“I miss her.” Cash sighed. “Every single day.”
“Me too,” I echoed. We sat quietly for a couple of moments before I gently changed the subject. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’ve got some new music in the works. I’ll send it to you later.” I gave Cash a hopeful smile. “I think you’re going to be surprised.”
“That’s great news,” Cash said. I could tell he was genuinely happy, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
Before I could say anything else, Liv was knocking at the door. Luca let her in, and she busied herself by unpacking the bag, placing everything neatly out on the table.
“Who wants the first bowl?” Liv asked, lifting the lid off the crockpot. She turned to face us, ladle in hand, a big smile on her face. She looked to each of us, noticing the shift in the atmosphere. “Are y’all okay?”
Dallas rambled over to Liv and threw his arms around her in a bear hug. “Thank you, Liv.”
“You’re welcome.” Liv returned his embrace. “Can I make you some tea or anything?”
“Right now, I need some of these dumplings in my life.” Dallas rubbed his hands together, taking the ladle from her hand.
Cash rose to his feet. “So do I.”
“We better get on that before Dallas eats it all.” Luca moved in behind Dallas, patting Liv on the back when he passed her.
Liv’s eyes found mine, and she smiled. I ambled my way to her, pulling her into my arms. She yelped slightly as I lifted her off the ground, holding her close. Her arms tightened around me, and I savored the way she felt in my embrace.
When I finally set her back on her feet, she turned her face upward curiously. “What was that for?”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
Chapter 13
Liv
Acouple of days before mybirthday, Dallas asked if Jax and I would go with him to look at a place he was strongly considering buying. It was a gorgeous penthouse apartment in Midtown with an incredible view of the city. We cruised through town in my Jeep with the top off, soaking in the warmth of the sun and the slight nip of the autumn breeze. Occasionally, I noticed Jax watching me as the wind whipped my hair around, and I squirmed beneath his gaze. I’d felt a tension building the entire week we’d spent together, no matter how much I tried to deny it.
After we pulled into the garage at the condo complex, Dallas guided us to the top floor penthouse where we were to meet the realtor. Dallas knocked on the door and we were greeted by a lady who had to be in her mid-to-late sixties with bright red hair teased up to the sky and cherry red lips. When she gestured us in with her hand, I noticed her long oval nails painted the perfect matching shade of crimson.
“Dallas,” she drawled. “So good to see you again, hun. These must be your friends.” She turned to me, extending her hand. “Hi, doll. I’m Darcey Dubois, realtor extraordinaire. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Liv.” I smiled, shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“And who is this strapping young man?” Darcey turned her attention to Jax.
“Jaxon,” he replied with a nod. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Goodness gracious, seeing how gorgeous you three are makes me miss my youth,” Darcey said with a flourish, turning on her red-bottomed heels and leading us through the foyer into the expansive apartment. “It may be hard to believe, but when I was your age, I was quite the looker too. But age came a-knockin’ and honey, there simply ain’t enough Oil of Olay this side of the Mississippi to fix these wrinkles.” She turned to face us as we wandered into the fully furnished living room overlooking the city. “Not that y’all have to worry about that anytime soon. Y’all don’t look a day over twenty-nine.”
I snorted and felt Jax’s hands grip my shoulders as Darcey barreled on. “Listen to me rattlin’ on. What y’all really came to see is this gorgeous penthouse. Like I’ve told Dallas, I know y’all are musicians, as are many of our residents, so it’s important to note all of our units have been completely soundproofed. Our homes can also come fully furnished if you like what’s here. There’s this phenomenal interior designer who handpicked every single item in this house, down to the brass fixtures.” She began leading us through the apartment. She rattled off various details as she wound us through the kitchen complete with a bar, the spare bedrooms, an office, a game room, another separate den that would make the perfect music room, and finally, she took us upstairs to the master suite. “Now this, my dears, is the showstopper. We have an ensuite gas fireplace, a minibar, and that master bathroom may as well be a damn day spa. The closet alone is the size of my first apartment. Then, of course, there’s that magnificent view. You can see for miles from up here.”
“This is amazing,” Jax said from beside me.
“Wow.” I sighed, taking in the view of the city.
“Right?” Dallas asked. “What do you think?”
“You’d be crazy not to take it.” Jax crossed his arms over his chest, appraising the scenery.
“I think it’s stunning, Dal,” I replied. “That kitchen is pretty rad too.”
“I’m gonna need you to come over and help me break it in.” He poked me with his elbow. “Maybe you can teach me how to cook.”
I grinned. “Deal.”
