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“Thanks. If I’m in town, I’d love it.”
“Hey, listen,” Leo says as Brax and Keaton start talking about cars. “I don’t want to overstep here, or say something unwelcome, but if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while, too, and I’m always here if you want to cowrite or if you need anything at all.”
And just like that, I have to blink quickly so the tears that threaten don’t spill over.
“Thank you so much. That means a lot to me, coming from you, Leo. You’ve been a musical hero of mine for a long time. I’m just happy to be here, honestly.”
“I’m happy to have you. And you know what? That song we wrote today? You should take it. Tweak it and make it your own. You did most of the work on the lyrics anyway.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that.”
“You should,” Brax insists. “It’s definitely a Sidney Sterling song. It suits you.”
“And it won’t make you mad if I put my own spin on it?”
“Not at all. That’s what we do.” Leo winks at me. “Take that guitar down with you. If you think you’re getting out of performing for the family, you’ve lost your mind.”
“Is Starla here today?” Brax asks.
“Nah, she and Levi are in LA. She’s recording down there.”
“Wait.” I hold my hands up. “Starla? Like, the Starla?”
“Sure,” Keaton says. “She’s married to one of our cousins, and they’re usually here, too.”
“Just when I think this family can’t get any more interesting,” I mutter as Keaton winks and gestures for me to lead the way out of the studio. Leo’s the last to leave and locks up behind us.
I follow the others to an area outside that I didn’t notice before. It’s a little patio off to the side with rock benches, where a small sound system is set up, complete with mics and pedal boards for the guitars.
There’s even a keyboard set up, along with a set of drums.
“Do we have a drummer?” I ask.
“Hudson,” Brax says with a grin and then searches the yard for the younger man. “He was coming late because he had to work. There he is. I’ll go get him.”
“Hud has a summer job, working for his dad’s construction company,” Keaton informs me. “My uncle Mark has hired him every summer since he was fifteen. He’s a hell of a drummer.”
“He’s been drinking too much,” Leo says, narrowing his eyes.
“Didn’t we all at that age?” Keaton asks with a laugh. “He’ll grow out of that shit.”
“Hey, guys, sorry I missed the jam sesh,” Hudson, who looks like a younger version of all the Williams brothers, with a sculpted jaw, muscles for days, and a devastatingly charming smile, hurries over our way. He’s also tall and already nice and tanned from working outside so much. “Oh, hi, Sidney. It’s good to see you again.”
Add polite to the long list of things he has going for him.
“You, too. I hear you’re pretty good with the sticks.”
“Hell yeah. Uncle Leo will let me go on tour with him sooner or later.”
“Dude, I have a drummer. He’d be pretty pissed if I tried to replace him.” Leo ruffles Hudson’s hair and passes him a set of sticks.
“What are we playing?” Hudson asks. “Anything specific, or are we taking requests again?”
“Requests are fun,” Keaton says but then frowns. “Hey, Hud, do you know any of Sid’s songs?”
“Are you kidding? After I met her at Liv’s wedding last year, I learned a bunch of her stuff. Now that she’s in the family, I have to know, for days like this.”
I’m so taken by surprise that all I can do is just stare at the younger man. “I’m not—”
“Sure, you are,” Hudson interrupts with a big smile. “Your brother is marrying Stella. You’re family now.”
“Oh.” I glance at Keaton, who’s smiling at me again.
“That’s how we do things around here,” he says, as if it’s no big deal at all.
“Been that way since the beginning of time,” Leo confirms. “This crew brought Meg and me into the family so fast, our heads spun.”
“You and Meg are related? That’s Will’s wife, right?”
“Yeah, it’s a long story,” Leo says. “But, without boring you with all the details, she’s pretty much my sister. The Montgomery and Williams clan brings everyone into the fold, whether you’re here by blood, marriage, or even friendship. There’s always room for more.”
“Damn. That’s really sweet. I wish Maya was here. My sister would love this.”
“Next time,” Leo says again with a wink and then walks up to the mic. “Okay, everyone, we’re gonna play for a while. We’re taking requests, so if there’s something specific you want to hear, just call it out.”
“‘Life in the Slow Lane’,” someone yells, and Leo grins over at me.
