Page 51 of Another Postcard

Brooklynn hopped off the counter and rushed over to pull Baylee into her arms. “You’re still my favorite, sweet girl,” she told her earnestly. Baylee’s forlorn eyes stared at me from Brooklynn’s embrace before she turned into the hug and closed her eyes. They squeezed each other tight, then Brooklynn whispered something and drew a small smile from Baylee.

“Baylee?” I called and she flicked her eyes back in my direction. “I don’t like it when you’re sad. You still love me, Baylee Bear?” I gave her my best puppy dog eyes and she brightened a little and walked over, throwing herself into my arms.

“Yeah, I still love you.”

I kissed her head. “Thanks, sweetheart. I’m going to miss you.”

She put her head back and smiled shyly at me. “Really?”

“I’ll be devastated without my Baylee Bear.” I figured there wasn’t going to be a better or worse time to segue into our plans. “You know we have to leave tomorrow, right sweetheart?”

“I hoped you wouldn’t go.”

I hugged her again. “The rest of Stone Butterfly needs us too. But, they are just borrowing us from you.”

She cocked her head to the side and studied me. “Are you just borrowing Brooklee?”

I laughed. “Yeah, I’m just borrowing her from you. But, I’m gonna have to do that a lot, okay?”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

Brooklynn had her hands over her mouth trying to hide her giggles and her eyes were sparkling. I hadn’t seen her look like that since the restaurant the night we found out about Cecily. I’d missed it more than I’d even realized.

“You’re okay with me leaving again so soon, sweet girl?” she asked hopefully.

“Yeah.” Baylee smiled and gave Brooklynn a quick hug before grabbing Penny’s hand and dragging her off. Before she disappeared, I tipped my chin at Penny and mouthed “dresser,” and she nodded in understanding. In anticipation of how difficult it was going to be for Brooklynn to leave Baylee, I’d asked Penny if she wouldn’t mind bringing Baylee to Italy when we were there the next month. One of the reasons Brooklynn had liked Penny was because she also spoke Italian and had lived there for a few years and she had been excited about showing Baylee around Rome. I’d bought the tickets and paid a fucking fortune to get both of them expedited passports. I’d left all of the information on the dresser in her room.

When they were gone, I held out my hand and Brooklynn hurried over to me, letting me wrap her up in my arms.

“I missed you,” I said, rubbing my nose against hers before kissing the tip, then pushing some of her hair behind her ear. “I love you and your unbelievably sexy body.” My hands had slid down to her ass and I gripped her cheeks, lifting her to her toes so we were lined up just right. “When we get to London, I’ll remind you all the things I love about you and your hot, delicious body.”

Brooklynn shivered. “Deal.”

29

Levi

“B!” Matteo shouted and ran to Brooklynn, scooping her up and swinging her around. I whacked him on the back of the head and pulled my woman out of his arms.

“Mine,” I growled. Brooklynn pinched my arm but I just kept glaring at Matteo who put his hands up in surrender while laughing.

“Glad to have you back, B,” Sasha said as she sauntered toward us. “Where’d you find the grunting caveman?”

I rolled my eyes and Brooklynn laughed. “He’s a work in progress, he should turn into Levi Matthews any day now.”

We’d flown into London last night and were meeting up with the rest of the band at a local studio. With everything we had going on, Brooklynn and I had been forced to leave finding her replacement in the hands of everyone else. Apparently, they’d been approached by the agent of a local musician, Emma something or other, and asked them to listen to her demo. Noah and Cooper had been impressed and arranged for the band to meet her in person. Sasha had called to tell me they’d found the one and of all people, Sasha was almost as picky as me. I trusted her judgment but she still wouldn’t sign the girl without hearing her play with all of Stone Butterfly. Emma was going to fill in at the London and Manchester concerts anyway but we planned a jam session to get a feel for all of us as a group without the distraction of an audience.

Simon and Noah entered the room and immediately came over to welcome us back. I noticed that everyone seemed to have missed Brooklynn more than me. You’d think I wasn’t the fucking lead singer.Then again, I couldn’t really fault them because I understood what they felt. Brooklynn was. . .everything.

Cooper opened the door for a tiny, curvy, woman with big violet eyes and long, chunky blonde hair. She wore a tank top that showcased intricate tattoos covering both arms. Not quite sleeves, but the designed wrapped around them from shoulder to wrist. She smiled and walked to Brooklynn with her hand out.

“Brooklynn!” she exclaimed excitedly in a thick British accent. “I’m Emma! It’s brilliant to meet you! I did studio work with Xavier Paxton last year. Right after he released Hallucinations. He couldn’t stop singing your praises.”

Brooklynn’s cheeks bloomed and she laughed, shaking Emma’s hand. “Xavier was a hoot. I don’t know how he manages to be such a sweetheart and think he’s God’s gift to women at the same time.”

“Right?” Emma exclaimed with a snicker.

I scoffed, my hand tightening on Brooklynn’s waist and she threw me a curious look. I shrugged. “Xavier Paxton is a womanizing cradle robber.” I kept my voice neutral. I didn’t want to admit that the thought of Xavier hitting on my woman made me want to rip out his vocal chords. The guy had a reputation and I didn’t believe for one minute that any of it had been exaggerated.

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