Chapter 32

Kya

“Kya?” Leonard called from the hall.

“In here, red door.” Venues were always a maze when it came to backstage accommodations, and Leonard wasn’t used to navigating his way around.

He stuck his head in the door, and then he and Addie walked into my dressing room. “Jesus, that crowd is insane out there.”

I didn’t want to think about the crowd or how packed it was or that it had been a year and a half since I’d been onstage performing anything, much less being one of the main acts.

Now that we were out of our contracts and free to tour on our own terms, I’d signed us up for a seven-show deal playing just ahead of The Deathgrips, who were the headlining acts. A new band, Seventh Wave, was our opening act, and they were currently in the wings waiting to be introduced.

Addie climbed up into Sadie’s chair beside me. “You look pretty, Mama.”

“Thank you, baby. Did you happen to see Aunt Sadie out in the hallway?”

“No, but I did see Uncle Stones and Papa Blitz. Papa Blitz said he was going to come and see me soon.”

“Yeah, and speaking of grandfathers,” said Leo, “my father sent his love and told me to tell you to break a leg.”

The door opened, and Sadie rushed in. “Have you seen Stones?”

Addie handed me my lip gloss and turned to her aunt. “He was out in the hall, Aunt Sadie.”

She paced the room back and forth. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know if I can do this!”

“It’s just a sold-out crowd. You’ll be fine. We’ve done this a million times now.” She always panicked when it was a larger crowd than before, but this overreaction was stranger than usual.

“It’s not the crowd.”

“Is Stones screwing around?” It wasn’t unusual for him to have groupies hanging all over him before a show, not that he would have instigated it, but they were imposing that way.

“He better not!” she said, her voice breaking.

She was beginning to worry me, and Leo’s eyes were already wide as he stared at her hand. “Sadie? What’s wrong?”

She walked over and slapped something down on the table in front of me. I looked down, and my mouth hung open, my eyes widened as big as Leo’s. It was a pregnancy test, and the indicator showed a pink plus sign, the same as I’d gotten when I was pregnant with Addison.

“Oh, Sadie.” I covered my mouth, and she covered hers. I knew she hadn’t expected her and Stones to last, but so far, they’d been holding strong, and over the past year, they’d become even closer, with him taking more time off to be with her when he could.

Sadie’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know how this happened.”

Leo cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure you do.”

She gave him a glare and then began to pace again.

Addie was confused. “Is Aunt Sadie having a meltdown?”

Leo got up and moved across the room to a sofa where there were a TV and a platter of fruit and cheese. “Yeah, sweet pea, I’m afraid so.” He popped a grape into his mouth, and Addie got down and joined him.

Stones walked into the room, and Sadie stopped walking. “There you are, babe. I wanted to see you before you went onstage. Did you see my newest strap for Wanda?”

“Sally has it. I borrowed it, remember?”

“No problem. Just give it to me after the show.” He kissed her lips and then glanced over at the table where I was getting ready. “Holy shit, Kya, you and Leo expecting? That is a pregnancy test, right?”

Sadie’s eyes widened. “Actually, babe. That’s mine.”

Stones looked like he was going to faint. “No fooling?” His eyes grew wild with happiness, and he stepped closer, pulling her into his arms. He held her stare until she nodded.

“No fooling.”

“Whoohoo!” he screamed. He lifted her up off her feet and spun her around.

The door flew open, and Blitz hurried into the room. “What’s going on in here?”

“Sadie’s pregnant!”

“You’re having a baby?” Addie asked, her little eyes wide with wonder. “When do we get to see it?”

Leo looked up at me. “You’re the one explaining where the baby comes from.”

I walked over to join Leo as Blitz hugged Sadie and Stones. “Well done, my son. You’re going to be great parents.” He turned and picked Addie up in his arms. “And I’m going to be a Papa again!” He spun her around and kissed her cheek until she giggled.

“I’m so happy that you’re happy.” Sadie held him tightly, and the rest of us decided to slip out and give them a moment.

As we walked down the hall, Papa Blitz was strutting as proud as a peacock holding Addie’s hand while Leo and I followed.

We hung around and waited for the call. And finally, we took the stage. Sadie was full of energy, and I knew she better enjoy it while she could. She had a lot to go through for the next nine months, and I was excited that I would finally be an aunt too. The two of us were rock and roll soul sisters, and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

Leonard and I had both owed her a lot, especially when it came to babysitting, so we’d soon be returning the favor.

After five songs, I needed a break, so Sadie took the mic and performed a solo. In the end, she took my hand and addressed the crowd as the band played low. “Hey, Chicago, I’ve got a little surprise for you tonight.”

I thought she was about to announce her pregnancy and thought she’d done lost her mind. It was way too early for spilling that kind of information, and the press was going to eat it up. Instead, she turned around and out walked Leo.

He walked out, and I could see Blitz holding Addie just off the stage where she could see, and suddenly, my heartbeat was so strong, it nearly beat out of my chest.

“Hey, Chicago, I hope you don’t mind indulging me, but I think you’ll all agree, this is one hell of a woman.”

The crowd went wild, and my cheeks reddened. I held his hand tightly, and Sadie stepped back, nodding her head as she played a riff.

“She’s so amazing, I just can’t let her go. So, I wanted to ask her tonight, here in front of all of you fine people, in the presence of our beautiful daughter, a very important question.”

The crowd was going nuts, and things got crazier in the audience as he got down on one knee. “Kya Campbell, I’ve loved you my whole life and always will. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

I held the mic to lips. “Yes.” I barely choked out the words, and we embraced as the band continued to play.

“You’re crazy!” I said. I couldn’t believe he’d planned this.

“Yeah, well, when I asked Blitz for his blessing, he said I better make the proposal a good one.”

I glanced off stage where Blitz was holding Addie’s hand, and he let it go, telling her it was okay to join us. She ran out onstage, and the crowd cheered even more. I readied my mic and signaled Sadie, and while I geared up for the next song, Leo picked up Addie, and I sang them my latest ballad titled The Three of Us.

I ended the song with a kiss and then put my arms around my family. It was the best night on stage ever and one I’d remember for the rest of my life.

After the show, Liam and his wife took Addie for us since Sadie and Stones needed a little time to themselves as well, and Leo and I drove home.

I kicked back in the seat, and it felt good to have on comfortable shoes instead of my thigh-high boots and to have my hair brushed out instead of spiked. And now, all I needed was to get home, take a shower, and make love to my man. “That’s what I love about playing a hometown crowd. I get to go home to my bed when it’s over.”

“That was some show. Your voice was strong, more powerful than I remember it.”

I thought of him on his roof back when we were kids and how I’d found out he used to sneak and listen to me. “And at least this time, you weren’t stuck out on a roof spitting sunflower shells.” I wondered if he realized I remembered that. It was so long ago. We were so young. It was hard to believe how far we’d come over the years.

His cheeks turned red. “I was your biggest fan back then too. When you crawled through that window, wow, you were my perfect fantasy. For a minute, I thought I was dreaming. Always and forever.” He gave me a sideward glance as he slowed down to turn down our street.

“I still think you should have come to see me back then. I’d have rocked your world. We’d have had a lot of fun, you and me.” I moved closer to the seat and held his hand.

“But I couldn’t because it was too soon to knock you up or ask you to marry me.” He gave a chuckle and pulled into our driveway.

“Yeah, you do have a way of taking my shows to the extreme. They bring out the wild man in you, don’t they?” I reached over and squeezed his knee.

He shut off the car and took my hand, kissing my ring. “Are you happy?”

“I’m over the moon. I don’t think life could get any better.”

“The night could get better,” he said as he put his hand on my knee and moved it up my thigh.

He brought his lips to mine, and I pulled away. “I think you’re right about that, so why don’t we go inside?”

“I can’t wait to get inside.” He wagged his brows, and then we got out of the car and hurried inside where we immediately fell together in a passionate kiss, our hands working to undress one another. We left a trail of our clothes on the way to the bedroom, and when we finally reached the bed, he picked me up against him and laid me back.

“I know it’s a weird time to ask, but you do want other babies, right?”

“After we’re married and enjoy a little time as newlyweds, of course.” I searched his eyes as he braced himself against me and smiled.

“Good, because I want another one. I love Addie so much, but I can’t help wishing I’d gotten to see her grow from a little tiny baby into the little girl she is now. I want to see our baby grow, get the whole experience. And I want to try for a boy. I’d like a son, someone to carry on my name and maybe pass my car down to.”

I felt horrible knowing I’d cheated him out of the opportunity with Addison, but I was thankful I could give him that gift again. And this time, we’d share in it together.

“I’d like a little boy too. One exactly like you.” I brought my lips down to his, and as we made love, I couldn’t think of anything I’d want more than a little boy as special and sweet as his father.

“Good. I love you, Kye.”

I smiled. “Only me?”

“You’re my one and only.” He pulled me down for another kiss. I had no doubt he was speaking truth. I felt like the only girl in the world. His girl. Forever.