Rockstar Romeo - Abbie Zanders Page 0,24

Ross had said that in their planning process, they’d spoken through real-time video chats, so I supposed that made sense. I hadn’t been part of those chats, believing it better to trust Ross and let him handle the face-to-face. When Ian and I got together, it rarely ended well. I had forgiven him, but I would never forget.

Shoving those unhelpful thoughts aside, I tried to concentrate on the positives. If nothing else, this tour would give the boys a chance to get to know their father while he was still around. Equally important, maybe Ian would realize and finally appreciate what great kids they were.

When I saw them all together like that, it was clear that the boys definitely favored their father’s side of the family in terms of build. Brian and Tommy were a few inches taller than their father. Broader about the shoulders. More like Ross than Ian really. Then again, Ross was fanatical about taking care of himself. Ian, not so much.

We stood inside the foyer, the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward. No one, including me, knew what to say. Only Ian seemed blissfully oblivious, but then Ian was at ease wherever he went. I sometimes envied his unwavering ability to not give a shit about anything outside his own personal bubble.

“Nice place,” Ian finally said. “How about a tour?”

I looked to Ross in a silent plea for help. Even from several feet away, I could tell that Ian had already been partaking of the bar in the back of the limo. I had no desire to prolong this for any longer than absolutely necessary. Every second we stood there was a struggle for me to refrain from grabbing both of my boys’ suitcases and flat-out refusing to let them go.

“No time,” Ross said, waving to the boys to grab their bags. “We’re already two hours behind schedule.”

Ian scowled and shot his brother a scathing look, but Ross was one of the few who refused to kowtow to Ian’s whims and held up his hand.

“Save it. I’m not one of your roadies, and on this tour, I’m in charge.” Ian opened his mouth to argue, but Ross added smoothly, “Your fans aren’t going to tolerate your bullshit for much longer either. Fuck this up, and I’m dropping your ass.”

Inside, I silently cheered. Ian grumbled something about no one appreciating real talent anymore but stopped his progress further into the house. Even his pickled brain must have realized that Ross had the power to make or break his big comeback tour.

Regaining some of his swagger, he turned and grinned at me as he spread his arms open. “Maybe next time, baby. My public awaits.”

I kept my expression even, but deep inside, I felt a stab of pity. There was a time when I’d thought Ian had hung the moon and stars, and even though things hadn’t worked out, a tiny part of me would always care about him. I knew he’d lived a hard life, but seeing what the years had done to him was heart-wrenching.

It opened up a Pandora’s box of confusing feelings I just didn’t have the strength to sort out at that moment, so I ruthlessly shoved them to the back of my mind along with everything else. I would take them out later and deal with them when I was alone, preferably with a nice bottle of wine. For now, I focused on keeping it tight and together for a little while longer.

“Remember what I said,” I said as I gave Brian a fierce hug, followed by Tommy. “Be smart. Don’t inject yourself with anything. And use condoms. I put a box in each of your suitcases.”

“Mom!” both boys said in unison as I forced myself to step back.

Furious blushes painted their cheeks, but I didn’t believe for a moment that either of my boys was that innocent.

“And no matter what, I am always here for you. You know that, right?”

“Jesus, Mom, we’re coming back,” Brian said, shifting uncomfortably.

“Yeah, Mom, this is just a tour,” Tommy agreed. “We’ll be back at the end of summer.”

I summoned a smile.

If they caught the bug like their father had—or me, for that matter—they wouldn’t be back. If they did return, they wouldn’t be the same. I understood that even if they didn’t. It was impossible to live on the road and not have it affect you. I could only hope that it would have more of a positive effect than a negative one in the long run.

“I know.