22
SCARLETT
Wish You Were Here
Cara pounced on Scarlett the moment she emerged from the Boston airport terminal the next day. “I cannot believe you’ve been holding out on me!”
Scarlett gave her a puzzled look. “What’re you talking about?”
“Like you don’t know!”
“I don’t,” Scarlett said. Cara could be random sometimes. “Please enlighten me.”
“Are you dating Viggo Sandström?” Cara demanded.
Scarlett’s cheeks warmed. “Uhh—”
“Don’t even try to deny it!” Cara warned, wagging a manicured finger in her face. “Your pictures are splashed all over the Internet!”
Shit. “What do you mean by ‘all over’?”
“On all the gossip blogs! Even the sportswriters are talking about you guys!”
Double shit, Scarlett thought, wheeling her suitcase to the rental car parked at the curb.
Cara popped the trunk, helped her heft the suitcase inside and slammed the door. Then they both hopped into the car.
“The gossip blogs are going crazy,” Cara said excitedly, pulling away from the terminal and following the exit signs. “There are pictures of you and Viggo canoodling at some casino in Canada and kissing outside the locker room after last night’s game.”
Scarlett groaned, dropping her head back against the seat. “Fuck me.”
“Clearly he is,” Cara leered. “And doing a damn good job of it, judging by your smile in those pictures.”
Scarlett covered her face with her hands, making Cara howl with laughter.
“I don’t even know why I was shocked,” she said. “The guy’s best friend and teammate just got engaged to your cousin. It was only a matter of time before you two hooked up.”
Scarlett stared out the window, fighting a smile.
“So how long has this been going on?” Cara cut off another car and flipped off the driver who honked at her—a Jersey girl through and through. “How long have you been dating that Swedish stud?”
Scarlett became absorbed in studying her fresh manicure. “Not long.”
“Uh, could you be more specific?”
Scarlett hesitated, biting her lip. “The first time we went out was the night before the tour started.”
“What!” Cara shrieked in disbelief.
Scarlett winced at the assault on her eardrums.
“That was weeks ago!” Cara accused.
“I know.”
“You mean to tell me you were already going out with Viggo when I gave you that whole spiel about how dating him could bring all sorts of publicity to the band?”
“Yep.”
“Maronna mia! I can’t believe you sat there and let me run my mouth and didn’t say a word!”
Scarlett chuckled wryly. “Can you really blame me? Look how you’re freaking out.”
Cara laughed. “I can’t help it! This is so fucking awesome!”
Scarlett grimaced. “Can you not make a big deal over this?”
“But it is a big deal!”
“Maybe,” Scarlett conceded. “But like I told you before, I don’t want everyone prying into my personal life. I’d rather keep my relationship with Viggo private.”
“Oh, hon, it’s too late for that.”
Scarlett sighed, shaking her head. “Fuck me.”
Cara grilled her about Viggo all the way to South Boston. By the time they reached their destination, Scarlett was ready to strangle her bandmates for not picking her up from the airport. Lazy asses.
As Cara parallel parked at the curb, Scarlett stared out the window at the brick row house she and the guys had moved into after graduating from Berklee. The rent was dirt cheap, so they’d signed a long-term lease. She’d enjoyed living there until she got super homesick and decided to return to Denver. This, of course, made her parents positively ecstatic. They’d thrown her a homecoming party and bought her a new drum kit to replace the one she left in Boston so she wouldn’t have to lug it back and forth between gigs.
“Do the guys know about me and Viggo?” she asked Cara.
“I’m sure they do. It’s all over the blogs.”
Scarlett made a face. “They don’t read gossip blogs. If they knew, they would have said something to me by now.”
“What’s the matter? You don’t want them to know?”
“Not really. Not yet, anyway.”
Cara shrugged. “I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to. But they’re gonna find out sooner or later.”
“I’d prefer later. Much later.”
They got out of the car and started up the walk together. Most of the snow from last week’s storm had melted, leaving dirty patches here and there on the small lawn.
As they climbed the porch steps, the front door swung open. Traeger stood there, all killer smile, shaggy hair and badass tattoos.
Scarlett grinned. “Hey, Traeg—”
He grabbed her, lifted her off the ground and spun her around before setting her on her feet again. She was laughing, her hands framing his scruffy face. He was a little sweaty, and he wore yellow rubber cleaning gloves that clashed with his whole bad-boy rocker look.
“Dude, have those gloves been in the toilet?”
“Not yet. But they’re about to be.” He grinned wider, ushering her inside. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks, Traeg.” Scarlett sniffed the air. “It smells great in here. Is that Pine-Sol?”
“And Carpet Fresh.” He pointed upstairs, where she could hear the drone of a vacuum cleaner. “We’ve been cleaning like crazy all morning.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. We didn’t want you slagging on us like you did the last time you were here.”
Scarlett laughed. “I didn’t slag on y’all.”
One dark brow lifted. “You said the house smelled like sweaty balls and gym socks.”
Cara laughed.
Traeger’s blue eyes skipped past Scarlett to land on their manager. “Hey.”
“Hey, Traeger.”
Scarlett glanced over her shoulder to see Cara tucking her hair behind her ear like some shy teenager. Interesting.
Traeger gave Cara a crooked smirk. “You gonna stand out on the porch all day or come inside?”
“Oops. Sorry.” She let out a nervous laugh as she stepped into the house and closed the door. But she didn’t move beyond the threshold. She stayed behind Scarlett, as if she were trying to keep as much distance between herself and Traeger as possible.
Hmm, Scarlett mused. The plot thickens.
As Traeger peeled off the rubber gloves and tucked them into the back pocket of his ripped jeans, the vacuum cleaner went silent upstairs. Moments later the others came clomping down the steps, laughing and wrapping Scarlett up in big bear hugs. How many women would kill to receive such a warm welcome from not one but four hot guys?
“Are you hungry?” Zander asked her. “I made you lunch.”
“Aww, how sweet.” Scarlett sighed. “And here I was feeling unloved because none of you offered to pick me up from the airport.”
Cara sputtered behind her. “What am I? Chopped liver?”
“Of course not.” Scarlett winked at her. “I just like making ’em feel guilty.”
Everyone laughed.
“We asked Cara to pick you up to give us more time to get the house ready,” Ryu said.
Scarlett smiled, cupping his lean cheek. “I appreciate that.”
Traeger glanced behind her. “Where’s your suitcase?”
“In the trunk, waiting for you to bring it in.”
He laughed and gave her a mock salute. “Yes, boss lady.”
“I’ll, uh, pop the trunk for you.” Cara followed him out the door.
Gage tugged Scarlett into the modestly furnished living room, watching as she made a show of inspecting the place. It was spotless.
“Wow, boys. I’m truly impressed.”
They exchanged boyishly pleased grins. Lennox had once joked that Scarlett’s relationship with her bandmates reminded him of a Mistress leading her subs around on a leash. She could have punched him in his face for planting such a pervy image in her mind.
Zander put his hands on her shoulders, guiding her toward the kitchen. “Come see the lasagna I made. Cara gave me her grandmother’s recipe.”
The kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off, but Scarlett wasn’t about to complain after Zander had spent hours preparing lunch for her.
He led her to the counter next to the stove and peeled the foil off a hot pan of lasagna.
“Mmm. That looks delicious.” Scarlett leaned over the pan, inhaling the fragrant steam that wafted up. “Smells yummy, too.”
When Zander beamed proudly, she grinned and ruffled his unruly blond hair. “You boys are spoiling me.”
He shrugged. “Since you’re the one who used to do most of the cooking when you lived here, we just wanted to return the favor.” He lifted the lid on a small pot on the stove. “I went ahead and made you some licorice tea for later.”
“Awesome. Thanks, Zandy.” Scarlett always drank licorice tea before she performed. The licorice helped warm up her vocal cords.
When Traeger and Cara came back inside, Scarlett took one look at their faces and knew something had transpired between them while they were getting her suitcase. Cara looked flushed and uncomfortable while Traeger’s expression was unreadable. Too unreadable.
Zander proudly showed off his lasagna to Cara. “What do you think? Does it look anything like your grandma’s?”
“It does.” Cara appraised the steaming lasagna and smiled. “Nonna would approve.”
Zander grinned and puffed out his chest.
Cara chuckled, adjusting the strap of her handbag on her shoulder. “Well, you guys enjoy your lunch. I’m gonna head back to the hotel and return some calls.”
“Why don’t you stay and eat with us?” Zander invited. “You can give me your honest opinion of how Nonna’s recipe turned out.”
Cara smiled. “Thanks, but I should really—”
“The calls can wait.” Traeger looked at her. “Stay.”
A flush rose in her cheeks. She swallowed, bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.”
Scarlett grinned to herself. She’d have to grill Cara later, give her a taste of her own medicine.
Traeger grabbed the handle of Scarlett’s suitcase. “Let me take this up to your room.”
Everyone followed him upstairs and down the hall to her old room, which was now Zander’s. The three-story row house had four cramped bedrooms and a basement, where they stored their music equipment and rehearsed.
Traeger paused outside Zander’s room, motioning Scarlett to enter first.
She stepped through the door and skidded to a stop.
There, on the wall above the bed, was a humongous poster of Viggo playing hockey. It was the perfect action shot of him charging up the ice, his eyes glittering with fierce determination and a beautiful layer of sweat glistening on his jaw.
Scarlett gaped at the poster, feeling her cheeks flame.
When she turned around to stare at her bandmates, they burst out laughing. Cara put her hand over her mouth to hide her amusement.
Scarlett sighed in resignation. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”
The laughter got even louder and more hysterical.
She shot an accusing glare at Cara. “Why didn’t you tell me they knew?”
“I kinda did. I said ‘I’m sure’ they knew.” Cara grinned. “Anyway, they swore me to secrecy. But they didn’t tell me about the poster. If they’d asked for my input, I would have picked one where Viggo is shirtless.”
Scarlett grinned wryly. “I’ve seen him naked. I don’t need a poster.”
Cara gave her an envious look. “Rub it in, why don’t you?”
The guys were pulling themselves together, wiping tears from their eyes.
“Dude,” Traeger said to Scarlett as she walked to the bed and sat down, “why didn’t you tell us about you and Viggo Sandström?”
“Because she knew we’d give her a hard time.” Ryu grinned at Scarlett. “Just had to do it, didn’t you? You just had to get yourself a hockey player.”
“Apparently.” Gage propped one shoulder against the doorframe, folding his tattooed arms over his chest. “Honestly I’m kinda hurt, Scar. I mean, I can understand why you didn’t tell everyone else. They’re douchebags who don’t appreciate hockey. But I’m your hockey buddy—the one who watched the Frozen Four with you in college and backed you up when you wanted to schedule our rehearsals around the NHL playoffs. You didn’t think I’d be interested to know that you’re dating one of the best players in the league?”
Scarlett sighed guiltily. “Don’t take it personal, Gage. I just wanted to keep things private, you know? The less people know about me and Viggo, the less humiliated I’ll be if it doesn’t work out.”
Gage’s mouth curved faintly. “We saw the pictures, Scarlett. Dude is totally into you.”
“For now. But he’s a hockey player,” she tried to joke. “So the next puck bunny is always right around the corner.”
Traeger frowned. “If Sandström does anything to hurt you, we’re gonna fuck him up.”
The others nodded vigorously and grumbled their agreement.
Their protectiveness made Scarlett want to cry. God, how she loved these boys.
Zander rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go demolish that lasagna so we can rehearse before the show.”
“Good idea,” Ryu said with a grin. “Our hometown fans are gonna pack the house tonight.”
“They sure are.” Zander grinned at Scarlett. “We’re throwing a big New Year’s Eve party tonight. Lots of people are coming.”
Scarlett tried to smile, but the thought of spending New Year’s Eve at a rowdy house party held zero appeal. She was seriously bummed that she and Viggo would be apart, not just tonight but for three more days. He had a game this evening, but they planned to ring in the New Year together on Skype. She was so looking forward to that.
As she followed the others out of the room, she couldn’t help glancing back at the huge poster above the bed. It was pretty hot for a gag gift. She’d probably get herself off to it, coming right at the stroke of midnight while Viggo watched.