Dirty (Dive Bar #1)(84)

“And doing coupley shit, you know.”

“Coupley shit?” My brows went high. “What is this coupley shit?”

One of his shoulders hitched. “Hanging out, watching TV, being together. Mostly naked, but occasionally not.”

“Sounds like a good dream.”

“No,” he corrected. “It’s great one.”

I smiled back at him. I couldn’t not. “Yes, it is. You’re sure, though?”

“I’m sure.”

“No. I need you to have thought this through. I don’t want you to wind up resenting me. It would hurt if you changed your mind, decided the musical prospects on the coast were more important.” I grabbed his hand and held on tight. Quietly terrified of what we were doing. “It would hurt me really badly.”

Lines surrounded his eyes, his gaze intensifying. “Babe. This chance with you … you’re it for me. You’re my number one and you’re staying there. I need you to believe that. This isn’t a passing idea. I didn’t hit L.A. and suddenly feel a bit bummed ’cause you weren’t there. I’m not saying I knew you were it for me the minute I saw you in the bath. To be honest, I was kind of pissed off about the whole thing. But not much later, things changed. A half an hour, maybe. Definitely by the time you punched that *.”

I laughed through the tears. “Ha. You sure it wasn’t the breasts?”

“The breasts were definitely a part of it. But I wanted … no, I needed to know everything about you. I needed you to stay,” he said, voice so sincere it hurt. “I just didn’t want to change. Not my plans, not my life.”

“What happened?”

Clearing his throat, he rose, lifting me likewise to my feet. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me in close. And god, it felt so good. It felt like my dream. My body relaxed against his, my arms winding around his neck.

“Vaughan?”

“I know that * made you doubt yourself. Made you doubt feeling like this about anyone.” He rested his forehead against mine. “But you’re in me. Have been since the first day I met you. I fought it for a while, but that’s over.”

“You’re in me too.”

“Good.” The tip of his nose rubbed against mine. “That’s good, Lydia. ’Cause that’s where I’m going to stay.”

I buried my face against his chest. Damn tears.

“I mean that literally too,” he whispered against my ear. “You get that right?”

I hiccupped, laughing. “I get that. I want that.”

A happy humming noise came from his chest. His hold on me intensified, keeping me safe, keeping us tight.

“I love you, you know,” I said, putting it all out there. Taking the leap, trusting in him and us. “I didn’t want to, but I do.”

“Thank f*ck for that,” he murmured.

“What the hell?” asked Nell, appearing at our side. Along with basically everyone. Joe, Eric, Masa, even Boyd. Apparently this had turned into a staff meeting.

I subtly wiped my nose on Vaughan’s shirt because love was meant to hurt and occasionally be icky. Happily, it was also meant to shine.

“I’m moving back to town, calling off the sale of the house.”

I don’t know if I’d ever seen Nell so happy. She hid it pretty quickly, however. “And you’re manhandling my waitress, why?”

“Because we’re going to get married someday and make babies,” said Vaughan, relaxed as anything. “Not necessarily in that order. It’s up to her.”

“Holy shit.” My face returned to his shirt. God help my heart. The way it was galloping, I don’t think it would ever recover from this night.

“Damn,” said Joe’s deep voice. “You don’t do things by halves, do you?”

“When you know, you know.”

“Congratulations, man.”

“Thanks.”

“To you too, Lydia.”

I wiped off my face, smiling like a lovestruck fool. So what. All good. No, all f*cking fantastic. “Thanks, Joe.”

Others echoed the sentiment. There were smiles all around. Except for on one face.

“Big decision,” said Eric, arms crossed. “You going to stick with it or you going to change your mind and leave her high and dry like you did with me being in the band? It’s just that, Lydia seems nice. And friends and family, people that are supposed to matter, don’t always seem to be important to you.”

Silence. And not the happy kind.

“You were out of the band because you didn’t take it seriously,” said Vaughan. “No other reason. I wasn’t turning my back on you as a friend. You stopped taking my calls, remember?”

Eric harrumphed.

“But you’re right. I’ve been slack with keeping in touch with people, looking after the people I love. That’s going to change.”

“That so?”

“Yes,” said Vaughan, neither man backing down. Oh, the heady scent of testosterone was thick in the air. They’d probably start banging antlers any time now. I held Vaughan’s hand, standing at his side.

“Nell,” he said. “I was wondering if you’d visit Mom and Dad’s graves with me sometime soon. Haven’t been back since the funeral, but I think it’s time.”