Huh. Didn’t expect that. “Okay, so just pretend I’m him, and I’ll follow your lead.”
“Not a stretch,” she mutters as she makes her side of the bed.
I mull over her words. “What does that mean?”
“It means that you’ve always reminded me of my ex, and not in a good way.” She takes Layla from me and bounces her in her arms.
I rub my chin. “My family used to think you had a crush on me, but that’s not what was going on, was it?”
“Nope.”
This girl is like an artichoke. She’s prickly and has fifty layers. “So your ex was an asshole? And I remind you of him?”
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner.”
I chuckle and sling my arm around her shoulders. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re funny?”
“Never.”
“Well, you are. Just when I think you’re gonna zig, you zag.”
“Lucky me,” she deadpans as she grabs her glasses from the bedside table and slides them on. “While we’re on the topic of exes, what’s the deal with that girl Marlowe? Why do your bandmates act so weird about her?”
The shift in conversation catches me off guard. I let go of her and back away. “She’s just not someone I’m looking forward to seeing again.”
“So… she broke your heart?”
Pfft. “That’s a stretch. Gotta have a heart to break it, right?”
Her eyes go soft for some reason, and she chews on the inside of her cheek. “Would it help if your wife was really into you when you bumped into this person?”
I grin and tug on a strand of her hair. “Wouldn’t hurt.”
“Okay, if you forget I felt you up this morning, I’ll turn on the charm when we see your ex.”
“She’s not an ex. Just someone I ran around with for a while.”
Rory pushes her glasses up her nose. “Have you heard the saying ‘he doth protest too much?’ Actually, the original quote is ‘the lady doth protest too much,’ but whatever. It still applies.”
“You quotingHamletto me?”
Her brows lift. “You read it?”
“Nah, I watched the movie in high school, but it had some good lines in it. And okay, Marlowe took me for a ride, but I’m over it.”
Layla rests her head on Rory’s shoulder, and Rory turns and kisses her forehead. Then she reaches out and grabs my pinky with hers. “So let’s make her regret that ride.”
Then my little wife stalks off toward the lounge, not knowing how much I appreciate her being here for me.
16
RORY
We getto the fairgrounds early. Jace’s bandmates want to roam, and Frank gives everyone a check-in time.
I’m standing in the lounge with Layla, who’s busy playing with her feet in her stroller, when an older woman boards the bus. I’m about to ask if she’s lost when Frank hugs her.
“Who’s that?” I whisper to Jace, who’s sitting on the couch.
