Page 44 of Legacy

“And then, the guy comes up to me and says something along the lines of how if I would wear a skirt while behind the kit, maybe more people would take me seriously. But we both know it’s so that way he could see what was beneath the skirt. As if that was the only time he was ever going to see pussy in his life.”

I threw my head back, laughing at Kiera’s expression, and looked over at Briar.

“Please tell me you don’t deal with this type of shit on the road too?”

“All the time. Though now it’s mostly along the lines of how I slept into my Grammys position because I’m married to Gabriel. It doesn’t matter that I had more Grammys than him when we first got together, but whatever. It’s all about who you’re sleeping with.”

“I am having at least four affairs right now.” Kiera fluttered her eyelashes. “And nobody will ever know which one is the actual real one.”

“I’m sure he really likes that,” Briar said, but there was something in her tone that worried me.

Kiera just laughed it off, though her eyes had darkened slightly. “It’s fine. This is what happens when you date someone in our business. You deal with the blowback and gossip.”

“Sounds like dating someone in a small town,” Rune said as he came over with a few more beers. Then he took a seat next to Kiera and grinned.

“Glad you were able to come visit. We have heard all about you from Briar, of course, but it’s nice to have you here.”

Kiera beamed. “I do like it. I know that small towns aren’t all quiet, and yes, there’s gossip and everything, but it is so much more peaceful than being on the road.”

“Here here,” Briar said as her gaze drifted towards the door once again.

“He’s banned from coming in here,” I whispered, and her shoulders relaxed.

“I hate that you knew what I was thinking.”

“I won’t let him near you.”

We both knew who we were talking about, and from the look on Rune’s face, he had heard and understood.

“Briar!” Teagan exclaimed as she came forward, and Briar pushed me out of the booth so she could run into her sister’s arms.

“I’ve missed you,” they both said at the same time, and they practically danced in place.

I looked over at Rune, who just rolled his eyes.

“Well, I’m glad that I finally made it in,” Finnian said as he came forward, Sterling at his side.

We pulled up another couple of tables, and suddenly, most of the Ashford family was there, though I wished Bodhi had come back after he’d stormed out.

But the rest of my siblings were here, and with Rune seated with us, our family felt nearly complete.

Though we would never be fully complete, not with what we had lost, but we were slowly coming back from that.

And I had to be grateful.

My phone buzzed, and I looked down at it. A sigh escaped my lips.

Bodhi: Tell Kiera I’m sorry I’m an ass.

Me: You should probably do that yourself.

Bodhi: That would mean I would have to text more than you. Just tell her, okay? She didn’t deserve that.

My brother was a good guy—he just forgot that sometimes. I would figure out how to tell Kiera, though. She deserved his apology, even if I wasn’t sure if she’d accept it. Not that she was mean, but I guess I felt like sometimes she was so kind that I was surprised she made it in her world.

“I’m surprised Thatcher and Kellan aren’t here,” Finnian said as he leaned forward, grabbing a chip out of Sterling’s grip.

Sterling just rolled his eyes, taking another chip.