“Brace,” she whispered.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

She turned the tablet his way.

His eyes dropped to it.

On it was an online entertainment news site.

And the headline was, “Jonas Haines of Broken Bird Marries Model Adriana Rivera in Vegas.”

“What the fuck?” Mike murmured, pulling the tablet out of his wife’s hand and reading it.

Jonas Haines, known as “No,” lead singer, lead guitarist, and founder of the chart-topping rock band Broken Bird, yesterday reportedly married his on-again, off-again girlfriend, bathing suit model Adriana Rivera, in Las Vegas.

Haines, 31, and Rivera, 20, have dominated the gossip columns for the last two years with their stormy relationship. This includes Haines’s brief incarceration for charges of assault and battery when he located a crazed fan of Rivera’s who was stalking his lady love. Charges were later dropped through a plea bargain arrangement for Alfie Birk, who pled guilty to criminal harassment and menacing and received a reduced sentence.

It’s reported that Haines’s best man was a woman. Stella Gunn of the Blue Moon Gypsies, the established rock star who gave Haines and Broken Bird their break, asking Broken Bird to open for the Gypsies before they’d even signed a record deal, stood with the rocker.

In turn, standing up for Rivera was a man. Kai Mason, Gunn’s husband and the head of an elite security agency in Los Angeles, the agency used by Broken Bird as well as Rivera personally, stood with the model.

Neither Haines’s nor Rivera’s spokespersons are confirming the nuptials except for Broken Bird’s team stating that at this time, Haines and Rivera’s relationship is “definitely on.” It’s been alleged that confirmation is being delayed in order for the bride and groom to inform their families that the wedding took place.

It’s unknown where the newlyweds are at this time; however, social media sites have lit up with witnesses at Las Vegas and Los Angeles airports stating they’ve seen the couple and also reporting they’ve boarded a Fiji Airlines flight bound for those islands for what could be nothing other than their honeymoon.

Finished, Mike looked at his wife.

“Hunter is not happy,” Dusty noted, something Mike did not need her to note.

Hunter was Dusty’s best friend’s husband.

He was also Adriana’s father.

And last, Hunter had not been a big fan of this situation for more years than No and Addie had been together. In fact, it had been since the first time he saw his daughter, at thirteen, gazing with love-struck eyes at No, who was with his band playing at his sister’s wedding.

“But I talked him down,” Dusty finished.

“Have you heard from No?” Mike asked.

She shook her head. “I called. Reesee called. Even Fin called. He’s not answering.” Her mouth quirked. “Probably because he’s a day ahead of us on Fiji.” She paused, then added, “And he’s busy.”

“This isn’t funny,” Mike informed her.

He watched his wife’s lips continue to quirk.

“Angel,” he warned.

Her lips stopped quirking. “Addie’s been in love with No since she was thirteen.”

Mike had nothing to say to that because it was true.

“And No’s been in love with her since the second they bumped into each other again two years ago,” she continued.

“She’s not even old enough to drink,” Mike stated.

“She’s old enough to fall in love,” Dusty returned.

“She’s old enough to think she’s in love.”

“Baby,” she whispered, moving closer. “You were here at Christmas with those two. I get you’re worried. But there’s no way you could watch them and not see they’re completely, desperately, crazy in love.”

Fuck, he couldn’t say anything to that either.

Because it was true.

Mike wrapped an arm around his wife and he pulled out his phone.

He held her as he slid his thumb over the screen.

He put it to his ear.

Jonas answered on the third ring.

“Dad.”

“Got some news for me, No?”

Apparently, he didn’t because there was silence.

“Jonas,” Mike prompted.

“It’s her, Dad. She’s young, but I don’t give a fuck. It’s her. It just is.”

“Yeah, neither of you hid that from your family last time we saw you and you haven’t been hiding it from the population at large, the crazy shit you’ve both been playing out publicly.”

“You know Addie. She’s about drama.”

His son sounded like he liked that.

Then again, he married it, so he did.

“That isn’t the issue,” Mike said. “The issue is, I read about it on a goddamned tablet.”

“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Jonas muttered.

“I figured that part out,” Mike told him.

“We’re gonna have another ceremony when we get back,” No assured him. “One we’ll have with our families.”

“I can do without going to another wedding, No. What I’m not a big fan of is reading something like this rather than hearing it direct from my son. You’re famous. I hear a lot about you that’s truth and a lot that’s lies. But when it’s important, when it means you’re happy, I wanna hear it from you.”

“I’m happy, Dad,” No said quietly.

Mike drew in breath.

“I’m glad, son,” Mike replied quietly.

Dusty pushed closer.

“She’s happy too,” Jonas told him.

“I’m glad about that too,” Mike replied.

“We’ve been dodging calls because we’ve been busy and because I wanted you to know first. You know now, so I gotta call Rees.”

“Yeah, your sister can bust your ass for depriving her of a celebrity wedding.”

“Last five books on the New York Times list. I’m not the only celebrity in the family.”

“Lucky for me, she’s got someone in her life who keeps her grounded, not someone who busts up hotel rooms.”

“Addie broke a vase. It was blown out of proportion by the media.”

“She broke it throwing it at you.”

“She’s excitable.”

Mike did not want to go there.

“Call your sister,” he ordered.

“I will,” No said, a smile in his voice. “And Dad?”

“Yeah, Jonas?”

“Love you.”

Mike sighed.

Then he said, “Same. Give our love to Addie. And hope to see you both soon.”

“Love back to Dusty, Mandy, and Austin.”

“Right. Later, son.”

“Later, Dad.”

They disconnected.

Mike threw his phone on the counter.

Dusty snuggled closer.

“All good?” she asked.

“He sounds happy.”

His woman smiled.

“Really happy,” he whispered.

“Then it’s all good,” she whispered back.

He looked into her eyes.

She was happy too. Happy because she was happy, and happy because his son was.

“Love you, Angel,” he murmured.

“Yeah, gorgeous, it’s all good,” she replied and rolled up to her toes.

Mike took her mouth.

Their daughter Amanda at a friend’s house, their son Austin at basketball practice, the house was empty.

So after Mike took his wife’s mouth, he took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Then he took something else.

* * * * *

Benny

December, Two Years Later

Benny turned to his wife, who was sitting on the edge of the hotel bed, strapping on a high-heeled sandal.

“Come again?” he asked.

She tipped her head, her thick, dark hair sliding down her back, and gave him her eyes.

“That’s what Vi told me over coffee this morning.”

“Angie is dating Jack Colton,” Benny stated.

Frankie bent down to finish with her shoe, confirming, “Yeah. They live across the street from each other. They grew up together. They wrestled in the grass at barbeques when they were kids and they’ve been dancing around each other at parties with the grown-ups now for years. Vi didn’t miss it. I didn’t. No one did but Colt and Cal. It’s like Colt and Feb, part two. Except hopefully without the heartbreak.”