“On that note, you guys mind if Kiki and I have a little time?” Noah asked. “We haven’t seen each other since before my overdose…”
“Of course.”
Stu, Bri, and I stood up. “We’ll take a walk,” she told him.
“I’ve got a call to make,” Stu said. “You two go on.”
I put my arm around Bri’s shoulders as we strolled across the picturesque grounds. “So, how do you feel now, venti mocha macchiato?”
She smiled up at me. “Like the happiest woman in the world.”
“I was thinking about culinary school the other day,” I told her.
She arched her brows. “You were thinking about culinary school? Gonna take some classes with me?”
I tweaked her nose. “You know what I mean, smartass. Anyway, I know you’ve been on the fence about going now that we’re engaged, but I want you to. It’ll be hard to be apart, but if Noah and Kiki can do it, so can we. I don’t want you to give up anything for me, just like you haven’t asked me to give up rock and roll for you.”
“It’s four years,” she whispered. “That’s a long time to live apart.”
“It won’t be the whole time. You’ll still fly out for long weekends, I’ll come to wherever you are when we’re not on tour, and didn’t you say you already had almost one full year done before Noah OD’d the first time?”
She nodded. “Yes, but I’m not sure I’ll get accepted again.”
“You will. So that’s only three years. And maybe, with the right motivation, they’ll let you start in January.”
“The right motivation?” Her eyes widened. “Declan, what oudid you do?”
I laughed. “I gave them an incentive.”
“A monetary incentive?”
“Duh. But listen, before you get all mad…you were already accepted in there the first time. You passed all your classes when you were there. You’re already a fantastic cook. Yeah, I intervened but so what? You earned your way into that school and then dropped out because of Noah. I’m merely giving them the incentive to give you another chance. Life is all about luck and being in the right place at the right time. If Casey freakin’ Hart hadn’t given a homeless drummer a chance thirteen years ago, we wouldn’t be here today.”
“God, I love you.”
And like she always did when she was excited, she planted one on me, tongue and everything.
I really fucking loved her too.
* * *
Thank you for reading Rewind! Please consider leaving a review at the retailer of your choice—it means a lot to me.
Also, flip the page for chapter one of the final book in this series—FAST FORWARD!
Excerpt from Fast Forward
Chapter One
Sydney
* * *
“Surprise!”
Voices rang out as I let myself into my house after a long afternoon at work and I jumped, my hand flying to my chest.
“Aw, you guys,” I muttered, staring into the sweet faces of my siblings and closest friends. My heart melted a little, even though I hated surprises, because they all looked so earnest. Fifteen-year-old Kirsten was holding a birthday cake with a lit candle in the middle, flanked by six-year-old Owen and my best friend Lila, who was holding eighteen-month-old Colby.
“Okay, everybody, time to sing!” My seventy-year-old neighbor, Tilly Perkins, started them off. “Happy birthday to you…”
“Happy birthday to you!” Owen sang loudly.
“Happy birthday, dear Sydney,” Lila was grinning at me.
“Happy birthday to you!”
“Make a wish!” Kirsten whispered, her eyes shining.
I squeezed my eyes shut and wished for the only thing I’d wanted in years. Then I blew out the candle.
Tilly started cutting pieces of cake for everyone, while Lila bounced Colby on her knee.
“We didn’t have money for a gift,” Kirsten said to me, linking her arm through mine. “But we made you a card.” She handed me a simple white envelope.
“Thank you. A card is all I need anyway.” I smiled at her, opening the card and reading the bright red writing to myself.
* * *
Sydney,
Thank you for being the best big sister ever!
We love you,
Kirsten, Owen & Colby
* * *
“We stole flowers from Ms. Perkins’ yard!” Owen announced triumphantly, holding out a bunch of white roses.
Tilly laughed, putting a piece of cake in front of him. “It’s not really stealing when you have permission.”
He grinned and dug into his cake. Much like me, Owen loved sweets.
“You guys shouldn’t have done all this,” I said to everyone.
Gino and Lonnie, two guys from the mail room at the law firm where I worked during the week, were here, along with a few more neighbors and my cousin Jed.
“This is from the gang at the office,” Gino said, handing me an envelope.
“Thank you,” I replied automatically.
“You’ll get my present later,” Lila said, winking at me.
We had cake and drank juice as I tried to mingle with everyone. I’d had a long couple of days, but it wouldn’t be polite for me to tell everyone I was tired and wanted them to go home. All I wanted was to soak in the tub with a book and maybe a glass of wine. Was that too much to ask on my birthday?
“So where are you guys going?” Kirsten asked as I sat down to open the card Gino had handed me.
I glanced up suspiciously. “Upstairs to take a bath?”
Lila laughed. “Well, you’re nothing if not consistent. But no, you are not going to go soak in the tub tonight. We’re going out.”
I shook my head. “No way. I’m exhausted.”
“Franklin is playing at Rutherford’s tonight, and I want to go.” Lila gave me a direct glare. “And I’m not going alone.”
“I’ll go if Ms. Stick-in-the-mud doesn’t want to,” Tilly called out, laughing.
“Guys, I worked from seven in the morning until three-thirty at the law firm yesterday, and then from five until one in the morning at the restaurant. Then I opened the restaurant this morning at ten and worked until four. I’m cooked.”
“But it’s your birthday and you only turn twenty-four once,” Lila said, nudging me with her hip. “Besides, you have to eat dinner. So we’ll go early, get something to eat and since we’ll already be there, we’ll get good seats for the show. Just one set, Syd. Pretty please?”
Lila had a huge crush on Franklin Coolidge, a guy we’d gone to high school with. His cover band was popular here in Texas so he was constantly on the road playing gigs. We didn’t get many opportunities to see him play, especially not at a club right here in the suburbs of San Antonio, so I had a feeling Lila wasn’t going to let me off the hook easily.
“You could stay home and watch a movie with me,” Owen said, standing beside me.
I reached over and ruffled his hair. “Tomorrow night, okay? Promise.”