“Me too.” I sat on the couch and pulled Donny beside me. “When are you going?”
“To Miami?” He straddled my lap and buried his face in my neck. “Two days.”
“Oh.”
“Why don’t you come too?”
“I have to work.” But I was already trying to get out of that. Wasn’t I? These guys meant a lot to me. I wanted to take care of people, which could mean Donny and Kay. It didn’t have to mean putting out fires.
“Remember Matty?” He sat up and looked at me. “His daddy is the singer in Star Fly.”
“I remember you telling me about him.”
“Well. He’s going to be in Miami. Their band did a small tour at small venues around here to promote them, but they’re going back to Miami since that’s over. They need to work out venue contracts with MH Management and Coleman. I have to be there for that.”
“You’re representing Star Fly now?”
“No, no. I represent MH management. I can’t work for the bands they manage. Although Harrison is working on partnering with a few affiliates. That might help clear my schedule, so I don’t have to be in LA all the time, too.”
“Oh.” That meant more time away from my boys.
“You’re frowning, Daddy.” He kissed the side of my mouth.
“I don’t want to be without you guys. I…I’m looking for jobs near Kay’s place.”
“In Miami? That would be so much better.”
“I have to do something. This thing between us is important, and we need more time together.”
“Agreed.” He smiled his shark-smile that I’d started associating with mischief. “You should come with me.”
Taking more time off wasn’t a good thing. But.
My brain churned with ideas. The lease on the apartment was up soon, and I’d already received a rent increase notice. No one in my family would miss me, nor I them. Colten was the only one I’d miss. We’d become close friends over the years. We were closer now than I’d ever been with his brother, which was how we met. But putting my life on hold because we were friends wasn’t something anyone wanted. Besides, we would still be friends whether I left town or not. And I’d visit occasionally, since Donny still ran the LA office.
“If I take off, I’ll get in trouble with work, but I’m not sure I care about that.”
Donny kissed me. Softly. Sweetly. “I don’t want to tell you what to do, Saxon. And Kay should be included in any decisions we make together. So if you’re going to get in trouble, maybe put it off until later.”
“I don’t think I can. Put it off, I mean. Let’s call Kay and talk about it.”
“He might be in bed; they’re three hours ahead.”
“Let’s try.”
Donny grabbed his phone off the coffee table and tapped the screen, waiting while it rang.
“Donny?” Kay’s sleepy face popped up on the screen.
“Hey, you. I’m here with Daddy.” He turned the phone toward me.
“Did we wake you up?” I asked him.
“No, not really. I was in bed but not sleeping yet. What’s going on?”
Donny moved the phone again so we could both see, stretching out his arm. “Saxon is having issues about staying in California while we’re in Florida. We want him to come with me, but he’s afraid of getting in trouble at work.”
“I’m also not sure I want to keep working there,” I added.
