Double Time
Page 99
Myrna shook her head at him. “What Malcolm needs is his father. And I need my husband. This will be our home, Brian. Just because it moves doesn’t mean it’s not a stable environment for him. When we’re parked, I can write.”
“And I can sew,” Aggie said.
“And Malcolm can play and grow up knowing his father,” Myrna said.
“What about when we tour Europe?” Brian asked.
“I’ve been looking into real estate in France. I already ordered my passport. We can follow you there too.”
“And South America? Australia? Asia?”
“We’ll figure out a way to be together as much as possible. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want us here, Brian,” Myrna said.
“It just seems too good to be true.”
“I think it’s a perfect solution,” Trey said. “Myrna, you’re brilliant.”
“Thank you, Trey.” Myrna gave his arm a squeeze and really looked at him for the first time. She smiled. “You look happy, sweetie. Did you just eat a cherry pie?”
“He’s in love,” Brian said and rolled his eyes.
“Reagan?” Myrna asked, her eyes and smile wide as she nodded enthusiastically.
“And some guy named Ethan,” Brian added. “You can ask him for an interview for your book later.” He took Myrna’s hand and directed her further into the RV. Trey followed. There were several rooms in the back. In addition to the small bathroom and the surprisingly large bedroom with a huge, king-sized bed that was sure to get broken in very soon, a small nursery was connected off to one side. With a crib and changing table, the room was a bit cramped, but not without charm. It had been decorated to look like a regular nursery with primary colors, pictures of musical instruments, mobiles, and stuffed animals. Jessica was blowing raspberries on Malcolm’s tummy and he was kicking his feet gleefully. Jessica looked up when she noticed the group of spectators standing in the doorway.
“There’s your daddy,” Jessica said and lifted Malcolm from the table. She handed him to Brian, who got that wondrous look on his face that he sported every time he held his son.
“Your mother is a genius,” Brian said to Malcolm. “The smartest thing I ever did was marry that woman.”
Malcolm cooed in agreement.
Someone stomped up the bus steps. Trey turned and caught the look of pure joy on Jace’s face, just before he hauled Aggie to her feet and into his arms. “How long are you staying?”
“Forever.”
Trey had never seen Jace smile so broadly in all the years he’d known him. Jace kissed Aggie as if he never planned to stop. The man never said many words, but somehow, he never needed to. Jace’s cat, Brownie, rubbed up against their legs, meowing for attention.
“Aggie was worried that Jace would think she was being too clingy,” Jessica whispered.
“I think he’s the one clinging at the moment,” Trey said.
Sed appeared in the front stairwell. The RV was spacious, but there wasn’t really room for seven adults, a baby, and a cat. Reagan and Ethan were behind Sed, and bringing up the rear were Eric and Rebekah. There definitely wasn’t room for four more. Trey started to inch toward the front door. This arrangement would make Brian happy, which was good because Trey knew he wasn’t the only one sick of Brian’s constant moping.
“You all have to be onstage in thirty minutes,” Rebekah announced. She spotted Malcolm and responsibility took the backseat. “Oh, isn’t he perfect?” She was down the hall before Eric could stop her. When she got close to Malcolm’s face and made a funny expression for him, the baby’s eyes lit up and he grabbed a fistful of Rebekah’s crimson red hair, ignoring the more boring platinum blond shades that made up the bulk of her hair color. “I think it’s time to find us one of these, Eric,” she said.
“When we get back from the world tour we’ll start looking into adopting,” he promised, and placed a protective hand on the base of Rebekah’s spine.
Sed had Jessica in his arms. “Wish we had more time to be alone together right now,” he said. “We’ll have to save our next round of baby-making attempts until later tonight.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Jessica said in a clipped tone.
Trey stifled a laugh. The two of them drove each other nuts on purpose. And they both loved every minute of it.
Sed’s face fell. “You haven’t already changed your mind, have you?”
She scowled at him. “I hope not. I happen to be pregnant.” She dropped her angry ruse, grinning as she waited for his reaction.
It took a moment for her words to register with Sed, because he was apparently expecting her to say something entirely different. When it finally sank in, his eyes lit up and Trey was sure Sed’s dimples would cause his face to implode.
“Do you mean it?” he said. “You’re pregnant?”
She tilted her head back to smile up at him. “You, Sedric Lionheart, are going to be a father. And I couldn’t be happier about it.”
“Fucking awesome!” Sed shouted and swung Jessica around in a circle.
When he stopped twirling, Eric smacked him in the head. “Watch your mouth around Malcolm.”
Trey squeezed between Reagan and Ethan, wrapping his arms around both of them. “I guess the band’s all here now.”
“One big, happy family,” Reagan murmured, kissing Trey’s smiling lips. Ethan’s lips brushed his temple. Ethan squeezed Trey and Reagan together, lifting them several inches off the floor in his powerful embrace.
Sinners had always been a family and it still was. Only now it was an extended family. With less beer. And more love.
“And I can sew,” Aggie said.
“And Malcolm can play and grow up knowing his father,” Myrna said.
“What about when we tour Europe?” Brian asked.
“I’ve been looking into real estate in France. I already ordered my passport. We can follow you there too.”
“And South America? Australia? Asia?”
“We’ll figure out a way to be together as much as possible. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want us here, Brian,” Myrna said.
“It just seems too good to be true.”
“I think it’s a perfect solution,” Trey said. “Myrna, you’re brilliant.”
“Thank you, Trey.” Myrna gave his arm a squeeze and really looked at him for the first time. She smiled. “You look happy, sweetie. Did you just eat a cherry pie?”
“He’s in love,” Brian said and rolled his eyes.
“Reagan?” Myrna asked, her eyes and smile wide as she nodded enthusiastically.
“And some guy named Ethan,” Brian added. “You can ask him for an interview for your book later.” He took Myrna’s hand and directed her further into the RV. Trey followed. There were several rooms in the back. In addition to the small bathroom and the surprisingly large bedroom with a huge, king-sized bed that was sure to get broken in very soon, a small nursery was connected off to one side. With a crib and changing table, the room was a bit cramped, but not without charm. It had been decorated to look like a regular nursery with primary colors, pictures of musical instruments, mobiles, and stuffed animals. Jessica was blowing raspberries on Malcolm’s tummy and he was kicking his feet gleefully. Jessica looked up when she noticed the group of spectators standing in the doorway.
“There’s your daddy,” Jessica said and lifted Malcolm from the table. She handed him to Brian, who got that wondrous look on his face that he sported every time he held his son.
“Your mother is a genius,” Brian said to Malcolm. “The smartest thing I ever did was marry that woman.”
Malcolm cooed in agreement.
Someone stomped up the bus steps. Trey turned and caught the look of pure joy on Jace’s face, just before he hauled Aggie to her feet and into his arms. “How long are you staying?”
“Forever.”
Trey had never seen Jace smile so broadly in all the years he’d known him. Jace kissed Aggie as if he never planned to stop. The man never said many words, but somehow, he never needed to. Jace’s cat, Brownie, rubbed up against their legs, meowing for attention.
“Aggie was worried that Jace would think she was being too clingy,” Jessica whispered.
“I think he’s the one clinging at the moment,” Trey said.
Sed appeared in the front stairwell. The RV was spacious, but there wasn’t really room for seven adults, a baby, and a cat. Reagan and Ethan were behind Sed, and bringing up the rear were Eric and Rebekah. There definitely wasn’t room for four more. Trey started to inch toward the front door. This arrangement would make Brian happy, which was good because Trey knew he wasn’t the only one sick of Brian’s constant moping.
“You all have to be onstage in thirty minutes,” Rebekah announced. She spotted Malcolm and responsibility took the backseat. “Oh, isn’t he perfect?” She was down the hall before Eric could stop her. When she got close to Malcolm’s face and made a funny expression for him, the baby’s eyes lit up and he grabbed a fistful of Rebekah’s crimson red hair, ignoring the more boring platinum blond shades that made up the bulk of her hair color. “I think it’s time to find us one of these, Eric,” she said.
“When we get back from the world tour we’ll start looking into adopting,” he promised, and placed a protective hand on the base of Rebekah’s spine.
Sed had Jessica in his arms. “Wish we had more time to be alone together right now,” he said. “We’ll have to save our next round of baby-making attempts until later tonight.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Jessica said in a clipped tone.
Trey stifled a laugh. The two of them drove each other nuts on purpose. And they both loved every minute of it.
Sed’s face fell. “You haven’t already changed your mind, have you?”
She scowled at him. “I hope not. I happen to be pregnant.” She dropped her angry ruse, grinning as she waited for his reaction.
It took a moment for her words to register with Sed, because he was apparently expecting her to say something entirely different. When it finally sank in, his eyes lit up and Trey was sure Sed’s dimples would cause his face to implode.
“Do you mean it?” he said. “You’re pregnant?”
She tilted her head back to smile up at him. “You, Sedric Lionheart, are going to be a father. And I couldn’t be happier about it.”
“Fucking awesome!” Sed shouted and swung Jessica around in a circle.
When he stopped twirling, Eric smacked him in the head. “Watch your mouth around Malcolm.”
Trey squeezed between Reagan and Ethan, wrapping his arms around both of them. “I guess the band’s all here now.”
“One big, happy family,” Reagan murmured, kissing Trey’s smiling lips. Ethan’s lips brushed his temple. Ethan squeezed Trey and Reagan together, lifting them several inches off the floor in his powerful embrace.
Sinners had always been a family and it still was. Only now it was an extended family. With less beer. And more love.
