by Anna Paige
"What's going on?" she asked when I didn't speak. "Everything okay?"
I cleared my throat and tried for nonchalance. "Yeah, I was just updating the number of people to expect. Since the recent drama," she clucked her tongue knowingly as I pressed on. "The label sent someone from the PR firm to shadow us."
"Uh huh…"
"Anyway, I was just letting you know she'll be there, too. We can't really go anywhere without her."
"Okay…" Lauren dragged out the word, making me wince. I knew what was coming. "So, which one of you is into her?"
"God, Lauren. Why would you automatically assume…"
"Oh, shit. It's you!" she chirped, almost happily. "I knew from the sound of your voice that something was up. Is she pretty? Have you guys… you know…? Should I make up another room for her or is she sharing with you?"
"She needs her own room. And why do you sound so excited?" I grumbled, looking around like someone might be able to hear Lauren's giddy little outburst.
"Because you found someone, dummy. Why else?"
"It's not like that, I don't think…" For fuck's sake, shut up. Why are you telling her this? I cleared my throat and tamped down the over share, moving to the important thing she needed to understand. "No one knows."
"And no one will hear it from me. I promise." I swear, it sounded like she was jumping up and down.
"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I needed to get off the phone before she started the inevitable inquisition. No way was I ready to answer questions about Aubrey. I didn't know the answers yet myself.
"Okay, doll. I can't wait." She laughed. "Safe travels, and give the guys my love."
"Will do."
"That includes you, you secretive, grouchy pain in my ass. I love your face."
"Right back at ya, beautiful." I ended the call, and it took all my strength not to burst out laughing. I'd never wanted a sister, but if I had to choose, I would have picked Lauren.
There would be no avoiding her inquisitive nature all weekend, though. For me or Aubrey. Yep, I needed to prepare the warden so she had a fighting chance.
•••
"So, we're heading to the Virginia mountains?" Aubrey's brow rose questioningly, looking between me and Kane.
"Yeah. We have friends there who we owe a performance," Kane explained.
"Like a private concert? At their house or something?"
I shook my head. "No. At a camp they run. Milly's Mountain."
"A camp?" She was more confused than ever, and the crease in her brow was cute as hell.
"A very special camp," I offered, realizing I needed to spell it out better. "The friends we referred to?"
She nodded that she was following the conversational shift.
"Brant, Clay, and Spencer are their names. They own a building and design company. We met when they built my estate in Pennsylvania. After they rocked the shit out of that build, the rest of the guys wanted them to do theirs, which they did. Oh, and Brant is the one who put all the upgrades on the other bus." I looked around at our basic-feeling accommodations with a scowl. "He was doing one for me and Kane, but the frame was twisted from the factory, and he had to scrap it and move on to Jared, E, and Lenn's bus while they waited for a replacement rig for me and Kane." I took a much needed breath. "But I'm getting sidetracked."
"A little bit," Kane tossed out, grinning.
"Shut your hole, fuckface." I bit out at him before returning my attention to Aubrey. "Anyway, the partners all married within the last couple years, and one of them—Clay—owns a huge chunk of land in Denson, Virginia, where we're headed."
"See, Talia—wife of Spencer, the third partner—lost a child to cancer a few years back. As a wedding gift to Clay’s wife Ali—who is Talia’s best friend and the little girl’s godmother—Clay, Spencer, and Brant used some of Clay’s land to build Milly's Mountain. It's a retreat for children battling cancer, and this weekend marks its first anniversary."
I watched the emotion flood her face as she took in what we were saying, seeming to understand my jumbled explanation. "You're going there to play for the kids." Her chin quivered and she drew in a deep breath. "That's the most amazing thing I've ever heard." She looked from me, to Kane, then back to lock gazes with me. "But why wouldn't you just tell me this from the beginning?"
"Because we—I—didn't want you to use it as a PR stunt. We don't want this to be about us pulling our asses out of the fire. We've been planning it for a year and never uttered a word to anyone. When they started scheduling tour stops, we just told them this weekend was off limits for personal reasons and anything they booked we would flake on. They knew we meant it and adjusted the schedule without a fuss."
"This is exactly the type of thing that people need to hear about, though, the kind of attention you want for yourselves right now," she argued, apparently missing the point by a damn mile.
"No. This isn't about us, not this time. You want to cover the rest of the stuff you've got us doing, fine. We'll pose for pics and answer interview questions all day long—for everything except this. We're not commenting on or promoting this little excursion in any way, shape, or form. Are we clear? If I so much as think you're trying to leak this to anyone, so help me God, Aubrey… I'll leave your ass on the side of the road with fifty miles between you and the nearest cell signal."
She flinched back at the vehemence in my voice and Kane shot me a dark look. "Easy, bro. She was just saying what she's trained to say. It's true, too, even if that's not the point."
Aubrey reached across the table and nudged my hand, waiting for me to look at her. "I won't say anything if that's what you want. I promise."
"That's what I want, what we all want. The media might pick up on it after a while but not from us, and we won’t be making public comment. This is a family thing, private. Okay?”
She nodded once and dropped the subject. "So, what can I do to help?"
"You don't have to…"
"I want to," she cut in. "I think what you're doing is absolutely amazing, and I want to do whatever I can to make it perfect, even if I have to manhandle amps into position and be your personal gopher for the day."
I chuckled despite myself. "You're offering to be a roadie?" There wouldn’t be much to haul around since it was going to be an acoustic set, but her offer was kind of adorable.
She met my eye, a saucy look on her face. "I'll be whatever you need me to be, Mr. Edenfield."
Kane shook his head. "That time it didn't sound like a curse when you said ‘Mr. Edenfield,’ but I'm suddenly uncomfortable just the same. I think I'll go watch TV for a while and try to ignore the sexual tension between you two." He laughed as he waited for me to move so he could slide from the bench seat.
I slugged my brother's shoulder as he passed and retook the seat across from Aubrey, dropping my voice. "Speaking of sexual tension, I better prepare you for the wives, Lauren in particular."
"What about them?"
"Well, they might try to pump you for information…" I cut a look at Kane, who'd donned Bluetooth earphones to drown us out with what appeared to be the new season of Prison Break. "About us."
She blinked at me in confusion. "Why would they ask about us? Did you say something?"
I held my hands up helplessly. "Lauren, she's very perceptive, and when I called to let them know one more person would be joining us, she picked up on something in my voice. I don't know how she does that shit, but it couldn't have come at a worse time. I swear, I didn't have to say a thing. She just knew."
"Knew what, exactly?" Aubrey looked over at Kane worriedly. "Does she know that the three of us…"
"No, that wouldn't even occur to her, thank fuck. But she knows there's something between you and me, and she's not going to be shy about asking questions. She wouldn't out us to the other guys, even Kane, but if she gets two seconds alone with you, it's on; you can bet your ass on that. Clay’s grandmother will also be there, and I hear she’s just as good, if not better, a
t reading people’s tells, so don’t let her corner you either."
"Great." She sighed. "I get to field questions even I don't know the answers to."
"Same thing I thought," I admitted quietly. "We just have to do the best we can, and try to avoid whenever possible."
"Probably the best strategy since neither of us know what the hell this is, much less how to explain it to someone else."
I know what it is; I'm just not about to admit it to you yet. "Exactly."
•••
"Rock star!" Lauren squealed when I stepped off the bus, running across the driveway and practically jumping into my arms. She squeezed so hard I hissed out a grunt and had to fight for air.
"Hey, beautiful. Finally decide to leave that nerd-boy husband of yours and run off with me?" I hugged her back just as fiercely.
"No fucking way, bro. I called dibs on her from the beginning," Kane called from behind us, and she immediately dropped to the ground, releasing me to go tackle my brother.
I spun to watch them, laughing at her excitement. The sound of footsteps on gravel caught my ear, but I didn't turn, instead saying, "You gonna tackle-hug me too, Brant? Because I think Lauren might get jealous."
His low chuckle came from just behind my right shoulder. "Jealous of you or me?"
"It's a toss-up, dude." I turned to greet him, leaning in and clapping him on the back.
He nodded as we stepped apart, his longish dark hair falling in his eyes. "I bet I can have you ready to tackle-hug me in about ten seconds."
I raised a brow. "That right?"
"It's finished," he said simply, watching me.
"No fucking way!" Does he mean? But how?
His smile went wide, and he motioned to the side of the cabin. "It's over there, all decked out and ready for you to take delivery." I started toward the side of the house, but faltered when I remembered Aubrey. She hadn't come off the bus yet, and I didn't want her to feel any more out of place than necessary. I looked back at the bus door then shot a longing glance toward the side of the cabin. Shit.
"I'll take that tackle hug now, fucker," Brant joked beside me.
"Not until I see how good a job you did," I shook my head.
Lauren walked over, practically dragging Kane by the arm. "He did an amazing job, as always. And how dare you entertain thoughts to the contrary." She bumped my shoulder, well, my arm. She couldn't have reached my shoulder without a ladder, most women couldn't.
Brant surveyed the long driveway behind our bus, frowning when he didn't see the other rig. "Where are the rest of the guys?"
"Pit stop." Kane scowled. "Lenn just had to pick up something on the way here, probably another blow up doll. He goes through them like candy."
Everyone laughed and Lauren zeroed in on me. "And this PR rep you're dragging around? Where's she?"
I nodded toward the bus. "She'll be out in a sec."
"Maybe I should go in and introduce myself." Lauren's enthusiasm made me nervous.
"She won't be long, I'm sure." Too late, Brant's overzealous wife was already disappearing through the open door. Shit.
Kane looked to Brant, expression serious. "How's Alex adjusting?" Alex was Brant and Lauren's fifteen-year-old foster son. He'd only been with them about eight months. He was taken from a horrifically abusive home where he was nearly starved to death, covered in bedsores from being confined, his withered limbs so atrophied he couldn't even walk at first. We hadn't gotten a chance to meet him yet, but hearing Lauren and Brant talk about the situation, getting him well again, really left an impression on us all.
"He's doing a lot better. He's at our place, hanging out with baby Parker so Talia and Spencer can get everything in order for tomorrow. He's still a little underweight but he's eating us out of house and home, so I expect that to become a non-issue soon. His muscles are still weak, but he's a champ, pushing himself harder every day. He's really fond of the physical therapy room at the camp. He thinks we don't know he sneaks in there every chance he gets." Brant laughed and the sound was startlingly father-like. "We let him think we don't know because he apparently wants to keep it to himself for now."
"I can't wait to meet him, bro. You've still got him doing the online school thing?" I asked, trying hard not to keep glancing at the bus. Why were Lauren and Aubrey still in there? What could they be talking about?
Brant nodded. "He's not ready to deal with a brick-and-mortar high school just yet. Hell, if Lauren had her way, he'd never go to one at all. She likes helping him with his schoolwork at home."
Kane shook his head, smiling. "You two are parents. It still blows my mind."
"Mine too, sometimes, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. You guys will see one day, just wait."
My brother backed away, hands up to ward off even the thought of such a thing. "No, no, no. Fuck that. Not me. I'm the kind of guy fathers fear, not the type who wants to be a father."
Brant and I just laughed at the horrified expression on his face.
"I'll file that under 'famous last words.'" I couldn't resist fucking with him.
"Blow me."
"Not interested, but blow jobs are a good way to avoid that whole fatherhood thing you're so worried about." I flipped him off and watched with amusement as he scanned the area for something to throw at my head, coming up empty.
"All right, boys. Behave," Lauren called, stepping off the bus with Aubrey right on her heels. "You have ladies in your midst, so no more talk of anyone blowing anyone, okay?" she laughed, shaking her finger at the three of us.
"Shiiiiiiiit," Brant’s breath escaped on a whoosh as he caught sight of Aubrey for the first time, his voice falling to a whisper. "No way is it a good thing that she looks like that. Not with the five of you circling twenty-four-seven. Either she's incredibly brave or incredibly gay."
"Well, she's not gay, so…" I shrugged.
"And you know this how?" His eyes cut to me then darted to my brother, who suddenly found the gravel at his feet fascinating. "Fucking hell, don't tell me…"
"I don't intend to." I stepped away, effectively cutting him off as I moved to greet Aubrey. "Lauren offer you a proper welcome?" I held her eye a moment, hoping she'd fared okay.
She smiled and looked over at Lauren. "She was quite gracious." Her attention shifted to Brant, and she stepped around me, offering her hand with a friendly smile. "Aubrey Taylor, polite police."
"Brant Matthews, nerd-boy husband," he shot me a look, taking her hand in his and covering it with his other one. "And kick-ass builder."
"Got that right," Kane agreed. "He really is a nerd."
Brant mouthed 'blow me' and resumed smiling down at Aubrey. "These guys learning to behave now that you're on the job?"
"Slowly but surely," Aubrey chuckled. "It's kind of like herding cats, but I'm managing."
"I’m friends with the game warden around here, so I know where you can score some tranquilizer darts, if they start giving you shit. Just say the word." He winked at her playfully.
She nodded gratefully, fighting a laugh. "I may just take you up on that."
Lauren cut in, eyeing Brant with a smirk as she addressed Aubrey. “I have a stash of them reserved for when my husband misbehaves. I’ll hook you up.”
We all laughed, and Brant gave his wife a slow wink that was full of innuendo. Aubrey was grinning from ear to ear, enjoying their banter. I was enjoying that gleam in her eye.
Just then, the other bus made its appearance, and everyone's attention shifted to the rest of the guys who were barreling out the door before the damn thing was completely stopped. Lauren squealed, Brant laughed, Aubrey watched with amusement, and Kane shouted about having dibs on Lauren, while I stood back and took it all in. We needed this weekend, this time to be ourselves, and I was surprisingly comforted that Aubrey was here to share it all with us.
After everyone said their hellos and the conversation died down, I turned to Brant. "Take me to my baby, Matthews."
He chuckled an
d started toward the side of the cabin. "Right this way, shithead."
"Shitheads. Plural," Kane corrected. "It's my bus too, no matter what my brother seems to think."
"Whatever. The bedroom is still mine," I quipped, easily sidestepping his lame attempt to trip me from behind.
"Actually," Aubrey said sweetly, filing in beside me. "I believe the bedroom is mine, boys, at least for the foreseeable future. So I hope that thing has decent couches for you both."
There was a round of chuckles from everyone except me.
"I like her," Lauren laughed.
"Me, too," Ethan agreed.
"Oh, yeah," Jared added.
"Would all of you just shut it?" I shot out, annoyed.
They all laughed at my expense. Again.
She's going to pay for this shit. Oh, yes, she is.
•••
The new bus was fucking magnificent. Brilliant. Perfect.
Brant had thought of everything. How the hell he crammed so much awesome into such a small space, I would never know. Of course, eliminating the bunks gave him a lot more room to play with, and play he had. The table was much larger, capable of seating us all comfortably, but the best part was it converted into a full size bed, as did the couch. The kitchen was decked out in gleaming chrome and marble. The bathroom was three times the size of the old one and sported high end fixtures that Aubrey was clearly in love with. But the bedroom was by far the best thing on the bus. An enormous king bed sat on a pedestal, cherry wood drawers built in under it. Everything in the room was gleaming cherry: the dresser, nightstand, and writing desk all polished to a high shine.
I watched our bad-ass builder start pushing buttons, a prideful smile on his face as tiny whirring noises broke the stunned silence. A TV appeared high on the wall, tilted down over the foot of the bed. Music began playing through artfully disguised speakers, the sound filling the entire bus. The ceiling above the bed—which I'd noticed was vaulted—began to retract, disappearing as it revealed an enormous, crystal-clear skylight.
"Damn." Aubrey's awed voice was barely a whisper.
"That's my favorite," Lauren told her. "Imagine lying there at night watching the stars."
