Hard as Rock (The Rock Star's Seduction 3)

“Nice to talk to you, too.”

“Yeah, hi. Mom said you were bringing home some guy named Ryan.”

“Yeah.”

“That wouldn’t be Ryan Smith of Bigger, would it?”

I sighed. “…yes.”

“Holy SHIT, we’re gonna have a rock star sleeping in our house?! Oh my God, this is awesome – Rob’s totally freaking out – ”

Rob’s my baby brother, now 17. I could hear him hooting and hollering in the background.

“Do NOT bother him, okay?”

“We’ll be cool, jeez. We can get some pictures with him, though, right?”

I wanted to say ‘no,’ but I knew Ryan would jump right in and offer anyway, so I just said, “We’ll see.”

“Uh… Kaitlyn?”

“What?”

“I was reading a bunch of stuff about the band online, and I saw a bunch of pictures…”

Oh shit. Here it came.

“…yeah?”

“…weren’t you kind of dating Derek Kane?”

I took a big breath and blew it out. “…yes. But I’m not anymore.”

“But now you’re dating the bassist for the same group?”

I gritted my teeth. “…yes.”

“Um… is there anything we should know?”

“NO, and do NOT bring it up while Ryan’s there, okay?”

“Jeez, we’re not STUPID. We just wanted to know.”

“Well, now you know.”

“Alright, well… see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

The last thing I heard before I hung up was Rob saying in the background,

“We totally need to get those selfies before they break up, dude.”

63

We left two days later, and said goodbye to the MacCruders the night before.

I hugged Mrs. MacCruder. “I’m so glad I got to meet you.”

“I feel the same way, dear. You keep Ryan out of trouble for me, you hear?”

“I’ll try.”

I just shook hands with her husband. “It was really nice meeting you. Thank you for…”

I struggled to succinctly convey the awful events of that night in the rainstorm.

How do you thank someone for pulling a gun on your ex-boyfriend?

Especially one you still have feelings for?

HAD.

Had

feelings for.

At the time. When it happened.

“…for everything you did for us,” I finished up lamely.

Mr. MacCruder just tipped his head the slightest, like a cowboy saying ‘Ma’am,’ in an old western.

“My pleasure,” he drawled.

At least I got two words out of him instead of one.

“Charles will drive you there in the morning,” Mrs. MacCruder said.

“No, we can’t impose – ” Ryan started.

“Nonsense, don’t be silly,” Mrs. MacCruder overruled him.

Ryan tried his luck with a man-to-man appeal. “Our flight is at 7 AM, so we have to leave by 5. I don’t want you to have to get up that early.”

“Son, I was born gettin’ up earlier than that.”

It didn’t make a ton of sense, exactly, but it sounded badass. At least coming out of Mr. MacCruder’s mouth, anyway.