Everything in the shop was high end, but there were also beginner guitars in the front. I wandered over while Luca went to the counter with Primo.
A young man, Primo’s nephew, we’d been told, was nearby putting some guitars back on the hook thingies on the wall.
“Do you have anything beginner friendly, but like… interesting looking?” It wasn’t as if I disliked the regular ones, they were just a bit boring.
He smiled and walked over to a wall behind me. “This one. It’s like five hundred bucks if that, you got to check with Uncle Primo, but I think it’s really nice.”
The instrument he picked up was green. I assumed it had been painted or whatever they would do to instruments like this. When he handed it over, I took it a bit awkwardly, but managed to strum the strings once while standing up, so it was a win.
I smiled. I’d always wanted to learn. I was pretty sure I’d had a tiny little kids’ guitar once, but our dad had stepped on it while high or something.
“Baby? If you want it and everything else you need, I’ll add it to my purchases,” Luca said behind me. He had a gentle expression on his handsome face.
I opened my mouth to object. Then closed it. Because what was a few hundred, even a thousand dollars to someone who could just buy an instrument like Betty.
“Okay.” I agreed.
Luca looked over at the kid. “Can you get him a simple hard case, a shoulder strap, and add a couple of guitar stands. Those foldable ones.”
“Of course, Mr. Moretti,” the kid said and gingerly took the cheaper guitar off my hands to go pack it up.
“I can teach you if you want,” Luca said, coming to embrace me. He kissed me softly. “Or I can figure out a good tutorial on YouTube or something.”
I grinned. “I think I’d like for you to teach me.”
“Deal.” He pecked my lips once more, then stepped back. “Let’s go get our guitars.”
We went to the counter where Primo and Ben were chatting about something car related.
I got my wallet out and took out fifty bucks. “Can I tip your nephew?”
Primo smiled. “Of course. That’s very kind of you.”
Ben gave me a smile that was warm and proud in a way that made me blush. I’d always chased his acceptance more than our dad’s, which wasn’t surprising given what kind of men they were. I’d also never had trouble feeling appreciated and accepted by my brother. He was my other half in a way that made very little sense.
I glanced at Luca who was grabbing Betty’s case. Well, it made sensenow. With Luca completing us. He wasn’t a third wheel, he was the glue to stick our halves together and make us whole.
As soon as we got off the plane, we saw Rian’s SUV.
Ben grabbed Luca’s bag and guitar case, and we watched as Luca sprinted to hug Rian.
“I keep forgetting they have a bond, too,” Ben murmured as we followed Luca a bit more sedately.
I made a noise in agreement. Especially if vampires stayed around each other after one turned the other, there was a bond between them that only kept getting stronger. It was, apparently, something almost familial.
Some vampires ended up lovers, others in friendships or living together as a family. Covens were still a thing, even though most vampires kind of disliked the old-timey word that made them sound like a weird gang—Rian’s words, not mine.
We gave Rian hugs, too, and then loaded up the SUV to go home.
Gods was I glad to see the familiar scenery. I felt like I’d been gone for a month and not a few days.
Luca sat in the front with Rian, and they chatted about everything that had happened on the trip and the press conference, while Ben and I chilled in the back.
I could sense the tension leaving both of us in a gradual flow. I now knew we could do a major city if we wanted or needed to, but we were small town boys at heart. And wolves. Couldn’t forget about that. I idly wondered what wolves living on Manhattan did on full moons. Did they run around in Central Park?
I snorted softly. Ben raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled but shook my head. He smiled back and took my hand, then turned back to look out the window.
When we finally stepped out of the SUV at the house, my knees wobbled.
