Yes to Everything

by Shayne McClendon

  “No baby. Trust us and let us love you. That means letting us do things for you. We’re going to get you a credit card you can use in case of emergency. Today though, you’re going to let us take care of everything.” Boyd kissed her hard and they tugged her out of the room.

  As they passed Jeanette’s room, Sidney put her head to the door and heard laughing. “Thank god, no crying for the first time in days.” They smiled and left the hotel with her between them.

  It was a new sensation to be with a woman in public, especially one willing to touch both of them. Sidney’s hands were on them almost nonstop, and she wasn’t self-conscious at all. At one point, someone passing was actually staring and she stuck out her tongue.

  Sidney in bed was exquisite. Sidney in public was fascinating. She sometimes skipped without realizing it. She ran little circles around them and kissed them constantly. If she even glanced at something, they tried to buy it for her and she’d tell them they were silly and keep going. They got her the best phone they could find and added her to their account. She held it like she was afraid to break it and they went back in and bought her a spare.

  They ate lunch at a gorgeous little Italian place where she had tuna steak over salad for the first time and pronounced herself in heaven. She really didn’t eat much but Zane and Boyd figured she probably ate often with her energy levels.

  A small bodega provided several healthy snack foods she could keep with her all the time that wouldn’t go bad.

  A little boutique that sold designer outfits drew the men inside and they wouldn’t leave until she’d picked clothes, shoes, and accessories for them to take her out in. She almost passed out when it was rung up and she saw the cost. Boyd held her up with a smile as Zane cheerfully had the saleswoman add a clutch purse and a watch he loved in the glass display case.

  When they tugged her into a jewelry store and picked out a delicate three-band ring with tiny emeralds inset, she started crying. “You can’t do stuff like this. I’m not sure what to buy you. What to do for you. I’ll never be able to pay you back. I don’t know what to do. I don’t deserve all this. I don’t. I haven’t done anything to deserve all this.”

  They guided her to a park bench and sat her on Zane’s lap, her legs stretched over Boyd’s. Taking her hands, Boyd said, “Baby, you are not to ever talk about paying us back or owing us anything. I’ve never been more relaxed, or as happy as I am right now, out in public with the beautiful woman who loves us both. Who isn’t afraid to hug us and kiss us, who touches us, without looking over her shoulder. You’re perfect and you’re giving us so much just being the woman you are. You deserve so much more and it will take us years to bog you down with all the crap we plan to give you. Money is just money. We have plenty of it and we’ll make more. Money is nothing compared to you, Sidney. Let us do things for you, little things to show you how happy you make us. How much we love you.”

  Zane was hugging her close and added, “You are the most precious human being I’ve ever met, Sidney. We love you and want to do things to make you happy, to make you smile. You deserve so many happy memories and lots of reasons to smile. We’re going to travel with you, buy you things, and love you hard. Baby, you’re going to have to toughen up. Get used to being happy. It’s our goal to make sure you’re happy every day for the rest of our lives. That’s just a promise ring, Sidney. We’ll have something made special for you, an original design no one else in the world has. It’ll be unique, just like you.”

  She hugged them both hard, “You don’t have to buy me anything ever and I’ll be so happy. I’ll have plenty of reasons to smile.” A woman was passing with her friend and their mouths were hanging open. “Bitches, keep moving. Don’t make me get up.” They got a shocked look on their faces and Sidney bared her sharp little white teeth. That got them moving.

  Turning back to Boyd and Zane, she said, “Do you like to dance?” They both nodded with huge grins. She’d just almost fought two women like a crazed spider monkey and wanted to know if they liked to dance. She would never, ever bore them.

  They stood and Zane put Sidney on Boyd’s back. “Honey, I can’t believe how light you are.” When they passed a children’s playground, they put her down and she went nuts. Jumping from one thing to another, they watched her climb the huge iron dome and stand at the top with a smile.

  “First picture. She is fucking amazing.” Zane was laughing watching her bounce from one bar to the other. The kids at the park were in awe of her. They started a game of chase and she evaded them all, climbing away and doing little flips. A little girl could do cartwheels and Sidney taught her to do a round-off to the surprise of her watching mother. She raced boys across the monkey bars, spun kids on the merry-go-round, and pushed others in swings. When she was leaving the kids were yelling after her and she waved.

  Zane said, “You’re great with kids, Sidney.”

  “I was always pretty good with the younger kids in the foster homes. Life sucks as a kid, you know? You don’t have power over anything. Sometimes they just need to laugh. Need to not worry or care about anything. I’m an in-the-moment kind of person. I’d suck with them all the time. If I ever had kids they’d be wild little natives who wouldn’t wear clothes. Poor things would probably get kicked out of school all the time. I did. If I was supposed to be in English, I was usually in the gym. Playing everything and anything with a class I wasn’t actually part of. It’s amazing I can read. I was that bad.”

  Neither man could resist thinking of Sidney as a mother. Never had they considered children until this moment and the idea was now stuck on replay.

  “We have to get her back to the hotel, Zane. We need to hustle since I lost track of time. Sidney, you’re like a sedative and a shot of caffeine all at once. It’s fucking great.”

  They hailed a cab and piled in with the bags. The cabbie stared at them curiously but Sidney’s happy chatter and endless questions put him at ease. Zane got out and tugged Sidney behind him while Boyd gave the guy a huge tip in thanks for not irking their woman.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The moment they entered the joined suites, the three young women were laughing and dancing with the kids who’d just gotten back from their day touring New York City.

  Becca and Molly chattered nonstop while Jeanette grabbed all their stuff and Sidney unbraided their hair. Jeanette was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, looking happy and more relaxed than any of them had ever seen her.

  Brooke and Jackson were dancing. He was showing her break-dancing moves he’d seen in the subway. Brooke wore a tank top and cutoff jeans while she picked up the movements easily.

  Rex and Travis stood discussing security at the kitchen mini-bar. Logan and Decklan were on their phones but all three of Rex’s friends noticed their eyes strayed back to Brooke constantly. Rex noticed as well but kept his cool. He knew where he stood in her life and he was confident he could defend his position.

  The afternoon had changed all of them and the Marines were so relieved they’d come to see their women. Mack knew Jeanette would have slipped into a dark depression soon if he hadn’t held her and loved her today. Boyd and Zane couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Sidney would rather talk to them than eat. Brooke had so many people depending on her, so much riding on her keeping it together. Her time with Rex had recharged her batteries and she looked ready to rock again.

  Jeanette disappeared with Sidney and the girls to get them changed and dressed. Jackson spun his sister out after a particularly fast move and winked as he went to change. Sidney was back in ten minutes, quirking her finger at Brooke. “Let me get you ready for MTV honey. Hustle your pretty ass in here.”

  Brooke followed laughing. The little girls came out shortly after wearing t-shirts and American Eagle jeans with glittery Skechers sneakers. Jackson came out in a snug Linkin Park t-shirt that showed his tattoo and jeans with strategic holes in them. He wore heavy Doc Marten boots and stuck black drumsticks in his back pocket.

  When
the women came out, all the men in the room went still and held their breath. Including Jackson, who pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. “Brooke, Jesus, you’re my sister. Jeanette…Sidney, I’m sixteen and only human. Your guys are going to pound me. Hell, I want to beat myself up at the images. I’m a horrible person. Horrible.”

  Rex said quietly, “No, Jackson. There is no way I could have handled that image at sixteen. I feel your pain. I do, even now. I feel it. We’re good, son. Ladies, if that was what you intended to wear tonight no matter what, I’m more glad than you realize that we came. No way in hell would I want any of you rocking NYC in those clothes without extra muscle.” Every man in the room agreed.

  Smiling smugly, Sidney put her hands on her hips. “Jackson, you are the absolute best judge of my work. Sixteen-year-old young men don’t overcomplicate things. They let you know one way or another, if they love it or hate it. You rock, baby,” Sidney told him with a wink and he groaned.

  Jeanette wore jeans that could have been painted on with very high stiletto heels and a snug black leather jacket left open to reveal a lace bustier beneath that accented her trim figure beautifully. Her hair was down and there were purple extensions in the dark length. Her makeup was more dramatic tonight. She had dark sunglasses on her head. She would have been at home in any Nickelback video and men were going to fall all over her.

  Mack thought he might be drooling.

  Sidney wore black leather pants and a flowing gold fabric halter that was held together with tiny strings at her neck and upper back. It curved in the front, leaving most of her stomach exposed and it was obvious to all of them she wasn’t wearing a bra. She’d straightened her hair and done makeup to match her gold and black clothes. Her forties style platform heels were ridiculously high.

  Boyd and Zane wondered if she’d leave the heels on when they got her back to the hotel later. Knowing her, she’d suggest it herself.

  Brooke greeted them in a leather mini-skirt that fell just under her ass and left her long sleek legs bare to just below her knee where her smooth leather heeled boots started. She was wearing a shimmery nude top with a black lace bra underneath and a scooped vest that hugged her torso. Her hair was still curly and pulled back from her face, her makeup dark and seductive. A black cowboy hat was softly bent over her forehead.

  Rex thanked God for his fortune and swore he’d be worthy.

  The Bradshaw men wondered if they could take Rex out if they went at him together. Both had subtly adjusted themselves after they’d had a moment to absorb Brooke’s appearance.

  Giving the twins a onceover, Sidney said, “Nice. You wore exactly what I asked. Looking good boys.” They wore jeans that accentuated their lower bodies with biker boots and tight t-shirts. Logan wore a button down shirt and Decklan wore a leather vest. They both wore cowboy hats in a more modern style like Brooke’s.

  Holding out her hands to the girls, she said, “Pretty girls, want some color extensions? I have pink and electric blue.” Laughing as they squealed and made their selections, Sidney quickly put them in their hair and cut them to blend in. “Your shades, rock stars.” Becca and Molly slipped them on and struck a pose as everyone in the room grinned.

  Travis was so grateful to be along for the ride with this bunch. “Ever one o’ y’all are just, well, damn. Let’s get this show on the road and let y’all get back to playin’ for a couple o’ days. Good lord.”

  Jeanette took Becca’s hand after grabbing her mini-computer and bag. Mack took Molly’s. “The stretch Hummer is downstairs. Everybody ready?” Mack mouthed, “Later” at her and she gave him a slow nod with a lick of her lips.

  Jackson was off the couch and out the door, “I’m goin’ down ahead of y’all. No way I can handle the view from the back. Sweet Jesus. I haven’t learned that kind of control yet. I’ll see y’all downstairs.” The men all chuckled in understanding as Jackson left.

  “You know, Sidney…you’re one of those women who’d corrupt an angel,” Travis told her with a smile.

  “That is the sweetest compliment, Travis. You know I do my very best.” She winked at him and he gave a low whistle.

  “Honey, I am too old to win a fight with these boys. Probably not even when I was young but I would have been fool enough to try back then. Behave yourself.” Sidney grinned and slipped her hands around Boyd and Zane’s biceps with a smile. “Alright, quick talk. Jeanette, honey, you and I already went over this. Can y’all take the girls downstairs?” She told the others she’d see them in a few and left with Mack and the girls.

  When the door closed, Travis said clearly, “Listen real careful. Logan…Decklan, y’all are real popular here in the city. These city girls just love cowboys. We already know that, you’ve played here before and you’re always mobbed. Since yesterday’s show at the Garden, the label has gotten six thousand plus emails and calls about Brooke. They’re still comin’ in.”

  Pausing and rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, his gaze met Brooke’s, “A couple of ‘em are a little disturbin’. Added with that other guy the feds have been tryin’ to track and the label is havin’ a panic attack.” He watched awareness and tension cross Rex’s face. He wondered if Brooke had mentioned her stalker.

  “This is a closed set but MTV has been pumpin’ it since last week. Today, they’ve announced it every hour and you’re front page on their website. There are gonna be thousands of people outside. NYPD had to block the street since fans have been showin’ up since last night.”

  “The kids Travis? What about the kids?” Brooke’s voice held an edge of panic.

  “Don’t worry. Jeanette is takin’ the kids through the back with Mack and a couple o’ the roadies. Since y’all are goin’ through the front, I hired a few more guys to cover. I’m glad you boys came. We’re gonna have to insulate her from the crowd.” Looking at Sidney, he said clearly, “Honey, you’re gonna be inside that little circle, you hear me?”

  Her chin immediately went up, “Bullshit. They aren’t after me, the creepy little bastards. I can…”

  “Fuck no, Sidney. Listen to what he’s saying,” Zane said clearly. “You and Jeanette go everywhere with Brooke. You think they don’t consider you a package deal? No, you two stay in the middle and you fucking walk. You don’t look any of them in the eye.”

  Boyd said firmly, “You stay with Brooke. You haul your pretty asses inside.” She looked ready to fight and he gritted out, “If anything happened to you we’d lose it. Do this for us, Sidney, please.” Sighing, she nodded and stayed silent.

  “Brooke no autographs or photos. None of that shit. You get out of the limo and wave as you move,” Rex said firmly. “Travis, what do you mean by disturbing? And, what other guy?”

  Sighing heavily, Travis filled the men in on the stalker Brooke had picked up at the beginning of the tour. “The fact is, we’ve never had a woman so focused on before. They were weird in the beginnin’. Now their escalatin’ since he feels like Brooke is ignorin’ him. We’re gonna have to put security on the bus. Since Chicago, the stalker is downright pissed off.”

  Rex was silent for a long moment, “He felt like he had a chance before Chicago. My relationship with her has been well publicized.” He stared at his woman. “So basically you’ve had a fucking target on your back for a week.”

  “Travis, do I need to get my kids out of here?” Brooke asked nervously. “Do I need to send them away from the tour? I will. Fuck, I’ll leave myself if this is going to cause these kinds of issues.”

  “The hell you will, Brooke,” Logan said. “We’ll hire all the security you need.”

  “No one is going to hurt those kids, honey,” Decklan told her fiercely. “You’ll get more people on your bus. Things like a traveling commune now anyway. What’s a couple more people?”

  Travis interrupted all conversation, “These guys aren’t after the kids, Brooke. They…they seem to want you in all kinds of scary ways. We’re not sure if the two different styles of emails and letters a
re linked or separate psychos. The FBI is tryin’ to track where the calls came from today, where the emails originated. There were several of each since late last night and as far as they can tell, the shits are in New York.” Travis looked worried. “They’ll find them. In the meantime, we have to keep you back from the fans, honey. Okay?”

  She nodded and Sidney said, “I don’t care what any of you say, somebody gets through and I’m taking them the fuck out. And they won’t be getting back up. You can hire me real good attorneys.”

  Brooke gripped her hands, “I so love you, honey but if anything happened to you, to any of you, I’d never forgive myself. Y’all make sure my brother and sisters are safe. I lose one of my siblings and I won’t survive it. I won’t.” She was in high anxiety. “You have extra people with Jeanette and Mack, Travis, you’re sure? Jeanette isn’t Sidney. She could get hurt before even trying to fight back. She would too, trying to protect one of the kids.”

  “We’re good there, Brooke. I promise. They were my first priority. I knew you’d want that, honey.” Travis leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

  Rex had been quietly seething, “We get her in and out of this. Baby, you don’t go to the fucking bathroom alone. I’m not kidding. You stay with us unless you’re onstage and even then we’ll be real close. The kids and our women are leaving this hotel room without a scratch, we better get them back here the same fucking way or heads are going to roll. Travis, you need to get me clearance to carry. Tell them I’m on the payroll.”

  “You packin’ son?” All three Marines nodded. “One sec.” He picked up the phone and called Jeanette. “Hey sweetheart, I need you to add the four boys to the roster as bodyguards. They’re runnin’ hot, probably your man, too. Yeah, honey, they’re armed. You gotta do it now so we can get them through studio security. Let me know when…hell you’re so good. The best choice Brooke could have ever made. Thank you, honey. Down in three minutes.”