Page 86 of I Do With You

“Why wait for fireworks? Just go ahead and get ’em out there,” I tease. But I lean forward, pressing my lips to hers. “I loveyou, Hope Barlowe.”

I think she says it back, but I’m too lost in our kiss to be sure. But I feel it either way.

Epilogue

HOPE

“Sleeping Beauty, rise and grind,” Ben rumbles in my ear. He’s lying on top of me, literally circling his hips over mine, so you’d think he’s talking about a morning quickie.

You’d be wrong.

First, because it’s two in the afternoon, not morning. And second, because the RV we use as an incognito tour bus leaves in an hour, and I still need to shower. At least I don’t have to pack my bag, considering I only unpack it to do laundry these days.

“Five more minutes,” I answer, keeping my eyes squeezed tightly shut. But I also scrape my nails down his back, grab his butt, and pull his erection against my pubic bone, eliciting a groan from us both. “They’ll wait, right? It’s not like they can leave without you.”

“Sean would definitely go by cruise ship rules and leave us here to find our own way to the next tour stop.”

He’s right. Sean would find an inordinate amount of evil pleasure in leaving us at the hotel we bunked at last night. I curl my lip. “I hate that guy.”

Ben laughs because he knows I don’t actually hate Sean. He still freaks me out sometimes because the version of him I met in Maple Creek was actually him on his best behavior, but he’s growing on me.Like fungus. Or a barnacle. Mostly we’ve bonded over our shared love of Ben and cinnamon-sugar french toast, which has become our usual special request when we eat at a breakfast place. Surprisingly, most places will do it, and we rejoice every time like it’s the treat it is.

Still, I miss Rosemary’s.

We spent a while going back and forth from LA to Maple Creek while the guys recordedLosing Hope, but we’ve been on tour to support the album for three months now. Every few days, we’re in a different city, exploring something new and seeing the sights all over the country. It’s an adventure I never imagined. Mostly because of the man by my side every step of the way.

My life has changed dramatically too.

I quit my job at Dr. Payne’s, which was bittersweet. But I wanted to take the opportunity to travel with Ben because Trent’s wife, Angela, shared with me that her occasional trips to join us, while absolutely worth it, are hard to coordinate. She’s become one of my best friends, and their kids are freaking adorable, calling Ben and Sean “Uncle” when they visit.

After a lot of discussion, Ben told my family about Midnight Destruction a while back. I think he was mostly worried my dad would think he was kidnapping me or wouldn’t be able to provide for me. He’s got this weirdly adorable thing where my dad’s concerned, constantly making sure things meet with his approval. It’s clear Ben thinks Dad’s the person to impress, emulate, and admire. Honestly, he’s not wrong. My dad is pretty awesome.

I miss him, Mom, and Joy. Fine, Shepherd, too, even though he sends me weird texts about the team’s latest season likeScored 2 points against the Beavers. The team, not the animals, or the vajayjays.

They’ve all been supportive of the tour, as long as we FaceTime weekly, and they’re coming out for a visit in a couple of weeks, when Shepherd has a few days off. They’re even coming to a Midnight Destruction concert as my guests, because of course they can’t talk to Ben while he’s in character. I think Mom is going to have a heart attackwhen she sees Ben in action live instead of on a small screen. It’s gonna be great. Joy and I can’t wait.

And Ben scheduled a break for us to go home to Maple Creek for the hockey playoffs, so Shepherd better make sure he’s there. Though Joy would kill him before I would if they’re not. As the local sports reporter, she lives and breathes for her home team being the champs.

Last time Joy and I talked, she told me that the gossip around town was that Roy was dating someone. I’d told her that I was happy for him, and it’d been 100 percent true. I haven’t even thought about him in a while, too caught up in my own day-to-day, but I do wish him well. I hope that his new relationship is exactly what he and his girlfriend both want it to be. I’ll even be excited to see if he actually ends up with a daughter named Sage or Olive. I wouldn’t mind a bit and would only be happy for them.

For now, I’m along for the ride, helping the band when and where I can. And they see me, thank me, and appreciate the things, both little and big, that I do. I’m not a lamp. I’m a freaking spotlight that everyone’s drawn to.

I’m just a spotlight that never quite knows what the day will bring.

“If you hurry, I got us room service,” Ben teases.

I pick up my head, blinking one bleary eye open. “Whu’dja get?”

He smirks, knowing the effect his words are going to have. “Cinnamon-sugar french toast, courtesy of the Marriott.”

Who needs a shower when there’s breakfast at two in the afternoon with the love of your life to be had?

BEN

I can’t help but smile as Hope opens her mouth, letting me slip a bite of french toast past her lips. She chews and does a cute little dance offood happiness. She hasn’t even realized that her hair is wildly sticking straight up after a night of wiggling around in her sleep. She still takes up more than half the bed every night, leaving me a tiny strip to occupy while simultaneously trying not to fall off the edge. And yes, more than once, I’ve met the floor, but she apologizes and invites me back to bed, snuggling into my side with her head on my chest. Until she’s passed out again.

But even beyond her being here, things are different on tour this time.

It’s not only Hope but also the hope we have for our future as a band. Midnight Destruction is better than ever. Sean and I did finally sit down—first with each other, then with Trent, and then with an entertainment lawyer, who basically slapped us all stupid for not renegotiating with AMM sooner.

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