Rockstar Baby (Crescent Cove 6)

“So, Lucky Charms, I’m gonna guess she’s the one.”

“Come again?”

I was too busy staring at my screen and trying to get my thumbs to work enough to compose a message.

“She didn’t even look at me.”

I glanced up. “So?” I stared at Kellan for a long moment and got his drift even if I didn’t like it. His disguise didn’t hide the rockstar bad-ass persona oozing from his veins—or his massive size.

“It’s a good thing,” he continued. “Just saying it doesn’t happen often. She only had eyes for you.”

I set down my phone. “She did, yeah?”

Without another look at my phone, I sent my message. And looked down to see I’d texted the following to Ian.

Hey, Kellan McGuire and dii390dn might want to come with.

I had to grin at my thick thumbs. If anyone could make me forget how to type, it was Ivy.

Ian’s reply was almost instantaneous.

Dii390dn wants to come? Sounds like a screen name. Visiting Tinder again, mate?

Jackass. Typo. My friend’s name is Ivy.

Oh, is it now? And she wants to come, does she?

He was such a smartass. I was tempted to give him a middle finger emoj

i and just forget asking Ivy, except I wanted her with me. I wanted to spend more time with her. And if I had to get straw up my ass, I wanted her to be the one who caused it.

There was a sentiment one didn’t often find on a greeting card.

You’ll still be there tomorrow?

Yes, question is, will you be? Don’t you keep your trips to see Kellan short?

This one is a day longer.

Ooooh, wild man. Look at you go.

Keep it up & I’ll deny you the pleasure of my company.

In all seriousness, I’d love to see you. It’s been too long & we’re always headed in opposite directions lately. Not sure when we’ll be able to get back to Flynn’s for some R&R.

I blew out a breath. Ian and I had spent some time with another guy I’d worked with on occasion, Flynn Sheppard, last summer and it had cemented our friendship.

Since then, we’d seen each other here and there, and I’d sat in with his band a few times when he needed an extra hand on the guitar. But I hadn’t made the time.

I hadn’t wanted the expectation that I was supposed to.

“Problem with Happy Acres?” Kellan’s affable tone set my teeth on edge.

“No. Everything is coming up fucking roses.”

The song on the jukebox changed. As soon as I heard the first notes of “The Wonder of You” and saw Ivy’s grin as she snapped on her apron over a fresh pair of pants, my irritation at…what, I wasn’t even sure, vanished.

I switched apps on my phone and brought up a notepad one, writing in big block text. Then I held up the phone in her direction.