“I’m good.”
“I’ll be glad when tonight is over,” Beau says. His hand presses to my belly as I’m trying to wrestle my shirt off.
“As much as I hate to admit it, I will be too.” Robin holds up my next outfit. “The barfing on the bus was bad enough. Now, I keep waiting for that thing to pop out during a performance.”
“Nothing’s popping out,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I’ve still got three months. I’m not that huge, am I?”
“You’re perfect,” Beau answers. He’s not an idiot either.
“Yeah, now get your perfect butt back out there.” Robin helps me pull my next outfit into place. Quickly, we move back toward the stage. I notice out of the corner of my eye Beau taking his place on the side again. Arms still crossed over his chest, scowl still firmly in place.
I slip him a quick smile before turning to Luke. He’s already begun the next song. It’s going to be nice knowing I can take time away and still come back to the same guys I started with. They’re actually excited about having extra time too.
Our songs are a little different with this album. I’m told they’re softer. Less about tribulations and more about falling in love.
“Thank you for coming out tonight. I hope you had as much fun as we did,” I say at the end of the last song. I announce the band one more time, and we’re officially done for a while. We only return for one encore, then my feet need a break.
I thought first-time pregnancies weren’t this hard on your body. Someone should explain that to this one. My feet and back are screaming.
“Sit,” Beau barks when we reach the dressing room. “Robin, can you give us a couple of minutes.” He’s used to the fanstraipsing through for the meet and greet by now. Robin nods and closes the door.
I sink onto the couch in relief. “Let me see these.” Beau pulls my feet onto his lap. Carefully, he pulls off my boots. His thumbs rub circles across the arches.
“If I wasn’t so tired, I’d ride you like there’s no tomorrow just for doing that,” I moan. He really does have magical hands.
“I think that’s how we got here in the first place.” He smirks at me. I know exactly how we got here. It involved the couch in his studio and a very risqué drawing session. Think Rose inTitanic. “Do you want to change?”
“No. Let’s just get this done so we can go back to the hotel, and I can collapse.” He slides my favorite slippers on and helps me off the couch. “How come I never realized until now that cozy slippers really are God’s gift to the world?” He laughs and moves to the door. With his hand resting on the knob, he turns to appraise me.
“Hmm, I might have to disagree with that.”
He opens the door, and Travis makes his entrance. “Uncle Travis is here!” I swear I can hear Beau sigh from all the way across the room.
“Hey, don’t forget Uncle Trace is here also.” His bright eyes sweep over me the moment he enters the room. “How are you, sweetheart?” Great, now I have four mother hens all clucking around me.
“I’m great. Ready for some quiet time at home.”
“Are you kidding?” Travis says. “We’ve got way too much to do. Bro softball league, get the nursery ready, graduation,”—he counts each one off on his fingers—“moving, baby classes, baby.”
It all sounds exhausting, except for bro softball league. That’s literally what they call it, and I can’t believe they convinced Beau to play.
I can’t wait to see our friends again. Austen started a book club last time I was home. It was probably all the wine I drank at one of the meetings that led to the naked sketching and this little one. Anyway, they always made sure I could join via online chat when I was on the road.
“All right,” I say finally. “Let’s get this done, so we can get onto that.”
BEAU
I had no idea the difference one Christmas could make in my life. If you had told me I’d be balanced on a stool in the corner of a room watching my wife sign autographs, I would have laughed. Not only am I in awe that I have a wife, but I’m about to be a father. Now I’ll get the chance to do everything right that I got wrong with Travis.
“Babe, are you ready to go?”
Babe. I’m someone’s babe now.
“Whenever you are.”
Robin ushers the last fan out the door. Harmony turns to me. She looks exhausted but gorgeous all at the same time. I take her hand, leaving Robin to pack up her stuff, and pull her to the door.
“I’m starving,” she admits halfway down the hall.
