She could tell he didn’t like that, but thankfully, he only nodded and said, “Whatever you want to do is fine with me.The good news is the band is playing there this weekend, so I’ll be around if anyone gives you a hard time.”
“You’ll let me handle it myself, or we’re going to have a problem.You got me?”
“I’ve got you, sweetheart, and as long as you want me around, I’m never letting you go.”
“That guitar in the corner over there.I assume you play that?”
“I do.”
“Will you play for me?”
“I’d love to.”
He got up and turned on the gas fireplace since it had gotten chilly after sunset.After fetching the guitar, he returned to the bed and sat against a pile of pillows to tune the guitar.
Bathed in the glow of the firelight, he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.And then he began to play and sing “Our House” to her, and it was all she could do not to weep from the sweet message he was sending with the song.With him, she could be perfectly content staring into the fire for hours and hours while he sang love songs to her.Listening to him, watching his fingers move over the strings, a feeling of absolute rightness came over her.
They would live here in this lovely home with him, eventually, and they’d be happy together.He was someone she could count on to be there for the long haul, to have her back, to help her raise her children and to love her through all of life’s ups and downs.
Someday, when they were much older, she’d tell the kids the story of how she’d gone to meet with a divorce attorney and found true love in the last place she ever would’ve expected to find it.
She’d tell them how one of the best men she’d ever known had shown up when she was at her lowest point and changed everything for the better.
Epilogue
The weekend at the Whisky had been incredible for the band and torturous for Julian.He’d had to force himself to concentrate on the music when all he wanted to do was leave the stage to fight every man who dared to look at Isla in her short black skirt, Whisky T-shirt and sexy little apron.
In addition to that nightmare, she’d had her hair in a high ponytail and had worn a lot more makeup than he’d seen on her before.He’d been out of his mind over her from the first second he saw her decked out for work while he was doing a sound check with the band.His mouth had fallen open as she’d sent him a saucy smile and a little wave while he tried to keep his tongue where it belonged.
“That’s not you looking at my baby sister like you want to eat her up, is it?”Denny had asked.
Isla had told her brother that she and Julian had decided to make a go of it together, and he’d told them both how happy he was for them.But that didn’t mean he liked watching Julian ogle her.
“She’s hot as fuck.”
“Watch your filthy mouth.”
“Sorry,” Julian said with a sheepish grin for his friend.“I only speak the truth.”
Denny glowered at him before they continued with the sound check.He kept an eye on Julian while Julian kept an eye on Isla during all three nights at the bar.Knowing he’d get to go home with her was the only thing that kept Julian from going insane.
On Sunday, they finished playing earlier than they had on Friday and Saturday and sat to have a drink together to celebrate a successful gig at one of the city’s most celebrated venues.
Stix raised his beer in a toast.“Here’s to sharing the stage with Janis, The Doors, Led Zep, The Kinks, The Byrds, Mötley Crüe and so many others.”
“Hear, hear,” Denny said when he leaned in to touch his glass to the others.
“You guys were all on fire this weekend,” Troy said.“People noticed.Caleb heard from a promoter about sending us out on tour.”
Caleb was a friend who managed them in exchange for references to other bands, when they needed managing, that was.
“What?”Vixen said breathlessly.“Are you for real?”
“I’d never lie about something like that,” Troy said.
Julian and Denny exchanged glances as their friends’ dream came true, but it was a dream they didn’t share.For them, it was about the release of making music, not chasing the gold ring.
“Tell us exactly what he said,” Vixen demanded.
