A Kiss in the Moonlight (Pelican Bay #3)

10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Maddy woke up as the flight attendant announced the plane was preparing for landing. Thanks to too little sleep last night in Tyler’s bed and her recliner seat in first class, she’d slept most of the flight. Raising her chair to the full upright position, Maddy lifted the shade to take in the view of a sunny L.A. morning.

“Good morning, Ms. Kinkaid. Would you like a glass of water before we start our final descent?” the flight attendant asked.

“Yes please, Valerie,” Maddy said, accepting the glass.

She paid special attention to the names of the people who worked to make her travel comfortable. It used to embarrass her when Reece was demanding on flights. Maddy never cared about being fussed over because of her celebrity status. She just enjoyed singing.

Maybe that was why she’d felt more like herself since spending time in Pelican Bay. People didn’t look at her as a star who needed special treatment. She was just Maddy. And when tourists asked for her autograph, she would offer a smile and polite conversation while signing their notebook or a T-shirt, and even pose for a selfie.

After draining the glass, she rose and, grabbing her tote bag, made a quick stop in the restroom. She did not miss sitting in coach or business class with little leg room. Not to mention the first-class bathroom was larger and more luxurious. It was one perk she loved most about her celebrity status, and she’d long stopped feeling guilty about indulging.

She rinsed her mouth with mouthwash and, removing her ponytail holder, brushed out her hair. A swipe of lip gloss and a splash of perfume, and it was as good as it was going to get.

Back in her seat, she fastened her seatbelt and opened the magazine she’d bought at the airport. When the plane landed, she collected her things and, with a wave to Valerie and the other staff, was among the first off the plane.

She’d only brought her guitar and the tote bag, since she had more than enough clothes at her townhouse, located in Manhattan Beach, a laid-back community southwest of L.A. She’d bought it six months after Reece died, using money from the sale of their house.

After they were married, Reece had surprised her with a house in Calabasas because it was the up-and-coming place for celebrities, which was important to him. While it was an amazing house, Maddy had never felt comfortable flaunting her success. Mixing with celebrities was okay, but she preferred a quieter life.

Manhattan Beach offered quaint shops, upscale restaurants, parks, and access to the beach. Not that she went there often.

Maddy reached into her bag and grabbed sunglasses, which she slipped on along with a cowboy hat that served as her disguise as she wove her way through the airport. She stopped to send separate texts to Ty and Emma to let them know she’d landed safely. She added a picture of her in her disguise and sent it to Ty along with heart and kiss emojis.

Then she texted her mom, who’d insisted on picking her up. She exited through the automatic doors and into a perfect L.A. day—dry and only eighty degrees, compared to the heat and humidity of New Jersey .

She was heading to the parking garage when someone stopped her. “Are you Maddy Kinkaid?”

Two girls in their teens, along with a couple, who Maddy assumed were their parents, stood looking at her with barely restrained excitement.

So much for the disguise.

Maddy turned, smiling broadly. “I am. Who’s asking?”

She’d started asking that when people sought her out. Fans knew more about her because of what they read or heard on the news. So why not at least get their names? It was a question that served as an ice breaker and shifted the focus from Maddy to them.

“Oh my God, I told you it was her,” the taller girl said. “I’m Ashley, and this is my sister, Hallie.”

“We’re such big fans,” Hallie announced. “Can we take a selfie with you?”

Maddy learned the girls were there with their family for vacation. After chatting a few minutes and wishing them a fun trip, she posed for a selfie and waved goodbye. A few other people, noticing the small gathering, stopped and asked for autographs or selfies.

After ten minutes, she extricated herself and made her way to the parking area, where her mom sat in Maddy’s powder-blue BMW.

Maddy stowed her guitar case in the back seat and slipped into the passenger seat. “Hey, Mom.”

“There’s my girl.”

The two women hugged.

Maddy hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her mom until that moment. They’d been inseparable until she moved in with Reece. Linda Kinkaid was fifty-nine, with dark brown locks the same shade as Maddy’s natural hair, to which she’d added blonde highlights. She wore it in a long bob that framed her face. They were the same height at five foot four and often presumed to be sisters rather than mother and daughter.

“Crazy inside?” her mom asked.

“Not too bad. A few fans stopped me. I wasn’t sure if people would even recognize me, since it’s been a while since I released an album.”

“Your fans haven’t forgotten you, sweetie. Don’t forget who reads your fan mail. Since your last album, you recorded a song with Reece and were a presenter at the Grammys and a headliner at a couple of large concerts.”

Including the one she’d hosted in Pelican Bay over Memorial Day weekend. Besides working with her booking manager, Madison, to book venues that would provide good visibility, her mom was her largest fan.

“Thanks, Mom. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to get stopped for autographs.”

“You don’t get a lot of that back home?”

“In the beginning, but now it only happens when I walk on the boardwalk or places where there are more tourists. I enjoy being incognito. I also don’t want all that limelight on Dylan.”

Her mom and she had had this discussion before. Maddy didn’t want Dylan to be exploited by the press. She’d been a little over two when Reece OD’d. While Maddy had talked to her daughter about her dad and there was a picture of them in her bedroom, Dylan had no memory of him. The last thing Maddy wanted was the press filling her daughter’s head with negative things about her dad.

Maddy had met Reece on the set of America’s Teen Talent . As the winner from a prior season, he was invited as a guest judge. It was still early in his career, and after the same record label signed her, they were around each other a lot. He helped her learn the steps in recording an album and introduced her to people who would work with her.

Reece was a good person who got sucked up by the fame and notoriety that came along with that. The parties…the drugs and alcohol…the women. Things Maddy came in contact with, too, but avoided because it wasn’t her, and she didn’t care about kissing up to some label executive.

Maybe that wouldn’t help her albums go platinum, but Maddy could live with that.

“How was it leaving Dylan?” her mom asked.

“It was hard, especially dropping her off at camp this morning. I was a basket case when I got back to Emma’s.”

She’d been relieved to see Ty had returned after swim lessons and hadn’t gone to work yet. She practically fell into his arms and didn’t even need to explain why she cried off all her makeup.

Ty…They’d been together less than a week, and she couldn’t get her mind off him.

“She’ll be fine, honey. I miss that little girl,” her mom said. “I’ve missed both my girls.”

“We’ve missed you too, Mom,” Maddy said, and squeezed her hand.

After backing out of the parking spot, her mom made her way out of the parking deck into the crazy L.A. traffic.

“Dylan’s birthday is coming up. Why don’t you come out that week? I’ve only been there a couple of months, but you said you’d come to us, since it’s easier than dragging her back and forth,” Maddy said.

“I know, but I need to get my head around coming back to Pelican Bay. So much time has passed.”

“It has, but you still keep in touch with people there. Anna and Mark just got married, and your other friends will be happy to see you. The town has made a lot of changes, and the tourists are coming back.”

“I’d have to figure out where to stay.”

“Dylan and I are still at Emma and Jason’s house, otherwise I’d offer to put you up. How about Mrs. Mancuso? She renovated the B&B real nice. Maybe she’ll have a room.”

“How ironic would that be…for me to stay at the inn where I used to work and live?”

“Does that bother you?”

“I’m not sure. I feel different from the woman who grew up and lived in Pelican Bay.”

Her mom had come a long way from the person who was a housekeeper at the Pelican Bay B&B and a server at one of the local restaurants.

Now, she was the assistant manager at a hip restaurant near their townhouse. Maddy made enough to support both of them, but her mom insisted on working and doing her share. She also helped with Dylan and had started getting involved more with the business side of Maddy’s career since her hiatus after Reece’s death.

Her mom pulled into the lot of Pacific Records, the label that had given Maddy her first break after coming in second in America’s Teen Talent . After her first album’s success, she’d had an opportunity to move to a larger label, but Maddy liked the people she worked with at Pacific and was satisfied with the new deal her agent had helped negotiate on her behalf.

They were understanding when she got pregnant and couldn’t tour closer to her due date. And even more so after Reece’s death. A larger label would likely have dropped her.

Maddy’s phone buzzed with a notification, and she smiled as Ty’s face filled the screen. He’d taken a selfie of himself in front of the demolished front of the marina Jersey Boy building and posted it on Snapchat. Seeing it made her feel homesick.

“What has you smiling?” her mom asked. “Or should I ask who has you smiling?”

Maddy turned the phone to show her mom. “You remember Emma’s brother, Tyler?”

Her mom studied the picture. “I do. He’s all grown up and very nice looking. He looks a lot like his dad.”

Maddy took the phone back and sent him a snap back. “He is totally hot and a super-nice guy. And he’s so good with Dylan.”

“You’re dating?”

“We just started.”

“We need to get inside, but we can talk more later about me coming to Jersey. And I want to know more about the man who has my daughter looking so happy.”

Maddy pushed open the doors to Pacific Records, remembering the first time she did so eight years ago. She’d been in awe of the polished marble entranceway and nervous as hell when she’d been introduced to Hugh Spector, vice president, and Carl Parks, her producer. They’d been larger-than-life to a twenty-year-old girl from a small New Jersey beach town.

The disadvantage of being part of a nationally broadcast reality TV show was that everyone in the industry knew who she was and that she had no experience outside of singing. Stories of young, inexperienced artists being taken advantage of had made their way around those struggling to get a break, but Maddy didn’t know what was true and how much was told to deter the competition from trying .

She did her best to push aside her vulnerability and exude an air of confidence she didn’t completely feel. Thankfully, her mom went to every meeting with her and had insisted on hiring a manager. Reece had been a wealth of information, having gone through the process a year prior, and provided a few recommendations, including Gabe Pascal, the manager he used, whom she went with after meeting several others.

Growing up, Linda Kinkaid had supported her daughter’s singing and set aside whatever money she could so Maddy could take dance lessons. Maddy took most of her singing lessons from the nun at church who played the piano and led the children’s choir each week, which Maddy had been part of until she was old enough to join the adult choir. When money was tight, Linda would take on extra shifts at the restaurant—anything to put a smile on Maddy’s face.

Now, mom and daughter strode through the office door arm in arm. They rode the elevator to the seventh floor. The receptionist greeted them and waved them through the double glass doors.

Two session musicians were leaning against the wall outside the recording studio, scrolling through their phones.

Maddy smiled broadly at her friends. “Hey, strangers.”

The guitarist, Aiden, the taller of the two, pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

“Looking good, Maddy,” Marco, who played drums, said, and also gave her a squeeze.

“I’ve missed you guys,” she said, realizing she had.

While she didn’t have a band, these two had been with her for the recording of all four of her albums. And she requested they join her whenever she went on tour. They’d become close friends and kicked around the idea of forming a band right before she got pregnant with Dylan. Then, after Reece died, they’d put the discussion on hold .

“Hey, Linda,” the pair said. They both hugged her mom.

“Better get inside,” Aiden said. “Gabe has been driving us crazy today, worried about keeping things on schedule.”

Maddy rolled her eyes. As her manager, it was Gabe’s job to keep her on task and grow her career, but often he could be intense.

“Carl doesn’t seem worried, though,” Marco added.

As her producer, Carl Parks handled all aspects of recording and finalizing her album. If he wasn’t concerned, then neither was Maddy.

Her mom waved a hand in the air. “Gabe’s bark is worse than his bite. I’ll talk him off the ledge.” She went inside. Maddy had no issues letting her mom handle Gabe.

“How’s our angel Dylan doing?” Marco asked.

“Some days she’s more devil than angel, but she’s good. Growing up more and more each day.” Maddy showed them recent pictures.

“She’s going to be a beauty like her momma,” Aiden said.

“Right now, we’re working on her not getting covered in food while she eats and not having potty accidents,” Maddy said.

“Better you than me,” Marco said.

“Sounds like you have your hands full,” Aiden added.

“I do, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

He put an arm around her shoulder. “Well, we’ve missed you. I hope you’ve come with your singing game on, because it’s going to be a long and grueling week.”

“Let’s do this,” Maddy said, and followed them inside.

Hours later, while on a break, she stepped into an empty conference room to FaceTime with Dylan. Her daughter’s tears nearly caused Maddy to head back to LAX. But her friends had her back and helped turn the meltdown into smiles with the help of a promise for a few rounds on the carousel, followed by ice cream .

Maddy dried her eyes and exited into the hallway to find Gabe waiting for her.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She had hoped to run to the restroom to splash cold water on her face before returning to the studio. No chance of that now. She shoved her phone into her back pocket. “Yeah. My first time away is a little hard on Dylan.”

“I’m sure.” He crossed his arms and studied her. “Can I be frank?”

She snorted. “When haven’t you?”

“True enough. Look, Maddy, I know you were taken by surprise when you got pregnant, and then you were getting back on track when Reece died.”

This discussion was getting off to a bad start. “I’m here now. You know I’ll keep my commitment to the label.”

“You emailed Madison to meet about the tour dates. Is there a problem?”

Madison Jones was Maddy’s booking agent. In preparation for her new album, they’d already booked tour dates for early spring next year. Maddy wanted to review the schedule and see whether a few alternate locations on the East Coast could be swapped out, especially festivals in the summer months.

“I have a few ideas on the tour locations I wanted to discuss with her. Break it up a little to help my work-life balance so I can see my daughter between dates, where possible.”

“Dylan is always welcome on tour.”

“You know how hard touring can be on an adult, let alone a child. It’s not fair to her.”

“I understand. But you know how this business works. If you don’t tour, do interviews, or keep releasing albums, your fans will move on. ”

“Gabe, I’m only inquiring if there is any flexibility. Nothing more.”

“Just use caution. You need to think about the tour crew, including Marco and Aiden. When they don’t work, they don’t get paid.”

Maddy didn’t like where their conversation was going, but he had a point. It was becoming more and more difficult to find the balance between her job as a mom and as a musician.

And how about Ty? How did he fit into this world?

Her life married to a musician had been crazy, but at least Reece understood. Often, they had similar obligations because of their common career and contacts. Ty would have nothing in common with that. Would he even be comfortable around industry people?

She pressed a finger to her temple, where a headache was forming.

“I’m not trying to add to your stress. There’s a lot involved with being Maddy Kinkaid, pop artist. Make sure it’s still what you want.” Gabe laid a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “I’ll see you back inside.”

Maddy watched him go and leaned against the wall. Singing professionally had been her dream since she was a kid. That she had attained it was a tremendous accomplishment. Could she really give it up?

And what about Dylan? Figuring things out with Ty was one thing. But Dylan was her flesh and blood, and she had to do what was best for her.

The scale was tipping on the side of returning to L.A. Thoughts of her Pelican Bay life with Ty and Broadway Betty’s were feeling like a dream that may never be possible.

With Maddy in L.A., Ty created a routine entirely focused on filling his hours with as much as possible to not give himself time to think about her being away. Which meant he worked himself from early morning, when Dylan had taken to crawling into his bed, until late at night, when he ended his day talking with Maddy.

He’d easily moved into super-uncle mode, offering to pick up Dylan from day camp. And if that more often than not led to a couple spins on the carousel, then why the hell not? Dylan missed her mom the most first thing in the morning, at camp pickup, and at bath and bedtime. While Ty couldn’t stop her from missing her mother, distraction kept the meltdowns to a minimum.

They’d learned the hard way not to have Maddy call at bedtime, because Dylan would be inconsolable and take hours to get to sleep. Instead, Maddy would FaceTime after Dylan got home from camp and had a snack. She was less weepy if her belly was full.

Since she wasn’t always available when it was Dylan’s bath time, Maddy had sent a recording of her singing a couple of her daughter’s favorite songs so they could play them.

While that worked most nights, Ty had to read an extra bedtime story to Dylan before she finally fell asleep. If he was lucky, she wouldn’t cry. He’d never seen someone who could conjure the massive tears the girl managed. Ty could now recognize the signs—the furrowing of her brow, the quivering of her lower lip. If he caught them early enough, he or someone attempted to distract her with a game, a puzzle, or something.

Multiple times a day, she’d ask how many days until her momma came back. Emma had an idea to buy a calendar—a mermaid one, of course—and circled Maddy’s return date. Each morning when Dylan woke up, she’d put a large X on another day and practice her counting.

According to Ty’s sister, the marking of the X helped Dylan see the days dwindling. The counting helped her prepare for kindergarten, which she would start in September. It was a double win.

Ty didn’t know what had given Emma the idea, and even though they all had teased her, they stopped when they saw it working. Which, of course, Emma lapped up. Each day after camp, Dylan would bring the calendar downstairs and set it on the coffee table in the family room while she watched TV. Sometimes she’d hold the calendar, as if touching it would make time move faster.

Genius idea, for sure. Of course, he’d never admit it to his sister.

Following Emma’s schedule, their friends would stop by and do something with Dylan, while others would make dinner. Sometimes it was a walk to the bay beach or a game at the house. They planned a couple of trips to the boardwalk with Becca, and the girls rode the amusements.

It didn’t matter what they did, Dylan was happy being with her extended family. Together, they made sure she was busy and shed minimal tears.

Evan gave her chores to get her involved. Simple things like setting the table or taking the ketchup out of the refrigerator that could take anywhere from five to thirty minutes for the toddler to complete. When it was time for dinner, Dylan ran through the house and outside, calling out for everyone to come and eat.

With coordination from Emma and all hands on deck from their friends, they were getting through the week. Each night Ty fell into bed exhausted. Maddy did this by herself . Sure, her mom had helped in L.A., but most of the work fell on her shoulders. He had a greater appreciation and deep respect for her parenting skills .

On mornings when he taught swim lessons, Ty brought Dylan with him, and she practiced with Ivy or one of the other instructors. She was making progress and would take her first swim test after Maddy returned.

After today’s lesson and a quick rinse in the shower at the pool locker room, thanks to Ivy, Ty dropped Dylan off at camp and headed to the marina to watch the filming of the renovation.

He parked a block away to avoid the vehicles from the construction and camera crews. Blockades had been set up around the perimeter to keep people out. But that didn’t stop spectators from gathering and gawking.

Before and after filming, fans would call out to Connor, and he’d take a few minutes to chat with people. Many were visitors excited and curious to see the network truck on the street. Ty watched with awe as women, young and old, flirted with Connor, many wearing skimpy bikinis and wanting selfies.

He had been there less than ten minutes when Abby joined him. “The Beach Bimbos strike again.”

“I don’t know how he deals with it,” Ty said.

“It’s the price of fame. I’m sure Jason and Maddy deal with it, too.”

Ty could recall a few times at Toninos when Maddy was approached by fans for autographs and selfies. She never complained, but offered a smile and engaged them in friendly conversation. “Doesn’t it bother you that these women try to slip their number into his front pocket?”

“It used to, but I know Connor only has eyes for me. I keep my man very satisfied,” she said.

Connor looked their way and blew Abby a kiss.

“You have nothing to worry about. He’s head over heels into you. ”

“As I am with him.” She took in the construction. “Wow, they really pulled almost everything apart.”

“They’re working double shifts to get me up and running in half the time.”

“Con’s super jazzed about this place. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“We haven’t set a wedding date. The thing is, I don’t want a big, fancy wedding. I want something simple and small. Immediate family and friends.”

“If you’re worried Connor may have a problem with that, don’t be. He’ll do whatever makes you happy.”

She grinned. “Yeah, he’s pretty awesome about that. I want to find a place to have the wedding that’s special to him. Emma and Jason are having their ceremony at the lighthouse, so I don’t want to do the same thing.”

“Do you have something else in mind?”

Abby nodded at the large deck that extended into the bay. “I was thinking here. What if we built a temporary arbor and held the wedding at sunset?”

Ty could see it now—the soft light as the sun dipped toward the horizon. Abby wearing a simple white dress with flowers in her hair instead of a veil. Connor in a casual suit and maybe even barefoot. Kayaks, paddleboards, and surfboards arranged on the deck with seasonal flowers around the arbor. “I think he would love it.”

She grasped his arm. “Really? You’ve known him longer than me. You sure?”

“Absolutely. When are you thinking of having it?”

“October, after Emma and Jason’s wedding. ”

“The waterfront renovation will probably be done, or close to it, by then, and it won’t be too cold yet. I think you should go for it. Let me know how I can help.”

She shrieked and hugged him. “Thank you. It’s going to be perfect. I can’t wait to tell Connor.”

“Tell me what?” Connor said, grasping Abby around the waist. “What are you doing with my woman, man? You have your own now.”

Abby laughed and kissed him.

“You looked pretty cozy with your fans,” Ty said.

Connor rolled his eyes. “It’s the same thing every time. They’re so pathetic.”

“It’s real rough when girls in skimpy bikinis practically throw themselves at you,” Ty teased.

“The best girls are the ones who make you work for it,” Connor said, and kissed Abby’s hand.

Ty thought of Maddy and how long they had each fought their feelings.

“How’s Dylan holding up with Maddy in L.A.?” Abby asked.

“She’s hanging in there. The goal is to exhaust her so she won’t miss Maddy too much.”

“And how are you holding up?”

Maddy and he had only started dating just before she left for L.A., but for Ty, it felt longer…maybe because he’d had feelings for her for so long. Now, he checked his phone all day long, waiting for a Snapchat or a text message from her.

And Maddy had made him promise to keep her updated on what they did. The morning she left, she’d cried in his arms after dropping Dylan off at camp.

“Dylan will be okay, Mad. We’ll all make sure she’s safe and busy and we’ll FaceTime with you every day,” he told her .

“I know…but I’ll miss her…and you, Ty.”

He kissed her. “I’ll miss you too, sweetheart. You’ll have to finish up your business quickly and return home to us.”

Ty blinked away the memory. “Working and watching Dylan is keeping me pretty busy. Tonight, we’re having a BBQ at the house, if you both want to stop by. Jace bought a slip-and-slide, so bring a suit.”

“We’d love that,” Abby said. “We’re picking up Dylan and Becca after camp tomorrow and giving them facials and mani-pedis.”

“I’m a little afraid I’m going to end up wearing pink nail polish,” Connor said.

“I’d say there’s a pretty good chance of that,” Ty said, thinking of more than one occasion where Dylan had painted his nails with pink, sparkly polish.

Connor winced.

Abby laughed. “I need to get back to the shop. Before I go, let’s stop by the waterfront, Con. There’s something I want to show you. See you tonight, Ty.”

“Later.”

Ty watched his friends walk hand in hand to the deck. Abby was gesturing with her hands and then, with a shriek, jumped into Connor’s arms and kissed him.

Guess there’s officially an October wedding to look forward to. The number of weddings among his friends and family was increasing. It was good to see those close to him so happy.

He only wished he knew if a wedding was somewhere in his future with Maddy. His head told him it was too soon to be jumping right to marriage, but he’d been in love with her for so long and knew he wanted to spend his life with her and Dylan.

But it was definitely too soon to tell her how he felt. To do so could risk what they’d started building together.

He could wait.

Before leaving, Maddy had confessed her worries about returning to L.A. this week, about being pressured by her manager to live there when her time in Pelican Bay was over.

In the end, Maddy had to do what was right for her and Dylan. How could Ty compete with a professional singing career? She’d been a tremendous success from the start, with songs from all her albums hitting the Billboard top twenty. Hell, she’d presented a freaking Grammy award.

What would make her want to stay in Pelican Bay? Him?

Unsure of what he’d choose in her situation, he shook his head.

He needed to stop the negative thoughts. Maddy would be home in a few days. They’d deal with L.A. and her career together.

What would Ty do if she chose her career over him? He honestly didn’t know. But he’d been raised to believe that where there was a will, there was a way.

And Ty would do everything in his power to show Maddy they could build a great life right here on this tiny slice of paradise.

Maddy opened the door to her townhouse and relaxed for the first time in four days—four long, grueling days in the recording studio experimenting and recording background vocals. Afterward, they’d experimented with a few new songs, including the one Maddy had started in Pelican Bay.

Each night, Marco and Aiden insisted they go out to dinner or a party, and despite her protests, she invariably found herself getting ushered into a private car. Tonight, they’d gone to an outdoor beach bar, where many celebrities hung out. Marco started up a conversation with the lead singer from the cover band, and the next thing Maddy knew, she was on stage singing songs from her prior albums. It was fun, and she didn’t mind, but she preferred to be prepared.

It was a little after eleven p.m., and hell if she wasn’t exhausted.

She slid out of her heels and carried them upstairs to her bedroom. She’d loved her townhouse from the moment she set eyes on it. Three bedrooms offered her mom, Dylan, and herself their own space. The main level was an open concept with a living room, dining area, kitchen, laundry, and half bath. Bedrooms were on the second floor. The third level had a bonus room Maddy used as a studio and led to a deck with a staircase to a rooftop deck. From there, she had a view of the town, including the beach.

In her room, she shimmied out of her jeans and grabbed her phone out of her bag.

Damn. Two missed calls from Ty. It was late on the East Coast, so she sent him a text, smiling when he FaceTimed her.

“Hey, you,” she said, curling up on her bed.

“Hey, beautiful. How’s it going?” Ty lay in bed, bare chested, his hair tousled.

“Sorry it’s so late. You didn’t have to call me back.”

He held up a hardback John Grisham book. “I was reading and nodded off.”

“The time difference sucks.”

“It’s all good, Mad. I fell asleep while I was reading to Dylan earlier. Then I was wide awake.”

She laughed. “Happens to me all the time. I start yawning as soon as I begin reading. If I’m lucky, she passes out before me.”

“Same. Now I understand why she takes a nap on the couch before dinner. She has a lot of energy.”

“She does. Were we like that as kids? I don’t even remember.”

“Me either. Does that make us officially old?”

“Hardly. We’re not even thirty. ”

His features softened, and she saw yearning in them. “Do you want more?”

She widened her eyes. “More kids?”

“I know you had Dylan kind of young. Have you ever thought of having more?”

As in more with you? “My life has been so crazy since Dylan was born that I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Sorry, I’m not trying to pressure you.”

“You’re not. It’s just…” She bit her lip. “It’s like there’s two of me. Maddy the pop star and Maddy the mom. When I’m here in L.A., it’s often frustrating to find the balance between the two. I’m afraid Dylan’s going to grow up thinking tours and parties are a normal life.”

“And when you’re in Pelican Bay?”

“It’s different. I’m more relaxed and can focus on Dylan and my friends.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, until L.A. comes calling and I have to jump.”

“Like now.”

“Exactly.”

“Why does it have to be one or the other? Why can’t you have both, but on your terms?” Ty asked. A question she’d been asking herself.

“Maybe…I owe Cade an answer about Broadway Betty’s.”

“It was a sad day when Mr. Rafferty closed the doors. He tried to hold on, but people here weren’t indulging in singing ice cream shops and tourism was nil.”

“Inside looks the way I remember it.”

“What would you do with it?”

“I’d renovate it and open it the same as before with the waitstaff singing and performing, but with a twist. ”

“What kind of twist?”

Maddy hadn’t fully thought out her idea, but she had enough to run past Ty. “I’d like to offer classes for kids, both singing and dancing. We’d teach them all week, and then on Friday they’d perform. We could have longer classes—like day camp—for local kids and an end-of-season show.”

“That sounds like a cool idea. You would do that all yourself?”

“I have a few friends I could contact and see if they’d be interested in helping me.”

“What about your own music?” Ty asked.

“There’s an apartment upstairs. I talked with Evan about renovating part of it into a recording studio.”

“How would that work?”

“I’d have to hire or contract out a team, including musicians, to record with me. Unless…”

“What?”

“Marco and Aiden are the session musicians I work with now, and they’ve been with me for all of my albums. Years ago, we talked about forming a band, but after I had Dylan and Reece died, we didn’t pursue it.”

“Do you think now may be the right time?”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“I think you need to speak from your heart, Maddy. Explain your vision to them.”

“Yeah, I need to do it before I leave.”

“Back to my question,” he said.

“Right…more kids.” She stared into his brown eyes and saw more than a handsome face. She saw someone she could spend her life with. “Yes, I would like more kids. How about you? ”

He smiled. “Definitely. I’d like a couple. I’ve loved spending time with Dylan these past few days. It’s exhausting, for sure, but it’s rewarding.”

“It is.”

The enthusiasm on his face melted Maddy’s heart. She was falling in love with him. Was that even possible so quickly?

Her eyes filled. “I miss her…I miss all of you.”

“We miss you too. We’re not going anywhere. You’ll be home soon.”

Home…in Pelican Bay. It felt and sounded right.

“But you forgot about someone,” Ty said.

She furrowed her brow. “Huh?”

“Don’t forget about Maddy, the woman,” he said, his voice dipping into a husky whisper. “She needs to be taken care of, too.”

He was so right. She was so busy worrying about Dylan and her career, she didn’t think about herself.

Or maybe she had been waiting for the right person to come along.

“You’re right. And Maddy, the woman, misses you, Ty.” She propped the phone on a pillow and stripped off her shirt.

His eyes widened as he took in her bra.

Reaching behind her, she unfastened the clasp and let the satiny material fall away, leaving her breasts exposed. The cool air caused her nipples to harden. Or maybe it was the way Ty devoured her with his heated gaze.

He groaned. “You’re so beautiful, Maddy. I want to kiss you so badly right now.”

“I want that too, but we can’t. But there are other things we can do.”

She wasn’t sure what made her feel so brazen, but she did .

“Touch your breasts, sweetheart. Pretend I’m sucking on your nipple.”

She did, cupping their fullness and flicking the nipple the way he did.

After some rustling on the bed, he was back. This time she could see all of him, and he was naked and gloriously hard.

She removed her panties, already damp, and adjusted the phone so he could see her.

“I’ve never had phone sex before,” she admitted.

He stroked his cock. “Me either. I’m glad it’s a first for both of us.”

“Me too. Now tell me what you’d do to me next.”

“Touch yourself between your legs. Pretend I’m kissing you…licking you.”

She did, and between the low murmur of his voice and remembering the feel of him as he touched her, she cried out when she came in a sudden rush. Ty grunted, and she watched in fascination as he came, his eyes on her the entire time.

“I wish I was home in bed with you,” she whispered.

“Me too. Soon, Maddy. Soon.”