All Stars Fall (Seaside Pictures #3.5)(19)

“Yeah.” My voice cracked. I didn’t tell her the daunting truth, that not only did you have to have a man, but that the older I got, the more my chances died right along with my eggs. I wasn’t even being dramatic, I was just being honest. I’d been the lucky recipient of HPV in high school, where it turned into the early stages of cervical cancer which meant that after all was said and done my chances of getting pregnant were a stellar five percent during my most fertile times.

Tears welled in my eyes.

I didn’t want to focus on it.

I couldn’t.

Because then I felt sorry for myself, and I resented everything and everyone, including the news whenever I saw someone who abandoned a kid or couldn’t take care of them. I wanted to reach in and hold them close and sob.

“You still there?” Dani asked gently.

“Yeah.” I swiped my cheeks, wondering when I’d started actually crying on the phone. “Maybe I’ll just wear a pair of jeans?”

“Shorts,” she corrected. “Jean cut-offs to be exact, a cute tank with a hoodie since it’s still nice out, and a pair of sandals. You’ll look great. Oh, and do your hair.”

“I do my hair.” I touched the ponytail on my head and winced as I realized most of my hair had pulled out of the actual ponytail.

“You never wear it down,” she said accusingly. “And it’s gorgeous and silky, and if you want to impress adult humans, ones that don’t care that you smell like cheese, you should try that angle.”

“Why do I call you again?”

“Because you love me?”

“True,” I grumbled. “I might be a bit late.”

“Even better!” She seemed amused by this, though I couldn’t understand why unless she was banking on me tripping on my own feet and landing face down on someone’s crotch. One time that happened. Friends and family never let me live it down. “See you soon!”

“Yeah.” I hung up and stared down at my cut-off jean shorts. At least I’d already showered. “Well,” I said to myself. “Here goes nothing.”





Chapter Ten



Trevor




The only thing better than having a nanny who could prevent the house from being burned down? Other kids.

A miracle had taken place at that barbecue.

My kids ran off with the littler kids and neighbor kids, and cousins of friends, and honestly, at that point even if it was a complete stranger and their kids, I was okay with it. Especially if it made Eric laugh.

And that was exactly what was happening.

We were at Dani and Linc’s beach house, which just so happened to have Jaymeson and Pris right next door, and on the other side was a family recently moved in from Seattle.

They had five kids under the age of seven.

And they were having a birthday party with live reptiles, which meant all three of my kids disowned me and ran over to join.

I exhaled probably for the first time in an hour and watched as one of Alec and Demetri’s security detail slowly made their way over to the group and stood.

“You always keep him around?” I asked once Alec approached me. Tattoos lined his arms. He was a few years younger than me, but that meant shit in this industry. He and his brother had gone through a lot in the last few years. The fact that he was semi-unscathed was shocking.

He took a sip of water. “Yeah well, ever since Ella turned two we’ve been hounded by enough photographers to land me in prison and since Nat’s pregnant again, I figured better safe than sorry, plus he’s all bark no bite.”

I followed his gaze.

The guy looked like he ate small children for breakfast. No smile. No hair. Enough muscles protruding from his body to look lethal. “Yeah, I guess I’ll take your word for it.”

Eric decided to choose that moment to grab the iguana and shove it in his face.

The security guy didn’t even flinch.

“See?” Alec laughed. “He’ll take care of them, plus the property’s all gated. Enjoy the barbecue and the free time.”

“Free time,” I repeated. “What’s that again?”

“A unicorn I can never seem to trap.” Alec laughed just as his brother walked over with a shit-eating grin on his face. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Oh, you’re fine.” He turned his smirk on me. “You, on the other hand, are completely screwed.”

“Now I’m afraid to ask,” I grumbled. “Don’t you have someone else to pester?”

Demetri laughed, his dimples showing on both sides as his messy blond hair fell over his tan face. “Actually no, I’m all free. The wife is with the rest of the wives in the kitchen talking with HN.”

“Hot Nanny,” Alec said helpfully in a low whisper.

“Got that,” I said in a short voice. “Are you guys really that bored?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

“You’re like the shiny new toy we get to make fun of and drown in the ocean, you’re welcome.” Demetri laughed just as Zane walked over, as promised, completely shirtless. The guy was labeled walking talking sex, and he oozed it everywhere he went—and often. Bastard.

“Can someone get him a shirt?” I mumbled as Zane flashed me a cheeky grin and winked. “NOW?”