Page 69 of Cougar

Grabbing my phone, I hop off the stool and hurry down the hall after her, finding her standing in the hall connecting her office to the music room. Pictures from Marcus’s office line the walls, and I see she’s focused on something in particular.

I move to stand beside her to see what has her transfixed. A framed sheet of paper with black squiggly lines scribbled across the page in crayon.

The sound of Jay singing echoed down the hall as Marcus and I crept up the stairs. Huddled outside her open bedroom door, we peeked inside and had to stifle our laughter.

Bass was kicked back on Jay’s pink couch, wearing an amused smile as six-year-old Jay stood before him holding a sparkly plastic microphone. She was dressed in a Royal Mayhem T-shirt, leopard leggings, a hot pink tutu around her waist, a matching hot pink boa around her neck, lime green heart-shaped plastic sunglasses, and hot pink plastic heels. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

I pulled out my phone and pressed Record.

“Are you getting this, Em?” Marcus whispered as he stepped into Jay’s bedroom.“Baby girl,what are you singing?” he asked, scooping her up from the floor before settling her in his lap and peppering kisses all over her face.

“It’s my song,Daddy.”She preened.“I wrote it.” She squirmed out of his hold and off his lap,then skipped over to her little white desk and picked up a piece of paper.

“She did,” Bass confirmed with a nod. “Princess is a genius.”

“See,Daddy?” She pushed the paper into his hands and bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. “Want me to sing it again?”

“Yes.” Marcus smiled proudly. “But wait for Mommy.” Marcus looked over at me with a grin. “Em, come here.”

Jay turned her attention to the doorway where I was standing. “Mommy!” she squealed. “Come here.”

I walked into the room and sat beside Marcus.

“Jaybird wrote her first song today, and she wants to sing it for us.”

“You did?” I asked, pretending to be surprised. My little girl was truly a genius. Nothing she did surprised me. “I can’t wait to hear it.” I held my phone steady. “Okay, baby. Let’s hear it.”

She sang her six-year-old heart out. The song was about sunshine and the sky. It made no sense,but she was so freaking cute. When she finished the song, Marcus got to his feet, scooped her up in his arms, and spun her around.

“That was beautiful. What’s the name of your song?” I asked.

“‘Zach’!”

That reminds me. “How was your date with Zach last night?”

“I’ll tell you what I just told Alex. Our date was perfect, but I don’t think it’s going to work out.” She turns on her heels and continues down the hall to her music room. I’ve only been in this room once, when Max was showing me around. I didn’t even bring Cam this far during his tour.

“That’s not what you said the other night,” I remind her as I slide next to her on the piano bench. “What happened?”

“I feel like every time things are going perfectly, there’s always something or someone trying to pull us apart. I don’t want to get hurt.”

“Jay.” I reach up and push her ponytail over her shoulder. “If you think Zach has the ability to break your heart, then he might be worth fighting for.”

She sighs as she fixes her fingers over the piano keys. “I don’t know if I have any fight left in me, to be honest.” She presses down on the keys, and within the first three notes, I know without a doubt she’s playing the first song she ever learned to play, which is one of my favorites.

“Who’s your favorite band?” Marcus asked.

“Will you be offended if I say Journey?”

“No.” He smiled. “I’d say you have great taste in music. Journey is one of my all-time favorite bands.” He grabbed me by the hand and led me over to the piano. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the piano bench before scooting beside me. He fixed his hands over the black and white keys, his fingers floating gracefully over them. I instantly recognized the familiar melody of “Faithfully.” My favorite song.

I didn’t think anyone could sing a love ballad like Steve Perry. Then Marcus King came along. And when the lyrics fell from his mouth, I knew I was in trouble.

I was in love.

Before I have the chance to question her, my phone buzzes with a notification that someone is at the front gate.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell her as I hurry out of the room, stopping at the end of the hall. I stifle a laugh when I see Bass standing at the front door with his phone pressed to his ear, looking through the glass panel.

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