Risky Replay (Country Stars Forever #1)

Chapter 36

Thirty-Six

DEREK

Reception at the airport sucks. I saw Emily’s missed calls last night during the opening, but by the time everything winded down, it was too late to call the East Coast. I returned her calls this morning, but they went straight to voice mail. I type out a text to her as I check the screen at the gate. The flight is on time. I tell her I’ll be unavailable for the next five hours as I cross the country, but instead of seeing the message sent, I receive a red fail to send exclamation mark. Several tries and I don’t have any luck.

I type out an email, hoping wi-fi will do the trick.

Throughout the flight, I rehearse what I’ll tell Emily, and by the time I’m on the road to the townhouse in Crofton, I don’t have a reply from her.

It’s past four in the afternoon when I’m at the door, certain James is home from school. I knock, and there’s no answer for some time. I knock again, and this time, I hear heavy footsteps and prepare myself to tell Mike if he has something for me, to give it to me, not sneak shit into my bag. It’s what I want to say, but in the end, its moot since what he left in my bag has me standing here. Ready to tell Emily I’ll move for her. Buy us a bigger house. And I can fly back and forth to Tennessee, but I’m here. I’m really here for my family. For her.

Mike laughs as soon as he sees me. I hate the guy.

“James, Victoria, guess who’s here.” He calls out behind him and the patter of running feet has the tension in my neck easing. I squat down the second they appear and, oomph, I’m pummeled from both sides. My arms enclose them, and their hugs are worth the exhaustion of getting up early and flying here.

“Where’s Mom?” James asks when he releases me and starts looking behind me.

“I was hoping you could tell me.” I glance up at Mike who is still wearing a shit eating grin.

“She’s not here. I can’t let you in,” Mike says, and I swear under my breath.

I take a step forward, and he doesn’t back up. My fingernails dig into my palm.

Mike laughs again. The guy is an ass, and since Emily’s not here, I can let him know exactly what I think of him. But there are two pairs of sweet brown eyes staring up at me. And Victoria loops her hand with mine and announces, “We’re playing Candyland, and you’re on my team.”

“There are no teams in Candyland,” James flails his arms dramatically at his sister and starts moving inside. Victoria follows, and when I don’t move, she drops my hand.

I arch a questioning brow at Mike. He doesn’t move. I should have whisked Emily away from this place last time I was here. But it’s not up to me. Or Mike. It’s Emily’s choice. I shouldn’t because James and Victoria will hear, but I lean forward and try as much as I can to keep the bite out of my voice. “If you wanted to get rid of me, you wouldn’t have left me a little present to find.”

His eyes narrow. “I gave him my word. I also promised, if you came around, I would protect them from whatever shit you’d stir up.”

“Emily can take care of herself and her family. She doesn’t need you or me protecting her.” I rub my hands over my face or I’d be slapping him. “What she needs is for both of us to get along for them.” I point at the living room where they’re playing. “And respect her decisions. Now, I’m going to call her and ask her permission to come into the house.”

I turn my back on him, and walk down the driveway while I dial. There’s no answer. Fuck. After a few tries, there’s still no answer. I’ll wait outside if I have to. When I face the front door, Mike is gone, but it’s wide open with James standing there, watching me.

“Uncle Mike said to keep an eye on you.” He tilts his head. “Don’t you want to play?”

“Yes. Yes, I do.” I walk inside, Mike’s doing something in the kitchen, and Victoria lies on her stomach on the living room floor, her head in her hands, staring at the board as if the pieces were going to move on their own.

“You can take my spot,” Mike says and heads downstairs without another word.

I head to the top of the stairs and call his name. When he stops and looks up, I exhale. “Thanks.”

He answers with a nod.

We play the game several times, and I find out Emily left early in the morning without confirming when she’d be back. I’ve been trying to call her and have sent her several texts over the past few hours.

I found all the ingredients in the fridge to make dinner for us, and as I’m cleaning up after the kids are asleep, my phone rings.

“Emily.” My shoulders lose some of the tension I’ve carried for weeks now.

“Where are you?” There’s a slight whine in her voice as if she’s annoyed and tired.

“In your house.”

A beat of silence passes. “What? Oh god, why?” There’s no bite in her voice, and she sounds like she’s about to fade into sleep.

“Where are you?” I ask .

“I spent an hour banging on your door, and Tim said he hadn’t seen you. My phone died, and he offered to charge it for me. He offered me a sandwich. I ate it sitting on the stairs because I didn’t want to miss you coming home or leaving, and I’m sunburnt.”

My cheeks hurt from how wide I’m smiling. “I was hoping to surprise you. Are you still at my place?”

“Yes, because you were supposed to be here. Tyler said you went home.”

I had told him I was going home, but I didn’t specify. “Hang on.” I find the app on my phone and unlock the front door. “You can go inside now.”

I hear the familiar creak of my front door in the background. “So clean, Anderson. You do realize when the kids come here, all this will be full of sticky hand prints and Legos everywhere? Also hair clips. Why are those always everywhere? Oh my god.” She’s quiet, and I catalog what the place looked like before I left. “I love these,” she whispers.

I printed photos and decorated the main wall in my living room with them. Some are of James and Victoria when we were exploring Nashville, including one of James at the zoo pointing in awe at the Alpacas. There’s one of James and me from my recent trip as pirates. My favorite is a candid shot of Emily and me at the Fourth of July party a fan posted on social media.

I clear my throat. “Why are you there?”

She gives a tired laugh. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I’m…” Telling her over the phone while we’re hundreds of miles apart won’t cut it. “I’m coming to you. Stay put.”

“Right now?” she asks, then groans. “I flew to San Diego this morning. I need sleep.”

“Stay put, Emily. Don’t go anywhere. Promise.”

“Promise,” she says, and I swear I can see and hear her smile. “Kids are good?”

“They’re great. We played Candyland, had chicken quesadillas for dinner, and we watched Star Wars. ”

“Which episode?”

“Uh, six. The one with the Ewoks.”

“Look at you,” she teases, “a pro now.”

“I love him. I love them both.”

“I know.” There’s rustling in the background before she adds, “You know last time I was here…”

“You broke my light fixture?”

“Haha. Very, very funny. Funny guy.”

“A condom broke which wasn’t the worst part. I’d been scared finding you lying across the floor.”

“Oh god, too much happened in one day.”

“Promise you won’t try to fix anything.”

“One thing I do want to fix.” She yawns.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, angel,” I say as if I were there tucking her in.

“Tell the kids I’ll see them soon. Mike knows to watch them until I’m back.”

Little does she know Mike won’t be watching the kids again. “Goodnight, angel.”

“I’m too tired to unpack. I’m sleeping in one of your t-shirts.” She makes a noise like she’s breathing something in. “So clean.”

Hell. My dick notices. As much as I want to ask for a pic, I won’t. If we’re not working out – which is stupid because she’s in my house, wearing my tee shirt – I won’t let the hope train run away, because if I get there and it derails, I won’t recover.

Finding a last-minute airfare for one is easier than for three. And finding three seats together is impossible, even when calling the airlines as soon as they open in the early morning. I called three private charter companies and none have anything available for today. Every one of them has compassionately told me there’s nothing they can do. It’s a ten-hour drive and not going to happen with two little ones.

Nope. Not leaving without them. Not leaving them with Mike.

“I need an airplane.” Doing anything to prove to Emily I will be there when I tell her I will be, I can’t be above begging. I call Aiden at a way too early hour for a Saturday morning.

“I can’t just ask for one. Needs to be requested for business only,” Aiden says.

I spill everything to him like my mouth has no stop button.

“Okay, okay, I’ll figure something out as long as you stop crying like a love sick fool,” he says, promising to call me back as soon as he can.

When Aiden calls back with good news, James and Victoria are up for the adventure. I get them to pack as much as possible in a carry-on I found in James’s room, and promise if they need anything, I’ll buy it. Of course, they pack the carry on with toys.

“I don’t want to walk up the stairs,” Victoria complains when we’ve walked up half a flight at my building. I hoist her onto my back.

“I’m tired.” James stops a couple steps above me and gives me the evil eye as I’m hauling their suitcase and mine. We’re almost there, and I don’t want Emily to come out here and rescue me. I want to prove to her I can manage.

“One more flight.”

James sits on the landing blocking me from moving. “I want to get back on the plane.”

James spent most of the flight staring out the window. Since I’ve been determined to get them here, I forgot to pack snacks, and we missed lunch. As soon as I can get them inside, I’ll order us something, but first, “James, I need you to cooperate. I promise there’s a surprise upstairs.”

“Why are we here? Where’s Mom?” he whines.

I let go of one of the bags and offer him my hand to stand.

James tilts his head while Victoria tightens her grip around my neck yanking it toward her, and her little looped fingernails dig into my skin. One more flight of stairs.

“Where’s Midnight?”

“We’ll see him another day. But right now, I need you to get up.”

He eyes Victoria, who asks him to get up because she has to potty.

I let go of the second bag, and bend down while keeping Victoria safe with one arm, and loop the other around James, and hoist him to me. With a child on each arm, my quads burn by the time I reach my door. Instead of letting them go, since they are gripping me tight, I ask James to knock. Luckily, he doesn’t argue. We wait. Is she here? I should have called her to give her our ETA, but she said she’d be here. I should punch in the code, but without a third hand, I can’t.

“Again, James, and a little harder.” This time, James takes the request to heart and bangs on the door.

They are faint, but then they grow louder. Steps. The unmistakable, confident stride of the woman I love.

She opens the door, and at first, her expression is pinched but once she recognizes us, she squeals. Victoria does too and adds a loud, “Mommy!” and leans toward her while James’ grip on me tightens.

She curls Victoria into her and steps forward. Her eyes shine with moisture. “You showed up.”

“You stayed,” I instinctively answer.

“I stayed.” She gives me a watery smile.

“Are you going to kiss?” James asks.

Emily arches a brow at me playfully.

“Yes, we are. Close your eyes,” I tease before leaning forward and connecting my lips to hers. A tiny sticky hand lands on my cheek, pushing me away.

“Ew,” Victoria says, making us break apart with Emily’s wide grin matching mine. I keep eye contact hoping she’ll hear my promise to finish the kiss later .

James and Victoria chatter on about our adventure on a private plane, while I grab the suitcases and order us food. We clear out the coffee table, and set ourselves up for a movie and games the rest of the day. By the time they’re asleep on my bed, Emily and I clean up, avoiding the elephant staring us down.

Emily arranges the extra blankets on the living room floor for us, and I dry the last dish. She leans her hip into the kitchen counter. She doesn’t say anything as she waits for me to find the bowl its rightful place in the cupboard. When I put it away, she gnaws on her bottom lip.

I reach for her hand, and she lets me lead her to the living room. When my ass thumps against the hard floor despite the blankets, I groan. “Should have invested in a pull-out sofa.”

“Pretend we’re camping.”

“We ain’t kids anymore.” I shift her. Her back is to my chest as I prop myself against the couch and hold her around the waist. I rest my chin on her shoulder and breathe in the berry scent that’s all Emily. She rubs her hands over mine, and her delicate finger traces my knuckles up onto my forearm.

“You showed up,” she whispers. The path she’s drawing never falters.

“I can’t guarantee it will always happen,” I say holding my breath for what might be her response.

Her finger moves in a swirly pattern as if she were writing something on me. If I want us to work out, I’ll have to do what I never had the guts to with Emily.

“I haven’t felt like this in a long time.” That’s a shit start. Fuck. I make a living out of writing and singing about love. But those are lyrics worked over and over, and here I am unrehearsed, prepared to give Emily everything I got. And there’s a risk she’ll reject me, even with me laying it all out there. But she flew coast to coast to find me, and I can hold a little faith in what she did.

“I’m not talking about being in love, because you’re the only one who’s held my heart. It’s a sense of security I lost the day my mother left.” The pressure in my throat travels to my sinuses. “I don’t talk about it, not even with Jesi.” Emily shifts and faces me. Her lips meet mine in a sweet and encouraging peck. She was there when I had to explain my mother’s sudden absence. But I never shared how it happened.

I recall my father’s words transporting me to the past where I was fucking scared. “When we came home, he was waiting for us in the living room. He spoke low and slow so we wouldn’t ask him to repeat himself. He said, ‘Your mother moved out. Don’t ask if she’ll visit. You’re old enough to take care of yourselves. Stay in school, get good grades, and go to college. You’ll have food and shelter. Stay out of trouble.’ Those were the old man’s instruction for how we would survive the loss.

“The more time went by, the more I wondered what I’d done wrong. I’d rehash the weeks leading up to that day, catching everything I could have done differently. My dad, he was different before. But as time went by, it was as if he’d left too. It ended up being Tyler, Jesi, and me. Ride or die.” I cup her face in my hand. “But you were there. Charlie, too. And I swore I’d do everything right to keep every single one of you in my life.”

Emily connects her lips with mine, and we slide down until she’s on top of me, kissing me with what feels like a million promises.