Page 82 of Falls From Grace
“Hey buddy,” Brynn knelt down on the floor, smiling at him. He stared at her in confusion.
“Not on the phone,” he tried to work it out.
“She doesn’t actually live in the phone,” Savannah told her befuddled son.
“You’re here,” Tucker said.
“Yeah buddy, I’m here.” Brynn’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. Tucker marched up to her and grabbed a lock of her hair, smooshing it slightly in her face. It almost looked like he was suffering from cuteness aggression.
“Hi!”
“Hi!”
They grinned at each other, and Tucker jumped on her lap.
“Read a story,” he instructed her, and Brynn held him tight and laughed.
The tour had booked out a private dining room on the third floor of the hotel and eventually the four of them had made it down for breakfast. Brynn found she was absolutely ravenous after being too nervous to eat the night before, followed by some serious exertion, and she piled her plate up high at the buffet. When she made it to the table, she found they weren’t eating alone.
“Good morning, Brynn,” Coral’s tone was smug and teasing. “Fancy seeing you here.” Savannah looked up from her plate and rolled her eyes, but the happiness in her smile was obvious. Brynn just grinned.
“I could say the same to you, Noah,” she shifted her attention to where her best friend lounged comfortably next to Coral. “Seems like half the band had trouble finding their way home last night.” The four of them exchanged smug grins and Lane made a gagging sound beside her as they helped Tucker with his toast.
“Mommy looks happy,” they said in a low voice, looking over at Savannah, who was laughing as Coral continued to tease her. “Does that mean you’re going to be sticking around?”
“I am. And you have to stop calling her that, it’s so wrong.”
“Stop calling me what?” Savannah overheard. Brynn shot Lane a look, and they looked up, wide-eyed and wholesome.
“They like to stir me by calling you ‘Mommy,’” Brynn explained. Savannah tilted her head and examined them.
“That’s kind of sweet, I guess, in a weird way?”
“No, Savannah, it’s not sweet. Not the way they’re using it,” Brynn told her. “They’re calling you hot, which is totally inappropriate.” She shot Lane a look.
“Am I not hot?” Savannah asked her innocently. All eyes were suddenly on Brynn with interest. She groaned.
“Yes, you’re hot,” she relented. “Everyone at this table knows I think you’re beyond hot. I’m just trying to protect you from sexual harassment by your extremely junior employee.”
“How chivalrous.” Savannah smirked.
“She’s cute when she’s feeling threatened,” Lane piped up.
“For the last time, you’re not a threat,” Brynn corrected them.
“I don’t know,” mused Savannah. “Don’t forget, I’ve fallen for my nanny once before.”
Lane cackled, though they also went noticeably pink. Brynn shot a dirty look at Savannah who just smiled at her sweetly.
“You’re trouble,” she observed, picking up Savannah’s hand and kissing her fingers.
“Y’all are good together,” Coral was smiling widely, her expression soft. “I’m glad you finally got your head out of your ass.” Brynn fully expected this to be addressed to her, but her eyebrows shot up when she realized Coral was talking to Savannah. Coral caught her stare. “This one,” she explained to Brynn, “is stubborn. Here she is winning Grammies and smashing stadium tours and all she does is sit on the bus looking mournful and playing your record day and night.”
“That is an inaccurate characterization-” Savannah objected, her face flushing.
“Oh, it’s accurate,” Coral interrupted her. “She might have gone on a little date here and there, but she’s been in knots about you forever. She’s the one who sent me to your gig, did you know that? Wouldn’t go herself, but she still had to know you were doing okay.”
Brynn looked at Savannah, who was definitely pink in the face. Warmth spread throughout her body.
