Page 107 of Voice to Raise
“Happy nookie.” Pauletta leaned against Mickey. “And we’ll head out as well.”
They’d head to the camper van while Spencer and I headed to our tent. Not the most glamorous way to hunker down, but I didn’t want to be making out on our tour bus with all my nosy bandmates within hearing distance.
Spencer slid off the bench first. He held out his hand and shook hands with each member of Grindstone.
Ed cocked his head.
“You were the inspiration. If Malik hadn’t had Black Rock in his sights—knowing you all had made it not once, but twice—who knows where he’d be right now?”
“Possibly in jail.” Freddie grinned. “With Mama having to bail him out.”
“I heard that.” Mama’s voice carried from the back of the bus.
“Oh shit.” He mumbled that. “I better go before I say anything else that will get me in trouble. Thanks, eh?”
He and Reese rose as well.
En masse, we departed.
Reese and Freddie headed to our bus. As they got in, I couldn’t spot Creed.I hope he’s gone to bed and isn’t getting into any trouble.I might have the reputation as the one who did things without thinking about the consequences—but Creed was a close second. Only the idea of disappointing Mama kept him from following some of his more-reckless impulses.
Spencer and I stopped by the tent to grab our toothbrushes. We took super quick showers, brushed our teeth, pissed, and then headed back to our tent.
I sat cross-legged as I sorted out my hair.
He sat on our sleeping bags, eyeing me.
“What?”
“A Christmas wedding?”
I fought with a particularly annoying tangle. “We don’thaveto do what Mama wants.”
He arched an eyebrow, visible in the low light. His hair shone a shade darker as he towel dried it.
“Well, if you have your heart set on something else—”
“I don’t. I like Mama’s suggestion. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
“Sweetheart.” I grinned. “I proposed to you, remember? The intention was always to, you know, get married. I just wanted to get through the concert first.”
“You were amazing.”
“Yeah, I kind of was. We all were.”
“And now you’re going to want to be the face of This Land is Ours.”
“Yeah, I kind of do.”
He pursed his lips. “All right. You can be the spokesperson if—”
I leaned forward.
“—if you tone it down a little. There’s no reason why I can’t try my way and your way at the same time. Just no arrests, please?”
I grinned. “Deal.”
Epilogue
