“This is awkward,” Courtney said because, well, it was. Super awkward. Weird. Odd. And not a little fun.
“It doesn’t have to be,” Bax assured, too quickly.
She nodded. “But it is.”
“I don’t want Harley to search for her parents online someday and find Em,” Bax said, genuine concern in his tone. “How do we make it so that doesn’t happen?”
Now that was a question Courtney could answer.
“We’re both really careful and stick with Chet,” Courtney said, turning the options over in her mind. “Stay away from anywhere there could be cameras that aren’t contained.” That would have to be the plan. “Avoid everything paparazzi.”
That naked concern in his gaze hit her in the heart.
She could relate to that feeling—parenthood did that to a person.
This was the moment, she could feel it in her gut—the moment where she had to decide if she trusted Bax.
Without hesitation, she knew her answer: she trusted him.
She’d committed to trying with Bax for Tiny Badass—Harley. She still cared, appreciated what they were building.
Was that enough?
It had to be enough.
She’d make it be enough.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Courtney
Music,mountain air, and making memories for the fans.
Courtney sighed a good sigh. The kind that mattered.
The last concert of the tour was not in a stadium. They’d selected the Telluride Town Park venue for multiple reasons, mostly because the air blew fresh and cool, and they closed off the town entrance to anyone who didn’t live there or have a hot little ticket. This is what they did in Telluride. Literally closed down the town when good music showed up.
Courtney, Becca, and Irina had set up shop in the staff tent, just off the stage. On one side, they had the mountains. On the other, the band and lotsa speakers. Wow, oh wow, was it loud.
And in front? There were the fans.
“I think I need an oxygen tank,” Becca gasped dramatically, dropping into the chair next to Courtney.
The extra thousands and thousands of visitors in Telluride to see Dimefront must’ve taken up a lot of the air because there seemed to be a substantial amount of oxygen molecules missing.
This was the mountains for them. Denver was at altitude, but Telluride beat that altitude by a lot. This was aRocky Mountainhigh that required a little adjustment.
“For real, where do they keep the oxygen?” Irina shook her head. “Though I think I see Oprah over there, so I’m good with the whole no-air part of the town.”
Oprah and the San Juan Mountains made for an impressive background to the music. Telluride sat in a valley with the jagged mountain range surrounding. The atmosphere screamed Pabst Blue Ribbon, laid-back with a dash of diamonds.
They’d even taken the gondola up to Mountain Village to walk around and play a game of gigantic checkers.
The only thing better than a pirate ship was a gigantic outdoor checkerboard.
She’d already decided that was what she’d be getting Bax for his birthday this year.
Look at her making plans for their future together.
