Page 230 of Perfect Pitch

Only her mother and I know what she’s going to sing as a gift to her father. It’s a song her father wrote on the broken piano in the field of sunflowers when they weren’t much younger than Austyn. A song that is a brilliant composition that’s a miracle when combined with Austyn’s perfect pitch.

A love song.

Then again, I muse. Does Austyn ever sing any other kind?

Not to me. Not for me.

Pressing a kiss to York’s forehead, I whisper, “We’re blessed, buddy.”

He doesn’t respond. Not with words anyway.

Instead, he proves he’s his father’s son when he soils his diaper minutes before his parents are due to be married. And everyone—Austyn included—cracks up as I change his diaper in the front row.

* * *

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWELVE

TWO YEARS LATER

I’m dozing in a pool of sunlight when my husband drops onto the bed next to me. Unlike me, who is barely covered in a pair of short-shorts and a tank top, Mitch is fully buttoned up in a suit. I murmur, “If someone were to take a picture of us right now, we’d appear to be the two most mismatched people in the world to be married.”

“Do I look like I give a fuck?” He nuzzles against the top of my pelvic bone, not moving higher or lower.

I moan before crooking a finger at him. “Are you done with work? Can we finally enjoy our vacation?”

He takes a nip out of my inner thigh before licking it to take away the sting. “Why? Did you miss me?”

“We,” I emphasize, “missed you terribly.” I kiss the palm of his hand before laying it on the rounded mound of my stomach.

He skims up my tank to press his lips against our son. Being seven months pregnant, I’ve been ordered to do nothing but relax by everyone with us. Since I have no objections to being pampered before I’m due to sing tonight, I capitulated with ease.

“What was all the shouting about before?” I ask.

Mitch spends several moments kissing the rounded mound of my stomach before answering me with a grin. “Which part?”

“Just before you came in, I know I heard Leanne.”

He shakes his head. “Kane will never lead a dull life, that’s for damn sure.”

I prop myself up on my elbows. “Come on. Spill it.”

He tells me about the satellite Leanne redirected so no one could spy in on our weekend getaway. “She did it because she was bored, mind you. She tried explaining it and I got lost. Kane was too besotted to care.”

“Is she going to get into trouble?”

“She put in a change in the code so Dioscuri,” Mitch names the software Leanne designed for the federal government, “Won’t recognize it until after the fact.”

My arms give out with my laughter. “God, I adore her.”

There’s a knock on the door. Mitch quickly pulls down my top before my mother pokes her head in. My little brother scampers in ahead of her. She winks at Mitch before she smiles at the way York cuddles against my side. “Hi, darling.”

“Hey, Mama. Hey, buddy.” I ruffle his hair, the exact same shade as mine.

“Hey, ’Tyn.” He leans down and kisses my stomach. “Hi, sister!”

At three, York doesn’t quite get the concept of uncle versus brother but what he does have down pat is the concept of family. I shift up on the mound of pillows behind me to make room for my husband and my adorable little brother before asking my mother, “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s just putting Eve down.” My mother yawns.

---