“I’ll get little man,” Kacen says when baby Drew makes a sucking noise. My guess is he’s sucking on his little hand. I’ve seen multiple pictures of him doing so.

  “No, I’ve got it,” Logan tells him. “Go hang with the boys.”

  “He’s one of the boys,” Kacen counters.

  “Go!” Logan laughs at him.

  “Fine.” He picks Drew up and brings him over to Logan, kissing both of them before heading downstairs.

  I turn to look at Tristan. “Are you not going?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why?” I ask cautiously.

  “Because I just got you to agree to this, and it’s been weeks since I’ve seen you.”

  “Go. I told you I would stay with you while I’m here.”

  “You ready to go?” he deadpans.

  “No, crazy man. Just go play a game of pool. I’ll be right here.”

  “In this exact spot?” He grins.

  “I’ll be in this house. How’s that?”

  “Perfect.” Leaning in, he kisses me, then bends down and kisses my belly. I watch as he stands and heads for the basement with the rest of the guys.

  “Wow,” Logan says once he’s gone.

  “What?”

  “That.” Stacy points to where Tristan just disappeared down the steps.

  “You two, that’s what. I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.” Logan mock pouts.

  “It was complicated, and it was just talking and texting, some kissing here and there. We didn’t even sleep together until y’all were in town a few months ago. That was our first time.”

  “Don’t tell Cole,” Stacy laughs. “He really will toss my pills, thinking he can get the job done tonight.”

  “No doubt,” Logan and I agree.

  “I’ve got to change him, and then it’s time to eat.” Logan stands and heads upstairs to the nursery with baby Drew in her arms.

  “So, you’re coming to the wedding next week, right?” Stacy asks.

  “No. I mean, I didn’t know I was invited.”

  “Of course you’re invited. And not just because you’re with Tristan. I want you there.”

  “I don’t know if I can get off work. It’s been crazy lately.”

  “Well try. It’s all expenses paid.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “It is,” she says. “Cole wanted this wedding to happen fast, so this was my compromise. Please say you’ll come.”

  “I don’t know. When is the wedding?”

  “Next Saturday. We leave Tuesday for Hawaii.”

  “I go home on Sunday,” I tell her.

  “Take Tristan with you and y’all can fly to Hawaii together. We should be able to change his flight easy enough.”

  “Thank you for the offer, but I just don’t know if I can manage to take that much time off work. I also have maternity leave to think about now.”

  “So you’re staying in Ohio?”

  “Lauren!” Tristan yells as the sound of heavy footsteps pound up the stairs.

  “What?” I stand, thinking something must be wrong.

  “Come on.” He holds his hand out for me and I take it without hesitation.

  “Where are we going, exactly?” I ask as we move toward the front door.

  “Cole said there was a realtor at the house across the street when he pulled in. We’re going to see if they’re still there.”

  “Why are we doing that?” I look over my shoulder at Stacy, who’s laughing as she follows us to the door.

  “Welcome to loving a member of Soul Serenade. These boys do nothing halfway.” Stacy leans against the doorframe, grinning like a fool as Tristan pulls me out the front door.

  “Tristan, slow down.” I laugh as we descend the stairs.

  He stops and turns to look at me. “You okay?” he asks, placing his hand on my belly.

  “I’m fine, but what’s the rush?

  “That”—he points across the street—“could be our home. We have to strike while the iron is hot.” He leads me to his car and opens the door for me.

  “We can walk,” I tell him.

  “No, we’ll drive.” He nods at the empty seat.

  I roll my eyes all while smiling and climb in the car. He rushes around the other side and within seconds, we’re pulling into the driveway across the street. I take in the house and it’s gorgeous. Light brown brick, two stories with white pillars on the front porch. It’s one of those ‘if I ever win the lottery’ houses.

  Tristan parks and rushes to my door, but I’m already climbing out by the time he reaches me.

  “You were supposed to wait for me,” he says.

  “I can open my own door, Tristan.” He opens his mouth to reply, but I beat him to it. “There’s the realtor.”

  “Let’s go.” He grins as I take his hand and we walk up the driveway to the front porch.

  “Can I help you?” the realtor asks. She’s young and dressed to the nines; I’m in yoga pants and a baggy T-shirt. I watch as her eyes travel over Tristan. Not that I can blame her, but I am standing right here, with his hand engulfing mine.

  “Yeah, my fiancée and I would like to see the house.”

  “Oh, fiancée,” she says, clearly disappointed.

  “Yes.” Tristan’s reply is firm no-nonsense.

  “It just listed today. Asking price is—”

  “Doesn’t matter. We’d like to see it.”

  “Sir, I have to ask if you have funding.” Her cheeks pink at the question.

  “You think we would be wasting our time or yours if we didn’t?”

  “Yes, of course. Um, right this way.”

  We follow her into the house and I gasp. It’s beautiful. A huge staircase spirals to the upstairs beyond and entryway tiled in a marble swirl of black, gray, and white. “So this is a six-bedroom, with nine full bathrooms. There is a pool and a small pool house out back. Total of five acres. There is a mother-in-law suite on the first floor that was recently added and is not included in the bathroom and bedroom totals.”

  “Seven bedrooms! Tristan, this house is huge,” I whisper.

  “That just means we have to fill it.” He winks, then turns to the realtor. “We’re going to look around.”

  Tristan doesn’t wait for her okay, just leads me through an expansive living room with a fireplace, then to the dining room that is bigger than my living room and kitchen together, and finally into the kitchen. “What do you think, babe? Can you whip up some magic in here?”

  “This kitchen is… too much.”

  “Do you love it?”

  “Of course I do. I would be crazy not to.”

  “Good.” He kisses my nose and leads me out of the kitchen, back through the dining and living rooms, and up the stairs.

  We spend an hour going through each room, Tristan asking what I like and don’t like, and if there is anything I would change. There’s not. This place is like a fairy tale.

  “Can you see yourself living here?” he asks after we’ve toured every room.

  “Not really. This is… unreal.”

  “What would you change?” he asks yet again.

  “The name on the mailbox?” I phrase it as a question because I can’t think of a single thing.

  He throws his head back in laughter. “We can do that, baby.”

  “Well, what do you think?” the realtor asks.

  “We’ll take it.” Tristan pulls a business card out of his wallet. “Here’s my finance guy’s name and number. Give me your card and I’ll have him call you within the hour.”

  “Tristan, you don’t even know how much it is,” I remind him.

  “It’s fine, Lauren. I’ve got this.” He turns back to the realtor. “I also have a condo in the city that I’m going to need to list. You facilitate this going through sooner rather than later and you can have that listing as well.”

  “Done. Thank you, sir. Mr. Lewis, sir.” She gasps. “Oh my God! You’re Tristan Lewis from Soul Serenade,” she gushes.

  “That’s me. My fiancée and I would like to have this taken care of as quickly as possible.”

  “Yes, sir, I-I’ll see to it.”

  “Ready, baby?” he asks.

  I nod, because what else can I do? He just bought what I now know is a four-million-dollar house, just like that. When we got here and the relator told us the price, I thought for sure it would be too much. I was wrong. He guides me out to the car and opens the door for me. I slide inside and just stare at the house in front of me.

  Tristan climbs in behind the wheel and reaches for my hand. “I know we’ve not talked about where we’re going to live, but I hope we can spend some time here with my family, so we’ll need a house in both places. Like Kace and Log.” He says it like it’s that simple.

  “You just bought a house.”

  “We just bought a house.”

  “There is still so much to talk about, so much to decide. I mean holy hell, Tristan, you just bought a house.”

  “I don’t want to raise our baby in a condo. I want him or her to have a backyard to play in. I want him or her to be close to Drew and any other babies our band of misfits brings into the world. I want a place we can call home. We’ll need to start looking in Ohio for a place as well. Unless you just want to keep yours.”

  “I-I don’t know what to say right now.”

  “Just buckle in, baby. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

  We’re sitting in Kacen’s driveway, neither of us saying a word. I think I’ve stunned her.

  “You ready to go in?” I ask.

  “Did that really just happen?”

  “It did. That’s where we’ll be living when we’re here, or all the time. Whatever it is you want.”

  “We need to talk about that, I guess.”

  “We do.”

  “Can we do that now? I mean, can we go to your place? Tomorrow is the shower, get-together, whatever we’re calling it, and then I just have Saturday before I go back home.”

  I want her to call Nashville home, but we’ll do whatever she wants. I’ll make sure we find a way to make it work. There is no other option; I won’t live here without her or our baby.

  “We can do whatever you want. I need to go get your bag. You want to come in with me?”

  “No, I think I’ll just sit here,” she says, resting her head back against the seat.

  Leaning over the console, I kiss her quickly. “I’ll be right back.”

  I rush up the steps, taking two at a time, in a hurry to get back to her. When I bust through the door, all eyes turn to me.

  “Hey, neighbors.” I grin, reaching for Lauren’s bag.

  “You bought it?” Logan’s eyes widen.

  “Yep.”

  “Where’s Lauren?” Stacy asks.

  “She’s tired, so we’re going to head to my place. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I don’t wait for a reply, just turn on my heel and head back to the car. As I approach my Audi R8, I realize that this car is no longer feasible. I’m going to have to purchase something more baby friendly. I add that to my mental to-do list.

  When I get back in the car, Lauren is sleeping. Shoving her bag in the small space behind the seat, I take a minute to watch her. We write songs about this shit, have tons of them on our albums, but fuck if I’ve ever lived it. I need to get my girl home.

  Lauren sits up when we pull into the garage.

  “Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to wake you,” I tell her.

  Placing her hand over her mouth, she covers a yawn. “How exactly was I going to get inside?”

  “I was going to carry you.”

  “Tristan, I’m pregnant, not injured. I can walk just fine.”

  “I know that, but you were so peaceful, and when Logan was pregnant she was tired all the time.”

  “That’s true, but I can walk,” she says, opening her door and climbing out of the car to prove her point.

  “You want the tour?” I ask as I let us inside.

  “You can just fill me in.” She takes a seat on the couch.

  “It’s pretty basic, didn’t need much for just me. Downstairs is the kitchen, living room, laundry room, and a small dining room. It’s pretty much an open concept. Then upstairs we have three bedrooms. One is the master, one is the office, and the other is a work-out room. I like that the basement in our new house has a built-in work-out room.”

  “I cannot believe you just bought that house.”

  “Believe it, baby. Now, are you hungry?”

  “No, but a glass of water maybe?”

  “Coming right up.” I grab two bottles of water from the fridge and settle on the couch beside her. “So, we need to talk this out.”

  “Yeah,” she replies softly, picking at the label on her bottle of water.

  “I’ll start. I bought that house for us, for our family. I would love for you to call it home when you’re here in Nashville. Second, you need to decide if you want to keep your place for when we’re in Ohio or if you want something different.”

  “These are big steps, Tristan.”

  “So is the fact that you’re having my baby. I want you, Lauren. I told you that. I wanted you before the baby.” I lay my hand on her tiny bump. “This baby is the icing on the cake in my eyes.”

  “I was so sure that you would reject me, and the baby. This is all happening so fast.”

  “I could never and would never reject either of you. You’ve wormed your way under my skin, and now that you’re there, I’m never letting you go.”

  She cups my cheek. “Thank you for being amazing. I’m so sorry I ever doubted you. I was scared, and this is all new to you, not at all the life you’ve led up to this point.”

  “No apologies needed. Now, we need to discuss your job. I’m good with going back and forth like Kace and Logan, but it will be hard for you to hold down your job doing that. Do you want us to be in Ohio all the time? I’m not going to force you to quit, although if I had my way, you would. We would live here full time and keep your place, or buy a new one for when we visit your family.”

  “I can’t not have a job.” She says it like it’s the craziest thing she’s ever heard.

  I grin. “Yes, you can. Lauren, I have enough money from my investments over the years that our kids will never have to work as long as they don’t blow through their inheritance. And that’s right now, today. Not to mention current investments, the new label, and even though we might not tour, we’re still going to be putting out new music.”

  “I can’t just… live off you.”

  “You’ll be living with me. In our home, with our kids.”

  “Kid. One baby in here.” She points to her belly.

  “How do you know?”

  Her cheeks pink. “I had my first appointment already, and then another earlier this week. I wanted to make sure it was safe to fly.”

  “Fuck! I didn’t even think about that.” I run my hands over my head. There is so much to learn about this baby business. “So, one baby. Did you see him?”

  “Him, huh?” she laughs.

  “I refuse to call my child an it. How about Sprout? Will that work?”

  She laughs and it’s music to my ears. “Yeah, I can live with Sprout.”

  “Good. So did you get to see Sprout?”

  “No, but I did get to hear the heartbeat.”

  I let the news that she got to hear our baby wash over me. That’s an experience that I want with her. “I should’ve been there.”

  “I’m sorry. I was selfish, but you were here and I needed to know. I had just gotten home from the appointment when you showed up on my doorstep. Earlier this week, it was just for my peace of mind.”

  “When can we go again? We need to find you a doctor here. You good with using the same one Logan sees?” I ask, reaching for my phone to text Logan.

  “Tristan,” she says, placing her hand over mine. “Slow down. Yes, I’m fine with Logan’s doctor. I trust her, and I know Kacen will have made sure she had the best care. Just take a breath.”

  I inhale and exhale slowly. “When do you go back?”

  “I go once a month, but I can see if we can get in sooner so you can hear the heartbeat. I just don’t think insurance will cover it.”

  “I’ve got it covered, don’t worry ab—wait a minute.” Picking up my phone, I call Logan’s number. “Hey, Log, didn’t you go to a spa when you were pregnant? What did they do there?” I wait for her to explain. “That’s it! You still have the number? Great, text it to me. Thanks,” I say, ending the call.

  “Good call?” Lauren asks with amusement.

  “Yes. Logan said they did an ultrasound and the heartbeat and everything. You can also get a massage and be pampered.” The thrill of the possibility of getting to see my child is overwhelming. If the guys could see me now, they would think I’ve been abducted by aliens. Well, maybe not Kace, and maybe Cole. I think he would get it too. Gavin though, he would definitely think I’ve been abducted by aliens.

  “Those kinds of places can be expensive.”

  “Only the best for my girl. It’s just after four now. I’m going to call and see if they can get us in.” Opening the text that Logan sent me, I dial the spa. Once I tell them who I am, and that I expect complete confidentiality and professionalism, they agree to see us this evening. After hours.

  “Babe, you feel like going tonight?”

  “Really?” Her eyes light up.

  “We’ll be there,” I tell the lady on the phone. We arrange back entrance arrival before I end the call. “We have to be there in an hour. You ready?”

  “I can’t believe we get to see our baby,” she says in awe.

  Standing from the couch, I offer her my hand, pulling her up and into my chest. “From this day on, I don’t want to miss any of it, Lauren. I get why you waited, though I don’t agree with it. If I weren’t so fucking deliriously happy about this baby, about us, I might even be a little pissed off. So I need your words, a promise that I’ll be there for all visits from now on.”

  “I promise,” she agrees immediately.

  “When we get home, we’re going to talk about where we’re going to live the majority of the time.”

  “Tristan, I—”

  “Shhh.” I place my finger over her lips. “Let’s go see our baby.” With a quick kiss to those sweet lips, I usher us out the door.