Harlow kissed him quickly. “Everything is fine! I’ve got to go. Nora is going to kill me, and I’ll owe her a cookie.”

  He reluctantly let go and watched as she jogged toward the end of the hall where Above Me was at.

  “Jesus, did you fuck him or say hi? You’ve been gone fifteen minutes. And I don’t see any candy in your hand,” Nora said accusingly when Harlow walked in.

  Brian was off in a far corner on a couch wearing headphones and a sleep mask, curled up napping.

  Harlow said in a loud whisper, “His whole fucking family just rolled in. All surprise, we’re here and look impossibly perfect!” And they did. Every one of them was beautiful and at total ease with one another. A tight, loving family who adored Miles.

  And there she’d been, unprepared and looking like she slept in her clothes.

  “Are we nervous about meeting them? Why?” Nora’s question was absolutely free of judgment. She would get the information and would support whatever Harlow wanted.

  “What must they think of me?”

  “Did anyone say something?” Nora’s gaze narrowed and it filled Harlow with relief. Her friend would throat punch anyone who hurt Harlow.

  “No. No. They were nice. Friendly.”

  “Tell me what you mean about that comment then? What do you mean what they must think of you? That you’re a successful musician their son is involved with? You’re ridiculously pretty and have great taste in best friends and men?”

  “I’m on their son’s tour and sleeping with him. And that interview with all that stuff about his aunt. What if they think I had anything to do with it?”

  Nora made a derisive sound. “Your band is opening on another band’s tour. I’m sure Mud Bay opened for other bands before back when Adrian and Erin were starting out. As for you and Miles, ma’am, it’s way more than just sleeping with him, and they must know that if they have any sense at all. As for that stupid bullshit from the interview, if they blamed you, they’d be wrong. But Miles doesn’t so why would they? They’re in this business too, they know how this works. But if they’re mean to you about it, Miles will address it. And if he doesn’t, I will kick him in the scrote.”

  That started the giggles and before long they were both laughing.

  “If I thought for even one second that Miles wasn’t the one for you? If I thought he didn’t see the absolute best in you, but also the worst and he loves you because it’s all you, the good and the bad? I would have said. I would have told you and we probably would have gotten into a thing over it because you are goofy for him right back. But I think he would go to the mat for you.” Nora shrugged.

  “Loves me? Dude.” Harlow’s scoff was a poor attempt to cover her fear.

  “Don’t dude me.”

  “Dudetrix.”

  Nora flipped her off. “You are physically tuned to one another. He comes into a room, and you light up. Same goes for him. He watches you, watches out for you. When you’re performing, he is so into it. He listens when you speak. He hates Gloria as much as I do. He loves you, Harlow. And you love him.”

  “God.” Harlow tugged her hair free of the ponytail and put her hands over her face for long moments. “It’s not like I need to be with him every minute of the day. He does his thing and I do mine. We work on our own stuff. And while I’m doing my stuff, I’m not pining for him. I like sleeping in the same place every night, but I don’t have to. But I find myself thinking a dozen times a day about him. What he’d think of something. That he’d like this or that song or coffee or hat. It’s…I thought it would be different. Falling in love, I mean.”

  Nora just watched, not interrupting.

  “I thought it would be all consuming and that I’d suffocate or not measure up. That I’d need my own work and my own successes and my own friends and art, but it would come second to someone else’s. I expected it to feel like I didn’t know where he ended and I began.”

  Harlow grabbed her water and took several long drinks before she spoke again.

  “I know where I begin and end. I am my own country. My own universe. I do not need to be attached to anyone else’s.”

  “Of course you know that. Love doesn’t mean you have to drown in someone else. It doesn’t mean you live through someone, or that someone thinks you should live through them either. You and Miles are not the same person. That kind of love isn’t for you, Harlow.”

  Harlow nodded. Okay that was good.

  “You don’t have to love like anyone else does it. There’s no rulebook, though there are red flags, and you know those. We’re not in red flag territory.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “He’s not that guy at all. I know where my borders are. But I know where he is too. And while I’m happy to hang out with you and do band stuff and work and all that stuff that is not Miles related, I know he’s somewhere. I know he’s doing his thing and that he probably thinks of me from time to time. I am aware of him out there in the world being beautiful and talented and sexy and funny.

  “I’m not suffocating or drowning but sometimes I’m off balance and anxious because things are so good, and I am so happy and I’m scared of screwing it up. Scared something out of my control like Gloria or this interview or other internet nonsense will happen, and it will split us apart.”

  “That sounds like you love him to me. He doesn’t want you to be his fan. He wants you because you’re independent and talented and funny and pretty. You and he know this world,” Nora indicated all around them, “in a way that connects you. There’s understanding and commonality. You’re both creative. You sure do share a whole lot of physical chemistry. But if it was just that, you wouldn’t be panicked his mom might read an interview and think badly of you. You light up when you’re with him, or when you talk about him. And you love yourself more. You have finally drawn real boundaries with Gloria and your brothers. Because you believe you’re worth it. And his family is going to be just as happy to meet you as you are to meet them. They have to know how he feels for you. They raised him into the person he is today. He loves them and is close like you are with your dad and Jenna.”

  “He asked me to visit him at the end of their Europe leg. I think I forgot to tell you.”

  “And you said?”

  Harlow snorted. “I said yes, obviously. I said we’d have to work around some of our festival dates but those will be done by then. And you and Brian are going to Italy in the fall anyway, so it’s a good time.”

  They’d started writing new material already and were hoping to begin recording the next album after Thanksgiving so time with Miles in London would be really nice after being away from him for a month and a half.

  Then she knew to her toes. “Oh my god. I’m in love with him.”

  Nora snickered as she patted Harlow’s shoulder. “You sure are! Isn’t it wonderful?”

  “Yeah, it doesn’t suck. I want to be so awesome tonight, especially now.” Harlow had said it in a quick barrage of words, a confession before she changed her mind. “I just really realized that his dad is Adrian Brown, and his aunt is Erin Brown and they’re going to be watching us perform tonight. Like, they’re royalty! My stomach hurts.”

  Nora said, “You’re spiraling. Breathe. You are rock and roll royalty! And our little band is amazing, and they will think so because it’s true. And even if they didn’t think so, they’d never say that because they’re not assholes. We will all hang out after the show. I’m sure Poppy has already found a space to accommodate us all if there are so many of his family members here. It’ll be fine. Now. Let’s use this in this chorus, shall we?” She tapped the yellow lined pad in her lap where she’d been writing lyrics. “It needs a little angst I think.”

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FOUR

  “It’s so good to see you,” his mum said again, hugging him once more. “You look healthy and well rested. Especially for someone who has been on tour two months already. I’m guessing Harlow has something to do with that.”

  “She always grabs extra fruit for me when she’s out and then has it in her bag so when we’re waiting around, she’ll just hand me an apple or a banana.” He held up the linen bag she’d brought. “Or grapes. Pokes at me to drink more water. Called my preference for soda juvenile.”

  His aunt burst out laughing.

  “While she’s gone, tell us more,” his mum said.

  “I’m head over ass in love with her. She makes me so happy. She makes me frustrated sometimes too. She has this giant heart. Always giving and supporting everyone around her. She makes me feel like the luckiest person around. I’m better when I’m with her.”

  “I saw a photograph of you on her social media,” his dad said. “Black and white, in profile.”

  Miles knew the one because she’d asked him if she could post it. He stood next to a speaker stack, stage lights up casting shadows over his body. His bass was in his hands while his eyes had been closed. Maybe thirty seconds before he walked out so he’d been going over the setlist in his head and probably thinking about the way he still tasted her kiss.

  “I showed it to your mum and told her it was taken by someone who saw straight to your heart. Someone who loved you. It was an unguarded moment. A glimpse of the man who wore the rock star persona.”

  He found himself swallowing back emotion. “Yeah, that’s my Harlow.”

  Erin grinned at him. Even in middle age, his aunt was bright and colorful and full of energy. Her hair was teal blue with darker blue tips. A pixie cut that showed off all the piercings in her ears. How she managed to look the way she did but also project a sense of safety and home, Miles would probably never know. But he’d been very close to her since the very beginning. She’d never steer him wrong or hurt him. Erin Brown always had the best interests of those she loved at heart.

  Poppy spoke quickly, answering a question before anyone asked, “Harlow didn’t know who Sophia was when the interview first started. And when Harlow did find out, she told Sophie that she wasn’t going to talk about personal details about Miles because it was private, and he hadn’t consented to her sharing anything intimate. Sophie brought up her own experiences with Miles to try to egg Harlow on to get her to share.”

  How could he forget that Poppy and Harlow were friends and that Harlow shared stuff with her because of that?

  “She’s nervous you’ll think poorly of her because of the interview. Especially the stuff about you, Erin.” Poppy turned to Miles who was relieved she’d shared those details but a little concerned because he knew Harlow was sensitive about it. “You’re not going to want to tell them this stuff because you also want to protect her privacy and I like that. But I can share because it’s different.”

  Erin shook her head. “Well, that won’t do at all. I’m not blaming her for any of that. God knows we’ve all had interviews worse than that one where things came out we were mortified by. Tell her we aren’t upset with her at all. I’d tell her, but Ben informs me I can be a little much for a newcomer.”

  Ben chuckled. “You tend to leave people looking like a deer in the headlights when you’re on full Erin mode.”

  A minute later Poppy started telling them a story about what had happened in Edmonton and Ben leaned closer to Miles.

  “I know Erin mentioned that I could help look into Gloria’s story. Whatever help I can give, you know I will. I did a quick internet search a few minutes ago on her mother. She put up some rambling video about Harlow. Looks like it went up yesterday. It only has four views at this point so there’s no reason for alarm. Especially until we can listen to see exactly what it is she says. I just got a few highlights, but I’ll watch it in detail.”

  “Please don’t mention this until after the show. I don’t want her to get upset before she performs. She’s already nervous about meeting everyone. I did mention you, let her know you could help. There’s a lot she doesn’t know. It hurts her. Maybe if we found some answers, it would be easier to let go.”

  “That’s not always how it works, Miles. Sometimes, hell, more often than it should be, people just do shitty things because they’re shitty. And their reasons aren’t really reasons at all. It’s some imagined sleight from twenty-five years back or whatever. Some people are just bad parents. Selfish and narcissistic. I’m sorry. I just want you—and more importantly Harlow—to know that going in. If that’s what she decides. It may not make it easier, but it’s a step toward closure of one type or another.”

  “You’ll watch it? And tell me?” Miles knew he should probably watch it, but he didn’t have the control not respond and he wanted to keep the knowledge about the video away from Harlow until he knew exactly what it was.

  Ben answered, “Yep. There’s no reason for you to watch it at this point. I’m not connected to it the way you are so it won’t bother me the way it might you.”

  Relief washed over him. “Thank you.”

  Ben gave him a one-armed hug. “That’s what family does.”

  Miles came straight to her as Earthquakes left the stage. He kept an arm around her shoulder like he worried she’d run away. Where the hell would she go where Browns, Keenans and Copelands weren’t going to just pop up?

  There were so many of them! She’d thought the group that had shown up earlier was a lot, but by that point there were at least twenty or so of them and all seemed turned up to twelve on the dial.

  They milled around backstage, so full of love for Miles and Maddie and by extension Omar and Silas too that it made Harlow wish it weren’t already so late so she could call her Marcella to tell her she loved her.

  “We’re headed back to the hotel,” Miles told her. “We’ve got some space reserved so we can all have some dinner and visit a while. You okay with that?”

  She wanted to snort. So badly. What if she did have an issue with it? What could she do that wouldn’t wreck this thing she and Miles were building if she didn’t want to be around his family? This giant cast of characters came along with Miles. Part and parcel, and if she didn’t like being around them, she may as well break things off right that night.

  Yes, they were loud and full of energy and obviously adored Miles, and that was why she knew that no matter what, Harlow would find a way to get along with them all. Whether she truly liked them or not—and so far she really did like them—they were part of him. And as she’d admitted hours before, she loved Miles, and that was that.

  “Go with them back to the hotel. I’ll ride with Nora and Brian.”

  He frowned at her. “Plenty of room for everyone to ride together.”

  “Miles, it’s a fifteen-minute trip. We’ll be right behind you all. I’m going to change clothes before I go to dinner with everyone anyway.”

  He gave her a long look and she rolled her eyes at him. “I’m just worried about you.”

  She snorted. “Why? Did something happen that I don’t know about?” Harlow had been teasing but then it hit her that maybe that was actually true. Then it was her turn to give him scrutiny.

  “I want you to get to know them,” he told her softly. “But I hate that you’re overwhelmed.”

  He hadn’t really addressed her comment but as it had been put in a teasing manner, she wasn’t concerned.

  It wasn’t that she was overwhelmed by their presence. She’d grown up around crowds of people and was fairly used to them. And his family had been nice to her. But she’d gone from having a regular day to admitting she was in love and then meeting not just his parents, but pretty much his entire family at once all in the matter of a few hours.

  All while she was terrified they’d feel she was responsible for the things in that interview. Would they think she was using him for the spot on the tour too?

  That’s what the interview had done to her head. Sure, it was complimentary for the most part, but that last bit about Miles had left her unsettled. Yes, she did think about what others might assume about her relationship with Miles. But it was different now.

  If Sophia had felt it enough to toss it out like it was normal and acceptable to trade her pussy for fame, that meant she hadn’t been imagining it from others. Not every time, at least. People out there would assume it, no matter how hard she worked. Gloria assumed it!

  He framed her face with his hands then and kissed her with such softness a swell of emotion thickened her voice. “I’m not overwhelmed by your family. I’m not running away. There are lot of them, yes. But we’re okay. I just want to change my clothes and give myself ten minutes to prepare.”

  “Baby,” he murmured, “you’re riding with me and that’s that. Then you’ll change your clothes, and we’ll catch up with everyone shortly after.”

  They were going to think she was the type who couldn’t do anything unless their boyfriend was there. Ugh.

  But she didn’t argue with him over it. Everyone swirled around them, chattering and hugging, filling the narrow hallway with energy. It was good energy. Happy energy, and she wasn’t going to do anything to dampen that. Miles glowed with happiness.

  “Fine.”

  He laughed and kissed her quickly, pleased he’d gotten his way.

  Miles Brown only looked easygoing. Beneath the surface was a spine of steel and the soul of a person absolutely used to being in charge.

  They paused long enough to grab their things and then loaded into a row of vehicles that would ferry them all back to the hotel.

  Nora stood at her side by that point. “It’s like they keep multiplying. I turn around and there are more. And they’re all like a big happy army,” she said, easing Harlow’s nervousness.

  Miles leaned forward a little to see Nora around Harlow. “Resistance is futile.”

  “Oh my god. Did you just make a Star Trek reference?” Brian asked, incredulous.

  “When my dad toured during school breaks, my mum and I came along in a pretty swanky tour bus. It had a DVD player and we had stacks and stacks of multiple seasons of television shows. Mum is a big science fiction and horror fan, so Star Trek in all its iterations was definitely on our list.”