“Yeah, but cowboy fantasy.”
They were going boot shopping, apparently.
Jackie shook her head wordlessly and took her guitar from him, probably afraid he was going to violate it or something.
— —
Liana playedthree encores that night. She’d done a WhisperSnip earlier that day and confirmed this was her last planned tour for…a while. Never say never.
“I’ll be back,” she promised the sold out San Diego crowd. She had an entire lifetime, after all, and it really felt like her career was just beginning.
And when the lights finally went dark, she went backstage and they had an epic after party.
The next day she slept in, and Dean woke her up just before noon with a skinny hazelnut latte and a slow, sweet kiss.
“Today’s the first day of the rest of your life,” he whispered. “What do you want to do?
— —
It tookthem almost a month to get back to Pine Harbour. California had been so much fun, they ended up renting a place for two weeks and just kicking back. And in those days of exploring and nights of making love, they talked about crazy things like kids and future travel plans and whether or not to take kids on adventures like hiking the Italian coast or sailing around the Caribbean.
“I didn’t get on my first airplane until I was nineteen,” Liana admitted on their last night in California, as they walked along the beach.
An unexpected melancholy washed over Dean. “I went to England with my mom when I was six. I don’t remember much about it, but there are pictures somewhere in my dad’s attic. That was the only real vacation as a kid, although the Colonel took us camping at least once every summer. But that was more boot camp prep than a holiday.”
“Hope’s going on location next summer and she wants to bring Ryan and the kids.”
“Zander told me. We’ll make sure they’re safe.”
“Maybe I’ll come along and be the nanny.”
He grinned. “The kids like you.”
“I like them.”
And that was where they left it, but when they tumbled into bed, he couldn’t shake the image of Liana holding a little girl or a little boy of her own. Of making that baby with her, and for the first time in his life, it didn’t scare him to his core.
The next morning she had a conference call, so he went shopping for some last minute souvenirs.
When he got back, she was sitting very still on the couch.
“What’s up?” he asked, careful not to assume something was wrong, but his heart hammered in his chest.
“Well…” she said slowly, blinking up at him. “I’ve been released from my contract. My lawyer says the agreement is pretty generous and there’s no limitation on what I do with the songs that I’d put forward for the last record.”
He dropped to his knees in front of her. “That’s great.”
“And…” She laughed a little. “And Karen wants it. Exactly as it is. She has an idea for two more songs, so she wants me in the studio for that, but…it’s pretty much a go.” Her smile started in her eyes and transformed her entire face as she let the laughter take over and turn into the most amazing, celebratory cheer. “How awesome is that?”
Pretty fucking awesome. “Oh, angel. Good fucking job, you.” He cupped her face and kissed her sexy, talented mouth with everything he had.
She returned the embrace, peppering hungry, appreciative kisses on his mouth, along his jaw, down his neck.
“Whoa there, tiger,” he said with a laugh, tugging her into his lap. He laid another soul-stealing kiss right on her lips to reward her a little, then pinned her hands in her lap. “I’d love to celebrate naked, but we’re getting on a plane in four hours and we haven’t packed yet.”
“Drat.”
He laughed as she peeled herself off him and sprinted to the bedroom.
