ecstatic. He loved kids, and I had known he was going to be a great dad. Spoiler alert: I had been right, and he was.
I rubbed my slightly rounded belly, hoping he was ready for round two. I planned on telling Jace first thing Christmas morning. Then, we could share the news with our immediate families, who had gathered together to celebrate with us this year.
Brian and Tommy were on winter break from the university, as were Jackie’s girls. They’d bonded from the get-go. As far as we could tell, it wasn’t serious—at least, not yet—but it was impossible to deny the energy when the four of them got together. It could make for some interesting family dynamics in the future.
Both boys had decided that, while they liked music and might someday try their hand at making a career of it, college was more important. I suspected Jace had a lot to do with their decision, and I was profoundly grateful for it. He and the rest of the guys in Dark Wing said whenever the boys felt the road calling, they were more than welcome to take the stage with them, and in fact, Dark Wing had already brought them in on some studio recordings. Of course, they had their uncle Ross ready and willing to back them should they ever change their minds. Once they had their degrees, that was.
In truth, the short tour they’d had with Black Raven helped also. They had gotten to see firsthand the dangers of what could happen if they didn’t have their heads on straight, and they realized the importance of having an education to fall back on.
Things had been rougher on the tour than they’d let on. I hadn’t learned the extent of it until much later, and there was still probably a lot they weren’t telling me, but you know, I was okay with that. I didn’t need to know everything. As far as I was concerned, Brian and Tommy had already proven they had their priorities straight.
As for Ian, he’d successfully made it through rehab and was reportedly doing well. The premature cancellation of the Black Raven tour had been a wake-up call for him, though according to Ross, it was Brian and Tommy who’d had the greatest impact. Apparently, right before they left the tour, they thanked Ian and told him that they were glad they’d had the chance to know him before he wound up dead due to an overdose. Their raw, brutal honesty had finally cracked Ian’s shield of perceived immortality.
Movement in the snow below caught my eye. I laughed softly as I recognized my father sneaking out to the large equipment shed.
My father’s sneaking around was my doing, I was afraid. I’d subtly hinted that he should stay out of the shed lest he ruin his opportunity to be surprised on Christmas morning. Of course, I knew full well that Jace had purchased a brand-new Lincoln MKX for him after seeing the way he’d admired the one Jace’s dad drove.
When my father emerged a few minutes later, he was grinning too, looking like he’d just shaken hands with Frank Sinatra.
I was so glad my parents were a part of my life again. I no longer held any trace of the bitterness I’d once felt. I saw now that everything, even the bad stuff, had brought us to this point. They’d finally gotten to know their grandsons, and now, with a baby to hold and cuddle and feed and rock, they were in absolute heaven.
As for me, well, I was in my own personal paradise. I was married to the most wonderful man in the world, the true other half of my soul. We had two homes—this one in Willow Woods and my place on the West Coast. We split the time between them, taking advantage of the best both had to offer.
The single-track duet I’d recorded with Jace and the other members of Dark Wing had soared to the top of the charts in less than two weeks. In true rock legend fashion, the guys had decided not to disband, but going forward, they would be spending a lot less time on the road.
After a glorious two-week honeymoon in the Caribbean, I’d even joined them on their six-month abbreviated tour as both a guest performer and their promoter. It was a lot different than I’d remembered. There was something to be said for being a household name. We traveled first class and stayed in posh