Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 100441 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100441 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Ryder lets out a small laugh. “She was being a spoiled brat, then?”
“No matter how many times I told her to use her manners, I think they fell out of her head today.”
“Do you need me to talk to her?”
“No. It’s usual kid stuff. It’s just been exhausting.”
Ryder takes the spot next to me. “Those days suck.” His arm wraps around my shoulders, and then he leans in to kiss my cheek.
I eye the sliding doors I left open so I could still hear the kids if there was an issue.
“Maggie needs to hurry up and come back,” Ryder murmurs. His lips touch my neck.
I stay seated where I am, my hands on top of my legs, and try not to cross any lines. “You’re either being brave right now or don’t care your daughter’s in the next room.” I keep my voice low.
Ryder groans. “I miss you.”
“You see me every day.”
“For like a second. It’s not enough.”
I swallow hard. “I agree.”
“Stay tonight?” he whispers. “We can work something out.”
“I have Chase today and tomorrow, and then I’ve got my gig tomorrow and Saturday night.”
Ryder blinks. “Shit. It’s Thursday already?”
“You’ve been working hard.”
He slumps. “I have. This new kid. He has an attitude on him already. Doesn’t like the way he’s been paired with a producer who used to be in a boy band.”
I fuse my lips together, trying not to smile. “Sounds … familiar.”
Ryder shuffles so he can face me. “Oh, no. This is different. When you do it, I find it cute. On this kid, it’s infuriating. You’re at least respectful. This kid thinks I know nothing about real music.”
“And yet he has a record deal with that attitude, and I’m still—”
Kaylee squeals.
I wince. “In charge of dealing with that.”
I stand.
“This guy has a record deal because he probably played the game and told them he couldn’t wait to work with me and kissed their asses. That’s not your style.”
“Not at all.” I turn to leave, but Ryder stands.
“Tomorrow night, after your gig, I’ll pay for an Uber or whatever to get you out here, and we can spend Saturday together.”
“Together, together? With Kaylee?”
“We could go to Disneyland or something. Just the three of us.”
I try to cover my smile. This is huge.
Kaylee screams again, louder this time.
“You should get that. And I should get back to work.”
“You just left the guy in the studio?”
“Yep. He needed a time-out.”
“By the sound of it, either Chase or Kaylee do too,” I say.
Ryder kisses my cheek. “I’ll try to finish up early tonight so you can get Chase home at a decent time.”
“Thanks, or Brenna and Chord might hurt me. Or you.”
When I go back into the playroom, it turns out Kaylee’s screaming with glee because she and Chase are throwing her toys at the fan, whipping them around the room.
I sigh.
Sneaking into Ryder’s house in the middle of the night feels weird, but there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to fall asleep next to him. And maybe grope him a little.
Or a lot.
He sent me a text earlier telling me to let myself in because he was going to nap and to wake him when I got here.
But when I reach his room, he doesn’t even stir as I move about his space.
I strip down to my boxer briefs and slide into bed beside him.
He smells like shampoo and cologne, and his hair is sticking up at all angles like he went to bed with it wet.
As tempting as it is to wake him and kiss him and take his body, I’m not that mean. Or desperate.
I mean, I’m pretty desperate for him, but if he’s as exhausted as I have been lately, it really would be cruel to wake him.
And when I curl up behind him and pull him against me, all he does is let out a sweet moan before his breathing evens back out.
I kiss the back of his head and crash hard.
It feels like I only blink when the sun cracks through Ryder’s window.
I reach for him, but the bed beside me is cold and empty. I didn’t even wake when he slipped out of bed, much like he didn’t notice when I got in it.
This is what a relationship with him will be like. It’s what any relationship with kids is like, I’m assuming.
Between each other’s jobs, me gigging at night, and Kaylee waking early, there are going to be a lot of missed opportunities and mornings apart.
I think I’d be okay with that, but if I’m signed to a label it’ll be ten times worse.
I can’t help wondering what it would be like to have him with me through all that when it happens.
If it happens.
It’s obvious he misses the business. He misses singing. He misses being in the spotlight.