Sinners On Tour 05 Double Time (12 page)

Reagan almost swallowed her tongue when Harold showed her into the kitchen and she found Dare slicing fruit on the dark, granite countertop of the kitchen island. He was shirtless. His hair wet from a recent shower. Beard stubble recently trimmed. His expression dreamy and contemplative. Dare Mills. Yum-to-the-um.

Dare glanced up from his task and smiled at her in welcome. “There you are. I never got your number yesterday so I couldn’t call and let you know that today is a no go.”

Reagan’s heart sank. “A no go?”

“Max went to Vegas with Logan to blow off some steam. Steve took off to the wilderness somewhere, and I have sudden plans to go to Hawaii. I’m leaving tonight.”

Reagan’s excitement waned. How was she supposed to get ready to go on tour with them if she didn’t practice with them?

“He has a girlfriend there,” Trey said.

“I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Trey slipped onto a barstool, picked up slices of strawberries with his fingers, and popped them into his mouth. “You could have called me, Dare. I would have relayed the message.”

Dare just kept right on slicing a peach as his little brother helped himself. “I tried to call you. It kept going to voice mail.”

“I probably need to charge my phone.”

“So I had an idea,” Dare said to Reagan. “You wouldn’t learn much you don’t already know by hanging out here in the studio for two weeks without the band. Have you ever been on tour?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “All of Bait-n-Switch’s gigs were local.”

“Why don’t you go with Trey and hang out with Sinners for a couple of weeks? Learn what goes on behind the scenes.”

“Besides the beer and pussy?” Trey said, helping himself to slices of Dare’s peach now.

Reagan whipped her head around to glare at him.

He chuckled. “Kidding.”

“Sure,” Dare said with a grin as he rinsed an apple in the sink situated in the center of his kitchen island. He started to cut the apple into thin slices on a cutting board. “Trey gets all the beer and pussy he wants, whenever he wants it.”

Reagan scowled. “I bet he does.”

Trey grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to stand between his legs with her back to the counter. “Yours is the only pussy I want. I will take a beer though.”

Dare snorted. “That’s another reason you should go on tour with him, Reagan. To keep an eye on him. I think his record for celibacy is about twelve hours.”

“I’ve gone a few days without,” Trey said.

“A few
days
?” Reagan bellowed.

“How many more tour dates does Sinners have?” Dare asked.

“Eight shows in the next fourteen days. Then a week of rehearsal for the new show with you guys, and then back on the road again for… I don’t remember. A long fucking time.”

“So that means fourteen days without sex.” Dare laughed. “He won’t make it, Reagan.”

“Don’t worry. I am perfectly capable of jerking off for a couple of weeks,” Trey assured her. He took a slice of strawberry and used it to trace her lips. The very idea of him with his hands on some other woman, his cock inside some other woman, another woman watching him come, had her seething.

“I think Dare has a great idea. If I go on tour with you and Sinners, I won’t be so anxious when I start out with Exodus End.”

Trey fed her the slice of strawberry. “Well, if you want to go, I don’t see why you can’t. All the other guys have brought a woman on tour with Sinners in the past. About time I took advantage of that privilege.”

“And you can help me practice my music, too,” she said, really warming up to the idea now. “And maybe Brian can help me work on my triplets.”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to.”

“Really?” she said, wrapping her arms around Trey’s neck. “He’s such an amazing guitarist!”

Dare cleared his throat.

“You
all
are amazing guitarists,” she hurriedly rectified.

“We’re all amazing guitarists,” Trey amended.

Reagan smiled. “Right.
We’re
all amazing guitarists.”

“If you’re coming along, you better go get packed. Brian’s supposed to be here in an hour to fly back to Oklahoma City to meet up with the bus for tonight’s show in Topeka.” Trey smiled sweetly. “I wonder how his little one is doing.”

“He called this morning and said Myrna was checking out of the hospital. I think she and the baby are coming out to the airstrip to see him off.”

“Aw,” Reagan said. “I’ll get to see baby Sinclair?”

“If you hurry.” Trey patted her butt. “We’ve got to make it in time for the show tonight. Have the limo run you home.”

“What do I bring?”

He leaned back to look her over. “A box of condoms and some energy drinks.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

“Just pack as if you’re going on a two-week vacation. I don’t know what you need to bring. Chick stuff.”

“Don’t bother bringing your guitar,” Dare said, slicing a pear now. “You can grab one of Max’s from the practice room.”

She pecked Trey on the lips. “I’ll be right back,” she promised and raced toward the front door to find the limo before she regained her senses and changed her mind.

***

As soon as Reagan was out of earshot, Trey picked up a peach and threw it at Dare. It stuck to the center of his bare chest.

“What the fuck, Dare? Why did you put me on the spot like that?”

“I knew you were too stupid to think of it on your own.” He peeled the piece of fruit off his chest and popped it in his mouth.

“Are you even going to Hawaii?”

“No. I broke up with Cassidy weeks ago. The rest was true though. Max and Logan went to Vegas as soon as Steve took off into the wilderness. Can’t blame Steve for heading out. You know what he’s like. He needs trees.”

“And you’re going to just stick around here by yourself?”

“I’ll probably do a little entertaining.” He grinned. “Or be a little entertained. So how did things go with Reagan last night?”

Trey checked over his shoulder to make sure she hadn’t returned unexpectedly. “She’s phenomenal.”

“Yeah. I thought you’d like her. Is she okay with your bisexual side?”

“She doesn’t know. And I’m not going to tell her. I’m giving up men.”

Dare shook his head at him. “Right, Trey. Good plan,” he said sarcastically.

“Her ex is bisexual. She caught him cheating on her with a man. She’s not very open to that kind of thing.”

“Hmm,” Dare said, munching on a slice of apple, his green eyes reflective. “You should dump her now then. She’ll just wind up hurt when you put your snake in a dark tunnel.”

Trey threw another slice of peach at his idiot brother. “I won’t be putting my snake in any dark tunnel. Unless it’s hers. I want this to work between us. I want a normal relationship. Last night was amazing. I want to keep that going.”

“Trey, you can’t deny what you are. You need to find a woman who accepts that part of you as part of the package. You’ll never be happy if you give up men entirely. I know you won’t.”

“Just butt out. Okay? Let me do this my way.”

Dare sighed and reached for a pineapple. He hacked off the top with more force than necessary before grabbing some fancy gadget that trimmed it into a neat, hollow cylinder. “Just don’t chase her off, Trey. We need her for the tour.”

“I’m not going to chase her off. I’m going to make her mine.”

The doorbell rang. Trey’s heart thudded with excitement, and he stood up from the barstool. “I bet that’s Brian.”

“Don’t wet yourself there, Trey.”

“Shut up.” He hadn’t seen Brian in over a day. He had a lot to tell him. And he missed him. A lot. Just because Trey had given up on Brian loving him didn’t mean that he’d fallen out of love with the man. Trey didn’t know if he’d ever stop loving Brian. Not completely.

By the time Trey made it to the foyer, Brian and crew were already inside the house. Brian had a diaper bag slung over one shoulder, a baby carrier in his free hand, and was trying to coax Myrna into a nearby chair.

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” she said, “really.”

“Since when did they start letting women out of the hospital after one day of rest? It’s insane,” Brian insisted. “Please, baby, sit. I don’t think you should be out of bed yet.”

“Brian, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“Did you call Jessica?”

“Yes, I called her. She said she’d meet me here and stay with me at the house until you get back from tour. And when she’s unavailable, Aggie said she’d help out too.” So Myrna had agreed to let the lady Sinners—Sed and Jace’s respective fiancées—help her out. Trey was actually surprised that she would admit to needing help.

Brian breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad they both agreed to stay with you. I can’t imagine leaving you alone right now.” Trey decided she’d done so only to give Brian some peace of mind.

Malcolm grunted in his carrier, and Brian set it on a decorative table, oblivious to the expensive vase he pushed aside. He had the baby out of his seat and cradled against his shoulder in record time. When Brian sniffed Malcolm’s tiny baby butt, Trey burst out laughing.

“Hey, Trey,” Myrna said. “Enjoy your day off?”

“You might say that,” Trey said and came further into the room.

“Is it time for him to eat?” Brian asked Myrna.

“It’s only been an hour,” she said with a weary smile.

“He made a noise,” Brian told her.

“They do that sometimes, sweetheart. You’re spoiling him.”

“Ah, God, I miss him already.” Brian cradled Malcolm in the crook of his arm and hummed some lullaby version of the Sinners song “Good-bye Is Not Forever” while gently bouncing him up and down.

“He’s going to puke on you if you aren’t careful,” Trey warned.

Brian pointed to a white spot on his shirt and grinned as if it were some treasure to behold. “He already did.”

The doorbell rang again. Dare had just taken a step into the room but stopped in his tracks and went to the door.

“Is the baby here?” Trey heard Jessica squeal from the front door.

“Uh, yeah, I think he came with his parents,” Dare answered.

Jessica breezed into the room, looking absolutely stunning as usual—a strawberry-blonde bombshell who looked like she belonged in a
Playboy
centerfold instead of in a courtroom. Trey was pretty sure some of her clients were repeat offenders just so they could see her again. Jessica gave Myrna a quick hug. “I’m so glad you called me,” she said. Jessica noticed Trey and gave his arm a squeeze as she zeroed in on Malcolm. “Oh,” she said, clutching her hands in front of her chest. “He’s adorable. Let me hold him.”

Brian in no way looked prepared to hand over his son until he had no choice, but the pride in Jessica’s excitement at seeing his child was apparently a good motivator. He handed over the kid but stayed beside her with his hand inches from Malcolm’s back as if he expected Jessica to drop him on the polished marble floor at any moment.

“Oh,” Jessica said again and cuddled the baby against her chest as if he were as fragile as wet paper. “Did you send a picture to Sed? He’ll die when he sees him.”

“Yeah, we sent the guys pictures,” Brian said, still hovering over Jessica. “They bitched about missing out on the fun.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it fun,” Myrna said flatly. “Amazing, unbelievable, breathtaking, and wonderful, but not
fun
.”

Once Brian seemed sure that Jessica was trustworthy, he moved to stand beside his wife. He stroked her auburn hair with one hand. “Are you thirsty? Hungry? Can I get you something?”

“A glass of water would be nice,” she admitted.

“I’ll get it,” Dare said. “Harold!”

Trey watched Brian fuss over his wife, and though he was a little sad to watch Brian slip even farther away from him, Trey was glad that Brian was so happy. Absolute joy radiated off the guy. It was almost blinding.

“Who’s a handsome boy? Who’s a handsome boy? Who’s a handsome boy?” Jessica asked Malcolm who was gnawing on his fist and gazing at her with unfocused eyes. “That’s right. Malcolm’s a handsome boy. Malcolm’s a handsome boy.”

“He’s not a dog, Jess. Why are you talking to him like that?” Trey asked.

“He likes it,” she said. “Don’t you like it? Yes you do. Yes you do.”

“Well then, he’s the only one,” Trey muttered.

Myrna chuckled.

“I want to hold him again,” Brian said, following Jessica around the room as she continued to repeat herself incessantly. “You can hold him as much as you want after I’m gone.”

“Oh God, I want one,” Jessica said, hugging the baby before handing him back to his father.

“Are you sure you mean that?” Trey said.

“Yes, I mean it,” Jess said. “Look at him. He’s perfect.”

“I’m telling Sed you said that. He’ll have you knocked up in an hour. Even though he’s over twelve hundred miles away.”

“That’s some serious potency,” Myrna said.

Jessica hesitated. “My caseload at the practice is too heavy right now. I don’t have time for a baby.” She leaned against Brian and stared down at the tiny bundle in his arms. “Okay, fuck the job. I want a baby.”

Myrna laughed. “Shouldn’t you wait until after your wedding? You’ve been planning it for months.”

“Maybe Sed and I should do what you and Brian did. Just elope. I thought I wanted a big wedding, and Sed’s family wants us to have a big wedding, but even with an event planner helping us out, it is so stressful.”

“Do you want a big wedding, Jessica?” Myrna asked.

“Kinda,” Jessica admitted.

“Then have your big wedding or you’ll always regret it.”

Brian perked up. “Do you regret not having a big wedding?”

Myrna smiled. “Not at all. I didn’t want a big wedding. I just wanted you.”

Oh God, not the Brian/Myrna mushy mushy love stuff. Trey wasn’t sure if he could handle it today.

“Maybe I should just get pregnant now,” Jessica said. “I won’t be showing too much in three months. I should still be able to fit into my dress. Or I could get it altered.” She looked down and rubbed both hands over her flat belly.

Oh
God, shoot me now,
Trey thought.
Babies, weddings, and pregnancies. What will they be talking about next? Their periods?