Page 12 of Rising Star

“With the big saw?”

“Yes. With the big saw. And a hammer. And all kinds of power tools. Do you think you can help me with this task?”

She nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Great. Let’s start. And grandma sewed matching comforters for your beds. She’ll send them over.”

“YAY.” Both girls screamed at the same time.

Madison and I exchanged a glance. Things were better between us. Even after the night we spent entangled in her bed. Following my conversation with my daughters that day, I had drilled into my head that Madison and I were better as friends, our relationship less confusing to all of us. The sexual tension between us had decreased from a wildfire to a blaze. Still scorching but easier to control. And it seemed like Madison had come to the same conclusion because she didn’t stare at me the same way.

Things were great. And going according to the plan.

“Teams,” I called out, “get ready, set, go.”

Madison picked up Justine, and they hurried inside the bus. The bunk room wasn’t big by all means, but with personal touches and love, it would be perfect for the girls.

“Okay, sweet pea,” I squatted to level my eyes with hers, “you and I will put together the new doll house I bought, and then we’ll build a small bookshelf to put in your room and a ladder so you can climb on and off the top bed. We wouldn’t want you to break your other wrist.” I could have bought all this, but I thought it would be more fun to do it ourselves. I wanted the girls to feel at home on the bus, and doing all the prep work with them sounded like a good idea.

She giggled, and it warmed my heart. “No, Daddy.”

She had a few days left of her—against all odds—powder blue cast, and since she was right-handed, the fracture had barely stopped her. Armed with multicolor glitter and paint brushes, Madison had embellished her cast, transforming it into a piece of art. My kid definitely had the most fashionable broken wrist in town.

“Where will Maddie live, Daddy? Is she going to stay in your room?”

A tingle I hadn’t felt in a while shot up my spine. I pushed the pang of excitement down and brought all my attention back to my daughter.

“No, sweet pea. Maddie will have her own bunk.”

“Will she sleep on our bus?”

“Yes, she will. Don’t worry about her, okay?”

Mikaella was busy applying a coat of white paint to our DIY bookshelf when Madison and Justine joined us, wide smiles on their lips, and spatters of pink paint grazing their clothes and skin.

“We’re done, Daddy. It looks beautiful. Come and see,” my daughter said tugging at my hand.

I followed her inside. “Wow, you did all this?”

She bobbed her head. “And we painted Maddie’s bunk too. She agreed.”

Could Madison ever refuse anything to my kids? My lips curled up.

“It looks fierce, baby. I love it. Come on, Mika is almost done. Let’s go and clean up before your nap.” The tour bus was parked in our driveway, an idea Riley had, so the girls could get used to it. We even planned on spending nights on it so they’d get comfortable in their new environment before the big day. My friend was doing everything in his power to make this tour the easiest possible transition for the girls, and I would never be able to thank him enough.

After a quick shower, I tucked the girls in and met Madison on the back deck with a bowl of tortilla chips and two beers. She accepted the offered drink.

“How did Justine convince you to paint your bunk pink?” I asked.

Madison smiled, the sight contagious. “Oh, she didn’t have to do much. The girls must have done magic on me. I can’t resist their charm. Be honest. Have you seen them doing some voodoo? I suspect they are little witches in disguise. They’re the cutest. Justine was so excited when she offered that I couldn’t refuse.”

We clinked our bottles. “Welcome to the club. I hope I’ll grow a spine by the time they turn sixteen, or I’ll be in big trouble.” I laughed, and she joined in.

“I can already see you getting gray hair trying to keep up with them.”

“It will be that frightful, huh?”

She bobbed her head. “Just wait and see,” she said, the sound of her laughter warming me up. “They’ll team up against you, I bet. They remind me of Ems and me growing up. I’d want to be here to see it with my own eyes. The Stevens girls are quite a number when they put their minds to it. They follow in their daddy’s footsteps. They’re fearless. And own the biggest hearts.”