Page 97 of Play For Me

She hugs Ash before moving to me. “I tried to come over and say hi to you before the show,” she says, pulling back from our hug. She tucks my hair behind my ear. “But it was pretty crazy in there.”

“I didn’t even see you,” I admit.

She grins at me and lowers her voice to a whisper. “Too enamored with your friend?”

I roll my eyes. “Too annoyed by our family being weirdos about my friend.”

She laughs, putting an arm around me and leading us the few steps back to the table. “Well, I’ll do my best not to be weird.” She greets Jay, Sol, and Em and tells us someone will be coming out with beer shortly.

“Where’s Grandpa?” Ash asks.

Ruby waves a hand. “Still at the venue. You know how he gets.”

Ash grins. “Probably inspecting all the equipment and lecturing their manager about the band’s schedule.” Grandpa was Ransom’s manager until Uncle Levi took over. He probably knows more about the music industry than anyone in that building.

Before Ruby can sit down with us, her bar manager comes over with some beer-keg-related emergency and she excuses herself to take care of it. “She keeps saying she’s going to retire,” Ash tells the others as she hurries off. “But she couldn’t stay away from this place if she tried.”

The patio starts to fill up as the family and guests of the band filter in. Thankfully the vibe is way more chill than it was at the venue. There’s music playing—there’s always music playing when my family gets together—but being outside helps it from getting too loud. Cousins come over to chat with us, my mom and dad sit for a while, but none of it feels as invasive as it did earlier. By the time Nix, the band’s bassist comes around to tell the parents they’re being kicked out, I find that I’m actually happy my parents were here tonight after all. They’ve both been friendly with Solomon and my mom even spent some time talking to him about his grandfather’s ranch. She runs our family’s charitable foundation so the therapy camps Red hosts are right up her alley.

“Family lunch on Sunday?” Dad asks when he hugs me goodbye. “You can bring your friend.”

I’m not sure Sol will be up for another run-in with the family so soon, so I tell dad we’ll see.

Will and Wyatt leave when the parents do, presumably to get home to their kids. I’ve been avoiding my two oldest brothers all night. We’re going to have words about how rude they were, butthis isn’t the time. They both hug me goodbye, but I make sure it happens far away from the table where Sol is still sitting with his friends and the other Littles.

“I’ve already yelled at him,” Eva, my sister-in-law, tells me when I hug her.

“Good.” I glare at Will over his wife’s shoulder. He looks a little sheepish, but I’m not ready to forgive him yet.

After they’re all gone, my cousins get more comfortable. They switch from beer to harder liquor and a few of them don’t bother to hide the fact that they’re smoking. Nix is openly making out with a groupie—gross—but otherwise it’s pretty tame for a rock band’s party.

Sol seems more comfortable now, drinking beer with Cade, Ash and Jay. He keeps one hand clamped on my knee under the table, and I feel silly for how much I like that, the fact that he always wants to be touching me.

When did I turn into such a girl?

Vega stops by our table carrying a pitcher of what looks to be margaritas. “Sweet,” Jay says, reaching for it, but she holds the pitcher away.

“This is for girls only.” She jerks her chin at me. “Come on.”

I look over to see most of my female cousins at a table near the stage. Santana waves to me and another cousin, Lyric, makes a “come here” gesture.

“Go ahead,” Sol says, watching me. “Go hang out with your girls for a while.”

I make a face. “I’m not going to leave you alone.”

“Um, hello,” Jay says, holding his hands up. “Are you just ignoring my existence?”

“We can keep him company for a while, Ceece,” Cade assures me.

I look back at the girls. Ithasbeen ages since I’ve seen Lyric and Vega’s older sisters.

Solomon squeezes my leg under the table. “Seriously. Go have fun. I’ll be right here.”

“Come on,” Vega starts tugging on the back of my shirt. “You know the rule.”

“What’s the rule?” Jay asks.

“Chicks before dicks,” Vega says cheerily.