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“Leave me and my grand-dog alone.”
Skylar leaned in closer to Elena. “Twenty bucks says he made a steak just for Atlas.”
“I heard that. And yes, I did.”
Steven walked over to the table with a plate full of corn on the cob and asparagus. He somehow managed to find a place on the table to put it before he poured each of them a margarita.
“So, how’s the tour been? I’ve been keeping up on the Twitter and on Instagram. That Riley is a damn good publicist.”
Skylar nodded in agreement. “She is. And the tour has been great. The fans have been awesome, and our albums are back in the top played albums on all the streaming platforms.”
“That’s so great.” Steven was beaming. He’d always been proud of her, and her heart soared at the fact she still had all his love and support. “I’m so proud of you two. You’ve come a long way since Maine Event was playing out in the garage.”
“You were the first person to give us a shot.” Elena held up her glass to him, and they cheered. Skylar joined in as they all shared a laugh. “I’ve missed this. Ford family dinners were always a staple growing up.”
Skylar recalled all the times she and Elena, and often the rest of the band, gathered around the dining room table for a home cooked meal. Steven always made sure they were fed before and after band practice. Even if he’d had a long day at work, he’d still have pizza or fast-food burgers waiting on them. There was no doubt in Skylar’s mind that the band wouldn’t have reached the success it had without his unwavering support.
“Are you still planning on coming to the show in Boston, Dad?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Steven’s wide smile was infectious. “I would love to go to more, but someone has to keep the store open.”
Skylar dramatically rolled her eyes and laughed. “I told you Walker could handle it all on her own if you wanted to go on the road with us, but you insisted you didn’t want to do that.”
“Well, someone had to take care of the store and Atlas.” He tossed Atlas a piece of his hamburger. “And I’m sure your bus isn’t big enough for all three of us.”
Elena nearly choked on her food. Skylar knew exactly what Elena was thinking. After all, they’d been sharing a tour bus for the last few weekends without anyone knowing. Or at least they assumed no one had caught on, except maybe their bus drivers. But Skylar knew that’s not what Steven meant.
“Yeah, me, you, and Atlas,” she raised an eyebrow at Elena before smiling back at her dad, “would make it really cramped.”
“Oh,” Elena nervously laughed, “right. Exactly. The buses are small.”
“That’s why Atlas and I enjoy hanging out here. Isn’t that right, buddy?”
Steven tossed him yet another bit of food. Skylar resisted the urge to scold her father again. While Skylar tried not to make it a habit to give Atlas table scraps, she didn’t care that he was being spoiled by his grandpa. At least Atlas didn’t beg for food, which Skylar counted as a win.
Under the table, Skylar put her hand on Elena’s thigh. They glanced at each other and smiled. Skylar had asked Elena if she wanted to tell her dad they were dating, and Elena told her it was her decision. Both knew that Steven wouldn’t sell them out to the highest-paying paparazzi.
Skylar had to admit that she wanted to tell him because she was dying to tell anyone. She hated keeping their relationship a secret. It went against everything Skylar believed. Years ago, Skylar told herself she’d never hide back in the closet again. And yet that was exactly what Skylar was doing for Elena.
But Skylar loved Elena and didn’t want to push her. Not since Elena had opened up about how it would affect every aspect of her life, not just her career. So Skylar had found herself back in a makeshift closet for the sake of Elena. Skylar wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. She might be the bigger person to Elena, but if her fans knew, they might not see it the same.
Skylar would have to cross that bridge when she got there. She’d face whatever backlash met her then and hoped that it would all be worth it. But the truth of the matter was Skylar had no idea what would happen to her and Elena after the tour. Elena wanted to stay on the road and perform. Skylar wanted to be on her boat with Atlas. She didn’t know how those two lives would or ever could mesh after the tour.
Sighing, Skylar looked over at Elena. She smiled as she chewed and winked at her. It gave Skylar the peace of mind that maybe things would work out.
“So, what are you two up to while you’re here? You have any plans?”
“We’re going over to Alexis and Blake’s after we leave here. Elena hasn’t seen Alexis in years, and she’s never met Blake or the kids.”
“Or seen their new house,” Elena chimed in. “The pictures I’ve seen are gorgeous.”
“It’s a beauty, that’s for sure.” Steven nodded his head as he chewed. “And those babies, oh man,” he chuckled. “They’re adorable.”
“They really are.”
“Skylar showed me pictures. I can’t wait to meet them and Harper.”
“Harper is the best. If I ever have a kid, I want her to be like Harper.”
