“ I can’t wait to see everyone,” Lyric said as Connor bundled her into the waiting limo. Connor smiled as he slid in beside her. He reached over, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Have I told you how gorgeous you look?” She flushed and ducked her head. No matter how often he told her how beautiful she was, she never got used to hearing it spoken with such conviction. He truly meant it. The thing was, she was still a size twelve. Closer to a fourteen now. And Connor didn’t give a shit. He couldn’t keep his eyes or hands off her, a fact she delighted in. “I haven’t seen Nia since she was born. I bet she’s half-grown by now,” Lyric said with an unhappy frown. “I miss everyone. We need to get home to see them more often.” Connor chuckled. “If you weren’t wildly successful and so in demand that tour dates keep being added, you’d have more time to go home.” She burrowed into his chest and sighed her contentment as the limo left the Houston airport. Home. It was kind of weird to consider a place home, but Houston had become that for her. It was where Connor’s family and friends lived. Family and friends that had become hers. Connor didn’t know it yet, but she planned to surprise him with the house she’d bought not far from where his dad and sister and brother-in-law lived. Though they weren’t married yet, she and Connor were inseparable. At first she’d worried that he’d been so willing to quit his job and travel with her—working with Kane and his team for her. What if he got bored, tired or regretted his decision to leave his life and career? For her. It was humbling and awe inspiring. Never before had anyone been willing to sacrifice so much for her. She loved him like she’d never imagined being able to love another person. Her cell rang, and she reached into her purse, grinning when she saw that it was Faith. “Where are you?” Faith asked when Lyric said hello. She smiled over at Connor. “We’re in the car now. Should be there in twenty minutes.” Faith’s squeal of delight made Lyric warm all over. In excited tones, Faith relayed the news to the other girls and a chorus of cheers greeted Lyric through the phone. “Hurry!” Faith said. “We’ll see you when you get here.” Lyric slowly closed her phone and battled the knot of emotion in her throat. “They love you,” Connor said. “Just like I do.” She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. “I’m just so... happy. Ridiculously happy. Like so happy I get paranoid that the world’s going to go to shit tomorrow.” He laughed and squeezed her again. “So tell me. How drunk are you girls planning to get?” Lyric grinned. “Who knows with those four. They’re bad influences. I never touched alcohol before them.” A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of Cattleman’s. The parking lot was empty. Tonight was a private function. The entire restaurant had been shut down so the girls could get together. Of course the guys would inevitably show up, but no one minded. Life was pretty damn good. Good family. Good friends. A man she loved with everything she had. As soon as the limo came to a stop, the entrance of Cattleman’s flew open and Faith, Julie, Serena and Angelina—a very slim, gorgeous Angelina—flew out to the car. Connor, laughing, opened the door and climbed out, holding his hands up. “Since I know y’all aren’t that excited to see me, let me get Lyric out so y’all can attack her.” Julie rolled her eyes. “Pouty, isn’t he?” Faith hugged Connor as Lyric got out and then Angelina gave him an affectionate squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. “It looks like you’ve taken very good care of her, Connor,” Serena said in a pleased voice. “You both look wonderful.” “Amazing how love does that,” Faith said smugly. The girls gathered around Lyric, all hugging her and smothering her as they laughed and babbled all at once. Connor stood indulgently to the side until they quieted enough for him to get a word in edgewise. Lyric smiled up at him, so happy she could burst. “Okay, time for you to shoo, Connor. The guys aren’t supposed to show up for two hours yet,” Julie said. Connor raised an eyebrow. “What? We’re being allowed entrance into the goddess domain? I thought we were forbidden to be seen on girls’ night out.” “We’re making an exception this time,” Lyric said with a grin. “We get a two-hour head start and then you guys can come join the fun. By then we’ll be too shit-faced to care.” He chuckled and then climbed back into the car. “I’m going over to Gray’s. I’ll send the car back in case you all need it. No taking a cab,” he said sternly. “Oh, we’re staying put,” Serena said airily. “We have our gorgeous bartender who spoils us rotten and I have it on good authority that Carl had some yummy food made for us.” “I’m starving,” Lyric said mournfully. “Food on the plane sucked.” “Well of course it did,” Faith said as she tucked her arm through Lyric’s. “Bye, Connor! We’ll see you in a few hours.” Connor laughed. “I know when I’ve been dismissed.” He leaned down and kissed Lyric before pulling away. “Have a good time, baby.” Lyric waved as he got into the car and then allowed Faith to drag her into the restaurant. As they headed into the quiet and empty place, Lyric grinned in sudden remembrance. “What’s the shit-eating grin for?” Julie asked suspiciously. “Do you guys know that this is where Connor and I first kissed? Well, I can’t really say he kissed me. I kissed him. Right there at the bar.” The girls laughed and Lyric turned her attention to Angelina, who’d been mostly quiet to now. “You look fantastic, Angelina. I’m so jealous. You lost all the baby weight.” Angelina grimaced. “Not all. But I’m getting there.” “How is Nia?” At the mention of her daughter, Angelina positively lit up. “Oh she’s gorgeous. Such a wonderful baby. And Micah is so in love with her. It’s really disgusting how she has him so wrapped around her finger already.” Julie rolled her eyes. “Like mother, like daughter.” Serena and Faith laughed at Angelina’s startled expression. “Well they do have you there,” Lyric pointed out. “That man is an idiot over you.” Angelina’s soft smile glowed. “Hey, ladies. I am here to serve. Just tell me what your pleasure is.” Lyric turned to see a young—and hot—bartender grinning at them. “That’s Drew,” Serena murmured. “Isn’t he yummy? He’s seen us drunk before so you don’t have to worry that he’s going to take photos and sell them to tabloids. Damon has already threatened him with bodily injury if he so much as breathes a word about us being here.” Lyric laughed. “I do love your husband, Serena. He looks and acts so civilized, but underneath he’s a complete barbarian.” Serena beamed. “I know. Isn’t it great?” “Let’s quit talking and start drinking,” Julie said. “We have a lot of catching up to do!” For the next two hours, the drinks flowed freely, as did the laughter and the conversation. Though Lyric had never enjoyed being alone and surrounded herself with people, she’d never surrounded herself with really great people. People she could trust. People who loved her and she loved in return. Being with those people? She didn’t even have the words to describe the feeling. Drew was the dream that the girls had reported him to be. He kept their glasses full, cleaned up their spills and never blinked an eye when their conversations detoured into the way-too-much-information department. “Soooo, Lyric,” Faith began. “Tell us when you’re going to put Connor out of his misery and make an honest man out of him.” Julie, Serena and Angelina all eagerly sat forward, their attention focused solidly on Lyric now. Lyric blushed, but she couldn’t help the wide smile that attacked her face. “Soon,” she said serenely. “I want it to be perfect. Connor’s been... He’s been so patient and understanding. He’s been just perfect.” “Of course he has. He’s in love,” Julie said. “Men are pretty stupid when they’re in love.” Angelina snorted. “You love that Nathan is stupid over you.” Julie grinned. “Yes. I have to admit. I do.” “So how soon?” Serena asked Lyric. “I have another month of touring and then I have a surprise for him. You guys can’t breathe a word!” They all solemnly crossed their hearts and swore never to tell. “I’ve bought a house here in Houston.” The squeals were deafening. It took several minutes to get everyone quiet again and Lyric beamed at them all, thrilled with their excitement. “I’m going to surprise him with the house and then I’m going to ask him to marry me.” “Ohhh, I like it,” Serena said. “You would,” Faith said with a laugh. “She popped the question to Damon after she finally decided to marry him,” she explained to Lyric. “I’m so excited for you, Lyric,” Angelina said. “I’m so glad you’re happy and ready to make the commitment. Connor loves you so much. I want you both to be happy.” “He makes me happy,” Lyric said with a catch in her throat. “I have something I want to tell you guys,” Serena said when things got quiet again. “I wanted to wait until we were all together.” Lyric and the others exchanged worried glances, but the look on Serena’s face was one of utter contentment. She all but glowed. “Damon and I are going to start trying for a baby.” “Oh my God!” Faith shrieked. Julie and Lyric looked at each other with something akin to horror and Angelina promptly laughed when she caught the exchange. “Are you sure, Serena?” Julie asked. “I mean have you worked things out to the point you feel comfortable bringing a baby into the picture?” Serena smiled. “It means that some things will change for us, but not for a while. We’re comfortable with the change. We want... we want to start a family.” “That’s awesome,” Lyric said softly. “I’m so happy for you. You look... delirious.” “I am. This time last year I wouldn’t have been able to imagine having a baby. I wasn’t ready. But now? It’s time.” “I’m still not ready,” Faith muttered. “That pregnancy scare I had awhile back was enough to convince me I won’t be ready for a bit yet.” “Me either,” Julie seconded. Lyric nodded her fervent agreement. “We’ll leave the procreating to the earth mothers over here,” she said, jabbing her thumb in Angelina and Serena’s direction. Angelina snorted. “Earth mother. Yeah. That’s me all right. It’s a wonder I didn’t kill my poor child her first week home. I couldn’t even figure out how to change a diaper. Micah had to help me. Isn’t that pathetic? I swear he has more maternal instinct than I do.” Faith giggled and then the rest joined. It was hard to imagine a dominant badass like Micah being all maternal. “Are you all still conscious?” Nathan called from across the room. The women whipped around on their barstools to see the men trailing into the bar. Lord but they looked good. Although as soon as Connor appeared, Lyric lost all interest in everyone else. Then Micah appeared and Lyric’s eyes narrowed. She cocked her head to the side before she realized what it was she saw attached to Micah. The room went dead silent as all the girls focused their attention on Micah. And then Julie shrieked with laughter. She damn near fell off her barstool as she pointed at Micah and laughed her ass off. “Oh my God!” Julie wheezed. “I win. I win!” “What the hell do you win?” Faith asked with a frown. Tears streamed down Julie’s face as Micah fixed her with a ferocious scowl. “He once bet me that I’d be tamed before he ever would be. We made a bet. Oh my God, I totally win. Look at him. He’s wearing the baby!” There Micah stood, a rueful, somewhat abashed look on his face, Nia securely attached to his chest in a Snuggie. The women died laughing and then the rest of the men joined in. Micah rolled his eyes heavenward and then slung an arm around Angelina. “They’re all just jealous they don’t have my fashion sense,” he muttered. “Nia would make any man look good.” Damon shot Serena a queasy look. “You aren’t going to make me wear our baby, are you?” Serena grinned mischievously while the rest of the room roared with laughter. “I don’t know, Damon. You might look cute with a baby strapped to your chest.” Connor came to stand beside Lyric and wrapped his arm loosely around her shoulders as they laughed with the rest of the group. He stared down into her eyes and what she saw reflected in his warmed her to the bone. “I’m so glad we’re home,” she whispered close to his ear so he could hear over the din. He kissed her lingeringly, ignoring the rest of the group. “Don’t you know, Lyric? I’m home whenever I’m with you.” Love and so much joy flooded her soul. Tears glistened in her eyes as she stared around at the friends—family—who meant so much to her. “Don’t you dare cry,” Julie threatened. “If you make me cry in front of everyone, I’ll kick your ass, Lyric.” Lyric sniffed. “I love you guys.” And then the girls all crowded around her, shoving Connor out of the way as they wrapped their arms tightly around Lyric. “We love you too,” Faith said in her sweet voice. “Hey, Serena. So who gets to be the baby’s godmother?” Julie asked innocently. Serena rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’ll wimp out like Angelina and have to name you all. Poor kid. He or she won’t have a chance.” Lyric gathered them to her again, or as well as she could. Her eyes were all goopy and she probably had mascara everywhere, but she didn’t give a damn. She was with... family.
САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ
