“I guess I should start looking for places to live in New Orleans,” remarked Devon.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Jason told him. “You can stay with us in the meantime—”

“Shit, Jace, do we live on a hippie commune?” I asked, exasperated.

“Ask Connor. He’d know about that sort of shit better than I would.”

“I didn’t know what you guys wanted to do with X’s office,” Sheri said quietly. “Or Tim’s.”

“You get Tim’s office, and Devon gets X’s,” I replied. “Or vice versa. I don’t think it matters to either of them.”

We’d made Sheri our manager. The woman did more for us than anyone, and with Siggie as her backup here at the studio, NOLA’s Own would be a well-oiled machine.

After we had checked everything out, we jumped back into the van, and Siggie drove us to Bougainvillea. My heart, she ached at the old familiar sight.

The outside looked the same—old and fuckin’ haunted, as it should. But the inside had been overhauled with new floors, and the old stained wooden walls had been replaced with wallboard and painted in dark grays and accent colors. The main bar on the ground floor was brand-new and way more functional, and the restrooms had been gutted. The VIP area was now a fuckin’ VIP area—top of the line, meant to serve the elite who would be flying in to check out the music scene from now on.

For the next two days, NOLA’s Own busted ass. We had our set ready to go. It had been a long time since we took the stage, and I was a little nervous. We were something else now, and we had to find our place all over again. It was weird and exciting.

The second day back from rehab was the Fourth of July. We stopped working long enough to go over to Dad’s and have a barbeque.

While watching the fireworks shoot off with my little niece on my lap, my heart broke for the baby I’d never get to hold. I’d thought a lot about our Little Zephyr. It would’ve been a girl. I just knew it somehow. She’d have had red hair, and her laugh would have sounded like the laughter of a little box of sunshine I’d met once. I’d have worshiped her as I had that other little girl. She’d have had me wrapped around her tiny finger, and I would’ve laid the world at her feet.

I need my Baby Girl. I might be a whole man, but I’m only half a soul.

One more fuckin’ day.

Hot, sunny beautiful Louisiana.

It was good to be back in my own bed. It wasn’t home without my Baby Girl, but I was back. I was more excited to see Kenna again than I was for the show tonight.

After we’d gotten home from Dad’s last night, Da had called Connor to let us know that Kenna, Alys, and Lili would be arriving sometime in the afternoon.

Rolling over, I grabbed her pillow and hugged it tight, wishing it were her. It no longer smelled like her hair. She’d been gone too long for that. But she loved this pillow ’cause it was fat and squishy, and I loved it ’cause it was hers.

While I’d been in rehab, my sister and Dad had brought back all my furniture from storage, and they’d gotten rid of the fuckin’ gimp bed in the living room. Climbing the stairs to our room, I’d felt like I’d truly accomplished something.

I still had to be careful because I had a slight limp, but all was going good in that department. My pelvis was fused and ready to go, and I was gonna put that shit to use the second Baby Girl gave me the green light. Just thinking about it made me so fuckin’ hard and heavy.

My hand slipped between my legs…I breathed her name…the memory of her laughter…

Well, the sheets needed a cleaning now.

Heading downstairs after a shower, I met the guys in the big kitchen, and seeing them all gave me a rush of pride. We were all in this and Devon, too. That shit was just surreal to me.

As I sat down at the island with a cup of coffee, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I had a text message…and my heart ceased to beat for a split second.

Baby Girl: I seem to have misplaced my other half. Have you seen him?

“Oh, Baby…” I whispered, blinking back the burn behind my lids.

Devon gave me a sharp look, so I glared back at him.

Me: He’s right here, waiting for his other half.

Baby Girl: Plane leaves in less than ten minutes. I have to turn off my phone. I love you.

My heart…she was full.

Kenna

Our flight from London to New York had gone off without a hitch, but our connecting flight to New Orleans ended up being delayed by more than two hours. We were exhausted, cranky, and just ready to go home. I was simply finished. I wanted Phil, damn it, and now, I wouldn’t be able to see him before they went on stage. We were going to miss part of their set.

“This blows,” huffed Alys, flopping back into the seat in the first-class lounge.

We’d been waiting for this day to hurry up and arrive, and now…it was just stretching on that much longer. Pulling out my phone, I switched it on and decided to text Phil and let him know. For some reason, I was afraid to hear his voice.

I wanted to hear it in person. I needed to feel it.

Me: Connecting flight delayed. We won’t make it until after you guys go on stage. I’m sorry.

A few minutes later, he replied.

Madman Fiancé: As long as I can hold you tonight, I don’t care. I need my Baby Girl.

Me: Your Baby Girl needs you, too. ♥

“Have you spoken to Lewis at all?” I asked Lili, tucking my phone back into my pocket.

She shook her head. “I’ll turn my phone on when we get back home.”

“Do you want to end it with him?” asked Alys.

Lili’s bottom lip quivered, alarming me. “No. But I think I might have taken it too far.”

“I doubt it,” I told her. “Is it really so bad that you’d sacrifice your relationship with him?”

Tears spilled over, her black irises swimming. “It might be too late to change my mind.”

Since we were back on native soil, it was time for the three of us to address the crap we had ignored while on our holiday. Reality had come back and was smacking us in the face.

“Whatever happens now, one thing will never change,” said Alys, stirring her double latte.

“What’s that?” asked Lili.

“Us. We will always have each other. At least we know that, right?”

I smiled, and so did Lili.

“Yeah,” I said.

Siggie picked up Alys, Lili, and me from the airport once we’d reached New Orleans. The poor woman looked as exhausted as we did. Meeting us at baggage claim, she smiled warmly and gave us each a hug before ushering us out to the parking lot.

“The guys go on in ten minutes,” she told us, helping us carry our luggage. “I think Phil was trying to hold off the set, but they really can’t by much. So many people have flown in to see them. There’s more than five hundred guests there.”

“Damn!” said Lili.

As we approached the van, the sliding door opened, surprising us all but Siggie. With a massive bouquet in his arms, Lewis emerged, his eyes locked on Lili. The look he gave her had the power to melt all four of us into the concrete.

“What are you doing here?” Lili asked, stunned.

Walking up to her, Lewis crushed her tiny self into his chest. “Woman…don’t you ever do this to me again!”

“Look, I hate to break up this love-fest,” I said, tossing my crap into the van, “but I haven’t seen my man in almost three fucking months, and I haven’t spoken to him in two. Can we get a fucking move on?”

In less than two minutes, we were pulling out of the parking garage, and Siggie was hauling ass to Bougainvillea. Alys sat next to me, clutching my hand, while Lili and Lewis sucked face in the bench seat farthest back.