“Not sure how much they’ll eat, since they’ve been snacking on fruit more than chopping it,” I muse, looking at the plate of fruit they’ve set out for us.
“These two are always hungry, Faye. I swear, they each have hollow legs because their stomachs surely can’t be this big.”
The boys rock in laughter as they each reach for a pancake. As soon as Mark gives them some bacon, he offers some to me, then sits beside me on a barstool.
“Fresh coffee, crispy bacon, and homemade pancakes? A girl could get used to this,” I tease after taking my first bite. “Mmmm… This is delicious.”
Mark shrugs as he dishes up his own plate. “You’ve got an open invitation. With my family being so close, I keep the fridge stocked and ready for unexpected visitors. With summer in full swing, I do my best to help my girls when I can.”
Maybe I’ve got his situation all wrong, “You watch the kids most days?”
“Only when needed. These two have Becca, their regular sitter, during the weekdays, but she had a family emergency. When Jax isn’t touring or in the studio, he has a lot more flexibility to be with the boys, and Sloane tries to keep regular work hours when she’s in town.”
“So, their dad is a musician?”
“Daddy and Uncle Finn are Ruby Frax.” Josh grins with delight.
Ruby Frax? “What?” I draw out as the pieces slowly click together. “Your daughter is married to Jax Cartwright?”
When Mark nods, I muse to myself, “How did I not know that?”
“I guess it never came up,” Mark says with a shrug.
Then I remember the headlines from a few summers ago. “Wait… Those were your daughters who caused all that commotion with their mistaken identity when the world found out Jax was engaged?”
A low chortle escapes as he nods his head. “Yeah, Raven and Sloane are often mistaken for one another until you get to know them. Much like these two rascals.” He points mischievously at each of the boys.
“I only pretend I’m him sometimes.” Josh giggles guiltily.
“Oh, boy, that’s not good.” I can only imagine the trouble these two will get into when they’re older.
“Wait, that must mean you’re also related to Finn McGowen?”
“Yep, he’s our uncle.” Jason nods. “He’s teachin’ me the drums.”
“What about you, Josh? Are you learning an instrument?”
Sighing, he shakes his head. “Daddy says we both need to learn piano first. When our fingers are bigger, we can learn guitar.”
“Hmmm… Your dad must know what he’s talking about,” I muse. “He’s pretty good at what he does. I caught his concert when I was in London last year.”
Mark’s eyes go wide. “You watched them perform in London?”
“Yeah, I snagged some tickets at the last minute. I’d been wanting to see them when they performed here, but the timing never worked out.”
“We were at that concert.” Mark motions to all three of them. “Hmmmm… Talk about two ships passing in the night.”
What are the odds?
Mark continues as if he didn’t just drop a bomb on me. “We were in one of the VIP suites to keep our rowdy crew contained.”
“I was up in the nosebleed sections. It was so last-minute, I took what I could get. Something just told me I needed to attend, so I went.”
“Hmmm… Interesting,” Mark muses as his eyes lock on mine. “Did you go with anyone?”
“Nope. I was there on business, and an ad popped up on my feed. As someone who travels alone frequently, it didn’t even phase me to go solo.”
“You can come with us next time,” Jason offers.
