Page 115 of The Drummer's Heart

“Good to see you, too. Where can I get a beer?”

“Come right this way.”

They followed me into the kitchen as I continued to carry my son.

“Where’s my favorite?” David teased.

“I’m right here!” Nicole turned to hug him, careful not to get her food-covered hands on his clothes.

It was a running joke that Nicole and David would run away together someday. They got along so well. I was really proud of the dynamic we’d developed as coparents since Nicole and I had moved to New York. Nicole had gotten to know Giselle and David better, and while it wasn’t a hundred-percent easy for her, she was finding her stride. I could honestly say the four of us were friends. Lord knows, getting along made Christian’s life a hell of a lot easier. David and Giselle had gotten married in a small, civil ceremony recently. The trip they were taking was their delayed honeymoon to Puerto Rico.

“Nickel!” my son shouted at Nicole.

Christian used to mispronounce Nicole’s name like the coin, and now he did it on purpose to be funny because we’d corrected him so much.

She kissed him on the cheek. “Penny! I’m so excited you’re here.”

Nickel and penny. Even if it seemed dumb, he got a kick out of it. It didn’t take much to amuse my sweet kid.

“Who else are we waiting on?” Emily asked as she arranged some fruit.

Nicole poured Sprite into the punch bowl. “My mom is in town. She’s coming in a few and then Tina and the boys. That’s it.”

“I’d better go start the grill now,” I said. “By the time the rest of them get here, we can start eating.” I put my son down. “Actually, I want to show my little guy something first. I have a surprise for you, Bubba.”

He looked up at me and smiled. “A surprise?”

“Yup. Come on. Let’s go.”

Almost everyone followed us to Christian’s room to see his reaction.

His eyes filled with wonder as he got a look at what I’d done. He squealed. “I love it, Daddy!”

Christian explored his newly decorated bedroom, taking in the life-sized superheroes-in-action poses stuck to his walls. Nicole had found a new Marvel comforter to match. Everyone laughed as Christian ran from wall to wall in excitement. It warmed my heart that my son wasn’t spoiled. He had no idea his father was a millionaire, and he appreciated every little thing anyone gave him, big or small.

Giselle appeared by my side. “Thank you for doing this for him.”

I turned to her. “Thankyoufor taking such good care of him. I want him to feel comfortable here. I can’t compete with Mommy’s place. It’s not easy for him to be away from you. He misses you so much. Just hoping this takes the edge off a little.”

After the novelty of Christian’s room wore off, everyone dispersed, and I went outside to start grilling the food.

A little while later, Nicole’s mom arrived, along with my sister and nephews.

After two straight hours of grilling, I was the last to enjoy a plate of food. Everyone else had moved on to dessert.

I’d just gotten up to serve myself a piece of the delicious coconut cake Nicole’s mom had made when Tristan clanked a spoon against his beer bottle.

“Could I kindly have everyone’s attention, please?”

About damn time for this announcement he’d been teasing. I put down the knife and opted to cut a slice after Tristan spoke.

He cleared his throat and repeated, “May I have your attention?”

When everything went quiet, he began to speak.

“We’re at the beginning of an exciting year off for Delirious Jones, one that has been hard-earned and a long time coming. Now that our lives look a bit different, we have to prioritize what’s important. This year will go by fast. And when the group reconvenes, things will be different than before. That might mean shorter tours or even no tours, depending on what we collectively decide. For the past several years, we’ve been busting our asses, and we deserve to slow down a bit and enjoy the most important parts of our lives: our families and loved ones.”

He paused. I still had no idea where this was going.

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