Beat of the Heart (23 page)

worried, I still felt apprehensive. When we turned the corner around the barn, Angel barked and then

ran ahead of us to alert the others we were there.

With his back to us, Jake stood at a massive stainless steel grill, which was emitting some

delicious meaty aromas of steak and burgers. “Yo douchenozzle, we’re here,” AJ called.

With a grunt, Jake laid his spatula down. “Nice to see you finally made it, twatcake.” When he

turned around, I snorted at his attire. Over his shorts and faded T-shirt, Jake was outfitted in a

bedazzled, black ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron with glittering silver lettering. He glanced down at it before

meeting my amused gaze. “Abby got this for me.”

“Very manly,” I replied.

He grinned. “Hey, sporting this bad boy ensures I get ass.”

“I heard that!” Abby shouted across the clearing.

AJ and I chuckled as Jake grinned and blew her a kiss. He then leaned over and gave me a hug.

“Glad to have you with us this weekend.” It was hard to believe that a guy like Jake, who appeared so

cocky and full of himself most of the time, could be so sincere. He really made me feel welcome.

“Me too. Can I do something to help?”

He motioned to the picnic tables where Abby and Lily were setting up some food and drinks.

“Check with the girls.”

“Okay,” I replied. I gave AJ a peck on the cheek before heading across the clearing. “Hi guys,” I

said.

Abby dropped the pack of hamburger buns she was holding and hurried around the table to hug me.

“I’m so glad you came.”

As I squeezed her back, I replied, “Thanks. Me too.”

“I don’t know if AJ told you or not, but we’re setting you two up in the barn.” With a wink, she

added, “You know, so you can have more privacy.”

My brows rose in surprise as I thought of AJ and me snuggling on hay bales as a mattress. “Um, the

barn?”

Abby giggled. “I guess AJ forgot to tell you the barn is completely remodeled. It’s like an

apartment.”

“Oh,” I replied, my cheeks warming with embarrassment.

“It’s really nice,” Lily replied.

With a contented sigh, Abby nodded her head. “It has a lot of happy memories for me and Jake.

That’s for sure.”

“Then thank you for letting us have it.” I glanced over at Lily. “But what about you and Brayden?”

“We usually stay in the basement.”

A grin played on my lips. “Let me guess. It’s finished rather than being like a hole in the ground,

right?”

Lily nodded. “Yes, it is.”

Abby nudged Lily playfully. “I’m trying to get her to let Jake and me take the kids tonight, so she

and Bray can have some alone time.”

Now it was Lily’s turn to blush. “Between you guys sharing your bus and then taking the kids

tonight, Jake is going to start hating on me.”

Abby snorted. “If he wants to stay in my good graces, he’ll let us help out our friends.” She

waggled her blonde brows. “And that means in all ways possible.”

At that moment, a tall, willowy teenage girl came striding up to the table with an apple pie in each

hand. “They just finished baking,” she said, as she sat them down.

“Thanks, Allison.”

As I surmised the girl, I noticed she was so naturally beautiful. Her long dark hair was swept back

in a ponytail, and she wore a short blue sundress. If she hadn’t been so young, the insecure side of me

might have been intimidated. “Mia, this is Allison, Jake’s sister,” Abby introduced.

“Well, half-sister in case you’re wondering why we look nothing alike,” Allison said with a smile.

She held out her hand. “You must be AJ’s girl.”

My eyes widened as I pumped her hand up and down. “Um, I guess so.”

“He’s such a sweetheart…and a goofball.”

I laughed. “Yes, he is.”

“Shit, I forgot the crockpots with the baked beans,” Abby grumbled. Glancing up at Allison, she

said, “Will you get one of the guys to go back to the house with you to get them?”

“Sure,” Allison replied. Without hesitation, she hurried across the clearing straight for Rhys, who

was leaned against a tree trunk, drinking a beer. I watched as she tilted her head flirtingly while

pointing to the house. He bobbed his head and sat his beer down on the grass.

“Looks like someone has a crush,” I mused.

Abby’s head snapped up from the table before her gaze honed in on Allison, who was walking as

close as she could to Rhys up the hillside. “Maybe for her, but for him, she’s just Jake’s kid sister.”

“Not to mention jailbait considering she’s almost seventeen,” Lily replied.

Shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand, I watched as Allison gave Rhys a beaming smile.

“Bless her heart. That has heartbreak written all over it.”

“Even if she was older, that would have broken bones written all over it,” Abby remarked. She

shook her head. “Jake would never, ever condone Rhys dating his baby sister.”

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when something brushed against my leg. Squealing, I

jumped about a mile in the air. When I glanced down, I saw a dark-haired, dark-eyed toddler had

wrapped herself around me. “Oh, um, hi,” I said, hoping I hadn’t just scared the shit out of her with

my reaction.

She lifted her arms. “Up!” she commanded.

I stared wide-eyed over at Lily who only smiled. “Melody is so friendly. She never meets a

stranger.”

Stomping her tiny, pink converse covered foot, Melody repeated, “Up!”

“Okay.” Anxiety rippled through me as I bent over to oblige her wishes. I had never been very

maternal, and I usually was the last person on earth any of my cousins asked to babysit.

Melody’s dark eyes locked on mine before she reached over to bestow a slobbery kiss on my

cheek. “Thank you,” I replied, shifting her awkwardly on my hip.

Her fingers came to wind through the strands of my hair. “Pwetty,” she said.

“Thank you again. My Miss Melody, you sure are a talker.”

Lily laughed. “We could barely get Jude talking, but we can’t shut her up.”

A hand came to rest on the small of my back. When I glanced over my shoulder, AJ grinned at me.

“I see you’re making new friends.”

“I am.”

Melody’s face lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. “J!” she squealed, reaching her arms out. “Get

me, J!”

“Hey, my little princesa,” he replied, as he took Melody from me. He kissed both of her cheeks,

which were dimpled from giving him such a big smile.

I lifted my brows in surprise and turned to Lily. “Does he always act this way around the kids, or is

this all just show to impress me?”

As AJ scowled at me Lily laughed. “He’s actually very good with the kids. Of course, none of them

were until Jude came along. They pretty much became second fathers to him.”

AJ bobbed his head. “Yep, Jude was my guinea pig, and he taught me well.” He snuggled Melody

to his chest. “But this little chica here, she’s my muñeca linda.”

“En ingles, por favor?” I said with a grin.

“My pretty baby doll.”

“Listen to you. Charming ladies of all ages,” I replied to which AJ winked.

“Out of all the guys, she’s always been enraptured by AJ. She lights up whenever he comes in the

room,” Lily said.

“That’s cause she knows I’m the sweetest, most-handsome, best guy in the whole wide world.

Right, Melly Moo?”

AJ tickled Melody’s sides, causing her to giggle. Brayden strolled up hand in hand with a little boy

who was the spitting image of Lily. “Hey, Mia, good to see you,” he said, giving me a hug.

“Thanks. Same to you.”

“This is our son, Jude.” He peered down at Jude. “Say hello to Mia.”

Jude thrust out his tiny hand. “Hiya Mia.”

Bending over, I smiled and shook his hand. “Hi to you, too.”

“Are you Uncle AJ’s girlfriend?”

Shit! How the hell was I going to get out of this one? “Um…”

Brayden must have sensed my embarrassment because he reached out for Melody. “We were just

going to go swing.”

“Wing! Wing!” Melody screeched excitedly, as she dove into her father’s arms.

Jude abandoned his father’s side to tug on AJ’s shirt. Pointing a small finger at me, he asked, “Is

she your girlfriend?”

Undaunted, AJ replied, “Yep, she’s a girl, and she’s my friend.” For reasons I couldn’t understand,

I felt a little let down by his summation of what we were. I mean, it had only been two weeks, so it

wasn’t like I could really claim a relationship status with him. But at the same time, I hated his

answer.

Wrinkling his nose, Jude said, “Ew, girls are gross.”

AJ laughed. “Give it a few years, and you’ll change your mind, buddy.”

Jude didn’t appear too convinced as he followed Brayden across the clearing to an enormous

wooden play-set. “AJ, give me a hand,” Jake called from the grill.

“Be back in a minute,” AJ assured.

“Okay.”

As we put the finishing touches on lunch, the conversation flowed freely between Abby, Lily, and

me. I was starting to enjoy their company more and more.

“So do you sing, Mia?” Abby questioned, before popping a few potato chips into her mouth.

“Oh God no. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.”

Lily laughed. “That makes two of us then.” She then motioned over to where Brayden was helping

Jude down the slide while intermittingly pushing Melody in a harnessed swing. “Only my children

appreciate my singing voice at bedtime, and that’s usually only when Bray’s on tour and they have to

settle for me.”

As I eyed the play-set, I was wondering what an engaged but childless guy like Jake was doing

with one. Lily must’ve read my mind because she said, “He did that just for Jude and Melody so they

would have a place to play when they come to visit.”

“How sweet.”

Lily nodded and then gave Abby a playful nudge. “And I think for future children, too.”

Abby’s blue eyes widened as she swallowed hard. “Oh, no, we’ve got to get through a wedding

first. And watch your tongue. If Jake hears you say that, he’ll freak out. We’re not planning on kids for

several years down the road.” At Lily’s knowing look, Abby sighed. “Okay,
Jake
isn’t down for

having kids for several years.” Twirling the enormous diamond on her ring finger, she grinned

impishly. “I’d have one tomorrow if I could.”

Before I could stop myself, I blurted, “But you’re so young.”

Abby wrinkled her nose. “Exactly. I mean, who needs a baby when I’m a mere baby myself at

twenty-two?”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

Patting my back, Abby shook her head. “Trust me, you’re not the first person to say that. My darling

fiancé included.” Deepening her voice to mimic Jake, she said, “We’ve got all the time in the world

to have kids. We need to get at least three US tours and one world tour under our belts before I knock

you up.”

I laughed. “Hmm, Jake sounds a lot like AJ—bossy, take charge, my way or the highway.”

Abby winked. “Yeah, but isn’t it fun turning the tables on them?”

With an enthusiastic jerk of my head, I replied, “Oh yes, it is.” I couldn’t help thinking about when I

had tied him up in the limo on our first date.

AJ and Jake appeared with pans loaded with steaks, hamburgers, and ribs. As I gazed down the

length of the two tables, my eyes widened at all the food. “Just wait, there won’t be much left when

we’re done,” AJ said.

“You guys can put it away, huh?”

Jake grinned. “It’s not just us guys. Don’t let Abby’s size fool you. She’s a big eater.”

Abby laughed as she handed me a paper plate. “He loves giving me shit about that.”

“Well, I should hate you for being able to eat so much and still stay so tiny,” I teased.

“I tell her the same thing all the time,” Lily replied.

Poking her bottom lip out, Abby said, “Sorry.”

With a smile, I said, “You’re forgiven.”

“Good. Now let’s eat.” She waved to the others to join us at the table. I noticed that once again

Allison was at Rhys’s side and managed to snag a seat beside him. After I filled my plate to the brim,

AJ patted a spot on the bench, so I eased down next to him. When he scooted closer to me, I cocked a

brow at him. “Would you prefer I sit in your lap?”

He grinned. “I just wanna be close to you.”

Leaning over, I whispered into his ear, “Don’t think you’re going to be starting something with me