Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Stone hadn’t been this excited in years. He took the last turn onto the street where Nelson’s Honkytonk Saloon & Bar was located. The karaoke night had come together along with the combo birthday party for Naomi that only the Nelson cousins, Locks, Ben, Finn, and he knew about.
Afterward, he was hoping for some alone time with Naomi, but they’d see. He wanted to take it at her pace, but he hoped she loved her early birthday party that she didn’t have to share with either Chloe or Lilah.
He backed the bike into a parking space, holding his hand out to help Naomi off the bike. She took her helmet off and leaned over to flip her hair. When she flipped it back up, he just stared at the woman he couldn’t believe was his.
He took her hand and walked her in. Hennessy had promised that he’d keep an eye out so everyone was ready. Stone held the door open and let Naomi go first.
“Happy Birthday, Naomi!” rang out from the crowd.
Naomi bounced up and down, looking around the room. “It’s for me? No one else?”
“Happy Birthday! Your amazing, smart daughters suggested a karaoke party would be the perfect birthday party for you,” Stone said.
Regan, Taylor, and Beck ran over to them.
“Are you surprised? Did you guess it was your birthday party?” Taylor asked eagerly.
“I didn’t because everyone was talking about the party for all three of us on July 1st. You guys are sneaky, but I love it.
Have you picked what songs to sing?” Naomi wondered, letting the girls grab one of her hands and lead her, but she reached back and grabbed Stone’s hand with her free hand.
He adored that about her. Even at the birthday party for her, she wanted to make sure he was included.
“This is the table for you, Stone, us, and Deborah because we wanted her with us,” Beck pointed out, gesturing proudly to the setup. “Look who all came.”
Stone realized that not only was this party for Naomi, but it was also a gift for the girls to help plan something for their mom. Jared the Jerk had missed out, but his loss was Stone’s gain.
Naomi was tapping her foot to the Nelson cousins singing We Built This City by Jefferson Starship. The wigs they were wearing were hilarious. The shaggy, shoulder-length locks, like all the bands wore back then, were so funny. Hennessy kept flipping his hair back out of his face.
They’d had snacks and birthday cake. The girls and she had sung Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Stone had asked her to sing with him, but he wanted her to pick the song.
“Do you know what you want to sing?” Stone asked, his lips close to her ear, his warm arm around her shoulders.
She did, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to sing it with her daughters in the room. Stone said he’d go up there and sing anything with her, and she was oh-so-tempted.
“I need to run to the restroom. I’ll tell you when I get back,” she told him, getting up and heading toward the restroom. She grasped Willa’s arm as she walked by. Willa followed her, giggling.
“Yes, what do you need?” Willa grinned, not even hiding her amusement.
“I want to sing a song that is so inappropriate for my kids to hear, but I’m hoping he’ll understand what I’m saying,” Naomi said.
“Okay, just a sec,” Willa replied, texting someone.
Vivi and Ellie joined them in the bathroom.
“What’s the emergency?” Ellie asked.
“Naomi wants to sing a sexy song with Stone, but she’d prefer her daughters didn’t hear,” Willa explained.
“Oh, we’ve got this. Morgan and Elijah can have all the kids upstairs with them for a little bit. Give me a second to take care of it,” Ellie promised.
Naomi went to the bathroom and then washed her hands, staring in the mirror. She could do this. She was almost forty, and no one cared if she sang a sexy song with her man.
“All right, you’re good to go. They took a break, so when you’re ready, go to the stage,” Ellie said.
Naomi walked out and looked for Stone, but he wasn’t at their table. He stepped closer as she came around the corner.
“Are you okay? You were in there so long I worried maybe you were feeling sick.”
“I’m good, and I’m ready for us to sing. I have the song. Come on,” she smiled, taking his hand and leading him toward the stage.
Once they were up there, she picked up the microphone.
“I want to thank you all for helping me celebrate my birthday. Stone picked the perfect activity, but before the night is over, Stone and I want to sing together. The song is a surprise to him, so enjoy,” she announced.
She leaned close to Stone. “I’ll sing the blue part, and you sing the red part.”
Stone nodded while she keyed up the song.
As she sang the first notes of the song, Stone’s eyes widened, and then he got the biggest smile on his face. It seemed he was pleased with her choice of Marvin Gaye. Of course, what man wouldn’t be pleased with his woman singing, Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on?
As they sang the words, Stone started dancing and swaying his hips. She joined in, and they were singing and dancing. For her, the crowd disappeared and it was just the two of them singing.
If this was a dream, she hoped no one woke her up.
Here with Stone was right where she wanted to be for the rest of her life.
She’d never planned on falling for someone so soon, but with Stone, it had been one thing after another pulling her closer to him.
The way he treated her girls made her love him even more.
Freaking fudgesicles! She loved him, but he was more than that. Over the weeks, she’d realized that although she was getting close to the other women and she’d always be close to her sisters, Stone was her best friend. They could talk about anything and never tire of each other.
She was ready to be his. She hoped he didn’t make her wait until her actual birthday and the plan she and the ladies had come up with. She craved to be skin to skin with the man who’d shown her how to really live.