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I liked making sure they had everything they could want or need.
“I can take the meetings with her if you need a break.” His offer was delivered in a tone so blasé that I almost laughed.
“I appreciate that. Ian and I are looking at doing a small tour in October and November. Possibly January.” We would have to wait and see. “We have to finish the album he’s working on first.”
“Then let’s make arrangements to do a meeting next week…we’ll go over the budgets for the foundation, then pick our favorites. We can then handle any negotiations on a case by case basis.”
“If this runs up against time, you can take care of Helena for me.” I barely smothered my smile before I drained the last of my coffee.
“You’re not funny,” Eddie groused and this time I did grin.
“I’m hilarious and you adore me.”
“I do adore you,” he admitted with a smile of his own before he sobered. “I’m not ready, Frankie.”
My own smile faded.
“Don’t know if I ever will be. Helena’s—a nice woman. A bit prickly and definitely keeps me on my toes. But—I’m not ready for anything more.”
“You don’t have to be.” I reached a hand out to him and he took mine. “You really don’t. But don’t just shut the door on the possibility, even if you’re not ready to walk through it yet.”
Eddie squeezed my hand. “Archie and the boys are very lucky.”
“Maybe,” I said with a grin. “I know I’m the lucky one.”
“Mama!” Charlie shouted and we both looked over to see him at the top of the big slide. Took my eyes off him for two minutes and look at him.
“Hey now,” Eddie said as he rose and crossed the yard easily but swiftly. “Wait for me.”
Like a good boy, Charlie sat down at the top and waited until Eddie was at the bottom. Then he pushed off. He laughed all the way down and cheered when Eddie picked him up and swung him around.
“See Mama! Big boy!”
Yes he was a big boy and those tears flooded my eyes again. Our babies were growing up and our family was growing again. I didn’t think I could be happier.
I sniffled.
I was definitely the lucky one.
CHAPTER 2
ISN’T SHE LOVELY?
IAN
I’d been listening to the same track for the last couple of hours. Frankie and I recorded it a couple of days earlier. It was for the new album, but something… Something was off in it.
Using the dials, I minimized my part of the song and just listened to Frankie’s lyrics. Her voice was as strong and capable as ever. The softness in her alto didn’t rob it of an ounce of its power. The velvety lyrical nature was exactly what the song needed.
Switching over to my own lyric track, I dialed her down and listened to me. Even with the headset on, I always sounded different to myself. I got it, but it also afforded me a good chance to step outside of myself.
It wasn’t the song. The song was good. The lyrics were strong. They were emotional…
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I hit pause before I popped off the headphones. Jake’s name popped up on the screen so I swiped to answer it on speaker. It was just me in the studio.
“Hey, I thought you and Archie were going to be stress testing the new engine…”
It was something Archie wanted done before we got back from the tour. Booking a smaller tour had annoyed our manager. He had this huge plan to do a slow ramp up to a full tour over the summer and into the following autumn.
