Ryder (A Merrick Brothers Novel) by Prescott Lane

Author:Prescott Lane [Lane, Prescott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Prescott Lane
Published: 2020-09-23T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

By summer,

I called it quits

Ryder

It’s midnight, the sky a dark blue, shimmering with stars like tiny diamonds in the sky. Guess this is what the color midnight blue is—dark—but with hints of light.

Staring out what will be my son’s or daughter’s bedroom window, I’m not sure how to feel. Tonight, I got another shot with Kailey.

The cost—Maggie.

My dad used to say, “There’s only room for one woman in my life, and that was your momma.” Maybe he was wiser than I thought. It seems there’s only room for one woman in my life, as well. That’s Kailey.

Maggie’s not gone. Per Kailey’s request, I didn’t fire her, but things won’t be the same. Since I’m not touring at the moment, there will be less going on, less for Maggie to deal with. The paparazzi still hang around, but since we’re homebound, they’ve been mostly quiet. Kailey and her pregnancy are not something I want as front-page news, so no public appearance or interviews, either. This means Maggie’s presence in my life will be greatly diminished, and I don’t want her around Kailey. She’s done enough damage.

When I think of all the shit Maggie stirred up, it makes me want to ram my fist through a wall. The only thing that kept me from losing my shit was Kailey. No stress, that’s what the doctor said. And I’m pretty sure me going fucking ballistic would cause her some stress, so I’ve held it in. Maggie got a good earful, though.

As much as I wanted to fire her, I know I can’t. Maggie knows things about me. She long ago signed a non-disclosure agreement, but I’m not worried about her exposing me. There are things Maggie handles for me, does for me, that no one else knows about. I can’t just kick her to the curb, which is probably why she felt like she could come clean to Kailey.

Fuck! Nothing is going to settle me tonight. Despite what some country songs say, a bottle of whiskey isn’t going to work. I’m also not one to reach out and call someone when it’s been a shit day. I know my brother, Knox, would want me to do just that—to call him. But I’m the older brother. It’s my job to be there for him, not the other way around. Still, I know I owe him a phone call. Tomorrow.

Tonight, I need my guitar. Some people listen to music as they fall asleep. I play myself to sleep. I’ve woken up with my guitar next to me in bed more nights than I care to remember.

My six string is my mistress.

Grabbing my guitar, I start to strum, but stop myself. Kailey’s probably asleep by now, but I should check on her. I should probably apologize for the way I stormed out of her bedroom, too. Guitar in hand, I make my way across the house to her bedroom, finding the light still on.

She’s got a notebook beside her, scribbling on it. For a second, I wonder if she’s writing in the shit or the shine notebooks.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.