Tears pooled again, and I swiped at them. “You’re killing me here, Dad,” I said before thinking about what I’d called him. “Is that okay?”
He looked at me the same way Michael did. “I want nothing more than for you to call me dad. I want to come to your concerts and meet your band. I want you to meet my husband, and come home for holidays. I don’t even know when your birthday is or what your favorite food is. But I want to. I want to know everything.”
Everything I’d wanted as a kid growing up with a drug addict for a mother was sitting in front of me. And I had my He-Man to credit with that.
“Yeah, I want that too, Dad. I really want that too,” I cried as he grabbed me and hugged me.
I wasn’t alone any longer. I had my father, my uncle, and at least one crazy younger cousin.
And I had Michael.
“We should probably let the others come back out here. I know Grant will be itching to know more about you.”
I was dying to get to know them all. “Sure. I want to meet them.”
He got up and leaned forward to place a kiss on my head. Turning, he waved to Grant and the others to return. My aunt Grace gave me a hug and introduced me to my cousins Erin and Abigail. She also put Michael to work, bringing out the food.
My dad introduced me to my step-dad, Logan, who hugged me as much as my dad had.
“I can’t believe we have a son. We wanted kids, but with his schedule, it just never worked out. I’m so happy we have you,” Logan said, then hugged me some more.
“I’m really happy Michael found you. I always wanted a dad. Now I have two.”
Logan smiled and wiped away a tear as my dad walked up and put his arm around him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michael smiling at me. I was never letting him go.
The entire family sat around the table to eat and talk. They treated me to stories and made plans to see us on tour. By the time the evening was over, I’d exchanged numbers with everyone, and they all had my number, as well as Michael’s. I was sure Jayden was gonna blow up my phone, and honestly, I couldn’t wait.
“Before you boys leave, we have to take some pictures,” my Aunt Grace commented. I smiled as my thoughts went to the wall of pictures in the hallway.
“And by some, she means a hundred,” Jayden teased.
“Would you like me to take them?” Michael asked, getting up from his chair.
My dad and I both frowned at each other, then turned them on Michael, making him laugh. “I see the resemblance even more now.”
“Are you kidding? You’re going to be in the pictures, too, Michael. We wouldn’t have met Adam if it weren’t for you. So, no arguments.” Grant was taking no prisoners.
He nodded his head once in acceptance of his fate and smiled. Reaching down for my hand, he pulled me up and into his side. I wrapped my hand around his waist as he whispered in my ear. “Merry Christmas, Rockstar.”
I smiled and turned to him. “Merry Christmas, He-Man. Welcome to my family.”
It would be one we’d never forget.
CHAPTER26
MICHAEL
We endedup spending three wonderful days in Long Beach with Adam’s family. He and his dad got along remarkably well, sharing the same sense of humor and talking until late into the night. As we were preparing to leave for Oceanside, Liam refused Adam’s offer of free concert tickets.
“Nope. We’re buying them. I’m taking some time off and plan to go to your concerts in San Fran, LA, San Diego, and Phoenix. Might hop over to Vegas, too.” His eyes were full of pride for his son as he talked about attending the shows.
“That’s a lot of money you don’t have to spend,” Adam had argued.
I could tell his dad wanting to come was enough for him and he would happily have given out the tickets if it meant his dad was in the crowd. Showing up for him in a way his mother never had.
But Liam refused to take them. He was as stubborn as Adam.
“Just think of it as overdue child support, son. The least I can do is come to your shows.”
