Page 36 of Aria

“What is dating?” Sam asked. His tongue poked out between his lips as he began to draw stick-figures on the violet-colored paper.

Noah leaned back on his hands. “That’s what people do when they like each other.”

I could tell that Noah was trying to simplify the situation as much as possible.

Sam looked to be deep in thought while his marker traced uneven lines along the construction paper. “So, are you and Miss Chelsie dating, too, because you like each other?”

I cleared my throat. “No… no, sweetie. Your Daddy and I are just friends.”

“Like you and me?”

“Yes,” I smiled. “Like you and me.”

This seemed to please Sam, and he continued drawing, concentrating hard on his masterpiece. “Done!” He held up his artwork with pride.

Noah sat up and took the paper from his son’s hands. He held it toward me, so I could see it as well.

“This is lovely,” I murmured, watching as Sam grinned at his accomplishment. “You’re a great artist.”

“You sure are, tiger,” Noah agreed. “What is it a picture of?”

We leaned into each other, shoulder to shoulder, studying the picture. Sam rocked in his chair as he explained his vision. “It’s me and Daddy and Miss Chelsie. We’re a family, and we live together in a big tree high in the sky with birds and baby squirrels. Do you like it?”

My heart galloped as I glanced at Noah. His eyes were focused on the picture, but the sparkle in them had dulled. Raising a tentative hand, I placed it on Noah’s shoulder to let him know he was doing a good job—because he was. Sam was smart and full of life. He was a breath of fresh air. Just because Sam didn’t have the stereotypical childhood, didn’t mean Noah was failing him. I wondered if the gesture conveyed all the things I wanted to say.

If it did, Noah didn’t show it. He cleared his throat and handed the picture back to Sam. “It’s great, Sam. How about we get back to your party?”

“Okay!”

I watched as Noah stood and followed his son out into the hallway, maintaining my place on the rug for a minute longer. My eyes panned to Sam’s drawing, imagining the grand schemes that had crept through his vivid imagination when he’d detailed his thoughts onto paper. Two stick-figures were standing beside a smaller stick-figure while the two “adults” held hands.

I let out a wistful breath as I set the picture back down, wishing I could be the stick-figure in the drawing for Sam’s sake…

But my heart was with someone else.

CHAPTERTEN

NOAH

Picking up piles of shredded wrapping paper, I stuffed it all into a garbage bag as partygoers began to disperse. My living room was filled with new toys, a neon green bicycle,Toy Storybedding, action figures, andHot Wheelsaccessories. A vision of birthday party dreams.

But the man of the hour wasn’t interested in his hoard of birthday treasures—no, he was sitting on the lap of Chelsie Combs, completely captivated by every word that came out of her mouth. She was telling him a story about how she and a group of grade school friends had gotten lost in a cave when she was on a Girl Scouts trip. It was a run-of-the-mill childhood story, but the way Chelsie told it made it that much more compelling.

I found myself straining my ear to find out how it ended.

“Great party, Noah. Take care.” I smiled at the father of one of Sam’s friends, shaking his hand before he left.

“Wow! Cool story, Miss Chelsie.”

Crap.I missed it.

My eyes lingered on Chelsie as I continued cleaning the room. Her baby blue, polka-dotted sundress was a mix of sexy and sophisticated. Her hair was swept back into a loose ponytail, though a few rogue strands graced each side of her pretty face. Her strappy heels showed off her slender legs, and I had to remind myself that this wasChelsieI was checking out. This was my bandmate’s girlfriend.

The reminder sunk in when Devon reached over and pulled Chelsie to him, his fingers tracing mini designs along her bare shoulder—her shoulder that was spattered in tiny, sun-kissed freckles.

I mentally slapped myself. What kind of guy notices shoulder freckles?

Fuck.

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