DINNER AT THE Hart house was a loud affair, all of us joking and laughing as we ate. There were new additions to the Hart clan that night, Dillon and Leah Cooper. It was all very complicated really, because while they were siblings to Dante and Damien, they weren’t related to Dominique and Delilah, but they were related to Spencer.
Leah was beautiful and so kind. She got along beautifully with Dominique, Delilah, Sabrina and Brooke, and they all made sure to include Tessa in all of their conversations. They got along like gangbusters, which I could see made Dante in particular very happy.
It also seemed to go a long way to ease Dillon’s nerves. He was definitely the more cautious of the Cooper siblings. I couldn’t fault him for it. I’d been told about his upbringing, and I couldn’t imagine how hard it had been on him. He’d lived his first year with the Harts before being put up for adoption with Leah when she was born. They’d been adopted together by a couple who had loved them both, but then tragedy had struck when Dillon was ten. The parents had been killed in a freeway shooting, and none of their family members wanted to raise children who weren’t related by blood. Dillon and Leah had been raised from then on in a series of foster homes. On top of everything, he was a widower.
I liked Dillon a lot and so did my dad. In a surprise to no one, Gram and Pop had taken to Dillon and Leah immediately. I made a mental note to self to tell my dad I was pretty sure Gram had grandchild fever and we really needed her to slow down. Dillon, Leah and Dominique were all single and I just knew Gram would be anxiously looking for mates for them.
Although… I had my suspicions Dillon had already found someone he was interested in. Whenever he thought no one was paying attention, he watched Dominique like a hawk. Interestingly, she watched him whenever she could as well. Their interactions were strange. Something tickled at my brain every time I saw them together, but I’d yet to put my finger on it.
My sister was a complicated girl. I had Delilah’s entire life story, backwards and forwards, but I couldn’t say the same thing about Dominique. She was the Alcatraz of information—nothing ever came out. I noticed all of her siblings were keeping a close eye on her, and I wanted to know why, but I was afraid to ask. I’d only just gotten her in my life, and I didn’t want to risk losing her.
The highlight of the evening was watching my dad and Sandra together. They weren’t openly tactile, but anyone with a brain could see they were becoming something together. Sandra had piqued my curiosity earlier and I wanted to know more about her. I liked her a hell of a lot, had a ton of respect and admiration, not to mention gratitude for her and all she had done for her family. Still, I knew there was more to the story than what I’d already been told.
As dinner was winding down, Spencer and Damien stood and asked for everyone’s attention. Spencer spoke first.
“As you all know, I am literally losing my mind not being married to my beautiful fiancée. Delilah and I have decided to get married the weekend after next at our home in Malibu. I know it’s short notice, but we want to do this before Flynn and Tessa head out on tour. So please, everyone, be with us next week as we take this next step together. Now for the even more exciting news…”
Laughing, Damien took over. “We’ve been all around this and have looked at every angle, but the truth is, Spencer and I are not patient men. We got engaged within twenty-four hours of each other, and we’ve been haggling ever since about who should get married first. Brooke and Delilah decided for us we’re having a double wedding. So everyone really needs to get their party hats on, because we are doing this right.”
We all erupted in applause. Over the next few minutes I found out only the people sitting around the table would be at the wedding because the Harts had decided on a family only tradition. I thought it was pretty damn cool, and my mind wandered as I thought about who Tess and I would have at our wedding. Thinking it through, I decided there was no way we would get away with less than fifty people.
Of course, while I was getting all those details, my beautiful girl was taking pictures of it all. I’d come to love the view of her with a camera in front of her. She always had a look of intense joy when she was working with her cameras, and it was a turn on. And speaking of turn-ons, she had told me she fantasized about taking pictures and videos while having sex. I was more than ready.
My fantasies were interrupted when she sat back down next to me and laid her head on my shoulder, linking her hand with mine.
Squeezing her hand, I asked, “You tired, baby?”
“Mm, a little. Mostly I’m just happy. It’s been a great night. I’m going out with all of the girls tomorrow to go buy dresses for the wedding. I know you’re in rehearsal all week, so is it okay if I take one of your other cars?”
“Babe, what’s mine is yours. Take whatever you want, Tess. You never have to ask. You’re at rehearsal with me on Wednesday, right?”
I felt rather than saw her head nodding, before she said, “I talked to your manager and he said since I was in town early, I could go ahead and start working now if I wanted to. I’ll be there all day on Wednesday taking pictures and going over things with Devon. Friday, I’ll spend the afternoon with you after rehearsal, and then next week, I’m with Tyson on Monday, Gavin on Tuesday and Cole on Wednesday.”
Leah had heard that part of our conversation, and turned to ask questions. “Ooh, you get to take pictures of them all individually?”
Looking at Leah, Tessa nodded. “What a hardship, right? It’s like a dream assignment. Four beautiful and talented men forced to endure my lens. Of course, my favorite of the four is the lead singer. I’ve got a huge crush on him… but let’s keep that between us. His head would swell if he knew.”
Oh, “his” head was swelling all right. Chuckling, I tickled her side. “You keep your eyes on the singer. Those other guys better not turn that beautiful head of yours baby.”
With a quick elbow jab to my stomach, she turned and blew a raspberry at me before rolling her eyes. “You and I both know they don’t turn my head at all. There’s only you honey.”
Forever. Only me.
Leah let out a long sigh, followed by a little chuckle. “What I wouldn’t give to spend my days photographing rock legends. Especially Tyson. Oh. My. God. I’m not sure how anyone of the female persuasion manages to think, much less get anything done, when he’s around. He’s so hot it’s not fair to other men. Sorry, Flynn.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “No apology necessary. When I look at him I see the guy I used to share a bus with on our first tour. The two of us used to puke in the toilet together, at the same time, after some of those shows. He’s a great guy but he needs a good woman. He’s had it very… rough.”
Raising her hand in the air, Leah said, “I volunteer!”
Chuckling, Tessa piped in with, “You know, there are two more single guys in the band. Or… erm… well, there’s really one, I think… But it’s a long story. Anyway, Gavin’s single too. Who knows, maybe you’ll hit it off with Gavin or Tyson. A girl can dream.”
Leah was shaking her head before Tessa was finished speaking. “Gavin’s scary intense. I don’t think I could handle that for even five seconds. It’s too much. No, of the guys in the band, I’ve always had it for Tyson. God, he’s beautiful.”
I held in a laugh at that. Of the two, Tyson was easily two hundred percent more intense than Gavin. Gavin was very cut and dried but Tyson… well, he’d had a rough go and I couldn’t blame him one bit for being as intense as he was. Leah was actually Tyson’s type physically speaking—but she was worlds apart from the crazy bitch he’d tried to have a relationship with.
Acting on instinct, I said, “You’re welcome to meet him on the opening night of our tour. The entire family is going, and I’d love to see you and Dillon there as well.”
Leah looked touched I was asking, but then her enthusiasm dimmed. “You know I’m all talk, right? I would never randomly throw myself at someone just because they were famous.”
“Aw, Leah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that at all. I don’t think that about you, I just figured if you wanted to see us live and meet the band, you should be there with the rest of the family.”
I worried about Tyson a lot. He had gotten dangerously close to the edge for a while, and there was a time when I believed he wasn’t going to survive. Now that I knew what it felt like to have a relationship that meant something, I wanted it for everyone. Someone like Leah was just what Tyson needed, in my opinion. When Leah agreed to come to the show, I found myself hoping my match making skills were up to par.
Only time would tell.