“You call that monstrosity a bus? I call it a mansion on wheels. I watch TV, remember? I’ve seen the shows, and if I recall correctly”—Zoey tapped her temple as though thinking aloud—“I think I saw a special on you.” Her head lifted, her eyes pinning Cheyenne in place. “That’s right. I did see one. And I saw that bus you’re talkin’ about. It’s a home away from home.”
It was that, Cheyenne would admit. It certainly wasn’t what she’d started out in, but as time passed and the demand for her increased, Preston had made sure she got the luxuries that came along with the lifestyle.
“Have you talked to Cooper or Dalton?”
“Not yet,” Cheyenne told her. “I will though.”
“Cooper has a good head on his shoulders, Chey. He’s makin’ it work and the fans still get as much of him as they did before, only better. He’s happy and it’s evident in his shows. It’s like he can give them more now that he’s content with the direction his life is goin’. You really should talk to him.”
Cheyenne knew that. She hadn’t known Cooper Krenshaw for long, but after their initial introduction, the few shows she’d played with them in the beginning, and then this last tour they’d been on together, they’d become good friends. And yes, Zoey was right, Cooper had figured out how to make it work. He had a wife, and he and Tessa were thinking about having a baby.
It was possible. She just didn’t know if Brendon would want that.
“But, Chey,” Zoey said, standing up and moving toward her, “if you don’t let Brendon know what you want, you’ll never know what he’s willin’ to give. And vice versa. I know y’all have a lot goin’ on right now, but don’t let it get away from you.”
Forcing the tears from her eyes, Cheyenne smiled.
“No way! Don’t you tear up on me. I’m like a damned waterworks these days with my hormones all crazy-like. If you cry, I’ll cry, so cut that shit out.”
Cheyenne snorted a laugh and then hugged Zoey gently.
Zoey was right about one thing. Until she told Brendon how she felt, she’d never know whether or not they stood a chance.
And Cheyenne first needed to know where they stood before she could worry about anything else. Which meant it was probably time for the two of them to have a chat.
BRENDON COULD HEAR the faint hum of conversation upstairs and knew that Cheyenne and Zoey were talking. If he had to guess, it wasn’t only about bathroom fixtures and tile.
He briefly wondered if they were talking about him and the thought made him smile.
“You’re doin’ that a lot lately, you know that?” Kaleb asked, pulling Brendon from his thoughts.
“What?”
“Smilin’. Your face stuck or somethin’?”
“Or somethin’,” Brendon retorted, his grin widening.
“I’ll probably sound like an old man when I tell you that it’s good to see you like this.” Kaleb’s voice lowered, his tone gentle. “I know it’s been rough on you lately, but we’re all here for you, man.”
Brendon nodded. He knew if it came down to it, his brothers would always have his back. That was how his family functioned and he was grateful for that. Even if he didn’t want to talk about it.
Luckily, the two women joined them in the kitchen once again, squashing the heart-to-heart Kaleb was leading into. It wasn’t that Brendon had an issue with heartfelt conversations, it was just that … Okay, it was that he had an issue with them. As far as he was concerned, delving into emotional dialogue with anyone was the equivalent of getting his dick stuck in his zipper. As if it wasn’t bad enough that it had happened in the first place, he then had to figure out how to get out of the predicament—which everyone knew was just as painful.
Which was why he preferred to avoid them altogether.
Cheyenne took her place on the floor beside Mason once more and proceeded to keep him entertained. Brendon couldn’t take his eyes off the two of them. She would make an excellent mom, he could see it in the way she interacted with Mason.
His thoughts drifted to her earlier comment regarding how she wasn’t ready to settle down yet. It’d been the first time in his life that it felt as though a woman had pierced his heart with a hot knife. Emotional conversations be damned, that didn’t mean Brendon didn’t know how he felt about her. He wanted her, wanted to spend every waking moment with her. These last few weeks had been perfection, something he’d never experienced before.
Once Z and RT caught the lunatic, things would inevitably go back to normal and Cheyenne would likely go back on the road, leaving him alone with only his memories and fantasies once again. He wasn’t sure he could handle that day when it came. If it were up to him, it would never come.