Cole desperately and loved him with all her heart. But Robby had been so fun that night. He was charming and had a wonderful sense of humor, not to mention the fact that he was quite handsome. He’d had several admirers that evening.
“ No,” she whispered in the dark, hoping Lisa’s light breathing meant she was already sound asleep for the night. “I won’t think of Robby as anything but a friend of the family.”
An idea came to her and she slid out of bed and found her purse. She rifled through the meager contents until she found her phone and, unmindful of the late hour, called his number.
“ It’s pretty late, princess,” he said in a sleepy voice. “Is everything okay?”
She smiled as her heart filled with love. She crawled back into bed, closed her eyes and pressed the phone to her ear. “I just really, really missed you tonight. I’m sorry to wake you but I wanted to hear your voice.”
“ You can call anytime you want,” he said. “You know that.”
“ I know.”
“ How was your party?” he asked around a yawn. “Did you have fun?”
“ I did have fun,” she admitted as she snuggled into her pillow. “Robby was a perfect gentleman and we hung out with Jamie and Mikayla.” She sighed heavily. “But every time the DJ played a slow song and I watched all those couples dance, it made me miss you even more.”
“ About six more weeks, Al,” he said, his voice hoarse. “The tour should wrap up in about six weeks, give or take, and then I’ll take you away for the weekend. I’ll take you somewhere, just you and me.”
“ I hope I can wait that long,” she whispered. “I know I can wait, but it will be hell.”
He chuckled, making her heart quiver. “You can do it, I have faith in you. Besides, you’ll be so busy with school that you won’t have time to miss me.”
“ That will never happen,” she said with a snort. A long yawn attacked her and she covered the phone until it finished.
“ You’re tired, princess,” he said. “Get some sleep. Call me tomorrow and we’ll talk. You can tell me all about the awards ceremony again and about the party. We’ll be on the road and I’ll have plenty of time to kick back and listen.”
“ I love you so much, Cole,” she said as tears burned her eyes. “You’re so wonderful.”
“ Nah, you’re the wonderful one – I’m the lucky one,” he said lightly. “I love you, too. Now go get some sleep.”
***
“ Are you sad that the tournament is over?” Jay asked as he tossed Ally’s bags in the trunk of the rental car.
“ A little,” she said with a listless shrug. “But I can’t wait to get home.”
“ You won’t be home long,” Jay said as he slammed the trunk shut and chucked her under the chin. He grinned, the skin around his eyes crinkling, and she immediately understood why her mom always said she loved his smile. “My little girl is off to college soon.”
“ You’re not going to get all emotional, are you?” she asked warily.
He chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders and he ushered her to her side of the car, shaking his head. “Not much, anyway. I’ll let your mom do the gushing.”
The car was filled with talk about the tournament and Ally’s performance. She loved recapping her games with him. Even though he was never an active participant of sports, he watched his fair share of them and knew what he was talking about. He’d been the one to teach Ally to catch and hit a ball when she was barely walking.
“ Hey, princess,” he said as he turned off the highway. “I need to stop at the studio real quick before we head to the hotel to pick up your mom and your brother.”
“ That’s fine, Daddy,” she said. She sat up in her seat and smiled as he maneuvered the car through the streets and finally entered Redden Records’ parking garage. “I’ll come inside with you. I want to thank Robby for keeping me company at the party last night.”
“ Sure, come on,” Jay
“ No,” she whispered in the dark, hoping Lisa’s light breathing meant she was already sound asleep for the night. “I won’t think of Robby as anything but a friend of the family.”
An idea came to her and she slid out of bed and found her purse. She rifled through the meager contents until she found her phone and, unmindful of the late hour, called his number.
“ It’s pretty late, princess,” he said in a sleepy voice. “Is everything okay?”
She smiled as her heart filled with love. She crawled back into bed, closed her eyes and pressed the phone to her ear. “I just really, really missed you tonight. I’m sorry to wake you but I wanted to hear your voice.”
“ You can call anytime you want,” he said. “You know that.”
“ I know.”
“ How was your party?” he asked around a yawn. “Did you have fun?”
“ I did have fun,” she admitted as she snuggled into her pillow. “Robby was a perfect gentleman and we hung out with Jamie and Mikayla.” She sighed heavily. “But every time the DJ played a slow song and I watched all those couples dance, it made me miss you even more.”
“ About six more weeks, Al,” he said, his voice hoarse. “The tour should wrap up in about six weeks, give or take, and then I’ll take you away for the weekend. I’ll take you somewhere, just you and me.”
“ I hope I can wait that long,” she whispered. “I know I can wait, but it will be hell.”
He chuckled, making her heart quiver. “You can do it, I have faith in you. Besides, you’ll be so busy with school that you won’t have time to miss me.”
“ That will never happen,” she said with a snort. A long yawn attacked her and she covered the phone until it finished.
“ You’re tired, princess,” he said. “Get some sleep. Call me tomorrow and we’ll talk. You can tell me all about the awards ceremony again and about the party. We’ll be on the road and I’ll have plenty of time to kick back and listen.”
“ I love you so much, Cole,” she said as tears burned her eyes. “You’re so wonderful.”
“ Nah, you’re the wonderful one – I’m the lucky one,” he said lightly. “I love you, too. Now go get some sleep.”
***
“ Are you sad that the tournament is over?” Jay asked as he tossed Ally’s bags in the trunk of the rental car.
“ A little,” she said with a listless shrug. “But I can’t wait to get home.”
“ You won’t be home long,” Jay said as he slammed the trunk shut and chucked her under the chin. He grinned, the skin around his eyes crinkling, and she immediately understood why her mom always said she loved his smile. “My little girl is off to college soon.”
“ You’re not going to get all emotional, are you?” she asked warily.
He chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders and he ushered her to her side of the car, shaking his head. “Not much, anyway. I’ll let your mom do the gushing.”
The car was filled with talk about the tournament and Ally’s performance. She loved recapping her games with him. Even though he was never an active participant of sports, he watched his fair share of them and knew what he was talking about. He’d been the one to teach Ally to catch and hit a ball when she was barely walking.
“ Hey, princess,” he said as he turned off the highway. “I need to stop at the studio real quick before we head to the hotel to pick up your mom and your brother.”
“ That’s fine, Daddy,” she said. She sat up in her seat and smiled as he maneuvered the car through the streets and finally entered Redden Records’ parking garage. “I’ll come inside with you. I want to thank Robby for keeping me company at the party last night.”
“ Sure, come on,” Jay
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