Page 58 of Rockstar Baby

“LA, huh? What brings you to the woods in Crescent Cove, NY?

“I had work.”

“Oh, really. Sure you didn’t get lost on your way to Woodstock? Should I search this car?”

“You do whatever makes you happy. You’ll find nothing but some clothes and some rubbers.” They were still in the boot since I’d phoned in my reservation at the bed and breakfast and hadn’t even officially checked in yet. “Unless sex isn’t allowed in your fair little town.”

“Rory, shut the hell up.” Ivy lifted her brows at me before turning her beseeching expression on the unworthy cop. “He’s just…disoriented. Don’t mind him. Please.”

“Disoriented? Have you been drinking? Either of you?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. No drinking. Fucking? Yes. Which we weren’t allowed to finish.”

The cop shone his light directly into my eyes and nearly rendered me blind. “Let’s see that ID. Now.”

“Fine by me. Then you’ll realize who the hell I am.”

I didn’t know why I said it. I wasn’t the sort to throw around attitude like some entitled rockstar. Perhaps I’d hung out with too many of them just recently. Either that or perpetual denial was doing bad things for my personality.

I handed over my license and didn’t reply when he said to stay put while he ran it. Then he glanced at Ivy and said something in an undertone about her older brother being disappointed in such antics.

Since I was still “disoriented”, I figured that was why she crossed her arms and stared straight ahead while the sheriff went back to his vehicle to see if I was a felon on the lam.

My mouth probably hadn’t helped matters.

“I’m sorry, love.” I reached across the seat to cup her fisted hand. She didn’t react. “I don’t know what got into me. I’ve never been in trouble with the law before.”

“Or if you have, they knew who you were and let you off?”

I frowned. “Pardon?”

“I heard what you said. Don’t you know who I am?” She turned toward me on the seat. “Traveling back and forth from LA as if it was nothing. Checking into a fancy bed and breakfast and barely even using it. All your work here. That’s not normal.”

“Says who?”

“Me. I should’ve just Googled you, but I didn’t want to betray your trust.”

I didn’t respond.

“I have a daily shift in a diner, Rory. Most of the other people in town keep regular local, daily hours. They don’t jet across the country for a few hours of work multiple times in a month.”

The other shoe was dropping at a most inconvenient time. Courtesy of my flapping jaws.

I locked my hands behind my neck. “I didn’t get to invite you to Happy Acres tomorrow, but I was going to. I want you to meet some of my people.” It sounded as awkward as I felt.

“Some of your people? Like your family?” Shock lined her voice. “Are they visiting the country?”

“No. My mates.” Kellan wasn’t exactly that, but it seemed as if we were on the path to becoming friends.

Maybe. Hell if I knew. Quite frankly, I wasn’t used to having so many personal connections crowding in on me.

It was this town.

Or having sex more often than once a millennia.

Or having sex more often than once a millenniainthis town.

Or it was just Ivy.