Later, we took the walk across the back yard, hand in hand. My heart was raw, but I was focusing on all that was good and right. Ansel and Jason were on the patio, along with another man who was pretty much an older copy of his son. I wondered if Michaela and I shouldn’t have been having such loud sex with only a stretch of grass separating us from her entire family. I was counting on some quality craftsmanship having muffled most of it.
Lars Ashwood gave me a dismissive once-over as we approached, then turned a warmer expression on for Michaela. He held his arms out for her, and she released my hand so she could hug her dad.
“Ansel told me the good news.” His voice boomed from his throat like an explosion. He sounded angry, even though his easy stance and eye-crinkling grin told a different story. “A girl? Your mom is going to go nuts with ruffles and lace, you know.”
Mic laughed. “She would have gone nuts with…I don’t know, baseball bats and frogs if it was a boy. That’s Gabby. She doesn’t do subtle.”
He laughed, and though his was baritone, the rhythm was exactly like Michaela’s. “Truer words, kiddo.” Lars turned his attention to me again, holding out his hand to shake. His grip was firm, but not painful. His hands were as big as Ansel’s. He could have broken me if he’d chosen to. “Nice to meet you, young man. Glad all is well with your baby.”
“Me too, sir.”
He laughed again. “No ‘sirs’. That’s for the office. I’m Lars at home.”
“Right, Lars.”
“Darling!” Gabrielle Ellis’s distinct voice preceded her. Moments later, she stepped out of the patio doors in a silky blue caftan, wild curls billowing about her head and hovering over her shoulders. “Oh, Mickey, I’m so relieved.”
She gathered her daughter in her arms, and her perfectly coiffed facade broke a little. Lars’s giant hand landed on my shoulder like an anvil.
“How’s your relationship with your family?” he asked.
“I’m tight with my sister, not so much with my parents. I’m big on found family, though. My band has become my siblings.”
He nodded, watching Mic and his ex-wife embrace. “Do you take all of this seriously?”
“Yes.”
He removed his hand from my shoulder and rubbed the blond stubble on his strong jaw. “I’m not famous, but you and I are in the same business. This business likes single, unattached people, or, at the very least, those willing to put their careers first. Those are the ones who thrive.”
I rocked back on my heels, trying to stay casual and cool, thinking about how I’d treat some young punk who knocked up my daughter. Mydaughter. I didn’t blame Lars for his skepticism. I was sure he’d seen a lot and heard a lot more. That didn’t mean I was okay with being lumped in with assholes who were incapable of keeping their dicks in their pants or putting their family above all else. I wasn’t one of those guys. This shit wasn’t easy to figure out, but that was one thing I knew for a fact.
“There are a lot of rockers with little kids. They work it out. I don’t have answers as far as exactly what working it out looks like, but I do know this baby and Mic are my priority. No decisions will be made for the band without taking them into account.”
Lars raised a blond eyebrow. “To your band’s detriment?”
I shrugged. “If I have to choose, I choose Mic and our daughter.”
He studied me for several seconds, then blinked and exhaled through his nose. “That’s a big statement, Moses. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’ve got a few Unrequited songs on my playlists. I would hate not to get anything fresh from you guys.”
That raised my eyebrows. “For real? I thought you were into rap.”
His chuckle was a sonic boom. “I have eclectic tastes.” Then, he launched into the story of his childhood in the Bronx and sticking out like a big, blond, sore thumb at the rap clubs he frequented as a teenager. The man knew his shit and was amused by my love for Big Pun. He hadn’t grown up easy like Mic and me, and he’d clawed his way up the ranks in the industry. He told me he hadn’t been the greatest father or husband because hehadn’tbeen willing to prioritize his family over his career. Just when he started telling me about meeting Gabby backstage at a concert where she’d been singing backup for Prince, Rosa and a tall blonde woman with Logan propped on her hip emerged from the house.
This had to be Astrid, Ansel’s mom. She came right to Lars and me, first kissing him on both cheeks, then facing me, bright blues alight. “My goodness, you are so young, but quite good-looking.” She turned to call over her shoulder. “Well done, Mickey.”
Michaela rushed over, eyes wide. “Astrid, be good,” she warned.
She bounced Logan on her hip, making him giggle. “I’m always good, my love. I was only complimenting your young man.”
Mic rolled her eyes. “You do realize how incredibly condescending you sound, right?”
Astrid gasped. “Do I?” She turned her attention to me. “Was I condescending?”
The situation was so ridiculous, I kind of had to laugh. “A little bit, to be honest.”
“Oh, dear. I have a tendency to spout off whatever’s on my mind. These kids are all used to me, but I know my mouth can be off-putting to newbies. What I meant to say was, hello, I’m Astrid, Michaela’s second mom. It’s so lovely to meet you, Moses. I’m a big fan of Unrequited, but moreover, I’m a massive fan of you for giving us a new grandbaby to adore.”
Confused, but charmed, I leaned in to give her a one-armed hug. Logan swatted my head and giggled maniacally before squirming and wailing to be let down.