Fade to Red

“These are the things you’re supposed to tell me, Beckham, so I can do damage control. The press is ru

“I do,” Beckham said. “I really like her.”

“Okay, well, I’m go

“I know. Thanks, Nate.”

Beckham heard him before he saw him. That little voice sounded so familiar. He rounded the corner of his bus, rushing to get inside the auditorium on time.

“Beckham!” the little boy called. He dropped the hand of the girl he was with and ran over to Beckham.

The girl waved shyly at Beckham but stayed back.

“Mavid!”

Leo’s head fell back and he laughed. “You’re so fu

That lisp. It slayed Beckham. “So great to see you, little dude. What are you doing here?” He bent down and gave him a fist bump.

“Visiting my mom.”

“Awesome. I haven’t seen your mom since tryouts! Where has she been hiding? Are you having fun?”

“Yeah, just got here, but we went to the beach once already.”

“Well, that’s great.”

“And you see my mom every-”

Howie put his hand on Beckham’s shoulder and cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but it’s time.” A golf cart rolled up to Beckham.

“Sorry, buddy, I gotta get to the show. You watchin’ tonight?”

“Whatever she says.” He pointed a thumb behind his shoulder and gri

“Gotcha. Well, I’d love to see you again before you go. You should come visit me on the bus…”

“Yethhh!” Leo shook his fist up and down and ran off, yelling, “Bye, Beck!”

Beckham smiled all the way to the back entrance. He jumped off the cart and ran inside, waving to the fans who were screaming on the sidelines.

Suza

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Coco—Tracy took a few days off.”

He glanced down and tried to hold still and not sneeze while she passed the makeup brush over his face. She had on a pair of cowboy boots that were an unusual shade of blue.

“Cool boots.” He held still but his eyes studied her. “You remind me of someone…”

She smiled and shrugged. “I hear Zooey Deschanel sometimes.”

He laughed. “That’s it—you really do look like her! It’s a compliment. She’s a nice girl.”

Anthony came through, clapping his hands. “Move it, Beck. They’re go

“Thanks, girls. I’m go

Roxie was smiling tonight. Not at him necessarily, but it was apparent she was happier than the last time he’d seen her. He’d take it. Either way, whether she wanted him or not, they were scorching together onstage. He never wanted to look away. She turned him inside out. It was all he could do to focus on the words of the songs. He lived for every moment he could touch her again.

Backstage, he bypassed the VIPs and ran to catch up with her before she went to her bus.

“Tonight, Roxie. Come with me. Let’s have di

“I have family here … I think we’re go

“I’d love to meet your family…”

She nodded. “Yeah, you will. I still need to tell you all about them.” She looked over his shoulder and cringed. “You better go though—a riot’s starting back there with beautiful, impatient women…”

He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the cheek and then the top of her hand before he went to autograph CDs and cleavage and shirts. He drew the line at underwear. Never again.

Ian borrowed a car that morning, so they could go swim in Roxie’s hotel pool. It felt like summer in Miami—January be damned—and he wanted to take advantage of it. Do

After they hung up, the conversation kept playing back in Ian’s mind. He loved Do

Water splashed in his face and he was glad for the distraction. He didn’t need to get all emo on their morning off. He’d keep thinking about it though and maybe a song would come out of it, maybe some answers. He looked down at his little girl and thought his love for her would explode right out of his chest. She loved the water. He held her back against his chest and her little feet went crazy, kicking. Leo jumped in the pool and swam up to him, smiling at Journey. The little boy was such a nice kid, and he was gentle with Journey, so that made Ian like him even more.

Sparrow jumped into the pool and wrapped her arms around his back.

“You okay?” she asked. “You’re so quiet today.”

“Just thinking. Talking to Do

He turned around to face her and pulled her close. Her legs still fit around his waist with Journey between them.

“Do I tell you enough how this life with you is the best gift I’ve ever been given?” he asked, reaching out to touch her face.

“Every day.”

Sparrow stretched out on a lounger next to Chloe. Roxie and Leo played in the pool for a while and then went to get a snack at the vending machine. When they came back, Leo got back in the pool and Roxie stayed by Sparrow and Chloe. They were talking in hushed voices and laughing a lot, which made Ian suspect they were discussing sex. Sparrow claimed he thought everything was about sex, though. Not necessarily true …not everything. He’d done a lot of reflecting today without sex being in the forefront of his mind. Granted, keeping passion alive did involve sex too, but … okay, maybe everything did go back to sex. But, really, what was so wrong with that?

Leo did a huge jump in the pool and Ian called out: “Solid 7!” Journey laughed so hard she got the hiccups. “Journey thinks that should’ve been an 8.”

Leo wanted to make her laugh again, so the game began. Ian and Journey were the judges; Ian with a score between one and ten, and Journey with how loud she cackled. She thought Leo was the fu

They’d met Chloe and Leo once before, but Roxie usually didn’t come around when he was in town. Ian didn’t blame her. He’d want his family all to himself too. Sparrow always spent extra time with Roxie when Leo went back home. She was lost without her boy.

The girls sat up and Roxie jumped off the lounger. He and Leo paused the game to see what was going on.

“I forgot my outfit for tonight!” she yelled. “I’ll run over there now, so I’ll have plenty of time to eat and get ready. Wa

“Stay in the pool!”

“Of course.” She smiled and blew him a kiss. “I won’t be long!”