Page 537 of Lodestar

“Where’s Katina?” Savannah queried quickly, changing the subject.

“With Aoife for Sunday dinner with Ma,” Conor answered, just as quickly.

Not unlike sharks, they scented blood.

“Who’s dragging who along for the visit?” Savannah teased.

I snorted because as much as Aoife had taken my words to heart, she still found it tough to hang out with Lena—for good reason.

“I’d have liked to meet her. Savannah’s told me a lot about her,” Dagger said, his voice gruff. “She sounds as if she’s a cheeky little thing.”

I hummed. “She is. I didn’t feel comfortable bringing her for this first meeting.”

“Understandable,” Camden grumbled. “If the atmosphere in here is anything to go by. I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t reach out sooner.”

“Because I had different priorities.” My focus settled on him, but I shot him a smile. “Now, my priorities are more family-oriented.”

Camden huffed as he sank back in his seat. “Good.”

“You’re barely around anymore, Camden,” Paris groused. “You can’t judge Star when you’re worse than she is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Paris’s right,” Aspen defended. “You’re always a no-show whenever we call.”

“Because you turn up with cameras! Is it so weird to think that I don’t want one in my face when I’m not working?”

She sniffed. “Last week, we wanted to meet up for lunch. You said no.”

“Because, I repeat, you bring cameras with you wherever you go.”

“We promised we wouldn’t,” she bickered.

“Camden, if they promised, then you should have met up with them!” Lorelei scolded.

“That’s a promise they never keep,” Camden muttered. “Anyway, I wasn’t in the city. I was in Florida.”

Dagger’s brows lifted. “You were using the studio?”

“They have a studio in Florida?” Conor whispered in my ear.

Dagger, overhearing the question, chuckled. “It’s a private one, Conor. On my estate. Camden uses it more than I do these days.

“Most people want rehashes of the same oldnoxxioustracks rather than new material. Never been the same without Gerry’s songwriting.”

Overwhelmed at being the center of his idol’s focus, Conor gaped at Dagger for a full thirty seconds.

“Conor, stop being weird,” Aidan clipped, slouching back in his seat. “Talk to Dagger. He’s a regular human being before he’s a guitarist.”

As I chuckled,hero worship filtered into Conor’s expression.God, he was so fucking cute.“But he’s Dagger Daniels.”

“Who you’ve met before,” Savannah remarked, sounding more amused than she had at any point throughout this interminable meal.

“Yeah, but, he’s Dagger fu—” Conor sucked in a breath and shot Lorelei an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to swear at the table.”

Lorelei laughed. “Your mom keeps her children in better line than I can.”

“No,” Savannah argued. “They swear around Lena. He’s just trying to impress Dad.”

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