Page 35 of The Summer Arrangement
Chuckling, Finn pulls up his sleeve so she can see the entire tattoo. “Uh, not really. But I like meaningful tattoos. I prefer making the music I’ve got inked here.”
“You make this?” Milli’s lips purse together as she reaches for the music notes he has inked on his upper arm and traces a note with her finger.
“It’s the opening notes to a song I wrote for Raven,” Finn admits, giving his fiancée a knowing glance before returning his attention to us.
Turning to me, she asks, “Your sister?”
Of course, I’ve told her all about my family. We’ve spent countless hours together in these past few weeks, and I swear, once this girl’s curiosity is piqued, she relentlessly garners all the information she can until she’s satisfied. She’s precocious for a three-year-old, but then again, what else would you expect from an only child?
As if on cue, Raven steps up beside us. “Hi, Milli. I’m Raven.” Pointing across the room, she adds, “That’s our sister Sloane. You’ve already met our oldest sister Lanie.”
Milli looks from Raven to Sloane, then back to me.
“She looks like her,” Milli observes, pointing at the twins.
“She sure does,” I whisper conspiratorially. “But once you get to know them, they’re easy to tell apart.”
Milli’s eyes bounce back and forth between the twins, and I’m certain she’s about to say more, but Jax and Cameron enter the room with Milli’s bike in tow, and all focus on my family is forgotten.
Squirming in my arms to get down, she pleads, “I ride now?”
“Not yet, squirt,” Ryan says before Cameron responds. “Dinner’s ready, and you’re a speed demon. We need energy if we’re gonna stand a chance of keeping up with you later.”
A smile plays on his lips as Cameron darts his attention from his daughter to Ryan, then to me. Once his eyes land on mine, I feel a weight I didn’t know I’d been holding lift. I’ve been on edge since Lanie mentioned they might come today. I’m not sure what I’ve been so worked up about but seeing him here in this moment makes everything right once again.
My heart races when I inhale a faint scent of his cologne.
Mmmm. He smells amazing.
How does this man both simultaneously excite me and put me at ease?
I don’t get to contemplate my response because the next thing I know, my arm is being tugged. “We eat?”
Just like that, Milli’s joined my entire family with ease.
*****
True to his word, Ryan does indeed take a turn chasing Milli as she relentlessly rides her bike along The Promenade. At first, it’s just Cameron or myself, but then my sister Raven steps up and insists we grab ourselves something to drink and relax andlet the others take over. It’ll get dark soon, and we’ll head to the beach when she can no longer ride.
As Cameron and I walk up the back deck and grab a drink from the cooler, I can’t help but glance back at all three members of Ruby Frax gleefully chasing that precious girl down the path.
“Do you think she knows she’s hanging out with one of her favorite bands?” I ask, handing Cameron a beer, while grabbing myself a Pepsi.
“I doubt it,” Cameron guffaws. “With my line of work, she’ll meet plenty of famous people in her lifetime. I want her to get to know people for who they are to her, not for their notoriety or what they are to the public.”
“So, you’ve given this some thought? I wouldn’t have the slightest clue how to handle fame as a parent.”
“Yes… and no. It’s how I treat everyone—I try not to let reputations precede anyone, good or bad. I focus on getting to know them personally before casting judgement. As for parenting, full disclosure… I make that shit up as I go.”
His sexy laugh sends tingles down my spine, and it’s all I can do to not close the distance between us. If I didn’t already like this man, this right here would be why I could easily fall for him.
“I’m certain that’s what everyone does,” I admit on a laugh.
“Wanna head out to the beach and start the bonfire?” I suggest. “The guys already brought some wood down to our favorite place, but we may as well go out there and get things started. Does Milli like s’mores? Lanie bought things to make them.”
Looking to Milli, Cameron sighs. “Sure, I think she’s covered for now.”
Slinging a blanket over my shoulder, I grab one of the folded chairs we’ve set out on the deck and motion for Cameron to grab another for himself.
