Page 97 of Rising Star

“Don’t ever say that again, Sam. I love everything about you. Your smile, your energy, the way you’re a daddy to those girls, even your grumpiness. I want a child who looks like you too. We already have two amazing daughters, but there should be more people like you on this earth. Smart, generous, and strong.” Her mouth feasted on mine. “I don’t want to wait, though.”

I leaned back, just enough to stare into the depth of her eyes.

“We have all the time in the world. You’re so young.”

Madison shook her head. “Nah. I want our kids to be close in age. I want them to grow up together. To play together. To run around the house together. When you are ready. I know I already am.”

“You sure?”

Emotions twinkled in her eyes, making her irises greener. “I’ve never been so sure.”

Riley’s words popped into my head. If I do this, I’ll do it right.

“You know I’ll have to ask you to marry me first, right?” She shook her head. “You don’t want us to get married?” I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, wanting to see her whole face.

“Not now. We’re good. When the day comes and our family is complete, then our kids—all of them—will celebrate with us. It’ll be a family thing. The last piece tying us all together.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. How could she be so selfless? And so amazing? How could she consider my daughters hers so easily? Without questions or demands?

“I just fell in love with you all over again, Madison Prescott. You’re one hell of a woman. I’m glad you’re mine because I’ll never let you go. And I’m gonna get you a ring. To symbolize everything we are. And everything we’re about to be.”

“Please love me.”

And that’s what I did. Until we were both panting, our bodies fused together.

“We should call Riley. He must be wondering what’s taking so long,” she said with a grin.

“Shit, I forgot about him. He must be seated outside, waiting for us to finish.” Madison’s laughter mixed with mine. “Maybe he’ll think twice before playing matchmaker next time.” I dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder, and she shivered under me. “Come on, woman. Let’s get dressed, or we’ll be spending the day here.”

Me: The coast is clear, man. Come over when you’re ready.

Madison carried three cups of coffee and offered them to us, then sat on my lap. She could now walk without the crutches, a victory we celebrated two weeks ago. Spasms still crippled her sometimes, but they were less frequent and painful. I wound a protective arm around her, keeping her close to my heart. I was nuzzling her neck when Riley peeked inside. “Everyone dressed and decent?” he asked.

“Yep. We’re all covered up,” I teased.

He stepped closer and studied us, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Can you guys just break apart for a minute? I can’t focus when you have your hands all over each other.” He made a gagging sound, and we all burst out laughing.

Madison circled my neck. “See, my hands are where you can see them. No funny business, I promise. But I won’t move because we’re barely ever alone, and we don’t get a chance to be all over each other often enough. So don’t be the fun police—or rather the love police.”

I smiled at my girl’s wit.

“Sam, honey, show Riley your hands so he can see where they are.”

“My arms are around her waist, don’t worry,” I said with a wink.

Riley huffed. “Okay, you two, you think you’re funny.” He sat in a chair opposite ours. “Here’s the deal. We could extend the tour. By three months. Starting in a little over a month. Some pop band broke up, and we could get their dates. We have to move fast, though. The guy called me first because he owes me one, but we need to confirm by the end of the day.” I began to say something, but Riley raised a finger. “Think about it. And gimme an answer by two.”

My eyes drifted to Madison. She gave me a subtle nod, her eyes shiny.

“We’ve already decided, Ry. The girls aren’t ready to go home just yet. And neither are we. We’ll do it. But we’ll go on that beach vacation we talked about between the two legs of the tour.

“One more thing,” my friend said. “I talked to Curtis earlier. And we were talking about Anderson and his refusal to go on tour. All because of Alexi. Fear of missing out, I guess. Or to make it work. What if he opened for you? With you guys as an example, maybe he’ll realize it’s possible for him to combine his personal and professional lives on the road. And with Maddie there, it will help with the transition. I think it’ll be the perfect opportunity. What do you think?”

“You talked to your father about your half-brother opening for me?” I bowed my head. “I’d like to have the youngest Burns brother around. See if he’s anything like you. I just met the guy once, so it was inconclusive.”

Riley sighed, barely hiding his crooked smile. “Stop fucking with me, Stevens. Officially, he’s a Ford, and you’re well aware. Anyway, Alexi will need some extra help if you don’t mind sharing your nanny with him.”