“Yeah, he’s gonna love it,” Bo agreed, rising from his padded stool. “Enough for today?”
Tossing his blond surfer waves, Kit rubbed his fingers on his shirt. “Yeah, I think so.”
“I don’t know about you all, but I could use a beer,” Matt said, putting his guitar away. They’d been holed up in here all day, working up a sweat.
“Me, too.” Bo looped an arm around each of them, and together they climbed the stairs. “Hey, with Tay and everybody up at the lake house for Memorial Day weekend, why don’t we get Sloan over here and grill some steaks or something?”
He won’t come.
Today would have been Kyan’s thirty-first birthday, and that fact wasn’t lost on him, or any of them, Sloan included. Growing up, they’d celebrated many of his birthdays at the Byrne’s lake house, and that’s why Taylor and the others were there now. To sing “Happy Birthday” to a ghost.
Matt said, “Good luck with that.”
“I’ll have Ava call him and put Emmy on the phone.” Bo winked. “You’d have to be a heartless sonofabitch to turn down a three-year-old.”
Bo’s daughter was their frontman’s weakness. With a soft spot for Emery in his cold, dead heart, he didn’t have it in him to refuse the little girl.
“Unkey Sloan, will you sing with me?”
“Of course, precious.” With a chuckle, Sloan got down on his haunches and grinned. “‘Baby Shark’?”
Pale-blonde pigtails flying, Emmy shook her head. “Nooo, that’s a baby song.”
“You’re right. Forgive me?”
She nodded.
“What shall we sing, then?”
“‘Let It Go.’”
“Emmy’s in her Elsa era, I’m afraid,” Ava explained with a shrug, taking a seat next to Bo. “She’d watchFrozenon repeat if we let her.”
“Disney is not in my repertoire, but if you help me out, I think I can do it.”
Emery climbed onto his lap, and together, she and Sloan belted out the chorus. It amazed them all to hear such a clear, powerful voice coming out of the little girl’s throat.
“She has a gift, Bo.” Stroking her baby-fine hair, Sloan smiled down at the child. “You need to help her develop it.”
“I am. She started piano lessons a few months ago.”
“And Emery sings along with Miss Rachel every day, don’t you, sweetie?” Ava added, proud mama that she was.
“But I like singing with you better, Unkey,” Emery said, then wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
“Awe.”So damn cute. Then a thought occurred to him. “The two of you should cut an album of children’s songs together. Metal versions, of course.”
“You know, that’s not a bad idea.” Matt wasn’t altogether serious when he made the suggestion, but Bo seemed to like it.
“Heh, maybe we could,” Sloan said, sharing a high five with Emmy.
“You’re gonna make such a cool dad someday.”
“Don’t think so, Bo Peep.” He glanced down at his lap, and the smile he put on for Bo’s daughter fell from his face. “That scene ain’t for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to have any.” Sloan raised his gaze, and expelling a breath, he shrugged. Then, with a kiss to the top of Emery’s head, he moved her off his lap. “I’m happy enough playing uncle to this little princess here.”
