WAYLON (Ruthless MC 1)

“Josie Bernice, what have I told you about asking people nosy questions before you’ve even introduced yourself?” her mother asks.

And that makes me relax a little more. Kyra Fairgood might walk across several televised stages in glamorous dresses every year to accept accolades for her songwriting work.

But she’s a regular mom. And just as nosy as the folks in Angel Pond.

“We were really surprised when he said he was going to make it for the first time this year,” she tells me after Griffin Latham arrives and Colin and Waylon go out to the foyer to greet him. “And we had no idea he was bringing a date.”

I cringe, more than a little mortified. “I'm so sorry for showing up unannounced.”

“Don't be,” Kyra insists. “We’re just glad to have Waylon join us this year. And that he’s finally seriously dating someone…”

She trails off when the phone she’s holding in her hand beeps with a text message. “Hold on, this is my cousin Bernice. I was just texting her that Griffin Latham RSVPed before you all showed up. Her daughter, Olivia, loves his music. I bet she’ll be so excited to meet him.”

Kyra’s face falls, though, when she reads the message.

“What’s wrong?” another voice asks her.

And I try not to gape. It’s Nitra. Nitra Mello, one of the original kids from Rap Star Wives.

That was a long time ago, though. She’s all grown up now, and married to Dixon Fairgood who actually changed his name to Woods Mello. And I love their docu-drama series set at the hospital they work at in Seattle. All the nurses do. Sierra would be freaking out right now if she knew I was actually talking to Dr. Nitra Mello.

Still, I try to act cool as Kyra explains that her cousin Bernice won’t be coming out because her little girl is sick. “I’m so bummed Olivia won’t get to meet Griffin. She loves country music. But her mom’s a nurse, so she’s always like better safe than sorry. She actually booked them a hotel. She’s so scared of Olivia getting her cousins sick…”

“Nurses can be like that,” I tell her, finally speaking up, even though I’m still low-key freaking out over Nitra Mello. “Where does your cousin work?”

“In New York at this medical center for women with disabilities. Colin and I actually donate money to them every Christmas. They do really good work.”

“Needed work too,” Anitra says. “I know my hospital could do better in that department.”

I totally agree when it comes to Wilmington St. Joseph, but before I can tell them that, Waylon and Colin return to the group with Griffin.

“Bernice can’t make it now,” Kyra tells Colin as Waylon casually strings an arm around my shoulders.

We’re the least famous people here, but everyone else’s eyes track Waylon’s arm circling around me like it’s a Beyoncé sighting.

Meanwhile, Griffin snags a flute of champagne and asks, “Who’s Bernice? She sounds boring.”

Kyra glares at him. “My cousin who you know nothing about. And now that you say that, I’m glad I don’t have to introduce her to you.”

“Is your cousin as cute as you?” Griffin asks, grinning at her over his champagne glass.

“Nobody’s as cute as Kyra,” Colin answers with the confidence of a happily married man.

“But seriously, man, is she hot like your wife?” Griffin asks Colin directly. “Because if she is, I’d like to get that introduction—”

“So have you two been dating long?” Kyra asks Waylon and me, clearly looking to change the subject.

Waylon looks down at me underneath his arm, obviously waiting for me to answer. Guess this is question one on the test.

“Oh, we met last year, but he didn’t move me out to Iowa until August,” I answer.

“Okay, and where exactly did you two meet?” Nitra Mello asks, glancing between us.

The suspicious sparkle in her eye and slight wrinkle in her nose makes me remember one of her taglines on Rap Star Wives: Ooohhh! I can smell the drama!

Maybe she really can—I mean, from personal experience alone. She’s a doctor, and her husband, Woods, is a former biker. And everybody who watches their docu-drama knows their love story was crazy dramatic.

Also, I’m aware that Waylon looks like Waylon, and I look like, well…a somewhat pretty nurse who has no business dating the criminal president of a motorcycle gang, even if I’m showing a little too much cleavage.

I’m not sure how to answer her, so I look to Waylon to see if he has a story ready.

“I was one of her patients while I was out in Delaware on business,” Waylon answers. “We got to know each other and figured out that she belonged to me, so I took her back to Iowa with me and made her mine.”

Kyra and Nitra stare at him for a stunned second—then burst out laughing.

“That is such a Fairgood answer,” Nitra says, holding her belly as tears of laughter well up in her eyes.