“You act like I just whipped up a feast from scratch. I’d hardly call microwaving breakfast meat impressive.”
Slinging an arm across my shoulder, Jake pulled me to his side. “It’s still sweet of you to take care of me and Abby so well.”
“I’m happy to do it.”
Jake bestowed a kiss on my cheek. “Aw, I love you, Allie-bean.”
“I love you, too.” Always the cutest little attention whore ever, Jules squealed and kicked her legs. “And I love you, Miss Jules.” She rewarded me with a giant grin. I then disappeared into the bathroom to grab a quick shower. Under the hot stream of water, muscles I had overworked the night before screamed in agony. With my stomach rumbling, I decided to forgo drying my hair. Instead, I left my wet hair down to air-dry.
When I came out of the bathroom, I found everyone seated at the table. “I hope you saved me some,” I said, as I slid into the vacant seat next to Rhys.
Abby grinned. “It was hard with these two and their never ending stomachs.”
Under the table, Rhys’s hand came to rest on my thigh before gently squeezing. As I took a bite of my bacon, I peeked through the shroud of hair to give him a shy smile. He winked at me before turning back to his plate.
As Jake brought his plate filled to the brim with seconds back to the table, he gave me the once over. “You feelin’ all right this morning?” he asked.
Tossing my hair over my shoulder, I nodded. “Sure. Why?”
“You don’t look like you slept very well, and I thought I heard you moaning several times, like you were having a nightmare.”
Beside me, Rhys spewed out the sip of orange juice he’d just taken before succumbing to a coughing fit. “Are you okay?” I asked, after thumping his back a few times.
“Yeah, peachy,” he replied, in a strangled voice.
For some reason, the twins thought Rhys’s choking fit was the funniest thing in a long time, and they began cackling in their high chairs. Their laughter was infectious and pretty soon we were all laughing. It was a welcomed distraction from Jake’s question and Rhys’s reaction.
After Rhys sopped up the orange juice he had spewed over the table, he cleared his throat. “So, uh, you’re going to see Micah today, right?” he said, conveniently changing the subject.
A wide grin stretched across Abby’s face at the mention of seeing her oldest brother—the one whose place she had taken in Jacob’s Ladder. “Yes, he and his wife, Valerie, are coming to see us before the show.”
“What’s he doing in Portland?” I asked.
“He got assigned as a youth minister at a church there. He’s really happy.” Cocking her head thoughtfully, she added, “Sometimes I think he misses the music business a little. We’ve convinced him to play with us tonight.”
“That’s awesome,” I said.
Jake grinned. “You’ll be off the hook with the twins today, Allie-Bean. Micah and Valerie haven’t gotten to see the twins in person yet.”
“Ah, I see.” I couldn’t help feeling a little giddy at the thought of having most of the day free. That meant more time that I could spend with Rhys. Of course, most of it would have to be in secret. Although Rhys was all for telling Jake about us, I wasn’t ready yet. I knew how horrible it was going to be after hearing from Rhys how Jake went off on Eli when he thought he had hurt me. I knew that was a slight drop in the bucket to what he would be feeling about us dating.
Rhys must’ve shared my excitement of getting to be together because he squeezed my thigh again under the table. A shiver of anticipation ran through me, but considering I was sitting across from Jake and Abby I had to curb it. Now it was just managing to make it to where we could be alone again.
Three hours later, the bus rolled into the parking lot of Rose Quarter—the arena in Portland. Jake hadn’t been exaggerating about Micah, Valerie, and the twins. The moment we stepped off the bus, they were waiting to each take a twin into their eager arms. After a lot of hugging and some tears on Abby’s part, we were hustled inside to prepare for rehearsals.
With slight disappointment, I watched Rhys and Runaway Train take the stage first to rehearse. I hung back to watch them since I rarely got to see their shows now that I was watching the twins. Just the sight of Rhys playing the bass made me flush. It took me back to his shower in Savannah when he had played me just like his cello. The man had some masterful fingers, for damn sure.
Once Runaway Train finished, Rhys came to join me below the stage. I gave him a beaming smile. “You guys sounded amazing, as always.”
“It’s just a rehearsal.”
Nudging him with my hip, I said, “Don’t be bashful. You should be proud of your talents.”
“Thanks for loving our crappy rehearsal renditions,” Rhys replied, with a teasing grin.
“Ass,” I muttered, under my breath.
“Hmm, what I’d like to do what that mouth of yours,” he murmured.
As Rhys leaned a little closer to me, two roadies interrupted by hustling past us. Rhys gave a frustrated grunt. “Never a f**king moment alone.”
Our attention was drawn to the stage where Jake and Abby were starting up their duet rehearsals. Whenever they were in a city that had a song named after it, they liked to use it during their duet time. With us being in Portland, they were aptly singing Jack White and Loretta Lynn’s Portland, Oregon.
When Micah joined Jacob’s Ladder out onstage, I wondered how Valerie was doing with Jax and Jules. “I should go backstage and check on the twins.”
“I’m sure they’re fine with Micah and Valerie fawning over them.” Rhys gave me a slightly pleading look. “Stay here with me.”
With his expression and request, it was a no-brainer what I was going to do. As the strong beat of the guitars started up, I stayed rooted to the spot next to Rhys. Turning my attention to the stage, I watched Jake and Abby begin to perform. After wagging his brows suggestively, Jake closed the gap between him and Abby in a determined swagger. With a cocky grin, he brought the microphone to his lips. “In a booth in the corner with the lights down low, I was movin’ in fast; she was takin’ it slow. Uh-huh.”
Abby gave Jake a teasing grin while sashaying slightly away from him. I couldn’t help smiling at their stage antics. Of course, it just went to show how very much in love they still were. “Well, I looked at him and caught him lookin’ at me. I knew right then we were playin’ free in Oregon.”