Page 3 of From the Embers
But they would pay the bills.
Maybe even permanently bring back the light in my wife’s eyes, the spark in our marriage, and allow me to keep my family together. There was nothing I wouldn’t sacrifice—hopes and dreams included—to be the man Jessica and Luna deserved.
For that reason alone, I managed a smile as I stared down at her. “It’s the right thing to do, babe. For you. For Luna. Hell, maybe even for me. A fresh start can’t hurt, right?”
She circled her arms around my neck—the first physical contact she’d initiated in weeks. “How long do you think it will take to shop them around?”
“Hard to say, but I’ll make some calls first thing on Monday.”
She let out a giggle that momentarily quelled the burning in my throat. “‘Turning Pages’ is incredible. I bet someone huge snatches it up.”
Great, just what I’d always wanted: an egocentric prima donna singing about my tumultuous relationship with my narcissistic mother.
I shot her another tight smile. “That would be amazing.”
Her voice had a renewed levity I hadn’t heard in months. “We should celebrate. Grab a bottle of champagne while you’re out.” She paused. “Actually, never mind. I’ll ask Bree. She’ll bring the good stuff.”
Oh, of course. I’d ripped my heart out and set it at my wife’s feet, but it would be Bree who’d save the day.
It was salt in the wound, but like so much of my marriage, I just kept right on smiling. “Sounds great.”
BREE
“He’s selling ’92?” I whispered with utter shock into the phone.
Jessica blew out an exasperated breath on the other end of the line. “Well, he said he was. The real question will be if he actually follows through.”
I peeked around the corner of the kitchen to make sure Rob wasn’t within earshot. My husband hated when Jessica and I talked about his closest friend. Rob always thought we were ganging up on the poor guy, but it was literally at the very top of my best friend job description to make sure Eason was taking care of my girl. My concern was more than warranted. For the last few years, he had been failing in spectacular fashion at that task.
When I was sure Rob was still in the garage, probably whispering sweet nothings to his precious Porsche, I walked back to the oven to check on dinner for the kids. “But he brought up selling the album all on his own this time, right? That has to mean something.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, it means he’s sick of sleeping on the couch and not getting laid.”
“Well, whatever the case. As long as it ends with you and Luna not being homeless, I’m good with it.” I paused and chewed on my bottom lip. “You know if you need anything until he’s able to sell—”
“Nope. Don’t even start with that crap. This is not your problem.”
I let out a sigh. Jessica and I had been friends since our college waitressing days. She was stubborn, hard-headed, and so damn full of pride that she wouldn’t accept a helping hand even if she was flat on her ass. Which wasn’t too far from her current situation.
“Jess, stop. Just let me give you a little—”
“Champagne,” she finished for me. “The only thing I’m accepting from you is champagne. We’re celebrating tonight.”
“This is technically the first time I’ve been away from the kids since Madison was born.”
“Wow. Your first outing is to my crappy living room. What a lucky girl.”
“Hey, I’m just happy to get a night out that doesn’t involve a diaper bag.” This wasn’t totally true. I’d been stressing about leaving the kids all week.
It drove Rob crazy that I’d been shutting down date night after date night for almost ten months. We had a great sitter in our neighbor, Evelyn. She was crazy sweet and patient, with four teenage boys of her own. Rob and I both trusted her with Asher, but Madison was different. She had been a preemie who spent over a month in the NICU. At ten months old, she was thriving, but in my eyes, she would always be that tiny three-and-a-half-pound baby covered in wires and struggling to breathe.
It was time though. Mentally and emotionally, this mama needed a break.
“I’m calling bullshit.” Jessica laughed. “You’ve been pacing the house all day, haven’t you?”
I peeked out of my kitchen window for the sixth time in so many minutes to check on Evelyn and Madison playing on a blanket in the grass. “What? No. I haven’t.”
“Liar.”
Movement at the door to the garage caught my attention. Rob’s deep-brown eyes immediately found mine, and a mischievous smile grew across his face. It was the way he always looked at me—rapt and awestruck.
My cheeks heated as he prowled toward me, his gaze sliding down my body, lingering in all the right places.
“Jess, I need to go.”
