Page 70 of Rockstar Baby

“All the good cartoons are recycled. He loves that show.” Maggie accepted a cup from Zoe. “Just you wait, you’ll be all about the television shows too.”

“I’d love to say I won’t use the iPad, but I know myself.” Zoe filled another glass and handed it to me. “I mean, I’ll have the most paint-splattered child, but there’s a time for sanity.”

“Smart lady.” Maggie took a sip and her eyes widened. “Okay, your mom wins.”

“Her cooking isn’t as good as Aunt Laverne’s, but she knows how to make anything in liquid form.”

“And Dad started us on moonshine.” Hayes grinned. “I took it a few steps further, but he taught us everything we know about the groves. Would you like to try some?”

I nibbled on my lower lip. “Is it going to knock me on my ass? I’m more of a tequila in a margarita kind of girl. Sometimes some wine.”

Hayes pulled out another smaller bottle in the cooler. “This one was made to be a mixer with my mom’s lemonade.”

Maggie covered the top of her glass. “I’m still breastfeeding. Little bugger won’t quite give up on the source.”

“Guess it’s just you and me.” Hayes grinned at me and splashed some in my glass.

I lifted it. “Cheers.” The drink was sweet and tart with a little something extra. “I was expecting it to taste like gasoline.”

“Backwater moonshine maybe, but not ours. That’s the problem. You can’t even taste it, and then you’re on your face.”

I held up my glass to Zoe. “Maybe a bit more lemonade. I don’t want to miss anything today because of too much alcohol.”

“Smart lady.” Zoe laughed and refilled my glass with straight lemonade.

Hayes stayed for a few minutes, but kept pulling out his phone. “Work just isn’t going to wait. I’m heading out, guys. Maybe you could record a few songs for me so I can hear how it sounds once they get going?”

“Sure.” Zoe grinned up at her brother. “I’ll make sure they don’t hurt your baby.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.” She elbowed him when he smushed her into a hard hug.

“I’ll see you at dinner later.”

“Sounds good.” She watched him leave then eased back in her chair. “I love my brothers, but all they do is hover. Add in Ian and I have precisely seven minutes alone a day. And that’s generally peeing.” She pushed her chair out. “Speaking of. I’ll be right back.”

I twisted my glass in the little puddle of condensation on the table . I could easily get used to this kind of lazy afternoon. My boyfriend playing with his friends, making new girlfriends.

Only Rory definitely wasn’t my boyfriend, even if he felt like he could be one sometimes.

The strum of guitars dragged me away from my thoughts. Wolf gave a happy shriek.

“He’ll be out in ten minutes. The minute Kel starts playing the guitar, he’s soothed right to sleep.”

My eyebrow rose. “They’re playing Metallica.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Impressive.”

“Handy having a husband who provides an instant lullaby, in between the overstimulation of course.” Maggie gave me a wink. “For Mama too.”

“It’s got to be hard to have a musician as a husband.”

“Sometimes.” She bent down to get one of Wolf’s toys. “For the most part, he’s just a regular guy. When he gets a big head about certain things, I usually kick him or drag him back down to Earth. Kind of my favorite thing to do, but don’t tell him that.”

My attention slid to the stage. Rory’s guitar was worn in that way that made me itch to get a closer look. Little nicks along the body where his hand rubbed with repetition. An odd smudge further along the outside of the body, away from the strings.