How to Fall For a Rockstar: a single mom, grumpy sunshine, small town, rockstar romantic comedy (Cas

Chapter 11

Epiphany – The moment you realize you’ve been blind to the possibility in front of you

Fender

Iplay the final notes of the song, and the sound reverberates throughout the venue until silence falls. The silence lasts for a millisecond before the crowd erupts in cheers. Finally, we’re done. Not only with this concert but with the week of back-to-back concerts.

I set my bass down before exiting the stage. Jett, Gibson, Dylan, and Cash follow me.

“Encore! Encore! Encore!”

I ignore the crowd. I’ve heard concert-goers yell for Cash the Sinners to perform an encore for years now. It no longer excites me.

I scowl. It no longer excites me? Since when? On our tour last year, I was pumped whenever I came off stage. Full of restless energy and excitement. Why not now?

“Dude.” Jett elbows me. “Get with the program.”

“He’s not dude. He’s grumpapottamus,” Gibson says.

“Are you okay?” Dylan asks. “We’re about to go back on.”

I grunt. I’m perfectly fine. Why do they think something’s wrong?

“He’s grunting. He’s fine,” Cash says.

Dylan rolls his eyes. “You’re just saying he’s fine because you want to get this encore done and get back home.”

Cash chuckles. “Don’t act as if you’re not in a hurry to get home, too.”

Dylan shrugs. “It’s only been a week, but this week has lasted forever.”

Jett rears back. “Forever? This week has been awesome.”

“I second,” Gibson says. “Awesome week.”

“Because you took those twins back to your hotel room the other night.”

Gibson grins. “Hell, yeah. Do you think there’s an app for finding twins? I’m all over it.”

Dylan rolls his eyes. “You’re disgusting is what you are.”

Gibson smirks. “What I am is winning.”

Jett scowls. “Twins don’t count as two women.”

Gibson waggles his eyebrows. “They certainly do. Ask me how many condoms I used.”

I growl. I don’t want to listen to this shit. It’s bad enough when we’re on the tour bus and can’t get away from the details, which he exaggerates to absurdity. “Encore.”

“Everyone ready?” Cash asks. Despite his desire to hurry back home, there’s still a sparkle of excitement in his eyes. He loves performing before a crowd.

He waits for everyone to nod. “Let’s go!” He claps.

Jett rushes on stage first. He begins to drum out a beat and Gibson joins him with his rhythm guitar. I’m next. I strum my bass as Dylan strolls on stage before Cash finally makes an appearance.

When Cash appears, the crowd goes wild. Our manager was worried that his being in a steady relationship with Indigo would have a negative effect on our fans, but the fans adore him now more than ever. According to the press,‘there’s nothing sexier than a man committed to his woman’.

We play three songs before Cash signals for us to wrap it up. Good. I’m ready to get home.

Home? Winter Falls isn’t home. No matter how much I enjoy living there. It’s not permanent. It’s temporary until I find a place to settle down.

But another place won’t have Leia and Isla in it. I pat the card in my back pocket. I glance around backstage to be certain I’m alone before pulling it out again.

The picture on the front is of a doggy with big puppy dog eyes and the words We’ll miss you when you’re gone underneath him.

I open it. Inside, Isla wrote me a note. Come back soon. Hugs, Isla.

My heart warms as I stare at her wobbly block letters. Too bad Leia didn’t add her name to the card.

Leia. I’ve missed her this past week. I’ve missed my little firecracker. I’ve missed how soft her skin is. How she shivers when I speak close to her ear. How her knees wobble when I surround her.

She thinks I didn’t notice her response to me at the horse farm. I miss nothing where she’s concerned. Including how she shut off her reaction to me.

I know she wants me. But she doesn’t want to get involved with me. Is it because I was an asshole? I can show her I’m not.

I freeze. What the hell am I thinking? Am I seriously contemplating a relationship with Leia? I don’t do relationships. Not after how the last one ended.

“What’s this?” Jett nabs the card from me.

I growl and start after him. He throws the card to Gibson who sprints down the hallway. I chase after him but Jett blocks my way. I push him to the side and continue after Gibson.

“Private,” I grumble and snatch my card back.

“But it’s from Isla. She’s our friend, too,” Gibson says.

“I even let her win at tag.” Jett never lets anyone win. He’s the most competitive person I’ve ever met.

“She’s a little girl,” I remind him. She’s not competition.

“Still,” he pouts.

“What’s going on?” Cash asks as he enters the hallway. “Why is security complaining about you playing catch in the hallway?”

I narrow my eyes at Jett. “Not playing catch.”

He holds up his hands. “It’s not as if I stole a love letter from Leia to you. It was a card from Isla.”

“A card given to me.”

“Why is Isla giving cards to this asshole and not us?” Gibson asks.

“Isla? Leia’s daughter?” Dylan asks as he joins us. His face is flushed and there’s a twinkle in his eye. He must have been on the phone with Virginia.

Jett points at Dylan’s face. “Someone was having phone sex with his girlfriend again.”

“I never thought the shy librarian would be into phone sex,” Gibson says.

Dylan glares at him. “No more talk of Ginny and sex.”

Gibson curls his bottom lip in a pout. “But I want all the details. I tell you all the details of my exploits.”

“Ginny is not an exploit. She’s the woman I love.”

I wait for the pang of jealousy to hit me the way it always does whenever Dylan or Cash refer to the women they love but it doesn’t come. Instead of jealousy, all I feel is longing.

Longing to be with Leia and Isla now instead of standing in this hallway with my bandmates waiting to go home. I want Leia in my arms where she belongs.

Where she belongs?Fuck. I rub a hand down my face. I want Leia.

I knew I wanted her the first second I saw her. How could I not with her mischievous blue eyes and curly blonde hair?

But I swore off relationships after what she did to me. I never wanted to open myself up to another person again. Never wanted to feel the pain of having everything I’ve ever wanted ripped away from me again.

But with Leia, I’m not worried about opening myself. I’m not panicked. Quite the opposite.

Imagining the little firecracker as mine has excitement coursing through me. I’m ready to take a chance again with Leia.