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“No one’s ever understood me the way Sienna does,” he said gruffly. “As soon as her brother and sister-in-law left us at the restaurant and it was just the two of us, it was like...I knew I could be myself. I didn’t have to be in this music honcho persona, I could just be me.” Letting out a long breath, he nodded. “It’s been a long time since I felt like that.”
“Mick, you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not,” Julian told him. “Over the years, I think we’ve all seen different sides of you and I hope you realize you don’t have to be anything but who you are with us.”
“That’s just it; when I’m with you guys—or any of my clients, really—it just happens. Last night we were a group of friends hanging out and celebrating Matt and Vivienne’s big news, and my first reaction after congratulating them was to step away and make arrangements for a dinner and to get reservations someplace fabulous. I was already thinking of press releases, and last night I was up long after Sienna went to sleep because I was trying to figure out how to work the tour around her pregnancy!”
“Damn,” Matt said quietly. “Even we haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“That’s what I’m telling you! This is just the way I am! It’s how I’m built and it’s like this job has more control over my life than I realized!” Raking his hands through his hair, he growled with frustration. “And it’s not like I hate it. Because I don’t. I just don’t know how to not be that guy all the damn time.”
“Okay,” Riley said slowly. “So then maybe this trip with Sienna will help. But you have to make sure you’re not playing band manager to her too.”
He knew he was scowling. “What the hell does that even mean?”
Chuckling, Riley shook his head. “First of all, relax. All I’m saying is that you already set up this fantastic travel itinerary that checked all the boxes that Sienna wanted checked. And you did it all without her even asking you to. I get that you wanted to do this for her—and it’s the kind of thing you’re kind of famous for—but...what about you? You need to be doing something for yourself during all of this.”
But Mick was already shaking his head.
“You don’t get it. You want to know what I’m getting out of this? I’m getting the chance to finally be with the girl I always wanted. The only person I ever loved.” He felt himself getting a little choked up and couldn’t believe it. After a moment, he went on. “I thought we were going to have a night and that was it, but to know we’ve got two whole weeks for me to show her that I’m serious? That I still love her? We have all this time to ourselves.” Then he laughed. “Well, once you guys are gone...”
Luckily, they all laughed.
“It feels like we’ve been given a gift. We have this time alone to explore our feelings. And I get to do something for Sienna—I get to spoil her and take care of her—because it doesn’t sound like anyone else ever has before.”
“Mick...”
“I walked away from her because I had a dream that I needed to chase and there was no way she could go with me. I hurt her. Now I can make it up to her.”
They were quiet for a moment before Julian spoke.
“Okay, but...what happens at the end of the two weeks? What if there is no happy medium? You live two very different lives. Would you ask her to give up her research? Would you walk away from the career you’ve been building for over twenty years?”
“Guys...I don’t have the answers to any of that and believe me, that shocks me as much as it probably shocks you. I’m the one who always has the answers, but this time...I just don’t. In a perfect world, I’d know exactly how this is all going to play out: I’d tell Sienna I love her, she’d say it back and somehow, everything would fall into place.” He let out a mirthless laugh. “Do you have any idea how crazy it’s making me that it’s all out of my control? I mean...I could take her to all the places she wants to go and say all the things I think she wants me to say and she could still walk away at the end of the trip!”
Pushing away from the table, he stood and began to pace.
“Um...guys...I think someone needs to talk him down from the ledge,” Dylan murmured.
“I am a master negotiator,” Mick went on. “I’ve made deals that people said were impossible, but I know how stubborn Sienna can be. I don’t think that’s changed in twenty-three years. What if I’m not the guy she wants? What if—after all this time—she doesn’t like the man I’ve become? What if I can’t shut off this music manager guy and she decides to walk? Does that mean I’m destined to be alone? That no one will ever love me?”
“Great,” Matt said. “We broke Mick. Nice going.”
“We didn’t break him,” Riley countered, “we just...gave him too much to think about.”
“It’s not like he hasn’t done it to us before,” Dylan grumbled.
“Yeah, but...because he’s Mick, he knew the right time to come in and give us shit to think about,” Riley said wearily before he got to his feet. “Clearly we’re not that smart.”
Mick was lost in his own spiraling thoughts when Riley stepped in front of him. “What the hell...”
Grasping Mick’s shoulders, Riley gave him a hard shake. “Obviously, we didn’t think this through, and we never should have ambushed you like this. Don’t listen to us because we wouldn’t have even one tenth of what we have...”
“Or the wives...” Dylan called out.
“If it weren’t for you,” Riley finished. “Here we all thought we knew what to say and we’d be returning the favor for all the times you helped us and all we did was freak you out, so...we’re sorry.”
For a moment, he stood there in total confusion.
“You’re the most confident guy I’ve ever known,” Riley was telling him. “And if you have a plan to win Sienna, then I say go for it. Hell, if there’s anything we can do to help you, just say the word and we’ll do it. Right, guys?”
