He tossed me a little salute and whistled his way back to his van.
“Who are those from?” my son demanded when I walked into the kitchen.
“Are those from Mark?” Addy asked. I could tell by her tone that she was reassessing her opinion of the man. My daughter was easily swayed by expensive presents.
I snatched the card away before either of them could get to it.
B,
Thanks for last night, gorgeous. I’ll be thinking about you. Always.
V
My cheeks flushed and my stomach got that warm, tickly feeling in it.
“Look at her face,” my daughter hissed.
“What’s wrong with her face?” Shane wanted to know.
“She’s flushed.” Addy frowned. “Do you have a fever? Do head wounds cause fevers?”
“I’m fine,” I insisted, pocketing the card.
The doorbell rang again.
I opened the door to find my ex-husband and his wife, holding their gorgeous one-year-old. The three of them were dressed in matching Christmas pajamas that Ryan looked less than thrilled about.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Ryan was not the sentimental let’s pose for a picture type. Which was ironic since he’d ended up marrying a woman who worked as a freelance social media manager and therefore documented every aspect of their life online.
“Merry Christmas,” I greeted them.
“Are you okay?” Ryan asked, stepping in and giving me a kiss on the cheek.
It was weird having him ring the bell at a home he’d spent two decades in mowing the lawn and grilling hamburgers. But that was what life was, weird change.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
“We thought we’d bring Christmas morning to you,” Valerie said chipperly, handing baby Mathilda over to Ryan.
“I’ll get started on the pancakes,” he volunteered.
Valerie gave me one of her patented back rubbing hugs and then pulled away. “I gotta say, for someone who almost got trampled at a concert, you look fantastic.”
“Uh, yeah. I slept really well last night,” I fibbed.
Valerie glanced over my shoulder, then whispered, “That’s not the face of a good night of sleep. That’s the face of a good night of no sleep.”
She slipped past me, calling greetings to Betty and the kids.
I was just closing the door when another body appeared on the threshold.
“Mark?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.
He had his hands in his pockets and was looking sheepish. “Hey, sorry about last night. The call went long, and I just forgot to get back to you. I saw the news this morning about the concert and recognized you in the video. Are you okay?”
Don’t waste your time with someone too dumb or too blind to see how special you are. Vonn’s words echoed in my head.
I joined Mark on the porch and closed the door on the happy Christmas chaos behind me.
“Actually, we should talk.”
Four Weeks Later
“Have I mentioned that I’m thrilled you’re putting this place on the market,” Michelle said as she popped open the carton of pad thai.
We were in my kitchen after compiling the “Fix Before Listing” punch list.
After my night with Vonn, I’d shifted gears and temporarily tabled my job search in favor of focusing on my living situation. It hadn’t been a difficult choice, seeing as my editor had been really, really pissed that I’d wasted two weeks on tour and come home with nothing. But it had been the right call. Guarding Vonn’s secrets felt better than distributing them to a voracious public. Besides, I’d lost the ability to be objective when it came to a certain tattooed silver fox.
“It’s time,” I agreed, scooping my curry into a bowl.
I was casually shopping for a condo or a townhouse. Someplace dog-friendly that I could make all mine without the crushing weight of maintenance. I didn’t want to face another summer of endless mowing and power washing. I wanted to spend my time the way I decided, not the way an aging farmhouse dictated.
“How did the kids take it?” she asked as we headed into the living room where we’d left our wine glasses.
I’d finally sat the kids down and explained to them why it was time for me to move on…and why it was up to them to find new homes for their childhood memorabilia. Whinnie was going to be boarded on a horse farm just outside of town where she would be part of group riding lessons. Shane’s fifteen storage bins of action figures and toys were in the process of moving to the crawlspace over his father’s garage.
“They were shocked at first. But I think they’re coming around to the idea that I have an entire life outside of being their mother.”
“I’ll say,” Michelle said with a wicked smile. She sank down on the end of the couch where just weeks before Vonn had sat and somehow changed my life. “Have you heard from him?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t expect to. It’s not like we exchanged phone numbers or anything.” No, my night with the sexy, tattooed rocker had been just that. One night. One night that I’d never forget. Vonn had gone on to finish the West Coast portion of the band’s farewell tour, and I had returned to my quest to Become.
Though, I had to admit, there was something comforting and romantic about the idea of a man out there in the world safeguarding my secrets.
Some days I could almost feel him cheering me on.
“I just think that after a night like that and a floral arrangement delivered on Christmas morning he’d have made an effort to keep in touch. Even just to booty-call you. You’re definitely worth a booty call.”
“You’re such a romantic,” I teased.
Michelle and her husband had been married for twenty-three years. Long enough that neither one of them cared if one of them forgot their anniversary, but not so long that they were no longer interested in regular sex.
But I’d known the score when I’d kissed Vonn. It was for one night only.
Of course, that didn’t mean I hadn’t been Googling him daily, soaking up any new stories or pictures.
Vonn Barlowe announces retirement at last concert
Vonn Barlowe plans to mentor young musicians with new production company
“Brunch daddy” Vonn Barlowe steps out with daughter
Sonic Arcade had played their last concert the previous week. A sold-out show in LA Not a bad way to say goodbye.
“You are freaking awesome, you know?” Michelle pressed. “It’s easy to forget who you are outside of family life. But you’re one of my favorite people because you’re so damn amazing.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re my listing agent.”
“Speaking of real estate,” Michelle said. “I sold it.”
“Sold what?”
“The Milton Estate. The deal closed yesterday. Finally!”
“You’re kidding? Congratulations!” I slapped the back of the couch with enthusiasm. The Milton Estate had been on Michelle’s portfolio for two long years. It was a gorgeous property, but there was a very small pool of buyers who could both afford it and wanted to live in our small town.
“I mean, it’s no one-night stand with a rock star. But I thought I was going to be stuck with that place forever. So, I’m pretty happy.” She winked.