Page 64 of The Lyrics of Love

Nash kissed her again. His head and heart were telling him that once this album was cut, he would ask Rylie Robinson to marry him.

CHAPTER 21

Nash drove the hour from Portland to the Cove. If it hadn’t been for Rylie and wanting to see her daily, he would have booked a hotel for the two weeks they would be in the studio. Normally he would have disliked the hour commute both ways, thinking it a waste of time. Instead, he savored the alone time and looked forward to being with his woman.

Pops wasn’t with him today and had also remained behind yesterday. His grandfather had come to the studio each day until yesterday, when he’d balked. He said that he wanted to go with Rylie to the estate sale she was attending, and Nash had thought it a good idea for the pair to spend some time together. His grandfather had gotten home after Nash had, full of talk about antiques and all he had seen. Rylie had also stopped by Willow’s since Pops wanted to see some of her artwork. He had ended his day at Ainsley’s bakery after it closed. Ainsley had allowed Pops to watch her bake the Italian layer cake which would be served at the cookout tonight.

Today, his grandfather had spent the entire day at Antiques and Mystiques, texting Nash several times, even once when he had made a sale. Nash couldn’t help but feel Pops was taking to the Cove as much as Nash had himself.

He pulled into his driveway and saw Pops sitting on the porch, sipping a Coke. That was one thing Nash had stocked when he knew his grandfather was coming for a visit. Pops needed his daily Coke and goldfish crackers to snack on. They were as essential as breathing, as far as the old man was concerned.

Getting out of his truck, he waved and mounted the porch stairs. “Work hard today?” He joined Pops on the swing.

“Selling is harder than it looks,” Pops admitted. “But Jerry took me under his wing. He’s an interesting guy. Met those grandsons of his, too. They were nice kids.”

“At least those nice kids forgot to fill Rylie’s gas tank. If they had remembered, I doubt I would have ever met her. I would’ve holed up at this house. Maybe gone into town to grab some take-out. But I never would have had a reason to set foot inside Antiques and Mystiques.”

“Aren’t you glad teenagers have pea-sized brains?” Pops said, cackling.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Nash said. “Then we’ll need to pick up Rylie.”

“She said come straight to the barbeque. She was going over to Tenley’s to do something and told me she would just come with Tenley and Carter.”

“Okay. Be ready to leave in fifteen.”

Nash doffed his clothes and took a fast shower, dabbing on a bit of the cologne Rylie liked. He planned to stay at her place tonight and needed to let his grandfather know.

He tried not to laugh when he stepped outside the house and saw Pops waiting for him in the truck. His grandfather was a stickler for time and as far as Nash knew, never been late for anything in his life.

Climbing inside, he started the engine and said, “I’ll drop you off tonight, Pops, but then I’m going to be staying over at Rylie’s.”

“About time.”

“What?”

“You don’t want that girl getting lonely. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you, Nash. If you don’t snatch her up soon, some other guy will.” Pops grinned. “Maybe even me.”

He burst out laughing. “Just try, old man!”

They arrived at the same time as Dylan and Willow. Nash introduced the Cove’s sheriff to his grandfather, and the four of them went inside the house. Ainsley was in the kitchen slicing a cantaloupe.

“Everyone else is outside. How are you doing, Pops? What did you think of the cookies I sent home with you?”

“They were damn good,” Pops said. He glanced to Nash. “And they were meant for me. Not you. That’s why I didn’t tell you about them.”

“Let’s go out back and get you a beer,” he said good-naturedly.

Jackson was flipping burgers but took a moment to greet them and meet Pops. “Ainsley was quite taken with you. I’m glad I already married her because you would be stiff competition for me, Pops.”

“I’ll let you keep your wife, and I’ll settle for a beer,” Pops quipped, accepting the beer Jackson pulled from a nearby cooler.

Nash went to Rylie, who sat with Tenley, and bent, giving her a kiss. “Pops knows I’m staying at your place tonight. He’s good with it. In fact, he couldn’t believe I hadn’t already done so.”

“Remember that we’re going with Gage in the morning for our yoga lesson,” she reminded.

“I did remember. My gear and board are in the truck.”

Jackson called out that the burgers were done and they should move inside. Ainsley had set a beautiful table, and the group gathered, telling stories and drawing some from Pops. Nash thought how his grandfather always accentuated the positive. Though he had grown up in poverty and fought to put food on the table while he raised his only grandson, Pops was an eternal optimist—and a damned good storyteller. He even got Gage to share a couple of war stories. Nothing too gritty or detailed, but it was the first time Nash had ever heard the personal trainer speak about his military days.

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