Page 164 of Everything After

“Sly offered each of them a solo deal too,” I disclosed.

“Lily… solo?” Rick queried.

“Nah, she’s happy to stay with the band now there’s less friction. They’re cutting Delilah a deal though.”

“I bet Kieron bit her hand off to sign her,” Rick replied.

“No, she still has two… can’t play the kind of piano she does with one hand,” I joked.

“Ha, ha. Too fucking funny,” he drawled. He scratched the scruff on his chin. “What about you. Crakt Soundzz only has three one-night concerts at festivals confirmed in the next year according to Kieron. No tours or albums on the horizon?”

“Nope. We’re all happy with the extended break. Can’t get time back to watch my boy grow,” I explained. “I’m writing though. Being home with Lily has been a minefield of inspiration.”

Rick’s eyes scanned the room and settled on Lily. He smoothed down his beard as he took her in. “I bet.”

Guessing his mind had gone to the gutter, I punched his arm. “Stop perving on my wife,” I grumbled.

He chuckled. “I can look, can’t I?” he teased to piss me off.

“No, you fucking can’t. Your woman is about to have your baby any day now and your mind still went to the gutter.”

“That’s because it’s only my mind that’s getting any foreplay lately.”

I laughed. “Aww, poor Rick only has dick to play with.”

“Right,” he agreed. “Those fucking hormones of Coral’s appear to work both ways, hot and cold, and never in the same direction as mine.”

As if Coral knew we were talking about her she excused herself from Elle and made her way over to us.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Rick muttered in an immediate change of mood.

“I hate to do this to you, Rick…” she mumbled, placing a hand on his back. She rubbed as if she was soothing him, before delivering bad news.

“What?” He frowned.

“Maybe we need to leave now. These pains… I don’t think my uterus is practicing anymore,” she muttered. She wrinkled her nose then grimaced like she had another pain coming.

I glanced down toward the dock where Cody and two females climbed out of Grant’s boat. One I recognized as Delilah, but I had no clue who the small, long-haired brunette with them was.

Cody looked attentive as he handed the brunette back her purse, brushed her hair over her shoulder and took the woman’s hand.

“Cody’s coming,” I said, causing Coral to immediately straighten, twist her body and stare over her shoulder, pains momentarily forgotten.

“Maybe I have five minutes left in me,” she said, backtracking after blowing out a breath.

“I’ll see them in and be right back. Don’t have your kid on my bathroom floor,” I warned.

“Spoken like the caring soul you are,” Rick muttered sarcastically as I walked away with my son in my arms.

As I reached the patio door, Charlie began to wriggle and fuss when he caught sight of Lily. I beckoned her over with my head. “Lily,” I said, and nodded toward Cody, Delilah and Cody’s guest.

“Hm, it would appear Cody definitely has a type,” I muttered, noting that she looked a lot like Lily, if a little more tanned and a couple of inches taller.

“Look at you,” Cody said, stepping up onto the patio and immediately making a beeline for Charlie “It’s incredible… the difference a year makes,” he said, offering him his finger.

“It is,” I said. The guy was practically beaming. He glanced toward the woman with him and smiled.

“Isn’t he cute?” he said, asking her opinion.