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“Sadie’s moving here,” I announce. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The guys whoop and cheer while Declan picks up Sadie and swings her around. “You are the damn MVP,” he says, setting her down. “Thank you.”
“Hell yeah,” Braxton says, picking her up next. “Thank you.”
“This means so much to us,” Camden says once she’s back on her feet. “Seriously, we can’t thank you enough. We were just plotting how to somehow convince you to move here.”
“His wife already did,” Sadie says with a light laugh, glancing over at Braxton.
“What?” I ask. “Kaylee spoke to you?”
Braxton groans. “I should’ve known. Let me guess, yesterday?” Sadie nods. “When she disappeared for several hours, I knew she was up to something. She didn’t threaten you, did she?” Braxton grimaces, making Sadie laugh.
“No, she was very sweet. We spoke, and she gave me a lot to think about. I’m an editor and can do that from anywhere, and the truth is, New York is my home. Not particularly the city, but I love it. I ran from it, but it’s time I came home.”
I make a mental note that Sadie doesn’t like the city. My goal is to find her—well, hopefully us—the perfect house, and knowing that she prefers the suburbs helps.
“This calls for a celebration,” Camden says. “I say we take the day off and head over to my place for a barbecue, get to know the newest members of Raging Chaos.” Camden tickles Rory’s side, and she giggles, snuggling closer to me.
“That sounds perfect. What do you say?” I ask Sadie. “Up for it?”
“Sounds good.”
“Okay, so hear me out,” Kendall says, wiping her mouth.
We’ve just finished eating delicious burgers Declan grilled, along with a bunch of sides the women whipped up when the guys told them we were coming over to celebrate the band moving forward. Ever since we arrived, the women have been all over Sadie and Rory, wanting to get to know them. I’ve never been so thankful to have the friends that I have. When Sadie mentioned she needed to get going soon to check in to her hotel so she could get situated, everyone looked at her like she was crazy.
“I have a condo near the studio.” Kendall looks from me to Sadie. “It has two bedrooms, two baths with an upstairs loft that can double as a playroom, and a gorgeous view overlooking Bryant Park. I was renting it out since it’s not really a seller’s market right now, but the tenant had to break his lease to move for work. With a good cleaning, it will be move-in ready.”
“Wow,” Sadie breathes. “That sounds amazing. I’d like to eventually find a place outside of the city, but for now, that sounds perfect. How much would it be a month?”
Kendall’s eyes flit over to me, and I shake my head, silently telling her it’s not happening. There’s no way in hell Sadie is paying shit, especially when she came here for me. “I’m sure we can figure something out,” she says. “If you want, I can show it to you tomorrow.”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
We hang out for a little longer, the kids all playing while the adults bullshit, and when Rory gets cranky, making it clear it’s time for her afternoon nap, we say bye to everyone, so I can take them to the hotel. The guys and I will be back in the studio first thing tomorrow, but I want the rest of the day with my girls to get them situated. I hate that I don’t have my own place to bring them back to, but I’ll be doing that while I work on winning over Sadie.
“She went out like a light,” Sadie says with a laugh, plopping onto the seat next to me.
“She played hard.”
“Yeah, she did.” She smiles softly. “I loved watching her play with everyone. Aside from Sarah and her two kids, it’s usually just Rory and me. I’ve been thinking about joining some kind of mom’s group, but they’re a bit intimidating,” she says with a laugh. “Your friends, on the other hand, are so warm and welcoming.”
“They like you,” I tell her, turning to face her. “And they’re not just my friends. They’re my family, and they can be yours too, if you want them to be.”
She smiles. “I think I’m going to take Kendall up on her offer. I have no clue about the city in terms of where to live, and if she lived there, I’m sure it’s nice.”
That’s an understatement… Kendall’s place probably costs a month what most pay a year for their mortgage, but I don’t mention that, not wanting her to change her mind. Kendall is a huge pop star and wouldn’t live anywhere that isn’t top-notch. I’ve never been there, but I have no doubt it will have the best security and top-of-the-line everything. It will be the perfect place for Sadie and Rory to live while I figure everything out.
