“Well. Hello,” Cassidy’s voice traveled over us, humor and intrigue wrapped in the tone.
Brady didn’t let me go, but he shifted so he could take in his sister. She had the baby strapped to her body like she had the day before in a sling that looked almost as elaborate as Hannah’s shawls. I realized, after his comment earlier about her falling easily, that this was a way for Cassidy to allow her hands to be free if she needed to balance herself and the baby. In many ways, it would be close to mimicking the weight of the baby when she’d been pregnant. Maybe even better because the weight was higher up along her center of gravity.
“What’s up, Cass? Is Mom with you?” Brady asked, finally relinquishing his hold but still not backing away enough for me to leave without literally pushing him out of the space.
“No, Mom’s packing, which is what allowed me to make my escape,” she said. “Which also means you should expect a phone call any moment when she panics again.”
“Thanks,” Brady said dryly.
“I can’t handle it anymore. I may not live until Wednesday if she continues with the over-the-top helicoptering,” Cassidy said. “Plus, I wanted to talk to you about something without her interrupting us. But I can catch you later if this is a bad time.”
She looked between us with a knowing smile that I wasn’t sure I could diffuse but also didn’t want to encourage. So, I tried to explain off his presence by blurting out, “Brady’s been teaching some of Elana’s classes for me. It’s been a godsend.”
“Really!” Cassidy smirked.
“What’s up, Cass?” Brady repeated.
“Well, it’s about Kincaid’s.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted or needed to hear this discussion. The thought of the store next door had my stomach falling, returning to the thoughts William Chan had for it and Grams’ place while I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to saveLa Musica.
Cassidy looked from me to Brady again. She didn’t want to do this with me standing there. I pushed against him, and he reluctantly let me past him.
“I’m going to go see if I can get some time in on the mural before I have to go get Hannah,” I told them.
“Want me to man the register for you?” Brady asked.
“Are you sure you remember how? I mean, your fingers might be a little unaccustomed to the manual work,” I teased.
His chuckle filled the air, and my insides swooshed along with the sound. It was ridiculous. Inconceivable. But his happiness meant something to me. I wanted to hear him like this often. Laughing. Excited. Energized.
I added it to my growing list of wants and desires when it came to this country-rock star. Things that should be impossible, but maybe weren’t. If I was ready to just let go. To take a chance. To risk something that I hadn’t risked in way too long.
My heart.
But I was terrified of risking Hannah’s along with it. Of causing my daughter more loss and pain. I couldn’t do that to her. My smile faded away at the thought. I was a mom first and foremost. Protecting her was what mattered more than anything else.
“My fingers are quite versatile,” he said, eyes lingering on my lips again, and my whole body ignited at that thought—nimble musician fingers touching me. God, it had been too long. Too long since my body had been awake. Too long since I’d wanted to have it touched.
Was there any way I could keep things with him casual? A round of relief for a tortured body without making it into something I’d regret because of the impact to Hannah or me? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know, but I did know that thoughts of him weren’t going to leave me anytime soon, not as long as he was here, and it seemed like he planned on staying for months.
Brady
WHAT IFS
“You say what if I hurt you, what if I leave you,
What if I find somebody else and I don't need you?
Damn.
What if I was made for you and you were made for me.”
Performed by Kane Brown with Lauren Alaina
Written by Brown / McGinn / Schmidt
Tristan had been full of laughterand happiness before something changed. The shift was obvious as the smile slowly left her face at my flirtation. It was the exact opposite of what I’d wanted. I’d wanted her face to light up because of the innuendos I put behind the innocent words.
