Rockstar Romeo - Abbie Zanders Page 0,38

yeah. No question, man. She’s got it bad.”

Deep inside, I growled again. I sure hoped so. I knew I did.

~ * ~

Eva

“What’s up, Ross?” I asked into the phone, heart pounding as I excused myself and went into the house. “Everything okay?”

My mind immediately went to dark places, rationalizing why Ross would be calling me so soon. I’d already spoken to both Brian and Tommy earlier. As promised, they’d called or texted every day, assuring me that they were fine and having a good time. They weren’t providing a lot of details, but it was probably better that way. There were some things a mom just didn’t need to know, and as long as they were okay, I was okay.

“Who is that I hear?” Ross asked, ignoring my question.

“Dark Wing.”

“What are you doing with Dark Wing on a Sunday? Are they giving you a hard time?”

“Not at all,” I assured him. “I thought that since I’m covering for you, it might be a good idea to get to know them better, so I invited them over for a cookout.”

“You did what?”

Ross’s biting, icy tone sent a chill through me. And kind of pissed me off.

“You meet with clients outside of the office all the time.”

“That’s different.”

“Why?”

“Because it is. Are they behaving themselves? What about Logan?”

I rolled my eyes, secure in the knowledge that he couldn’t see me. “They are perfect gentlemen, Ross. Dave and Chaz brought their wives and kids along. Nothing to worry about.”

I chose to ignore his subtle grunt, understanding that he was slightly mollified by the mention of wives and kids. That too annoyed me. I wondered how anyone could spend any amount of time with these guys and assume the worst. They were some of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I’d met.

“Is there a reason you called? Other than to check up on me, I mean?”

“I’m not checking up on you,” Ross said a little too quickly to be believable. “And yes, there is a reason I’m calling. It’s Ian.”

I felt an uncomfortable wriggling in my belly. “What about Ian? Is he giving the boys a hard time? Treating them okay?”

“The boys are holding their own; trust me on that,” he replied firmly. I heard both pride and a touch of amusement in his voice.

I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, relieved. Yes, Brian and Tommy were practically grown, but they were, and always would be, my babies, even when they had families of their own someday. It was my right as a parent.

And yes, Ian was their father and therefore also a parent by definition, but there was a difference between being a biological contributor and actually raising kids. Ian hadn’t spent the last eighteen years with them. He hadn’t watched them grow and thrive. Hadn’t kissed their cuts and bruises or attended school functions and sporting events and cheered them on. I’d earned the right and privilege to worry.

I thanked Ross again for being there. His presence went a long way in helping me cope. The personal attention I was getting from Jace was also helping me cope, but I wasn’t about to mention that.

“Then, what is it?”

Ross exhaled heavily, followed by a too-long pause that couldn’t mean anything good. Once again, my stomach clenched in preparation for bad news.

“Ian was quite taken with you the other day.”

It was my turn to be silent. The thought that Ian might have a renewed interest after more than eighteen years of nothing, was unexpected and I needed a moment to process that. At one time, I’d believed the sun rose and set upon Ian Flynn, but I no longer wore those rose-colored glasses. They’d been irrevocably shattered beneath his black-booted feet and ground into dust years ago.

“Eva? Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

Ross cleared his throat. “Listen, don’t read too much into it. You know how mercurial Ian can be. I wouldn’t even mention it, except that I’m afraid he might try to contact you.”

Breathing through the torrent of conflicting emotions, ranging from surprise to anger, I forced myself to stay calm. “What makes you say that?”

“He’s pumping the boys for information. I overheard him asking if you’re seeing anyone, if you date, if anyone’s stayed over—that kind of shit. When the boys told him that there’s been no one, he got that gleam in his eye. The idiot thinks you’re still in love with him.”

Despite everything that had happened, I would always have a place in my heart for Ian, but I