Page 86 of Heartstring

She’s surprisingly okay with the commotion and says she’s looking forward to hanging out with Nikko, but she also let me know how out of line I am for hooking up with her boss.

I promise to explain everything to her, and I tell her to stay off social media. The last thing I want is for her to believe the crap the media has been putting out.

Apparently, Ty is my secret husband, and we’ve been married since we were eighteen, thanks to an old photo someone unearthed. Probably from an old school friend who wanted to make a few bucks.

There are multiple theories as to why we haven’t been seen together in twenty-five years, but fortunately, the media is more impressed with our ninja skills and haven’t published anything about Tyler’s dad or his late husband.

It helps that Tyler was never big on social media, and since he changed his name after getting married, the trail seems to have dried out unless the media has really good PI resources.

“Hey, put this on and come with me.” Tyler holds up my coat and boots and a bottle of beer.

“Where?”

“We need some fresh air.”

I shake my head. We do need fresh air, but while the paps are gone after we called the local police department, I wouldn’t put it past them to hide in parked cars out on the road.

“Backyard,” he says, zipping up his coat and unscrewing the top of his beer.

The biting cold takes my breath away as soon as we step outside, but it’s also surprisingly refreshing. There’s nowhere for us to sit, thanks to the layer of snow covering most of the backyard and the two chairs Tyler has on the deck.

“It’s been a long day, hey?” he asks.

I put my arm around him to keep him closer, loving it when he wraps his arm around my waist.

“Yeah. It has.”

“I’m so sorry, Ty. You don’t deserve to be dragged into the spotlight like this.”

All day I’ve been battling with my own guilt. I slacked with my own safety rules. Walking around everywhere and not always with a cap to hide my face. I trimmed my unkempt beard and even made conversation with random people in the grocery store.

I should have known that, at some point, someone would recognize me and alert the media.

“It’s not your fault, Mik. You don’t deserve to be hounded like this either. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to keep Kay a secret. How hard it must be for her too.”

I take a swig of my beer. “This is all she’s ever known. Believe it or not, having her on tour is easier. Over the years, we’ve cultivated relationships, and we know who to work with. By the time she came along, we already had a trusted team. The worst is when we’re back home.”

“Where’s home for you?” he asks.

“Nowhere, really. The closest thing to a home we’ve had is Bastian’s farm in Vermont. His family is amazing. Out there, no one’s a rock star. Tough shit if you had a gig and you’re tired. The cows need to be let out and the work never stops.”

He laughs. “You? Cleaning up cow shit?”

I pinch his sides until he’s struggling to breathe from laughing so hard.

“Anyway,” I say. “We also visit my mom a lot. I could never pick a place because…never mind.”

“Tell me.”

“Nothing felt like home.”

I can see in Ty’s gaze he knows exactly what I mean.

“What changed?”

“A couple years ago, this kid working at one of the venues we played helped Kay with her homework. She was struggling with some math problem, and her tutor wasn’t available because his mom was sick. When the kid saw me, I knew he put two and two together.”

“Did he go to the press?”