Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
Six hours of practice, and my fingers were finally screaming at me to stop.
My violin case snapped shut, and I finally let myself breathe.
I’d been at the Montana Philharmonic building in Missoula since nine this morning, working through the Tchaikovsky piece until my fingers ached.
The fellowship was everything I’d hoped for and more. The other musicians were incredible, and they made me want to play better and dig deeper than I ever had before. Maestro Brennan had this way of pulling performances out of us that I didn’t even know we were capable of.
And the audiences were on a whole other level.
There was nothing like playing for people who were there because of their love of music.
College recitals usually had audience members who were getting extra credit to attend or relatives who felt like they had to be there.
It wasn’t the same energy or caliber as what I’d experienced during my first month in the Philharmonic.
My phone buzzed just as I got into my car.
Andy
How’d rehearsal go?
I grinned, typing back as I started the car, hoping the AC kicked on quickly because Montana was experiencing a heat wave.
Me
Amazing. Brennan says I’m ready for the solo in the Brahms.
Andy
Fuck yes! I knew you’d nail it. Can’t wait to celebrate tonight.
Me
What did you have in mind for celebrating?
Andy
You’ll see. Come get our girl and then I can properly congratulate you.
Me
On my way. Love you.
Andy
Love you too.
It still caught me off guard sometimes at how easy it was to say those words to him.
And how much I meant them.
My heart had never felt as full as it had in the past six weeks that Drew and I had lived together. And it never got old leaving my fellowship and heading to the gym to pick up Rory while Drew finished his shift.
Peak Fitness, where Drew had gotten a summer job, wasn’t anything fancy—just a local gym with good equipment and a community feel. But they’d been flexible about Drew’s schedule, and they had childcare on-site for gym attendees and employees who needed it, which was basically all that mattered.
“Harper!” Sheila lit up when she saw me through the glass doors. She was one of two workers at Peak Fitness who ran the childcare room, and she adored Rory. “Perfect timing. Miss Rory just woke up from her nap.”
I caught sight of Drew through the window, spotting someone on the bench press.
He looked so at ease in the role—like helping people reach their goals had always been what he was meant to do.
He’d shared with me that he had dreams of being an athletic trainer, and I could totally see him in that role after college.
“How was she today?” I asked as Sheila led me deeper into the childcare room.
“An angel, as always. Though she did spend about an hour banging her palm on the toy piano and babbling like she was singing.” She grinned. “Wonder where she gets that from.”
Sheila was in her forties and had met her husband when they were in college, so of course she was in love with the idea of Drew and me becoming a happy family once we graduated.
Rory was sitting in a bouncy seat, chewing on a teething ring and kicking her legs.
The moment she saw me, her eyes that had recently turned the same shade of hazel as Drew’s lit up, and her face broke into the biggest grin.
She started making those happy little sounds that made my chest feel all warm and giddy.
This sweet girl’s smile was all it took to make my day.
“Hey there, beautiful girl,” I said, unbuckling her and lifting her up. At five months, she was getting so much more interactive. Drew swore she’d said something that sounded like “dada” once, though I hadn’t heard it yet. He couldn’t wait for her to start talking. “Did you have fun today?”
She immediately grabbed a fistful of my hair and tried to eat it.
“No, no, Rory. Hair is not food,” I laughed, gently pulling the curls away from her mouth. “But I get it; everything looks tasty when you’re teething.”
“She’s been doing that to everyone today,” Sheila said, gathering up Rory’s things—her diaper bag, a few toys, the little blanket she liked to sleep with that Ava bought for her. “I think she’s teething more. Drew mentioned she was a little fussy last night.”
I nodded, bouncing Rory gently. She had been clingier lately, too, wanting extra cuddles and waking up more often during the night. But even her fussy days were manageable when Drew and I were handling them together.
“Thanks for everything, Sheila. See you tomorrow?”
“Bright and early! Have a good evening.”
I made my way back through the gym, Rory perfectly content to look around at all the equipment and people.
Drew caught sight of us through the window and held up one finger, letting me know he was almost done.
I settled into one of the chairs in the lobby area to wait, letting Rory play with my keys while she sat on my lap.
“Harper!”
I looked up to see Jake Morrison, one of Drew’s teammates, walking over with a gym bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was damp with sweat, and he looked like he’d just finished a serious workout.
“Hey, Jake. Good session?”
“It was great,” he said with a grin, plopping down in the chair next to mine. “I’ve never been in better shape.” He made a funny face at Rory, who giggled before burying her face against my shoulder. “How’s the little boss doing?”
“Happy, as always.” I shifted Rory so she could see Jake better. “Though she’s decided hair is the best snack food available.”
“Ah, the teething phase.” Jake laughed, wiggling his fingers at Rory, who was now fascinated by his watch. “My sister’s kid went through that. Everything went straight to the mouth. And how’s the fancy music stuff going? Drew says you’re killing it.”
“It’s incredible,” I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. “I never imagined I’d get to work with musicians at this level. Every day I learn something new.”
“That’s awesome. You guys are really doing it, huh? The whole domestic thing?”
I looked through the window at Drew, who was quickly finishing up, putting away equipment and obviously eager to wrap up his day. Even when he was in a hurry, there was something attractive about the way he moved, like he knew exactly what needed to be done.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “We really are.”
“Good for you both. I’ve gotta say, none of us saw this coming at the beginning of the semester, but Drew’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. And Rory clearly adores you.”
As if she knew we were talking about her, Rory let out a string of babbles that sounded remarkably like she was trying to contribute to the conversation.
“She’s got opinions,” Jake laughed.
“So many opinions. She’s very chatty these days.”
Drew appeared in the lobby a few minutes later, his hair slightly messed up and his Peak Fitness polo clinging to his chest so tightly it showed off how toned he was underneath.
My brain immediately went to the gutter, thinking of all the things I was going to do to him tonight when he got home and after we put Rory to bed.
“Hey,” he said, bending down to kiss me before reaching for Rory. “How are my girls?”
“Great,” I said, meaning it completely. “How was your day?”
“Good. Busy.” He settled Rory against his chest, and she immediately relaxed into him, one tiny hand curling around the fabric of his shirt.
“Mrs. Patterson finally managed a full set of squats without me having to remind her about her form, and Jake here didn’t pass out during his session earlier, so I’m calling it a win. ”
“I only saw stars for like thirty seconds,” Jake protested.
“Progress.” Drew grinned. He focused back on me, his hand automatically settling at the base of my back. He was always finding small ways to touch me if we were near each other. “I have one more personal training client, but then I’ll be done.”
“Okay, we’ll see you at home.”
Home. The word slipped out so easily now, like this routine had been ours for far longer than just over a month.
Jake gathered his gym bag. “I’ll let you guys get going. See you around, Harper. And bye, little boss,” he said, waving at Rory, who gave him a drooly smile in return.
Drew squeezed my hand. “I’ve got a few minutes. I’ll walk you guys out.”
I smiled up at him. He always did this and I loved it. I loved everything about the way he loved me.
Out in the parking lot, he helped strap Rory into her car seat—he’d bought a second one so each of our cars had one—and then gave her kisses on her cheeks until she was giggling. God, I loved her little laugh. Then he closed her door and pulled me against him.
“Drive safe, okay. You’ve got precious cargo.”
“You say that even when I don’t drive with Rory.”
“I know.” He kissed my forehead. “You’re also precious.”
If it was possible for a body to melt from overwhelming love, I would’ve seeped to the ground right then and there.
“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth before placing a quick kiss there.
“I love you too. I’ll see you guys at home.”
The drive home gave me space to reflect on the day—how well rehearsal had gone, and how much I couldn’t wait to share it all with him later.
When I got back to the hockey house, I settled Rory in her bouncy seat in the kitchen and started pulling ingredients for dinner from the fridge. Drew had mentioned celebrating, but I figured I could at least get things started.
“What do you think, Rory? Pasta sound good?” I asked, and she kicked her legs enthusiastically, which I took as approval.
I was chopping tomatoes when she started getting fussy, making those little whining sounds that meant she was either hungry or bored. I washed my hands and picked her up, swaying gently while I hummed one of the pieces we’d worked on today.
“You know what? I think your daddy’s going to be so proud when he hears all the details about today,” I told her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Rehearsal went even better than I texted him about.”
Rory babbled like she understood me.
“That’s right. Your Harper’s pretty good at this music thing.” I spun us around the kitchen, making her giggle. “And your daddy’s pretty good at taking care of us, isn’t he?”
The sound of Drew’s truck in the driveway made us both look toward the front door. Rory immediately perked up, like she could sense he was home.
“There he is,” I said, bouncing her gently. “Let’s go greet Daddy.”
Drew walked through the front door looking tired but happy, his gym bag slung over his shoulder and a small bouquet of wildflowers in his hand.
“Those for me?” I asked, grinning.
“Actually, they’re for Rory,” he said with a straight face, then broke into a smile and I swatted his arm. “Of course they’re for you. Congratulations on the solo.”
He handed me the flowers with a kiss that ended far too soon, then immediately reached for Rory, who practically launched herself from my arms to his.
“How’s my girl? Did you give Harper a hard time while I was gone?” He nuzzled her neck, making her squeal with delight.
“She was great. We started dinner prep together—she supervised while I chopped vegetables.”
Drew laughed. “Sounds about right.”
We fell into our usual evening rhythm—Drew finishing the pasta while I put together a salad, both of us talking to Rory and making her laugh with silly faces. After dinner, I practiced on my violin while Drew gave Rory a bath and read her a book before bed.
When I finally set my violin aside, Drew was waiting on the couch, Rory already asleep in her crib.
I settled in beside him, and I was certain I’d never been happier.
For the first time, love and music felt like the same thing—both filling me to the brim until I felt like nothing could ever go wrong.