Page 26 of Rockstar Baby

“He’s sick. He’s also two. Those things tend to cause babies to cry.” His son picked that moment to cluck Kellan in the chin, who barely flinched. Must be used to such abuse.

I shook my head, glancing at the squirrel out of the corner of my eye. He had another nut between his paws, ready to launch.

Next one he threw, I was lobbing it back. I was in a good mood—hell, a great one—but that didn’t mean I’d tolerate rudeness.

“Are you coming inside, or would you rather debate the behavior of children from the driveway?”

Kellan’s even tone made me chuckle. He was such a father. How did that change happen? I had to imagine Kellan had been the typical rockstar, pre-wife and baby. Did a light just go on one day and the appeal of groupies lessened?

I didn’t have such interactions with the fairer sex because let’s face it, I did not look like Kellan. The guy probably weighed close to two-hundred pounds, most of it muscle. He also had swagger and killer pipes. I was more on the intellectual side of things, which meant my appeal to women waxed and waned depending on my rep. When I had my name on a few hits, the offers came fast and furious. When I was in a dry period, my phone didn’t ring.

The time or two I’d sat in with my mate Ian’s band, I’d nearly had to hire a goddamn bodyguard to keep the women away. But I didn’t do that often. And even when the access was there, I rarely took advantage.

I had sex as stress relief. Relationships I barely had at all. The last time I’d been serious with a woman hadn’t ended well.

Understatement of the century. So, I’d learned to steer clear.

Mostly.

God only knows how Ivy had viewed my unpracticed seduction routine. We’d been together, so I supposed I couldn’t have done too badly. She’d had enough grace to forgive me in any case. I was hardly the slick rockstar, even if I had occasion to pick up a guitar and sing now and then. Usually when I’d had a few too many with Ian in the pub.

And Kellan was staring at me, probably hoping a Bluetooth headset would appear so he could feel more at ease that I had not been talking to the air.

“Squirrel,” I said as I made my way up the neatly shoveled walk. “I was talking to the squirrel.”

“Uh…”

“Never mind.”

We went inside and the kid stopped crying long enough to knuckle his big blue eyes and stare at me, much as his father had. Did I have a sign on my head or something?

Noticing Kellan was in his socks, I removed my boots. The kid watched me the whole time, whimpering softly.

“Why is he looking at me?”

“Maybe he doesn’t like Irishmen.”

“Is that so, Mr. McGuire?”

Kellan grinned. “He’s a baby. Didn’t say he made sense.”

“Uh-huh. How’s he doing today? Minus the sniffling.”

Kellan glanced down at his son. “He’s still feverish and he’s doing…that.” He sighed as the baby rubbed his ear against Kellan’s chest. “We think he might have an ear infection. If he’s not better this morning, Maggie will bundle him off to—”

“Where is my child?” A beautiful blue-eyed brunette woman wearing jeans and a thick pink sweater rushed into the foyer, stopping dead at the sight of me. “Oh, hello. You must be Rory. I’m sorry you got lost and weren’t able to make it last night.”

I slid a look at Kellan, who was fussing with his suddenly quiet child. “Yes, it was a shame. Maggie, is it? Pleasure to meet you.” I stepped forward and shook her hand. “You have a lovely home.” Not that I’d seen much of it yet, other than the quaint porch with its pair of snow-covered rockers and the small foyer that opened up into a recessed, rustic living room with log walls, exposed beam ceilings, and a large fireplace.

The fireplace made me think of Ivy. And hope she wasn’t dressed yet.

So much for a one-nighter, hmm?

“Thank you, but it’s Kellan’s place. Or it was. I just sort of stumbled upon it.” She smiled in a wide, affable way that made me wonder if she was also a Crescent Cove transplant. “We’ve added on, of course. And I’ve put in my own touches.”

“Like that thing.” Kellan nodded at a colorful quilt that took up much of one wall near the door.

Unrepentantly, Maggie flipped him the middle finger. I did a double take.