Page 68 of Finding Emotion

“Katie brags on me, doesn’t she?” Blake asked with a wink.

Damon had been a little jealous of his friend when he’d first heard. It had always been Blake for Katie, though, despite his own long-ago crush. “Are you enjoying being a stay-at-home dad?” he asked.

“I love it. I still do a few odd jobs, but this time I have with her is precious.” Blake reached for his beer now that his hands were empty.

Damon wondered if that had been the plan all along, but it was hard to mind with a snuggling baby. He wasn’t ready yet, but he could picture having one of his own one day. He wondered if Skylar had ever wanted kids.

“Jami pulled up one of Skylar’s videos. The one with the crystal necklace.” Malcolm leaned toward him. “She mentioned you were hers and that any gifts fans sent were hers as well.”

“She said what?” Damon felt a chill.

“Were you aware she meant to taunt that secret admirer of yours?” Malcolm asked.

“No. She took the latest gift and mentioned making a necklace, but I never thought…” Damon bit his lip. The truth was, he’d forgotten about it.

“Are you worried about violence?” Trenton asked. He frowned. “There’s been no evidence of that, and the investigators I hired said it was more likely that it’s an admirer, despite the unusual way the gifts are given.”

“I don’t know about that.” Damon wished he wasn’t holding a baby so he could get up and pace. He hadn’t shared details of the latest gifts since the investigators and police had all given up. “The message before the crystal already mentioned Skylar.”

Malcolm and Trenton fell silent, glancing at each other.

“Are you still planning to break things off this week?” Trenton asked. “Isn’t that what you said the other night? That the fake relationship would end as you separated for your tours?”

Damon blinked. He hadn’t reconsidered the plan for the media. Nothing was fake about them anymore. His cheeks heated as the night before came back to him in vivid color. He might not be ready to confess his love to her, but he’d already told her he wanted to be exclusive.

“Well, well,” Blake said. “Our rock star is blushing.”

Malcolm sighed. “Ah, hell, don’t tell me I’m going to be a brother by marriage to another one of you.”

“It’s a little too soon for that, but yeah, we’re kind of a couple now,” Damon admitted. “Besides, you and Jami aren’t even engaged yet, are you?”

“No. I don’t plan to propose for a while yet.” Malcolm poured himself another drink. “I’m waiting until after she graduates. With how many classes she’s taking, that’ll be less than the typical four years, unless she decides to get a master’s.”

“I keep telling him to do it sooner,” Blake said. He downed the rest of his beer and held out his hands for his daughter. “Give her here.”

“Sure, take her when she’s quiet.” Damon’s arms felt much lighter without the baby there.

“I think the timing of the engagement is a perfect plan.” Trenton settled farther into the couch, his hands still cradling his baby to his chest. “If things had been different, you likely would have dated her through college back after high school.”

“Yeah, right.” Blake snorted. “With how often Mal got suspended, there was no way a college was going to take him.”

“I meant her college days,” Trenton said.

Blake was doing an automatic sway with the baby. “See? Even Trent agrees no college would have taken a brawler like you.”

“I never wanted to go anyway.” Malcolm smiled. “I’m content with my life just as it is.”

“Speaking of your brawler days, you up for knocking someone around?” Damon asked as he collapsed back onto the couch with a groan. “Jimmy has been a total ass about me and Skylar.” He flushed as his earlier anger toward his manager returned. “I mean, a vicious kind of ass. I never expected it from him.”

Malcolm shifted to pat him on his shoulder. “Take it easy. Jealousy can make someone ugly. You mentioned he had a crush on her for a long time. The fake relationship turning real probably threw him. You should talk to him.”

“Yeah, I have.” Only Damon’s talks hadn’t been going so well. He frowned as he remembered how he’d gone to Jimmy’s hotel room after leaving the suite. Jimmy had acted like Damon was the one in the wrong. Damon regretted the way he’d thrown out his true feelings for Skylar. That he thought he was in love with her. Jimmy had told him that was just his dick talking and laughed in his face. Damon was starting to realize just how many times he hadn’t liked his manager lately. Even before Skylar. Trying to make him serious about his work this past year had been tough. Damon’s tendency to avoid conflict had drawn things out. He’d have to get real with Jimmy the next time.

Damon reached for his own empty shot glass. “Sorry, this evening isn’t supposed to be about me.”

“Tonight has been fine. I mainly wanted to pamper Erin.” Nicholas smiled down into his glass. “She never usually lets me spend money on her, but she was very excited when the limo came.”

“And let the whole block know it, probably,” Damon said. His sister could never be very quiet.

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