hadn’t spent the night together?

“I’m sorry,” he said. “How can I remember you if we weren’t… you know… together? I thought you told Jimmy here something to the effect that I’m the father of your child.”

She rolled her eyes again.

“I never said you were the father of my child. I said you were his father. That’s all… and you are. Not that I’d expect you to remember or anything, but you knew my sister.” Mandy pulled out her cell phone, flipped through it and then held up a photo of a woman. “Ring a bell? You were just starting your career, singing covers at a bar in L.A. when you met my sister and me. Thankfully, I was smart enough to walk away.”

Eddie studied the picture carefully, a look of registration slowly painting his face. “Melody?”

The woman shoved her phone back into her purse, nearly growling. “Melanie. Her name was Melanie. Again, not that I’d expect someone like you to remember.”

Eddie snapped his fingers excitedly. “That’s it! Melanie. I’m sorry. It was so long ago, though. Maybe five or six yea—” He suddenly stilled. “You said ‘was.’”

A trace of sadness pained the woman’s face, but was gone a brief moment later, masked by a look of determination. Or was that anger? “Yeah. She passed away a couple of months ago. Guess you could say she partied a little too hard.”

She looked down at the child and then back up at Eddie, a single brow raised as if to question if he understood what she was trying to convey. He glanced over at Rachel before once again speaking. “I’ve known a person or two like that before.”

Even though he didn’t elaborate, she knew he was referring to his parents – especially his mother. Was Eddie’s mind now filled with all the questions that consumed her own thoughts? Had it been a guy who kept Melanie high? Had it been another musician where drugs had been readily available? She forced the idea aside, more concerned about what the outcome to the current situation would be. What would happen to the little boy that quietly watched them? She didn’t know.

It didn’t look like Eddie knew, either.

He ran his hands over his face and through his long mane, a quiet sigh escaping as he looked up at the ceiling. What answers was he hoping to find there? He finally focused on the little boy again and stuck a hand out. “Hey there, kiddo. What’s your name?”

The child glanced up at the woman and she nodded, releasing his hand to rest it on his back. She pushed him forward. “Go on. That’s your daddy.”

“Well, I might be your daddy.” The woman huffed and folded her arms across her chest. Eddie ignored her act of exasperation and continued, “We’ll figure all that out tomorrow, though. For now, how about we get to know each other a little bit?”

The child nodded and finally reached out to take Eddie’s offered hand. They shook and he said, “My name’s Mikey.”

“Mikey?”Eddie repeated.

“Eduardo Miguel Johnson,” the woman stressed the boy’s name triumphantly.

Eddie slowly spoke. “Oh, that’s… cool. You have the same name as me. Well, the last name is different, but the rest makes us kind of like twins. Right?”

The little boy shrugged and looked down at his feet. Jimmy slapped his hands to his face and groaned and Eddie only grimaced. Rachel shook her head. Didn’t anyone here know how to relate to a child?

She knelt down in front of the little boy. “Hey, Mikey. That’s what you like to be called, right?”

The boy nodded.

“I like that name,” she said with a big smile. “You know what else I like?”

Mikey shook his head.

“Food!” Rachel exclaimed excitedly. “In fact, my favorite thing in the whole wide world is pizza. Do you like pizza, too?”

The child’s face cracked with a wide grin. He nodded vigorously.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I bet a fancy hotel like this one has a restaurant in it. They are bound to have pizza. So what do you say? Should we get some?”

“Okay!” Mikey agreed. “But we get to have the little fishies.”

Rachel inwardly cringed, but smiled all the same. She looked up at Eddie. “Oh, yummy. What do you say? Should we get some anchovy pizza?”

Eddie’s response was similar to hers. “Uh, yeah. That sounds… Mmm… great.”

Mandy, who had slyly backed away from the group, turned on her heel to leave. “Well, far be it for me to intrude.”

“Not at all, sweetheart.” Jimmy laced his arm through hers. “In fact, it would be an honor to escort you to dinner. Care to be my guest?”

Mandy gave him a syrupy sweet smile. She leaned in a little closer to him. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were such a gentleman.”

Rachel stifled a laugh. If she had joined them for lunch at Mr. G’s, then she probably would’ve been singing a different tune right now. Jimmy had proven to be a lot of things over the past few days… and the word ‘gentleman’ wasn’t the first one that sprung to mind. In fact, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he was really interested in keeping Mandy around just in case there was an opportunity to return Mikey. After all, he had been the one to dub the manager-rocker duo “bad boys.” Although, the more she got to know Eddie, the least convinced she was that the reference applied to him. She glanced over at the rising rock star and smiled. Already he was beginning to dote on Mikey the way any decent dad would. The two of them were playing a hand clapping game that reminded Rachel of what her own father used to do.

“Up high. Down low… too slow!” Mikey pulled his hand away just as Eddie brought his palm down. His intentional miss made the boy wild with giggles.

“Oh, no.” Eddie feigned disappointment. “You won again. Keep it up and you might just win the grand prize tonight… an ice cream sundae!”

The little boy cheered and grabbed hold of a surprised Eddie’s hand, who looked over at Rachel and grinned. He offered his free hand to her. “Ready to eat?”

“Most definitely.” She beamed and then remembered the meal of choice included anchovies. Oh, well. Maybe she could pick them off her slice and give them to the cat.

Mr. Kitty!

It was a cool autumn afternoon, but she wasn’t so sure about leaving the cat in the car. She stopped, her hand dropping out of his. “Actually, you guys will have to go on ahead without me. I just remembered Mr. Kitty is out in the car. I don’t think it would be very responsible to leave him out there all alone – especially with him being sick and all. I should go ahead and get him back home.”

“You have a cat?” Mikey asked excitedly. “I want to see him! Please?”

“Hey, that’s an idea. It’s a little late to start cooking anything fancy now, but we could always order a pizza and head back to my place,” Rachel suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” Eddie said. “I have to pick up the bus anyway. What do you say, Jim?”

The band manager looked ready to agree until Mandy sarcastically said, “Oh, goodie. Because that sounds sooo much better than eating at an upscale restaurant.”

Jimmy shrugged, “Yeah, I think I’ll pass too. You guys go on and enjoy all that. I’ll keep Mandy company instead.”

Rachel looked at Eddie, a feeling of uncertainty settling in the pit of her stomach. “Um, is that a good idea – splitting up? Maybe we could find something else to all do together.”

Mandy laughed. “For a minute there, I thought the two of you were together. Now I know better. Eddie’s fast and furious with his women. You seem too tame… like a stick in the mud.”

Eddie’s face darkened, but Rachel hardly noticed. The tinkling of Mandy’s laughter grated on her nerves. Five minutes alone in the parking lot and they would see who was stuck in some mud!

“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” Jimmy told her. “You three go on and show the kid a good time. I’ll find a way to entertain this little minx.”

The pretty blonde laughed and rewarded him with a wide grin. Then the two hightailed it towards the hotel’s restaurant.

“Country dinner for three?” Eddie asked, turning back to Rachel.

Rachel pushed aside her irritation only to have an old familiar feeling settle inside her. It was the same emotion she used to get when she and her brothers were younger. Growing up on the farm, there was never any extra money to do things like go out to eat or have a bunch of “extras” – video games or cell phones and such that seemed so readily available to children nowadays. In fact, there hadn’t even been a family computer. If the children needed to do an assignment, then they went down to the library and used the computer there. Even farming business was down old school, by the books. So when her parents did something like pick up a pizza or take them to a movie, it was something like a special treat. Looking down at Mikey, a little boy who didn’t seem to have much going for him, she had the intense desire to do something special for him.

She bent forward to address the boy. “Have you ever been on a horse?”

His eyes grew wide. He vigorously shook his head. Rachel looked up at Eddie and he winked at her. That was all the encouragement she needed.

“Well, how about we eat that pizza and then go for a little evening ride? What do you say?”

Mikey’s unexpected cheer brought both adults to laughter, the mirth lasting as they climbed into Rachel’s pickup and made their way back to the farm.