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I pull the backpack from the back seat and pull out the sunscreen, squirting some into my hands. Maisie holds Audra while I rub the lotion into her arms, legs, face, and any showing skin. After she’s covered, I drop the hat onto her head and tighten the string at the bottom so that it doesn’t go anywhere.
She looks cute as a button nestled in her mama’s arms. I want the memory of this for myself. I pull my phone from my pocket, and Maisie smiles as I snap a quick picture.
“Here. Give me your phone.” Jem’s voice comes from behind me. “Go stand with them.” She takes the device out of my hand, and I move to Maisie, looping my arm around her waist and resting my hand on Audra’s shoulder.
“Smile!”
My lips curve of their own accord as the floral scent of Maisie drifts to me. I need to buy my sister-in-law some flowers or something in thanks.
Once Jem is satisfied with the picture, she hands the phone back to me.
“Can I wear her?” The sound of my brother’s voice comes from behind me, and Maisie laughs lightly.
“Jedd, I think you just like me for my daughter.”
I grab the carrier from the backseat and shut the door to the car, beeping the locks and watch as Maisie hands her daughter off to him.
“I mean, you’re pretty awesome, but Audra’s my girl. We’re gonna be besties. Just you wait and see.”
Irrational jealousy toward my brother hits me like a sucker punch. I don’t want him claiming any part of Maisie or Audra and the need to stake my claim overrides the logic that my brother is just being my brother.
In two quick steps, I loop my arms around Maisie’s waist and drop my lips to hers in a hard kiss. My mouth devouring hers. The gasping sigh she lets out like a fire in my bloodstream.
Her lips are so damn soft under mine, and I want nothing more than the world to disappear. For twenty damn minutes.
Pssh. Like that’d be enough time.
When I break away from Maisie, I shoot my brother a glare that could incinerate concrete.
Maisie clears her throat. “Uh. Sure. Jedd, you can carry her. If she gets heavy, just let me know and I’ll take her back.”
“Come on guys. I want to get a good spot for Tally Monroe’s show,” Duke calls to us, already halfway to leaving us behind in his haste.
“Hold your horses. We’re coming,” Jem says as she slings her own clear backpack on her shoulders.
Maisie falls in step with Jem and asks, “What’s that about?” She nods toward Duke.
Jem rolls her eyes. “He’s obsessed with her. Total fanboy. I think he has every album she’s ever released.”
“Ah. That makes sense I guess.”
“She has a great voice, you’ll see when she starts, she really took off in the last year since she left her old label and is one of the headliners today. Should be a good crowd.”
I snort. Duke’s been obsessed with Tally Monroe since her first single dropped five years ago. Being his own boss let him travel the West Coast for the few times her concerts didn’t come to Idaho, and he’s never missed at least one of the shows on her tours.
We make it through security, and after buying a pair of noise-canceling headphones for Audra, we start to walk through the row of merchandise stands.
There are DJs from the local radio stations set up in the main aisles before the venue stage, and my shoulders tighten when I see Cormac talking to one of them.
“What an asshat,” Finch says from my left.
“Is he really doing an interview with a radio station during a concert?” Rhett asks while shaking his head. “Desperate much?”
The rest of my family chimes in with their own pithy comments and a niggle of concern hits me.
Should I be doing that? Should I be campaigning to keep my job? Every street corner in Everette is covered with signs for Cormac’s contestation of my position, and I haven’t done shit to fight back against it other than some digging on Cormac.
Digging that was lucrative, but I’m not sure if it’ll be enough to keep my job if it comes down to it.
