“You need to lift with your knees, old man. Not with your back.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes at Nick; his thick eyebrows just barely visible above the tan coloured cushions. “I AM lifting with my knees.”

It was just after noon and the mid-day sun was beating down from a clear blue sky, taunting him. Kevin could feel the sweat trickling down his back beneath the fabric of his t-shirt, and he mentally cursed his cousin as he struggled to maintain his grip on the oversized piece of furniture. It wouldn’t have killed Brian to hire a moving company. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford to pay someone to do this for him.

“It’s slipping!”

Kevin winced as Nick’s anxious voice cut through the stillness of the quiet street. His sweaty fingers clawed frantically at the expensive fabric, but it was to no avail. He and Nick simultaneously lost their grip on the couch, and the two of them watched helplessly as the focal point of Brian’s living room landed roughly on the front lawn. The custom-made piece toppled over, the cushions and throw-pillows rolling across the grass amidst squeals of delight from Mason and James.

“I told you that it was slipping.” Nick shrugged. He ran his arm across his forehead in an effort to remove the sweat that was pooling just above his eyebrows. His face glistened in the early afternoon sun, and his t-shirt was soaked through; clinging to his chest.

Kevin took in Nick’s haphazard appearance and let out a heavy sigh. They had been unloading the truck for hours and they were still only about half way through. The majority of the boxes and the smaller items had already been placed inside under the direction of Kristin, Rochelle, and Leigh. In order to avoid being asked to unload the bigger, bulkier items, the women had scurried inside to begin the daunting task of unpacking Brian’s belongings. They had concealed their desire to escape the unnaturally warm mid-October sun under the pretence that Brian would have no idea how to go about organizing a kitchen or a linen closet. The heavy lifting had been left to the men.

“We better get this inside before Brian has a shit fit.” Kevin muttered. He pushed his damp hair off of his forehead and motioned for Nick to get into position.

The younger man grumbled in annoyance, but he did as he was told. The two men quickly righted the couch, and Kevin resisted the urge to moan in discomfort as they, once again, hoisted the heavy object into the air. He could feel his arm muscles straining in protest as they struggled to manoeuvre the bulky item across the lawn, up the front porch, and through the double entry doors.

“Couch! Couch!” Nick frantically announced their arrival as the two of them staggered into the foyer.

“To the left! To the left!” Kristin’s frenzied instructions reverberated down the hallway.

With the side of the couch lodged squarely in his line of sight, Kevin had no idea where his wife was or where exactly it was that he was supposed to be going. He merely followed Nick’s lead as the younger man pivoted swiftly to the left.

“To the left – to the left – mmmm to the left - everything you own in the box to the left.” AJ belted out a portion of Beyonce’s hit song from somewhere beyond Kevin’s field of vision.

“In the closet, that’s my stuff – Yes, if I bought it, then please don’t touch.” Howie completed the verse in a full-out falsetto, and Nick began to rumble with laughter.

“Easy!” Kevin yelled. The couch started to shake in time with Nick’s laughter and he braced himself for a potential disaster. He had a terrifying vision of the overpriced, tan sofa crushing his foot beyond recognition.

Thankfully, Nick began to lower his end to the ground and Kevin eagerly followed suit. He breathed a sigh of relief as the couch clunked onto the dark, hardwood floor. Mission accomplished.

“Seriously?”

Kevin righted himself into a proper standing position in response to his wife’s nagging. His back creaked in protest as he moved. “What?”

“That song.” Kristin chided. “Think about where you are, what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it.”

“Ahhhh.” AJ’s face fell at Kristin’s words. “Right.”

“I have nothing against a little Beyonce.” Brian announced.

He walked into the room and tossed bottles of water at both AJ and Nick before extending a bottle of Stella in Kevin’s direction. Kevin gratefully accepted the beer, and he quickly removed the seal as his cousin handed the other bottle of Stella to Howie.

Brian took a long pull from the half-empty beer in his hand and grinned. “Have I told you guys that I really appreciate all of your help?”

“It’s no problem.” Kristin acknowledged. “We’re all happy to help.”

“Speak for yourself.” Nick rolled his eyes. “You’re not the one standing outside in the sun and wrestling with the monstrosity that Brian calls a couch.”

“Speaking of my couch ...” Brian trailed off as he took note of his prized sofa that was still positioned at an awkward angle in the middle of his new living room. “...where are the cushions?”

“Cushions?” Kevin feigned ignorance as he stole a quick glance out of the large bay window that faced the front yard.

Baylee was currently orchestrating the construction of an elaborate fort involving the pillows and couch cushions that Kevin and Nick had forgotten to retrieve. The two younger boys were dutifully following Baylee’s instructions, and Kevin resisted the urge to cringe as he watched James drop one of the pricey throw-pillows directly in the middle of the garden that lined the front walkway.

“I think the boys are bringing them in.” Howie, who was also staring out the window, waved his hand in the air dismissively and took a quick sip of his beer. “They’ve been asking to help all day.”

Kevin raised his bottle to his lips in order to hide his smirk. Howie’s smile faltered ever-so-slightly as James rolled the oversized pillow through the dirt in an attempt to pick it up. A few agonizing seconds later, James finally managed to wrap his small fingers around the decorative tassels. He yanked the pillow into the air in triumph. Kevin wasn’t sure but he thought that he also saw a stray tulip dangling from the boy’s small fist.

“Daddy!” James’s voice, feverish with excitement, floated through the propped open double doors. “We’re making a fort! Come and see!”

Everyone had now turned to stare out the window. The two younger boys were grinning from ear to ear and waving frantically for their parents to come and join them in the front yard. Brian let out a small, exasperated sigh and waved back at the boys. He took another long pull from his drink and frowned when he realized that the bottle was almost empty.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” Howie promised his son while shooting an apologetic glance in Brian’s direction. “I’ll pay to have those pillows cleaned.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Brian reassured him. “I have a feeling that Baylee was the brains behind their little project.”

“This is why you guys should have tried harder to have a girl.” AJ smirked. “My little Ava is a perfect angel.”

“A perfect angel.” Nick parroted. “Is that why she’s currently gumming the shit out of Baylee’s giraffe?”

“What are you ...” AJ stopped himself mid-question as he followed Nick’s gaze.

Ava had somehow managed to crawl, unnoticed, into the far reaches of the living room. She had wedged herself between a stack of boxes and a peculiarly placed end table. Her pudgy little hands were clutching Baylee’s primary source of comfort; a now somewhat ratty looking stuffed giraffe that he had been given only hours after he was born. Ava had shoved the neck of the giraffe into her mouth, and she was happily gumming at the fabric. Her round eyes registered a look of extreme contentment as her drool was quickly absorbed by the toy’s plush interior.

“How did she even get back there?” AJ mused. He dropped to his knees and bent down so that he could fit underneath the table. He hooked his hands underneath Ava’s small arms and gently dragged his daughter across the floor by her diapered bum.

“Give daddy the giraffe.” AJ cooed. He opened his eyes as wide as they would go and pursed his lips together in an attempt to distract his daughter while he quickly pulled the toy out of her grasp. Ava stared back at him in confusion as AJ tossed the sopping stuffed animal in Brian’s direction.

Brian snatched the toy out of the air and grimaced as his fingers connected with the wet fabric.

“You’re probably going to want to wash it.” AJ advised. He picked Ava up off of the floor and pointed her in Brian’s direction. “How can you be mad at this face?”

Brian failed miserably to suppress his smile as he took in Ava’s wide eyes and cheeky grin. He quickly deposited his empty beer bottle and the drool-soaked giraffe on top of a random box and held out his hands. “I couldn’t ever be mad at my little Ava.” He admitted.

In one swift motion, Brian pulled Ava from AJ’s arms and hoisted her on his hip. Ava squealed in delight and batted at Brian’s nose as he covered her face with kisses. “Who loves their Uncle Brian?”

Kevin could feel the smile stretching across his face as he watched his cousin interact with AJ’s daughter. “You know, Bri, it’s not too late for you to have another one.”

The words were out of his mouth before he even had a chance to think about what he was saying, and Kevin immediately felt guilty. He purposefully avoided Kristin’s gaze as he continued to watch Ava playfully swat at Brian’s face. If Kristin had considered the Beyonce song to be insensitive, she was probably ready to lynch him over his baby comment.

“I should probably focus on getting moved in before I think about doing anything else.” Brian skirted around his cousin’s comment.

Brian’s voice was light, but Kevin caught the glimmer of sadness that passed through his eyes. He was pretty sure that everyone else had noticed it as well.

“Let’s take a look at the boys’ fort and then finish unloading the truck.” Howie suggested. “I’m sure that Leigh and Ro are almost done unpacking the kitchen.”

“Someone younger better help me this time.” Nick grumbled. “The old man practically killed me with that stupid couch.”

Kevin scowled at the back of Nick’s blonde head as the youngest member of their group followed AJ and Howie out the front door. HE was the one who had almost been crushed by the couch.

Kevin waited until the others had stepped outside and Kristin had returned to the kitchen before he turned to face his cousin. “I’m sorry.” He apologized. “I meant it in a good way when I said that you should have another baby. I wasn’t trying to be a dick.”

“I know.” Brian replied. He adjusted Ava’s weight on his arm and ran his hand lightly across the dusting of hair on her head. “You don’t have to tip-toe around me. I’m fine with everything.”

“Are you?” Kevin prodded as he stole a quick glance out the window.

Howie was busy telling the boys to dismantle their fort and to bring the cushions inside, while AJ and Nick were already hauling a solid wood dresser out of the truck. Judging by the look on AJ’s face, the piece of bedroom furniture clearly weighed a ton. Kevin was immensely glad that he was currently playing no part in moving it.

“I’m fine.” Brian repeated. “It’s better this way. Not only for the two of us, but for Baylee as well. The fighting was bothering him.”

“You were married a long time.” Kevin stated. “There’s no shame in being upset.”

“Kev, I said that I’m fine.” Brian’s voice came out sounding harsher than he had intended. He glanced down at AJ’s daughter; Ava had fallen asleep in his arms, her small head resting gently in the crook of his neck. “I can’t dwell on what could have been. I have to get on with my life.”

Kevin nodded and offered the younger man a small smile. “You’ll find someone else. You’re still young.”

“I’m thirty-eight.” Brian snorted. “I have a soon-to-be eleven year old kid and I’m in a boy band.”

“All of those things make you a great catch.” Rochelle interrupted. She gave Brian’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before lifting Ava gently from his arms. “Thanks for holding her.”

“Any time.” Brian grinned. “I should help the fellas unload the rest of the stuff from the truck.”

Kevin sighed and exchanged a knowing glance with Rochelle as he watched Brian wind his way through the mess of children and couch cushions in the foyer. He knew that the divorce had hit him hard, and he knew that it was going to be even harder to convince Brian that he needed to talk about it.

“That’s it!” Nick collapsed on the couch that was still sitting in the middle of the disorganized living room and pulled at his sweaty t-shirt. “I’m never moving another piece of furniture as long as I live!”

“That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it?” Howie teased. “Who’s going to move all of your crap out of your – I mean Lauren’s house?”

Nick saw his friend cringe at his mistake, but he was beyond the point where he felt liking making a big deal out of it. At first, he had been absolutely livid about the fact that Lauren had claimed the house; the house in Franklin that he had lovingly purchased for the two of them. It had seemed so unfair in the beginning, but he was over it now. The pain was still there, and he was sure that it would be there for a long time to come.

Nick still couldn’t believe that he and Brian were in a similar situation; alone and desperately trying to figure out how to present themselves to the world as single men. The only difference was that Brian had Baylee to care for and to worry about. At least Nick had been spared the hardship of having to explain to a child why he or she was now the product of a broken home.

“I’m sure that Nick will hire someone to move his stuff. Like a sane person.” Kevin pointed out. “Brian, I know that you’re desperate to blend into the neighbourhood like a normal guy, but this was a bit much.”

“What?” Brian opened his eyes wide in mock confusion. “I don’t understand the problem. You guys helped me move, so I bought you all pizza and beer. Isn’t that what normal people do?”

“It’s what poor, starving college students who have a few sticks of furniture from IKEA do.” AJ shot back. “It’s not what multi-millionaires who have custom-made, solid wood furniture do.”

“Well, I don’t want anyone to find out that I’m a multi-millionaire.” Brian retorted. “That’s the point.”

“I’m pretty sure that your neighbours are going to figure it out as soon as they see your face.” Kevin mumbled. “All it’s going to take is one stay-at-home mom to see you in the driveway and the whole neighbourhood will know that a Backstreet Boy has moved in down the street.”

“You don’t have to be so stereotypical.” Brian mocked. “How do you even know that any of my neighbours are stay-at-home moms?”

“I’m currently a stay-at-home mom.” Leigh pointed out. She grabbed a piece of pizza and took a large bite while staring heatedly at Howie. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“You’re a great mom.” Howie reassured her. “A very pretty one. I mean, you’re a very HOT mom. That’s what you are; a hot mom.” Howie chugged the rest of his beer as he hastily attempted to appease his now simmering wife. “I’m gonna need another one of these.” He muttered. He shook the empty bottle for emphasis and placed it on top of a nearby box.

“I think you’re going to need a lot more than just one.” Brian chuckled. He stood up with the intent of bringing Howie another beer, but he was distracted by a soft knock at the door.

“Maybe it’s one of the neighbourhood moms.” Leigh teased. “I sure hope that she’s as hot as I am.”

Brian was still laughing as he pulled open the door. In the background, he could hear Howie hurriedly trying to reassure his wife that she was more than just an attractive baby-maker. His grin stretched even wider as he caught sight of the elderly couple standing on the porch.

“Hey y’all!”

“Hi, dear. I’m Lorna and this is Ralph.” The elderly woman introduced herself and her husband. “We saw you moving in this afternoon and we just wanted to come over and introduce ourselves. We live just over there.”

Brian followed the woman’s outstretched arm and took in the sprawling bungalow across the street. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it had nice curb appeal and a large wrap-around front porch. The yard was well maintained and there were more than a few garden gnomes dotting the property. A large, gray Buick was parked in the driveway next to an ornate, custom-made mailbox.

“I’m Brian.” Brian introduced himself. “It’s so nice of y’all to come over and say hello.”

“It’s our pleasure, dear.” Lorna continued. “We made you a casserole. I’m sure that your wife won’t feel like cooking until she has everything unpacked.” She thrust a flowered Corning Ware dish into Brian’s hands and smiled. “Is the lady of the house here? We’d love to meet her.”

Brian accepted the dish; he was surprise to discover how heavy it was. “Actually, I’m ...”

“Is that chicken casserole?” AJ pushed his way into the doorway and pulled the dish out of Brian’s hands. “With scalloped potatoes and grated cheese on top? I haven’t had chicken casserole since I lived with my mom!” He flashed a massive grin at Ralph and Lorna. “Thank you so much!””

“Oh, you’re – you’re welcome.” Ralph stuttered.

Brian watched as the couple exchanged a confused glance. He could see them taking in AJ’s appearance; their eyes flickering back and forth between his out of control beard and the tattoos that littered his arms. It was clear that they were more than a little taken aback.

“Are you two ...? We didn’t realize.” Ralph sputtered. “Of course there’s nothing wrong with your choice.”

“No!” Brian hurriedly launched into an explanation. “We’re just friends. He was helping me move. I have a son. He’s almost eleven. I’m just recently divorced.” He was well aware of the fact that he was rambling rather incoherently, and he flashed what he hoped was a sane looking smile at Ralph and Lorna.

“Oh. So, you’re just friends?” Lorna returned her eyes to Brian as she processed the information. “You said that you’re divorced and a single dad?”

“That’s right.” Brian nodded. “This is my friend ... Alex.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” AJ smiled broadly. He shifted the casserole dish to his left arm and extended his right hand to both Ralph and Lorna. The two of them accepted his outstretched hand in turn; Lorna still eyeing his tattoos rather warily.

“It’s a shame that you’re not, you know, a couple.” Ralph chuckled. “There’s this really lovely pair down the street; Chris and Shane. They’re young like you guys. You would all probably get along really well.”

“Chris and Shane have lots of friends, Ralph.” Lorna admonished her husband. “Besides, I’m sure that Brian will meet them eventually.”

“Yeah, sure, I look forward to meeting everyone on the street.” Brian grinned. “It will be a nice way for Baylee to meet some of the other kids.”

“Of course, dear, we’ll encourage everyone to drop by once you’re all moved in.” Lorna promised. “Anyways, we won’t keep you. We know that you have a lot of unpacking to do. Just heat the casserole for twenty minutes at 375oF. Don’t worry about returning the dish, I’ll pop over and pick it up in a few days.”

“Thanks, again!” AJ shouted as the two of them headed back across the street.

Brian waited until Ralph and Lorna had safely set foot on their driveway before he closed the door and went back inside. He could hear AJ puttering around in the kitchen, and he knew that Lorna’s casserole was not going to make it to dinner tomorrow night.

“So, you and AJ, huh?” Nick smirked as Brian settled himself back on the couch. “I’m hurt that you guys hid it from us.”

“Don’t even start.” Brian warned. “I still don’t think that they’re entirely convinced that we’re not ... involved. Ralph wanted to set us up on a double date with Chris and Shane.”

“Who are Chris and Shane?” Nick raised his eyebrows.

“Apparently, they’re a lovely same-sex couple who live down the street.” AJ supplied as he walked back into the living room. “Casserole will be ready in twenty minutes.”

“Best first impression ever!” Kevin laughed. “At least they didn’t recognize you.”

“They’re like eighty years old.” Brian retorted. “I don’t think that our music is exactly their taste.”

“Maybe they have grandkids.” Howie offered. “Wouldn’t that be nice, Baylee? You could have someone to hang out with whenever they come to visit.”

“Whatever.” Baylee shrugged. He was fully engrossed in a tower-defence game that he had downloaded onto his iPad, and he didn’t even bother to look up when Howie addressed him.

“I think it would be nice.” Nick encouraged. “I always liked playing with the other kids on my street when I was growing up.”

“You were practically famous by the time you were my age.” Baylee shot back without taking his eyes off of the screen. “I bet you didn’t even know the names of the kids who lived on your street. Weren’t you already a Backstreet Boy by the time you were eleven?”

“I wasn’t famous when I was your age.” Nick corrected him. “I still had plenty of time to play basketball and stuff.”

“Whatever.” Baylee repeated.

“Bay, you know that I can’t stand it when you say ‘whatever’.” Brian sighed. “It’s rude.”

“Whatever.”

Nick suppressed a smirk as he stole a quick glance at Brian. His friend was positively seething on the other side of the room. Clearly, both father and son were having a hard time adjusting to the pre-teen phase of Baylee’s life. It was likely that the divorce wasn’t helping the situation, but Nick sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to point that out to Brian.

“Baylee, I’m dead serious ...” Brian began to raise his voice, but his threat was cut short by a sharp knock on the front door.

“More visitors?” Rochelle wondered; incredulous. “People around here sure are friendly.”

“I’ll get it.” Nick offered. He pushed himself off of the couch, his over-exerted muscles aching in protest. “Maybe it’s another old lady brining you food. Hopefully, it’s home-made cookies this time.”

“That reminds me; I should check on the casserole!” AJ leapt from his seat with surprising agility. “You’re all going to have some of it, right?”

“I have never seen that man so excited about food.” Rochelle muttered as AJ retreated to the kitchen. “I better learn how to make a chicken casserole.”

The knock sounded again, but it was more urgent this time.

Brian rolled his eyes as Nick walked past him. “Please don’t give anyone else the wrong idea. I’m already going to have a hard enough time explaining AJ’s presence the next time that I see Ralph and Lorna.”

“I make no promises.” Nick quipped. He strode over to the door and yanked it open. “Welcome to the Littrell residence!”

“Mr. Littrell?”

Nick stared back at the two women who were standing on the porch. Actually, his eyes were firmly locked on the girl who was standing slightly behind the lady who had spoken. She was young, probably in her early thirties, if he had to warrant a guess. She was slim with a pretty face and wide, pale blue eyes, but it was her hair that had captured his attention. It was pin straight and a unique shade of red; darker and more auburn, like the colour of cinnamon. The colour was so unusual that Nick wondered for a second if it was nothing more than a well-executed dye job, but the long strands cascaded over the girl’s pale skin and he knew by her complexion alone that the colour was her own.

“Mr. Littrell?”

Nick tore his eyes away from the red-haired girl and focused his attention on the older lady. She was staring back at him expectantly; her lips pursed together in annoyance. Just beyond middle-aged and heavy-set, she was a stark contrast to the younger woman who stood behind her.

“Bri – errr - Mr. Littrell is inside.” Nick mumbled. He was practically forcing himself to keep his eyes on the plump, gray haired woman. “I’m Nick – Nick Carter.”

“I’m Peggy Peach.”

The older woman extended her hand and Nick shook it quickly; surprised by the strength of her grip. “It’s nice to meet you.” He offered.

“This is Kayla Ford.” Peggy gestured at the attractive redhead.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Kayla.” Nick grinned. He offered his hand to the young woman and she extended her slender fingers in response, shifting the clipboard that she was carrying to her left hand.

Nick looked into her eyes as their hands touched, and he knew immediately that Kayla recognized him.

Her eyes twinkled knowingly, but she kept her expression neutral; a perfect poker face. “It’s good to meet you, Mr. Carter.”

“We’re here to see Mr. Littrell.” Peggy continued. “We’re with Lexington C.P.S.”

“C.P.S.?” Nick reluctantly let go of Kayla’s hand and turned to Peggy in confusion.

“That’s right, Mr. Carter.” Peggy spoke slowly. “We’re with Child Protective Services. Is Mr. Littrell available?”

Kayla desperately tried to conceal her nerves as she gazed up at the all-too-familiar face of Nick Carter. Now, she understood why all of the names in the initial file had been blacked out. Now, she understood why Peggy had refused to provide her with any specific details during the car ride over. The thought of dealing with a high-profile celebrity file had never even crossed her mind. After all, it wasn’t as though a lot of celebrities chose to live in the Kentucky suburbs. Peggy had handed her a copy of the uncensored file when they had pulled into the driveway, but Kayla had barely glanced at it. Apparently, she no longer needed to read it as Nick Carter’s face had just put everything in perspective.

Technically, Kayla was still in training. She had been shadowing Peggy for the last seven weeks; getting to know her clients and learning how to manage her caseload. The older woman was on the verge of retirement and was eagerly awaiting hip surgery. Although Kayla would eventually be assuming sole responsibility for all of Peggy’s files, her mentor wasn’t slated to retire for another six months. No wonder Peggy had seemed so agitated when the file had crossed her desk. A case like this was bound to involve a lot of work and the rest of Peggy’s caseload was a cakewalk. The older woman had obviously established a grand vision of slipping blissfully into retirement by doing as little work as possible; a vision that the appearance of the Littrell file had likely shattered beyond repair.

“Y-yes, Mr. Littrell is available.”

Kayla returned to the present at the sound of Nick’s voice.

“Come in.”

Peggy lumbered into the house, her breathing intensifying with the effort of lugging her excess weight up the short set of steps. Kayla lagged behind, clutching the clipboard to her chest as she brushed past Nick who was holding the door open for them. She gazed quickly around the large foyer; boxes were stacked everywhere in apparent disarray and an assortment of shoes littered the floor. There were also three car seats lined up in front of the hall closet amidst an assortment of diaper bags.

Kayla glanced quickly at Peggy in an attempt to gage her reaction. The older woman was surveying the mess in dissatisfaction, her lips turning white from the sheer effort of being forced together so tightly. It hadn’t taken Kayla long to learn that a silent Peggy was an unhappy Peggy.

“Brian’s just in the living room.” Nick informed them. He hurriedly shut the front door and led them through the foyer into an expansive, sunken living room.

The happy chatter ground to a halt as the three of them stepped into the room. Kayla sucked in her breath as she took in the scene before her. She tried to keep her expression neutral in an attempt to conceal the fact that she could easily name all of the men in the room without being introduced.

If the foyer had been messy, the living room was an outright disaster. The oversized couch was sitting at an awkward angle in the middle of the room, as were two co-ordinating wing-backed chairs. Bulging moving boxes were balanced in precarious looking piles in all corners of the room, and empty beer bottles, pop cans, and pizza boxes were strewn about. In the middle of the chaos were three small children, who all appeared to be under the age of one. Two other boys, who looked to be about seven and five years old, were sitting cross-legged on the floor, and an older boy was curled up in one of the wing-chairs.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, Kayla peered down at the information on the clipboard. According to the notes that she and Peggy had been given, Brian and his son had moved in more than two weeks ago. No wonder Peggy looked so angry. She could only imagine the unforgiving comments that the veteran caseworker was already formulating in her mind.

“Mr. Littrell?” Peggy voiced the same question for the third time that evening. Her eyes were feverishly scanning the room as she spoke.

Unlike Peggy, Kayla knew exactly who Brian Littrell was, and her attention immediately drifted to the blonde southerner sitting on the couch. She saw the flicker of confusion pass through his blue eyes as he tried to make sense of who they were.

“Yes, I’m Brian Littrell. What can I do for y’all?”

Kayla found herself subconsciously holding her breath as Brian rose from the couch and stepped forward to greet them. His soft, southern drawl was laced with apprehension as he took note of their clipboards.

“Mr. Littrell, I’m Peggy Peach and this is my colleague, Kayla Ford. We’re with Child Protective Services.” Peggy cut straight to the chase. “We’ve been instructed to carry out an investigation in order to determine your capacity to successfully parent Baylee Littrell.”

Brian stopped mid-stride and stared at Peggy in shock. “Who’s instructed you to do this?”

“The request was initiated by a member of the legal counsel acting on behalf of Ms. Leighanne Wallace of Atlanta, Georgia.” Peggy read the information from the first page of the report. “You currently have primary custody of your son, Baylee, is that correct?”

“That’s correct.” Brian stated. His lazy, southern drawl had turned icy. “I was unaware that Ms. Wallace had made such a request.”

“Nobody is ever aware of our first visit.” Peggy deadpanned. “Which one of these children is Baylee?”

Once again, Kayla’s eyes swept the room. Her gaze eventually came to rest on the three babies who were squirming around on a play mat in the middle of the floor. The oldest of the three, a little girl, was chewing determinedly on a plastic toy. She seemed beyond content, despite the fact that drool was dripping off her chin at a rapid rate. The other two baby boys weren’t really doing much of anything, aside from wiggling around on their stomachs, but they appeared happy enough.

“Baylee is over there.” Brian gestured towards the oldest boy who had his eyes glued to an iPad. “I still don’t understand why you’re here.”

“Who do these other children belong to?” Peggy ignored Brian’s statement.

Brian sighed. It was apparent that he knew that he wasn’t going to be getting any more information out of Peggy. “The two blonde boys, Mason and Max, are my cousin Kevin’s children. The two dark haired boys, James and Holden, belong to my friend Howie, and the little girl, Ava, is my friend AJ – errr – Alex’s daughter.”

Brian pointed to everyone in turn as he identified the parents of the respective children. As Kayla followed his hand gestures, she took note of the fact that AJ was missing. For each face that Kayla examined, she was greeted with an expression of intense concern and apprehension. She had a feeling that the visit was not going to go well.

“I see.” Peggy stalled and began flipping through the pages on her clipboard. “What is your relation to these other people?”

“As I said, Kevin’s my cousin.” Brian repeated. It was obvious that he was stalling as well.

Peggy pursed her lips together in irritation. Kayla knew that the information was blatantly spelled out for her in the information packet, but it was standard procedure to have a client confirm their relationship to every person who had been named within the initial request for investigation. Although she hadn’t had a chance to read the non-censored version of the request, Peggy’s persistence led Kayla to assume that Brian’s band mates must have been mentioned.

“I mean the others.” Peggy pressed. “Specifically, I need to know how you’re related to Alexander McLean, Howard Dorough, and Nickolas Carter.”

“I’m not related to them.” Brian clarified. “We’re friends.”

“The information that I’ve been given indicates that the five of you work together; that you’re in a band. Is that right?” Peggy raised her eyes from her clipboard and waited, pen poised.

“That’s right.” Brian confirmed. “We’re the Backstreet Boys.” He made the last comment with a hint of derision, and Kayla couldn’t quite tell if it was directed at the group or at Peggy.

“Thank you, Mr. Littrell.” Peggy forced a smile onto her face. “If you don’t mind, we’d like to take a quick look around the rest of your home. It says here that you moved in two weeks ago, and I have to say that my first impression is that things are still a bit ... disorganized.”

“It says what?” Brian asked. He strained his neck in an attempt to get a look at the document, but Peggy quickly pulled the clipboard towards her chest. “I just moved in today.”

“That would explain the disorganization.” Kayla offered. It was the first thing that she had uttered since she had introduced herself to Nick on the front porch, and everyone in the room turned to stare at her. It was like they had forgotten that she was even standing there.

Brian’s gaze flittered from Peggy to Kayla, and his face softened slightly as their eyes locked. “Exactly; I don’t actually live like this.” Brian gestured wildly at the clutter to emphasize his point.

“Regardless of how you normally live, Mr. Littrell, we still have to file a report about how your home looks today.” Peggy explained. “The paperwork that we’ve been given states that you closed on this house two and a half weeks ago, and that you moved in fifteen days ago.”

“Well, your paperwork is wrong.” Brian challenged. “I did close on the house over two weeks ago, but I didn’t move in as scheduled. I was on a promotional tour in Japan.”

“And where was Baylee during that time?” Peggy questioned.

“He was with me in Japan.” Brian answered. “Where else would he have been?”

“I think it’s better if you let me ask the questions, Mr. Littrell.” Peggy retorted. She finished scrawling some notes in the margins of the report and looked at Brian expectantly. “You can show us around, or we can wander around on our own. It makes no difference to us.”

“Right this way.” Brian mumbled. He made a sweeping arm motion, indicating that the two women should return to the foyer, as he carefully stepped over the makeshift coffee table.

“Kayla, if you could fill out the checklist as we go along that would be great.” Peggy instructed.

Kayla nodded in understanding and quickly flipped to the final two pages of the report. She hated this part of the job. No matter how impeccable a client’s house appeared to be there always seemed to be something that made them lose marks. Kayla had learned early on that it was almost impossible to pass the initial inspection, and she stifled a groan as she skimmed the first few questions:

1. Is the home neat and tidy?
2. Is the home free of hazards and/or objects that could be harmful to children?
3. Is there evidence of alcohol consumption in the home?
4. Is there evidence of illegal drug use in the home?

Based on her observation of the living room, Kayla already knew the answers to the first three questions. Brian definitely wasn’t off to a good start. She prayed to God that she didn’t have to circle ‘yes’ to question number four as she followed Brian and Peggy down the hallway towards the kitchen. Along the way, they passed a formal dining room and a home office. Both rooms were stacked with boxes and improperly placed furniture.

The house was so out of sorts that Kayla had pretty much completed the whole check list before they had even set foot in the kitchen. All that she had left to answer were the questions that were specifically related to the kitchen and the bedrooms. She was so engrossed in the paperwork that she failed to realize that Brian and Peggy had both stopped dead in their tracks.

“Watch yourself!”

Kayla jerked her head up at the sound of Nick’s voice. His hand curled gently around her upper arm, and he pulled her backwards just before she ploughed head-long into Peggy’s back. Startled; Kayla stumbled backwards into Nick’s solid frame. She hadn’t even been aware of the fact that he had accompanied them on their little tour, but she was glad that he had. The last thing that she needed was to be responsible for pushing up the date of Peggy’s impending hip surgery. The woman complained enough about the state of her failing joints as it was.

“Sorry.” Kayla mumbled. She could feel herself blushing furiously and she knew that her usually pale skin had probably turned a refreshing shade of lobster red.

“Don’t be sorry.” Nick stated. He gently released her arm, his fingers lingering on her skin for a fraction of a second longer than necessary. “You were involved in your work.”

“Yeah.” Kayla confirmed. “I was.” She took a step forward so that her back was no longer grazing Nick’s chest and lifted her eyes to see what had caused Peggy and Brian to stop so suddenly. What she saw took her breath away and not necessarily in a good way.

A man, who Kayla immediately recognized as AJ, was standing in the kitchen. He was wearing a frilly, canary yellow apron overtop of his practically all black outfit. His heavily tattooed arms bulged at the seams of his tight t-shirt, and he was carefully ladling heaping amounts of casserole onto an assortment of paper plates. An iPhone was propped up on the counter and Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ was coursing through the speakers. AJ was stinging along softly with the song and wiggling his hips in time with the beat as he dished out the food. He appeared to be completely oblivious to the fact that he was no longer alone.

“What the fuck?” Nick choked out.

AJ whipped around at the sound of his friend’s voice. If he was at all embarrassed at having been caught wearing an apron and singing along to Lady Gaga, he didn’t show it. Instead, he plastered a huge smile on his face and placed his left hand on his hip. He whipped the ladle, which was still firmly clasped in his right hand, into the air and sashayed forward.

“Heeeeyyyyy” He trilled. “Ya’ll are just in time for some casserole!”

Kayla stared at AJ in silent disbelief. She was doing everything in her power to stop herself from laughing uncontrollably. Poor Brian was staring at his friend with a mixture of horror and amusement, and Peggy looked as though she had no idea what to make of the strange, bearded man who stood before her. Kayla could only imagine the conversation that was going to take place during the drive back to the office.

“Are you Alexander McLean?” Peggy finally broke the silence after consulting her clipboard.

“The one and only, darlin’” AJ kept up the gag, complete with his high-pitched southern accent, as he answered Peggy’s question. “It was so nice of ya’ll to drop by for some dinner. I’ve been positively slaving over a hot stove all day.”

“Jesus.” Nick muttered.

Kayla dared a quick glance over her shoulder at Nick. His face was turning red from the effort of suppressing his laughter, and it didn’t look as though he was going to be able to hold back much longer.

“I’m Peggy – Peggy Peach.” Peggy stuttered, clearly flummoxed.

“Peggy Peach!” AJ positively squealed. His voice was so high pitched that Kayla wasn’t even sure if it was actually him speaking. “If that ain’t just the cuuuuuuuuuutest name I’ve ever heard!”

Kayla watched as Brian slowly closed and reopened his eyes. He was obviously at a loss for how to get his friend to behave less like a mental patient and more like a responsible parent. Kayla knew that she couldn’t let AJ’s performance continue for much longer; Peggy was probably already formulating the precisely worded recommendation in her head.

“I’m Kayla!” She slid around Peggy’s bulky frame and locked eyes with AJ. “Peggy and I are from the Lexington office of Child Protective Services.”

“Oh shit.” AJ immediately dropped the act. His raspy voice returned and he removed his hand from his hip. He shot Brian a worried look as a gob of melted cheese came loose from the ladle and dropped heavily onto the tile floor. “I’m sorry - I didn’t – shit - I don’t usually wear a fucking frilly apron.”

“That’s good to know.” Kayla sighed and returned her eyes to her check list:

24. Does/Do the adult(s) who is/are regularly present in the home appear to use any form of profanity on a consistent basis?

Brian clutched the papers to his chest as he sank down onto the couch. He curled his fingers around the edges of the hefty document, relishing the feel of the paper yielding under his grip. He was so mad that he didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or punch someone in the face. He couldn’t believe that he was being investigated by Child Protective Services. He wasn’t a deadbeat dad who didn’t give a shit about his son. He was the complete opposite; he would do anything in the world to make Baylee happy and to keep him safe.

True, the visit hadn’t gone very well, but that wasn’t his fault. If that stupid Peggy Peach woman had only listened to what he was saying, then maybe things would have gone a bit better. Yeah, the house was a mess. He couldn’t argue with that. All he could argue was the fact that the current state of the house was in no way reflective of his regular living condition. His stomach churned with anger the more he thought about the situation. Leighanne had known that he had pushed back his move-in date in order to accommodate the Japan trip, so she had obviously provided the wrong information to her lawyer on purpose. It was no secret that she was seeking primary custody of Baylee, and she would clearly stop at nothing to get her way.

“Brian?” Leigh’s soft voice cut into his thoughts. “Are you – do you need us to do anything?”

Brian blinked rapidly to refocus his vision and raised his eyes to his friends. They were all staring at him with concerned, yet determined looks on their faces.

“Whatever you need.” Howie confirmed. “Just ask.”

Brian sighed. He was still trying to digest all of the information that Peggy and Kayla had thrown at him before they left. The only thing that he knew for sure was that he had failed the initial visit, and that he would now be subjected to the entire investigation process. C.P.S. would be conducting a minimum of three at-home follow-up visits, plus they would be carrying out at least one visit while he was on tour. They were also going to be looking into the backgrounds of everyone who had been named in the initial document. Apparently, they had to determine if he was subjecting his son to people of ‘questionable moral character’, or something to that effect. Brian couldn’t remember the exact term that Peggy had used, but it was a load of crap. He could only imagine what the outcome was going to be when Peggy ran a background check on Nick.

“I’m going to need you all to write a statement.” Brian muttered. “You know, like a reference, to say that I’m a good dad or whatever.”

“Consider it done.” AJ stated. He shuffled into the room and began distributing plates of Lorna’s casserole. “I’m really sorry about what happened earlier. I thought that they were just some more of your neighbours.”

“Honestly, AJ, it’s fine.” Brian accepted the steaming plate of food from his tattooed friend and grinned. “It was hilarious!”

“I feel like a complete ass.” AJ finished handing out the food and plopped himself down on the floor next to Rochelle. “Peachy Peggles, or whatever her name is, must think that I need to wear mittens all year round.”

Nick snorted so hard that he practically choked on his mouthful of chicken. “It’s Peggy Peach.”

“You did put on a pretty good show.” Brian laughed. “Where did you even find that apron?”

AJ shrugged. “It was sticking out of one of the boxes that the girls had already opened. I just didn’t want to risk getting any cheese on my shirt.”

“And the Lady Gaga impersonation ...” Nick teased. “... is that something that you regularly do for fun?”

“Gaga is an amazing artist.” AJ mumbled; his mouth stuffed with casserole. “I have nothing but respect for her and her army of Little Monsters.”

“I can’t believe that I missed the whole thing!” Kevin moaned. “Why didn’t any of you think to record it?”

“Did you see the look on the younger one’s face?” AJ grinned. “What’s her name? Kayla? She looked like she was trying to stop herself from busting a gut.”

“That’s because, unlike Peggy, she knows who we are.” Nick pointed out. He shoved another heaping forkful of casserole into his mouth and chewed noisily. “She recognized the irony of bad-boy AJ McLean wearing a frilly apron.”

“What do you mean she knows who we are?” Kevin narrowed his eyes. “She didn’t act as if she gave two shits about meeting any of us.”

Nick swallowed loudly before responding. “I could tell by the way that she looked at me. She knew who I was before I even opened my mouth. It was more than just recognition though. I think she’s a fan.”

“You’re kidding?” Howie challenged. “She was so stoic.”

“I would put money on it.” Nick affirmed. “She’s a fan, maybe not a huge one, but she doesn’t hate us, that’s for sure.”

“If Nick is right, that could work in your favour.” Rochelle turned towards Brian. “If Kayla is able to sway Peggy to see you in a good way, maybe you won’t have to go through with the whole investigation.”

Brian took another bite of casserole and chewed it slowly as he thought about Rochelle’s words. She made a good point, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to manipulate Kayla. She and Peggy would have to come to their own conclusion, regardless of whether or not Kayla was indeed a Backstreet Boys’ fan.

“Regardless if Kayla knows who we are or not, I want C.P.S. to make a decision based on my ability to take care of my kid. I don’t want our celebrity status to have any bearing on their decision.” Brian concluded.

“I think who you are is going to impact their decision, at least a little bit.” Rochelle planned her words carefully. “Peggy did say that she was going to carry out an on-the-road visit.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” Brian sighed. “Right now, I have got to focus on getting this place together before they come back on Monday.”

“Two days isn’t much time.” Kristin conceded. “I wish that we could stay longer and help you out, but it’s hard with Max still being so young.”

“You guys have already done more than enough.” Brian acknowledged. “Besides, Nick will be here to help me.”

“It’s only going to be for a few days.” Nick promised. “Kev has assured me that his place will be move-in-ready by Wednesday.”

“I’m just waiting for the painters to do some touch ups and for the kitchen guys to finish installing the new granite.” Kevin explained. “I didn’t think it would take this long. Of course, when I booked in all of the trades I didn’t anticipate that anyone would be living in it.”

“It’s fine.” Brian smiled. “I don’t mind the company ... or the help.”

The next morning, Brian found himself awake before seven. He had spent a fitful night, awaking every few hours after having the same dream; one in which he watched helplessly from the stage while Baylee was dragged away by a group of armed guards. It had been one of the roughest nights that he had spent since the initial stages of the divorce, and he had a horrible feeling that the lack of sleep was going to continue until the situation with C.P.S. was resolved.

Brian peeked quietly in at his son before he descended the stairs. Baylee was flat on his stomach, fast asleep and snoring softly, his left leg sticking out of the blankets and resting on the floor. Brian had been too tired to assemble the bed-frames the night before, so they had both spent the night sleeping on mattresses in the middle of their respective floors. He would definitely have to tackle the bedrooms right away. Peggy had made it perfectly clear that Baylee’s room needed to be in pristine condition by the time she returned.

Satisfied that Baylee was fine, Brian trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen. He found the unfamiliarity of the house to be a bit unnerving, but he pushed the thought aside. Once everything was unpacked he hoped that his new place would at least start to feel a little bit more like home. Brian stopped upon entering the kitchen and looked around. The girls had done a superb job of setting everything up and putting everything away, but that did nothing to change the fact that he had no groceries.

“Looking for this?”

Brian turned as Nick strode into the kitchen; Dunkin Donuts take out bags clutched in his hands. He was also balancing a tray with two extra-large cups of coffee and a small orange juice. Brian smiled appreciatively as he relieved his friend of the beverage tray. He placed the cardboard tray on the expansive island that stood in the middle of the kitchen and removed the bottle of orange juice that he knew was for Baylee. He opened the empty fridge and placed the orange juice inside, laughing slightly at how ridiculous it looked against the stark whiteness of the interior.

“You’re up early.”

“So are you.” Nick pointed out. He opened one of the take-out bags and tossed a wrapped breakfast sandwich in Brian’s direction.

Brian easily caught the sandwich and looked around for a place to sit. When he realized that he had no idea where his kitchen chairs were, he swung himself up onto the island and planted his backside firmly on the granite. He removed one of the coffee cups from the tray and motioned for Nick to join him.

Nick followed Brian’s lead and scooted up onto the counter. His long legs dangled only inches from the floor as he positioned himself on the hard surface. He picked up the remaining cup of coffee and took a long sip before peeling back the wrapper on his own sandwich.

“This is kind of hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” Brian took a small bite of his breakfast bagel and gave Nick a sideways glance.

“Us. All of this.” Nick gestured at the disorganization that surrounded them. “I never thought that we would be here ... like this.”

Brian stalled and took another small bite of his sandwich. There was a lot of weight behind Nick’s words. It was no secret that their friendship had all but disappeared; lost amidst a haze of drugs, alcohol, and women. For the longest time, Brian had felt that he would never be able to forgive Nick for the choices that he had made and for the way that he had behaved. To make a long story short, he had been hurt. He had been devastated that Nick had turned to drugs instead of him.

After finding out about the impending divorce from Kevin, Nick had sought Brian out. At first Brian had been sceptical, but he had desperately needed someone to talk to. He had felt guilty unloading his sorrows on the other guys who were all relishing in the joy of their relationships and their new babies. It had been awkward at first, but he and Nick had managed to slowly chip away at some of the resentment that had built up between them over the past few years. When Nick had decided to end things with Lauren, Brian had been the first person that he had called. It was at that moment that Brian had come to the conclusion that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life hating Nick. It was also why he had offered to let Nick stay with him when Lauren had essentially kicked him out. Now seemed like as good of a time as any for them to pick up where they had left off so many years ago.

“We’re good.”

Nick stopped chewing at Brian’s words. He tore his eyes away from the mess of boxes and turned to face the older man. “We’re good?”

Brian nodded. He popped the final bite of food into his mouth and took a sip of coffee before he continued. “I need my best friend back.”

Nick swallowed what was left in his mouth. A slow smile began to tug at the corners of his lips. “Is this the part where we’re supposed to hug things out and cry about how much we’ve missed each other?”

“You’re such an ass.” Brian shook his head. “This isn’t a Nicholas Sparks movie.”

“I missed you.” Nick grinned. “Even though you’re a sarcastic prick.”

Brian let out a genuine snort of amusement, but a heavy knock on the front door prevented him from coming back with a biting comment. He slid off of the counter and began walking towards the front of the house. As much as hoped that it wasn’t Peggy and Kayla coming back with another list of stipulations, he didn’t think that anything could completely destroy his sense of relief. Frick and Frack had returned.

“Took you long enough.”

Brian blinked in surprise as he opened the door and stared into his cousin’s face. AJ and Howie were also standing on the porch, holding take-out cups of coffee and smirking.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“We sent the kids and the girls home.” Howie explained. “You didn’t really think that we would all just take off and let you and Nick sort this shit out on your own, did you?”

“You guys don’t have to do this.” Brian stammered. “We’re going to be on the road again in a few weeks. You should be at home, spending time with your families.”

“There’s no way that two people can set up this entire house in two days.” Kevin countered. “We have to make sure that you pass the next inspection.”

“Are you ready to get started?” AJ asked. He pushed his way into the foyer and surveyed the mess. “We have a shit load of stuff to do.”

Kentucky weather was confusing. Three days ago, AJ had been sweating his ass off hauling furniture in the blazing October sun. Today, he was in long sleeves and fighting to ignore the slight chill that hung in the air; talk about a short-lived Indian summer.

“I don’t remember there being so many boxes when I was packing them.” Brian mumbled. He pushed up the sleeves of his hooded sweatshirt and sighed.

AJ turned around and surveyed the pile of cardboard boxes that still needed to be flattened and bound together. They had been working on the task for over forty-five minutes and they had only managed to create three piles. Judging by the mess on Brian’s lawn, they could easily make another four or five piles.

“We’re almost at the end.” AJ lied. “What time are Peggy and Kayla supposed to show up?”

“They never said.” Brian shrugged. He pulled apart the bottom of another box and added it to the pile at AJ’s feel. “At least the inside of the house is finally put together.”

“I think that I even saw Nick dusting.” AJ laughed. “Who the hell knew that he was so domesticated?”

“Dad!”

AJ and Brian turned their attention to Baylee who was standing on the front porch.

Baylee stared back at them in disdain, his hands shoved into the front pocket of his Atlanta Falcons sweatshirt. “I’m bored.”

“God help me.” Brian rolled his eyes at AJ before he addressed his son. “Maybe if you helped out, you wouldn’t be so bored.”

“What you guys are doing is boring.” Baylee whined. “I don’t want to help Uncle Howie vacuum.”

“Sometimes we all have to do things that we don’t want to do.” Brian retorted. He roughly disassembled another box as he spoke. “You could help us with these boxes.”

Baylee narrowed his eyes in defiance. “That’s even worse than vacuuming.”

“You have two choices, kid, pick one.” AJ shot back. “Your dad is asking you to help out.”

“I know what he’s asking me to do.” Baylee snapped. “I’m telling you guys that I’m bored and that I want to do something fun.” He sat down on the porch and pointed his eyes at AJ, practically daring him to say something else.

“Bay, this is really not the best time to sulk.” Brian forced himself to keep the anger out of his voice. “Ms. Peach and Ms. Ford will be here any minute and we really have to make sure that everything is done. It would also be nice if you spoke to them this time; to show them that you have some manners.”

“Heyyyy y’all! You guys almost all unpacked?”

AJ pulled his gaze away from Baylee’s sullen expression and turned to face the street. Two highly attractive men were strolling along the sidewalk in their direction. They were both tall and blonde; their fitted sweaters accentuating the fact that they were well built. AJ had a feeling that he and Brian were about to meet Chris and Shane.

“Which one of y’all just moved in to this big ole house? Lorna and Ralph gave us a very non-descript explanation of the new owner.” One of the men giggled as they came to a stop in front of Brian and AJ.

“That would be me. I’m Brian.” Brian identified himself. “This is my friend, Alex.”

AJ suppressed a smirk as he reached out to shake hands with the two men. The fact that Brian had placed extra emphasis on the word ‘friend’ hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Pleased to meet ya both. I’m Shane and this is my husband Chris.” The slightly taller of the two men explained.

“You don’t go by AJ in public?” Chris commented as he shook AJ’s hand. “That’s a shame.”

“Well I – I do – I mean – I usually go by it.” AJ stuttered. He looked to Brian for support. He knew that his friend was trying to keep a low profile in his new neighbourhood, which is why he had chosen to introduce him by his given name as opposed to his highly publicized nickname.

“You know who we are then?” Brian cut straight to the chase. He eyed the two men warily. “I was kind of hoping that I would be able to blend into the neighbourhood without too much fuss.”

“Of course we know who y’all are!” Shane gushed. “We’re in our mid-thirties. Y’all practically defined our generation in terms of the boy band craze.”

“Well that’s very ... flattering.” Brian paused. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that you know our music. I’m just a bit concerned about attracting attention to myself.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that around here.” Chris waved his hand dismissively. “It’s a really quiet street, and people tend to keep to themselves. You’ll be hard pressed to find anybody who has the time to gossip. Most everybody works all the time anyways. Those who don’t work twelve hours a day are retired and, like Lorna and Ralph, wouldn’t know you from a hole in the ground.”

“Really?” AJ raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What do you guys do? It must be something flexible if you’re wandering the streets on a Monday afternoon.”

“I’m in investment banking and Chris is in corporate sales.” Shane replied rather vaguely. “Nothing as glamorous as being a Backstreet Boy, but it pays the bills and allows us to work from home on occasion.”

“So, are there many kids on the street?” Brian nodded his head in Baylee’s direction. “My son and I just relocated from Atlanta and I was hoping that he would be able to make some friends in the neighbourhood.”

“There are a few around his age.” Chris affirmed. “How old is he? Eleven?”

“Good guess.” Brian nodded. “He’ll be eleven in just over a month.”

“It was hardly a guess.” Chris laughed. “I have an eleven year old son, myself. I can spot a pre-teen scowl a mile away.”

“You guys adopted a baby?” AJ nodded approvingly. “That’s pretty amazing.”

“I wish.” Chris breathed. “We’ve been on an adoption list for over three years now, but we still haven’t been chosen. Michael is my son from my first marriage. I was finally granted sole custody after my ex-wife had a minor mental breakdown and checked herself into a psychiatric facility in Mississippi.”

“God, that was an ordeal.” Shane lamented. “I think we had C.P.S. at our door every other day when we were fighting for custody. You would not believe how prejudice some people still are towards same-sex couples who want to parent.”

“They still follow-up with us twice a year.” Chris shook his head. “The system is unbelievable.”

“You’re telling us.” AJ agreed. “Brian had a nasty run-in with them just a few days ago.”

“With who?” Chris turned his full attention to Brian. “With C.P.S.?”

“Yeah.” Brian sighed. He shot AJ a look that clearly indicated that he was pissed off that his personal business had become public knowledge. “It’s just some nonsense to do with my ex-wife. They're actually supposed to be following up with me today.”

Chris and Shane exchanged a knowing glance. “Who’s assigned to your file?” Shane asked. “Is it Peaches and Cinnamon? They’re the ones who follow-up with us twice a year.”

“Peaches and Cinnamon?” Brian repeated. He wasn’t sure if he had heard them correctly. “Their names were Peggy and Kayla.”

“Exactly!” Shane grinned. “Peggy Peach and Kayla Ford. We call Peggy ‘Peaches’ because of her last name and we call Kayla ‘Cinnamon’ because of her hair.”

“It sounds like a dessert.” AJ stated. “From what I saw on Friday night, Peggy was definitely not sweet enough to be named after a dessert.”

“Peggy is a bit rough around the edges.” Shane admitted. “She’s very by-the-book, but Kayla is a total sweetheart.”

Chris nodded in agreement. “Kayla’s new and, from what we understand, Peggy is training her to take over her caseload.”

“Just make sure that you can answer all of the big questions.” Shane advised. “You know what I mean, stuff related to healthcare, school, holidays.”

“Speaking of school, have you enrolled your son yet?” Chris asked. “I’m assuming that he’s going to be attending Sparrow Hill. It’s the same school that Mike goes to. I bet that they’ll end up being in the same class.”

“School?” Brian gave AJ a frantic look as if he was hoping that he would somehow be able to answer the question for him. “Baylee has always been homeschooled. I’m on the road so often that a traditional classroom setting has never been feasible.”

“Oh.” Chris looked a bit unsure of how to proceed. “So, have you arranged a homeschool teacher – tutor – whatever you call it?”

“No ...” The panic was creeping into Brian’s voice and AJ was pretty sure that his southern friend as on the verge of a breakdown. “I hadn’t even given it a thought. Leighanne always arranged Baylee’s schooling. His teacher in Atlanta was a friend of hers ...”

“It’s okay, calm down.” Chris soothed. “If they ask you about it today, just tell them that you’re planning on enrolling him at Sparrow Hill first thing tomorrow. They won’t even think twice about it and you will have sorted out the whole homeschool thing by the time they even think to follow-up.”

“You think that will work?” Brian asked. He still looked a bit panic stricken.

“Of course it will work.” AJ confirmed. “Kayla and Peachy Peggles will never even know the difference until it’s too late.”

“It’s Peggy, AJ.” Brian corrected. “Peggy Peach.”

“Speaking of everyone’s favourite dessert ...” Shane tilted his head in the direction of the driveway. “... Peaches and Cinnamon have arrived.”

Kayla noticed the cluster of men standing on the curb as soon as Peggy turned the car onto the tree-lined street. It was a nice neighbourhood; upper-class but not snooty. The houses were a mix of sprawling bungalows and traditional two-story designs that sat on wide lots and boasted charming and expansive front porches. Houses in the area ranged from $950,000 to $1.3 million. Despite the picturesque quality of the subdivision, Kayla had yet to determine why Brian had chosen to purchase a house that wasn’t more secluded. Although the Littrell home was definitely one of the most expensive houses on the street, it wasn’t the type of house that she would typically associate with a celebrity.

“Well that didn’t take long.” Peggy muttered as she navigated her Land Rover into Brian’s driveway.

Kayla followed the older woman’s gaze and decided that she must be referring to the fact that Chris and Shane were currently chatting up Brian and AJ. She smiled in spite of herself as Peggy killed the ignition. During their last encounter, Chris and Shane had let it slip that they both had a borderline obsession with 90s pop music. Kayla could only imagine how the two men must have reacted when they had discovered that a real-life Backstreet Boy had moved in down the street.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Peggy called as she opened her door and gingerly lowered herself onto the asphalt.

Kayla swung herself out of the car without difficulty. She walked around the massive vehicle to join Peggy on the other side; clutching a file folder that contained Brian’s copy of their first report. Although Kayla was pretty sure that Brian was well aware of the fact that he had completely bombed the first inspection, she still felt apprehensive about handing him the official results. She hated telling any parent that they were in danger of losing their child, especially if she knew that, deep down, the parent in question would never intentionally do anything wrong.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” AJ returned the greeting and flashed them a heart-melting smile. “As you can see, we’re just finishing up.”

“I can see that.” Peggy trilled; her eyes fluttering across the front yard. “There certainly are a lot of boxes.”

“We’re just in the process of cleaning them up.” AJ explained. He vigorously pulled apart the bottom of a box and tossed it on top of the other already flattened boxes. “Why don’t you guys go on inside and I can finish up out here.”

Kayla glanced quickly at Brian. He had yet to say anything to them, but he was at least nodding slightly at AJ’s suggestion that they should make their way inside. Their eyes locked and Kayla quickly looked away. She couldn’t stand to see the pain that she and Peggy had clearly already inflicted.

“He’s soooo not gay.” Shane giggled. “Poor Lorna really needs to stop jumping to conclusions.”

“What’s that?” Brian turned to look at Shane and Chris.

“Cinny, he was totally just checking you out.” Shane clucked. He short Kayla an approving smile. “Those skinny jeans make your ass look fantastic, by the way.”

“Who was checking her out?” Brian looked positively panic stricken. “Me? I – I was hardly even looking at her.”

“Oh, come on!” Shane laughed. “It’s okay to admit that you were taking a quick peek. If I were a straight man, I would be all over her like a fat kid on a Skittle.”

“You guys are too sweet!” Kayla gushed. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck and she purposefully avoided looking at Brian. She was almost positive that Shane had made the comment simply to break some of the tension. Even so, Kayla knew that she would be cherry red in less than five seconds if she looked at Brain

“I only speak the truth.” Shane reassured her. “Come on Brian, don’t you think that Kayla’s pretty?”

“I – I – well, yes.” Brian stuttered. His face had turned just about as red as Kayla’s felt. “You’re very pretty.” He mumbled as he dropped his gaze to her shoes.

“Well – errrr – thanks.” Kayla stammered. She shot daggers at Chris and Shane as she spoke. Kayla knew that Shane was only trying to lighten the mood, but she could have strangled him right there on the spot. To make matters worse, she could see AJ hiding his smirk with his hand as he crushed another box.

“Why don’t I take you guys inside?” Brian suggested. “Peggy looks ready to go.”

Kayla turned to face the house and saw that Peggy was currently inspecting the contents of the garage. She hadn’t even noticed that the older woman had wandered away from the conversation. Of course, that didn’t mean that Kayla wasn’t thankful that she had. The last thing that Kayla needed was for Peggy to think that she was distracting another client. She had already been removed from one file because the client in question had been a complete pervert.

Brian and Kayla fell into step beside each other and Kayla motioned for Peggy to follow them. In the background, she could hear Chris and Shane resume their conversation with AJ; their carefree laughter being carried along by the wind.

“Chris and Shane are quite the couple.” Kayla broke the silence. “I assume that they told you about our semi-annual visits.”

“They did.” Brian confirmed.

“They’re real sweethearts.” Kayla continued. “I think that they sometimes forget that not everyone is as forward as they are though. I hope they didn’t make you feel too awkward with the whole checking me out joke. Shane was just trying to be funny.”

Brian looked as if he was about to respond, but Peggy quickly caught up to them and interrupted. “Let’s get this done.” She commanded. “My feet are killing me.”

The three of them reached the foot of the porch and Baylee stood up from his sullen perch to greet them. “I’m supposed to say ‘hello’ to you.” He stated. “To show you that I have manners.”

Brian let out a grunt of embarrassment that almost sounded like he was being strangled. Kayla watched as he desperately tried to catch his son’s eye, but it was obvious that Baylee had no intention of looking his father in the face.

“I see.” Peggy pursed her lips together and hastily scribbled something on her notepad. “Well, it was nice of you to say hello.”

“Baylee!” Brian admonished. “Apologize to Ms. Peach and Ms. Ford for being so rude.”

“I wasn’t being rude!” Baylee challenged. “I did what you told me to do.”

Brian looked dumbfounded as he stared back at his son. “He’s not usually like this.” He stammered. “I think he’s just a bit upset over the move.”

“So, Baylee didn’t want to leave Georgia?” Peggy probed. She turned to face Baylee as she asked her next question. “Was it hard to leave all of your friends?”

Baylee shrugged. “I didn’t really have any friends.”

“That’s not true!” Brian countered. “You had friends ... at school.”

“The information that we have indicates that Baylee was homeschooled.” Kayla pointed out. “It’s possible that it could have been reported incorrectly ... just like your move-in date.”

“He was homeschooled.” Brian clarified. “But, when we were home for an extended period of time, he went to this academic-based program specifically for kids who are homeschooled. He went to the program three times a week.”

“I wasn’t friends with those kids.” Baylee shot back. “They barely even talked to me.”

“You never told me that.” Brian’s voice took on a concerned tone as he addressed his son. “What do you mean they didn’t talk to you?”

“This is perhaps a conversation that the two of you need to have at another time, Mr. Littrell.” Peggy sighed. “Whatever happened in Georgia is really none of our concern. We’re merely here to determine whether or not you’re capable of being a successful guardian to Baylee here in Kentucky.”

“Right, sorry.” Brian mumbled.

“Speaking of school ...” Peggy paused. “... I’m assuming that you’ve sorted out a way for Baylee’s homeschool program to continue here in Lexington.”

“I haven’t actually sorted out the homeschool program yet.” Brian admitted. “I AM enrolling Baylee at the local elementary school first thing tomorrow though.” He rushed on. “I’ve heard that Sparrow Hill has an excellent – errr – program.”

“It is a highly rated school, Mr. Littrell.” Peggy confirmed. “However, I think you will find that the program is pretty standard. It is, after all, a public school. So, a public school curriculum will be delivered.”

“Right. That’s what I meant.” Brian flushed slightly at his mistake.

“You never told me that I was going to school tomorrow.” Baylee cried; his voice ripe with indignation. “What if I don’t want to go?”

“I have an appointment tomorrow morning, but Kayla will meet you at the school at 8:00.” Peggy ignored Baylee’s outburst. She spoke without lifting her eyes from her notepad as she added more scribbles to the page.

“Kayla will meet me?” Brian repeated.

“It’s standard procedure.” Kayla smiled. “You would be amazed at how many parents lie about registering their children for school. It’s gotten so out of hand that we now have to request confirmation of the registration from the principal.”

“Really?” Brian’s eyes flashed with guilt as he forced a smile onto his face. “What kind of a horrible person would lie about sending their kid to school?”

“Like Kayla said, Mr. Littrell, you would be amazed at what some people do.” Peggy replied. “So, are we ready to go inside?”

“You bet!” Brian nodded vigorously. “We’re ready.” He opened the front door and motioned for Peggy and Kayla to go ahead of him.

Kayla stepped into the foyer behind Peggy and suppressed a gasp. She could hardly believe that she was looking at the same house. The clutter and chaos had vanished; everything was in its proper place. Pictures hung on the walls and an assortment of knickknacks had been unpacked and placed tastefully throughout the house. The hardwood floors gleamed and the smell of fresh-brewed coffee wafted out of the kitchen. Kayla didn’t even need to bother taking out her check-list; the house was immaculate.

“Welcome back.”

Once again, Kayla found herself staring up into the smiling face of Nick Carter. He had somehow managed to join their group en route to the kitchen. He must have followed them out of the foyer, but Kayla definitely didn’t remember seeing him when she and Peggy had entered the house. Where had he been hiding?

“No clipboard today?” Nick whispered.

His lips were dangerously close to her ear and Kayla shivered as his breath tickled the back of her neck.

“The place looks great.” Kayla took a step to her right in order to increase the distance between her and Nick. “Brian must have worked really hard.”

“He had some help.” Nick grinned. “You guys rattled him pretty bad on Friday night.”

“I know.” Kayla frowned. “Unfortunately, we have to follow the rules.”

They entered the kitchen and were greeted by Kevin and Howie. The two dark haired men were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping from oversized mugs of coffee. Their conversation ground to a halt when they caught sight of Peggy and Kayla, but they recovered quickly.

“Coffee?” Kevin offered. “It’s fresh.”

“I can make you some tea if you would prefer.” Howie added.

“No thank-you.” Peggy declined for the both of them. “We’ve got to be heading out.” She motioned for Kayla to hand Brian the folder that she was still clutching in her right hand.

“Oh ...” Kayla faltered. “... here’s a copy of our initial report.” She handed Brian the file without looking him in the face. “There shouldn’t be any surprises.”

“Thanks.” Brian acknowledged. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow morning.”

“That’s right.” Kayla nodded. “I’ll meet you in the main office at eight o’clock.”

Brian brought the car to a stop in front of Sparrow Hill Elementary and stole a quick glance at Baylee in the rear-view mirror. His son appeared almost indifferent to the fact that he would be attending his first day of school at the age of ten-going-on-eleven. Most children tottered off to school at four years old amidst a barrage of hugs, kisses, and pictures. It was a milestone event that both Brian and Baylee had missed out on and, judging by the look on his son’s face, they would not be recreating that heart-warming experience today.

“You ready?” Brian asked.

He shifted the car into park and stared at the school. It looked like every other public school that he had ever seen; grey brick exterior, blue double doors, windows covered in children’s art work, and a huge American flag planted firmly in the front yard.

“Whatever.” Baylee’s stark response emitted from the backseat.

“Perfect.” Brian faked happiness as he pushed open his door and stepped out of the car.

Baylee slid out of the backseat. He grabbed his backpack that was filled with the brand new school supplies that Brian had hastily purchased from the twenty-four hour WalMart the night before and slammed the car door.

Brian winced at the sound, but he held his tongue. There was no point in wasting his breath; Baylee would just slam the door even harder next time. The two of them approached the double entry doors in silence. Brian was still clutching his car keys in his left hand as he pulled open the door. He was clearly more nervous than Baylee.

Classes didn’t start until 8:30, so the hallways were quiet as they approached the main office. Brian stared at the framed pictures that lined the walls, taking in the smiling faces of all the children who had graduated from the school over the years. He felt a smile creep onto his own face as they walked past the overflowing lost-and-found bin. How many times had his mother berated him for losing a brand new hat or a pair of mittens?

“Here we are.” Brian announced when they reached the office. He knocked softly on the open door before stepping inside.

A middle-aged woman greeted them warmly as they walked in. Her mousy brown hair was greying slightly at the temples, and her teeth were just a little off-centre. “How can I help you?”

“We’re here for ...” Brian stared again. “I’m here to register my son.”

“Excellent.” The woman smiled. “Did you call ahead?”

“He’s the boy that I called about last night, Brenda.” Kayla sailed into the office, her auburn hair swishing in the breeze generated by her brisk pace. “I left a message.”

“Oh, right.” Recognition crossed Brenda’s face. “I have the paperwork right here.” She picked up a few sheets of paper and handed them to Brian. “I’m going to need you to fill these out.”

“Sure.” Brian accepted the papers and took a seat on one of the blue upholstered chairs facing Brenda’s desk.

Baylee flopped down in the chair beside him and let out a loud sigh. He didn’t’ even bother to remove his backpack. Kayla sat down in the only remaining chair to Brian’s left. She pulled a couple of papers out of her bag and brushed her hair out of her face. She smelled nice, Brian noted. He could detect a slight hint of perfume; Dior maybe.

“How are you doing, Baylee?” Kayla asked. She peered across Brian’s lap in order to get a better view of Baylee’s face. “Are you excited?”

“Not really.” Baylee mumbled. He didn’t even bother to take his eyes off of his shoes as he spoke, clearly signifying that he had no interest in answering any more questions.

“I’m sure he’s a little bit excited.” Brian gave Kayla an apologetic half-smile before turning his attention back to the paperwork.

Brian breezed through the first few questions concerning Baylee’s personal information, but he stalled when he reached the parental information aspect of the form. He quickly jotted down his name and phone number, but his pen hovered above the line that asked for his occupation. What was he supposed to write? ‘Backstreet Boy’? He could refer to himself as an ‘entertainer’, but he felt like that term was exclusively reserved for exotic dancers. Brian sighed softly and rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. He was pretty sure that this wasn’t supposed to be difficult. Finally, he scribbled the word ‘musician’ on the line and moved on to the next question.

He filled in Leighanne’s name in the appropriate space, but he left her contact information blank. The last thing that he wanted was for someone from the school to call her. Bypassing the rest of the questions that were related to Leighanne, Brian stopped again at the emergency contact portion of the form. Whose name was he supposed to write down? Nick? No, that didn’t make sense as Nick would more than likely be moving out of state once he got himself situated. He knew that Nick only intended to stay at Kevin’s second home in Louisville on a temporary basis; a month tops. After a few seconds hesitation, Brian printed his mother’s name on the line and added her phone number. His parents only lived a few blocks away, so it was a logical choice. The whole point of him moving back to Kentucky was to be closer to family, and he knew that his mom would be thrilled to find out that Baylee was finally going to what she referred to as a ‘real school.’

“Mr. Littrell?”

Brian looked up from the forms. A tall, dark haired man had entered the room and was smiling broadly at him. He reminded Brian of an older, more distinguished version of Kevin, minus the green eyes.

“I’m Peter Riddell. I’m the principal here at Sparrow Hill.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Brian stood up and shook the man’s hand. “This is my son, Baylee.” He gestured in Baylee’s direction and said a silent prayer of relief as his son stood up and extended his hand.

“Hi, Baylee.” Peter boomed. “It’s great to have you. You’re going to love being a part of the Sparrows!”

“Yeah, I guess.” Baylee sounded apprehensive as he let go of Peter’s hand. He remained standing and stared at the broad-shouldered man in silence.

“Kayla, it’s nice to see you again.” Peter added as Brian handed Brenda the completed paperwork.

“You too, Peter.” Kayla smiled. “I think that Baylee is really going to enjoy his time here.”

“Everyone enjoys their time with the Sparrows.” Peter affirmed. He peered over Brenda’s shoulder and skimmed the forms that Brian had just finished filling out as he spoke. “Baylee, your dad says that you’re in the sixth grade. Is that correct?”

Baylee nodded. “Yes.”

“Great!” Peter enthused. “You’ll be in Mr. White’s class. How about I take you and your dad down to his classroom now? That way you’ll be there just in time for the bell, and I can introduce you to the class myself.”

“Does my dad ...” Baylee paused and repositioned his gaze on the floor. “Does my dad have to come with us?”

Brian felt his heart crack at Baylee’s words. Why didn’t his son want him to go with him? Didn’t he want his father there for support?

“Your dad doesn’t have to come, if you don’t want him to.” Peter chuckled. “You don’t want him to cramp your style?”

“I just don’t want everyone to see him.” Baylee mumbled. “I don’t want the other kids to meet him ... yet.”

“That’s fine.” Brian was well aware of the fact that his voiced sounded strained and overly cheerful. “I don’t need to go with you.”

Brian glanced quickly at his son who was still refusing to look at him. He was crushed. What had he done to make Baylee not want to be seen with him? When had he become a source of such embarrassment?

“Well, that’s settled then.” Peter clapped his hands together and stepped around the desk. “Are you all set, Baylee? Do you have everything? How about your lunch? Did you bring one, or will you be purchasing one from the cafeteria?”

“Uhhhhh” Baylee hesitated and finally lifted his eyes to his father. “I think I’m buying lunch.”

“Right.” Brian reached for his wallet. “I almost forgot.”

The truth was that Brian had not given one thought as to what Baylee was going to have for lunch. A responsible parent would have packed their child something to eat. No wonder he was being investigated by Child Protective Services. The bitter thought raced through Brian’s mind as he sifted through his cash. As he rifled through the bills, he realized with mortification that he didn’t have anything smaller than a fifty. There was no way that he could hand Baylee a fifty dollar bill and expect him to waltz into an elementary school cafeteria and hand it over to the lunch lady.

“Here.” Kayla reached into her purse and swiftly pulled out a five dollar bill. She handed it to Baylee and smiled. “This is more than enough for lunch.”

“Thanks.” Baylee accepted the money with a look relief. “Dad never has change.”

“Okay!” Peter exclaimed. “Let’s get going!” He motioned for Baylee to lead the way out of the office, and he gave Brian a look of encouragement as he followed Baylee into the hallway. “Don’t worry, dad. He’s going to have a great first day. You can pick him up at 3:15 at the Kiss N’ Ride.”

“Sure.” Brian plastered a smile on his face. “Have a good day, Bay.”

“Bye, dad.” Baylee waved briefly before falling into step next to Peter. He hoisted his backpack higher onto his shoulders as the Principal began telling him about the school’s extracurricular activities and upcoming fieldtrips. Baylee was so engrossed in what the older man was saying that he didn’t even bother to look back.

“Well ...” Brian struggled to keep his emotions in check as he watched Baylee’s blonde head disappear down the hallway. “... I guess I’ll be going then.”

“I’ll walk out with you.” Kayla offered. She accepted what Brian assumed was the confirmation of Baylee’s registration from Brenda and swung her purse onto her shoulder. “Thanks, Brenda. I’m sure that I’ll be seeing you again.”

“No problem, honey.” Brenda smiled. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Littrell.”

“Yeah.” Brian agreed. “It was nice to meet you, too.”

The entry bell sliced through the air as soon as Brian and Kayla stepped out of the office, and the stillness of the hallway was immediately destroyed by the sounds of students and staff members hurrying to start the day. Children’s laughter invaded their ears from all directions, and Brian was glad that none of the classrooms were located in the same hallway as the main office.

He followed Kayla out of the double doors and into the surprisingly quiet front yard. A quick look around confirmed that the students entered through the back. He assumed that the designated pick-up and drop-off area that Peter had referred to as the ‘Kiss N’ Ride’ must also be located around the back, because there was only one other car parked next to his in the ‘Visitor Parking’ area.

“Does that usually happen?” Brian asked as the two of them strolled down the walkway that led to the parking lot.

“Does what usually happen?” Kayla stopped and turned to face Brian. She tucked a section of her hair that had come loose in the breeze behind her ear and waited.

“You know?” Brian mumbled. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and fumbled with his car keys. “Do kids usually say that they don’t want their parents to come with them?”

“It happens occasionally.” Kayla answered slowly. “It’s certainly not uncommon for someone Baylee’s age to not want to be seen with their parents.”

Brian could feel the frown settling on his face as he studied Kayla’s expression. He didn’t think that she was lying, but he had a feeling that she was exaggerating in order to spare his feelings. “He looked embarrassed. Why would he not want anyone to see me? I’ve never done anything to embarrass him.”

“He’s almost eleven.” Kayla paused. “Kids his age can be hard to read.”

“It must be me.” Brian insisted. “Is it how I look? Am I wearing the wrong thing?”

Brian watched intently as Kayla’s eyes flickered over him. “You look nice.” She confirmed; her cheeks turning pink. “I’m sure that Baylee’s request had nothing to do with what you’re wearing.”

“At least I have something going for me this morning.” Brian grinned. “I just wish that I knew what I had done to make him hate me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.” Kayla took a deep breath. “I think that it may have more to do with who you are, rather than how you act.”

“Who I am?” Brian repeated. “You think that he’s embarrassed because I’m a Backstreet Boy?”

“I think that he may be worried about what people will say to him if they know that you’re his dad.” Kayla clarified. “I think that he wants people to know him as Baylee, as opposed to the kid who has a famous dad.”

“I guess.” Brian conceded. “So, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to hide from his teacher and his classmates? Should I pick him up around the corner like a creeper?”

Kayla let out a full-blown laugh at Brian’s use of the word ‘creeper’. “I think that you can pick him up at the Kiss N’ Ride. Nobody will pay you any attention if you stay in the car.”

Brian joined in Kayla’s laughter as they resumed their walk to the parking lot. “I owe you five dollars.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kayla replied. “I’ll just expense it.”

“You shouldn’t have had to give it to him in the first place.” Brian stopped next to his car and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I should have been more prepared. I assume that you will be making a note about the fact that I sent Baylee to his first day of school without a lunch in your next report.”

“I think that I’ll let it slide.” Kayla smiled. “But only if you promise not to pay me back the five dollars.”

“I’ll take that deal.” Brian returned her smile. “I’ll be seeing you guys soon?”

“Peggy or I will be in touch with you.” Kayla explained. She took her own car keys out of her purse and unlocked the Mazda 3 that was parked next to Brian’s Mercedes.

“Okay...” Brian trailed off; a bit unsure of how to say goodbye. “You have children?”

“What?” Kayla started. The question had seemingly come out of nowhere.

“Do you have kids?” Brian repeated. He nodded in the direction of Kayla’s car, at the car seat that was firmly locked in the backseat.

“Oh.” Kayla clued in. “Yes, I have one; a daughter.”

“That’s nice.” Brian’s statement was sincere. “She must be young, if she still needs a car seat.”

“She’s almost fourteen months.” Kayla clarified. “Anyways, I have to be getting back to the office.” She opened her door and gave Brian a small wave as she slid inside. “We’ll be in touch.”

“Sounds good.” Brian nodded. He waited until Kayla had pulled out of the parking lot before he got into his own car and started the engine. The clock on the dash read 8:49, but it sure as hell felt as though it was a lot later.

Nick looked up from his iPad when he heard Brian’s key turn in the lock. He hurriedly logged out of his email account and turned off the tablet as his friend slumped into the room.

“How’d it go?”

“My only son is embarrassed to be seen with me.”

Brian flopped down onto the couch with such force that Nick moved slightly in his seat. A mixture of Old Spice and Polo Black invaded his nostrils as Brian readjusted himself.

“I can’t say that I blame him.” Nick joked, but he quickly adopted a more serious tone as he took in the look on Brian’s face. “Why do you think that he’s embarrassed to be seen with you?”

“He didn’t want me to accompany him to his class. He told the principal that he didn’t want the other kids to see me.” Brian moaned. “He just left me standing there in the office like an idiot.”

“I’m sure Baylee isn’t embarrassed to be seen with you.” Nick tried his best to sound reassuring. “It’s just a phase. When I was his age, the last person that I wanted to be seen with was my mom. He just wants to look cool.”

“But, I’m not his mom!” Brian protested. “I’m his dad! Dads are the epitome of cool.”

“You are aware that AJ, Kevin, and Howie are also fathers.” Nick shot back. “Are you saying that all three of them are the epit-epit - whatever you just said - of cool?”

“AJ’s pretty cool.” Brian muttered. “I bet that Baylee would have let AJ walk him to class.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “You’re blowing things out of proportion. Put yourself in Baylee’s position. Would you want to show up on your first day at a new school with your daddy in tow?”

Brian shrugged. He pulled absently at a stray thread that was coming out of the seam of one of the throw pillows. “He’s been giving me a hard time lately.”

“He’s almost eleven.” Nick pointed out. “Things are probably going to get worse before they get better. From what I can remember, I was a little shit when I was his age.”

“Yeah, but your parents were always fight...” Brian stopped himself midsentence. “Shit.”

Nick grimaced as he watched Brian finally make the connection between his divorce and Baylee’s behaviour. It wasn’t as though the divorce was the sole reason for Baylee’s poor attitude, but it was definitely a contributing factor. Pre-teen angst was to blame for the other seventy-five percent.

“So, it IS my fault that he hates me.”

“Bri, Baylee doesn’t hate you.” Nick stated. “I think he’s just trying to figure stuff out for himself. This whole situation is a big adjustment for him too.”

“You sound like Kayla.” Brian muttered. “She was also adamant that Baylee doesn’t hate me.” He paused. “I think you’re both nuts.”

“Oh yeah?” Nick struggled to appear nonchalant. “I forgot that Kayla was meeting you at the school this morning.”

Brian stopped pulling at the thread and turned to give Nick his full attention. “No you didn’t.”

“I didn’t what?” Nick played dumb, but he refused to look Brian in the eye. The older man was definitely on to him.

“You didn’t forget that Kayla was coming.” Brian sighed. “Please don’t sleep with her.”

“Who said anything about sleeping with her?” Nick challenged. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Admit it. You’ve had a thing for our new copper-haired friend since the minute you laid eyes on her.” Brian had known Nick for a long time and he knew that he was right.

“Since when is she our friend?” Nick fought back. “And her hair is the colour of cinnamon, not copper.”

“You know what I mean.” Brian rolled his eyes.

“She is pretty fuckable.” Nick grinned; his eyes squinting in amusement. “Did you see her in those jeans yesterday?”

“Nick, I’m serious.” Brian cautioned. “I’m begging you not to sleep with her until she’s finished with my case. There’s a lot riding on this.”

“There could also be a lot riding on me.” Nick let out a wicked laugh and watched in triumph as Brian unsuccessfully attempted to hide his smile.

“She’s not even your type.” Brian contested.

“I didn’t know that I had a type.” Nick countered.

Brian looked at his friend as if he had lost his mind. “Of course you have a type! You know, perfectly toned, slim, over-the-top pretty.”

“You’re one to talk. Mr. I-only-like-gorgeous-well-endowed-blondes.” Nick shot back.

“That’s not true!” Brian argued. “I totally think that someone like Kayla is attractive. I like the whole girl-next-door thing that she has going on.”

Nick’s eyes widened as he listened to Brian’s argument. “It sounds like you want to fuck her more than I do.”

“I don’t want to fu-sleep with her.” Brian sounded worn out. “She’s all yours ... once she’s done with my file.”

“I promise.” Nick forced a serious expression onto his face and placed his hand over his heart. “I will refrain from sleeping with Kayla until after your situation with C.P.S. is resolved.”

Brian smirked. “Have you even considered the fact that she might not be interested? I found out today that she has a daughter. There could very well be a man in her life.”

“She has a kid?” Nick faltered. “Do you know how old it-she is?”

“She’s still a baby.” Brian answered. “Just less than fourteen months.”

“That’s nice.” Nick fell quiet.

The subject of kids was still a source of pain; it was the reason that he and Lauren had chosen to go their separate ways. Actually, it was the reason why he had decided that Lauren was no longer the right woman for him. For the longest time, Nick had held firm on his belief that he had no desire to be a father. However, his mindset had begun to change as he had finally allowed himself to come to terms with his childhood and his own parents. He had always assumed that he was unfit to be a father simply because his own father had been such a lacklustre parent. Lauren had shared his views on not wanting to have children, and the two of them had always imagined a perfectly happy existence; just the two of them and their dog, Nacho.

When Nick had finally summoned the courage to tell Lauren that he was open to the idea of having a baby, she had legitimately freaked out. There had been a marathon session of shouting and crying, culminating with more than a few broken picture frames and Nick walking out the door. It had been one of the hardest decisions that he had ever made to leave Lauren behind, but he knew that he had made the right choice.

“Nick?” Brian’s voice had taken on a concerned tone. “Are you alright?”

“I broke it off with Lauren because she doesn’t want a baby ... ever.” Nick felt an immediate sense of relief as the explanation toppled out of his mouth. This was the first time that he had ever spoken the words aloud.

“Ahhh.” Brian hesitated. “I can see how that wouldn’t have worked out.”

This is why Nick loved Brian; anyone else would have launched into a series of questions about why he had all of a sudden changed his views on parenting. Brian, on the other hand, could easily decipher all of the messy, hidden details that were buried in his words.

“I’ve decided that I want to be a dad; maybe not right now, but one day.” Nick rambled on. “Is that selfish?”

“There’s nothing selfish about wanting to be a dad.” Brian affirmed. “I think you’ll make a great father.”

A slow smile crept onto Nick’s face. “Now all I need to do is find a girlfriend, propose, get married, and knock her up. I would also prefer to get all of this sorted out before I become an old man.”

Brian laughed; his full-out, southern chuckle that had permeated the background of Nick’s life for the past twenty years. “Does this mean that you’re going to leave Kayla alone? It sounds like you don’t have any time to waste.”

“I still think she’s hot.” Nick chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know her a bit.”

“As long as you remember our agreement, you can get to know her all you want.” Brian laughed. “You may want to find out if she has a boyfriend first though.”

“Noted.” Nick grinned. “It’s a good thing that Kev is letting me stay at his place. I would have no chance if I still lived in Tennessee.”

“I’m not sure if you have a chance now.” Brian pointed out. “Didn’t you say that Kayla is a fan? Maybe you’re not her favourite.”

“We still haven’t confirmed that she’s a fan.” Nick argued. “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m everyone’s favourite.”

Brian rolled his eyes for the second time in the last twenty minutes. His phone began to ring and he stretched to pull it off of the coffee table. “You’re lucky that my phone is ringing.” He informed Nick. “I was going to come at you with a wicked comeback.”

“You’re a douche.” Nick made a face at Brian as his friend answered the call and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

Nick watched as Brian’s face turned from playful to serious in less than five seconds.

“Yes, I’m fine, Peggy. How are you?”

Nick scowled at the phone as soon as he heard Brian mention the plump woman’s name. He couldn’t believe that Brian was being subjected to all of this scrutiny. His friend was easily the best dad that a kid could ask for; he was attentive, supportive, and loving. What more did these people want?

“I did put my mother down as the emergency contact.” Brian continued. “I don’t understand why that needs to happen. I thought that Leighanne was only contesting MY behaviour and MY parenting skills.”

Brian stood up from the couch and began wandering aimlessly around the room. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

“Well, I haven’t even spoken to my parents about any of this yet. Can we set it up for the day after tomorrow?”

After a few more curt exchanges, Brian disconnected the call and reopened his eyes. He gave Nick a helpless look as he rubbed the screen of his iPhone against his jeans. “Apparently it’s not enough for them to turn my life upside down. Now, they need to inspect my parents and their home.”

“Why?” Nick knew that his question hadn’t come across as overly sympathetic, but he was so dumbfounded that it was the best he could do.

“I listed my mom as the emergency contact on Baylee’s school form.” Brian moaned. “Peggy has just informed me that they need to check out my parents for the same reason that they need to pull all of that background information about you and the rest of the guys; because there’s a chance that Baylee could end up spending an extended amount of time with them.”

“I can only imagine how Harold and Jackie are going to feel about all of this.” Nick muttered. “You better call them now, before you lose your nerve.”

Brian joined the line of cars in the Kiss N’ Ride just as the dismissal bell sounded. Kids began pouring out of the school from all directions. The younger ones were running at top speed across the blacktop, their backpacks bouncing on their backs as they waved frantically at their waiting parents. The older ones were sauntering along in large groups, laughing and shoving at each other while pulling cell phones out of their backpacks.

There was so much activity that Brian’s eyes were aching from the strain of trying to pick Baylee out of the crowd. He desperately wanted to get out of the car and look for his son, and it was taking every ounce of willpower that he possessed to remain firmly in his seat. Nick had wanted to accompany him, but he had convinced his friend that it wouldn’t be a good idea. If Baylee was embarrassed to be seen with one Backstreet Boy, Brian could only imagine how his son would feel if someone were to catch sight of him and Nick lurking in the parking lot.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably more like three minutes, Brian finally caught sight of Baylee. His son was walking slowly through the school yard with three other boys. They were all laughing feverishly and one of the boys was puffing out his cheeks; clearly impersonating someone or something. Trying to maintain a low profile, Brian adjusted the side mirror so that he could watch his son without actually having to turn his head. Baylee was typing frantically on his phone, and one of the boys was watching over his shoulder and pointing at something on the screen.

Brian continued to watch as their laughter died down. The boys split apart as they approached the Kiss N’ Ride, and Baylee waved goodbye as he headed towards the car. Brian quickly averted his eyes from the mirror and was facing forward by the time Baylee pulled open the rear passenger door. He threw his backpack into the backseat and quickly slid in after it. Baylee closed the door with what Brian still deemed to be excessive force, but at least this time he had done it out of excitement as opposed to anger.

“Hi, dad!”

“Hey, Bay.” Brian replied. Baylee’s cheerful tone made him feel more than a little optimistic. “How was your first day?”

“It was the best!” Baylee exclaimed.

“Is that so?” Brian grinned as he pulled out of the space and joined the line of cars waiting to exit the school grounds. He studied Baylee’s smiling face in the rear-view mirror. “What happened?”

“Mr. White has everyone sitting in groups.” Baylee’s excited voice filled the car. “I sit with this guy, Trevor, and two girls. So, right away, Trevor asks me if I want to hang out with him at recess. Do you know what recess is? It’s when you get to go outside and play sports and hang out and stuff. How come you never told me about it? Anyway, so I went out with Trevor at recess and he’s really good friends with these two other guys, Mike and Lucas. I sat with them at lunch too, and it was so much fun! We had recess again in the afternoon and we all hung out, and then they gave me their phone numbers so that we can text and stuff.”

Brian’s head was spinning as he listened to Baylee’s somewhat disjointed version of events. He couldn’t help but realize that his son had yet to mention one word about the actual learning part of school.

Baylee continued to yammer on about his new friends as Brian navigated the car through their new subdivision. “Lucas says that basketball tryouts are in a few weeks. He and Trevor are already going to be on the team because they were on it last year. Mike is going to try to make the team this year too, and he really wants me to try out with him. Can I try out? Can you put up a basketball net for me over the garage? That’s what Lucas’s dad did for him so that he can practice. I think that I have a pretty good chance, because sixth graders are the oldest in the junior division. That’s what I would try out for; junior basketball.” Baylee paused for breath and waited for his father to respond.

“You want to try out for basketball?” Brian clarified. He could feel his heart swell with pride; basketball had always been his sport of choice. Unfortunately, his health had often prevented him from making his own school team as a kid.

“Yup.” Baylee nodded vigorously. “I think that I’m pretty good, but I really need a basketball net at home. Can we get one? Can we put it up tonight?”

“Yes, we can get one.” Brian laughed. He pulled the car into the driveway and killed the engine. “I don’t know if we’ll have time to put it up tonight though.”

“Please dad!” Baylee begged. “I need to practice. It would suck monkey balls if all the guys make the team and I don’t.” He pushed open the door to the car and dragged his backpack out of the backseat.

Brian shook his head as he followed his son out of the car. He wasn’t sure if he had heard him correctly. “Did you just say that it would suck monkey balls if you don’t make the team?”

“Yeah.” Baylee grinned. “Isn’t that so funny? Trevor says that all the time.”

‘It certainly is different.” Brian muttered. He trailed after Baylee as he bounded towards the door. “What else do these guys say all the time?”

“They say tons of funny stuff!” Baylee answered. He pushed open the door and dropped his backpack in the middle of the foyer. “Uncle Nick! Are you still here?”

“You know it.” Nick appeared in the hallway. “How was school?”

“Wait!” Brian interrupted. “Before you start telling Nick all about the guys, can you tell me about the actual school part of school? How’s your teacher? Did you learn anything?”

“Mr. White is so cool!” Baylee confirmed. “Every day we have English and math. Today, we had science and art, and tomorrow we have social studies and gym. We even have music on Fridays.”

“And how did you do?” Brian pressed. “Was the work easy or hard?”

“Most of it was easy.” Some of the excitement disappeared from Baylee’s eyes. “The math was kinda hard. Mr. White gave me some papers to give to you. They’re in my backpack.”

“I see.” Brian picked Baylee’s backpack up off of the tile floor. He was surprised at how much it weighed. “What do you have in here?”

“My homework.”

“It seems like you have a lot to do.” Brian opened the bag and peered inside. He could see a math and a science textbook, as well as a novel.

“I have to do some science questions and get caught up on fractions.” Baylee rhymed off the tasks on his fingers. “And I have to read the first chapter in 'Bud, Not Buddy'. I don’t even have to catch up in novel study; Mr. White just handed out the books today.”

“I guess you better get going on this.” Brian pulled out the two typed written sheets that he assumed were for him and handed Baylee his backpack.

“I’m going to need help.” Baylee acknowledged. “With the fractions.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.” Brian smiled. “Why don’t you get started on the science questions, while I read this stuff from your teacher?”

“What about the basketball net?” Baylee looked almost devastated. “Are we really not going to get one tonight?”

“You want a basketball net?” Nick asked. “Why don’t you and your dad stay here and work on your homework while I go to Target and get one?”

“You mean it?” Baylee’s eyes were wide. “I want the kind that you put on top of the garage.”

“As long as it’s okay with your dad.” Nick shot Brian a sideways glance. “I don’t mind picking it up.”

“It’s fine.” Brian was already scanning the papers that Mr. White had sent home. “Thanks, Nick.”

“Don’t mention it.” Nick grinned. “I would much rather go shopping than do homework.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “From what I remember, you always wanted to do anything else but your school work.” He handed Nick his credit card and shot him an appreciative glance. “Thanks, again.”

“Thanks, Uncle Nick!” Baylee’s voice reverberated down the hallway. He had already emptied the contents of his backpack onto the dining room table, and he was busy flipping open his science textbook to the assigned page.

Brian waited until Nick had shut the front door before he made his way to the kitchen. He slid a tall mug under the spout of the Keurig and selected a hazelnut K-Cup from the revolving holder. He pressed ‘brew’ and returned his attention to the papers in his hands.

It seemed as though Mr. White had taken the time to complete an academic assessment with Baylee. Brian had never heard of the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement, but the write up that Mr. White had provided made it sound pretty intense. He flipped the page over and took in Baylee’s scores. His reading vocabulary, passage comprehension, and letter/word identification abilities were all above grade level. His science and social studies results indicated that he was functioning at grade level. It was the results for calculation that Brian found concerning. According to the assessment, Baylee was functioning below grade level in numeracy; two grades below to be precise.

Brian tore his eyes away from the paper long enough to retrieve the steaming mug of hazelnut flavoured coffee. He took a long sip as he continued to skim the comments. Although Mr. White didn’t seem overly concerned about Baylee’s less-than-stellar performance in math, Brian was fuming. What the hell had that two-bit tutor that Leighanne had hired been teaching him?

He knew for a fact that Kevin was primarily responsible for Baylee’s above average reading abilities. His cousin loved literature of any kind, and he was always bringing Baylee books and encouraging him to read. When Baylee was younger, Brian had spent countless hours reading to him. The two of them had curled up wherever they could find a quiet space, both of them eagerly devouring the stories that Kevin consistently provided. As he had grown older, Baylee had continued to read on his own; always anticipating the next book that his Uncle Kevin was sure to bring him.

“Dad?”

“What is it, Bay?” Brian asked. He lifted his eyes from the paper and gave his son what he hoped was a happy and supportive look.

“Do you want to take a look at my math book? Mr. White says that I have to complete the first two lessons in the fractions unit in order to get caught up.” Baylee looked embarrassed as he spoke. “I kinda don’t know how to do any of it.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Brian acknowledged. “We’ll figure it out.” He placed the letter from Mr. White on the counter before walking into the dining room and picking the textbook up off of the table. “I’m gonna go and look at this in the living room so that I don’t distract you. Just let me know if you need any help with anything else.”

Baylee shook his head. “I’m almost done with the science questions.” He lightly tapped his pencil against a piece of lined paper that was full of his tiny, and surprisingly neat, printing. “I’ll read the first chapter for novel study while you look at the math.”

“Sounds good.” Brian marvelled at how well Baylee seemed to be adjusting to the whole school situation. He had been expecting his son to put up more resistance, but Baylee actually seemed to be revelling in the normalcy of the experience.

Settling himself on the couch, Brian flipped open the textbook to the fractions unit and stared at the pages of questions. He took another long sip of coffee as he looked for the part of the textbook that explained how to do the work. It didn’t take him long to realize that there were no explanations. Obviously, the book was only designed to provide practice; the teacher was supposed to deliver the lessons. Brian quickly flipped to the back of the book and let out a small sigh of relief. At least there were answers.

“What the hell is an improper fraction?” Brian muttered as he skimmed the instructions for unit one: ‘Convert each of the following mixed numbers into an improper fraction or vice versa.’

“Baylee, did you happen to take any notes during math class today?” Brian hated to interrupt his son, but he had no idea where to start.

“No.” Baylee’s voice floated back from the dining room. “The rest of the class had a quiz today. We start lesson three tomorrow. That’s why I have to do lessons one and two tonight.”

“That’s fine.” Brian called back. “I was just wondering.”

He set the textbook and his mug on the coffee table and went to retrieve his phone. On his way back to the living room, he grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil off of the desk in the office. He felt beyond humbled as he scrolled through his contact list and brought the phone to his ear. He had a feeling that this was not the only time that he was going to need some help.

“I’m sorry, honey. It’s Brian. I HAVE to take this!” Howie’s voice drifted through the line along with a series of ear-splitting wails.

“Hello?”

“Brian! Hey!” The cries became quieter as Howie officially greeted him. “Sorry. Holden is having a little bit of an episode.”

“I can hear that.” Brian chuckled. “Do you need me to let you go?”

“No!” Howie answered a bit too enthusiastically. “I mean, Leigh’s got it covered. What’s up?”

“Baylee started school today.” Brian began.

“Oh yeah!” Howie interrupted. “How’d it go?”

“I think he had a good time.” Brian smiled. “He actually seems to be in a good mood, which is a refreshing change.”

“I’m so glad!” Howie gushed. “I guess it’s not such a horrible thing that you actually had to enrol him then.”

Brian blushed furiously at Howie’s comment, and he was immensely thankful for the fact that his friend couldn’t see him. He still couldn’t believe that he had actually tried to lie about his plans for his son’s education. He definitely wasn’t going to be winning a ‘father of the year’ title this year.

“I’m glad that he’s happy.” Brian admitted. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen when I need to be back on the road though. I don’t think that he’s going to want to be pulled out of school and forced to return to the whole homeschool situation.”

“Yeah. That’s going to be tough.” Howie acknowledged. “So what can I do for you? I know that you want something. I can tell by your voice.”

“Am I that transparent?” Brian laughed. “I’ve actually called to ask you a math question.”

Howie paused. “A math question?”

“It’s a fraction question actually.” Brian continued. “To make a long story short, Baylee is behind in math. He’s asked me for help with his homework and I don’t remember how to do any of it.”

Howie roared with laughter and Brian pulled the phone away from his ear in order to soften the blow on his ear drums. “What made you decide to call me?”

“Because you’re the only person I know who has a chance in hell of being able to help me.” Brian admitted. “You were always the smartest out of all of us when it came to academics; you still are.”

“You make a good point.” Howie chuckled. “Okay, lay it on me!”

“First, I need to know how to change a mixed number to an improper fraction. Then, I need to be reminded about how to add and subtract fractions. I think that I need to make the bottom numbers the same, but I don’t know if that’s right.” Brian picked up his pencil and scooted to the edge of the couch. He positioned the pencil overtop of the paper and waited for Howie’s response.

“The first thing you’re going to do is multiply the bottom number by the whole number ...”

Nick noticed her immediately. She was in the baby aisle, looking at Johnson N’ Johnson body wash. He watched as she removed each container from the shelf and took a long sniff. After much consideration, she finally placed a pink bottle in her cart and continued down the aisle.

“Excuse me, sir? Can I help you find something?”

“Huh? What?” Nick tore his eyes away from Kayla’s back and turned to face the young, male sales associate. The teenager was wearing an oversized, red Target t-shirt and his black cargo pants were about three sizes too big. He looked bored.

“No-no thanks” Nick corrected himself. “I know what I’m looking for.”

“Really?” The Target employee rolled his eyes. “Well, you’re kinda blocking the aisle.”

Nick quickly looked around. He had become so preoccupied after spotting Kayla that he had stopped dead at the end of the sporting goods section. His cart, which was loaded down with Baylee’s basketball net and three new basketballs, was sitting at an awkward angle and effectively blocking off the entrance to the department. A middle-aged woman was standing behind him with her hands wrapped tightly around the handle of her shopping cart. She looked pissed; as if she had been waiting for him to move for quite some time.

“Sorry.” Nick mumbled. He flashed a smile at the angry looking woman before glaring at the sullen teenager. “I’m moving.”

“Thanks so much, sir.” The employee droned.

The teenager’s sarcastic tone didn’t go unnoticed as Nick gripped the handle of his cart and pushed off in the direction of the baby section. Kayla was no longer in the bath aisle, so he swung into the next aisle and, sure enough, there she was. This time, she was squatting down next to the diaper display and trying to retrieve a particularly large package of diapers from the far reaches of the bottom shelf.

Nick could feel his smile growing as he made his way down the aisle. He had been so busy watching Kayla that he had almost failed to notice that she wasn’t shopping alone. A baby girl was strapped securely into the child seat of Kayla’s shopping cart. The little girl had smooth, dark red hair and a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks. She was a miniature carbon copy of Kayla, right down to her pale complexion and slender nose. Catching sight of Nick, the little girl let out a squeal of delight; her pale blue eyes widening in excitement.

Kayla stood up to see what had caught her daughter’s attention, clutching the package of diapers to her chest. She followed the little girl’s line of sight and Nick noted the look of surprise on her face as she took him in.

“Nick?” Kayla deposited the diapers into the basket of her cart. She tucked her long hair behind her ears and tried to hide her surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Baylee wanted a basketball net.” Nick gestured at his cart as proof. “I offered to pick one up for him.”

“That’s nice of you.” Kayla supplied. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and glanced at her daughter who was still squealing and banging her chubby hands against the handle of the cart.

“She’s cute.” Nick flashed a smile in the little girl’s direction and watched as she mimicked his expression.

“Thanks.” Kayla’s eyes softened. “Unfortunately, she’s inherited my complexion. Poor kid.”

“She looks just like you.” Nick agreed. “That’s definitely not a bad thing. Trust me.”

Kayla stared back at Nick, unsure of what to say. He was just standing there making fish faces at her daughter. The whole situation was a bit surreal.

“What’s her name?” Nick asked.

“Liliana.” Kayla answered.

“That’s pretty.” Nick waved in Liliana’s direction. “Hi Liliana.” He cooed.

Kayla smiled in spite of herself. “It was nice seeing you, Nick.”

“Oh.” Nick frowned. “Are you leaving?”

“Well, I’ve got what I came here for.” Kayla explained. “I still have to go home, make dinner and get Liliana to bed.”

“I’ll take you to dinner.” Nick offered. “That way you won’t have to cook.”

“You’ll take me to dinner?” Kayla wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly. She could feel the colour creeping into her face. Was Nick Carter really asking her to have dinner with him?

“That’s right.” Nick nodded. “I’ll take the two of you anywhere that you want to go.” He gave Kayla a heart melting smile before turning to her daughter. “What do you say, Liliana? Do you want to have dinner with me?”

Once again, the little girl opened her eyes wide and let out an ear splitting shriek. Her mouth curled up into a wide smile and she bounced slightly in her seat.

“I think that Liliana wants to go.” Nick grinned. He pulled his eyes away from mini-Kayla and turned to face the real thing. “What do you say?”

“That would be nice.” Kayla gave in. She placed her hands next to Liliana’s on the handle of the shopping cart and began walking in the direction of the checkout. She could hear Nick’s cart rumbling along behind her, and she resisted the urge to reach out and pinch herself. This couldn’t actually be happening.

“So, where do you want to go?” Nick asked as the two of them joined the queue at the checkout.

Kayla shrugged. “There’s an Olive Garden across the street.”

“Olive Garden?” Nick raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “I tell you that you can go anywhere you like and you pick the Olive Garden?”

“It’s close.” Kayla began unloading her items onto the belt. “And I love the breadsticks.” She finished emptying her cart and her eyes drifted to the C.D. display next to the checkout. ‘In A World Like This’ was front and centre on the shelf.

“Have you heard it?” Nick dropped one of the basketballs onto the belt as the cashier began to ring through Kayla’s items.

“Have I heard what?” Kayla asked. She pulled her wallet out of her purse and began putting the bagged items back into her cart.

“The new album.” Nick laughed. “I saw you look at it just now.”

Kayla paused while she entered her pin number. She waited until the transaction had been approved before she answered Nick’s question. “Yeah, I’ve heard it. I own it actually.”

“Oh. My. God.”

Nick looked up to see the cashier gaping at him. Her eyes flipped between him and the C.D. display so quickly that Nick actually feared that her eyes were going to fall out of her head and roll along the floor. Slightly annoyed that his conversation with Kayla had been interrupted, Nick merely flashed the young girl one of his signature smiles and pulled Brian’s credit card out of his pocket.

The girl accepted the card with shaky fingers and turned it over in her hands. She hesitated as she went to insert it into the card reader. “You’re not Brian.”

Nick looked up into the girl’s extra-wide eyes and grinned. “I know. I’m Nick. My friend, Brian, said that it would be okay if I used his credit card.”

“Bri-Brian Lit-Littrell said that you could use it?” The girl stuttered.

“That’s right.” Nick confirmed. The girl was clutching Brian’s VISA so tightly that Nick was worried that she might never let go of it. “If it’s a problem I can just use my own card.”

“No!” The girl finally found her voice. “It’s no problem.” She gave Nick a massive smile, revealing a set of perfectly straight teeth, as she spun the pin pad in his direction.

“Do you think that I could take a picture with you?” The girl’s voice was tentative as Nick punched in Brian’s pin-number.

The machine beeped its approval, and Nick made sure to remove the card before spinning the pin pad back towards the cashier. “Of course you can have a picture!”

The girl pulled her iPhone out of her back pocket and offered it to Nick. He accepted the phone from her shaking hand and hopped up onto the conveyer belt. The woman behind him in line let out a gasp of surprise, but Nick ignored her as he leaned over and wrapped his arm around the cashier’s shoulders. He held the phone at arm’s length and grinned wickedly at the camera. After inspecting the quality of their selfie, he handed the phone back to the young girl and slid off of the conveyer belt.

“Thanks, Jen.” He chuckled, reading her nametag. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Thanks so much!” Jen gushed. She continued to ogle him as he re-loaded his cart and strolled off in search of Kayla.

Nick gave Kayla a small wave as he caught sight of her standing by the exit. “Sorry about that.”

“What are you apologizing for?” Kayla laughed “For being famous? I think it was nice that you took the time to take a picture with her. A lot of other people probably wouldn’t have been so accommodating.”

“I AM a super nice guy.” Nick joked. The two of them stepped out into the chilly October evening and began pushing their respective carts towards the parking lot. “I’m over there.” Nick gestured towards his car.

“I’m a few rows up.” Kayla pointed towards a black Mazda 3.

“I’ll just toss this stuff in the trunk and meet you at your car.” Nick suggested. “We can walk to the restaurant if you like.”

Kayla nodded and Liliana gurgled her approval. Nick smiled at both of them and hurried off towards his car. After stuffing the basketball net in the trunk, he tossed the balls into the backseat and pulled out his phone. He sent Brian a text as he locked the doors and headed off in the direction of Kayla’s car.

Nick: Saw Kayla at Target. I’m gonna take her to dinner. Wish me luck!

Brian: Don’t you DARE fuck her!

Nick: I can keep it in my pants. ;)

Brian: I’m serious, Frack.

Nick chuckled at Brian’s use of his old nickname. He couldn’t remember the last time that he and Brian had referred to themselves as ‘Frick and Frack’.

Nick: I got this, Frick. Don’t worry

“What’s so funny?”

Nick hurriedly tucked his phone into his pocket at the sound of Kayla’s voice. She was standing next to her car with Liliana propped up on her hip.

“It’s just Brian.” Nick replied. “I sent him a text to tell him that I wasn’t coming home for dinner.”

“Do you guys live together?” Kayla gave him a weird look as they set off towards the restaurant. “I kinda figured that you would all have your own places by now.”

“I’m staying with him temporarily. My-my new place is currently under renovation.” Nick pulled open the door to the Olive Garden and the scent of garlic immediately invaded his nostrils. His stomach grumbled in anticipation and he stole a quick peek at Kayla to make sure that she hadn’t heard the unruly noise. Thankfully, she was too busy trying to untangle her hair from Liliana’s small fist.

“For three?” The hostess smiled brightly at them. “With a highchair?”

“Yes, thanks.” Nick answered.

They followed the hostess through the crowded restaurant, and she gestured towards a booth with a highchair pushed up to the end of the table. Nick watched as Kayla placed Liliana in the highchair and made sure that she was stable, before sliding into the seat across from him.

“So, this isn’t going to get you in trouble is it?” Nick opened the menu, but his eyes were trained on Kayla.

“Trouble?” Kayla raised her eyebrows as the waitress deposited a basket of breadsticks in the middle of the table. “Why would having dinner with you get me in trouble?”

“I dunno.” Nick shrugged. “Brian’s kinda paranoid that it will create a conflict of interest with his case.”

Kayla laughed; her blue eyes widening just like her daughter’s had earlier. “It would be a conflict of interest if I were to have dinner with Brian. As long as you don’t ask me anything about his situation, everything will be just fine.” She began tearing one of the breadsticks into small pieces and placing it on the tray in front of Liliana. “So, Brian knows that you’re out with me?”

Nick nodded. “I felt it was best that I let him know who I was taking to dinner.”

“Do you guys tell each other everything?”

Nick couldn’t quite tell if Kayla was mocking him or asking him a legitimate question. “We tell each other most things.”

“So, you guys are still close?” Kayla pulled her own breadstick from the basket. “The media makes it seem as though you two hate each other.”

“I was right.” Nick mused. He snatched a breadstick from the remaining pile and took a massive bite. “You ARE a fan.”

Kayla blushed furiously and took a tiny bite of bread. She waited until she had finished chewing before she spoke. “Why do you think that I’m a fan?”

“You have our new C.D. and you sure seem to have an opinion about my relationship with Brian.” Nick mumbled; his mouth full of bread.

“I just came off of a one year maternity leave.” Kayla laughed. “You would be amazed at how much Perez gossip a person will read when they’re cooped up in the house all day with a baby. Ask me anything about any celebrity and I’d be willing to bet that I can answer the question.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you own our new C.D.” Nick bit into his second breadstick. “I highly doubt that it was an impulse purchase.”

Kayla sighed. “You’re right. I like your music. It’s safe to say that I’m a fan, but not a hardcore one. I don’t, like, belong to your fanclub or anything.”

Nick smirked. He loved being right. “So, who’s your favourite?”

“My favourite what?” Kayla played dumb.

“Your favourite Backstreet Boy.” Nick finished his second breadstick and reached for a third. He ripped a large chunk of it off with his front teeth as he waited for Kayla to respond.

“AJ.” Kayla glanced quickly at Liliana who was still gumming happily on one of the pieces of bread.

“You’re lying.” Nick challenged, a massive grin overtaking his face. “I’ve seen enough of our fans to know that you’re not an AJ girl.”

“I didn’t realize that all of your fans fit a certain mould.” Kayla opened her menu and pretended to study the options. “That’s my answer and I’m sticking to it.”

Nick shook his head and leaned back against the plush backing of the booth. He opened his menu and skimmed through the items, but the words barely registered. He flicked his eyes towards Kayla who was now legitimately reading the menu. Brian was right; she wasn’t necessarily his type, but there was something about her that he was drawn to. She was effortlessly pretty, he decided.

Kayla could obviously sense that he was staring at her, because she raised her eyes from the menu. “What?”

“I was just wondering if you have a boyfriend.” Nick folded up the menu and placed it on the table in front of him. He always ordered the same thing at the Olive Garden; Cappelini Pomodoro with chicken.

Kayla stalled by carefully re-folding her menu and placing it on top of Nick’s. “Why do you want to know that?”

“I’m just curious.” Nick smiled. “So, do you?”

“The last boyfriend that I had was Liliana’s father.” Kayla paused. “We’re – we’re no longer together.”

Nick sensed that there was a bit more to the story, so he phrased his next question as cryptically as possible. “That must be tough, with the shared custody and all.”

“He’s actually never met Lily.” Kayla turned her eyes to her daughter. “And it’s better for both of us if he never does.”

“Oh.” Nick knew that he was treading on dangerous ground, but he just couldn’t let it go. “Does he live in Lexington?”

“He lives ...” Kayla paused. “...out of state.”

“I knew there was something different about your accent.” Nick laughed. “You don’t have the standard Kentucky twang, that’s for sure.”

“I don’t have an accent.” Kayla’s response was quick and defensive. “What do I sound like?”

“I dunno.” Nick shrugged. He was somewhat taken aback by how defensive she had become. “Maybe, a northern state. Michigan? Wisconsin?”

Kayla shook her head; thankful that she could see the waitress approaching their table. “I’m not telling.”

“Remind me again why you’re here.” Brian grumbled as he and Nick ascended the stairs to his parents’ home.

“Your mom invited me.” Nick grinned playfully. “You know that I can never say ‘no’ to your mom.”

“This isn’t a party, Nick.” Brian sighed. “This is a serious meeting. Peggy is probably going to grill my parents and pick apart their house.”

“I’ll stay out of the way.” Nick promised. “I really hope that your mom made that apple cinnamon coffee cake that I love.”

Brian rolled his eyes in mock disgust. “Are you hoping for cake? Or are you hoping to carve out some more time with the living version of cinnamon?”

Nick’s face lit up like a Cheshire cat. “Both.”

“You have a face like that and you still expect me to believe that nothing happened between you two on Tuesday night?” Brian paused with his hand on the doorknob.

“Bri, I swear to God that nothing happened.” Nick assured him. “I told you that Liliana fell asleep in Kayla’s arms while we were walking back to her car, so I didn’t even try to kiss her. I said ‘goodnight’ and she gave me her number. That’s it.”

Brian studied Nick’s face; he didn’t appear to be lying. “If I find out otherwise, I will kick your ass.” Brian threatened in a low whisper as he pushed open the front door. “Mom, dad, we’re here!”

“Is that my Nickolas?” Jackie Littrell charged into the hallway with her arms outstretched. She completely bypassed her son and wrapped her arms tightly around Nick. “I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you too.” Nick returned the embrace and smirked at Brian. “I know that I haven’t visited in a while.”

“Nick, my boy! How are you?” Harold joined the group in the hallway and extended his hand to Nick. “It’s been way too long.”

Nick gently released his hold on Jackie and gripped Harold’s hand. He offered the older man a warm smile. “I thought you would be happy that I wasn’t around and taking up space.”

“Helloooooo” Brian pouted. “Remember me? Your SON.”

“Oh, Brian, don’t be such a sour puss.” Jackie laughed and gave Brian a tight hug. “Of course we’ve missed you too.”

“You could have fooled me.” Brian muttered; his face still forced into a deep pout. “Nick wasn’t even supposed to come.”

“Nonsense!” Jackie cried. She released Brian and began leading the way towards the kitchen. “I invited him for lunch.”

“Lunch?” Brian trailed after his mother while Nick followed his father into the living room. He could already hear the two of them jabbering on about football. “Who said anything about us having lunch? The C.P.S. workers are going to be here any minute.”

“I know that, dear.” Jackie soothed. “I made enough for them too. There’s no need to worry.”

“Mom, this is not a social event.” Brian could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest as he began to panic. “They’re coming here to determine whether or not you and dad are suitable occasional caregivers for Baylee. They’re not here to have lunch!”

“Don’t be silly, Brian.” Jackie scolded as she removed a steaming dish of homemade macaroni and cheese from the oven. She placed the dish on top of the stove and slid another item into the oven; the apple cinnamon coffee cake that Nick had been raving about while the two of them had been standing on the porch. Jackie set the timer on the microwave and turned to her son. “If someone is coming to your house, you always offer them something to eat. It’s just good manners.”

Brian took in the dish of macaroni, the fresh-baked rolls, the crisp salad, and the pitcher of iced tea. He could feel himself starting to sweat. He knew that his mother was going to insist that Peggy and Kayla sit down and eat, and he had a pretty good feeling that she was not going to let them decline her invitation.

“Mom, this is really not what today is about ...” Brian was cut off by the doorbell.

“I’ll get it!” His dad shouted from the living room.

Brian listened as his father’s footsteps padded towards the front door. “Mom, seriously, you NEED to put all of this away.” He could hear the front door opening and Peggy’s voice drifted down the hallway as she introduced herself and Kayla. “They are not here to eat fucking macaroni and cheese.”

“Brian!” Jackie admonished. “Watch your language!” She shoved the wooden salad bowl into his stomach with such force that he grunted in pain. “Put this on the table.”

Brian wrapped his hands around the large, wooden bowl as Peggy and Kayla stepped into the kitchen. Nick and his father were only steps behind them. “Hi.” He offered weakly.

“Hi.” Kayla returned the greeting and looked quickly around the kitchen. Her eyes settled on the salad bowl. “That’s a lot of salad.”

“I didn’t know how hungry everyone was going to be.” Jackie piped in. “Don’t worry, Harold and I don’t mind having leftovers.”

“Hungry?” Kayla’s eyes drifted to Brian’s mother.

“Yes, dear. It’s lunch time.” Jackie chuckled. “Have a seat.” She gestured towards the table.

“Mrs. Littrell, we’re not actually here for ...” Peggy started, but Jackie quickly cut her off.

“Please call me ‘Jackie’. There’s no need to be so formal.” Jackie wiped her fingers on a dishtowel before offering her hand to Peggy. “You must be Peggy Peach.”

“Y-yes.” Peggy stuttered as she accepted Jackie’s hand. Brian could see her eyeing the still steaming dish of macaroni and cheese. “Is that homemade macaroni?”

“Of course!” Jackie gushed. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe. I’ve been making it for years.”

“Come on now, everyone.” Harold interrupted. He walked around the cluster of people in the doorway and took a seat at the head of the table. “Sit down. I’ve been waiting to eat for an hour, but I was told that I couldn’t start until everyone arrived. I’m starving.”

Brian watched as Peggy and Kayla exchanged a quick look. Kayla shrugged her shoulders and Peggy quickly turned to his mother. “I guess we do have time for a quick lunch. It smells awfully delicious.” She sat down at the table to the left of his father and Kayla quickly sat down next to her.

“Wonderful!” Jackie tittered. “Nick, can you pour everyone some iced tea?”

“Of course, Momma-J.” Nick reached around Brian and grabbed the pitcher of iced tea off of the counter. He made sure to fill Peggy’s glass first.

“Brian!” Jackie chided. “Put the salad on the table so that people can have some. Why are you just standing there with your mouth open? You know that I can’t stand it when you give me that vacant look. You look like you don’t have anything going on upstairs.”

“I have plenty going on upstairs.” Brian muttered under his breath as he placed the salad in the centre of the table.

By this time, Nick had finished pouring the iced tea and had taken a seat at the opposite end of the table from his father, next to Kayla. He noticed that both Nick and Kayla were suppressing their laughter and he gave both of them a dirty look. Jackie placed the dish of macaroni and cheese next to the salad and sat down across from Peggy. Brian dropped himself down into the only seat that was left; in-between his mother and Nick and across from Kayla.

“Peggy, help yourself.” Jackie offered the macaroni across the table.

Peggy readily accepted. She scooped a heaping mound of the cheesy pasta onto her plate and took two rolls from the basket. “I can’t remember the last time that I had macaroni and cheese.”

Brian suppressed the need to roll his eyes as he placed some salad on his plate. He took a roll from the basket and offered them to Kayla. Their eyes locked as she accepted the basket, and he could see them flickering with amusement. A smile tugged at his lips and he kept his eyes locked on hers as he received the dish of macaroni from his mother.

“Bri, you wanna hurry it up?” Nick prodded.

Brian pulled his eyes away from Kayla and turned to stare at his friend. Nick was waiting for him to finish with the macaroni; his hand outstretched in anticipation. “Sorry.” Brian mumbled. He spooned some of the pasta onto his plate and handed the dish to Nick. He could detect a hint of confusion, or perhaps even jealousy, in the younger man’s face as Nick looked back and forth between him and Kayla.

An hour later, Brian breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Peggy and Kayla retreat down the driveway. They were both bursting at the seams with macaroni and coffee cake, and his parents had received a passing grade. Now that they had the C.P.S. seal of approval, Harold and Jackie were free to watch Baylee for extended periods of time. Better yet, Brian didn’t have to worry about encountering any negative repercussions in court; at least as far as his parents were concerned.

This couldn’t have come at a better time, as Brian had been planning to ask his parents if they would be willing to watch Baylee while he embarked on a short holiday tour in December. Baylee was so excited about school and Brian didn’t want to pull him out of class until it was absolutely necessary. If his parents were willing to watch Baylee in December, than Brian wouldn’t have to worry about removing him from class until February when he began the European leg of the In A World Like This tour.

Brian wandered back down the hallway to find that Nick and his mom were still in the kitchen. Nick was sitting at the table with another massive piece of coffee cake on his plate. His mom was in the middle of refilling his mug with coffee.

“Can I have another piece of cake too?” Brian sat down at the table next to Nick. He was well aware of the fact that he sounded like a jealous toddler, but he didn’t care.

“Of course you can, sweetie.” Jackie smiled and placed another piece of cake, one that was noticeably smaller than Nick’s, in front of him. She topped up Brian’s coffee before settling down at the table with them.

“It’s nice to have you two here.” She smiled. “Both of you ... together.”

“It’s nice to be here.” Nick affirmed. He put his fork down on his plate with a soft clink and raised his eyes to Jackie. “I know that I’ve been gone for a long time.”

Jackie reached out and placed her hand on top of Nick’s. “I was worried about you Nickolas, but I always knew that you would be back.”

Nick curled his fingers around Jackie’s slightly wrinkled hand and smiled. “Thanks, Momma-J.”

Brian watched the exchange between his mother and Nick in silence. He placed a forkful of cake into his mouth and chewed quietly. He felt like a spoiled brat for being jealous. His mother had watched Nick grow up. She had been there and cared for him when his own parents had turned their backs on him. Of course, she would be happy to see him; Nick was essentially her third son.

“So, is Baylee enjoying school?” Jackie released Nick’s hand and turned to Brian. “I know that it’s only been a couple of days, but is he keeping up with the work?

“Yeah. He’s really enjoying it.” Brian affirmed. He decided to keep the fact that he had called Howie two days in a row in order to figure out how to do Baylee’s math homework to himself. “He’s going to try out for the basketball team.”

“He’s becoming more like you every day.” Jackie smiled. “It’s like there isn’t even any of ... her ... in him.”

Brian sighed as he scooped up the last bite of cake. “You can still call her by her name.”

Jackie pursed her lips and took a sip of coffee. “I’m assuming that she’s responsible for all of this C.P.S. nonsense. What is she trying to prove? That we’re all wild and crazy fools who don’t know how to provide a safe environment for a child?”

“She’s contesting the fact that I was granted primary custody.” Brian swallowed his mouthful of cake. “She’s trying to prove that she can provide a better living environment for Baylee than I can. Her argument is that my life is too chaotic; that Baylee’s childhood will be disrupted if he stays with me for the majority of his life. The way that my lawyer explained it is that, as far as C.P.S. is concerned, they don’t think that I’m a bad father or that I’m intentionally putting Baylee in harm’s way. They’re not investigating me in the same way that they would look into a person who has a history of violent or abusive behaviour. The purpose of their visits is merely to either prove or disprove what Leighanne has claimed. Their reports will be entered as evidence during the final custody hearing in January.”

“It just seems so silly.” Jackie shook her head. “Why bother wasting everyone’s time when a judge has already decided what’s best for Baylee?”

“She’s entitled to an appeal, mom.” Brian shrugged. “I have to play along if I want to keep Baylee.”

“You deserve a nice girl, Brian.” Jackie got up from the table in order to refill her coffee. “I want to see you with someone who appreciates all that you do for her. I want you to be happy.”

“I’m not really in the market for a girlfriend.” Brian sighed. “Why don’t you put some of that pressure on Nick?”

“Well, of course I want Nick to find a nice girl, too.” Jackie added some milk to her cup and grinned. “I want you both to be happy. I also wouldn’t mind a few more grandbabies. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

“Heyyyyy boys! Lookin’ good!”

Brian and Nick’s eyes met over top of the backboard. They were both perched precariously atop of two identical ladders, attempting to install Baylee’s much sought after basketball net above the garage. The box had claimed that it was a simple five-step installation process. After struggling for more than an hour, both Brian and Nick had come to the conclusion that the box had lied.

“How many Backstreet Boys does it take to install a basketball net?” Chris and Shane were standing at the bottom of the driveway. Two identical Pomeranian puppies were tangled at their heels. “Do you boys need any help?”

Nick glanced down; careful not to tilt his side of the net. Brian was busy drilling his side into the steel mount that they had just finished hanging. Nick knew that Brian would lose his shit if the net was crooked.

“I think we got it.” Brian called back. He handed the drill to Nick and stared proudly at his side of the net, which now appeared to be firmly secured to the base.

Nick accepted the drill and quickly screwed in the five supports. He slowly removed his hands from the backboard and stared at the finished product. He grinned like an idiot when it didn’t go crashing to the ground.

“Looks like it only takes two Backstreet Boys to successfully install a basketball net.” Nick shot Brian a triumphant look as the two of them cautiously descended their respective ladders.

Only when his feet were planted safely on the ground did Nick turn to address Chris and Shane. “Cute dogs.”

“Oh, thanks!” Shane gushed. “We only got them a few days ago. This is Pancakes and this is Waffles.” He pointed to each dog in turn.

Brian quickly turned his smirk into a smile. “Nice names. Very unique.”

“Listen.” Chris interrupted. “I’ve been meaning to drop by and apologize for the advice that I gave you concerning Baylee’s school. I’m well aware of the fact that it totally blew up in your face.”

“I should actually be thanking you.” Brian contradicted. “Baylee is so infatuated with attending a traditional school that he’s become almost a completely different kid. Although, I’m not sure that I’m overly impressed with the language that he’s been picking up.”

“Oh good.” Chris looked relieved. “I’m so glad that everything worked out for the best. It seems as though our boys have hit it off. Mike talks about Baylee non-stop.”

Brian nodded. “Baylee talks about Mike quite a bit as well. He also seems to have made friends with a couple of other boys, Trevor and Lucas.”

“Oh yeah, apparently Baylee has assimilated himself very nicely into their little group. They’re practically inseparable at school from what Mike has been saying.” Chris affirmed. “Actually, that’s the other reason why we decided to stop by. It’s Mike’s birthday next week and he’s been begging us to have a paintball party. He definitely wants Baylee to be there, but we wanted to check with you before we had Mike extend the invite. We like to know if the parents are on board before we get a kid’s hopes up.”

Brian was touched by their consideration. He was also thrilled and a little bit wary about the idea of Baylee attending a party. His son had never been to a party by himself. Actually, Baylee had never been to a party that was strictly for children his own age. He had only been dragged to functions that Brian and Leighanne had been invited to. Functions which, Brian now realized with embarrassment, Baylee really shouldn’t have been forced to attend. “It’s fine with me.”

“Perfect! We’ll have Mike give Baylee an invitation with all of the details.” Shane exclaimed.

Brian began to express his gratitude, but his attention drifted to the street. A sleek BMW slowed to a stop in front of the driveway. A few seconds later, Kevin unfolded himself from the driver’s seat and stepped out into the crisp afternoon air. He strolled up the driveway, his long strides conveying a sense of purpose that didn’t really exist.

“Whatch ya’ll doin?”

“We just finished installing a basketball net.” Nick smiled proudly. He waved his hand in the direction of the basketball net that was still miraculously attached to the garage. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to bring you your keys.” Kevin tossed a set of keys at Nick and grinned. “The place is all ready to go.”

“Oh.” Nick stared at the set of keys with mixed feelings. He knew that Brian had been more than accommodating to put up with him for the past seven days, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave. The thought of spending all of those hours alone made him feel somewhat depressed.

Kevin gave Nick a concerned look before turning his attention to Chris and Shane. “Hello.”

The two men stared back at Kevin with a mixture of awe and desire. It appeared as if Shane had forgotten how to close his mouth. Nick feared that the usually well-composed man may actually begin to drool on the yapping dogs that were busy winding their away around his ankles. It was abundantly clear that Chris and Shane had just come face to face with their favourite Backstreet Boy.

“Sorry.” Brian snickered. “I forgot that ya’ll haven’t met my cousin, Kevin. Kev, this is Chris and Shane. They live down the street. Baylee is friends with their son, Mike.”

Chris recovered first. He shot Kevin a wide smile before addressing the two obnoxious puppies. “Pancakes! Waffles! There’s going to be no sugar for the two of you tonight!”

“I’m sorry?” Kevin sent Chris a confused look. “Are we having breakfast?”

Nick snorted so hard that he choked. He noticed that Brian’s face was also turning red as he struggled to contain himself. Poor Chris looked as though he wanted to die on the spot and Shane was still gawking at Kevin. Nick wasn’t even sure if Shane had heard his partner’s comment.

“No – No breakfast. Just the dogs – the dogs are breakfast. I mean – not breakfast. We don’t eat them for breakfast! They’re just named after breakfast.” Chris stuttered incoherently.

“Riiiiiight.” Kevin’s eyebrows had shot up so high that they had practically overtaken his entire forehead.

“We really need to be going.” Chris lied. He took a step forward and tripped over the tangled leashes.

Thankfully, Shane snapped out of his trance and caught hold of his husband before he face planted into the sidewalk. The two of them bumped into each other as they struggled to unwind the leashes from around their legs and the dogs yipped loudly in protest. The two men eventually righted themselves and they both gave a small, mortified wave as they headed off down the street; Pancakes and Waffles criss-crossing in front of them.

“Well that was ... weird.” Kevin turned to face Brian and Nick. He looked at his cousin. “You say that Baylee is friends with those people?”

“He’s friends with their son.” Brian clarified through the tail end of his laughter. “They’re really very nice. You just got them all hot and bothered.”

Kevin gave Brian a withering look. “I have something that I need to run by you guys.”

“What’s that?” Nick asked as the three of them trooped inside.

“It’s about our rehearsal schedule for the holiday leg of the tour.” Kevin began. He led the way into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge to get a bottle of water.

“Where did all of these meals come from?” Kevin looked taken aback as he stared at the contents of the fridge. “Since when did you start cooking stuff like this?”

“They’re all from Lorna.” Brian grinned. He and Nick took a seat at the kitchen table. “She comes over three times a week with food. I think she’s convinced that Baylee and I will starve to death if she doesn’t keep cooking for us.”

“I’m not complaining.” Nick pointed out. “The shit that she makes is delicious. Remember that veggie lasagna that she made last week?”

Brian nodded vigorously. “If Ralph wasn’t around, I think that I would marry her.”

Kevin looked back and forth between the two of them and sighed. While he was immensely glad that Brian and Nick’s friendship had obviously been restored, he was more than a little concerned about what the return of Frick and Frack was going to mean for him. He had been through more than enough with the two of them when they were younger, and he had no desire to experience a repeat of any of that nonsense in his forties.

“Anyways, what do you have to tell us about rehearsals?” Nick brought the conversation back on track.

“Well, I’ve been talking with Howie and AJ.” Kevin joined Nick and Brian at the table. “The three of us think that we need to increase the number of sessions beyond the three weeks that we’ve already booked. We need the extra time to practise our Christmas material and to revamp some of the choreography.”

“More sessions?” Brian’s mouth fell open. He stood up from the table and walked over to the fridge. “Kev, it’s already going to be hard for me to leave Baylee with my parents for three weeks. There’s no way that I can impose on them any more than I already have; especially if I want them to watch him the whole time that we’re on tour in December.”

“You didn’t let me finish.” Kevin held up his hand to silence his cousin. “The three of us have also decided that it’s no longer a good idea for us to hold our rehearsals in L.A.”

Brian raised his eyebrows, but he held his tongue. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer, twisting off the cap with a well-practiced flick of his wrist. Brian ignored Nick’s concerned look as he took a long swig. He could only imagine where the new rehearsal location was going to be.

“I’ve arranged for us to have rehearsal space here in Lexington.” Kevin continued. “The rest of the crew is already on board.”

“Kevin, there’s no way that I can go all the way to ...” Brian stopped himself. “Did you say that we’re going to be rehearsing here?”

“That’s right.” Kevin grinned. “We figured that it would make things a bit easier on you if we all came here.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Brian gave his cousin an appreciative smile. “Thanks.”

“This also means that you have no excuse for being late.” Kevin chuckled. “I expect you both to be there tomorrow ... on time.”

“We’re starting tomorrow?” Nick wrinkled his forehead. “Doesn’t that mean that you’ll be staying at your place in Louisville?”

“That’s right.” Kevin smirked. “It looks like we’re going to be roommates. Unless, of course, Brian is willing to let you stay here for a little while longer.”

Brian and Nick exchanged a quick look. “Nick can stay as long as he likes.” Brian grinned. “Thanks again, Kev.”

Kayla’s eyes were glued to the paper. She had probably read the character reference upwards of ten times in the past twenty minutes, but the words still brought tears to her eyes. Kayla placed the typed written page on the desk and raised her eyes to Peggy. The older woman had barely commented on the contents of the letter. As she gazed at her co-worker’s rigid face, Kayla wondered how long it would take for her to become so jaded that she would no longer feel moved by something so heart-felt.

Sensing that Kayla’s eyes were on her, Peggy pulled her attention away from her computer screen. “Have you finished transcribing that letter yet?”

“I’m just getting started.” Kayla quickly averted her eyes from Peggy and called up Microsoft Word on her laptop. She positioned the hard copy of the letter on her desk and began to type.

*****
To whom it may concern,

In the twenty years that I have known Brian Littrell, I have come to know him as an honest and decent man. He’s one of the most kind and caring individuals that I’ve ever met.

The year that Brian and I met was a difficult one. I was in the process of making some of the biggest and most challenging decisions of my life. Little did I know how life-altering those decisions would turn out to be. I was away from my family for the first time, and I was struggling to come to grips with everything that was happening around me. But once Brian became my friend, I never really felt alone.

We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but through it all our friendship has held strong. Now, my relationship with Brian has evolved to the point where I no longer consider him to be my friend; I know him to be my brother. Beyond that, Brian has become a father figure in my sons’ lives. He’s there to celebrate their birthdays and he’s always there to cheer them on, regardless of how small their achievements.

With his own son, Brian should be given the same opportunity. Once Brian Littrell is in your life, he’s in your life forever. I speak from the heart when I tell you what an amazing gift that is. To not allow Brian to retain primary custody of his son would be to deprive Baylee of everything that Brian has to offer, and he offers so much more than words can express.

Sincerely,
Howie Dorough

*****

Kayla saved the document and posted it to the file. She handed the original back to Peggy and, when the older woman wasn’t looking, she quickly slipped the copy that she had made into her purse. Kayla knew that it wasn’t standard procedure to allow a client to read a character reference that had been submitted on their behalf, but she felt that Brian deserved to know what Howie had written before it was read aloud in court.

“Are you going to deliver those reports on your way home?” Peggy asked the question without looking up. Her reading glasses were perched on the bridge of her nose and she was squinting at the computer screen.

“Yeah.” Kayla affirmed. “I’m going to take off now. If that’s okay?”

She felt more than a little bit guilty about leaving early. Although she was thrilled by the prospect of escaping the office before four o’clock on a Friday afternoon, Kayla knew that Peggy still had a lot of work to do. The older woman was in the process of finishing the final report regarding one of their more difficult cases, and Kayla knew that no matter how Peggy worded the report the inevitable outcome was that the child would be removed from the home and placed in the care of the state.

“It’s fine.” Peggy waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve almost got this wrapped up.”

“If you’re sure ...” Kayla trailed off as she slid the stack of reports into her arms. She looped her purse around the lower portion of her right arm and plucked her car keys off of her desk.

“I’m sure.” Peggy finally looked up from the screen. “Have a good weekend.”

Forty-five minutes later, Kayla only had one report left to deliver. She glanced at the manila file folder that was lying on the passenger seat. Her own printing stared back at her; the sight of the name ‘Littrell’ caused her heart to beat just a little bit faster than normal. She was pretty sure that the reason for her increased heart rate had something to do with the fact that seeing Brian meant seeing Nick. She and Nick had exchanged quite a few texts since their night at the Olive Garden, and Kayla knew that the whole band was in town to rehearse for their upcoming tour.

Swallowing her nerves, Kayla punched the address that Nick had sent her the night before into the GPS system. She waited for the device to acquire the location before she shifted the car into gear. It wasn’t long before Kayla found herself in the middle of what appeared to be a largely industrial portion of the city. Both sides of the street were lined with cookie-cutter looking industrial units and there didn’t seem to be much, if any, human activity. The GPS indicated that the destination was on the right, so Kayla swung into the nearest parking lot and positioned her car next to a swanky looking BMW. She grabbed the file and stepped out of the car, looking for the entrance to the building. Kayla recognized Brian’s Mercedes as she approached what she hoped was the entrance; the smell of cigarette smoke invading her nostrils.

“Cinnamon? Am I right?”

Kayla knew who the raspy voice belonged to. AJ was leaning against the side of the building; a cigarette dangling from his fingers. He took a long drag and exhaled quickly, careful to blow the smoke away from her.

“That nickname is reserved exclusively for Chris and Shane.” Kayla laughed. “Sorry.”

“Shame.” AJ grinned. “It’s cute.”

Kayla blushed and mentally cursed herself for doing so. If she didn’t learn how to pull herself together, they were all going to think that she was some kind of crazy fan; which she wasn’t. Well, she was a fan, but she wasn’t a crazy one.

“Nick mentioned that you were going to be stopping by.” AJ flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and put it out with the toe of his shoe. “Perfect timing. We need an audience.”

“I’m just here to give Brian this report.” Kayla held up the folder for emphasis. “I won’t get in the way. I’ll be in and out.”

“Who said anything about you being in the way?” AJ smiled. “Like I said, we need an audience.”

“Well – I ...” Kayla was unsure of what to say.

“Listen, if you really need to go, you can go. Like, if you’ve got to get back to work or something.” AJ gently placed his hand on the small of Kayla’s back and steered her towards the entrance. He pulled open the heavy door and flashed a massive smile, his face only inches from hers. “I think that Nick would really like it if you were to stick around for a bit.”

The two of them entered the cavernous rehearsal space that Kevin had rented and began to walk across the concrete floor. The rest of the guys were at the far end of the massive room and an odd assortment of crew members were milling about. Music was blasting from a set of high-end speakers and Kayla was immediately surprised that she hadn’t been able to hear the song when she had been standing outside.

Brian and Howie were in the middle of running through a routine, while Kevin and Nick watched from the sidelines. It didn’t take long for Nick to notice that Kayla had arrived and he broke away from Kevin as soon as their eyes locked. Kayla watched Nick walking towards her and she desperately tried to keep her expression neutral. She could feel AJ watching her out of the corner of his eye as the three of them came together a few feet away from where Brian and Howie were dancing.

“Hey.” Kayla offered.

“Hey.” Nick returned the greeting. He moved as if to hug her, but changed his mind part way through. The result was some weird sweeping hand motion that ended with him scratching the back of his head.

AJ looked back and forth between the two of them and raised his eyebrows. “Smooth moves, Carter.”

Nick gave AJ a disparaging look. “I realized that I wasn’t sure if she was still working.” He turned to Kayla. “Are you still working?”

Kayla nodded. “I’m officially on the clock until this folder is in Brian’s hands.”

“Brian!” Nick shouted above the music. “Brian!”

Brian raised his eyes to Nick, distracting himself from the choreography. He turned sharply to the left and collided with Howie, his right leg connecting loudly with the shorter man’s shin. Kayla cringed as the two of them grabbed onto each other’s shoulders in an unflattering attempt to steady themselves. An exotic looking Latin woman, who bore a striking resemblance to Sofia Vergara, walked over to the stereo system and shut it off.

“Brian, you’re supposed to turn to the right, not to the left.”

“It’s Nick’s fault.” Brian whined. “He distracted me.”

“You, like, murdered my shin!” Howie complained. He dropped his arms from Brian’s shoulders and began rubbing gingerly at his leg.

“You guys are always full of excuses.” The woman shook her head and reached for a bottle of water. Her voice sounded stern, but Kayla somehow knew that she wasn’t really all that upset.

“Brian.” Nick’s voice was impatient. “Kayla has something that she needs to give to you.”

“Hmmmm?” Brian removed his eyes from the Latin bombshell and turned to Nick. “Oh, hey, Kayla.” Brian gave Kayla a small wave and began to walk towards them. “When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago.” Kayla replied as she watched Howie hobble over to a padded folding chair. He sat down heavily and continued to massage his shin. “Is he okay?”

“Who? Howie?” Brian turned around to stare at his friend. “He’s fine. Right, Howie?”

“Your fucking pink shoe took a chunk out of my leg!” Howie had rolled up the right leg of his track pants and was hunched over inspecting his injury.

Kayla glanced down at Brian’s feet. He was, indeed, wearing a pair of bright pink running shoes. By the time Kayla lifted her eyes from the ground; Brian had stopped looking at Howie and was staring at her intently.

“Stylish, aren’t they?” Brian grinned.

“They’re not fucking stylish!” Howie retorted. “They’re deadly weapons! I’m bleeding ... not that anyone cares.”

“Oh my God, just give him the file.” Nick pestered; ignoring Howie’s moaning. “Please.”

“What file?” Kayla noticed the worry wash across Brian’s face as he gazed at the folder in her hands. “What’s in it?”

“It’s a copy of the inspection report that we did at your parents’ house.” Kayla handed Brian the folder and smiled. “It’s nothing to worry about. You already know that they passed with flying colours.”

The relief on Brian’s face was noticeable. “Right. Thanks.” He accepted the folder and looked back and forth between Nick and Kayla. “So, are you still working?”

“Actually, my weekend officially started as soon as you took that folder out of my hands.” Kayla laughed. “Thanks for letting me off work early.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Brian grinned. “Are you going to hang around for a bit?”

“AJ actually asked me the same thing ...” Kayla glanced quickly at AJ who had been watching the situation unfold with an unreadable smirk. “... he said that you guys were in need of an audience.”

“AJ’s right.” Brian’s eyes locked with Kayla’s. “We do need an audience.”

“Let’s go, boys!” The Sofia look-a-like clapped her hands. “We need to run through ‘We’ve Got It Goin’ On’ at least one more time!”

Brian pulled his eyes away from Kayla in order to address the choreographer. “Give us a second, Catalina!”

“It looks like we need to get back to work.” AJ sighed before turning to Kayla. “Seriously, it would be nice if you stuck around.” He gave her a quick wink as he and Brian strolled back towards Catalina, Kevin, and a still pouting Howie.

“So, what do you say?” Nick flashed Kayla his signature smile. “Are you gonna stick around and watch us dance? I mean, it’s okay if you stay, right? Now that you’re off the clock and all that.”

Kayla looked up into Nick’s eager face. Who was she kidding? She wasn’t about to say ‘no’. “I can stay for a bit.”

“Good.” Nick hastily wrapped his long arms around her in a tight hug, pulling her to his chest. “I’ve been thinking about you.”

Kayla was so caught off guard that it took her more than a few seconds to respond. Eventually, she looped her arms around his back; returning the embrace. He smelled like cologne and sweat, and she had to resist the urge to giggle as his day-old stubble tickled her cheek.

“Nick!” Catalina’s voice reverberated through the space. “We’re waiting for you!”

Kayla pulled away first, her eyes drifting towards the other guys who were all standing around waiting. “You should go.”

Nick stepped back somewhat reluctantly. “Let us know how we look.” He insisted as he jogged over to join the others.

As the boys got into position, Kayla wandered over to the cluster of folding chairs. She sat down and dropped her purse to the floor as the opening notes of ‘We’ve Got It Goin’ On’ filled the air. Not really knowing what to expect, Kayla was pleasantly surprised to see the five of them launch into the classic choreography that she remembered from their first-ever music video. It was almost a surreal experience to see them running the routine in street-clothes in the middle of what was essentially an empty warehouse.

AJ, Nick, and Howie drifted effortlessly through the steps, but Kayla noticed that Brian kept glancing back at AJ for confirmation. He was easily a few seconds behind the others. Kevin was on time and definitely knew what he was supposed to be doing, but he didn’t appear to be as polished.

“Brian!” Catalina screamed above the music. “You’re off the beat!”

Kayla brought her hand to her mouth to hide her smile as she watched Brian scramble to get back into position. The rest of the guys had all dropped to their knees, but Brian had remained upright. He finally dropped into position as the other four sprang up and moved into the next turn.

“Brian!” Catalina wailed. “What are you doing?”

Brian had now moved away from the rest of the group and was busy blowing kisses and making random faces in Kayla’s direction. Kayla sputtered into her hand and shook her head as Brian jumped back into the routine at the last second and finished on time with the others.

The music faded out and Catalina jabbed at the speaker system to turn it off. “Brian Littrell, you are going to be the death of me! What the hell was that?”

Brian shrugged. “I was just doing what I would do during a show.”

Catalina looked like she wanted to strangle him. “You’re impossible.”

“I thought we had established that a long time ago.” Howie laughed. He scanned the ground before walking towards Kalya. “Can you toss me that bottle of water?”

Kayla glanced down and located the half-full water bottle next to her chair. She scooped it up and tossed it in Howie’s direction. He caught it without effort and took a long drink.

“Thanks.” He acknowledged, replacing the cap. “Kayla ...” Howie dropped his voice to a whisper. “... I sent in my character reference for Brian. Did you guys get it?”

Kayla nodded; her mind flashing to the copy that was tucked safely in her purse. “It was really sweet.”

“Do you think it’s good enough?” Howie looked slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t really know how to phrase it.”

“You conveyed yourself perfectly.” Kayla reassured him. “Really.”

“Oh.” Howie flushed. “Thanks. I was kind of worried that I hadn’t made myself clear. I don’t want to be the one who messes things up for Brian.”

“It’s clear how much you care about him.” Kayla paused. “I was actually going to ask you if you would be okay with me showing him what you wrote.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Howie nodded. “You’re allowed to do that?”

It was Kayla’s turn to flush. “Not exactly, but I feel that Brian deserves to read all of the wonderful things that you wrote about him.”

“What are you two whispering about?”

Howie and Kayla immediately fell silent at the sound of Kevin’s voice. “Nothing.” They offered in unison.

“Then can we please get back to work?” Kevin directed his question at Howie.

“Sure, Kev.” Howie finished his bottle of water and tossed it towards the recycling bin. He stole a glance at Kayla as he turned to rejoin the group. “I think that Brian deserves to see it, too.”

“What’s going on over there?” AJ nodded his head in the direction of Nick and Kayla.

The two of them were standing by the door having a hushed conversation. AJ could tell by Nick’s body language that he was nursing some feelings for the attractive redhead, but he wanted to hear it from someone else.

“They appear to be talking.” Kevin rolled his eyes. “What do you think is going on?”

“I think that young Nickolas is trying to get in her pants.” AJ shot back.

“There’s no need to be vulgar.” Kevin sighed.

“I wasn’t.” AJ smirked. “Now, if I had said that Nick wanted to stick his ...”

“Don’t!” Kevin held up his hands in surrender. “I take it back. What you said before was completely appropriate.”

“Thank God.” Howie laughed. “I don’t think that I could handle another conversation involving the term ‘meat locker’.”

Kevin shuddered. “To be fair, I think it was Nick who coined that lovely phrase, not AJ.”

“Seriously ...” AJ turned to Brian. “... what’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Brian shrugged. “As far as I know, anyways.”

AJ studied Brian’s face. “Liar.”

“He took her to dinner.” Brian caved. “He’s into her.”

“He took her to dinner? Or he took her to DINNER?” AJ wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Brian laughed in spite of himself. “Nick swears that it was strictly platonic. Her daughter was with them, so I’m inclined to believe him.”

“Her daughter?” AJ’s eyes widened. “How old is her kid?”

“She’s almost fourteen months.” Brian supplied. “Nick says that her name’s Liliana.”

“Fourteen months?” AJ repeated. “I wonder if she’s talking yet. Ro is all concerned about the fact that Ava is almost one and she still hasn’t said her first word. Do you think Kayla would mind if I asked her how old her daughter was when she started to talk?”

“Mason was like fifteen months before he said anything.” Kevin offered. “I don’t think that you have anything to worry about.”

“Girls are different.” AJ brushed the older man off; his eyes firmly locked on Kayla. “I could ask her, right?”

“I dunno, AJ. I don’t want her to think that we’ve been talking about her.” Brian cautioned. “Nick will be livid if we screw this up for him.”

AJ sighed. “Things would be so much easier if one of you had a girl.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” Kevin muttered. “As for Nick, I don’t think that he should be getting too close to Kayla.” He turned to his cousin. “Have you talked to him about this?”

“Nick’s a big boy, Kev.” Brian patronized. “He can make his own decisions.”

“I’m worried about you.” Kevin shot back. “This could put you in a bad position. Have you thought about that?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it.” Brian sighed. “Nick and I have an agreement.”

“What kind of an agreement?” Kevin pressed. He looked more than a little sceptical as he took in Nick’s body language.

“We’ve agreed that he will keep things casual with Kayla until my case is resolved.” Brian pretended to be extremely interested in the process of checking his email on his phone as he spoke. “Nick’s on board.”

“You’re telling me that Nick has agreed not to sleep with her until after your court hearing?” AJ resisted the urge to laugh. “You know that’s never going to happen.”

“Why do you say that?” Brian lifted his eyes from his phone and stared at AJ in defiance. “He promised.”

“Have you seen that ass?” AJ’s face broke out into a wide grin. “To quote Shane’s expression, if I wasn’t a married man, I would be all over her like a fat kid on a Smartie.”

“It’s a Skittle.” Brian corrected. “Shane said that he would be all over like a fat kid on a Skittle, not a Smartie.”

“That’s what you’re choosing to take away from all of this?” AJ shook his head. “The fact that I got my candies mixed up.”

“You can’t be worried about upsetting Nick right now.” Kevin continued with his concerned rant. “Maintaining primary custody of Baylee needs to be your top priority. If you think that Nick’s involvement with Kayla is going to put your case in jeopardy, you need to tell him. I know you, Brian. I know that you’re afraid of rocking the boat and driving another wedge between the two of you.”

“Why do you insist on believing that I’m not okay with this?” Brian raised his eyes to his cousin; his expression hard. “I’ve told you that Nick and I have already talked about it.”

“Like I said, Brian, I know you.” Kevin repeated. He picked up his jacket from the back of a chair and shrugged it over his shoulders. “I know when you’re hiding something.”

AJ knew that things were about to get ugly. Ever since his return, Kevin had picked up exactly where he had left off; treating the rest of them like they were still helpless, inexperienced teenagers. He wondered how long Kevin intended to keep trying to be the father figure that the rest of them no longer needed. Couldn’t Kevin see that Brian was desperate to know that the rest of them had his back?

“We should get going.” Howie interjected. “Brian, are we still meeting at your place later to go over the schedule?”

Brian nodded; grateful for Howie’s interruption. “Yeah, I just have to swing by the school and pick Baylee up. “Come by around five o’clock.”

Kevin shot Brian one last worried look as they gathered the rest of their things and moved towards the door. Nick and Kayla fell quiet as they approached.

The look on Nick’s face only served to make AJ even more convinced that Nick had been lying through his teeth when he had promised Brian that he was going to keep things casual with Kayla. He would have to have a talk with Nick at some point.

“Are we taking off?” Nick accepted the hooded sweatshirt that Howie offered him and pulled it over his head.

Brian nodded. “I have to pick up Baylee in like forty-five minutes.”

“Don’t worry, Nicky.” AJ slapped him on the shoulder as he pushed open the door. “We’re coming by Brian’s place later, remember? You don’t have to worry about missing us.”

Nick scowled at AJ’s mocking as he held the door open for Kayla. They stepped outside into the chill of the afternoon and AJ immediately lit up a cigarette. He stepped back from the group before taking a drag; making sure to exhale only when the wind was blowing in the opposite direction.

“Well, thanks for letting me stay.” Kayla grinned. “You guys looked great!”

“You should come back and watch us again.” Howie offered. “Hopefully, Brian will actually be able to remember the routines next time. The dances tend to look better when he isn’t assaulting me with his gigantic feet”

“I don’t have gigantic feet.” Brian frowned. “They’re average size. Aren’t they?” He turned to Kayla for confirmation.

“It’s kinda hard to tell when you’re wearing those shoes.” Kayla quipped. “There’s so much pink.”

“See!” Nick cried. He draped his arm around Kayla’s shoulders and pulled her against his side. “The lady agrees with me; those shoes are ridiculous!”

Brian’s frown deepened. “I don’t have big feet.”

Kayla shook her head in amusement and gently pried herself out of Nick’s grip. She ignored the slightly injured look on his face as she stepped towards Brian. “I brought something for you.”

Brian didn’t attempt to hide his surprise as he watched Kayla rummage around in her purse. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him, her eyes meeting his as their fingers touched.

“I feel that you deserve to read this before it’s read in court.”

“Is it – Is it bad?” Brian worried.

Kayla shook her head. “It’s very much the opposite.” She released her grip on the paper and began backing away from the group, towards her car. “Thanks again for letting me watch.”

“I’ll call you.” Nick promised.

Kayla’s face broke out into a huge smile as she opened the door to her car. “I look forward to it.”

AJ stayed quiet, enjoying his cigarette until he could no longer see the red of Kayla’s tail lights. He watched Brian carefully unfold the paper that Kayla had given him as he took his final drag. Nick was also watching Brian unfold the paper as if the process were an Olympic event. With his eyes still firmly trained on Brian, AJ flicked the remainder of his cigarette onto the road and rejoined the group.

“What does it say?”

“It’s a character reference.” Brian replied. “From Howie.” His southern drawl was laced with emotion as he slowly refolded the paper and placed it in his jacket pocket. “I don’t know what to say, D. It’s – it’s – well, it’s ...” Brian trailed off and cleared his throat. “It’s time for me to pick up Baylee.”

“I hope it helps.” Howie offered. “Kayla seems to think that it will.”

“Even if it doesn’t ...” Brian choked, but the look on his face said it all. “Thanks, Howie.”

Nick watched as Brian opened his fifth beer in less than two hours. His friend popped the cap off of the latest bottle with a Kentucky Wildcat’s bottle opener. The metal top danced along the granite counter before landing in the sink.

“You good to go there, Bri?” Nick tried to keep his voice casual, but he knew that there was an underlying tone of concern to his question.

Brian had always been a primarily social drinker; he drank at parties, football games, dinners, barbeques, weddings, and whenever else he happened to be in a large group. Very rarely did Brian come home and grab a beer out of the fridge and drink by himself. That was part of the reason why Nick was worried. Over the past few days, he had noticed that, more often than not, Brian’s hand was wrapped around a drink. It wasn’t at the point where Nick could honestly say that his friend was developing a problem, but he definitely didn’t want it to reach that point either.

“Yes, Nick, I’m good to go.” Brian parroted. He downed half of the just-opened bottle of beer in one long chug. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m not looking at you.” Nick lied. He dropped his eyes to his laptop that was open on the kitchen table and pretended to study the screen. There had been anger behind Brian’s words.

“What’s your issue, Nick?” Brian took another drink. “Do you want one?”

Nick raised his eyes to Brian’s. He watched as Brian realized the reality of his words; his face paled and his features contorted in regret.

“No, Bri, I don’t want a drink.” Nick forced the words out of his mouth, his eyes still trained on his best friend.

“Shit – Nick.” Brian stuttered. He looked at the bottle in his hand as if it were a foreign object. He placed it on the counter with a soft clunk and ran a hand over his face. “I – I don’t – I didn’t mean – I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay.” Brian shook his head and sat down across from Nick at the table. “What’s wrong with me?”

Nick gazed at the man that he had spent the better part of his life looking up to. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had seen Brian look so sad and so out of control. It was scaring him.

“You have a lot going on ...” Nick struggled to find the words. He was so used to being on the receiving end of Brian’s sympathy and advice that he had clearly forgotten how to reciprocate.

“Reading Howie’s letter made everything seem so real.” Brian admitted. “What if I lose my kid?”

“You won’t.” Nick assured him. “We won’t let that happen.”

How many times had the situation been reversed? How often had Brian stared into Nick’s red-rimmed eyes and told him that everything was going to be okay? As Nick watched Brian struggle to wrap his alcohol-impaired brain around what he was saying, he finally realized why Brian had chosen to distance himself from him for so long.

“You said ‘we’.” Brian blinked rapidly. “You’re going to help me?”

“We’re all going to help you.”

Nick turned to see Kevin standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He could hear AJ and Howie coming down the hallway, laughing softly about something. Nick was pretty sure that he hadn’t heard the doorbell. It took him a few seconds to realize that Baylee, who was practising his free throws in the driveway, had probably just told the three of them to go on inside.

“Is everything okay?” Kevin asked. He shifted in the doorway to make room for AJ and Howie; their easy laughter immediately grinding to a halt.

“Yeah, Kev.” Nick lied for the second time in less than ten minutes. “Everything’s fine.”

As Nick spoke, he watched as AJ edged his way into the room. AJ took one look at the four empty beer bottles lining the back of the counter and pressed his lips into a thin line. In one swift movement, he grabbed the half-empty bottle that Brian had placed on the counter only minutes before and emptied its remaining contents down the drain. He walked over to the refrigerator, pulled a bottle of water off of the shelf, and headed towards Brian.

“Drink it!” AJ slammed the water down on the table in front of Brian with so much force that Nick and Brian both flinched.

“AJ?” Brian appeared to be surprised to discover that he and Nick were no longer alone. “What are you doing here?”

“Every time that I see you lately, you’re nursing a drink.” AJ ignored Brian’s question. “You’re worried about losing Baylee? What do you think would happen if C.P.S. were to show up right now and see you sitting here drunk at five o’clock in the afternoon?”

“I – I – I only had a few.” Brian’s response was barely audible.

AJ’s already angry face darkened at Brian’s feeble excuse. “You only had a few? Just like you only had a few the other night at dinner and Nick ended up taking your sorry ass home? Just like you only snuck a few today at rehearsal? And what about the day before? Every time that I’ve talked to you since you and Leighanne split, you’ve been buzzed.”

“No, I ...”

“Don’t you dare lie to me and tell me that you haven’t!” AJ roared; cutting Brian off. He leaned forward so that his face was only inches from Brian’s. He lowered his voice, but his tone remained icy. “Today, I watched as you fell apart during a dance routine that we’ve been doing for twenty years. I listened while you messed up the lyrics to a song that you bloody well wrote. I watched as you tried to cover up your misery by sneaking a drink when you thought that no one was looking. Do you know who else I’ve watched do all of those things?”

AJ waited for Brian to shake his head before he continued. “I’ve watched Nick almost put himself in the ground, and I’ve watched myself destroy what should have been some of the best years of my life. Both times, I waited until things got messy before I opened my mouth. I’m not waiting for things to get messy this time.”

AJ pulled his face away from Brian’s and stood up from the table. There was no doubt in Nick’s mind that Brian was now completely sober. His eyes were still red-rimmed, but it was no longer from the alcohol. The tears were simmering in the corners of Brian’s eyes, and Nick was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be able to handle it if Brian allowed them to overflow.

“I won’t let you do this to yourself, Brian.” AJ glared down at him. “Don’t do what you begged and pleaded for me and Nick not to do. I won’t be able to stand back and watch you lose everything, and you and I both know that’s what’s going to happen if you continue. You either smarten the fuck up, or I’m out.”

“AJ, I’m sorry.” Brian struggled to control the tremor in his voice. “Things have been so hard lately, and I just didn’t – I didn’t know – it made things easier.”

“It won’t make things easier in the end.” AJ’s voice had taken on its own tremor. “I need a cigarette.”

Silence befell the kitchen as AJ disappeared onto the patio. Nick cast a quick glance at Brian who was busy peeling the label off of the bottle of water that AJ had slammed down in front of him. Nick could see the tears sliding down Brian’s cheeks, and he hastily stood up from the table. This was too much; it was all too much for him to handle. Without a word, he opened one of the French doors that led into the backyard and stepped out to join AJ in the semi-darkness.

“He’s going to fuck up his life, Nick.”

The smoke from AJ’s cigarette curled around his face and Nick fought the urge to ask him for one. “No he’s not.”

“How do you know that?” Concern was etched into AJ’s face. “He’s been drinking all day, Nick. I saw him.”

“He’s not like us.” Nick repressed the urge to admit that he hadn’t even been aware of the fact that Brian had been drinking during rehearsal until AJ had pointed it out in the kitchen. He had thought that his friend had seemed a bit off, but he had been more concerned with seeing Kayla than he had been with Brian’s behaviour. Some best friend he was.

“You mean that he’s not like us yet.” AJ corrected.

“You and I do things to the extreme without giving two shits about the consequences. Well, at least we used to.” Nick pointed out. “Brian’s just having a hard time. He’s hiding his feelings, not an addiction.”

“You know him better than I do.” AJ exhaled slowly and tapped his ash onto the ground. “Just so you know, it will tear me apart if you’re wrong.”

“After what you just said, I don’t think that Brian will ever drink again.” Nick admitted. “What you said hit home, hard.”

“I just lost it.” AJ sighed. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I just couldn’t stop myself when I walked in and I saw his eyes all glazed over. I fucking screamed in his face.”

“You did.” Nick stole a quick glance inside the house. Kevin and Howie were now sitting at the table with Brian, but none of them appeared to be saying anything. “He’ll thank you for it later.”

“I meant what I said.” AJ affirmed. “If Brian decides to drink himself through this divorce I’m not going to stick around and watch. I’ll pull out of the tour, the group, his life, everything. I won’t do it because I’ll hate him. I’ll do it because it will literally tear me apart to watch him destroy himself. I’m not as strong as he is; I won’t be able to sit around and wait until he figures things out for himself. I could barely get through that with you.”

Nick watched as AJ tossed his cigarette on the ground and roughly wiped at his face. He was thankful for the fact that it had become too dark for them to see each other properly. “You’re not going anywhere.”

AJ snorted. “Because Brian will be fine or because you won’t let me?”

“Both.”

AJ’s words had all but destroyed him. Brian’s hands shook as he poured every last ounce of alcohol down the drain. It suddenly felt wrong to have even the smallest amount of alcohol in the house, even though he knew that he could control himself. He finished pouring the last of the vodka into the sink and added the empty bottle to the already overflowing recycling bin.

“Brian?”

“AJ scared the shit out of me, Nick.” Brian turned to face the younger man. “I don’t have a problem. I was just ...”

“I know.” Nick interrupted. “I know.”

Brian smiled; grateful that Nick wasn’t looking for a long, drawn out explanation. “They’ll be here soon.”

“Yeah.” Nick scowled. “Doesn’t Kevin realize that it’s Saturday morning?”

“How dare he ruin your plans of playing Playstation in your pyjamas!” Brian joked.

“I was actually going to call Kayla to see if she wanted to have lunch with me.” Nick shot back. “I was only planning on staying in my pyjamas all day if she was busy.”

Brian rolled his eyes just as the front door banged open. Scuffling sounds drifted from the foyer and a few seconds later Baylee burst into the kitchen. A blonde boy that Brian didn’t recognize was hot on his heels. Both boys were flushed from being outside in the crisp fall air and their eyes were wide with excitement.

“Dad, this is Mike.” Baylee casually introduced his friend as he bee-lined for the fridge. He pulled out two cans of Coke and tossed one of them at the other boy.

“Mike?” Brian racked his brain. He had been under the impression that Baylee had been playing outside on his own. “You live down the street?”

“Yeah.” Mike affirmed. “You’ve met my dads; Chris and Shane.”

“Dad, is it okay if I go over to Mike’s house for a bit?” Baylee guzzled his Coke as he waited for a response.

“I suppose.” Brian looked at his son’s eager face. “Are Mike’s dads home?”

“Of course they are.” Baylee rolled his eyes and turned to his friend. “See? I told you that he would be all super lame and ask if your dads were going to be there.”

Mike shrugged and took an unnaturally long, and an even more unnaturally loud, drink of Coke. “All parents are totally cray.”

“I am not crazy!” Brian was a bit offended that the two boys were speaking as if he wasn’t even in the room.

Baylee gave his father a look that was clearly meant to question his sanity. “Uncle Nick is wearing God of War pyjama pants. You’re both cray.”

“So, can Bay come over?” Mike finished his can of Coke and set it on the counter. “Please.”

“Fine.” Brian gave in. “I want you home before dinner.”

“Thanks, dad!” Baylee beamed and quickly finished his own can of Coke.

Before Brian could utter another word, both boys had left the kitchen and were tearing down the hallway. He could hear them stop to put their shoes back on before flinging open the front door.

“That guy’s beard is cray!” Mike’s comment echoed through the house.

Brian and Nick exchanged a quick smirk. The others had obviously arrived. The two of them left the kitchen and entered the hallway just in time to see Mike and Baylee plough their way through AJ, Howie, and Kevin who were standing on the porch. The older men stepped back as the boys pushed their way through; completely oblivious to the fact that they almost sent Kevin careening into the decorative railing.

“What did that kid mean when he said that my beard was cray?” AJ stepped into the house first. “Does that mean that he thinks that my beard is fucking awesome? Because it totally is.”

“I think he means that you look like a creeper.” Howie quipped. “Because you totally do.”

“Oh no, we’re not doing this again!” Kevin stepped into the house and shut the door firmly behind him. “We’re not getting off topic. We need to discuss the tour schedule.” He stared at each of his band mates in turn, his eyes finally landing on Nick’s pyjama pants. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“I thought you said that we weren’t going to get off topic.” Nick retorted. He led the way into the living room and flopped down on the couch. “For your information, I’m wearing Kratos sleep pants.”

“Of course you are.” Kevin sighed. He sat down next to Nick and gave his pants one final stare before pulling out several sheets of paper. “There have been a few changes to the schedule.”

“Bri ...” AJ reached out and placed a hand on Brian’s arm, stopping him from entering the living room. “... about what I said last night ...” He ran a hand through his new head of hair and sighed. “... I was outta line.”

Brian dared a quick glance at his cousin, who was watching the two of them out of the corner of his eye, before turning to AJ. “No you weren’t.”

AJ appeared taken aback. “I said some pretty horrible shit to you.”

“You told me what I needed to hear.” Brian admitted. “I’m glad that you said something before the situation got out of control.”

“Out of all of us, you’re the one who’s supposed to be able to hold it together.” AJ sighed and released his grip on Brian’s arm. “Who would be the one to step in if you fell apart?”

“You did a pretty good job last night.” Brian pointed out. “You obviously need me a lot less than you think you do.”

AJ shook his head. “I need you more than you think I do. That’s why I called you out.”

“Is the bro-mance restored?” Kevin interrupted. “Can we move on now?”

AJ and Brian looked at each other and grinned. They both opened their arms wide and fell into each other, making a huge show of wiping away fake tears. After a round of exaggerated back slapping and a few choruses of “I love you, bro” in annoyingly high voices, Brian and AJ pulled apart and turned to Kevin.

“Is that what you were waiting for?” AJ teased.

“I don’t know why I continue to put up with any of this. I really don’t.” Kevin muttered, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips. He waited for AJ and Brian to take a seat before he adopted a more serious tone. “Like I was saying, there have been some changes to the schedule.”

“What kind of changes?” Brian asked warily. He accepted the list of tour dates that Kevin handed him and frowned. “Please don’t tell me that we’ve added more shows.”

“Actually, we’ve been asked to do one more show.” Kevin tread cautiously. “But, we’ve also lost a few shows.”

“We’ve lost Georgia, Florida, and Texas?” Howie’s eyes widened as he stared at his copy of the tour schedule. “When did this happen?”

“I just found out about all of this on Friday morning.” Kevin sighed. “Apparently, there’s some kind of issue with the promoters. I’m not sure of the details, but the radio stations that were supposed to be hosting all of those shows have now backed out.”

“At the risk of sounding like a dick, I kinda see this as a good thing.” Brian admitted. “This means that I only have to leave Baylee with my parents for nine days.”

“Well ...” Kevin drawled. “That’s only partially true.”

Brian narrowed at his eyes. “What have you committed us to?”

“We’ve been asked to play a holiday show on December 19th.” Kevin stated.

“Where?” Nick flipped the tour schedule over in his hands. “I don’t see anything listed for the 19th.”

“It’s actually not in the U.S.” Kevin admitted. “We’ve been asked to play in Montreal.”

“Montreal?” Brian repeated. “Really, Kev? You know that one of the C.P.S. stipulations is that I’m not allowed to leave Baylee with my parents if I’m leaving the country. This means that I’m going to have to pull him out of school, and I still haven’t arranged an on-the-road tutor.”

“I’m perfectly aware of your situation.” Kevin silenced his cousin’s whining. “We won’t have to leave until the 18th, so that means that Baylee will only miss three days of school. It’s also right before Christmas break, so they won’t be doing that much curriculum anyway. You can ask his teacher in advance for the homework, and Baylee will be completely caught up by the time that he returns to class in January. Legally, you won’t be required to provide him with a tutor because the trip will be less than five days.”

“Are we headlining the show?” Howie asked. “It will only be worth it if we’re headlining.”

Kevin nodded. “It’s only us and two other acts; Avril Lavigne and Hedley. They’ve promised us an hour and forty-five minute set.”

“That’s like a full set.” Nick looked excited. “That’s way more time than we’ve been allotted for any of the other holiday shows.”

“It’s being hosted by one of the major radio stations in Montreal; 94.7 Hits FM. As of right now, they aren’t playing our music very often, but we will likely get some more air time leading up to the event.” Kevin continued. “We need to let the promoters know before the end of the day.”

Brian looked around at the eager faces of his band mates and sighed. He had been hoping to keep Baylee in school full-time until the start of the European leg of the tour in February. At the same time, he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to play a critical show in one of their bigger markets. “Let’s book it.”

“You’re sure that you’re okay with it?” Howie looked concerned. “We’ll understand if you’re not.”

“I want to do it.” Brian reassured him. “Like Kevin said, Baylee will only have to miss three days of school.”

“So, it’s settled?” Kevin already had his phone in his hand. “I can call it in?”

Brian nodded. “You better put Wayne out of his misery. You know he’s sitting by the phone waiting for you to call.”

Wayne, their tour manager, had a rather obsessive-compulsive personality. He liked to have everything done well in advance, and Brian knew that the prospect of booking such a major show at the last minute was probably sending the poor man into cardiac arrest.

“Hey, Wayne.” Kevin quickly slipped his hand over the mouthpiece. “He didn’t even let it ring once.” He whispered, before returning his attention to the phone. “We’re in for the Montreal show.”

“How frazzled is he?” Howie laughed as soon as Kevin disconnected the call.

Kevin simply chuckled and shook his head. “He’s probably already on the phone to Eddie in order to confirm the fan club presale.”

“Do you guys want to bring the wives along?” AJ asked. “I know they’re not coming for the other shows, but it might be nice to have them around for this one. It will be our last show of 2013.”

“And the kids?” Howie suggested. “That way Baylee won’t feel like he’s the only kid who’s being forced to be there.”

“Bri, you might want to consider having C.P.S. conduct their on-the-road visit during this trip.” Nick pointed out. “It will be short and sweet and, like Kevin said, Baylee won’t even need a tutor. Think of how easy it will be to pass.”

Brian looked at Nick and smirked. “Your suggestion has nothing to do with the fact that you’re hoping to sneak in some quality holiday time with a certain social worker does it?”

“I’m merely thinking of you, Brian.” Nick feigned hurt. “I’m saddened that you would think otherwise.”

“You’re full of shit, Carter.” AJ shot back. “I know how your mind works. You’ve got it all planned out; foreign city, Christmas time, five-star dining, fancy hotel.”

“You don’t even know for sure that Kayla will go.” Howie snickered. “Maybe Peggy will conduct the investigation on her own.”

“I’m sure that Peggy also likes good food and fancy hotels.” AJ quipped. “It wouldn’t be a total loss for our little Casanova.”

Nick scowled. “I hate all of you.”

“You don’t hate us.” Howie grinned. “You’re just worried that your little plan may not work out.”

“It’ll work out perfectly.” Nick mumbled. “Just you wait.”

“Kayla?”

Peggy forced her eyes upwards when her question went unanswered. The younger woman was staring at her laptop with a vacant expression on her face. She was holding a large mug of coffee in her right hand, and she was absently twirling a section of her hair around her left pointer finger.

“Kayla?” Peggy repeated, a little bit louder this time.

When the girl still didn’t answer, Peggy leaned over her desk and waved her hand in front of her co-worker’s face. “Kayla? Hello? Are you in there?”

“Sorry.” Kayla flushed. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. “I was just thinking about something.”

If she were going to tell Peggy the truth, which she wasn’t, Kayla would have to explain that she was thinking about someone, not something. She had gone out with Nick again last night; this time to a movie. As usual, it had been a wonderful evening. Nick was cute, funny, and polite, but something was amiss. They had gone out ten times and he still hadn’t tried anything. He hadn’t even tried to kiss her, let alone get her into bed.

Kayla was beginning to develop a complex. Was she not pretty enough? Had she done something to offend him? Was she not his type? The same thoughts rolled through her mind every time that he dropped her off and gave her nothing more than a hug, but she still hadn’t been able to come up with an answer. She couldn’t figure out why Nick was going through all of the trouble to take her out if he wasn’t interested. The other part of the situation, the part that was really nagging at her, was that she wasn’t overly upset by the fact that their relationship hadn’t progressed beyond friendship. Of course she wanted him to kiss her. Hell, what girl didn’t want to be kissed by Nick Carter? Still, she wasn’t devastated that he hadn’t. She was confused more than anything.

“Does that something have a name?” Peggy fell back into her seat and gave Kayla a knowing look.

“I don’t have time for a boyfriend.” Kayla deflected Peggy’s suggestion. “I told you that I barely have time for myself and Liliana.”

“You make time.” Peggy advised. “Once you find the right man, you’ll always have the time.”

The woman had been happily married for over thirty-five years, so Kayla knew that there was at least some truth to her words. Regardless, she was in no position to discuss the situation with Nick. Peggy would probably die of an aneurism if she found out that Kayla had been fraternizing with a client outside of work. It hadn’t taken Kayla long to realize that hanging out with Nick inadvertently meant hanging out with the rest of the band as well. The guys had been rehearsing in Lexington for the past three weeks, and she had spent many evenings watching the five of them run through their holiday set list.

If Peggy were to see her phone, she would have a conniption. Not only would she see hundreds of flirty texts from Nick, but she would also see the messages from Brian bragging about the fact that Baylee had made the junior basketball team. She would be able to read the texts from AJ asking about Liliana, she would know that Howie forwarded her funny pictures and that Kevin had recommended the novel that was currently stuffed in her lunch bag. It was like she was leading two separate lives and, as much as she hated to keep things from her co-worker, Kayla knew that it was for the best.

“What did you need to talk to me about?” Kayla tried to steer the conversation back to work. “I doubt that you were trying to get my attention in order to give me relationship advice.”

“No.” Peggy sighed. She sat back in her chair and rubbed her tired eyes. “I’ve been given a surgery date for my hip.”

“That’s great!” Kayla enthused. She knew that the older woman desperately needed the operation to improve her mobility. “When?”

“They’ve had a cancellation.” Peggy explained. “Doctor Shafer is able to fit me in before Christmas; on December 20th.”

“December 20th?” Kayla repeated. “That’s in, like, four weeks.”

“I know it’s sooner than I had planned.” Peggy admitted. “If I wasn’t in so much pain, I would have turned him down. Thankfully, the worst part of my recovery will take place over the Christmas break. I’ll only be gone for one additional week in December and the first two weeks in January, so I can use my vacation days to cover the time that I will need to miss. My retirement date won’t be impacted and you will only have to handle the caseload on your own for a couple of weeks.”

“What about the trip?” Kayla could feel the anxiety rising in her stomach. “You were supposed to conduct the assessment in Montreal for Bri – for the Littrell file, remember?”

Peggy closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. “I forgot about that.” She opened her eyes and peered at Kayla. “Is there absolutely no way that you can do it?”

“I don’t have anyone to watch Liliana.” Kayla tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “My aunt and uncle have already booked their annual Christmas vacation. They’re the only family that I have in the – in Kentucky.” Kayla corrected herself. There was no way that she could go on the Montreal trip, absolutely no way.

“What if you were able to bring Liliana with you?” Peggy was thinking out loud. “Do you have a passport?”

“Of course I have a passport.” Kayla muttered. She immediately regretted the words as soon as they had left her mouth. Claiming to not have a passport would have given her an easy way out; stupid!

“Let me talk to Anthony.” Peggy pushed back from her desk and hauled herself to her feet. “As long as you complete the inspection, I’m sure that he won’t care if you have to bring Liliana. It’s not like he’s going to have to purchase an extra seat on the plane or anything.”

Kayla stared after Peggy with her mouth slightly open. She watched as the older woman knocked on the door to Anthony’s office and stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind her. If Anthony wasn’t such a nice guy, Kayla wouldn’t have been so anxious. Most people would kill for a boss like Anthony, but at this particular moment Kayla found herself wishing that Anthony wasn’t so accommodating. She had a sinking suspicion that she was going on that trip, whether she wanted to or not.

Her phone pinged with an incoming text message as she took a sip of coffee in an unsuccessful attempt to squash her anxiety. Kayla located her phone on her desk and made no effort to hide her smile. The message was from Nick.

Nick: I had a good time with you last night.

Kayla: I had a good time with you too. :)

Nick: Baylee has a basketball game at 4:00. Do you want to meet us there?

Kayla: Who’s ‘us’?

Nick: LOL. We’re all going. Brian says that the team needs a cheering section. Will I see you?

Kayla: Yeah. You’ll see me. :)

Nick: Can’t wait. :D

“Good news.”

Kayla quickly returned her phone to her desk as Peggy approached. “What’s that?”

“Anthony says that it’s perfectly fine for you to bring Liliana along. He’s even going to reimburse you for the extra baggage fees.” Peggy smiled. “He knows that the Littrell file is high-profile and he wants to get things wrapped up as soon as possible. He said that the option of you taking the baby along is preferable to pushing the assessment back until February and paying to send me all the way to Europe.”

“Don’t you want to go to Europe?” Kayla asked; still looking for a way out. “I would kill to see London.”

“Oh, honey, I’ve been there and done that already.” Peggy brushed it off with a wave of her hand. “I have no desire to go again.”

“Oh.” Kayla mumbled, defeated.

“Don’t look so worried. It will be fun, and the report that you have to write is really straightforward.” Peggy encouraged. “Montreal is lovely at Christmas time.”

“Yeah.” Kayla muttered. “I know.”

“You’ve been?” Peggy raised her eyebrows.

“What?” Kayla pulled herself out of her thoughts. “I mean, pardon?”

“You’ve been to Montreal at Christmas?” Peggy repeated.

“Oh.” Kayla stalled. “No. Sorry, I wasn’t listening.” She lied.

“Well, you’re going to love it.” Peggy continued. “Hopefully, there will be some snow and you can check out the Notre-Dame Basilica ...”

Kayla tuned the older woman out, but she made sure to smile and nod every so often to make it look as though she was still paying attention. She was well aware of all that the largest city in Quebec had to offer. She was also well aware of the emotional baggage that was waiting for her north of the border.

By four o’clock, Kayla had quelled most of her anxiety related to the Montreal trip. She had somehow managed to convince herself that there was no need to dwell on the situation until the day of the excursion. If she continued to worry about it, she would be a basket-case by the time that she needed to board the plane.

Sparrow Hill’s gymnasium was packed, but Kayla had no trouble picking out Nick and the rest of the guys in the stands. They were taking up the entire top row of one of the small, fold away bleachers that the school had rolled out for the game. Kayla stifled a laugh as she carefully picked her way through the crowd of parents and staff members who were milling around and looking for seats. Although Brian and his friends were relatively the same age as most of the other parents who had come to watch the game, the five of them still stuck out from the crowd like a sore thumb. She could see some of the moms trying to sneak pictures of the guys with their cell phones, and she definitely heard the term ‘Backstreet’ flying about as she walked through the crowd.

“You came!” Nick waved Kayla over as she carefully climbed the metal stairs to the top of the bleachers. He motioned for Howie to slide over and patted the space in-between him and Brian.

“You invited me.” Kayla reminded him as she slid into the small space. She was acutely aware of the fact that she was very close to both men, her shoulders brushing against both of them as she adjusted her posture. Cologne invaded her nose from both sides; Ralph Lauren from Brian and Giorgio Armani from Nick.

“I’m glad.” Nick flashed her a heart-melting smile and lightly bumped her shoulder with his.

“Dad!” Baylee hissed.

Kayla pulled her eyes away from Nick and looked down at the gym floor. Baylee was standing in the shadows at the side of the bleachers and staring up at the six of them. He was wearing his school jersey and holding a basketball under his right arm and, Kayla couldn’t help but notice, he looked positively mortified.

“What is it, Bay?” Brian also dropped his eyes to his son. “What’s wrong?”

“Why are ALL of you here?” Baylee whispered. His eyes darted frantically around the gym. “Everyone is talking about you.”

“What do you mean?” Brian did his own quick scan of the gym. “Nobody is talking about us.”

“I can’t believe you!” Baylee continued. “Are you trying to ruin my life?”

“Bay, I don’t understand.” Brian tried to camouflage the fact that he was hurt by his son’s words. “We just came to watch you play.”

“Just don’t cheer for me, okay?” Baylee pleaded. “I don’t – I don’t want anyone to know that you’re all here to see me.”

“Why?” Brian was desperately trying to wrap his brain around his son’s request. “You introduced me to your friend, Mike. Remember? How is this any different?”

“This IS different.” Baylee insisted. “I’ve told my friends about you and they’ve promised to keep it a secret.”

“To keep what a secret?” Brian pestered. “That I’m your dad?”

“That my dad is – that you’re – that you’re ...” Baylee dropped his voice even lower “... that you’re a Backstreet Boy.”

A whistle sounded and Baylee gave Brian one last fleeting look as he hurried towards the benches on the other side of the gym. He took a seat with the rest of his team and turned his attention to his coach.

“Did that just happen?” AJ broke the silence. “Did Baylee actually just come over here and tell us not to cheer for him?”

“Clearly, I’m an embarrassment.” Brian muttered. “Didn’t you hear him? I’m trying to ruin his life.”

Kayla patted Brian gently on the leg. “He didn’t mean it.”

Brian shifted his eyes to Kayla; they were shimmering with pain and indignity. “He sure looked like he meant it.”

Kayla fought the urge to pull Brian into a tight hug. She knew that Baylee was only behaving like any other boy his age, but she still wanted to storm the court and scream at him. Every kid was embarrassed by their parents to some degree, but Baylee’s comments had definitely crossed the line.

“He doesn’t want us to cheer for him?” AJ was still ranting on the other side of Brian. “Just wait until that kid sinks a basket. He’s gonna wish that he never opened his mouth.”

“AJ, what the hell are you going to do?” Howie leaned across Nick to get a better view of the tattooed man as the boys scurried out onto the court. “You might want to give it some more thought, whatever it is.”

“Oh, I’ve already given it plenty of thought.” AJ smirked. “Brian, do I have your permission?”

Brian stared long and hard at AJ. He flicked his eyes to Baylee who had taken his position as small forward before he responded. “Go nuts.”

Kayla turned as Nick placed his hand on her arm. He leaned into her and whispered in her ear. “Are you still glad that you came?”

“I think this is going to be the best elementary school basketball game that I’ve ever been too.” Kayla leaned in even closer to Nick as she responded. Their faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her skin.

“Here we go!” Howie’s gasp caused Nick and Kayla to pull away from each other and return their attention to the game. “Baylee’s taking a shot.”

Baylee released the ball in a perfectly executed two point shot. The ball sailed smoothly through the air and AJ was out of his seat before the ball had even fully connected with the backboard. As soon as the ball dropped through the net, AJ started shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Way to go, Baylee!” AJ cupped his hands around his mouth to ensure that his voice had maximum volume. “Everyone look at number eight! He’s my nephew! And, for those of you who were wondering, yes, I AM AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys! That’s right everyone; Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell is Baylee’s dad!”

The entire game ground to a halt. The kids on the court were all frozen to the spot, and every single spectator had turned to stare at AJ who was still standing up and clapping as if his life depended on it. The woman sitting in front of AJ even went so far as to use the opportunity to turn around and take his picture.

Baylee was still standing in the same spot from which he had released the ball. He was staring at AJ along with everyone else and his face had turned the same shade as an over-ripe tomato. The kid had looked mortified before, but now he looked beyond humiliated. If the floor had suddenly opened up in front of him, Kayla was willing to bet that Bayle would have jumped head-first into the hole instead of waiting to be swallowed up.

AJ let out one final whoop for good measure before returning to his seat. Regaining his sense of focus, the referee blew his whistle and shouted for the game to resume. Slowly, the crowed turned their attention back to the game and Baylee took off down the court after the ball. Kayla noticed that Baylee went out of his way to avoid looking in their direction as he hustled past them.

“Jesus Christ.” Kevin had his face buried in his hands. He was still trying to control his laughter. “Can you imagine how you would have felt if someone had done that to you when you were in the sixth grade?”

“Of course I can.” AJ grinned. “That’s why I did it.”

“That was priceless.” Brian sputtered. He turned quickly to Kayla. “Does that make me a bad parent?” He asked the question in jest, but Kayla could see a flicker of worry cross his face.

“It makes you a great parent.” Kayla reassured him. “Baylee will get over it.”

Kayla watched as Baylee made another two point shot. The crowd applauded politely, and more than half of the spectators turned in AJ’s direction to watch his reaction. AJ simply smiled and gave the crowd a small wave in-between his own claps. Kayla saw Baylee breathe a sigh of relief as he got into position for the next play, and she gently nudged Nick. “You’ve got good friends.”

Nick smiled back at Kayla and moved his hand over her knee. “They’re the best.”

“How much do you guys want to bet that Baylee refuses to speak to me when he comes out?” AJ let out a small laugh and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Damn, it’s cold!”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he refuses to speak to you ever again.” Nick grinned. “He looked like he wanted to die right there on the spot.”

“It serves him right.” AJ mumbled. “I can’t believe that he had the nerve to speak to Brian like that; as if he’s embarrassed by the fact that his dad is a Backstreet Boy!”

Nick followed AJ’s lead and dug his hands into his pockets. The evening air was definitely more cold than crisp, and his breath was coming out in little puffs as he spoke. He dared a quick glance at Brian and Kayla who had been intercepted by Principal Riddell as the six of them had been leaving the gym.

The appearance of the head of the school couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. Nick had just managed to curl his fingers around Kayla’s hand when the guy had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Kayla had immediately broken all contact with him and had launched into a cover story about conducting an impromptu visit to determine how Baylee was adjusting to school. Thankfully, Brian had been quick enough to play along and the Principal had fallen for the excuse hook, line, and sinker.

Nick couldn’t believe how careless he and Kayla had seemingly become. What had they been thinking? He should have known better than to invite Kayla to an event at the school, and Kayla should have known better than to accept his invitation. Nick was desperately trying to make good on his promise to Brian, and he had become legitimately paranoid about someone seeing him and Kayla together. Although, to be fair, Brian had encouraged him to invite Kayla to the game. So, the whole thing wasn’t entirely his fault.

Nick had taken Kayla out more times than he could count and every time he had somehow managed to keep things strictly platonic. It was killing him! To make matters worse, Nick knew that Kayla was beginning to question his intentions. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had come to the conclusion that he was completely uninterested. Truth be told, he was dying to get her into bed. It had taken every ounce of willpower that he possessed not to slam his lips against hers when she had been leaning in and whispering to him during the game.

“That guy sure likes to talk.”

Nick snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Brian’s voice. He and Kayla had finally finished speaking with the Principal and they had migrated their way back over to rejoin the group. Nick noticed with dismay that Kayla had chosen to stand as far away from him as possible. She had taken up a place in-between Howie and AJ, and she was bouncing slightly from one foot to the other in an effort to keep herself warm.

“I felt like he was giving us the third degree.” Kayla mumbled. “What do you think was going through his head?”

“I dunno.” Brian admitted. “I think he believed your excuse. You did a great job of selling it.”

Kayla grinned and withdrew a pink toque from her purse. She pulled the floppy hat over her ears, her long hair spilling out of the sides. “When did it get so cold?”

“You better get used to it.” Brian smirked. “You’re coming with us to Canada in the winter, remember?”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Montreal is not the coldest place on earth, you know?”

“Wait! What?” Nick’s eyes darted back and forth between Brian and Kayla. “I thought that Peggy was coming with us. You said that you didn’t have a babysitter for Liliana.”

“There’s been a change in plans.” Kayla was surprised by the harshness of Nick’s tone. “Peggy is now having hip surgery on December 20th and I’m taking her place in Montreal. My boss is allowing me to bring Liliana along.”

“I only just found out.” Brian added hurriedly; sensing that Nick was upset. “It came up during our conversation with Peter.”

“I was going to tell you tonight.” Kayla finished. “It just so happens that I let it slip during the conversation with Principal Riddell.”

“Well, I think it’s great that you’re coming along.” Howie enthused. He shot Nick a look that clearly indicated that he needed to calm down. “Not that I didn’t want Peggy to come ...”

“Oh thank God!” Kevin cut into the conversation. “Baylee’s finally on his way over. If that kid had taken any longer I swear that I would have lost all of my toes.”

Nick turned in the direction that Kevin was facing. Baylee was walking out of the school with a couple of boys from the basketball team and a girl who also looked to be about his age. Nick caught Baylee’s eye and motioned for him to hurry up, but Baylee quickly turned his back to their group and continued talking to his friends.

“I guess he’s pissed at all of us.” Nick observed. “Figures.”

“Brian, are you seeing this?” AJ whispered. “I don’t believe it.”

“I think we’ve just discovered the reason why he didn’t want us around.” Howie sniggered. “The kid’s got game.”

The other boys had taken off to meet their parents, leaving Baylee and the mystery girl alone. The two of them were standing off to the side of the school’s main entrance, and the girl was laughing softly at whatever Baylee was saying. She pushed her long, brown curls away from her face before leaning in and giving Baylee a long hug.

“Way to go, Bay.” Nick laughed. “Way to go!”

“Way to go?” Brian eyes were threatening to pop out of his head and roll along the sidewalk. “Baylee will not be going anywhere with anyone! Who is that girl? Where are her parents?”

“Ashley!” A woman in her early forties with a head full of wild, brown curls yelled from the opposite end of the school yard. “Let’s go!”

The young girl untangled herself from Baylee’s embrace and reluctantly turned to address her mother. “One second!” She screamed her reply before turning her attention back to Baylee. She whispered something that made him break out into a large grin before swiftly planting a quick, one second kiss on his cheek.

“Oh my God, that’s so sweet!” Kayla gushed as she watched Ashley hurry off to join her mother. “It looks like Baylee has a girlfriend.”

“Sweet?” Brian hissed. “There is nothing sweet about what just happened over there! Baylee is not supposed to – he’s not allowed to – he’s too young to have a girlfriend!”

“Oh come on, Bri.” AJ berated. “It’s harmless.”

“Harmless?” Brian repeated. “Is that what you would say if you saw Ava kissing some strange boy at barely eleven years old?”

AJ’s face fell. “Ava is not going to be allowed to go anywhere near ANY boy until she has graduated from college. I’m going to personally see to it that she never has a boyfriend until she’s a responsible adult.”

Kayla was looking at AJ as if he had suddenly spurted an extra limb. “Do you really think that’s going to happen? What are you going to do, hire a body guard to follow her around?”

“Brian, have you forgotten about Brittney Moss?” Kevin played his own hand. “I seem to remember the two of you being pretty cozy when you were Baylee’s age.”

“We’re not talking about me.” Brian’s face turned scarlet as he glared at his cousin. “We’re talking about Baylee.”

“Why are you talking about me?”

Nick jumped about a mile at the sound of Baylee’s voice. Baylee had somehow managed to creep up behind him; successfully scaring the crap out of him.

“I thought that you didn’t want to be seen with us.” AJ taunted Baylee at the same time as Brian demanded that his son needed to explain who Ashley was and what he was doing with her.

Baylee chose to ignore his father and turned to glare at AJ. “You’ve already let everybody know that I have a freakin’ Backstreet Boy for a dad, so what does it matter now?”

“I’m sorry that I embarrassed you during the game.” AJ apologized. “But what you said really hurt your dad’s feelings.”

Baylee glanced quickly at his dad before returning his steely eyes to AJ. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Brian watched as Baylee left the group and began leading the way towards the parking lot. “I guess we’re going home now.” He sighed and began trailing after his son.

Nick caught Kayla’s arm and gently pulled her away from the others as they all began trooping towards the parking lot. He took a quick look around the almost empty school yard before he turned her towards him.

“You’re really coming on tour with us?” Nick dropped his hands to Kayla’s hips and looked down into her face. He could taste the cold on his lips as he waited for her to respond.

“That’s what I’ve been told.” Kayla replied.

Nick could feel the smile spreading across his face. “I’m glad.”

“Me too.” Kayla whispered.

Nick tightened his grip on her hips and took another step forward. His body was aching as he stared at her. He was just going to kiss her once; to let her know that he was still very much interested. He would be able to control himself. It was only going to be one kiss.

“Uncle Nick!” Baylee’s voice ricocheted through the parking lot. “Let’s go!”

Nick gritted his teeth and looked longingly at Kayla. She was staring back at him with a small smile on her face. She hesitated slightly before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you at Thanksgiving.”

Nick had almost forgotten that he had invited Kayla to celebrate the holiday with him and the rest of the guys at Brian’s parents’ house. Jackie and Harold had insisted on hosting the massive dinner as soon as they had found out that all of their ‘boys’ would be in town over the long weekend, and Leigh, Rochelle, and Kristin were bringing the kids to round out the get-together. Nick knew that Kayla didn’t have any family in Kentucky, aside from her aunt and uncle, and he had extended the invite as soon as he had learned that she was planning to spend the holiday alone.

“Right.” Nick nodded. “Thursday at three o’clock.” His cheek burned where her lips had touched his skin and all he could think about was how nice it would feel to have her kiss him elsewhere.

“I remember.” Kayla grinned. She slipped out of his grasp and began walking towards her car; calling goodbye to Brian and Baylee as she unlocked the doors. It appeared as though AJ, Howie, and Kevin were already long gone.

“So, how do you feel?” Brian smirked as Nick finally joined him in the parking lot. He waited until Baylee had climbed into the car and shut the door before he continued. “You and Bay got the same amount of action tonight.”

Nick scowled at Brian as he walked around to the passenger side of the car. “If it wasn’t for our stupid agreement, I would be fucking her brains out right now.”

Brian’s face grew serious. “I really appreciate you holding out until after the hearing. I know that it must be killing you.”

Nick sighed and pulled open the passenger door. “You’re damn lucky that I care so much about you, Bri. You’re damn lucky.”

“Ma!” Liliana banged her small fists against the edges of her car seat in frustration. “Mama!”

“I know, baby.” Kayla cooed. “Mommy is going to let you out right now.”

Kayla fiddled with the buckles on the car seat and finally lifted her daughter out of the vehicle. She placed her gently on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief as Liliana stopped shrieking. Kayla reached for her daughter’s hand, and Liliana curled her small fingers around hers. The two of them began making their way impossibly slowly along the interlocking path that ran from the driveway to the front door; Liliana’s brand new Mary Jane’s clicking softly on the bricks.

The late-November wind whipped around them as they walked and Kayla wanted nothing more than to scoop her young daughter into her arms and carry her to the door. But Kayla knew from previous meltdowns that Liliana had reached the stage where she was determined to walk wherever she went. The last thing that Kayla wanted was for Liliana to explode into a full-blown temper tantrum before they even made it through the door. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the front porch and Kayla pressed the bell with one half-frozen finger.

“You made it.” Brian offered them a genuine smile as he pulled open the door and motioned for them to step inside.

Kayla helped Liliana navigate the step and immediately bent down to remove her daughter’s coat. For some reason, her kid went absolutely mental the moment that she became even the slightest bit too warm. Kayla quickly pulled Liliana’s arms out of her miniature pea coat and smoothed the wrinkles out of the purple, polka-dotted dress that she had bought especially for the occasion.

“Here.” Brian offered. He held out his hand as Kayla stood up and shrugged out of her own jacket.

Kayla smiled gratefully at Brian and handed him their jackets, taking one last look at Liliana to make sure that she looked presentable. “Thanks again for inviting us.”

“It’s no problem.” Brian deposited their jackets on top of the pile that had already formed on the bench in the foyer. He turned back to Kayla and instinctively pulled her into a warm hug. “I’m glad you came.”

Kayla hadn’t been expecting Brian’s sudden show of affection, but she managed to recover and return the hug. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and she was acutely aware of every square inch of her body that was touching his. His charcoal gray sweater was soft under her chin and everything about him was intoxicating; his smell, his arms, the way their bodies fit together, everything. Shocked, Kayla quickly stepped back and ended the embrace. The tips of Brian’s fingers lingered on Kayla’s waist as they stared at each other, and Kayla could feel the heat flooding her face.

Brian’s cheeks were also flushed with embarrassment and he hastily dropped his eyes to Liliana. “You must be Liliana.” He opened his mouth into a wide smile and crouched down to her level. “I’m Brian. Can you say ‘Brian’?”

Thankful for the distraction, Kayla gave her daughter an encouraging smile. “Say ‘hi’, Liliana. Say ‘hi’ to Brian.”

Liliana looked at her mother before turning to Brian. Her eyes grew wide and she clapped her hands together in excitement. “Hi, Ba!” She squealed. “Hi, Ba!”

“That’s right.” Brian grinned. “You’re a smart girl, aren’t you, Lily?” He picked her up off of the floor with one fluid motion and propped her on his hip as he stood up.

Kayla smiled at the exchange, touched that Brian had immediately felt comfortable enough to give her daughter a nickname. She tried waving at Liliana to get her attention, but she was currently enamoured with Brian; her gaze firmly locked on his face as he straightened her dress and smoothed her hair.

“Can I introduce her to everyone?” Brian asked. “Or do you want to do it?”

Kayla shook her head. “Go for it.” She encouraged.

Brian led the way down the hallway to the family room and the kitchen. As they approached the back of the house, Kayla was overcome by the smell of turkey and the sounds of football. She could distinctly make out Nick and Kevin’s voices above the general hum of the conversation. Clearly, the Cowboys were in the middle of a very important drive.

“Look who’s here!” Brian announced as the three of them entered the kitchen. He grabbed Liliana’s arm and waved at his mom and Kristin who were both sitting at the table.

Leigh and Rochelle, who were standing at the counter peeling potatoes, also turned at his announcement. Rochelle immediately wiped her hands on a dish towel and swooped down on Liliana to admire her dress.

“Her outfit is just too precious!” Rochelle claimed. She turned her attention away from Liliana and enveloped Kayla in a welcoming hug. “Where did you get her dress? And the tights?”

“They’re actually from Marshalls.” Kayla confessed as she returned Rochelle’s hug. “Nowhere fancy.”

“Ava has to have them both!” Rochelle insisted as she moved over to allow Leigh and Kayla to hug. “Where is the nearest Marshalls?”

“I think they’re closed today, Ro.” Kristin shook her head and stood up from the table to greet Kayla. “It’s good to see you.”

Kayla laughed along with Kristin as they hugged. Aside from the initial inspection, Kayla had only met the other women on two other occasions; once when she had been watching the guys during rehearsal and the other time when Nick had invited her to a group dinner at Kevin’s house in Louisville. Kayla had initially been concerned about the way in which she would be perceived by the Backstreet wives. She was terrified that the other women would want nothing to do with her because of her connection to C.P.S. To her surprise, Kayla couldn’t have been more wrong. Rochelle, Leigh, and Kristin had welcomed her into their group with open arms, providing her with an immediate sense of belonging.

“Fuck you, Romo! You’re a useless piece of shit!” Nick’s angry voice drifted into the kitchen.

“Nickolas!” Jackie berated Nick over his outburst, raising her voice in order to be heard above the chaos in the family room. “Watch your language!”

“Sorry.” Nick’s voice lost its edge and dropped about ten octaves. “Romo just threw a pick.”

Kayla disentangled herself from Kristin and poked her head into the family room just in time to see Nick handing Howie a fifty dollar bill. AJ was smirking at the exchange and Kevin and Harold were both staring at the television in dismay.

“Dallas better get their act together.” Kevin muttered. “I need their defence to get me into the playoffs.”

“You ain’t getting into the playoffs.” Nick scoffed. “I may have just lost fifty bucks to Howie, but I’m gonna get it all back tenfold when Team Chaos takes the Dirty Brows to the cleaners.”

Kayla looked helplessly at Brian, who had followed her into the family room. “What the hell are they talking about?”

“Fantasy football.” Brian laughed as he gently placed Liliana on the ground next to Ava and Holden. “They’re in a fantasy league with a bunch of the guys from our stage crew.”

“Is that so?” Kayla smiled as Nick pushed himself off of the couch and came over to greet her. “It seems pretty serious.”

“It is serious.” Nick deadpanned. He looped his long arms around Kayla’s waist and planted a quick kiss on her forehead. “If I lose I have to pay Kevin five hundred bucks.”

“You mean WHEN you lose.” Kevin corrected, his eyes still firmly glued to the screen. Max was sleeping soundly in his lap, dressed in a Dallas Cowboys onesie.

Nick shot the older man a dirty look before dropping down to greet Liliana. “Hey, Liliana. Do you remember me?”

Liliana raised her eyes to Nick and cracked a smile. “Hi!”

Kayla winced at the level of her daughter’s voice. ‘Hi’ was one of the few words that Liliana knew how to say, and she was quite proud of it. Consequently, she tended to greet everyone at top volume.

Ava and Holden immediately turned their attention to Liliana; abandoning their respective plastic toys. Ava’s eyes opened as wide as they would go and she reached out one of her pudgy hands to touch Liliana’s shoe. Liliana smiled back and reached out her own hand to grab one of Ava’s shoes. The two girls stared at each other in fascination; their friendship cemented. Holden, on the other hand, quickly lost interest and returned his attention to slobbering all over his plastic hippopotamus.

“Oh my God!” Rochelle gushed as she walked into the room and saw the girls smiling at one another. She quickly pulled her iPhone from her back pocket and bent down to take a picture. “How cute is this?”

“So cute!” AJ confirmed. He had already leapt off of the couch and was crouched on the ground, jamming his own iPhone in the babies’ faces. “Lil, Ava, look over here!”

“Holden!” Howie snapped his fingers in an effort to get his son’s attention. He also had his iPhone camera at the ready and was eagerly waiting for Holden to look interested. “Come on, buddy. You’re supposed to want to look at the pretty girls.”

Holden merely stared back at his father in confusion. He slowly lowered the red plastic animal from his mouth and extended his drool-covered toy in Howie’s direction.

“No, Holden, I don’t want your toy.” Howie sighed. “I want you to turn around and look at Ava and Liliana.”

“Now, they’re holding hands!” Rochelle made the announcement with so much enthusiasm that one would have thought that the two babies had just discovered a cure for cancer.

This was all it took for Kayla to get in on the action. She whipped her own iPhone out of her pocket and knelt down in-between AJ and Rochelle. Her finger flew across the screen as she feverishly tried to capture the catalogue worthy moment.

In the midst of all the commotion, Holden once again lost interest and fell over onto his back. He grabbed at his own toes, lifting his diaper clad butt into the air and gurgled loudly.

Howie rolled his eyes as he watched his youngest son roll around on the floor. “Maybe I should try again for a girl.”

“Is this normal?” Nick had scooted out of AJ’s way, and he was now sitting cross-legged on the floor watching the parent paparazzi descend on Liliana and Ava. “They haven’t even done anything.”

“It’s best if you just pretend not to notice.” Harold advised. “Trust me, son.”

“Are you feeling left out?” Kayla turned her phone in Nick’s direction. “I can take your picture too, if it will make you feel better about yourself.”

Nick gave her a massive smile and Kayla quickly snapped the photo before returning to a standing position. Nick immediately hoisted himself off of the floor and peered over Kayla’s shoulder to look at the screen. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her back against his chest as he leaned his face down next to hers.

“I’m way cuter than any baby.” Nick joked.

“It’s good to know that you don’t think too highly of yourself.” Kayla shot back.

She flipped her eyes upwards just in time to see Brian pull his gaze away from the two of them. There was a strange look on his face, one that she couldn’t quite place. After she watched Brian drop down on the couch next to Kevin, Kayla’s eyes travelled to Harold. The older man had obviously been watching the three of them out of the corner of his eye, and he offered her a barely noticeable smile before turning his full attention back to the television.

Kayla hurriedly pressed the hold button on her phone and the picture of Nick instantly faded to black. She stepped out of Nick’s grasp and slipped her phone back into her pocket. “I should go help with dinner.”

“You can help with the potatoes.” Rochelle informed Kayla as she stood up from her position on the floor.

“You two can FINISH peeling the potatoes!” Leigh’s voice drifted from the kitchen. “I’m up to my eyeballs in potato skins in here!”

“We’re coooommmminggggg!” Rochelle sang. She linked arms with Kayla and began tugging her in the direction of the kitchen. “The boys can watch football and take care of the kids at the same time.”

“I dunno if you can trust us.” Kevin joked. “It seems as though we’ve already lost three.”

“The boys are in the back.” Brian reminded him, referring to Baylee, Mason, and James. “At least I THINK that’s where they are.”

Rochelle and Kayla rolled their eyes in unison as they rejoined the rest of the women in the kitchen. Kayla picked up a potato peeler from the counter and began to help Leigh with the daunting task of peeling more than a whole sack of potatoes. Despite the friendly chatter that was circling around her, Kayla’s thoughts drifted to Nick as she watched the curled peelings land on the counter.

Kayla was attracted to Nick; of that she was sure. Then again, what girl in her right mind wasn’t attracted to the blonde haired, blue eyed, well-toned celebrity? Despite her earlier reservations, Kayla was now convinced that Nick was attracted to her as well. She had seen the desire in his eyes and felt the longing in his touch the last few times that they had been in close proximity to each other. No, Kayla decided with certainty, the problem didn’t lie with Nick. The problem lied with her. No matter how much she wanted to feel that heart-pounding, tongue-twisting sense of excitement that she was pretty sure that Nick was feeling every time that he looked at her, it just wasn’t there.

“What are you thinking about?”

Kayla blinked at Leigh’s words. “What’s that?”

“I’m pretty sure that she’s thinking about a certain someone with blonde hair and blue eyes.” Kristin’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she cut the freshly peeled potatoes into cubes. “Am I right?”

“Who’s thinking about me?” Brian strolled into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge. He began loading his arms with cans of soda and bottles of water. “I’m pretty irresistible if I do say so myself.”

“We’re talking about the other blue-eyed narcissist.” Kristin quipped. “The one that has Kayla so distracted that she’s peeled the same potato three times.”

Kayla looked down at the potato in her hands; it did look an awful lot smaller than it had in the beginning and the skin was defiantly long gone. Colour crept into Kayla’s cheeks as she hastily dropped the potato onto the cutting board and reached for a new one to occupy her hands.

“Right.” Brian gave Kayla a small wink as he kicked the fridge door closed with the side of his foot. “My mistake.”

“Baylee, if you don’t put that phone away, I’m going to take it away.” Brian chewed viciously on the piece of turkey that he had just placed in his mouth as he watched his son pull out his phone for what was likely the tenth time in the last thirty seconds.

“I just need to send one text.” Baylee mumbled. His head was bowed and his fingers were flying over the screen. He had barely touched his dinner.

“I’m serious.” Brian finished chewing and placed his fork on his plate. He extended his hand, palm up and wiggled his fingers in Baylee’s direction. “Give me the phone.”

“Daaaaaad!” Baylee whined. “You’re so not fair!”

“I’m not trying to be fair.” Brian pointed out. “You’re being rude, especially to your grandma who spent all day cooking the food that you’re currently choosing to ignore.”

Baylee let out an excessively loud sigh and slapped his iPhone roughly into the palm of Brian’s hand. “You suck.”

“Fine.” Brian’s fingers curled angrily around the phone. “I suck.”

Brian glanced down at the phone and confirmed what he had suspected all along; Baylee had been texting Ashley. The last few messages were still displayed on the screen and Brian’s stomach dropped as he read them.

Ash: How’s the super lame dinner going? Miss u!!!!! oo

Bay: Sucks balls! My dad is such a loser! Miss u more! ooo :)

Ash: Can’t wait 2 c u on Mon! B4 school @ r spot. oooo

Bay: B there 4 sure! ooooo

“Are you reading my messages?” Baylee was staring across the table at Brian in horror. “You can’t read them!”

“I pay for your phone.” Brian argued. “I can read whatever I want.”

“Baylee, honey, I’m sure that your dad didn’t mean to look at your messages.” Jackie soothed. “Why don’t you eat your dinner? I’m sure that your dad will give you your phone back once you’re finished.”

“Okay, grandma.” Baylee sighed and picked up his fork. He began shovelling mouthfuls of mashed potatoes into his mouth at a rapid rate. Clearly, he had taken his grandma’s words to heart and was hoping to regain access to his phone after he had cleaned his plate.

Brian dared one final glance at Baylee’s sullen face before returning his attention to his plate. He speared a piece of asparagus with his fork and folded the entire thing into his mouth. The happy chatter from the others buzzed in his ears as he chewed, but he wasn’t really paying attention to any of the conversations that were going on around him. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had felt so alone.

Brian’s eyes wandered around the dining room and landed on the framed photo-collage that took up the majority of the far wall. His mother had obviously been busy; every single trace of Leighanne had been erased. Her images had been replaced by pictures of Baylee, his older brother, even Nick’s face was smiling back at him. It was as though his failed marriage had never even taken place.

“Brian?” Leigh whispered.

Brian stared into the concerned eyes of Howie’s wife.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Brian forced what he hoped was a genuine looking smile onto his face and placed a forkful of stuffing into his mouth. “I’m fine.”

“Dad?”

Brian sighed. “Yeah, Bay?”

“I’m done.” Baylee gestured at his empty plate. “Can I have my phone back?”

“Why not?” Brian muttered. He pulled the device out of his pocket and Baylee eagerly snatched it out of his grasp. “I’m gonna get a bottle of water.” Brian announced. He stood up from the table and looked around. “Does anybody else want anything?”

Those who bothered to respond shook their heads and Brian quickly escaped into the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge and removed the bottle of water that he didn’t actually want. He could hear footsteps coming up behind him and he knew without even needing to turn around that it was Howie.

“Did Leigh tell you to come after me?”

“Of course she did.” Howie chuckled. “Who else could convince me to stop eating?”

“You should go back and eat.” Brian encouraged. “I’m just going to tidy things up a bit for my mom.” He began shifting items around on the counter and pulled open the dishwasher.

“It must be hard.” Howie acknowledged. “This is the first holiday that you’ve spent as a single guy in a long time.”

Brian said nothing as he turned on the tap and began rinsing the bowls that the girls had used to prepare dinner. One by one, he placed them carefully in the dishwasher; trying to conserve as much space as possible. He hated washing dishes by hand.

“I don’t know what I would do in your situation.” Howie continued. “I don’t think that I would be able to stand to see everyone else looking so happy.”

“I’m alone, Howie.” Brian finally broke his silence. “The only person that I have in the whole world is Baylee, and he thinks that I’m a loser.”

“You’re not alone.” Howie argued. “The fact that we’re all here at your parents’ house is proof of that.”

“You know what I mean.” Brian sighed. “My family is gone. Leighanne and Baylee were practically my entire life. Now that Leighanne is gone and Baylee is pushing me away, I’m lost.”

“We’re your family, too.” Howie reminded him gently. “I don’t want you to forget that.”

“I know.” Brian continued to methodically load the dishwasher in order to avoid having to look the older man in the face. “I don’t know what I would do without you guys, but it’s not the same. I go to bed alone, I wake up alone, I take care of Baylee alone, I do everything alone. I don’t know how to move on. Nick seems to have it all figured out; he’s all over Kayla like he hasn’t even missed a beat. It’s like he’s forgotten all about Lauren. How do I get there? How do I get to the place where I’m capable of being attracted to someone else?”

Howie hesitated. “You’re already at that point, Brian. You’re just too scared to act on it.”

Brian finally turned from the dishwasher and took in Howie’s expression. His friend was being dead serious. Brian’s mind flashed back to the moment when he and Kayla had hugged in the entry way. Even the thought of her body pressed against his made his stomach clench.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Brian dropped his gaze from Howie’s and turned the tap on full blast.

“Nobody ever knows what Howie is talking about.”

Brian flinched at the sound of Nick’s laughter; his fingers gripped frantically at the heavy ceramic platter that he had been rinsing. He shut the water off and turned to see that both Nick and Kayla had entered the kitchen. Liliana was tottering along ahead of them and she made a beeline for Howie, grabbing on to his lower legs in order to steady herself.

“We came to see if you needed any help.” Kayla smiled. She had one eye on Brian and the other was on Liliana.

“I’m fine.” Brian took note of the fact that Nick’s hand was resting gently on the small of Kayla’s back. “The Steelers game is on soon. You guys go relax. Howie’s offered to help.”

“I have?” Howie frowned. It took him a second to clue in. “I mean, yeah, Brian and I’ve got this covered.”

“If you’re sure ...” Kayla trailed off and reached for Liliana. She lifted her daughter off of the floor and cradled her against her chest. “...I don’t mind helping.”

“Let’s get out of here before they change their minds.” Nick steered Kayla in the direction of the family room. He shot Brian and Howie a look of gratitude over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Kay. I’ll explain the well-established art of Steelers’ football to you before the game starts.”

“Well established my ass!” Kevin cried. “You better hope that Big Ben plays the game of his life. Romo and the Dallas defence have already set me up nicely for a shot at the playoffs.”

“You know that Nick will never hate you, regardless of what you do.” Howie waited until he was sure that he and Brian were, once again, alone in the kitchen before he spoke.

“I know.” Brian had already returned his attention to the dishes. “Why’d you bring that up?”

Howie shrugged as he began collecting a random assortment of dirty dishes from the kitchen table. He brought the dishes over to the counter and stared at Brian until the younger man finally turned to look him in the face. “I just thought that you needed to be reminded.”

*****
To whom it may concern,

I met Brian Littrell when I was fifteen years old. If I had known back then what an important role Brian would come to play in my life, I probably would have treated him better. As it stands, Brian and I have had a rather tumultuous relationship. There have been times when I’ve hated him, and there have been times when I’ve wanted to be just like him. That being said, I can’t remember a time when I could honestly say that I didn’t love him.

Brian is the type of guy who’s always there when you need him. He’s also the type of guy who’s always there when you have no idea just how much you need him. He’s picked me up and dusted me off more times than I can count. He’s been my friend, my guardian, and my brother. He’s taught me what it means to be a husband and a father. He’s been one of my primary sources of inspiration, even though he doesn’t know it.

Baylee belongs with Brian; he deserves to know what it feels like to grow up with someone who truly cares. I’m not saying that Baylee’s mom is incapable of providing him with a safe home. No, what I’m saying is that Brian is capable of giving his son so much more than a place to live. Brian will give his son everything that he gave me; trust, hope, forgiveness, family, and purpose. What would Baylee’s life be like if he were to be taken away from Brian? That’s simple; his life would be empty.

Sincerely,
Alexander James McLean

*****
“Dammit, AJ.” Kayla hastily wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She finished transcribing the letter and hit ‘save.’

The envelope, addressed to her and containing AJ’s return address, had been sitting on her desk when she had arrived at the office a little before eight o’clock in the morning. It had taken Kayla two cups of coffee and three hours of procrastination before she had finally managed to summon the courage to open it. After Howie’s emotional plea and AJ’s heartfelt acknowledgement of his troubled past, Kayla was actually dreading the day that Nick’s letter would arrive. Thankfully, Kevin wasn’t allowed to submit a character reference because he and Brian were directly related; at least Kayla would be spared one emotional disaster.

“Are you okay?”

Kayla looked up to find Peggy staring at her in concern. Peggy had pushed her glasses down onto the tip of her nose, and she was watching Kayla as though she were about to shatter into a billion pieces.

“Are you crying?”

“No.” Kayla shook her head. “I just got a little emotional over this letter.”

“The one from McLean?” Peggy pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. “It was somewhat touching.”

“Yeah.” Kayla acknowledged. “Somewhat.”

Peggy looked long and hard at the younger woman sitting across from her. “You can’t become emotionally invested in these cases.” She cautioned. “It will only lead to trouble. Trust me.”

“I’m not emotionally invested in any of our cases.” Kayla lied. She could feel her heartbeat increasing as she spoke. What if Peggy suspected that there was something going on between her and Nick? What if the veteran caseworker had somehow figured out that she had been spending time with the boys outside of work?

Peggy pursed her lips and sat back in her chair. “You should be getting ready to leave. Your taxi will be here any minute.”

Kayla glanced at the clock on her computer. Peggy was right. She was scheduled to leave the office in less than ten minutes. The taxi would take her to pick Liliana up from daycare and then the two of them would be shuttled to the airport. Kayla couldn’t believe that the day had arrived; it had seemed impossibly far away when Peggy had first told her that she would be the one conducting the assessment in Montreal.

The butterflies were flapping wildly in Kayla’s stomach as she busied herself with making sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything. She double checked to make sure that she had remembered to grab both her passport and Liliana’s before she shut down her laptop and crammed it into her carry-on bag. Her hands were shaking as she tossed her phone into her purse and slipped into her coat.

“Here.” Peggy handed her an envelope of papers and smiled encouragingly. “These are all of the forms that you need to fill out. Make sure you read them all beforehand, so that you know what to look for.”

“Thanks.” Kayla accepted the envelope from Peggy and added it to her carry-on bag. “Are you sure that you don’t want to go? I’m sure your hip could hold out for another few weeks.”

“You’ll be fine.” Peggy soothed. “You know what you’re doing.”

Kayla sighed. If only Peggy were privy to the real reason that she was dreading the whole experience. “Well, good luck with the surgery. I’ll give you a call when I get back to see how you’re doing.”

“You’re a doll.” Peggy grinned, looking at her watch. “Now go!”

A little over two hours later, Kayla was standing in the airport surrounded by chaos. There were people everywhere, pushing and shoving and rushing to catch their flights. Every single person who hurried past her had a phone glued to their face, and every single person looked royally pissed off that she was trying to juggle a carry-on, her purse, and a screaming baby.

Liliana was having a complete meltdown because the too-loud, too-rude security agent had decided to wake her up from a sound sleep. Kayla had never felt so stressed out in her life. By the time she approached the gate, she was feeling more than ready to pack the whole thing in and go home. Liliana was refusing to walk and her arm was burning from supporting her weight. Kayla couldn’t believe that she hadn’t realized that she would be forced to check the fold-away stroller with her luggage. When the lady behind the desk had asked her to fold it up and put it on the scale, Kayla had thought that she was kidding. Needless to say, she had developed a new level of respect for every single parent who had ever made the asinine decision to take their child on an airplane.

“Lily, please calm down.” Kayla begged. She looked into her daughter’s tear streaked face and sighed. If Liliana didn’t pull herself together in the next few minutes, her daughter wasn’t going to be the only one who was crying.

“You look like you need some help.”

Kayla turned her attention away from her daughter at the sound of Brian’s voice. She had never been so happy to see a familiar face in her entire life.

Sensing Kayla’s desperation, Brian immediately reached for Liliana and pulled her into his arms. Liliana continued to wail incessantly in Brian’s face as Kayla shook out her arm in an attempt to regain her circulation.

“Lily? Lily, why are you crying?” Brian gently wiped Liliana’s tears away with his thumb and cradled her head against his chest. “It’s okay. I’m gonna make it all better.”

Kayla smiled at Brian’s last statement and breathed an immense sigh of relief as Liliana’s cries began to peter out into sniffles. Her tear soaked hands curled around Brian’s sweatshirt, pinching the fabric. She pushed her face into his chest, her remaining tears dripping haphazardly onto his shirt.

“Sorry.” Kayla apologized. “The security guard practically manhandled her and she lost her shit.”

“Don’t apologize.” Brian chuckled. “I’ve been here and done this already. I know what it’s like to travel with a baby.” He began walking back in the direction of the gate where Baylee was waiting; slumped in a chair staring at his iPhone.

“Where’s everyone else?” Kayla asked, scanning the crowd.

“They’re going to meet us there.” Brian explained. “There was no point in everyone coming back to Kentucky. We no longer have the rehearsal space, so the rest of the fellas went home for a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Kayla paused. “Even Nick?”

Brain gave her a look that she couldn’t quite decipher. “Nick had some – some stuff that he needed to take care of in Tennessee.”

Kayla nodded as their flight was announced. She had spoken to Nick the night before, so she knew that he was in Tennessee coordinating the removal of his things from Lauren’s house. He had suggested that he was going to try and return to Kentucky so that they could be on the same flight, but things clearly hadn’t worked out the way that he had planned.

“He mentioned that he was ... moving.” Kayla admitted. They joined the line to board the plane and Kayla quickly pulled the boarding passes out of her purse. She glanced at Brian who was still holding Liliana, his carry-on, and Baylee’s carry-on. “Do you want me to take her?”

“She’s almost asleep.” Brian shook his head. “There’s no point in disrupting her now.”

“Can I use my phone on the plane?” Baylee spoke for the first time since Kayla had arrived.

“You know that you’re not allowed to use your phone on the plane.” Brian reproached. “Turn it off.”

Baylee scowled and hurriedly typed out one final text message before powering off his phone. He shoved the device into the pocket of his jacket and plucked his boarding pass out of Brian’s hand without another word.

“As you can tell, Baylee’s super excited to be going to Montreal.” Brian rolled his eyes as he handed his own boarding pass to the woman at the gate.

Kayla had never flown first class. Her expression must have registered her fascination with the amount of room between her knees and the seat in front of her because Brian let out a soft chuckle as they got ready for takeoff.

“The leg room’s nice isn’t it?”

“It is.” Kayla conceded. She wasn’t exactly tall; 5’7’’, but the extra room was definitely a luxury that she hadn’t been expecting.

“Do you think that she’ll sleep through takeoff?” Brian nodded at Liliana who was now slumped in Kayla’s lap, fast asleep.

“I hope so.” Kayla shrugged. “I’ve never taken her on a plane.”

“Takeoff still scares the shit out of me.” Brian admitted. “Even after twenty years of flying all over the world.”

“Then maybe you should be paying more attention to the safety demonstration.” Kayla teased. She turned her attention away from the flight attendants who were busy showing everyone how to inflate the hideous emergency life-jackets and glanced at Brian. He was staring back at her with a goofy look on his face, completing ignoring the safety orientation.

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve seen this?” He laughed. “Believe me, none of this is going to help if we burst into flames during takeoff.”

“Thanks for sharing that lovely image.” Kayla’s face fell. She looked quickly at Baylee who already had his iPad out and his headphones lodged firmly in his ears. He was completely oblivious to what was going on around him, including to his father’s morbid comments.

“Sorry.” Brian offered as the plane rumbled to life. He leaned his head back against the seat and squeezed his eyes shut. “I fucking hate this part.”

Kayla followed Brian’s lead and pressed her back into the softness of the seat. She had never even considered takeoff to be the worst part of the flight, and she mentally cursed Brian for putting the negative thought in her mind.

As the plane picked up speed on the runway, Kayla instinctively reached for the armrest. Without warning, Brian reached out and placed his hand on top of hers. Kayla watched as their fingers curled together, all her fears of ending up in a burning pile of rubble were forgotten. Her pulse was pounding in her ears as the plane lifted off of the ground and began to level off.

Brian opened his eyes as soon as the plane fell steady. He rubbed his thumb gently across Kayla’s knuckles and gave her a sheepish smile. “See? It freaks me out.”

“You did warn me.” Kayla grinned. She stole a quick look at Liliana who was still fast asleep on her lap. “Apparently, Lily is braver than you are.”

“Apparently.” Brian repeated. His thumb continued to graze her knuckles as he spoke. “So, what’s the deal? Are you technically working right now?”

Kayla hesitated. She stared down at her hand that was still intertwined with Brian’s. Regardless of whether she was on the clock or not, she had no way of justifying the feelings that were coursing through her. Nick’s face flashed into her mind and she quickly untangled her fingers from Brian’s.

“I’m sorry.” Brian stuttered. “I don’t – I don’t know why I asked that.”

“It’s okay.” Kayla tried to laugh off her feelings. “I’m sure that Nick will ask me the same question the second that I see him.”

“Yeah.” Brian forced a smile onto his face. “I’m sure that he will.”

“Baylee can you please try and keep up?” Brian’s frustration level was reaching its peak as they made their way through the crowded airport to the first checkpoint. Baylee had pulled his phone out of his pocket the second that they had stepped off of the plane and his eyes had been glued to the screen ever since. “Are you texting? I told you that you couldn’t text anyone while we’re here. It’s going to cost me an arm and a leg.”

“Relax, dad.” Baylee sighed. “I’m using WhatsApp on the airport’s wi-fi. It’s, like, totally free.”

“Well, you’ve just thought of everything haven’t you?” Brian muttered.

“At least the line isn’t very long.” Kayla observed as they reached the first CBSA checkpoint. She pulled her yellow declaration card out of her purse along with two passports and hoisted Liliana higher on her hip to redistribute her weight. “I can’t wait until I get the stroller back.”

“You need one of those strap-on baby carrier things.” Brain suggested.

“I’ve tried them, but I’ve decided that those only work for men.” Kayla laughed. “My boobs may be small, but they still manage get in the way.”

“Yeah, well ...” Brian trailed off and forced himself to look anywhere but at Kayla’s chest. “...I hadn’t considered that. I mean, I hadn’t considered them getting in the way. I didn’t mean that I hadn’t considered their size. Wait! No, I mean ...”

Kayla was staring back at him with raised eyebrows, her face turning pink. “I know what you meant.”

“Good.” Brian’s face felt unnaturally warm. “Oh look, we’re next!” He motioned for Kayla to go first.

Kayla pushed the passports and the declaration card across the counter to the Border Services officer and waited. The bored looking man whipped both passports off of the counter and flipped them open simultaneously, while skimming through the information that Kayla had listed on the declaration card. It took Brian more than a few seconds to realize that the two passports in the man’s hand were each emblazoned with a golden maple leaf.

“Makayla and Liliana Ford ...” The officer smiled. “Welcome home.”

Brian tried desperately to catch Kayla’s attention as she smiled at the man behind the desk and dropped the passports back into her purse. She purposefully avoided his gaze as she moved beyond the checkpoint and lowered Liliana to the ground. Brian tossed his documents at the officer and waited impatiently as the man began to examine his paperwork. He kept one eye locked on Kayla who was walking slowly towards the baggage claim area, Liliana tottering along beside her.

After what seemed like an eternity, the man stamped Brian and Baylee’s passports and motioned for them to move ahead. Brian grabbed the passports and jammed them into the pocket of his jacket as he hastily encouraged Baylee to hurry up. Despite Liliana’s snail-like pace, Kayla had already disappeared into the crowd of pre-holiday travellers.

“Makayla?” Brian desperately tried to make himself sound non-accusatory as he and Baylee finally located Kayla and Liliana at the baggage claim area.

“That’s my full name.” Kayla admitted; her eyes still firmly locked on the baggage carousel. “I hardly ever use it.”

“And you’re Canadian?” Brian asked the question cautiously. Why had she never brought up this seemingly important piece of information about herself?

“What’s wrong with being Canadian?” Kayla looked him in the face for the first time since clearing customs and narrowed her eyes.

“Nothing.” Brian answered. “I just don’t understand why you felt the need to keep your nationality a secret.”

“I didn’t keep it a secret.” Kayla shrugged. “It just never came up.”

“We’re in Montreal.” Brian pointed out. “Try again.”

“It’s – It’s a long story.” Kayla sighed. She approached the belt and reached for the stroller, but Brian swooped in and picked it up before she could reach it.

Brian unfolded the stroller in one well-practiced motion and watched as Kayla went about strapping Liliana in. “I’ve got time to listen.”

“I don’t feel like talking.” Kayla stood up and stared at Brian.

Her eyes were pleading with him to let the conversation drop, and he hesitated. Did he really want to push the issue now, in the middle of the airport? “Will you tell me later?”

They were eye-to-eye, their faces only inches apart. Brian could see the apprehension in Kayla’s eyes as she struggled to make a decision. He could practically hear her internal monologue.

“Dad?”

Brian chose to ignore his son’s interruption. He kept his eyes trained on Kayla. There was no way that he was going to let her get out of providing him with an explanation.

“Dad?”

“Baylee’s calling you.” Kayla pointed out.

“I know.” Brian admitted. “I’m waiting for you to answer me.”

“Dad?”

“Jesus Christ, Baylee, what do you want!?” Brian whirled around and glared at his son who was still clutching his phone and looking sullen.

Baylee’s eyes widened at his father’s angry tone. “Uncle Nick is here.”

Brian followed Baylee’s outstretched hand and caught sight of Nick’s blonde head bobbing through the crowd. Nick was lugging his carry-on bag and feverishly scanning the crowd of people who were waiting to pick up their luggage. He caught sight of Brian and Kayla and waved, his face breaking out into a huge smile.

“Brian ...” Kayla gently placed her hand on his lower arm and turned him towards her. “... please don’t say anything to Nick.”

Brian stared into Kayla’s desperate face and sighed. He stole a sideways glance at Nick; he was getting closer. “Do you promise to tell him yourself?”

Kayla nodded. “I’ll tell him. I’ll tell both of you. I promise.”

“Fine.” Brian pulled his arm out of Kayla’s grip just as Nick approached their group.

Brian turned his attention to the conveyer belt as Nick enveloped Kayla in a tight hug before bending down to greet Liliana. Brian could hear Nick cooing enthusiastically at the little girl as he hauled his luggage and Kayla’s massive suitcase off of the belt. The fact that Kayla had essentially lied to them was nagging at his conscience. He could only hope that she made good on her promise and explained herself.

“You guys are late!” Mark’s teeth were chattering as he frantically waved them towards the waiting car. “I’ve been waiting out here in the fucking arctic for over fifteen minutes.”

Kayla rolled her eyes as she took in the huge man who Nick informed her was the head of the boys’ personal security team. Mark was bundled up in a massive down-filled coat and a huge wool scarf. He was also wearing a snug fitting toque adorned with the largest pom-pom that Kayla had ever seen.

“Sorry.” Brian apologized as he lifted his own suitcase into the trunk of the car. “Nick’s bag was the last one to come out.”

“It always is.” Nick mumbled. He grabbed hold of Kayla’s luggage and stuffed it into the trunk before adding his own suitcase. “Where’s the driver?”

“Having a smoke.” Mark nodded in the direction of a slender man in a dark trench coat who was puffing anxiously on a cigarette a few feet away from the car. “We’re in for a real treat with this one.” Mark muttered. “The guy doesn’t appear to speak a lick of English.”

“As long as he knows how to get to the hotel, we’re good.” Brian blew gently on his hands and rubbed them together in an attempt to warm them up.

“Hey buddy!” Mark shouted and whistled loudly in order to get the driver’s attention. “We’re ready to go!”

The driver turned and held up his hand to indicate that he needed another minute. He took one final drag of his cigarette before tossing it on the ground and walking towards the car. The doors beeped open and Baylee immediately grabbed for the door handle and scrambled into the car; he didn’t even bother to wait for the driver to open the door for him.

“You guys are aware that it’s not THAT cold, right?” Kayla laughed as she dropped down and pulled Liliana out of the stroller.

“Spoken like a true ...” Brian caught himself before he gave away Kayla’s secret. “... woman.” He finished and reached for the stroller to put it into the trunk.

“What are you talking about?” Nick laughed. “Women are always cold!”

“Speak for yourself.” Kayla quipped as she walked around the side of the car to place Liliana in the back with Baylee.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Mark addressed the driver as the man walked up to the back of the car.

“Pardonnez-moi?”

“Hotel?” Mark’s voice was rising in annoyance. “Do you know which hotel we’re going to?”

The driver stared back at Mark blankly before delivering a long stream of French, his hands waving in the air as he spoke.

“Hotel?” Mark repeated. “Hooooteelllll?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Kayla reappeared from the side of the car. “He says that he’s not the driver who was supposed to be assigned to the band. Apparently, the only other English speaking driver is sick with the flu.”

“That’s wonderful.” Mark rolled his eyes. “Does he know which hotel he’s supposed to be taking us to?”

Kayla turned to the driver and lapsed easily into a barrage of French. The two of them carried on an animated conversation for a little more than a minute before Kayla finally turned back to Mark. “He has no idea what hotel we’re staying at.”

“The Ritz-Carlton.” Mark supplied.

“Ahhh” The driver smiled. “The Ritz!” He motioned for them all to get in the car.

“I probably should have started with that, huh?” Mark muttered as he hustled the three of them into the back of the limo.

“It probably would have made things easier.” Kayla acknowledged as she scooted onto the seat next to Brian. She picked Liliana up and placed her on her lap. “You may also be interested to know that he fully understood the word ‘hotel’. He was just giving you a hard time because he thinks you’re rude.”

Mark scowled. “Asshole.”

“You speak French?” Nick looked at Kayla incredulously. “Why?”

“I dunno.” Kayla shrugged. She exchanged a fleeting glance with Brian. “I learned it in school.”

Nick frowned. “I thought that all schools taught Spanish as a second language?” He looked at Baylee for confirmation. “Bay, don’t you learn Spanish?”

“Yup.” Baylee glanced at Nick briefly before returning his attention to his phone. “I suck at it.”

“I took it in high school.” Kayla recovered. “As an elective.”

“Well it sure came in handy today.” Mark laughed. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Kayla replied. “I’m Kayla, by the way.”

“Oh, I know who you are.” Mark smiled. “I was told that you would be around for the duration of the trip.”

“Oh.” Kayla sat back and adjusted Liliana’s position on her lap. “What exactly were you told?”

“Just that you’re here on business.” Mark answered vaguely. “Don’t worry. I won’t be in your way.”

“I wasn’t worried about that.” Kayla answered rather hesitantly.

Brian checked to make sure that Nick was involved with examining something on his phone before he leaned over and placed his lips next to Kayla’s ear. “You don’t have to worry about Mark. He has this innate ability to see everything while hearing nothing at the same time. He knows how to keep a secret.”

Something weird was going on. Nick was sure of it. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to figure out exactly what it was that was going on. Brian and Kayla had been acting strangely ever since he had hooked up with them at the airport; too many pointed looks and sideways glances for his liking. He had a sinking suspicion that their strange behaviour had something to do with him, but of course neither one of them was admitting to acting oddly. In fact, they both appeared to be avoiding him. Kayla hadn’t even shown up for dinner, claiming that Liliana was exhausted from the trip and that she had too much work to do.

Nick frowned as he stopped outside of Kayla’s room. He really had no idea what he had done to upset her. After a few more seconds of contemplation, Nick raised his hand to the door and knocked softly. He could hear Kayla rustling around on the other side and a few seconds later she pulled open the door and gave him a small smile.

“We have to be quiet. Liliana’s finally asleep.”

Nick nodded his understanding and followed Kayla into the sitting area. The door to the bedroom was slightly ajar and Kayla closed it tightly as she passed, making sure to check that the baby monitor was turned on.

“You look busy.” Nick took in the papers that were spread out across the coffee table as he spoke.

“I don’t mind taking a break.” Kayla grinned. She dropped down onto the couch and closed her laptop before turning to Nick. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Nick lowered himself onto the couch beside her. “I just thought that we could hang out.”

“Oh.” Kayla glanced quickly at the mess of papers. “Okay.”

“Have I done something?” Nick couldn’t help but notice that Kayla had yet to look him in the face. “I know I said that I would try and get back to Kentucky in time to make your flight, but there was an issue with the moving company and then the guy at the storage unit ...”

“I’m not upset with you.” Kayla interrupted. “I promised Brian that I would explain something to you, that’s all.”

“Okay.” Nick could feel himself getting antsy as he waited for Kayla to continue. The look on her face definitely wasn’t confidence inspiring.

“Do you remember earlier when you asked me why I knew how to speak French?” Kayla took a deep breath. “I told you that I learned French in high school, but the truth is that I was enrolled in a French Immersion program since the first grade.”

“Okayyyyy” Nick looked at Kayla in confusion. “That’s what Brian wanted you to tell me?”

“My parents put me in French Immersion because I grew up in Ottawa.” Kayla continued. “Brian saw my passport when we were at the airport and discovered that I was – am – Canadian.”

“That’s nice?” Nick raised his eyebrows. “I think that I’m still missing something.”

“Brian is a bit upset about the fact that I didn’t mention that I’m not American.” Kayla admitted. “I think he’s under the impression that I’m hiding something.”

“Well, are you hiding something?” Nick had a feeling that there was more that Kayla needed to say. “I suppose it is a bit strange that you never brought up the fact that you used to live in Canada, especially because we’re currently sitting in a hotel room in Montreal. What about Liliana? Where was she born?”

“Here.” Kayla sighed. “She was born in Ottawa. I moved to Kentucky a week after I delivered.”

Nick quickly sifted through all of the time that he had spent with Kayla. He could distinctly remember her becoming very defensive when he had alluded to the notion that she had a northern accent during their first dinner together at the Olive Garden. Other than the fact that Liliana’s dad wasn’t in the picture, Nick came to the startling conclusion that he knew next to nothing about Kayla’s personal life.

“This is also probably a good time to mention that my full name is Makayla.” Kayla fiddled with the strings on her sweatshirt as she spoke. “My last name is actually my mother’s maiden name. I legally assumed her former surname right before I moved to the States.”

“I think that you better start from the beginning.” Nick mumbled. He leaned back against the sofa and positioned himself so that he was staring her directly in the face. “Don’t leave anything out.”

Kayla took another deep breath and lifted her eyes to Nick’s. “Lily’s father is in jail for attempted murder and assault charges. Not for anything that he did to me, but for something that he did to a couple of high profile gang members.”

“Your ex was part of a gang?” Nick’s eyes were wide. “Jesus Christ, Kayla ...”

“No.” Kayla placed her hand gently on Nick’s arm to silence him. “My ex wasn’t in a gang, but he was heavily into drugs. It started out innocently enough; a hit of weed here and there, nothing extreme. By the time I became pregnant with Liliana, he was out of control and into some pretty intense stuff; heroine mostly. The pregnancy wasn’t planned. Actually, Lily was conceived on a night when he was so high that I’m surprised that he was even capable of getting it up, let alone conceiving a child.”

“Why didn’t you leave?” Nick shook his head. “Why would you even let him – why didn’t you push him away, tell him to stop?”

“It wasn’t that easy, Nick.” Kayla held tight to his gaze. “I couldn’t just pick up and leave. He was in debt to a tough bunch of guys; he owed them tens of thousands of dollars for drugs and he had no way of repaying what he owed. Those same guys knew who I was and they would have come after me if I had left him, because I was the one who was giving him the money to repay his debt.”

“So, why didn’t you just give him the money and run? Why did you let – how did Lily ...” Nick trailed off.

“He would get so angry when he used.” Kayla’s eyes took on a faraway look. “It was easier to just give him what he wanted. Resisting always turned out to be more painful than letting him have his way.”

“You said that he wasn’t in jail for anything that he did to you.” Nick could hear the anger rising in his own voice. “It sounds like he should be.”

Kayla shook her head softly and squeezed Nick’s arm. “I consented to him that night. Once he found out that I was pregnant, he went on a two day bender. It was during that weekend that he got into a fight and tried to take out one of the gang members that he owed money to. By the time the case went to trial and he was convicted, I was already eight and a half months pregnant. I kept a low profile, had Liliana, and then arranged for my aunt and uncle to bring me to Kentucky.”

“And you changed your name.” Nick finished.

Kayla nodded. “I didn’t want there to be any record of me or Liliana leaving the country. I changed my last name and started going by Kayla instead of Makayla. My aunt and uncle helped me establish myself in Kentucky and one of my former co-workers helped me make the transition to C.P.S. in Lexington. I used to work for the Ministry of Child and Youth Services in Ottawa, so it was a relatively easily changeover. I’ve applied for dual citizenship, but my application is still pending.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Nick looked down at Kayla’s hand that was still resting on his arm and frowned. “‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t seem sufficient.

“There’s nothing to say.” Kayla gave him a small smile. “I didn’t tell you so that you would feel sorry for me. I told you because it didn’t seem right to keep it from you anymore.”

Nick’s frown deepened. “Why didn’t you tell me this before? Why did you wait until Brian called you out at the airport?”

Kayla hesitated. “Peggy and I ran your background check a few weeks ago. When I saw the charges; the drunk driving, the drug possession, the assault on a police officer, I panicked. It all just seemed a little too familiar.”

“That’s in the past now!” Nick felt himself becoming frantic. “I know that I made some bad choices, but I’ve turned myself around.”

“Nick.” Kayla slowly raised her fingers to his lips and urged him to stop talking. “I only know who you are now. I don’t know anything about who you used to be. I know that my reservations are unwarranted. I know that the words that I saw on that piece of paper don’t define you.”

“But you’re scared?” Nick’s face fell even further. “You think that I’m too much like your ex. You think that I’m going to lose control and hurt you.”

“No.” Kayla shook her head. “I don’t know exactly how I feel about you at the moment, but it has nothing to do with what I read in your background check. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about all of this sooner. I didn’t mean for the situation to manifest itself into this big secret; that part of my life is over, forgotten. Being forced to come back across the border for this trip has helped me see that. ”

“What do you mean that you don’t know how you feel about me?” Nick gently grabbed Kayla’s wrist and pulled her fingers away from his mouth. He licked his lips as he leaned closer.

Kayla hesitated. “I like you spending time with you, Nick. That hasn’t changed.”

Their faces were so close that Nick could feel Kayla’s breath on his skin. It was warm and smelled slightly like spearmint. Her eyes closed as their lips touched and he delivered the long, lingering kiss that he had been dying to give her for weeks. His senses surged at the feel of her lips on his, and as much as he wanted to continue, he pulled back.

The taste of Kayla’s lip-gloss lingered on his lips as Nick moved away. “Do you remember when I jokingly asked you to tell me the name of your favourite Backstreet Boy?”

Kayla nodded. “Yeah.”

“Do you remember when you lied and told me that it was AJ?”

A grin spread across Kayla’s face. “Yeah.”

“Who is it?” Nick kept his face only inches from hers. “Don’t lie to me this time.”

“You.”

Nick shook his head. “I told you not to lie.”

“What makes you think that I’m lying?” Kayla held tight to her smile. “We’ve been leading up to that kiss for weeks.”

Nick continued to shake his head. “I can tell by the way that you kissed me that you’re not feeling the same way that I feel right now.”

Kayla’s smile faltered. “It was you. It was always you.”

“Who is it now?” Nick softly moved a piece of hair off of her forehead. “It’s not me anymore.”

“Nick, I – I never meant – it was never my intention to hurt you.” Kayla’s face fell. “In the beginning, I wanted this just as much as you did. Up until the moment that you kissed me, I thought that maybe I still wanted it.”

“I saw this happening, but I refused to believe it.” Nick admitted. “I’m not upset.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kayla quickly reverted to ignorance as a defence.

“It’s time to come clean, Kay.” Nick smiled. “Who is it now? Who’s the one you want?”

Kayla’s voice was so soft that it was barely audible. “Brian. I want Brian.”

“Nick, Nick, Niiiiiick?” Howie waved his hand in front of his friend’s face. “Are you in there?”

“Hmmm?” Nick blinked rapidly and grabbed Howie’s wrist. “What?”

“You’re totally spaced.” Howie laughed. “Who are you thinking about?”

“What makes you think that I’m thinking about someone?” Nick mumbled. “Maybe I’m just thinking about what I’m going to have for dinner.”

“You’re full of shit.” AJ stated, a large smile playing on his face. “You’re thinking about Kayyyyyla.”

“I am not!” Nick whined. He dared a quick glance at Brian out of the corner of his eye. His best friend was running through the set list with Kevin; the two of them appeared to be completely oblivious to everything else that was going on around them.

“I saw you sneaking out of her room last night.” AJ continued. “Me thinks that you two finally sealed the deal.”

“I wasn’t sneaking out of her room.” Nick frowned. “Nothing happened.”

AJ and Howie simultaneously raised their eyebrows. “Liar!” They announced in unison.

“Can we please just rehearse what we need to practice and then get out of here?” Nick tried desperately to change the topic. “I’m starving.”

After receiving Kayla’s devastating blow, Nick had spent the rest of the night wallowing in self-pity. He had told her the truth; he wasn’t upset by her admission. He had, in actuality, been seeing the telltale signs of her attraction to Brian for the past few weeks. Still, Nick was having a hard time digesting the fact that he had turned out to be Kayla’s silver medal. The egotistical half of his personality had taken a massive hit; since when did he come second to Brian? He had always been the heartthrob, the one that all of the girls were dying to sleep with. Sure, Brian was funny and, as much as he hated to admit it, not horrible to look at. Regardless, he was Nick-fucking-Carter! He couldn’t remember the last time that a girl had turned him down, especially not a girl for whom he harboured such intense feelings.

“Don’t try to change the topic.” AJ called him out. “Something must have happened? What did you guys do? Did you at least get an H.J.?”

“Jesus, AJ.” Nick ran a hand across his face. “Just drop it, okay?”

“You were denied!” AJ’s face lit up like the fourth of July. “Admit it, Carter! She turned the other cheek!”

“She did not turn the other cheek.” Nick’s already bruised ego reared its ugly head.

“So, you did get a little something-something?” AJ continued to goad him. “It’s about fucking time.”

“Yes, AJ, I got a little something.” Nick stretched the truth to save his pride. “Are you happy?”

“I think we’ve heard just about all that we need to hear about Nick’s sex life.” Kevin interrupted. “We don’t need the dirty details.” He looked pointedly at AJ.

“Speak for yourself.” AJ smirked. “Nicky and I will talk later.”

“Let’s rehearse, please.” Kevin rolled his eyes. “We only have so much time before Avril shows up and kicks us out.”

Brian caught Nick around the upper arm and pulled him back from the group as they went to get into position. “Did you sleep with Kayla?”

Nick looked into Brian’s anxious face and sighed. He knew that Brian was mostly asking to determine if he had violated their agreement, but there was more than worry in his eyes. Nick couldn’t believe that he had been so naive; it was written all over Brian’s face. His best friend wasn’t just worried about losing his son; Brian was worried about losing his chance with Kayla.

“No, I didn’t sleep with her.”

“Oh.” Brian cast a quick glance at the others and lowered his voice. “Then why did you say that you did?”

“AJ was raggin’ on me.” Nick shrugged. “I didn’t want to deal with it.”

“Ladies! Enough with the gossip!”

Brian and Nick both turned at Kevin’s outburst, and AJ immediately collapsed into a fit of laughter. “You guys just answered when Kev called you a couple of women.”

“Thanks for pointing that out, AJ.” Brian shook his head as he and Nick walked over to re-join the group. “We never would have realized that on our own.”

“I’m always happy to help.” AJ smiled. He motioned to the sound technician that they were ready to start before turning to Nick. “Even if you don’t want to give me the details, I’m sure that Kayla will give them to Ro.”

Nick cupped his hand over his microphone. “What do you mean?”

“The girls are out shopping.” AJ reminded him. “Everyone knows that shopping and girl talk go hand in hand. Whatever you guys did last night will have become everyone’s business before we hit the stage tonight.”

Nick fought to maintain his composure. “Kayla isn’t the type to kiss and tell.”

*~*~*~*~*

“Soooooo ...” Rochelle trilled as she picked up yet another outfit for Ava . “... what’s the deal with you and Nick?”

“There is no deal.” Kayla struggled to keep her expression neutral as she pretended to be absorbed in the task of inspecting a miniature pink hoodie. “We’re friends.”

Kayla was still grappling to come to terms with her admission the night before. Although Nick had claimed not to be upset, she had seen the rejection written all over his face. Her mind was jumbled with a host of different thoughts, but most of them were centred on the need to suppress her feelings for Brian.

Kayla knew that falling for a client would be the end of her career. Not to mention the fact that Brian’s life would be destroyed if it ever became public knowledge that she was harbouring feelings for him. Kayla had signed off on over eighty percent of the reports that had been entered into Brian’s file. All of those reports would be rendered null and void if someone were to get wind of her mounting feelings, and the ultimate result would be that Brian would lose primary custody of Baylee.

“So, he wasn’t sneaking out of your room last night?” Rochelle gave Kayla a sideways glance. “I have a source that tells me otherwise.”

“By any chance, does your source have a beard?” Kayla laughed as she added the hoodie to the pile of baby clothing that was already resting on top of the stroller.

“My source does have a beard.” Rochelle admitted. “And a gorgeous ass.”

“I figured as much.” Kayla giggled.

“Seriously though, what’s going on with you two?” Rochelle navigated Ava’s stroller through the narrow aisles in the small boutique and stopped in front of a rack filled with tiny dresses. “How was he?”

“What do you mean?” Kayla feigned ignorance.

“How was he?” Rochelle repeated. “I’m assuming that it was amazing. Why else would thousands of girls be so willing to climb on top of him?”

Kayla could feel herself blushing furiously. “We didn’t get that far.”

“How far did you get?” Rochelle gave Kayla a sinful smile as she reached for a forest green dress with silver accents. “Ava has to have this!”

“It’s adorable.” Kayla agreed. She was desperately stalling for time in the hopes that Rochelle would drop the subject of her and Nick.

There was no way that Kayla could tell Ro the truth. On the other hand, she didn’t want to exaggerate about what had happened between her and Nick; although, she was fairly certain that Nick may have stretched the truth if he was being accosted by AJ in the same way that she was being grilled by Rochelle.

“Oh my God!” Rochelle turned from the display and faced Kayla, her mouth open in amazement. “What did he do? You hated every minute of it! I can tell by the look on your face!”

“No!” Kayla looked around to see if there was anyone else within earshot. “It’s nothing like that! We kissed, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Rochelle’s face fell. “Do you think he’s not interested?”

“It’s complicated.” Kayla hesitated. She desperately wanted to come clean to Rochelle and ask for her opinion, but she knew that the situation didn’t afford her that luxury. “We’re holding off until I’m no longer involved with Brian’s file.”

“Right.” Rochelle added a few more dresses to her pile of pending purchases and began to push Ava’s stroller towards the checkout. “What would happen if it were to come out that you and Nick were ... testing things out?”

“Brian and I would both be screwed.” Kayla answered honestly. “I would lose my job and he would probably lose primary custody of Baylee.”

“No shit?” Rochelle breathed. “I guess I didn’t realize the severity of the situation. No wonder Nick has been able to keep it in his pants.”

“There are strict policies about client-worker relations, for obvious reasons.” Kayla affirmed. “If the lawyers for Brian’s ex-wife were to find out that I have been spending personal time outside of work with Brian, everything that I’ve validated and reported will be thrown out. The majority of Brian’s file would be lost. Case in point, the assessment that I’ve just done of Baylee’s on-the-road treatment and living conditions would be shredded and disregarded faster than you can blink.”

“But you’re not spending personal time with Brian.” Rochelle argued as she began loading the baby clothing onto the desk. “You’re spending time with Nick.”

“As far as C.P.S. is concerned, they’re one in the same.” Kayla pointed out. “Nick and Brian are practically inseparable. There’s no way that I could argue that Brian and I didn’t socialize on a personal level if it were to come out that Nick and I were ... involved.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Rochelle finished placing her items on the desk and pulled her wallet out of her purse. She motioned for Kayla to add her purchases to the pile and turned to the woman behind the counter. “Put our stuff together.”

“Rochelle, no!” Kayla resisted the other woman’s generosity. “You don’t have to – I can pay for my own.”

“Don’t be silly.” Rochelle waved her hand over the mountain of clothing. “It’s my treat. After all, our little girls are now best friends. You have to let me spoil them both.”

Kayla looked down at the strollers; Liliana and Ava were both passed out. Their heads held firmly in place by the sheer amount of blankets that surrounded them. “Best friends, huh?”

Rochelle nodded vigorously. “I’ve been waiting since Ava was born for one of the other wives to pop out a girl.”

“I suppose ...” Kayla watched as the sales associate began to scan and bag her items along with Rochelle’s. “... thank-you.”

“I really hope that you and Nick can find a way to make things work.” Rochelle turned serious as she handed the woman her credit card. “I think that Ava has grown pretty attached to Lily.”

“I don’t think that Nick and I will ever be anything more than friends.” Kayla admitted.

“Even after Brian’s trial is over?” Rochelle raised her eyebrows. She accepted the bags from the clerk and looped them around the handles of her stroller. “Why is that?”

The two women left the boutique and stepped out into the cold. Kayla immediately pulled her toque from her purse and jammed it on her head. She pulled her gloves on before bending down to make sure that Liliana’s snowsuit was still fully zipped and that the blankets were still tucked firmly in place.

“Well?” Rochelle reached out and placed a gloved hand on the arm of Kayla’s winter jacket as she stood up. “What’s the reason?”

Kayla sighed and looked into Rochelle’s face. The words were right there on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to push them out. Kayla valued the friendship that she was developing with Rochelle and it was clear from Ro’s comments in the store that she felt the same. Kayla knew that the wives were very protective of all the boys and she was terrified of what would happen if Rochelle were to disapprove of her feelings for Brian.

“Did Nick finally figure it out, or did you tell him?” Rochelle shivered slightly in the wind as she spoke.

“What?” Kayla was taken aback. Was Rochelle hinting at what she thought that she was hinting at?

“Did you tell Nick about – about Brian?” Rochelle finally hit the nail on the head. “Did he freak out?”

Kayla’s face burned despite the cold. “How did – how did you – how long have you known?”

“The girls and I have had our suspicions since Thanksgiving.” Rochelle admitted. “Kristin saw you and Brian hugging it out in the hallway.”

Kayla’s face was now positively on fire. She was mortified that Rochelle and the other women had been able to pick up on her feelings before she had. “Oh God!” She moaned. “What has AJ said?”

“AJ?” Rochelle let out a snort of laughter as they began to walk back towards the hotel. “AJ has no idea. You should have seen how excited he was when he thought that you and Nick had sealed the deal last night.”

“Oh.” Kayla breathed a sigh of relief. “So the guys don’t know? Brian doesn’t know?”

Rochelle continued to giggle as she responded. “Of course they don’t know! Put the five of them together and they’re still a few fries short of a Happy Meal. They’re men; they don’t exactly notice subtle clues.”

“Well, Nick knows.” Kayla countered. “He looked beyond rejected last night.”

“He’ll get over it.” Rochelle affirmed. “Actually, I have some information that you may be interested in.”

“What’s that?” Kayla glanced at Rochelle out of the corner of her eye.

Rochelle was smiling back at her and her eyes were glistening with excitement. “Howie thinks that Brian has a thing for you.”

Kayla’s pulse quickened, she could hear her blood pumping in her ears. “You’re making that up.”

Rochelle shook her head. “Howie told Leigh, who told Kristin, who told me. Apparently Howie and Brian had a little chat on Thanksgiving.”

“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that Brian and I shouldn’t be together.” Kayla pushed the butterflies out of her stomach. “It would be too much of a risk.”

“I can’t believe that our set list got messed up because of fucking Avril Lavigne!” Nick stabbed murderously at his eggs. “Who the hell does she think that she is, running over time and not listening to the production crew?”

“It was only a couple of songs.” Howie watched as Nick continued to scramble his already scrambled eggs. “I seriously doubt that the crowd even noticed.”

“It’s the principle of the thing!” Nick shot back. “We were headlining the show, not her.”

“I thought that her husband, what’s his name – Nickleback – was going to punch you in the face when you called her out backstage.” AJ laughed and speared a piece of sausage with his fork. “You should have seen the look on your face when he took a swing at you.”

“The name of the band is Nickleback.” Nick rolled his eyes. “I think his name is Chad – Chad something-or-other.”

“Regardless of what his name is, he almost sent you home with a black eye.” Kevin shook his head. “Was it really necessary for you to call Avril a Timbit-eating hoser?”

Nick shrugged. “Her beefy-ass husband was more upset about it than she was.”

“Really, Nick, you should have seen your own face!” AJ continued to cackle. “It was priceless!”

Brian looked up from his own eggs and took a sip of coffee to hide his laugher. He could tell that Nick was getting tired of being told that he had looked ridiculous ducking and weaving against Chad Kruger’s flying fists.

“I didn’t see you rushing over to help me.” Nick grumbled at AJ. “It was Howie, of all people, who came to my rescue.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Howie lowered the forkful of hash browns that he had been just about to place in his mouth. “I took a punch for you! You should be thanking me!”

“He actually hit you?” Leigh put her fork down on her plate and crossed her arms. “You never told me that he actually HIT you.”

“It was only a little punch.” Howie turned his attention to his wife. “He barely grazed my shoulder.”

Brian snorted, but he quickly covered it up with a cough when he saw that Howie was glaring at him. Howie truly had done Nick a massive favour. If Chad’s punch had connected with Nick’s face instead of with Howie’s shoulder, they would have all been eating breakfast in the emergency room. The force of the blow had practically knocked Howie to the ground. Brian had no idea how Howie was planning on explaining away the massive bruise that had surly already overtaken his upper arm.

“I still think that you owe me an apology for the Timbit-eating hoser comment.” Kayla jokingly added her two cents to the conversation.

Nick swivelled in Kayla’s direction and broke into a huge smile. “What? Do you, or do you not, love Timbits?”

“Yes.” Kayla conceded with a roll of her eyes. “But that doesn’t mean that all Canadians love Timbits.”

Brian looked across the table at Kayla and grinned. Kayla had announced her nationality to everyone at dinner the night before, when she had been forced to speak French to the clueless waiter. Everyone had taken it in stride, as she had obviously left out the information regarding Liliana’s father and had; therefore, downplayed her reason for moving to the States. As promised, Kayla had allowed Nick to privately share the real reason for her relocation with Brian after the show.

“How do you say idiot in French?” AJ interrupted.

“Imbécile.” Kayla supplied with a smile.

AJ grinned and turned to Nick. “Nick, tu es un imbécile.”

“That’s actually pretty good.” Kayla laughed. “I’m impressed.”

“AJ, tu es un jack-ass.” Nick scowled as he scooped a forkful of severely scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“You’re both idiots.” Kevin put an end to the bickering. “Let’s get going, we all have to catch a flight.”

“So, you’re going to your mom’s for Christmas?” Brian studied Nick’s face to gage his reaction as he asked the potentially disastrous question. It was no secret that Nick hadn’t been on the best of terms with his family for the past few years.

“Apparently.” Nick frowned as he glanced down at his boarding pass. “Aaron and Angel seem to think that it’s a good idea for us all to be together for the holidays.”

“And what do you think?” Brian checked to make sure that Baylee was still following them before he turned his attention back to Nick.

“I think that it’s going to be a shit show.” Nick sighed. “My mom will get loaded, BJ and Aaron will get high, and Angel will be on her phone the whole time.”

“It’s not too late for you to back out and come to Christmas with me and Kev.” Brian patted Nick reassuringly on the shoulder. “You know that my mom would love to have you.”

“I know.” Nick’s frown deepened. “But I also know that I gotta see my family. I also have to sort out a place of my own. I can’t spend the rest of my life in your guest room.”

Brian shrugged. “You can stay as long as you need to.”

The frown disappeared from Nick’s face. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”

“Come on, cuz!” Kevin’s voice reverberated through the waiting room. “We’re boarding!”

“I still have half an hour to kill.” Nick slapped his boarding papers against his palm. “Last again.”

Brian chuckled and pulled his younger friend into a tight hug. “Merry Christmas, Nick.”

“Merry Christmas, Bri.” Nick returned the sentiment as he patted Brian roughly on the back.

The two of them pulled out of their embrace and hurried to catch up with Kristin, Kevin, Kayla and the kids. Baylee was moseying along beside them, hurrying to finish his text messages before getting on the plane. Nick quickly embraced Kevin and Kristin and wished them a ‘Merry Christmas’. He then bent down to say goodbye to Lily, Max, and Mason, before standing back up and ruffling Baylee’s hair.

“Bye, Uncle Nick.” Baylee pulled his eyes away from his phone long enough to give Nick a quick hug. “When are you coming back?”

“I’ll be back after Christmas.” Nick assured him. “Try not to give your dad a hard time while I’m gone.”

Baylee rolled his eyes. “I’ll try.”

Brian smirked at his son’s response and ushered Baylee towards the gate. He knew that the chance of Baylee being on his best behaviour over the holidays was slim to none. Brian handed their boarding passes to the lady at the gate and glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Nick pull Kayla into a long hug. Nick’s hands were wound tightly around her back and he was whispering something in her ear. Brian saw Kayla smile up at Nick as they pulled away, her hand reaching up to caress his cheek. Brian’s stomach flipped as he watched the exchange. He knew that he had no right to be upset about whatever was going on between Nick and Kayla, but he was having a hard time convincing himself that Nick’s pursuit of the pretty redhead was still a good idea.

Brian quickly looked away as Kayla turned around and headed towards the gate, holding Liliana by the hand. He hoped that she hadn’t noticed that he had been watching her exchange with Nick. “You ready to go?”

“Yup.” Kayla smiled and handed the woman her boarding pass. “I can’t wait to be home.”

“Ba!”’ Liliana let out a happy squeal and tugged on Brian’s jeans. “Ba!”

“Good girl, Lily.” Brian encouraged as he bent down and pulled her into his arms. “I’m Brian.”

Kayla shook her head as they followed Baylee onto the plane. “If you keep picking her up like that, you’re never going to be able to get rid of her.”

“I don’t mind.” Brian grinned.

Brian did a quick scan of the plane and noticed that Kevin and Kristin had been seated near the back with the boys. He gave his cousin a small wave as he directed Baylee to a row of three seats near the front of the plane. As before, Baylee took the window and Brian sat in the middle, leaving the aisle seat for Kayla.

“I have these for you.” Kayla handed Brian two envelopes once they were situated. “One is a copy of the report that I just wrote and the other is a copy of the character reference that AJ submitted.”

Brian accepted the envelopes from Kayla and smiled gratefully. “I’m assuming that I passed the on-the-road assessment.”

“With flying colours.” Kayla reassured him. “I made sure to leave out the bit about Nick and Chad’s little disagreement.”

Brian’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t even thought about how damaging that situation could have been for him. If Peggy had been the one conducting the assessment, he would have been up the creek without a paddle. “Thank you.”

Kayla shrugged. “You’re a good dad, Brian. You deserve to be Baylee’s primary guardian.”

“Aren’t you going to get in trouble?” Brian worried. “What if someone finds out?”

Kayla shrugged again. “It will be our secret.”

Brain stared into Kayla’s expansive blue eyes. “What are you doing for Christmas?” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“For Christmas?” Kayla repeated. She looked slightly confused. “Nothing. I mean, my aunt and uncle are on vacation.”

“What about your parents?” Brian asked. “Are they coming to visit?”

Kayla shook her head. “They’re both teaching at an international school in Norway. They have been for the past few years. The cost of the flight is too high at Christmas, so they always come to visit in the spring.”

“So, that means that you have no reason to not spend it with me?” Brian grinned. His heart was racing as he waited for Kayla to respond. He knew that he shouldn’t have asked her, that it wasn’t fair to Nick. Brian quickly backpedalled to make his invitation seem less personal. “I mean, with me and Baylee and Kevin – with our family.”

“You want me to spend Christmas with you?” Kayla stalled for time as she looked into Brian’s eager face. Rochelle’s statement about Howie telling Leigh that Brian may be interested in her was running through her mind on a loop.

“Yeah.” Brian’s face had now taken on a more anxious expression. “Lily can come too, of course.”

“I – well – I – okay.” Kayla felt as though her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. “I’d like that.”

“Good.” Brian looked positively relieved as he leaned back in his seat to prepare for takeoff. “Did I already tell you that I hate this part of the flight?”

“It’s crooked.”

Brian stared at the artificial Christmas tree in dismay. Baylee was right, it was crooked. The two of them had just spent the better part of two hours un-boxing all of the branches and jamming them into the little metal slots that lined the ‘trunk’ of the tree. It had taken them another half an hour to manoeuvre the massive tree into position next to the fireplace. They still had to decorate the stupid thing.

“It’s not crooked.” Brian corrected. “It has a festive lean.”

Baylee raised his eyebrows at his father. “Have you been drinking?”

Brian suppressed a snort of laughter as he shook his head at Baylee’s highly inappropriate comment. “Have you?”

Baylee looked back at his dad in shock, clearly unsure of how to respond. “No.”

“Good.” Brian stated. “I’m glad that we’ve got that question out of the way.” He dropped to his knees and shimmied himself under the tree to inspect the base. “Let me know when it looks straight.”

“Now it’s festively leaning to the other side.” Baylee informed him as Brian fiddled with the plastic supports.

Brian cursed softly under his breath and crawled even further under the tree. “What about now?” He asked, slamming his palm down on the part of the base that was closest to the wall.

“Better!” Baylee announced. “Don’t touch anything else!”

Brian ducked out from under the tree and sat back on his heels. Although the tree still looked a bit unsteady, it no longer looked as though it were about to topple over. “See?” Brian flashed his son a massive smile. “I told you that we could do it by ourselves.”

“Mom puts a tree in every room.” Baylee reminded him. “And none of them have a festive lean.”

“Well this tree is so big that we don’t need one in every room.” Brian pointed out. “Besides, we don’t have time to put up more than one tree.”

“I suppose.” Baylee shrugged and turned to look at the overwhelming amount of lights and ornaments that were piled on the floor. “Are we gonna do the lights now?”

Brian nodded and plucked a package of fairy lights off of the top of the pile. He tore into the box, just as his phone began to vibrate on the table. He looked down and saw Nick’s goofy looking expression flash on the display. Brian handed the box of lights to Baylee. “Open this while I talk to Nick.”

“Hey, Bri.” Nick’s voice was quiet. “What are you up to?”

“Baylee and I are attempting to put up a Christmas tree.” Brian answered. “How’s it going at your mom’s?”

“That’s actually why I’m calling.” Nick mumbled. “It didn’t go very well.”

Brian paused at Nick’s use of the past tense. “What do you mean? Didn’t you just get there yesterday?”

“I got there last night.” Nick hesitated. “And I left this morning.”

“You left?” Brian tried to hide his shock. “It’s Christmas Eve.”

“I know.” Nick sighed. “It was – it was too much. I had to get out of there.”

“Well, where are you now?” Brian immediately pictured Nick spending Christmas alone in some random hotel room.

There was a long pause. “I’m standing on your front porch.”

“You’re what?” Brian was incredulous. He hurried down the hallway to the front door, his phone still pressed to his ear. “Why didn’t you ring the fucking bell?”

“I dunno.” Nick’s voice drifted through the phone as Brian pulled open the door. “I didn’t know if you’d want me around.”

Brian disconnected the call and stared at his friend. Nick was standing on the porch, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He was still holding his phone in his right hand and his left hand was wrapped tightly around a leash; Nacho, his borderline obese pug, was sniffing at Brian’s feet.

“How long have you been standing there?”

Nick shrugged. “Ten minutes.”

Brian shook his head. “You’re an idiot.” He held the door open and Nick shuffled inside. Nacho followed suit, his paws leaving wet marks on the tile floor.

“I didn’t know where else to go.” Nick admitted as he shrugged out of his jacket. “It’s not like I have a place of my own at the moment.”

“I told you that you could spend Christmas with us.” Brian admonished. “Why didn’t you just call me from the airport?”

“I dunno.” Nick sighed. “I was just so focused on getting away from my family; I wasn’t thinking straight. I was in your driveway before I realized that I hadn’t even told you that I was coming.”

“What happened at your mom’s?” Brian asked the question cautiously. He knew that anything related to Nick’s family was a touchy subject.

“They’re all so fucked up.” Nick announced. “The second I walked in the door, they were all over me looking for money. I just – I just couldn’t stomach the thought of giving them more money only to have them piss it all away on drugs, or alcohol, or whatever else it is that they do. So, I turned them down. For the first time in my life, I stood up for myself without any hesitation. Can you guess what happened next?”

“I have some idea.” Brian cringed.

“Yeah, well, whatever’s going through your mind it was ten times worse.” Nick admitted. “That’s why I left.”

Brian nodded. “And Nacho enters into the equation ...?” He looked at the pug who was currently sniffing forcefully at Baylee’s winter boots.

Nick grimaced. “I rescued him from Lauren when I was in Tennessee checking out some of the places that my real estate agent had lined up. That was another ordeal in itself.”

“I’m sorry, Nick.” Brian looked up into his friend’s face and tried to stay positive. “If it’s any consolation, my mom will be thrilled to have you join us.”

A smile slowly crept onto Nick’s face as the two of them walked back down the hallway towards the family room. “I AM your mom’s favourite.”

“Uncle Nick?” Baylee’s face registered surprise as Brian and Nick walked into the room. “You’re back early?”

“I am.” Nick affirmed. “I guess this means that you don’t have to wait for your present.”

Baylee’s face lit up. “Cool!”

Brian shook his head and pulled the clump of Christmas lights out of his son’s hands. “I see that you’ve got these untangled.”

Baylee gave his dad a strange look, clearly missing the sarcasm in Brian’s statement. He dropped to the floor to pet Nacho. The dog had wandered into the room, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he sniffed at the pile of decorations.

“So what is the plan for tomorrow?” Nick tore into another box of lights as Brian sank down onto the couch to try and make sense of the mess that Baylee had made out of the first set. “Should I call your mom and let her know that I’m coming?”

Brian shook his head. “She always makes way too much food anyways.” He began picking at the knotted cord and Kayla’s face flashed before his eyes. Shit! He still hadn’t told Nick that he had invited her to Christmas.

“I should have brought your mom a gift.” Nick continued. “Do you think that I still have time to get her one?”

“I asked Kayla to spend Christmas with me.” Brian blurted out. “I’m sorry.” He stopped picking at the tangled lights and waited for Nick to respond.

Nick raised his eyebrows. “I know you did. Why are you apologizing?”

“You know?” Brian made no attempt to hide his surprise. “How?”

“Kayla told me.” Nick drew out his response as if he were speaking to a small child. “We do still speak to each other, you know?”

“I know.” Brian struggled to regain his composure. Of course, Kayla would have told Nick what she was doing for Christmas. The whole notion of the invitation being inappropriate was only in his mind. As far as Kayla was concerned, he was nothing more than Nick’s best friend.

“So, why are you apologizing?” Nick repeated. “Did you think that I would be upset?”

“No.” Brian lied. “I just thought that you might have found it a bit weird that I asked her.”

“You’re acting like you have an ulterior motive.” Nick smirked. “What were you planning to do? Corner her underneath the mistletoe?”

“Of course not!” Brian let out a laugh that he knew sounded horribly forced and returned his attention to the ball of Christmas lights in his lap. “She’s practically your girlfriend.”

“Actually, Kayla and I have decided that we’re better off as friends.” Nick watched Brian out of the corner of his eye as he delivered the news.

“Oh yeah?” Brian struggled to keep his expression neutral. “Why is that?”

“The chemistry just wasn’t right.” Nick shrugged. “I guess I’m not her type.”

“You’re every girl’s type.” Brian muttered as he finally managed to untangle the clump of lights.

“What can I say?” Nick chuckled. “I guess Kayla has a thing for guys who have a southern accent.”

Brian raised his eyes from the lights and looked Nick directly in the face. “Did she – did she say something to you?”

Nick’s face broke into a huge smile. He couldn’t believe how anxious Brian looked. “Damn, bro!” He laughed. “You’re so out of practice, it’s embarrassing!”

“I’m thirteen years out of practice.” Brian grumbled. “I can’t even tell if she’s interested.”

Nick snorted in amusement. “She’s waving you home. All you have to do is slide in and take the base.”

“Really?” Brian no longer tried to hide his smile. “And you’re sure that there’s nothing between you guys?”

“Positive.” Nick affirmed. “I just hope that you can measure up.”

Brian’s face fell. “You said that you didn’t have ...”

“Relax!” Nick cut him off. “I was joking. I kissed her. That’s it. I swear.”

“Oh.” Brian breathed a sigh of relief. “Right. I knew that you were joking.”

“Sure you did.” Nick rolled his eyes. He began to wind his strand of lights around the top portion of the tree. “Seriously though, she’s totally waiting for you to make a move.”

“I don’t have a move!” Brian moaned. He quickly scanned the room to locate Baylee, but his son appeared to have lost interest in the task of decorating the tree. He was nowhere to be seen. “I’ve only had sex with one woman for the past thirteen years. Thirteen years! I have no clue what I’m supposed to do.”

Nick turned from the tree and laughed loudly at Brian’s disheartened expression. “I think it’s pretty safe to say that the two of you will be able to figure it out.”

Brian knew that his mother was in her element. Her kitchen was full of food, her house was full of her family, and she was doting on everyone like a mother hen. As expected, his mother had welcomed Nick with open arms; not even bothering to ask him to explain his presence. For that, Brian was immensely grateful. He was not, however, immensely grateful for the fact that his mother was pestering him incessantly about Kayla.

“Are you sure that you explicitly told her not to bring anything?” Jackie asked as she puttered around the kitchen. “I don’t want the poor girl to feel as though she has to contribute. I have more than enough for everyone.”

“I know, mom.” Brian took a small sip from his beer and rolled his eyes at Nick behind his mother’s back. “I’m sure that she doesn’t feel any pressure to contribute.”

Nick covered up his laughter by popping a whole Christmas cookie in his mouth. “If you think your mom is bad, wait until Kev sees you with that beer in your hand.” He whispered, crumbs spewing from his mouth.

“It’s Christmas.” Brian whispered back. “Besides, I haven’t had a drink since AJ reamed me out. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve dodged the whole addiction thing.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Jackie turned from the counter and narrowed her eyes. “What did you say about Alex?”

“Nothing.” Brian and Nick mumbled in unison.

“Are these two causing trouble, Aunt Jackie?” Kevin swooped into the kitchen and grabbed a carrot from the vegetable tray. He gave Jackie a swift kiss on the cheek before doing the same to his own mother who was also standing at the counter.

“Of course they’re not.” Ann laughed softly as she returned her son’s affection. “They’re both on their best behaviour.”

“Thanks, Auntie Ann.” Brian looked pointedly at Kevin. “See? We’re being good.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes as he walked around the kitchen table. He grabbed a few more carrots and crunched down loudly on one of them as he leaned his face next to Brian’s. “If I see you have more than two beers today, I will physically harm you.”

“I expected as much.” Brian countered. He defiantly took a long sip of beer and winked at his cousin. “It’s Christmas, you have to be nice to me.”

“What are you boys yammering on about over there?” Harold’s voice caused Kevin to pull his face out of Brian’s personal bubble. “Whatever it is, stop it and come say ‘hello’ to this lovely young lady.”

Brian peered around Kevin’s shoulder and saw that his dad was ushering Kayla and Liliana into the room. Kayla was holding a massive poinsettia, and Liliana was tottering along with her small hand firmly lodged in his father’s strong fingers. Brian couldn’t help but notice how comfortable his dad seemed with the little girl; he was staring down at her with a mixture of happiness and nostalgia.

“Are you talking about Kayla or Lily?” Brain chuckled as he stepped forward to greet them.

“Both.” His dad smiled as he picked a shortbread cookie off of the tray and handed it to Liliana.

The little girl smiled widely in response and curled her fingers around the treat; the red and green sprinkles immediately coating her fingers. “Cookie!”

“That’s right, Lily. Coooookieeee.” Harold praised.

“Say ‘thank you’.” Kayla coaxed. She thrust the giant red-leafed plant in Jackie’s direction. “This is for you. Brian told me not to bring any food, but I felt bad showing up empty-handed.”

“This is lovely, dear. Thank you.” Jackie accepted the plant with a warm smile and set it down on the corner of the counter. She enveloped Kayla in a welcoming hug and patted the younger woman’s back. “It’s so nice that you’re able to join us.”

“My turn!” Nick pushed past Brian and grabbed Kayla into a friendly hug. “Merry Christmas, Kay!”

“Merry Christmas, Nick.” Kayla laughed as Nick quickly whispered something in her ear.

Nick ended their embrace, and he gently pushed Kayla in Brian’s direction as he stepped around her and bent down to address Liliana. “Hi Lily, is that a good cookie?”

Brian felt himself begin to sweat as Kayla turned to face him. He clutched the beer bottle in his right hand as if his life depended on it. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Brian.” Kayla’s voice was soft. “Thanks again for inviting me.”

Brian smiled. It felt as though everyone in the kitchen was staring at him. He could hear Kevin crunching on another carrot and making that stupid half humming, half snorting noise that he always made whenever he knew that someone was about to embarrass themselves.

“Brian, for heaven’s sake, offer the girl a drink!” Jackie scolded. “Why are you just standing there?”

Brian shot his mother a withering look as Kevin’s hum-snorting intensified. “I was just about to do that, mom.”

“Honestly.” Jackie shook her head and gave her sister-in-law a knowing glance. “I keep telling him that he looks like a space cadet when he just stares like that. You would think that his brain was just rolling around up there.”

“What would you like, dear?” Ann interjected. “Wine?”

“Yes, a glass of wine would be great.” Kayla looked immensely grateful as she turned to address Ann. “White, if you have it.”

“Smooth.” Nick whispered in Brian’s ear as he straightened up from greeting Liliana. He stole another cookie from the tray and, once again, stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Everyone was staring at me.” Brian hissed. He downed three-quarters of his remaining beer in one long pull, hoping that the alcohol would calm his nerves. “I don’t want everyone to know that I’m ... you know.”

“Crushing like a school-girl.” Nick finished. “You gotta get a grip. I don’t even think that you were this nervous around Leighanne in the beginning.”

“This is different.” Brian shook his head. He checked to make sure that Kayla was still involved in a conversation with Ann and his mother before he continued. “I didn’t feel like this when I met Leighanne.”

“Is it because Kayla is forbidden?” Nick wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “The sex is gonna be so hot.”

Brian knew that he was blushing. “Nick!” He finished his beer with a final chug. “Don’t say that kind of stuff when my mother is like five feet away.”

“Don’t say what when I’m five feet away?” Jackie turned from her conversation with Ann and Kayla to stare at the two of them with narrowed eyes. “I have a right to hear anything that you say, if you say it in my kitchen.”

Brian’s heart was racing. Even though she was getting on in her years, his mom still had the innate ability to hear everything that was going on around her. “We’re not saying anything, mom.”

“Brian Thomas and Nickolas Gene ...” Jackie scolded them playfully. “You know that I can’t stand it when you two lie to me.”

“I should check and make sure that Lily isn’t giving Harold a run for his money.” Kayla interrupted. She picked up her wine glass from the counter and shot Jackie a small smile. “Excuse me.”

Jackie waited until Kayla had left the room before she redirected her attention to Brian and Nick. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Brian lied. He placed his empty bottle on the kitchen table and began backing out of the room. “I’m going down for another beer. Does anybody else want anything?”

Everyone else shook their heads and Brian quickly bolted from the room. His feet thundered on the stairs as he went down to retrieve his drink from his dad’s dedicated beer fridge in the basement.

“Spill it, Carter.” Kevin shot Nick a menacing look once Brian was out of the room. “What are you two up to?”

“I’m shocked that you would judge the two of us like that.” Nick busied himself with the task of selecting the cookie with the most icing. He was well aware of the fact that Jackie and Ann were also waiting for him to divulge some information.

“I think that I have an idea.” Ann’s eyes twinkled as she topped up her wine. “It seems as though Brian has finally moved on from she-who-will-not-be-named-in-this-house.”

Kevin choked on the cherry tomato that he had just popped in his mouth. “What the fuck?” He turned to Nick. “I thought that you were banging Kayla!”

“Kevin!” His mother warned. “Language!”

Nick kept his eyes firmly locked on the tray of perfectly decorated cookies. “We’re just friends.”

“That’s not what you told AJ a few days ago.” Kevin chugged his beer to wash down the offending tomato.

“I lied.” Nick shrugged and bit the head off of a sugar-coated Santa.

“So, now Brian is after her?” Kevin shook his head. “Is he crazy? He could lose his kid!”

Nick finally pulled his eyes away from the dessert tray. “He knows that, Kev.”

“She seems like a sweet girl.” Ann interrupted. “And her little one is precious.”

Jackie nodded in agreement. “I like her. I can’t say that I felt the same when I met you-know-who for the first time.”

Kevin rolled his eyes. “You two can’t encourage this. Brian is putting his parental rights in jeopardy by even entertaining the idea of having a relationship with Kayla.”

“Kevin, honey, you’re much too serious.” Jackie admonished. “God works in mysterious ways. Kayla was placed in Brian’s life for a reason.”

“Yeah.” Kevin frowned. “To make sure that he maintains primary custody of Baylee.”

Jackie waved off Kevin’s pessimism. “She’s awfully pretty. Can you imagine my grandbabies?”

Kevin choked on another tomato. “Nobody is having a baby!”

Nick smirked as he watched the exchange between Kevin and his aunt. It was nice to know that Kevin directed his displeasure at everyone, not just him.

“I don’t know what you’re smirking at, Nick.” Kevin’s frown deepened. “I know that you’re somehow responsible for this.”

Nick held up his sugar-covered hands in innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Your mom made enough food to feed a small army.” Kayla placed the stack of plates on the counter and dropped her hands to her stomach. “What’s the word for beyond full?”

“Stuffed?” Brian turned away from the sink and leaned against the counter.

Kayla shook her head. “I’m way beyond stuffed. I feel like I’m carrying a food baby.”

Brian laughed as his eyes flickered over Kayla’s almost perfectly flat stomach. “I don’t see it.”

“You’re sweet.” Kayla flushed slightly. “I’m going to grab the rest of the dishes from the table.”

Brian nodded and picked up his beer from the counter. “I’ll be here.”

Despite Kevin’s threat of physical harm, Brian had managed to sneak in a third beer. The gentle warmth coursed through him as he took a quick sip, and he felt his stomach flip as Kayla re-entered the room. He hastily placed the half-empty bottle on the counter.

“Apparently, this was the only thing left on the table.” Kayla smiled and held up a gravy boat. She quickly placed it on the counter and took the last sip from her glass of wine. “I’ll help you with the dishes.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Brian made no move to turn back towards the sink.

“I want to.” Kayla insisted. “It’s the least that I can do after your mom put together such an amazing dinner.” She set her wine glass on the counter and reached to turn on the tap.

“Wait.” Brian caught Kayla’s wrist before she could turn on the water. He gently pulled her in front of him and dropped his hands to her hips.

“Brian ...” Kayla slowly raised her hands to his shoulders. “... you know that this could turn out badly for both of us.”

Brian swallowed hard. “I know.” He tightened his grip on Kayla’s hips and pulled her closer. All of the blood in his body raced downwards as she pressed herself against him.

Kayla locked her eyes with Brian’s. “Are you drunk?”

A smile quickly spread across Brian’s face; first Baylee and now Kayla. “No. Are you?”

“No.” Kayla studied Brian’s face; taking in the fine wrinkles around his eyes and the faint stubble that covered his strong jaw line. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

“Good.” Brian struggled to control his desire as Kayla’s hands wound their way over his shoulders. Her fingers began to play with the hair on the back of his neck and he stifled a moan.

“I don’t want you to lose Baylee.” Kayla whispered.

Brian was consumed with the feeling of Kayla’s body pressed against his. “I don’t want that either.”

“We shouldn’t do this.” Kayla cautioned.

“We shouldn’t.” Brian agreed. Kayla’s fingers continued to travel through his hair and his face was moving closer towards hers as he spoke. “But I think that we’re going to do it anyway.”

Her lips were soft, a perfect mixture of lip gloss and wine. Brian could feel his excitement growing as Kayla leaned into him; their chests pressing together as his hands travelled from her hips to her waist. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had been so turned on by a kiss.

“Oh!”

Kayla stumbled backwards at lightning speed and Brian immediately turned himself around so that he was facing the counter. He certainly didn’t want his mother to see just how much he had been enjoying himself.

“I’m sorry.” Jackie stammered; a grin quickly overtaking her face. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She dropped the bread basket on the counter and began backing out of the kitchen.

“It’s okay, mom.” Brian struggled to get the words out. He was still in no condition to turn around.

“I’m just going to go and see what Baylee and your father are up to.” Jackie continued to babble as she departed.

“Sounds good.” Brian acknowledged. He was busy concentrating on the imperfections in the countertop; desperately trying to think of anything but Kayla and the feeling of her lips on his.

“She’s gone.” Kayla announced.

Brian let out a sigh of relief and turned around. He watched as Kayla’s eyes travelled over him. A tinge of pink began to overtake her cheeks; her eyes lingering for an extra second on his crotch. Her lips were still puffy and her eyes were lit up with a mixture of desire and embarrassment over having been caught. God, he wanted her.

“So ...” Brian’s voice was heavy with longing. “...we’re going to do this?”

Kayla nodded and stepped forward to close the gap between them. She pressed Brian back into the counter and he let out a small groan; any hope of quelling his desire vanished. Kayla’s lips were touching his ear. “More than friends.”

Brian’s lips found Kayla’s for a second time and this time he allowed himself to moan into her mouth as her fingers laced through his hair. He was using all of his willpower to keep from snaking his hands up her shirt. Kayla wasn’t helping the situation; she was grinding herself into him, teasing his body into anticipating an activity that sure as hell wasn’t going to take place in his mother’s kitchen.

“Woah! Shit!”

Nick’s voice caused Kayla to propel herself away from Brian for the second time that evening. Once again, Brian found himself facing the counter. Only, this time, he was cursing his best friend.

“Fuck, Nick! Really?”

“Sorry, Bri.” Nick laughed. “I was just looking for some more of those cookies.”

“You ate them all already.” Brian seethed. He was rapidly reaching the point where his unfulfilled desire was becoming uncomfortable.

“What’s that?” Nick quipped. “I can’t hear you because you’re facing the wall. Why don’t you turn around?”

Brian suppressed the urge to turn around and strangle the tall, blonde pest. “Nick, please go away.”

“Why?” Nick forced his voice to sound innocent. “Is something wrong?”

Brian could hear Kayla giggling into her sleeve as he raised his eyes to the upper cabinets. He legitimately wanted to punch Nick in the face. “You know damn well what’s wrong.”

“That’s what you get for getting busy in your mother’s kitchen on Christmas.” Nick walked up and placed a heavy hand on Brian’s shoulder. He leaned over the shorter man and grabbed one of the remaining cookies off of the plate that Brian had tried to pretend didn’t exist. He took a bite and chewed nosily; the crumbs raining down on Brian’s back. “Next time, you should wait until you get home.”

Brian let out a noise that was a cross between a grunt and a cry of frustration. “You are quite possibly the most annoying person that I know!”

“Maybe.” Nick continued to devour the cookie. “But you love me.”

Brian whipped around and lunged at Nick, but the younger man was too quick. Nick jumped backwards and let out a cry of triumph. “Too slow!” He popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth and slid out of the kitchen. “Have fun doing the dishes!”

Brian sighed and turned to face Kayla who was still attempting to hold in her laughter. “Does your offer still stand to help me with the dishes?”

Kayla choked back the rest of her giggles and reached for the dish towel. “I can’t think of anyone that I would rather do dishes with.”

“Kayla!”

Startled, Kayla jumped slightly in her seat and raised her eyes to her boss. “Sorry, Anthony, I didn’t hear you. I was in the middle of writing this report.” Kayla gestured at her laptop for emphasis.

Anthony shook his head and sighed. “The report will have to wait. I need you to carry out a surprise inspection this afternoon.”

Kayla nodded. She had a feeling that she knew exactly which file Anthony was about to hand her. The Boag family was the most problematic case that she and Peggy were currently dealing with. During their last visit, prior to Peggy’s hip surgery, one of the family’s three toddlers had attempted to sink their teeth into Peggy’s ankle. It hadn’t been pretty.

“Here.” Anthony handed Kayla the manila file folder and frowned. “I don’t suppose you happen to know why there is no surprise visit on file when the court date for this case is in less than two months.”

Kayla took the file from Anthony’s hand and turned it around to read the name. Her heart began beating wildly in her chest as soon as she saw ‘Littrell’ spelled out neatly across the tab. “I have no idea.”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t. I know that Peggy is just biding her time until her retirement date, but YOU have to make sure that the two of you are following up with all of your files. This is a critical, high-profile case! Are you trying to give me heart failure?”

“I guess we must have somehow overlooked it.” Kayla struggled to keep her nerves from overwhelming her voice. “Sorry.”

“Just carry out the visit.” Anthony sighed. “I want the report on my desk by lunch time tomorrow.”

Kayla nodded meekly. “It will be on your desk. I promise.”

“Perfect.” Anthony forced a smile onto his face. “You better get going.” He glanced at his watch and looked at Kayla expectantly.

“Right.” Kayla nodded again. She stood up from her chair and hastily shut down her laptop. She swiped all of the loose items that were on her desk into her purse and shrugged into her coat. “I’m going.”

Kayla’s heart was still pounding as she hurried across the parking lot. Her heels clicked loudly on the pavement and the wind whipped around her as she stepped up beside her car. She slid into the driver’s seat and pulled at her skirt in an unsuccessful attempt to cover the section of her legs that were not protected by her tall boots. A skirt wasn’t her outfit of choice in the winter, but she hadn’t done laundry since before Christmas and all of her work-appropriate pants were currently sitting in a dirty heap on the floor of her closet.

Kayla’s fingers shook on the steering wheel, as she backed the car out of the parking spot. She hadn’t seen Brian since Christmas day; that was five days ago. Aside from a few text messages, they had barely spoken since their heart-stopping kiss. Kayla knew that the lack of communication wasn’t intentional as Brian had been visiting his brother and his family in Louisville for the past few days. In fact, he had only returned to Lexington the night before. She debated sending him a text to let him know that she was on her way over, but she immediately thought better of it. She was already going to fill in the inspection checklist so that Brian would pass; there was no point in her breaking another rule by giving him advanced notice of her arrival.

It took Kayla less than fifteen minutes to reach Brian’s house, and her nerves were still raging full force as she pulled into the driveway. She took a deep, calming breath and reached for the file that she had dropped onto the passenger seat. Kayla hesitated, her fingers curled around the door handle. After a few seconds of intense thought, Kayla flipped open the file and pulled a pen from her purse. She hurriedly began checking off the necessary items, making sure to tick ‘no’ for some of the things that she knew wouldn’t cause Brian to fail the inspection. Her heart was hamming as she reached the final page; she had never blatantly forged a report. Kayla was pretty sure that what she was doing was illegal, but she didn’t care. All she could think about was falling into Brian’s strong embrace; the fact that she was going to get paid for doing so was a bonus.

Kayla finished filling out the checklist and tossed the file back onto the passenger seat. She stole a quick glance in the rear-view mirror to asses her appearance and pushed open her door. Her feet connected with the driveway at the same time as Nick stepped out of Brian’s front door. He was dressed in sweats and pulling a very disgruntled looking, heavy-set pug along behind him. His face lit up when he saw Kayla approaching.

“Hey!”

“Hey!” Kayla returned the greeting. “Where are you two off to?”

“Nacho and I are going for a run.” Nick informed her. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have work today?”

Kayla nodded. “I’m actually here to carry out a surprise inspection.”

“Oh.” Nick’s face fell. “Where’s Peggy?” He quickly scanned Brian’s driveway. “Is she coming separately?”

Kayla shook her head. “She’s still off work, recovering from her surgery. She won’t be back in the office for another week or two.”

“I see.” The smile immediately returned to Nick’s face. “Well, in that case, I’m sure that Brian is more than ready to be inspected.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I’ll make sure that Nacho and I go for an extra long run.”

“You-You don’t have to do that.” Kayla stuttered. She was well aware of the fact that her face had turned beat red.

Nick laughed and tugged at Nacho’s leash. “Be direct.” He advised as he began walking slowly towards the driveway. “Brian’s a nice guy, but he’s not exactly skilled when it comes to picking up on subtle clues.”

Kayla nodded. Her heart-rate had, once again, picked up speed at Nick’s suggestive words. She waved ‘goodbye’ as Nick began to jog down the driveway; Nacho lagging behind him in protest as his sagging stomach dragged along the snow-covered pavement.

“Oh, Kayla!” Nick turned around and continued to jog backwards. “Brian’s nervous as fuck!” He winked playfully before turning around and launching full-force into his run.

Kayla waited until Nick had disappeared from sight before she climbed the steps to Brian’s front door and rang the bell. She could hear Brian’s footsteps approaching from the other side of the door, and her stomach flipped when she saw him; Nick’s advice ringing in her head. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Brian’s face lifted into a massive smile when he saw Kayla standing on the front porch. “What are you doing here?”

Kayla stepped into the foyer before she responded. “I’m supposed to carry out a surprise inspection.”

Brian watched in silence as Kayla began shrugging out of her jacket. His eyes floated over her body; taking in her skirt and her bare legs that were speckled with red from the cold. Brian swallowed hard as Kayla handed him her jacket. She was wearing a form fitting blouse, and the top buttons had clearly been undone for his benefit. He could detect a hint of a black lace bra underneath.

“Inspection?” Brian tossed Kayla’s jacket on the bench in the hallway. The blood was quickly rushing from his brain as he watched her unzip her tall boots. “You’re working right now?”

“That’s right.” Kayla affirmed. She straightened up and smoothed her skirt. “I’m supposed to make sure that everything is still in order around here.”

“Oh.” Brian struggled to formulate his words as he stared at Kayla. He swallowed hard as she undid another button on her blouse; definitely black lace. “Do you want to look around?”

Kayla shook her head and gave him a playful look. “That’s not necessary. I filled in the report in the car.”

“Oh.” Brian mentally cursed himself for his inability to respond properly. His heart was pounding nervously in his chest. He had been daydreaming about getting Kayla into bed since he had kissed her on Christmas day, but now that the opportunity was materializing in front of him he couldn’t think straight.

“Do you want me to go?” A look of uncertainly momentarily replaced the desire in Kayla’s eyes as she stepped towards him.

Brian quickly shook his head. “No – No, I don’t want you to go.”

“Good.” Kayla’s voice was barely above a whisper. She closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his chest. “After all, I was still kinda hoping that I could carry out my inspection.”

“You were?” Brian’s mind was racing as Kayla’s hands travelled across his chest. “I thought you said that you did it in the car?”

Kayla laughed softly and shook her head. “Brian, I’m not talking about work.”

Brian stared into Kayla’s eyes; dumbfounded. He was so anxious that he couldn’t even speak. He hadn’t had sex for almost a year and before that he had been sleeping with the same woman for more than a decade. He was legitimately terrified of not living up to Kayla’s expectations, of being too clumsy, of not being able to please her.

As if sensing his anxiety, Kayla gently dropped her hands from Brian’s chest and grabbed his hands in hers. Brian allowed himself to be led down the steps into the sunken living room, and he waited in anticipation as Kayla began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

“I thought that I could carry out a different kind of inspection.” Kayla murmured. She slowly pushed Brian’s shirt over his shoulders and began to lightly trail her fingers across his bare chest. “So far, so good.”

Even though his brain was failing him miserably, Brian’s body responded eagerly to Kayla’s touch. He instinctively brought his hands to her waist and crushed his lips against hers. Kayla deepened the kiss and pushed him backwards.

Brian pulled Kayla down with him as he sank onto the couch; her knees digging into the cushions on either side of him as she straddled his lap. Brian let out a low moan as Kayla pressed down on him. He was throbbing against the confines of his jeans as she pulled her mouth away from his and began to kiss his neck. Brian hastily began undoing the rest of the buttons on Kayla’s shirt and he sighed appreciatively when he caught sight of her sheer, black lace bra. He ran his hands over the thin material, his thumbs circling her nipples that immediately hardened in response.

Kayla ripped her lips away from Brian’s neck and stared down into his face. “Are you ready?”

Brian nodded, his hands continuing to roam over Kayla’s breasts. “You want to go upstairs?”

Kayla shook her head and gave him a coy smile. “I want you right here.”

Brian felt himself twitch in excitement as Kayla quickly slid off of him. Her fingers deftly unzipped his jeans and he raised his hips to allow her to pull them off. Brian licked his lips as he watched Kayla slip her panties off from under her skirt. Leighanne had never wanted to do it anywhere aside from the bedroom.

Brian lightly stroked himself as he watched Kayla hike up her skirt and reposition herself on top of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and he grabbed her waist, pushing her down until he was filling her completely. Brian threw his head back against the back of the couch as Kayla began to move around him. Her lips were once again on his neck, and he could feel himself building up quickly to the point of release. Brian willed himself not to fully concentrate on the feeling of being inside her as Kayla moved her lips to his ear. He was petrified of finishing too quickly.

Kayla bit down gently on his earlobe and Brian groaned loudly, pulling her against his chest. Kayla responded by sinking down on him as hard as she could; her hips moved in slow circles around him and Brian knew that he couldn’t hold back much longer. He bucked upwards and Kayla gasped, her muscles clenching as she climaxed. Brian pulled his head away from the back of the couch and buried it in Kayla’s neck. The scent of Kayla’s shampoo mingling with her perfume overwhelmed him as he found his release; he shuddered against her as he continued to press her tightly to his chest.

“You pass.” Kayla whispered. She gently urged Brian’s face away from her neck and kissed him swiftly on the lips. “Good job, Mr. Littrell.”

Brian grinned. “You can come over and inspect me any time you want.” He moved to kiss her again, but paused at the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Kayla and Brian froze. Their eyes met in a panic stricken stare before they both turned in the direction of the foyer.

“Shit!” Brian hissed as Kayla slid off of him. “Nick must be back from his run.”

Brian grabbed for his pants and hastily pulled them up as Kayla quickly straightened her skirt and pulled her blouse over her shoulders. She swiftly buttoned her shirt and plucked her panties off of the floor.

“Dad?” The front door swung open and the sound of Baylee’s footsteps resonated from the foyer.

“Fuck!” Brian abandoned his attempt to finish buttoning his jeans and grabbed for his shirt.

“Dad?” Baylee repeated the question as he stepped into the living room. He was in the process of removing his jacket and his toque was still lodged firmly on his head. Baylee’s cheeks were pink from the cold, and his mouth dropped open as he took in the scene before him. His eyes promptly welled with tears.

“Baylee?” Brian’s voice came out in a pitch that was higher than his son’s. “I thought that you were staying at Mike’s until four.”

Brian’s fingers were digging into the fabric of his shirt. He could feel his unbuttoned jeans slowly sliding lower on his hips. He dared a quick glance at Kayla; her face was flushed with embarrassment and she had moved the hand that was clutching her panties behind her back. Her shirt wasn’t completely buttoned and the lacy tip of her bra was still visible.

“I hate you!” Baylee’s voice cracked as the tears began to slide down his face. He glared at Brian; his eyes darkening with anger and betrayal. “I hate you!”

“Baylee...” Brian did up the button on his jeans and stepped forward. “...we can talk about this.”

“She’s not mom!” Baylee’s screamed with indignation. The tears were now dripping off of his chin and his face was red with anger. “You’re not supposed to touch anyone but mom!”

Brian could feel the tears threatening his own eyes as he stared at his son. He had never seen Baylee look so upset. Brian knew that he should put on his shirt and comfort his son, but he remained rooted to the spot. He couldn’t move; he didn’t know what to do or what to say.

“I hate you!” Baylee screamed the horrible sentiment one final time before he whipped around and headed for the stairs. His feet thundered on the steps, and the walls shook as he slammed his bedroom door.

“I have to go.” Kayla brushed past Brian. She refused to meet his gaze as she grabbed her jacket and clumsily stepped into her boots.

“Kayla, wait!” Brian could feel himself growing more frantic. He couldn’t let her leave; not like this.

“I need to go, Brian.” Kayla finally brought her eyes to his. “You need to talk to Baylee.”

Brian felt helpless. “I’ll call you.”

Kayla gave Brian a small half-smile. “Talk to Baylee. Don’t worry about me.”

Kayla turned and reached to pull open the front door just as it swung open and Nick stumbled into the house. Nacho was puffing along behind him; his tongue dripping on the welcome mat.

“Hey, Kayla.” Nick’s voice was uncertain as he clearly tried to make sense of her haphazard appearance and worried expression.

“Bye, Nick.” Kayla gently squeezed his arm as she hurried out the door and down the front walkway.

Brian felt numb as he watched Kayla hurry away from the house. This was not the picture-perfect ending to the afternoon that he had been hoping for. The December wind invaded the foyer, and Brian shivered as it connected with the bare skin on his chest.

“Bri, what the hell happened?” Nick shut the door and stared at Brian in concern.

Brian shook his head. “I have to talk to Baylee.” He turned away from Nick and began taking the stairs two at a time. He felt as though he were operating on autopilot as he approached the door to Baylee’s room. What the hell was he going to say to his son?

“Bay?” Brian knocked tentatively on the door to his son’s room. He pulled his shirt over his shoulders and began to button it up. “Can I come in?”

Brian’s request was greeted by a heavy silence. He waited a few seconds before knocking again. “I’m going to come in anyway.”

The heavy silence continued and Brian counted to ten before wrapping his hand around the doorknob and opening the door to his son’s room. Baylee was sitting on the bed; silent tears continuing to roll down his cheeks as he typed frantically on his phone. Brain had an inkling that he was texting Ashley. The two of them were probably having an intense conversation at his expense.

“Can you put the phone down?”

Silence.

“I think that we need to talk about what happened downstairs.”

More silence.

“Baylee Thomas Wylee Littrell, if you don’t put that phone down I’m going to throw it out the window!”

The threat finally captured Baylee’s attention. He made an exaggerated show of rolling his eyes before tossing his phone down on the empty half of his bed. The device continued to vibrate with incoming messages as he crossed his arms and glared at his father. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Tough shit.”

Baylee’s eyes widened at his dad’s use of profanity. He said nothing as Brian crossed the room and sat down on the end of the bed. His phone was buzzing non-stop as more messages poured in.

“Baylee...” Brian paused to gather his thoughts. “...I’m not sure what you think was happening downstairs.”

“I think that you were ... doing things ... with Kayla.” Baylee wiped frantically at his damp cheeks. His gaze remained steely as he waited for his father to respond.

Brian balked at Baylee’s directness. His face was hot with mortification; both at his behaviour and at the fact that his eleven year old son had just alluded to knowing about sex. “What makes you think that Kayla and I were ...” Brian trailed off. He couldn’t even bring himself to say the word in Baylee’s presence.

Baylee broke his hard stare just long enough to roll his eyes for a second time. “I’m not a kid anymore, dad. We talk about ... things ... in health class all the time.”

“You do?” Brian’s eyes widened in surprise. He really needed to start paying more attention to the forms that he was signing when it came to Baylee’s schooling.

“You guys looked messed up. You weren’t wearing a shirt ...” Baylee’s face reddened to match Brian’s in embarrassment. “How could you do that to mom?” Baylee’s voice wavered and fresh tears threatened his eyes.

“Bay, your mom and I aren’t together anymore. You know that.” Brian struggled to wrap his head around his son’s reaction. He had been completely unaware of the fact that Baylee was still struggling to accept the fact that he and Leighanne were officially divorced.

“I know.” Baylee sniffed. “I just thought ...”

“What did you think?” Brian’s tone softened. “Did you think that your mom and I were going to get back together?”

Baylee’s face darkened and he switched gears without warning. “You’re so embarrassing! What’s the matter with you? First, you bring all of your dumb-ass friends to my basketball game and announce to the entire school that you’re in a boy band. Then, you go and release a video where you and Uncle Alex don’t have any shirts on! Do you know that everyone in my class has seen that video? The girls all think that you look old and stupid. They think that you’re trying to compete with One Direction; a band that’s actually still popular and successful.”

A tightly wrapped ball of hurt was growing in Brian’s stomach as he listened to his son rhyme off all of the things that he had done to embarrass him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked rapidly to hold back his tears. There was no way that he could let Baylee know just how much his words had hurt him.

“I’m sorry that you feel that way about me.”

Baylee’s eyes remained dark and taunting. It was obvious that he knew that his words were having an impact on Brian. “Why can’t you be like all of the other dads? Why can’t you and mom still live together and be happy? Why do we always have to be so different from everybody else?”

“Your mom and I aren’t going to be getting back together.” Brian admitted; relieved that the root of Baylee’s anger had finally surfaced. “No matter how much you want it to happen. Your mom and I don’t make each other happy anymore.”

“But Kayla does?” Baylee spat. “Is that why you two were making out in the living room?”

Brian sighed. “At the moment, yes, Kayla does make me happy. I’m sorry about what happened earlier. We shouldn’t have done what we did.”

“You just mean that you shouldn’t have been doing it in the living room.” Baylee shot back. “You’re not going to stop doing things with her even if I hate you for doing them.”

Brian stared back at his son in disbelief. Since when had Baylee become so perceptive? Where was the little boy who used to look up to him, who wanted to be just like him when he grew up? When had his little boy been replaced by the sullen, all-knowing being sitting in front of him?

“Are you going to marry her?” Baylee continued, his voice teeming with distaste. “Is she going to try and be my new mom?”

“Nobody is going to try and replace your mom.” Brian chose his words carefully. He didn’t like Baylee’s tone, but he felt like it wasn’t the best time to bite his head off because of it.

“Good.” Baylee re-crossed his arms and leaned back against his pillows. “Because I like mom a lot more than I like you.”

“That’s your choice.” Brian could hear the tremor in his own voice as he spoke. “I’m sorry that you hate me. I never intended to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

Baylee snorted in contempt. “Who you are is an embarrassment. The Backstreet Boys aren’t cool anymore dad, get over it.”

“I think you’re forgetting that me being a Backstreet Boy is what pays for all of the things that you need in order to look cool.” Brian stood up from the bed. He was more than ready for the conversation to be over. “I also think that you need to stay in your room for the rest of the day.”

“Fine.” Baylee glared back at him in defiance. “I don’t want to come out and spend time with you and Uncle Nick anyway.”

“Think about what you’ve said to me today, Baylee.” Brian advised. “You may hate me, but I’m the only father you’ve got.”

“Yeah...” Baylee muttered as he reached for his still vibrating phone. “...but I’m clearly on the verge of getting another mom.”

Brian allowed his son’s comment to go un-responded as he let himself out of Baylee’s room. He stepped into the hallway and closed the door firmly behind him. His hands were shaking and he took a few calming breaths to steady himself.

“That sounded like it went well.”

It took Brian a few seconds to locate Nick who was sitting on the stairs. He had his feet planted on the stair in front of him and his knees were pulled up to his chest. Nick gave Brian a sympathetic smile and patted the carpet beside him on the step.

“Did you hear the whole thing?” Brian grimaced as he sank down next to his friend.

Nick nodded. “Since when did he become such a little shit disturber?”

“I had no idea that he wanted me and Leighanne to get back together.” Brian struggled to keep his emotions in check. He stared down the stairwell at Nacho who was busy chewing on a stray mitten in the middle of the first-floor hallway.

“Every kid wants their divorced parents to get back together.” Nick shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that Angel is still convinced that, one day, our parents are going to end up living happily ever after.”

Brian took no comfort in Nick’s words. His heart was still aching over the fact that Baylee hated who he was. “He meant everything that he said to me. Maybe’s he’s right. What am I doing with my life? I can’t be a Backstreet Boy forever.”

“Of course you can!” Nick was adamant. “Don’t let Baylee’s little temper tantrum ruin things for you. We’re finally all back together ... really together.”

Brian allowed himself to cast a sideways glance at Nick. His friend looked almost as wounded as he felt. “I know.”

“I heard the bit where he called you out about fooling around with Kayla.” Nick’s mouth morphed into a lopsided grin. “What the fuck was that about?”

Brian sighed. The embarrassment was threatening to overtake him once again. “I didn’t know what to say when he just came straight out and called it like it was. Can you believe it? He’s eleven years old! I didn’t even realize that it was anything other than a sixth finger until I was at least thirteen.”

Nick snorted. “Kids are way more mature these days. Do you know that some schools now give out condoms during seventh grade health classes?”

Brian’s face paled. “You’re not serious.”

Nick nodded vigorously. “There was some big news story about it a little while ago. I remember Howie mentioning it.”

“Oh God!” Brian buried his face in his hands. “Does this mean that I’m going to have to talk to Baylee about – about IT already?”

“Well, he’s going to have to start talking to you again first.” Nick slapped Brian on the back. “I think that will buy you at least the rest of the day.”

Brian lifted his face from his hands and smirked. “You really are an ass.”

“But I made you feel better.” Nick pointed out. He nudged Brian gently with his shoulder. “Speaking of sex, I’m assuming that you and Kayla had a nice time.”

Brian could feel his face getting hot once again. “It was...” he paused. “...different.”

A massive smile spread across Nick’s face. “That means that it was fucking hot! You lucky son-of-a-bitch!”

Brian failed to contain his own grin. “You have no idea.”

“I still can’t believe that you gave up on her so easily.” AJ dropped his voice to a whisper so that Kevin and Howie wouldn’t be able to overhear the conversation. “What really happened?”

Nick shook his head. “I told you, AJ. She flat out told me that she was crushin’ on Brian. What was I supposed to do?”

“It just seems weird that you’re completely okay with this whole thing. Doesn’t it piss you off every time that you see them together?”

Nick considered AJ’s question before responding. In the beginning, it had been beyond difficult for him to even fathom the fact that Kayla had chosen Brian over him. But, after seeing them together, Nick had quickly come to realize that he had done the right thing by giving up his pursuit of Kayla. “Brian’s happy. They both are.”

“Are YOU happy?” AJ peered intently at Nick.

“I’m not unhappy.” Nick answered. “I just need to focus on getting my shit together. I’ve got to move out of Brian’s house and sort myself out.”

AJ nodded. “Any thought as to where you’re going to go? Ro and I could use some company in L.A.”

Once again, Nick shook his head. “L.A. isn’t a good place for me. The past is proof of that.”

“Tennessee?” AJ raised his eyebrows. “You may run into Lauren though.”

Nick sighed. “Is it weird that I’m thinking about Kentucky?”

AJ let out a full blown laugh that caused both Kevin and Howie to turn their way. “I knew you were gonna say that!”

“What did you know that Nick was going to say?” Howie continued to peer at the two of them over his shoulder. Kevin, on the other hand, had immediately lost interest and had returned his attention to his phone.

“Nothing.” AJ smirked. “We were just talking about Brian and Kayla.”

“I called that shit!” Howie bragged. He turned fully around in his seat to join the conversation. “You can ask Leigh.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “It would have been nice if you had let me in on your observation. That way I could have avoided making an ass out of myself.”

A wide grin spread across Howie’s face. “That WOULD have been nice of me.”

“Asshole.”

“Hello to you too, Nick.” Brian’s voice cut into their conversation. “I know that I’m late, but there’s no need to insult me.”

Nick looked up into Brian’s smiling face and continued to scowl. It was obvious that Brian had caught the tail end of their conversation. “Asshole.”

“Is everything okay?” Howie glanced at his watch. “We were expecting you more than half an hour ago.”

Brian sighed and dragged a folding chair across the floor. He positioned the chair so that he could be a part of their small circle and sat down hard. “Baylee’s teacher cornered me when I was dropping him off. Guess which class my son is dangerously close to failing?”

“Math?” AJ and Nick guessed in unison.

“It better not be math!” Howie accused. “I spend the better part of every evening on the phone with that kid walking him through his homework.”

Nick and AJ exchanged devilish smiles and repeated their guess. “Math?”

“Now who’s the asshole?” Howie muttered.

“It’s not math.” Brian wacked Nick lightly on the arm and shot a disparaging look at AJ. “It’s music.”

“Music?” AJ’s mouth fell open. “How is that even possible? The kid was our fucking opening act for the whole North American leg of the tour.”

Brian rubbed absently at the back of his neck. “According to Mr. White, Baylee is simply refusing to participate. He says that if Baylee doesn’t smarten up he’s going to receive an R on his mid-term report card.”

“Unbelievable.” Howie shook his head. “I guess he’s taking his whole I-don’t-want-to-be-anything-like-my-dad idea to the extreme.”

Brian grimaced. “Tell me about it! Do you know how bad it’s going to look if Baylee’s marks come up in court? How am I going to explain away the fact that my son is failing music because he hates me?”

“Can’t Kayla just, you know, make sure that his report card isn’t referenced?” AJ made his suggestion slowly. “I’m sure that it wouldn’t be that hard for her to ‘misplace’ the document.”

“I can’t ask her to do that.” Brian frowned. “She’s already forged one surprise inspection report. I can’t ask her to compromise her job any more than she already has.”

“She compromises her job every time that she sits on your dick.” AJ shot back. “You do know that, right?”

“Jesus, AJ.” Brian could feel himself becoming embarrassed. “We’re both well aware of the fact that what we’re doing has some serious implications.”

“I think the best thing that you can do is encourage Baylee to start participating.” Howie agreed. “Once your court date has come and gone you and Kayla will be home free. Like you said, there’s no point in asking her to compromise herself any more than she already has.”

“When is the hearing?” Nick interrupted. “Will Baylee’s report card have even been released by then?”

“The hearing is next Friday; January 17th.” Brian affirmed. “Baylee’s report will be sent home on the 15th.”

“Figures.” AJ mumbled. “All you can hope for is that Baylee doesn’t receive an R and that Peachy Peggles doesn’t have anything more to do with your file.”

“It’s Peggy Peach.” Kevin’s voice was gruff. “And the four of you have legitimately lost your minds.”

“How so?” Brian raised his eyes to his cousin. “Please share your displeasure with us.”

Nick quickly stifled his laugh with a series of coughs. Kevin looked less than impressed with his younger cousin’s sarcasm.

“I’m not saying anything.” Kevin held up his hands in defeat. “But I will say ‘I told you so’ when all of this blows up in your face.”

“That’s real classy of you, Kev.” AJ snorted. “Way to have Brian’s back.”

“I do have his back.” Kevin mimicked AJ’s choice of words. “I will hold my tongue, as well as my breath, until the gavel bangs and Baylee is allowed to remain with Brian.”

“But you think that I won’t win.” Brian challenged. “Go ahead and say it.”

“I think that you’re one wrong move away from ruining your life, Kayla’s life, and Baylee’s life.” Kevin admitted. “If it comes out that the two of you are fucking, you won’t have a hope in hell of maintaining primary custody of Baylee.”

“I’m not just fucking her, Kevin.” Brian held back his anger. “It’s more than that.”

Kevin pressed his lips together and stared at his cousin in disapproval. “What are you saying? Are you saying that you would choose Kayla over Baylee?”

“I want them both.” Brian replied. “That’s not too much to ask for.”

“And what if it is?” Kevin challenged. “What if you have to let one of them go?”

Brian hesitated. He didn’t have an answer to that question and, worst of all, Kevin knew it. “It will all work out.”

Kevin sighed and dropped his eyes back to his phone. “You better hope that you don’t end up losing them both.”

“Well that sure was uplifting!” AJ slapped his hands together and pulled himself into a standing position. “Shall we rehearse?”

“You should already be rehearsing!” Catalina breezed into the warehouse, her arms loaded down with an assortment of seemingly random items. “Sorry I’m late. I kinda figured that you would have just gotten started without me.”

“We were just ironing out some details.” Howie shot Brian a supportive glance. “We’re ready to go.”

Catalina gave the five of them a suspicious look as she dumped her stuff on a nearby table. “We only have so much time before the tour starts, and we’re already losing all of next Friday so that Brian can squabble with what’s-her-name. The European leg is a big deal. I need you guys to be focused.”

“We’re focused.” Nick reassured the leggy choreographer, but he kept his eyes locked on Brian. “Everything is going to turn out just fine.”

Kayla’s head fell back to give Brian better access to the column of her throat as his mouth began to travel in that direction. His hands glided down her back and up again; seemingly in a frenzy to try and touch all of her at once. She felt him pressing against her, hard and full. His body was giving her proof that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.

This time, Brian had made sure that they wouldn’t be interrupted. Baylee would be at school for another three hours, Nick had gone out with Howie, and a locked door separated the two of them from the rest of the house. This time, there would be no unwelcome surprises.

Brian had begun with the sole purpose of taking his time. He wanted to find and memorize all of Kayla’s spots that were the most responsive, the most sensitive to his mouth and his hands. Brian had hoped that becoming familiar with her body would make him more confident, more relaxed. Needless to say, he had quickly abandoned the idea of taking his time. As soon as Kayla’s clothes had hit the floor, Brian had been dying to hear the soft gasps that he knew would come when he buried himself deep inside her.

He pushed her back on the bed and forced himself to enter her slowly. Brian felt Kayla’s thigh muscles tighten, and she began to writhe beneath him. She reached out to pull him closer, and she moaned loudly when he denied her request. He started to withdraw himself from her and drove into her again, quicker and with more purpose. Kayla moaned again and bit into her lower lip. Brian’s confidence grew as he realized that he was in control and that Kayla was responding to his movements. He held fast as he climaxed, Kayla shuddering beneath him as he finally fell to the bed, shifting so that Kayla lay directly on his torso and his arm rested on her back.

“I know it sounds horrible, but I’m really glad that Kevin developed that head cold.” Kayla leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on Brian’s lips.

Brian grinned, his heart still beating faster than normal. “It doesn’t sound horrible to me.”

Kayla returned the smile and stared into Brian’s eyes. Something had shifted between them in the last couple of days. Gone were the feelings of uncertainty and resistance; sincerity and affection having taken their place.

“I should check in with Peggy.” Kayla reluctantly shifted her position on Brian’s chest and reached for her phone that she had dropped on the nightstand. “She’s probably wondering what happened to me. I was supposed to call her after my visit with the Boags.”

Brian frowned at the mention of the older woman’s name. Things had been so much easier when Peggy had been away from the office recovering from surgery. Now that she was back, he constantly felt as though he and Kayla were sneaking around.

Kayla’s phone began to ring in her hands and she waved it in the air knowingly. “Speak of the devil.” She swiped her finger across the screen to answer the call and brought the phone to her ear. “Hi, Peggy. I was just about to call you.”

Brian felt Kayla stiffen in his arms and his heart rate intensified as a look of pure panic crossed her face. Kayla pushed herself away from him and sat straight up, clutching the sheets to her chest.

“You really don’t have to do that. I can just drop it off sometime tomorrow.” Kayla was doing a poor job of hiding her alarm. “I know that it’s still hard for you to drive.”

“What is it?” Brian hissed. He followed Kayla’s lead and sat up. “What is she saying?”

Kayla waved her hand in the air to shush him. “I guess it makes sense if you’re in the area.” Kayla launched herself off of the bed, stumbling as her food caught in the bottom of the sheet. She managed to recover before she hit the carpet and grabbed for her clothes. “Sounds good.” Her voice continued to give away the fact that she was panicking. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What is it?” Brian repeated. He watched as Kayla hurled her phone onto the bed and continued to dress herself at blinding speed. Based on her frantic behaviour, Brian was pretty sure that he should also be putting his clothes on, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Peggy is on her way here!” Kayla sounded as though she was on the verge of tears. “I forgot your copy of the surprise inspection report on my desk. Peggy picked it up on her way out of the office and she is on her way here to bring it to you.”

Brian’s body was moving even before his brain could fully process what Kayla was saying. He tugged on his jeans and jammed his sweater over his head. Even though they were both dressed, Brian knew that they looked satisfyingly dishevelled. It would be obvious to anyone, even to Peggy.

“What are we going to do?” Kayla brushed frantically at a stray tear that was running down her cheek. “She’s less than two blocks away. I don’t have time to leave.”

“You have time.” Brian knew that the words were untrue the moment that they left his mouth, but he didn’t know what else to say. He could feel the bile rising in his throat as the two of them thundered down the stairs; if Peggy caught the two of them together Kevin’s premonition would come true and he would lose both Kayla and Baylee.

“Brian, I don’t have time!” Kayla continued to protest. “Even if I do manage to make it to my car, she’ll see me driving away.”

“We’ll make something up.” Brian answered vaguely. He reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped dead when he heard movement near the front door. Had Peggy just let herself in? The impractical thought consumed his panic-stricken mind as Kayla slammed into the back of him.

“Whoa! Where’s the fire?” Howie retracted his own laugh as he took in the frantic look on both Brian and Kayla’s faces. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“Howie?” Brian struggled to figure out why he and Nick were both standing in the foyer. “I thought you guys went out.”

“Nick forgot his wallet.” Howie rolled his eyes and made a quoting motion with his fingers. “I think it was all part of his plan to make sure that I paid for lunch.”

“Peggy is on her way here!” Kayla blurted out. “I can’t believe that I forgot that stupid file!”

Howie’s eyes widened as the severity of the situation hit him. “Shit.” He reached for Kayla’s arm and yanked her towards the front door. “You have to get the fuck out of here!”

“There isn’t time.” Nick hastily shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it at Brian. “She’s here. I just heard a car pull up.”

“Oh God.” Kayla began to visibly shake. “She’s seen my car.” She turned and stared helplessly at Brian. “She’s seen my car!”

“For fuck’s sake!” Nick yelled. “Everyone knows that she’s seen your car!” He kicked off his shoes and threw a pair of Brian’s own sneakers in his general direction.

“Nick, what the fuck are you doing?” Brian scrambled to retrieve his shoes. He was still clutching Nick’s jacket and staring at his friend in distraught confusion.

“I’m saving your ass, provided that you put your shoes on.” Nick informed him. “Howie stop standing there like an idiot and get Nacho.”

Howie blinked at Nick as if he had lost his mind. “You want me to get the dog?”

“Yes, Howie.” Nick gritted his teeth. “I want you to get the dog.”

“Okayyyyyy” Howie continued to look sceptical as he hurried into the living room to retrieve Nacho.

“You two have to promise not to get mad at me for what I’m about to do.” Nick looked quickly back and forth between Brian and Kayla. “Especially you.” He looked pointedly at Brian and began roughly rubbing his hands through his hair as he waited for a response.

“What are you going to do?” Brian’s eyes narrowed. He had finished putting on his shoes and was struggling to do up Nick’s jacket that was roughly two sizes too big.

“You’re not going to like it.” Nick admitted. “But it’s our only shot.”

“She’s getting out of her car.” Howie announced as he rushed back into the foyer, holding a less-than-impressed looking Nacho under his arm.

Nick grabbed Nacho’s leash off of the bench in the foyer and thrust it at Howie’s chest. “You and Brian are going to pretend as though you’re just coming back from taking Nacho for a walk. You’re going to go out the back door, hop the fence, and come out from around the other side of the neighbour’s house. It will make it look as though you’ve come from the other end of the street. All you have to do is meet Peggy on the porch and let her in. Kayla and I will take care of everything else.”

“Jesus.” Howie hissed as he began pushing Brian towards the back of the house. “The things I do for you guys.”

“Nick has officially lost his fucking mind.” Brian concluded as he allowed Howie to push him out the back door and across the backyard. “Are we really going to hop the fence?”

“I guess.” Howie shrugged. He still had no idea what Nick was planning and Nacho was beginning to squirm. “We can’t go out your gate, because it opens onto the same side of the house as the front porch. Peggy will see us leaving the backyard.”

Brian felt helpless. He looked at the fence, and then at Howie and then back at the fence. “Fine.” He conceded. “Hand Nacho to me when I get to the top.”

“This is beyond ridiculous.” Howie muttered as he stepped out of the way to give Brian a running start.

Brian silently agreed with Howie’s statement as he started running towards the perfectly flat and smooth, seven foot high, wooden fence that separated his backyard from his neighbour’s yard. Gathering speed and running out of yard space, Brian launched himself at the fence. His feet slipped and thudded against the wooden boards as he hauled himself to the top, his fingers crawling frantically at the cold wood. He swung one leg over onto his neighbour’s side in order to straddle the top of the fence and motioned hurriedly for Howie to hand him the dog.

“I better be able to get up.” Howie worried as he passed Nacho to Brian. The pissed-off pug squirmed and growled in protest as Brian hooked his hands under his pudgy stomach. “I haven’t climbed a fence since I was in elementary school.”

“Hurry up.” Brian ignored Howie’s concerns. From his perch atop the fence, he had a clear view of the side of his driveway. He could see Peggy’s massive backside retreating away from her car and slowly beginning the walk towards the front door.

Still wondering what Nick was planning inside the house, Brian returned his attention to Howie who had now taken his position about halfway across the width of the backyard. His friend appeared to say a silent prayer as he took off and began sprinting across the partially-frozen grass. When he was less than a foot away from the fence, Howie leapt with all of his might; both of his hands stretched out as far as they could go. Brian cringed as Howie’s body connected roughly with the wood, but he breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he realized that Howie had gathered enough momentum to haul himself to the top.

Howie attempted to follow Brian’s example and straddle the top of the fence, but his movements were too vigorous and he ended up propelling himself clear over to the other side. “Ahhh!”

Brian winced as Howie toppled over the fence and landed in an ungraceful heap in his neighbour’s backyard. Thankfully, he landed in a large pile of snow that had been spared from the recent thaw by the shade of the fence.

“Are you alright?” Brian tried to keep his voice as quiet as possible. “Why the hell did you go straight over like that?”

“It wasn’t my intention.” Howie grumbled as he staggered to his feet. He appeared to be a bit dazed as he brushed the majority of the snow off of his jeans and glared up at Brian. “Hand me the fucking dog.”

Brian complied with Howie’s request and lowered Nacho into his waiting arms. Nacho growled and nipped at the sleeve of Howie’s jacket. Brian didn’t know much about pugs, but he was pretty sure that Nacho was going to require an intense round of doggie therapy after this ordeal was over. Making sure that Howie was out of the way; Brian swung his other leg over the fence and jumped to the ground. He landed unsteadily on his feet and Howie’s arm immediately shot out to catch him.

“We’re too old for this shit.”

“No kidding.” Brian muttered as the two of them hurried across his neighbour’s backyard in search of the gate. He was immensely thankful that all of the windows in his neighbour’s house were dark. Brian had never even met the people who lived immediately beside him and he was pretty sure that he would have some serious explaining to do if he and Howie were to be caught creeping through their backyard with an angry, obese pug. “Whatever Nick is planning to do better work.”

“Let’s try to make this look natural.” Howie whispered as they successfully made it out of the backyard. He quietly closed the gate and lowered Nacho to the ground.

Nacho stared up at the two of them in displeasure. His beady little eyes signified that he had no intention of moving. He dug his paws into the ground and let out a low growl as Howie attempted to pull him down the walkway towards the sidewalk.

“Nacho!” Brian hissed. He was beginning to sweat despite the frigid temperature. “If you walk, I’ll give you a treat; one of those big ole pig’s ears that you like.”

“We don’t have time for this.” Howie looked beyond frustrated as he once again looped his arm around Nacho’s hefty mid-section. He hoisted the protesting animal into the air and began hustling towards Brian’s house. “We’ll just put him on the ground when we reach your driveway.”

“Fine.” Brian agreed; his eyes firmly trained on his own house. Peggy was nowhere in sight and Brian silently wondered if she was still attempting to waddle her way onto the front porch. Kayla had mentioned that the older woman was moving exceptionally slowly, as she was still undergoing intense physiotherapy.

“Whose car is that?” Howie nodded in the direction of a black Audi that was parked on the street in front of Brian’s house.

“I thought it was your rental car.” Brian whispered. The two them reached the edge of his driveway and he shot Howie a confused glance. “It doesn’t belong to anyone that I know.”

“That’s mine.” Howie pointed at a silver Infinity that was parked across the street. “I have no idea who ...” He stopped short as an all-too familiar voice rang out from around the corner of the garage.

“Ms. Peach, let me help you up those steps.”

Brian and Howie looked at each other in desperation. Howie practically flung Nacho to the ground and the two of them began speed walking up the driveway; Howie dragging a growling Nacho across the pavement.

“AJ?” Brian forced himself to sound normal. “What are you doing here?”

AJ turned to stare at Brian and Howie. His right arm was firmly locked around Peggy’s waist and the rotund woman was leaning heavily on him as he led her up the two steps to Brian’s front door. “I’m helping Ms. Peach up the stairs.”

“I can see that.” Brian seethed. “I mean what are you doing here in general?”

“I came to visit.” AJ deadpanned. He let go of Peggy’s waist as soon as he was sure that she was safely on the porch. “What are you two doing?” AJ’s face registered his surprise as he took in the fact that Brian was wearing Nick’s jacket and that Howie’s pants were still somewhat covered in snow.

“We were just taking Nacho for a walk.” Howie replied as nonchalantly as possible. “It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Peach.”

“It’s nice to see you again too, Mr. Dorough.” Peggy answered with forced politeness. Her eyes were quickly flipping back and forth between the three of them; it was clear that she knew something was going on. “Mr. Littrell, I’m here to give you a copy of our most recent inspection report.”

“Great.” Brian hustled forward and accepted the folder that Peggy handed him. “Thanks.” He forced a smile onto his face and attempted to control his rapid breathing. Maybe she would turn around and leave without coming inside.

“There’s just one more thing that I need to ask you, Mr. Littrell.” Peggy’s eyes were hard and cool. “Why is Kayla’s car in your driveway?”

“Kayla’s car?” Brian made a big show of turning his head to look at the driveway. “Is that her car? I don’t think that I’ve ever actually seen her car.”

Peggy raised her eyebrows. “Mr. Littrell, we both know that you’re lying through your teeth right now.”

Brian swallowed hard. AJ and Howie had both fallen ghostly quiet. Even Nacho had stopped growling and snuffing at the ground, his wrinkled face cocked to the side as he stared at Peggy.

“Mr. Littrell, I am now officially conducting a surprise inspection of your home. You have no choice but to open that door and let me look around.” Peggy straightened her back in authority. “Do you want to prepare me for what I’m going to find, or do you want me to be surprised?”

“I honestly have no idea what you’re going to find.” Brian uttered his first true statement since coming face-to-face with Peggy. “Howie and I were just out walking the dog ...”

“Open the door, please.” Peggy’s words were biting. “Or I will open it myself.”

Brian’s fake smile was wavering as he stepped past AJ and curled his fingers around the icy coolness of the door knob. He could practically feel the tension radiating off of his bearded friend as their shoulders touched. Brian was in trouble and everyone, including Peggy, knew it.

“Do you have lip-gloss?”

“What?” Kayla stared at Nick as if he had grown a second head. She could barely hear him above the noise of her heart banging in her chest. Howie and Brian had just run out the back door with the dog, leaving her and Nick to wait for Peggy.

“Do you have lip-gloss?” Nick repeated. He appeared surprisingly calm as he removed his hooded sweatshirt and tossed it carelessly into the living room.

“Yes.” Kayla felt as though she were in a daze; as if she was watching the situation unfold through the eyes of a casual observer. “I have lip-gloss in my purse.”

“Great.” Nick pulled his t-shirt over his head to reveal a not quite perfect chest. “Put it on and take off your sweater.”

“What?” Kayla’s eyes widened as she stared at him. “I’m not taking off my sweater!”

“Listen to me.” Nick closed the distance between them and placed his hands firmly on Kayla’s shoulders. He gave her a gentle shake as he captured her eyes with his own. “What’s worse in Peggy’s eyes? You sleeping with Brian or you sleeping with me?”

“Me sleeping with Brian.” Kayla answered the question as if she were on auto-pilot. She kept her eyes firmly trained on Nick’s face.

“Exactly.” Nick’s mouth curved into a smile. “When Peggy walks through that door, we’re going to make her think that you’re sleeping with me.”

“We are?” Kayla questioned. She felt sick to her stomach. Brian was going to lose it.

“Brian knows that we’re faking it.” Nick continued as if reading her mind. “Now hurry up and take your top off.”

“What if Peggy doesn’t buy it?” Kayla muttered. She pulled her sweater over her head and shivered as the cool air in the foyer connected with her bare shoulders. She pulled her black camisole down to cover her stomach and stared at Nick. “Now what?”

“Lip-gloss.” Nick reminded her. He quickly unbuttoned his jeans and wiggled around so that they were just resting on his hips. “Remember, we’re going to have to sell this.”

“Nick, I dunno if I can do this.” Kayla’s hands were shaking as she coated her lips with shiny pink gloss. She tossed the tube back in her purse and stared at him in dismay.

“It will work.” Nick reassured her. He took a step closer. “When Peggy walks in that door, she’s going to see us running down the stairs looking like this. She’ll make the connection.”

“But it doesn’t look real.” Kayla insisted. She allowed Nick to grab her by the hand and pull her half way up the stairs as she protested. “She’ll know that we’re faking it. We spend all day watching people try to fake their way out of trouble.”

“I know.” Nick turned to face her. He looked just about as anxious as Kayla felt. “That’s why I made you and Brian promise not to get mad at me.”

“What are you suggesting?” Kayla felt her heart rate quicken. “Nick, I’m not going to – I can’t touch ...”

Nick smiled; a cheeky, embarrassed grin. “I’ll do that bit myself. All you have to do kiss my neck. Get as much of that lip-gloss on my skin as possible.”

“I can’t!” Kayla insisted. “Brian is going to be so upset.”

“Brian will get over it.” Nick’s voice was filling with desperation. “We don’t have much time. Kay, if we don’t do this, you’ll lose everything and so will Brian.”

As if to emphasize Nick’s point, Kayla heard movement on the front porch. She could distinctly make out Peggy’s voice along with AJ’s raspy laugh. What the hell was AJ even doing at Brian’s house? “Fine!” Kayla threw her hands in the air. “I’ll kiss you!”

That was all the confirmation that Nick needed. He crashed against her so suddenly that Kayla stumbled backwards into the wall. She scrunched her eyes shut and began kissing his neck with all of the intensity that she could muster. Kayla knew that the end goal was to ensure that they both looked as flushed and dishevelled as possible. She could feel Nick working himself up and the heat coursed through her face when she felt the most intimate part of him pressing against her. Never in her life would she have imagined that the feel of Nick Carter’s body pressing against hers would trigger no desirable reaction what-so-ever. Of course, Kayla had never imagined that she would end up falling for Brian Littrell either.

“Ready.” Nick announced as he abruptly pulled away from her.

Kayla noticed that Nick’s face was also flushed with embarrassment and that he was currently directing all of his attention to the wall just to the left of her face. His neck was believably red and shiny with smeared lip-gloss, and a quick glance downward revealed that Peggy should have no trouble believing that she had just interrupted a very intimate moment.

“Thank you, Mr. Littrell.”

The front door swung open with Peggy’s words, and Kayla took a deep breath as Nick laced his warm hand through her trembling fingers. She didn’t need to fake a panicked expression as he began pulling her down the stairs at a rapid pace.

“What the fuck?!”

AJ spoke first; his mouth falling open in astonishment. Kayla watched as AJ’s eyes travelled over her and Nick, taking in the sweater that she was holding in her hand, Nick’s lack of clothing, their flushed faces and, finally, Nick’s obvious sign of arousal.

“Jesus Fucking Christ, Nick!” AJ’s anger was real. Rightfully so, as he was not privy to what had happened only a few minutes earlier. “Have you two lost your fucking minds? You’re in Brian’s house!”

Kayla had never seen anyone as angry as AJ was at that particular moment. He was literally shaking and the small portion of his face that was still visible beneath his massive beard had turned beat red. AJ clenched and unclenched his fists as he stared at the two of them, seemingly debating whether or not to tackle Nick to the ground. Kayla kept her eyes trained on AJ, refusing to look at Brian or Peggy. Nick’s fingers were digging into the soft skin on her hand, revealing the extent of his nerves.

“Say something!” AJ exploded. He took a few steps forward to confront Nick, but seemingly changed his mind and whirled around to face Brian instead. “Why the fuck aren’t you saying anything? The two of them are fooling around in your house!”

“I – I – I don’t know what to say.” Brian had turned deathly pale. His eyes were radiating with unwarranted jealousy and he sank back against the wall to steady himself.

“Tell Nick that you hate him; tell him that he’s a shitty friend! Tell him to get out!” AJ’s hands were flying in the air in frustration. “You can’t let him do this to you, Brian!”

“AJ ...” Kayla’s voice was barely above a whisper. “...please, calm down.” She was pressed against Nick so tightly that she could feel the heat radiating off of his bare chest.

“Calm down?” AJ’s eyes were like daggers. “I haven’t even started to say how I feel about you right now!”

“Mr. McLean!” Peggy snapped. “Kayla is right, you need to calm down.”

AJ turned his angry eyes on Peggy and opened his mouth, but she effectively silenced him by returning his steely gaze. “It’s clear from what I see here that you all have some issues that you need to resolve.”

Kayla finally forced herself to look her supervisor in the face. Peggy was staring back at her with a mixture of anger and dismay. “Kayla, are you involved with Mr. Carter?”

“Yes.” Kayla could feel Brian’s eyes piercing into her as she delivered the lie. Nick’s breathing intensified and he squeezed her hand for reassurance.

“Un-fucking believable.” AJ sputtered. “Nick, I’m seriously going to punch you in the face! I can’t believe that I fell for all of that bullshit that you were spewing the other day at rehearsal.”

“Mr. McLean!” Peggy scolded AJ for a second time. “I’ve had just about enough of your profanity and your threats.” She returned her attention to Kayla as she continued. “Kayla, I can’t even begin to tell you how inappropriate this whole situation is. You could technically be fired for this kind of behaviour.”

Kayla’s heart was beating erratically. She saw Howie and Brian exchange a worried look behind Peggy’s back. “I haven’t done anything that’s against the rules. Nick and I have kept this a secret.” Kayla lied. “I’ve never spent time with Brian in an unprofessional sense.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kayla could practically see the light bulb turn on over AJ’s head. The colour rushed from his face and he looked quickly back and forth between Nick and Brian. “Sweet Jesus.” He mumbled.

“Mr. Littrell, did you know that this was going on?” Peggy turned to Brian who was still leaning against the wall.

Brian shook his head. “No.” He choked the word out. “I had no idea.”

“How is that possible?” Peggy’s eyes narrowed. “You must have seen them together at some point.”

“I was in on it!” Howie jumped in to take the attention away from Brian. “I was running interference for them. I kept Brian from finding out.”

Peggy swivelled her head in Howie’s direction. She looked as though she was going to be sick. “That’s disgusting. I don’t understand why you celebrities think that you can behave like animals and get away with it.”

Howie shrugged. “Nick begged me to help him keep it a secret. He really seems to like Kayla.”

“Please.” Peggy held up her hand. “I’ve heard everything that I need to hear.” She returned her eyes to Kayla. “Kayla, I suggest that you take a sick day tomorrow. I need some time to think.”

Kayla nodded, her eyes falling to the floor. “I understand.”

“Mr. Carter, I hope you’re aware of how much trouble you’ve brought upon your friend. If this whole ordeal is made public, Mr. Littrell may very well lose custody of his son.”

“It doesn’t have to be made public.” Nick spoke for the first time since Peggy had stepped into the house. “You don’t have to tell anyone.”

Peggy sighed. “Are you asking me to compromise my integrity, Mr. Cater?”

“No.” Nick’s voice was firm. “I’m asking you to do what you know is right. Brian doesn’t deserve to be punished for something that he didn’t do.”

“I don’t think that Mr. Littrell is entirely innocent.” Peggy took in Brian’s still ashen face. “I don’t take it well when people try to deceive me.”

“I’ve got nothing to hide.” The tremor in Brian’s voice gave him away. Peggy had him beat.

“And you, Mr. McLean.” Peggy lifted her eyes to AJ as she edged by Howie and pulled open the front door. “I know that you’re somehow a part of this whole thing.”

AJ swallowed nervously. “I have no fucking clue what’s going on right now.”

Peggy pursed her lips and stepped out into the cold. “I will be in touch with you at some point this week, Mr. Littrell. Kayla, as I said, take tomorrow off. We’ll discuss your behaviour when you return to the office.”

Nick let go of Kayla’s hand the second that the door closed and hastily did up his jeans. Feeling more than a little exposed, Kayla followed Nick’s lead and pulled her sweater over her head. She fixed her hair and grabbed Nick’s t-shirt off of the stairs.

“Here.” Kayla handed him the shirt and he gratefully accepted it; pulling it over his head in record speed.

“I can’t believe that worked.” Howie was leaning against the front door as if to keep Peggy from coming back inside.

“It sure as hell worked on me!” AJ shook his head at Nick. “I was inches away from beating the shit out of you.”

“I know.” Nick grimaced. “That’s how I knew my plan was working.”

“You went all out.” AJ laughed. “I took one look at your pants and lost it.”

An embarrassed smile played across Nick’s face. “I had to look the part.”

“Guys.” Howie gestured slightly at Brian who was staring at Kayla with an unreadable expression on his face. “Let’s give these two a minute.”

“And you guys can fill me in from the beginning.” AJ patted Nick roughly on the back as the two of them followed Howie down the hallway towards the kitchen. “You’ve got quite the bulge there, Nicky.”

Brian waited until he could no longer hear AJ’s laughter before he pushed himself away from the wall and stepped towards Kayla. An irrational amount of jealousy was still coursing through him; the thought of Kayla touching Nick the way she had made him want to be sick. He knew that Nick had staged the whole thing for his benefit, but that didn’t change the fact that he hated the idea of Kayla touching anyone but him.

“Brian, I don’t want you to be mad at Nick.”

Brian looked up into Kayla’s worried eyes. “I’m not mad at Nick.”

“He took a massive hit for you – for us.”

“I know.” Brian was getting nervous; Kayla’s tone had changed.

“This afternoon could have turned out a lot worse. We could have been caught.”

“I know.” Brian had now fully closed the gap between them. He brought his hands to Kayla’s arms and stared into her face. He knew by her expression exactly where the conversation was headed. “Please don’t say what you’re about to say. I know that you don’t mean it.”

“We made a mistake, Brian.”

“No we didn’t.” Brian knew that he was pleading; he knew that he sounded pathetic. His stomach churned.

“I can’t let you lose your son.”

“Kay, it will be my fault if I lose him.” Brian felt beyond desperate. He hadn’t even felt this hallow when Leighanne had asked him for a divorce. There was something about Kayla that he was drawn to; that he needed. The thought of her walking away was more devastating than the end of his thirteen year marriage had been.

“You need Baylee.” Kayla’s voice was wavering. “You don’t need me. You may think that you do, but you don’t. There are tens of thousands of women out there who would die to be with you; women who won’t jeopardize your ability to retain custody of your only child.”

“I need both of you.” Brian was being selfish, but he didn’t care. He wanted it all; Kayla, Baylee, and the perfect fairy-tale ending. “I don’t want another woman. I want you.”

Kayla’s smile was thin and forced. “Don’t make it harder than it already is for me to walk away from you, Brian.”

Brian did the only thing that he could think of. He kissed her. The kiss was tender at first, but he aggressively required more. His tongue darted across the corners of her mouth before delving inside, while his hands slid down Kayla’s back to pull her closer. Kayla instinctively looped her hands around Brian’s neck, tightening their embrace. Brain began to grind against her, not caring that his friends were in the other room.

When he pulled away, his breathing was short and laboured. “Let’s go upstairs.”

“I can’t – we can’t.” Kayla corrected. “I have to go.”

“No you don’t.” Brian dug his hands into the soft skin of Kayla’s waist, as if he was trying to hold her in place. He could barely get the words out. “I can have both of you.”

Kayla shook her head and stepped out of Brian’s grasp. “You and I both know that you can’t. I’m making the decision for you; I’m choosing Baylee.”

“What if I don’t want you to choose for me?” Brian demanded. “What if I want to choose?”

“Goodbye, Brian.” Kayla grabbed her purse and her keys and headed for the door. She couldn’t bring herself to look into his face one more time; she was determined not to cry.

“You showed up.”

“Yes.” Kayla purposefully tilted her head upwards as she sank into her desk chair. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Peggy stared back at her, a slightly amused expression on her face. “I’m surprised that’s all.”

“Peggy, I know that you’re disappointed in me. I’m sorry for what happened the other day at Brian’s. I just think you ought to know that I ended it.”

“You did?” Peggy raised her eyebrows even higher. “Now I’m even more surprised.”

Kayla struggled to maintain her composure. It was a good thing that Peggy had forced her to take the previous day off. She had spent the day curled up on the couch, balling her eyes out and obsessing over online pictures of Brian. She must have watched the ‘Show Em’ What You’re Made Of’ video upwards of twenty times; mostly to torture herself. To his credit, Brian had been calling her nonstop since the moment she had walked out his door. Her phone was filled to capacity with his voicemail messages, and the text messages were stacking up at an alarming rate.

“I didn’t tell Anthony.” Peggy placed her reading glasses on her desk and leaned forward in her chair. “As far as I’m concerned, Monday’s events are completely off the record.”

“Why are you doing this for me?” Kayla failed to keep the scepticism from leaking into her voice.

The older woman sighed and leaned back even farther. The chair squeaked in protest as it bent to accommodate her weight. “I know how much Mr. Carter – Nick means to you.”

Kayla remained suspicious. “You do?”

“You clearly went to great lengths to be with him.” Peggy affirmed. “It’s a shame that you’ve broken things off.”

“It is?”

Peggy nodded. “Believe it or not, Kayla, I’m not a horrible person. My sole purpose in this world is not to ruin your life. Who you choose to see outside of work is your prerogative. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of the potential repercussions of your behaviour. If you want to choose a man over your job, like I said, that’s your prerogative.”

“Nick and I felt that things would be better this way.” The lie rolled off of Kayla’s tongue, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. “We didn’t want Brian to lose his son.”

Peggy studied Kayla’s face for a long while. Her well established laugh lines intensified as she squinted in the bright lights of the office. “You do know that there is still a chance that this whole situation may come out in court? If it does, the judge may see everything that you’ve signed off on as a conflict of interest. All of those documents would be thrown out.”

Kayla nodded to indicate her understanding. She didn’t trust her voice.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Peggy sighed. “But I can’t promise that your relationship with Nick, regardless of how brief it may have been, will remain buried forever.”

“Thank you.” Kayla gave Peggy a genuine smile. “I appreciate you not saying anything, especially to Anthony.”

Peggy repositioned her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose. “You are aware of the fact that you will still have to accompany me to the court hearing next week, right?”

“I will?” The butterflies that had finally settled in Kayla’s stomach had once again taken flight. She had just assumed that Peggy would have her removed from the file. Attending the hearing meant that she would have to see Brian, and Kayla wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle that.

“You’ve done the majority of the work on Mr. Littrell’s file.” Peggy explained. “If one of us is asked to testify in regards to our findings, it will most likely be you.”

“Right.” Kayla was seconds away from vomiting all over her desk. Attending the hearing was not part of her plan.

“Kayla!”

The interruption was enough to make her flinch. Kayla would recognize that voice anywhere. There was no mistaking it. Girls around the world went crazy for that voice, but at that moment the sound was enough to make Kayla cringe. What was he doing here?

“You have a visitor.” Peggy stated the obvious. “Although it’s not the one that I expected.” The amused expression that she had been sporting when Kayla had first arrived at the office had returned to her face. “You better acknowledge him before security gets a hold of him.”

“Makayla!”

Kayla reluctantly turned in her seat when he used her full name. He was hurrying towards her, looking strangely out of place amongst the cubicles and her business-casual clad co-workers. The general hum of the office ground to a halt as he continued on his quest, oblivious to the fact that he was causing a scene. Kayla could see two security officers stepping out of the elevator. He had obviously managed to bypass the security check-point in the lobby, otherwise he never would have been granted access to the floor.

“It’s okay.” Kayla stood up from her chair and waved off the rapidly approaching security guards. She recognized them from the desk in the lobby. “I know him.”

“You really know this guy?” The younger of the two raised his eyebrows. “He just blew past the desk; commandeered the employee elevator.”

“I didn’t have time to wait.” There was an edge to his voice as he stared at Kayla. “I need to talk to you.”

“I’m working.” Kayla informed him. “At least I’m trying to.”

“It will only take ten minutes.”

Kayla looked at him helplessly. “I can’t right now.”

“Just go.” Peggy waved Kayla off. “He’s clearly not going to leave otherwise.”

“Fine.” Kayla glared at him and began walking towards the elevators, ignoring the curious stares of her co-workers. “You’ve got ten minutes.”

The two security guards accompanied them on the short ride down to the lobby. Kayla remained silent for the entire trip, the butterflies swirling manically in her stomach. She allowed him to wrap his strong fingers around her arm as they stepped out of the elevator; allowed herself to be pulled off into a quiet, empty alcove in the lobby of her office building.

“What are you doing here, AJ?”

“I’m here to try and figure out what’s going on in your head.” AJ’s voice had lost its edge. “I need to know why you walked out on Brian.”

“I did what needed to be done.” Kayla couldn’t bring herself to look away from AJ’s intense stare. “I couldn’t let him continue to jeopardize his future with Baylee.”

AJ shook his head. “If you were worried about him losing Baylee you should have rejected him in the beginning. You knew the risks, you both did.”

“I didn’t think that we would get caught.” Kayla knew that her excuse was weak. It sounded lame the second that it left her mouth. “What we did was wrong.”

“Bullshit!” AJ’s voice echoed through the lobby. The lady working at the coffee cart turned to stare at them and Kayla instinctively shrank back into the shadows. She didn’t want another scene.

“AJ, you shouldn’t be here.”

“I know.” AJ lowered his volume. “Kay, Brian’s a mess. He misses you.”

“That doesn’t change anything.” Kayla willed herself to stand her ground even though her heart was breaking at the confirmation that she had caused Brian to suffer. “He’ll move on.”

“No, he won’t.” AJ grabbed Kayla’s wrist to stop her from walking away. “I came here to tell you what Brian should have told you before he let you walk out. I came here to tell you what Brian knows and is just too fucking scared and stupid to say.”

“AJ, please don’t do this.” Kayla’s eyes were filling with tears. If she allowed herself to cry her makeup would run and Peggy would ask questions. She couldn’t let AJ say the words.

“He loves you, Kay.”

Kayla frantically shook her head. “I have to get back to work.”

AJ held tight to Kayla’s wrist and she twisted in an unsuccessful attempt to lessen his grip. She could see the two security guards watching them from the desk. Kayla knew that they would come to her rescue if she continued to resist, so she relented and allowed AJ to pull her back towards him.

AJ’s face was only inches from hers, his beard tickling her chin as he spoke. “He loves you.”

The tears were now sliding down Kayla’s face. She had known that Brian was on the verge of telling her the same thing right before she had walked out on him. That’s why she had left so quickly; she wouldn’t have been able to tear herself away if Brian had been able to utter the words that AJ had just spoken.

The living room was a disaster. Brian felt as though he had robbed an electronics store as he sifted through the mess of laptops, cell phones, tablets, and iPods. He picked up two identical sets of Beats headphones and sighed. It appeared as though Howie and AJ had indefinitely checked in to Chéz Littrell. All he needed was for Kevin to show up and he could officially put a ‘No Vacancy’ sign on the front lawn.

“Seriously?” Brian muttered as he unearthed a third pair of Beats headphones. He tossed them on the coffee table with the others and continued to rummage through the pile of Nick’s discarded hoodies that were taking up space on the couch.

“What are you looking for?”

Brian turned at the sound of AJ’s voice. “My phone. Not yours, not Howie’s, not Nick’s, MINE.”

“That’s a tall order.” AJ grinned. “You act like this is your house or something.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Can you just help me look, please?”

AJ continued to laugh as he swiped another random pile of clothing off of the couch and onto the floor. He jammed his hand down in-between the cushions and rooted around for a few seconds before withdrawing his hand in triumph. “Found it!”

Brian eagerly snatched the device from his friend’s tattooed fingers. His face fell when he saw that he had no missed calls or messages. “Did you hide it on purpose?”

“No.” AJ looked guilty. “But it’s possible that Nick might have.”

Brian sank down onto the pile of Nick’s shirts and rubbed his eyes. “Have I told you guys lately how much I really appreciate the fact that you’re all staying here to keep an eye on me?”

AJ grinned even wider. The sarcasm was practically dripping off of Brian’s tongue. “I don’t think that you’ve officially thanked us yet.”

“I’m fine, AJ.” Brian resisted the urge to scream. “I don’t need looking after. I’m over it.”

“Sure you are.” AJ settled himself down in one of the wing chairs. “How many times have you texted her today?”

“None.” Brian couldn’t bring himself to look AJ in the eye.

“Let me see your phone.”

“Okay, so I’ve sent her a couple of messages.” Brian relented. “Less than ten.”

AJ wiggled his fingers.

“Twenty tops.” Brian gave in. “Okay, so I’m not over it. Are you happy now?”

“Twenty? Jesus, Brian! How old are you? Thirteen?” AJ frowned. “She still isn’t talking to you?”

Brian shook his head. “The only time she texts me back is to ask me to stop texting her.”

“I see that you’re taking her wishes to heart.” AJ attempted to lighten the mood, but stopped when he saw that his words were having the reverse effect. “Seriously, Bri, I think she’ll come around.”

“It’s been over a week.” Brian’s voice wavered. “I blew it. Why did I let her walk out? I should have told her how I felt, how I still feel.”

AJ could feel his palms getting sweaty. He still hadn’t told Brian about his visit to Kayla’s office, about the confession that he had made on his friend’s behalf. “It’s not too late to tell her.”

Brian gave AJ a patronizing look. “What do you expect me to do? Track her down while she’s at work, burst into her office, and proclaim my love for her? She’ll think that I’ve lost my mind. We were together for less than a month.”

“That sounds like a pretty good idea to me.” AJ was aware of the fact that he sounded slightly defensive. “I knew that I loved Ro about ten minutes into our first date. I told her that I was going to marry her before the night was even over.”

“And she thought that you were crazy.” Brian affirmed. “You’re lucky that you even got a second date.”

“No she didn’t.” AJ could feel his confidence slipping away. “She never told me that.”

A smile spread across Brian’s face. “No, she didn’t. But, she did tell Leigh, who told Kristin, who told Kevin, who told me that she thought that you were a complete nut-job.”

AJ flushed. “We really need to corral this Backstreet gossip train.”

Brian felt slightly guilty for deflating his friend’s romantic notions. “In the end, she said yes. That’s really all that matters.”

“Exactly.” AJ agreed. “All the more reason why you need to tell Kayla how you feel. You never know, maybe she feels the same way about you.”

Brian studied AJ’s face. His brown eyes were flashing with an all-too-familiar look of guilt. “What did you do?”

“Dad?” The front door banged open and Baylee began tossing his outerwear across the tiles in the foyer.

“In the living room.” Brian announced. He noticed a look of relief cross AJ’s face as Baylee came flying into the room, waving a brown envelope in his hand. “How was basketball practice?”

“Good.” Baylee pulled his toque off of his head; his hair bristling with static. “I’m getting really good at layups.”

“Did you remember to thank Chris for driving you home?”

Baylee nodded. “Yes, I thanked him.” He paused and looked at AJ. “Hey, Uncle Alex.”

“Hey, kid.” AJ returned the greeting. “What’s in the envelope?”

“My report card.” Baylee announced. He shoved the package in Brian’s hands. “Mr. White said that we weren’t allowed to open them ourselves. See? The envelope is still sealed.”

Brian accepted the envelope from his son and smiled. “I can see that.”

“Are you going to open it?” Baylee looked nervous. “I think that I did okay.”

Brian hooked his finger into the corner of the envelope and ripped it open. He removed the two folded sheets of paper and opened them slowly. The only thing that he was concerned about was Baylee’s mark in music. He said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t see anything lower than a ‘D’ and glanced down at the page.

“How did I do?” Baylee sank down on the couch next to his father and scooted backwards so that he was leaning against him.

Brian didn’t even try to hide his shock; he couldn’t remember the last time that his son had voluntarily sought out physical contact. “Well, you have an A+ in English ...” Brian’s eyes continued to trail down the page. “...an A in social studies, an A in science, a B- in math, an A+ in gym, a B in art, a C+ in Spanish, and ...” Brian paused to make sure that he was looking at the correct subject. “... a B+ in music.”

AJ whistled his approval. “Way to go, Bay!”

“Did I do good?” Baylee stared up into Brian’s face. “Are you proud of me, dad?”

Brian refolded the papers and placed them on top of the mess on the coffee table. He would read the comments in detail later. “Of course I’m proud of you, Bay.”

Baylee smiled briefly before lowering his gaze to the floor. He scuffed his feet on the area rug. “I changed my mind about music class.”

“Mr. White said that you didn’t want to participate.” Brian chose his words carefully. “He said that you were going to get an ‘R’.”

Baylee nodded. “He told me the same thing. I thought the other kids would make fun of me if they knew that I could sing.”

Brian held his tongue, waiting for his son to continue.

“I knew that you would be mad at me if I failed music.” Baylee continued; his gaze locked on his shuffling feet. “We had a test last week and, when Mr. White pointed at me, I just stood up and sang the song as best as I could. I remembered everything that you told me, about the breathing and the pitch and stuff.”

“You must have done a good job.” Brian acknowledged. “You got a B+.”

Baylee nodded again. “I think Mr. White was pretty surprised. The whole class clapped for me when I was done. Mr. White said that he would have given me an A+ if I hadn’t, you know, not done anything for so long. ”

“Did anyone laugh at you?”

“No.” Baylee finally lifted his eyes from his feet and stared into his father’s eyes. “Ashley and her best friend, Amanda, said that I sound just like you.”

“They did?” Brian had no idea where this conversation was headed. He was pretty sure that Baylee had not been happy with the comparison.

“Dad?” Baylee’s eyes were wet with tears. “I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry?” Brian noticed out of the corner of his eye that AJ was quietly slipping out of the room. “Why are you sorry?”

“I’m sorry about what I said to you before. I’m sorry that I yelled at you and told you that I hated you.” Baylee sobbed. “I don’t hate you.”

“I know that you don’t hate me.” Brian placed his arm around his son’s small shoulders.

Baylee was on a roll. “I don’t think it’s stupid that you’re a Backstreet Boy. I like the fact that you take me on tour, and I like having Uncle Nick stay with us all the time. I like that Uncle Alex, and Uncle Howie, and Uncle Kevin took the time to come to my basketball game. I shouldn’t have said that you embarrass me all the time.”

Brian pulled Baylee against him and tightened his grip. “So, I don’t embarrass you?”

Baylee shook his head. “Not all the time.” He paused. “You may want to keep your shirt on in your next video though.”

Brian snorted in amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’m also not mad at you for wanting to have a girlfriend.” Baylee wiped a stray tear from his cheek. “Kayla seems pretty nice.”

Brian’s stomach twisted at the mention of Kayla’s name. “What made you change your mind about that?”

“I told Mike about what happened; about what I saw.” Baylee’s face tinged with pink. “He told me that mom wasn’t going to come back. Mike said that the same thing happened to him, only he saw his dad holding hands with Shane. He said that I was lucky that I didn’t come home and see you kissing Uncle Nick.”

Brian bit his lower lip to control his laughter. This was a serious moment for his son and he didn’t want to ruin it by busting a gut over the thought of him and Nick making out. “I’m glad that Mike was able to help you understand that your mom and I won’t be getting back together.”

“I really wanted you to.” Baylee admitted. “I kinda still do.”

“I know.” Brian sighed.

“Do you?” Baylee’s eyes were hopeful. “Want to get back together with mom?”

“No, Bay.” Brian answered. “I don’t.”

“Is it because you love Kayla now?”

Brian’s heart was hammering in his chest. Baylee had used the word so easily, so freely. There had been no hesitation. Why couldn’t he do the same thing?

“Yes.” Brian stammered. “It’s because I love Kayla now.”

“Oh.” Baylee considered his father’s words for a few seconds before responding. “I’m okay with that.”

“You are?” Brian was in awe with Baylee’s maturity. “I know that you miss your mom.”

“I do.” Baylee nodded. “But I really want you to be happy.”

“I want you to be happy too, Bay.”

“I am happy.” Baylee confirmed. “I like living here with you and Uncle Nick. I like going to school, and playing basketball, and having friends. I like that Ashley thinks that I can sing like you.”

Brian smiled. “You do know that your Uncle Nick is going to be moving out soon?” Brian paused. “I hope.”

Baylee rolled his eyes. “That’s what you said months ago and he’s still here. You know that I wouldn’t mind if Kayla moved in too? Even if she does have to bring the baby with her.” Baylee wrinkled his nose at the thought of Liliana. “Lily is kinda cute ... for a baby.”

Brian laughed; the first genuine laugh that he had emitted in over a week. “We’ll have to see about all of that.”

Baylee shrugged; a serious expression returning to his face. “What if the judge says that I have to move back to Atlanta with mom on Friday?”

“I’ll be really upset if that happens.” Brian answered honestly. He didn’t have anything else to say. He had no idea what would happen if the judge made that decision.

“Do I get to tell the judge what I want?” Baylee’s eyes narrowed in determination.

“Yes.” Brian’s lawyer had told him that Baylee was now old enough to be given a chance to state who he would prefer to live with. In the end, the decision would still be based primarily on the facts, but Baylee’s opinion would at least count for something. “You can talk to the judge if you want to.”

“I do.” Baylee affirmed. “I want to say something.”

Brian stared at himself in the mirror. Since when had he started to look so old? He frowned as he adjusted the hair around the crown of his head. Despite his friends’ adamant denial, he knew that his hair was thinning. Maybe he could get a hair transplant like AJ.

“Brian?” Nick pushed into the room and raised his eyebrows. “Why are you just standing there staring at yourself?”

“I have wrinkles.” Brian leaned closer to the mirror and pulled at the skin around his eyes. “Do you see them?”

Nick eyed his friend as if he had lost his mind. “Are you okay?”

Brian let out a massive sigh. He raised his eyes, so that his gaze locked with Nick’s in the mirror. “No.”

Nick sank down onto the edge of Brian’s bed and fiddled with his tie. “You’re going to win.”

Brian turned from the mirror and adjusted his own tie before leaning back against the dresser. “Why are you wearing a suit?”

“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to wear to court?” Nick’s eyes flashed with uncertainty. “I mean, I always wear a suit when I have to go to court. I know that I’ve only ever been to court for a criminal offence, but I figured that a custody case would still require a tie.”

“You’re coming to the hearing?” Brian shook his head in surprise.

“Of course.” Nick stopped fidgeting with his tie and stared at Brian in shock. “Of course I’m coming with you.”

“Why?”

Nick was dumbfounded. “Because you’re my best friend.”

A smile began to tug at the corners of Brian’s mouth. “It’s gonna be pretty boring.”

“I don’t know about that.” AJ appeared in the doorway. He plucked a stray thread from the pocket of his suit jacket and smoothed out the expensive fabric. “Leighanne’s face might be good for a few laughs.”

“Are those tiny skulls on your tie?”

“Yeah.” AJ grinned, but his smile quickly faded when he noticed Brian’s anxious expression. “Do you want me to change it?”

“No.” A full-blown smile appeared on Brian’s face. “It’s perfect.”

“Do I look okay?”

AJ stepped out of the doorway and into the room to allow Baylee access. Although he looked handsome in his miniature Ralph Lauren suit, Baylee also extremely uncomfortable.

“This shirt is itchy.”

Brian bent down to smooth out the arms on his son’s jacket. He quickly pulled Baylee’s jacket together and buttoned it in the middle. “Who helped you with your tie?”

“Uncle Howie.” Baylee supplied. “He told me that this one looked the best.”

Brian raised his eyes from his son to see that Howie had slipped quietly into the room. He, too, was dressed in a suit and tie; ready to go. “Uncle Howie was right. You look great, Bay.”

“You look nervous.” Baylee locked eyes with his father. “Are you scared?”

Brian could feel the tears prickling his eyes. He debated about whether or not he should lie and tell Baylee that everything was fine, but he was pretty sure that his son would be able to see right through him. “Yeah.” Brian choked. “I’m scared.”

“Uncle Alex says that the judge would have to be a total prick to not let me stay with you.”

AJ coughed, Nick snorted, Howie stifled a laugh with his sleeve, and Brian simply stared at his son. “Your Uncle Alex is right, but I’m still scared.”

“Your Uncle Alex also needs to watch his language.”

Brian slowly returned to a standing position as his cousin strolled into the room. Kevin was dressed impeccably in a dark grey suit and polished leather shoes. Brian didn’t know why he was surprised to see him; this was clearly going to be a full band event.

“I let myself in like ten minutes ago. What’s taking you guys so long?” Kevin frowned.

“Brian was inspecting his wrinkles.” Nick answered with a perfectly straight face.

Kevin’s lips parted slightly in confusion as he turned from Nick to Brian. “What?”

Brian shook his head; laughing slightly at Nick’s seemingly innate ability to stir the pot. “Nothing. We’re ready.”

“We’ll take two cars.” Kevin decided. “Who’s coming with me?”

“Me.” Howie announced. “Nick’s driving makes me feel car sick.”

“I will.” AJ also volunteered. He shot a quick glance at Nick. “Try to make sure that Brian isn’t late for his court appearance.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “I’ll be right behind you guys the whole time. Provided that Kevin doesn’t drive like a senior citizen, we’ll all be on time.”

It was Kevin’s turn to roll his eyes. “We’re not in a video game, Nick. The speed limit is posted for a reason.”

“Let’s just go.” The anxiety was creeping into Brian’s voice. “I need to get this over with.”

Nick looked quickly in the rear-view mirror. Baylee had his headphones on and was bobbing his head in time to whatever it was that he was listening to. He figured that it was safe to talk. “Have you spoken to her?”

“Who?” Brian turned his head away from the window to look at Nick. His left leg was bouncing with nerves.

“Leighanne?”

“Oh.” The frown on Brian’s face intensified. “No.”

Nick struggled to keep his eyes on the road. He always found it easier to talk to Brian when he was able to read his friend’s face. “You thought that I was talking about Kayla?”

Brian flushed. “No.”

“I shouldn’t have asked her to kiss me.” Nick blew through a yellow light in order to keep up with Kevin. Apparently, his eldest friend had taken his comment about not driving like a senior citizen to heart. “I feel really guilty.”

Brian was now rubbing furiously at the back of his neck. “You kept my ass out of trouble. I told you that I’m not mad.”

“Are you going to call her?” Nick threw on his turn signal and looked hurriedly over his left shoulder as Kevin suddenly swerved into the left-turn lane. What the hell was up with him today? He never drove carelessly. “After the hearing is over?”

“I’ve been calling her.” Brian mumbled. “She doesn’t seem to want to call me back. I need to let her go.”

Nick shook his head. “I bet that she’s just waiting until after the judge makes a decision this afternoon. AJ seemed pretty convinced that she feels the same way you do after ...” Nick stopped himself mid-sentence. He dared a quick glance at Brian out of the corner of his eye. Maybe his friend hadn’t realized his mistake.

Brian had indeed picked up on Nick’s slip of the tongue. His mind flashed back to the conversation that he had been having with AJ in the living room on Wednesday afternoon. “What did AJ do?”

“Nothing.”

Brian could see the beads of sweat forming at the base of Nick’s hairline. “What did AJ do?”

“He may have gone to see Kayla.” Nick’s hands twisted on the steering wheel. “He may have tracked her down at her office.”

“When?”

“Last week.” Nick was mumbling now. AJ was going to murder him.

“What did he say to her?”

“I dunno.” Nick’s tongue felt awkward and heavy in his mouth; bumping against the back of his teeth.

“What did he say to her?” Brian repeated.

“He may have told her that you loved her.” Nick slowed the car to a stop behind Kevin’s. They had arrived at the court building, and Nick watched intently as Kevin’s long arm snaked out of his window in order to hand his credit card to the parking attendant.

“Jesus.”

Nick fumbled with his wallet as the car inched forward. He rolled down the window and an icy blast of winter air smacked him in the face. His fingers immediately absorbed the chill as he thrust his Visa card into the attendant’s gloved hand. “He was trying to help.”

“Fuck.” Brian cursed.

The parking attendant gave Nick a weary look as he returned his credit card and the parking pass. He clearly wasn’t impressed by Brian’s tortured expression. “The third row on your right has available spaces.”

“Thanks.” Nick smiled at the half-frozen man and tossed the parking pass on the dash. “He really was trying to help. AJ said that Kayla loves you too.”

“Did she say that?”

Nick navigated the car into a space next to Kevin’s BMW. AJ, Howie, and Kevin had already gotten out of the car. They were shivering in the cold, waiting for them. “No. AJ said that he could just sense it.”

“Argh!”

Nick killed the ignition and turned to face Brian, his fingers still curled around the key. “Sorry.”

Brian pulled his head away from the back of the headrest and stared at his friend. Nick really did look sheepish; pathetic even. “I really could have done without knowing this, today.”

“I know.” Nick’s face fell even further. “At least you won’t have to face Kayla today. You can bet your ass that Peggy isn’t going to let her show up at your hearing if she thinks that we’re sleeping together.”

Brian actually felt a sense of relief at Nick’s words. “Thank God for that.”

“Let’s go!” AJ rapped on the window, causing Nick to flinch. AJ had his face pressed up against the glass; his warm breath creating a small circle of fog right in front of Nick’s nose. Drips of moisture clung to his beard and he was hopping from one foot to the other in an attempt to keep warm. “It’s freezing out here you asswipe!”

Nick jammed his middle finger against the window before tearing the keys out of the ignition. He gave Brian one last look of encouragement before he pushed his door open; knocking AJ in the stomach. “You got this.”

Brian simply shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. “You just hit AJ with the door.”

“Really?” Nick faked concern. He stepped out of the car and grinned down into AJ’s twitching face. “I didn’t see him.”

“You’re lucky that we’re in front of a court house.” AJ hissed in Nick’s ear as the six of them began shuffling towards the entrance. “Or else I would kick your ass, Carter.”

Nick feigned ignorance. “That’s not a very nice thing to say.” He gave AJ one final smirk and lifted his eyes upwards just in time to slam directly into Brian’s back. Nick stumbled, one foot shot forward on the ice and he grabbed onto AJ’s arm to steady himself. “Why are we stopping?”

“Shit.”

Brian had stopped at the edge of the icy parking lot and was staring straight ahead. His nose and the tips of his ears were pink from the cold and his breath was coming out in frosty puffs. Nick could see his friend’s chest rising and falling with his laboured breaths, even through the thick fabric of his trench coat. He followed Brian’s gaze and echoed his sentiment.

“Shit.”

Peggy and Kayla were walking towards the steps of the building. Kayla’s heeled boots were clacking on the heavily salted sidewalk and she had her head down to brace herself against the wind. Leighanne was approaching the same set of steps from the other direction. Flanked by her lawyer, Leighanne also had her head down to protect herself from the wind. The click of her stilettos pierced the early morning stillness in between the steady clack of Kayla’s heels.

“This. Is. Not. Happening.” Brian sounded as though he were on the verge of a panic attack.

The two women reached the stairs at virtually the same instant and began to ascend at the same time. They were practically shoulder to shoulder as they hurried towards the promising warmth of the building; both of them completely oblivious to the other as they continued to shield themselves from the wind. Kayla reached the door first and she pulled it open, stepping back to allow Leighanne to enter ahead of her.

Even though they were standing in the parking lot, Nick saw the look of recognition register on Kayla’s face as she stared directly at Leighanne for the first time. Nick watched as Kayla swept her long hair away from her face and struggled to maintain her composure. Even from several feet away, Nick could see that Kayla’s eyes were giving her away; she looked guilty.

As if sensing that something was off, Leighanne turned her attention from Kayla and caught sight of her former husband standing at the edge of the parking lot. Kayla followed Leighanne’s line of sight and her fake smile immediately wavered. Nick could see Leighanne’s mouth moving, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying. Kayla simply nodded and the two of them disappeared inside, Peggy and Leighanne’s lawyer bustling in after them.

“She’s not supposed to be here.” Brian voice had apparently returned. He turned and stared accusingly at Nick. “You said that Kayla wouldn’t be here.”

“Nick couldn’t possibly have known that for sure.” Kevin snapped. “You’re going to be late if you don’t move.”

Brian hung his head in defeat and began to trudge towards the stairs. “I can’t believe that they were just together like that; so close together.” He shuddered.

Nick offered Brian a reassuring pat on the back. “You got this.”

Kayla’s hands were shaking so badly that she could barely undo the buttons on her jacket. Peggy had excused herself to use the restroom, leaving her alone in the small room with Brian’s ex-wife, Leighanne’s lawyer, and the court stenographer. Kayla felt like she was suffocating; like Leighanne was sucking all of the air out of the room. The blonde woman kept shooting her condescending looks over her shoulder; looks that made Kayla want to confess every dirty little secret about her relationship with Brian.

Kayla knew that she hadn’t concealed her surprise when she had looked up into Leighanne’s heavily made-up face. Thankfully, Brian’s ex-wife hadn’t seemed to notice her surprise. The older woman had been more preoccupied with determining whether or not Kayla worked for Child Protective Services. Apparently, Leighanne had been under the impression that she would be able to sweet talk her way into finding out how Brian had fared during the C.P.S. inspections. Kayla hadn’t given her the satisfaction; hence, the disdainful looks.

“Are you C.P.S.?”

Kayla looked up into the harried face of a man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late sixties. He was dressed in a well-fitting Armani suit, and he still had a full head of wavy, silver hair.

“Y-Yes.” Kayla managed to stutter out a response. She could still see Leighanne glaring at her out of the corner of her eye.

“Great. I’m Ed Kaladek.” The man extended his hand. “I’m representing Mr. Littrell.”

Kayla nodded. She gripped his hand with her still trembling fingers. “I’m Kayla Ford. My supervisor, Peggy Peach, will be joining me in a moment.”

“The reports are pretty self explanatory. I doubt that I’ll need to call on either one of you.” Ed smiled as he took a seat at the small table directly in front of Kayla. He began pulling files out of his briefcase. “I’m willing to bet that Tom will have more questions.”

“Tom?” Kayla repeated.

“Tom Noble; he’s representing Ms. Wallace.” Ed nodded his head in the direction of Leighanne’s lawyer.

The middle-aged man smiled back at Kayla and gave her a small wave. Leighanne scowled.

“Hi, Ed.”

Kayla froze at the sound of his voice; at the way his accent pulled at the vowels, drawing them out. She removed her eyes from Tom and dropped her gaze to her lap, to her cold fingers that were twisted together. Kayla was seated on the bench immediately behind Ed. Peggy had directed her towards the seat, explaining that it was where the judge would be expecting them to sit. Kayla had wanted to sit at the back, as far away from Brian as possible.

“Hi, Brian. It’s good to see you.”

Kayla knew that Ed had stood up to shake Brian’s hand. She could sense more people shuffling into the benches behind her. She could hear AJ’s raspy whisper. She could smell Kevin’s cologne. She could detect Howie’s nervous energy. She could feel Nick’s breath on the back of her neck.

“Hey, Kay.”

Kayla knew that it was against her better judgement, but she pulled her eyes away from her lap and moved to look at Nick. His face was so close that their noses almost touched when she turned her head. “Hi, Nick.”

“I didn’t think you would be here today.”

Kayla sighed. “Peggy said that I didn’t have a choice. I’ve signed off on most of the reports.”

Nick nodded. There was worry in his eyes. “Brian looks like he’s going to pass out.”

Kayla knew what Nick was trying to do. She knew that she shouldn’t fall for it, but she did anyway. She turned and looked at Brian. He was still standing, talking to his lawyer. His dark grey Versace suit hugged his body in all the right ways. Kayla swallowed hard. She hadn’t expected her feelings to be this strong; she was literally aching to touch him.

“He misses you.” Nick’s lips were directly on her ear.

“AJ told me.” Kayla’s voice was so quiet that she was pretty sure that Nick was doing little more than reading her lips. “I can’t do this now, Nick.”

“Every word of what I said to you last week is still true.” AJ had now slid forward on the bench to join in their hushed conversation. His face was so close to Nick’s that his beard was brushing against the younger man’s cheek. Kayla could see Nick’s nose twitching in discomfort, but he made no move to push AJ away.

“Gentleman!” Peggy’s wrinkled face suddenly appeared in their circle. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Nick and AJ spoke together; their faces registering identical flashes of guilt.

Kayla could see Howie and Kevin watching them out of the corner of her eye. Howie looked anxious and Kevin looked downright pissed off. “We were just saying ‘hello’.” She lied.

Peggy’s eyes were ripe with pent up anger. “The three of you don’t need to be speaking to each other.” Peggy clamped her hand down on Kayla’s arm and roughly turned her around so that she was, once again, facing forward.

Kayla heard Nick and AJ slide back on the bench behind her. Kevin’s whispered voice rumbled incoherently and AJ hissed back an equally unintelligible response. Kayla knew that Peggy was probably just as mad as Kevin; she could feel the tension radiating off of the older woman. She couldn’t wait for the hearing to be over.

“Case 1046: Littrell vs. Wallace.” The judge walked into the room and took a seat. She peered around the room to ensure that both parties were present before she continued. “This is the appeal hearing regarding the custody arrangement for Baylee Littrell, age eleven. The appeal was requested by Leighanne Wallace on September 6, 2013, and it was registered by the courts on September 10, 2013. Baylee Littrell is presently being cared for by his father, Brian Littlrell, who was granted primary custody during the initial hearing on August 17, 2013. We’ll begin with character references for both parties.”

Kayla shifted anxiously in her seat. She didn’t know why she and Peggy had to sit through the entire hearing. The judge had just finished reading the character references that had been submitted on Leighanne’s behalf. Kayla hated to admit it, but the letters had been well-written and they had easily conveyed the notion that Leighanne was nothing but a picture-perfect mother who was beyond devastated that she had not been granted primary custody of her only child.

“We’ll now hear the references that have been submitted on behalf of Mr. Littlrell. The first is from Mr. Nickolas Carter.” The judge’s voice reverberated through the room.

Kayla sucked in her breath. She hadn’t even been aware of the fact that Nick had submitted his character reference. For obvious reasons, Peggy must have transcribed his letter and posted it to the file without her knowledge.

*****
To whom it may concern,

I met Brian Littrell when I was roughly the same age as his son. I was twelve years old; a child who was living in a world of fear and neglect. Brian and I were both thrust into the media spotlight at the same time. We didn’t have an instruction manual or any warnings about what to expect. The only thing that we had, at that time, was each other.

It didn’t take long for Brian to become my best friend. In some instances, it also didn’t take long for Brian to become my guardian. He looked out for me during the early years of our friendship; he tried his best to make sure that I would grow up to become the same type of amazing man that he is.

Unfortunately, I pushed Brian away. I self-sabotaged myself with drugs and alcohol to the point where I was inches away from death. When I finally overcame my self-defeating behaviour, I was terrified that Brian, my best-friend, had given up on me. I was as surprised as anyone to find out that he hadn’t. Brian waited for me to get my life back on track. He gave me the silent, unwavering support that I needed in order to save myself. Without his support and his friendship I would be dead.

Baylee needs his father. He needs to experience and feel Brian’s support on a daily basis. I lost so much time with Brian because of my own bad decisions. It would be devastating for Baylee to lose time with his father because of someone else’s bad decision. Brian deserves to raise his son; it’s the right choice for everyone involved.

Sincerely,
Nickolas Carter

*****

Kayla blinked rapidly. She was glad that the judge had already launched into AJ’s letter. The last thing that Kayla wanted was for the judge to see her cry. She was supposed to be a neutral third party, and it would be pretty hard to maintain that image if she started blubbering like a hormonal teenager over Nick’s words.

The judge read through AJ and Howie’s statements before handing over the reins to the lawyers. Ed and Tom both delivered a quick statement and presented evidence to convince the judge that their respective client deserved to be Baylee’s primary caregiver. Ed focused primarily on the reports that she and Peggy had submitted, and Kayla breathed a sigh of relief as neither Ed nor Tom called upon her to provide any additional information.

Brian faced forward the entire time; his eyes firmly locked on the judge. His face consistently registered a nervous, slightly panicked expression and Kayla could see his left leg bouncing steadily underneath the table. Leighanne, on the other hand, appeared to be perfectly composed. She, too, kept her eyes glued to the judge, but her face was pulled into a soft, easy smile. It appeared as though Leighanne didn’t have a care in the world. It was as though she knew without a doubt that she would be walking out of the door with Baylee at her side.

“I understand that Baylee has opted to answer some questions related to his preferred living arrangement.” The judge glanced up from the papers on her desk and looked to Brian’s lawyer for confirmation.

“That’s correct.” Ed confirmed.

“Is Baylee aware that he will be expected to answer questions from both members of counsel?” The judge peered over the top of her glasses.

“Yes.” Ed nodded. “The process was explained to him.”

“Bring him in.” The judge waved at the security guard who was standing by the door.

The guard signalled his understanding and pushed open the heavy, wooden door. Another guard appeared in the doorway with Baylee by his side. If Baylee was at all nervous about speaking in court he didn’t show it as he walked quickly down the aisle. He smiled at both of his parents as he stepped up to the front and promised to tell the truth.

Ed waited until Baylee had situated himself on the wooden chair before he stood up and began to ask him a series of questions designed to sway the judge’s decision towards Brian. Baylee answered each question in detail; his face lighting up when he talked about school, his friends, and the basketball team. He even launched into a touching monologue about how much fun he had with his dad and about how much he enjoyed travelling the world when Brian was on tour.

“Baylee, I just have one more question for you.” Ed smiled. “Who would you prefer to live with? Your mom or your dad?”

Baylee paused. He gave Leighanne a small, tentative smile before settling his eyes on Brian. “My dad. I want to live with my dad.”

Tom stood up before Ed had even settled himself in his chair. He took a few steps towards Baylee and flashed him a massive, friendly smile. “Hi, Baylee.”

“Hi.”

“It’s pretty clear that you like living with your dad.” Tom continued to smile.

Baylee nodded. “Yes.”

“It sounds like you’ve made a lot of new friends at school.” Tom’s smile grew.

Baylee nodded again. “Yes.”

“Do you miss the friends that you had in Georgia?”

“I didn’t have any real friends in Georgia.” Baylee shook his head. “I didn’t go to school when I lived there.”

Tom’s smile twitched at the corners. Baylee’s answer clearly wasn’t the one that he had been expecting. “What about your mom? Do you miss her?”

“Yeah.” Baylee gave Leighanne another tentative smile. “I miss her a lot.”

“Would you like to live with your mom?”

Baylee hesitated. “Yes, but I don’t want to stop living with my dad. I want to stay in Kentucky with him.”

Tom’s smile twitched again. “Did you like it when your parents lived together?”

Baylee smiled. “Yes.”

“Do you want them to live together again?”

“That’s irrelevant, Mr. Noble.” The judge interrupted. “This is a custody hearing. The option for Mr. Littrell and Ms. Wallace to reunite does not exist as far as this court is concerned.”

“Sorry. The question is withdrawn.” Tom switched gears. “Baylee, does anyone else live with you and your dad.”

“Uncle Nick lives with us right now.”

“I see.” Tom mused. “Can you point to your Uncle Nick for me? Is he here, today?”

Baylee looked slightly confused, but he raised his hand and gestured towards Nick. “He’s right there.”

“So, Nickolas Carter is your Uncle Nick?” Tom’s question was rhetorical. “Less than an hour ago, we heard a letter written by Mr. Carter in which he admitted to abusing drugs and alcohol.”

Brian’s leg stopped moving. He turned to Ed in horror. “Is he allowed to say stuff like that?”

“Unfortunately, he is.” Ed grimaced. “I didn’t think that he would interrogate the kid.”

“Baylee, have you ever seen your Uncle Nick drink alcohol while he’s been living with you and your dad?” Tom’s overly friendly smile had returned.

Nick was sweating. He could feel the dampness saturating his hairline. He tried to focus on taking deep, steady breaths as he waited for Baylee to answer the question. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to be the one who ruined Brian’s life.

Baylee shook his head. He was starting to look nervous. “No.”

“How about drugs?” Tom prodded. “Have you ever seen your Uncle Nick use illegal drugs at your dad’s house?”

“No.”

“Does your Uncle Nick have a girlfriend? Does she come to the house to see him?” Tom was clearly upset by the fact that Baylee had diffused his biggest argument, and he was desperately looking for another tactic.

“No. He was going to marry Lauren, but they broke up. That’s why he’s living with us.”

“I see.” Tom was stalling. “How about your dad, does he have a girlfriend?”

Brian’s hands were sweating so badly that they were leaving wet streaks on the table. His heart began thudding wildly in his chest as Leighanne’s head snapped up in order to stare at him. Brian was afraid to take his eyes off of his son. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought to coach Baylee about what to say in case he was asked this question. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t pray, he couldn’t do anything except wait for Baylee to open his mouth.

“I – I think ...” Baylee was flustered. He tried to look at his father, but Tom moved to the side in order to cut off Brian from his line of sight.

“What do you think, Baylee?” Tom was practically drooling; he knew that he was on to something.

Baylee looked at the judge for help. It was clear that he was conflicted.

“You have to tell the truth, Baylee.” The judge’s voice was soft but firm. “You promised to tell the truth.”

“I think so.” Baylee was whispering now.

“You think that your dad has a girlfriend?” Tom clarified. “Has your dad brought a woman to the house?”

“Yes.”

“How many?” Tom’s eyes were shining. “How many women has your did invited over to the house?”

Baylee’s eyes widened. “Just one.”

Tom was still effectively blocking Baylee’s view of Brian, so his young, worried eyes drifted to Kayla. The poor kid looked as though he was pleading for help, for someone to suddenly stand up and interrupt the process so that he could stop answering questions.

Tom followed Baylee’s gaze and delivered the final blow; his face contorting in victory. “Is your dad’s girlfriend in the room?”

“Baylee, you do not have to answer that question!” Brian stood up from the table and slammed his hands down in frustration. “He’s trying to trick you!”

“Mr. Littrell!” The judge was also on her feet. “I did not object to the question, so Baylee is required to answer it. I suggest that you sit down and shut your mouth, or else I will have you ejected from the remainder of this hearing.”

Brian’s mouth has become painfully dry. He lowered himself back into his chair with shaking legs. He felt like crying and throwing up all at the same time. Leighanne had won; everyone knew it.

“Baylee, you need to answer Mr. Noble’s question.” The judge returned to her seat. “Is your dad’s girlfriend in the room?”

“I don’t really know for sure if she’s his girlfriend.”

Tom’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “That’s okay, Baylee. It doesn’t really matter if she’s his girlfriend. All I need is for you to tell me if the woman who you saw with your dad at your house is in the room.”

“Oh.” Baylee continued to hesitate. “Yes. She’s here.”

“What’s her name?” Tom was practically frothing at the mouth. “Can you point to her?”

Leighanne’s face was lit up like a Christmas tree. Her fingers were clutching the edge of the table in anticipation. She smiled encouragingly at her son. “Go on, sweetie.”

“It’s Kayla.” Baylee’s voice was wavering and his hand was trembling as he finally pointed Kayla out.

There was too much noise, too many things to process. Peggy was gasping, AJ was cursing, Kevin was groaning, Leighanne was laughing, and Ed was muttering. Brian couldn’t handle it. His stomach churned and suddenly the table was spinning. He pressed his eyes closed and tried to block everything out. It was too much.

“Enough!” The judge was on her feet for a second time. “The next person who makes a noise will be ejected!”

The room fell silent.

“Thank you, Baylee.” The judge turned to address him. “You did a great job. I’m going to ask you to leave the room again, okay?”

Baylee nodded. He stood up from the chair and walked over to join the same security guard who had brought him into the room. The man placed a gentle hand on his back and began steering him back towards the door. Baylee looked fleetingly at both of his parents as he allowed himself to be led away. He wiped quickly at his face, trying to disguise the fact that he was crying.

“I’m declaring a short recess.” The judge announced. “Mr. Noble, I’m going to ask that you and Ms. Wallace remove yourselves from this courtroom until we reconvene in thirty minutes. You may use one of the debriefing offices across the hall for privacy.”

Tom nodded at the judge and began to shuffle his papers together. “Thank you.”

Brian still had his eyes closed, but he knew that the judge was now addressing his side of the room. “As for the rest of you, I suggest that you take this time to compose yourselves. I will not have another outburst in this courtroom. Is that clear?”

“It’s perfectly clear.” Ed’s voice was terse. “I will be speaking with my client.”

“Good.”

Brian could hear the judge gathering her things. He could hear the click of Leighanne’s stilettos on the tile floor as she and her lawyer made their way out of the room. He could hear Ed breathing beside him. He could hear his own heart thudding in his ears. He could practically hear his whole world coming to an end.

“You have thirty minutes.”

The room fell silent. Brian opened his eyes. God, he loved the quiet.

“Well ...” Ed’s voice disrupted the silence. “... this is bad.”

Brian closed his eyes again. God, he missed the quiet.

“I can’t believe this!” Peggy was speaking now; her voice high and shrill. “Is the boy lying? Kayla, how could you?”

“He’s not lying.” Brian was surprised to hear himself speaking. “We had a thing.” He forced his eyes open and looked at Kayla for the first time since Baylee’s admission. Her eyes were wet and her back was rigid. Brian figured that she looked the same way that he felt; as though he had just been repeatedly punched in the stomach.

“What kind of a thing?” Peggy didn’t seem to be able to stop talking. She turned to Kayla. “I thought that you were involved with him.” She jerked her thumb in Nick’s direction.

“That was a lie.” Brian admitted. “Nick and Kayla faked that whole situation to keep you from finding out about what was really going on.”

“So, you’ve been sleeping with him the whole time?” Peggy narrowed her eyes at Kayla as she gestured at Brian. “Answer me.”

“Yes.” Kayla finally spoke. Her voice was almost as raspy as AJ’s.

“You were having a relationship with Mr. Littrell at the same time that you were working on his file?” Peggy looked beyond disappointed. “You signed your name to those reports when you knew that you shouldn’t have. You compromised the integrity of the entire organization. You put my job in jeopardy. You ignored every single line in your contract. You pretended to be involved with another man in order to deceive me. You lied to my face!”

“Yes.” Kayla whispered her admission.

It was Peggy’s turn to close her eyes. When she reopened them, her face was determined and her eyes were unforgiving. “I’m telling Anthony. You’re fired, Kayla.”

“It was my fault!” Brian was on his feet. “I tricked her! I pretended to like Kayla just so that I could get her into bed. I slept with her so that she would manipulate the contents of my file. I needed to win this case! I would have done anything to keep Baylee.”

“Mr. Littrell, are you telling me that you feel nothing for Kayla? Are you really standing there and telling me that you used your celebrity status to trick an innocent woman into sleeping with you? Do you expect me to believe that you simply manipulated Kayla’s feelings for your own selfish gains?” Peggy pressed her lips into a thin line. Her eyes were like ice. “Answer me, Mr. Littrell.”

Brian made sure that he kept his eyes focused on Peggy. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Kayla. He could feel his cousin’s eyes piercing into him in distaste. “Yes.” Brian lied. “That’s what I’m saying.”

Peggy stared back into Brian’s face. “Mr. Littrell, you are a horrible liar.”

Brian paled. “What – what are you talking about?”

“Look Kayla in the face and tell her that you don’t care about her.” Peggy sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. “If you can do that, I will let Kayla keep her job.”

Why did Peggy have to look so smug? At that moment, Brian hated the older woman more than he had ever hated anyone in his entire life. Peggy knew that Kayla needed her job and she clearly knew that he was lying through his teeth. Why was she doing this?

“Kayla ...” Brian came around the table and walked slowly towards her. Kayla was already standing up; she had her jacket on and was clutching her purse. “Kayla, I ...” Brian started again. He wasn’t going to be able to do this.

Kayla looked up at Brian with an unreadable expression. Her cheeks were glistening with the tears that she had already shed and her eyes were brimming with new ones. Brian took a deep breath and tried to make himself look and feel indifferent. Maybe he was going to be able to do this.

“I don’t ...” Brian’s voice was shaking. “Kayla, I don’t – I don’t think that you’re going to be able to keep your job.”

Kayla smiled through her tears. “I know.” She reached out and laced her fingers through Brian’s, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I know.”

“I’m sorry.” Brian felt like he had let her down. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Kayla let go of Brian’s hand. “You’re about to lose your son.”

Brian’s chest felt tight. “I know.”

“Brian.” Ed cleared his throat. “We have two minutes.”

“Good luck.” Kayla gave Brian a small smile. Her eyes lingered on his for a few more seconds before she turned and walked quickly towards the door.

Brian watched her walk away from him for the second time with a lump in his throat. He felt lightheaded and he feared that his legs were about to give out. His hands felt like they weighed upwards of a thousand pounds. He could feel his heart constricting in his chest; it was tight, too tight.

“Brian?”

Nick’s face looked blurry. His features were swirling together in a mess of colours and shapes. His nose looked like it was poking out of his eye. Brian wondered for a split second if he was having a heart attack. He could almost picture himself falling to the floor and dying right there in the middle of the courtroom.

“Brian?”

Nick’s hands were on his shoulders now, shaking him. Brian knew that his friend was on the verge of panicking, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. At least Nick’s facial features had stopped blurring together, he looked normal now. Well, aside from the fact that he looked petrified; terrified but normal.

“I’ve lost them both.” Brian’s brain felt detached from his voice. “Kayla lost her job because of me. I lost Baylee. I lost Kayla. Everything is gone.”

“Everything isn’t gone.” Nick’s eyes were now darting frantically around the room. “The judge is back. You have to go sit down.”

Nick’s warning barely registered. Brian wanted to cry. As childish as it sounded, he wanted nothing more than to throw himself into his best friend’s arms and cry. Nick was pushing him now, guiding him back towards his seat next to Ed. Brian allowed himself to be led back to the table. He sat down without a fight and turned his unfocused eyes towards the judge.

“Case 1046: Littrell vs. Wallace.” The judge took a seat behind her desk. “A decision has been made regarding the custody arrangement for Baylee Littrell, age eleven.”

Brian forced himself to pay attention. He figured that he might as well be as coherent as possible for the moment when Baylee was removed from his care; that way he would be better able to torture himself later.

“In light of recent events, all of the information that was submitted by Child Protective Services of Lexington has been stricken from the record. Therefore, I was unable to base my decision on any of that information.” The judge moved her eyes between Brian and Leighanne. “I did, however, take what Baylee had to say into consideration.”

Brian felt a flicker of hope ignite in his stomach. Baylee had said that he wanted to stay with him. Maybe the judge had decided to give Baylee what he wanted.

“Ms. Wallace, you have excellent character references that attest to your strong ethics and to your desire to care for your son on a full-time basis. You have the means to provide a good home for Baylee, and you have a strong family connection in the Atlanta area. It appears as though you have good moral character.”

The flicker of hope was extinguished. Brian could practically hear the smug smile stretching across Leighanne’s face. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her.

“Mr. Littrell, you also have excellent character references that attest to your caring personality and to your desire to retain primary custody of your son. Although you have the means to provide a good home for Baylee, your occupation requires you to travel for extensive periods of time. I have to say that others may be concerned by some of the people who you choose to surround your son with on a daily basis, as some of them have obviously engaged in destructive behaviour in the past. However, it is not my nature to judge people on what they have done in the past. Speaking of questionable behaviour, Mr. Littrell, your relationship with the woman from Child Protective Services is highly inappropriate given the situation at hand. The two of you both crossed a series of ethical boundaries by entering into a romantic relationship. That being said, Baylee has expressed a desire to remain in your care, and it is not my job to pass judgment on your romantic relationships.”

Brian’s leg was shaking again. He just wanted the judge to deliver her verdict and get it over with.

“There are conditions attached to my decision.” The judge continued. “I am imposing these conditions because this appeal hearing was supposed to be based primarily on the outcome of the inspection by Child Protective Services. Since the majority of that inspection has become null and void due to Mr. Littrell’s relationship with one of the caseworkers assigned to his file, I am requesting that the Lexington C.P.S. organization authorize another caseworker to conduct a second investigation. Mr. Littrell, is this clear?”

Brian nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” The judge paused. “All things considered, I have decided that it is in Baylee’s best interests to remain in the custody of his father. He has already experienced a significant amount of change. There’s no point in disrupting his life any further at this point and time.”

Leighanne gasped. “What?”

The judge ignored Leighanne’s outburst and kept her attention focused on Brian. “Mr. Littrell, it is clear to me that Baylee is happy in the home that you have established for him in Kentucky. He is doing well at school, he’s making friends, and he is close to his extended family. You have a strong support system in place to help you. You are hereby, once again, awarded primary custody of your son.”

The tears were running down Brian’s face and he made no attempt to wipe them away. He had never experienced such a massive and overwhelming sense of relief. “Thank you.”

The judge actually smiled. “Mr. Littrell, I feel that it is worth noting that if C.P.S. raises any red flags during their second investigation that you will find yourself back here. You must pass the upcoming investigation in order for my decision to be made permanent.”

Brian nodded again. “I understand.”

The judge turned her attention to Leighanne. “Ms. Wallace, you no longer have the right to an appeal. The pre-determined custody arrangement stands. You are all free to go.”

Brian stood up from the table. Leighanne’s mouth was hanging open in disbelief. Ed was smiling to himself as he gathered his papers. Peggy was shaking her head and walking towards the door. Tom was muttering something to himself. And Nick was charging towards him at full speed.

Brian staggered backwards as Nick enveloped him in a tight hug, slapping his back and laughing. “I told you that you had this!”

“I can’t believe it.” Brian grinned as he returned Nick’s strong embrace.

AJ whooped in exhilaration and threw one tattooed arm around Nick and the other around Brian. Howie did the same and the four of them jostled each other in excitement. Kevin placed both of his hands on the back of Brian’s shoulders and gently rocked him back and forth amidst the commotion of the other guys. Brian could feel the tension leaving his body as he relished in the notion that his son was coming home with him.

“Dad!”

Brian pulled himself away from his friends and opened his arms for Baylee. His son ploughed into him at full force; his small arms encircled his waist and his face pressed against his chest.

“You’re coming home with me, Bay.” Brian whispered. “You’re coming home with me.”

Brian pulled Nick off to the side as soon as he could. “I need your car.”

“What?” Nick still had a massive smile plastered on his face. He ripped his attention away from Baylee and the rest of the guys who were still rehashing the events of the hearing and focused his eyes on Brian’s anxious face. “When? Why?”

“Right now.” Brian pleaded. “Please.”

Nick fished in his pocket for his keys. “Are you going to see Kayla?”

Brian nodded. “If I can keep Baylee, I can keep her too.”

“What are you going to do?” Nick deposited his keys in Brian’s outstretched hand. “What are you going to say?”

“I’m going to tell her what AJ already told her for me.” Brian was grinning like an idiot, buoyed on by the confidence that had come with retaining primary custody of Baylee. “I’m going to tell her that I love her.”

Nick grinned back at Brian; his smile mirroring the one that was plastered across his best friend’s face. “You’re such a nerd.”

Brian curled his fingers around Nick’s keys as his smile intensified. “Thanks.”

“Go!” Nick pushed Brian gently towards the door. “We’ll take Baylee home.”

Brian didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his jacket and hurried out of the courthouse. It had been snowing all morning and his feet slipped in the fresh powder as he hustled towards Nick’s car. An unblemished coating of snow covered the windshield and the back window. Knowing full well that Nick probably didn’t own a snow brush, Brian pulled his hand into his sleeve and used his arm to clear the windows. The fluffy flakes collected on his jacket and pushed inside his sleeve; chilling his skin. Brian barely noticed.

The tires crunched on the snow as Brian backed out of the parking spot and drove past the now completely frozen parking attendant. The car skidded and Brian tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he pulled out into the early afternoon traffic. He prayed to God that he wasn’t going to total Nick’s car as the tires hit a patch of ice and the car drifted towards the centre median. He didn’t want to waste time waiting for a tow truck.

It should have taken him thirty minutes to drive to the condominium complex where Kayla lived. It ended up taking him an hour and a half. By the time Brian pulled up in front of the building, his nerves had gotten the better of him. All of his grand intentions that involved rushing up to Kayla’s front door and sweeping her off of her feet had disappeared. He was now a panic stricken mess; a sweaty, nervous, shaking mess. Brian was pretty sure that he looked like death warmed over, but he also knew that it was too late to change his mind.

He swung Nick’s car into a parallel parking spot in front of Kayla’s building. The tires scraped against the curb and the front bumper banged against a large pile of snow. Brian cringed; he would likely be paying to have some dents banged out. He took a quick glance at his handy work as he exited the car. Thankfully, his less than impressive parking skills didn’t appear to have caused any damage, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he hustled through the still falling snow towards the condominium’s main entrance.

“Unit number or last name?”

Brian stopped brushing the snow off of his shoulders and stared at the bored looking concierge. The man was in his early twenties, and he looked as though he would rather be anywhere besides stuck behind the expansive wooden desk that was tucked neatly into the corner of the lobby.

“Pardon?”

The man sighed. “Can I have the unit number or the last name of the person who you’re here to see?” The man paused. “Please.”

“Ford.” Brian supplied Kayla’s last name. He realized that he actually had no idea what unit she lived in. He clearly hadn’t thought this whole thing through.

“Is Ms. Ford expecting you?” The man tapped lazily at a keyboard.

Brian nodded vigorously. He hoped that his face looked calm and believable. “Yup.”

The concierge waved his arm in the direction of the elevator. “It’s all set up for you. You don’t even have to push the button.”

“Thanks.” Brian stepped into the elevator and let out a long, slow breath as the doors slid closed.

True to the concierge’s word the elevator started moving without him having to lift a finger. Less than a minute later, the doors slid open and a mechanical voice informed him that he had reached the seventh floor. Brian stepped out into the hallway and looked quickly in both directions. There looked to be about twelve suites on the floor and he had no idea which one was Kayla’s. Brian turned to his right with the intention of knocking on every door until Kayla finally opened one of them, but he stopped in his tracks as the door closest to him swung open.

A young woman with short brown hair stepped out into the hallway. She was wearing yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt. Both of her hands were wrapped firmly around a bag of garbage. The woman’s eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of Brian standing in front of her.

“What the fuck?”

“Hi.” Brian offered. “I was wondering if you would be able to help me.”

“You – You need help?” The woman was still staring at him with wide eyes. “You ARE Brian Littrell, right? Brian from the Backstreet Boys?”

Brian laughed softly. The woman was slender and petite with a soft face. She looked as though she should be an elementary school teacher. “Yes. I’m Brian. Brian from the Backstreet Boys.”

“Wow.” The woman’s eyes were now searching his face. “I would ask you for a hug, but I’m sick. Hence, the reason why I’m home on a Friday afternoon in my sweats holding two bags of garbage.”

“Ahhh” Brian smiled. He figured that it would work in his favour to make small talk. “What do you do when you’re not sick?”

“I teach second grade.” The woman replied. “It’s the kids who made me sick.”

Brian could feel his smile growing. God, he was good! “What’s your name?”

The woman hesitated. “Jessica.” She smiled widely before she continued. “But everyone I know calls me Jess.”

“Well, Jess, I was wondering if you could tell me where someone lives.” Brian’s heart rate had picked up speed. “I’m looking for Kayla Ford. She’s tall and slim with long red hair. She has a little girl, Liliana.”

“She lives down the hall in 714.” Jessica nodded in the opposite direction. “I don’t actually know if her name is Kayla, but the girl who lives there fits your description. Her hair is crazy gorgeous; deep red. I would kill for hair like hers!”

“Thanks.” Brian’s smile crinkled at the corners. “I should let you get back to your afternoon on the couch.”

“Do you know her?” Jessica seemed to be debating about whether or not she was being too nosy. “Kayla, I mean.”

“Yeah.” Brian’s smile pulled at his cheeks. “I know her.”

“She’s lucky.” Jessica breathed. “Really lucky.”

“I’m not sure if she thinks so at the moment.” Brian began backing away in the direction of Kayla’s unit. “Thanks again, Jess.”

“Any time.” Jessica coughed lightly and turned her head. She began walking away in what Brian assumed was the direction of the garbage chute. “Goodbye, Brian.”

Brian waited until Jessica had disappeared around the corner before he turned around and began walking towards unit 714. He paused in front of the door and sucked in his breath before raising his hand and knocking firmly. Kayla pulled open the door sooner than he had expected, and he took a step back as their eyes locked.

Kayla was on the phone and her eyes popped open in surprise. She stood deathly still for a moment before directing a rapid stream of French into the phone. Brian could hear the person on the other end answer just as rapidly and he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Maybe he should have called first.

“Brian?” Kayla disconnected the call and switched to perfect, unaccented English without missing a beat. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.” Brian felt like an idiot for supplying such a ridiculously obvious answer. It was hot in the hallway and he was sweating uncontrollably in his heavy winter coat. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Kayla’s face was uncertain, but she stepped back into her unit and held the door open for him.

Brian followed her inside and quickly shrugged out of his jacket. He hung it next to hers on the row of pegs to the right of the front door without even asking. He kicked off his wet shoes and stepped forward to allow Kayla to close the door.

Kayla clicked the lock into place and stared at the back of the door for a few seconds before turning around and repeating her question. “What are you doing here?”

“I won.” Brian took a few more steps into Kayla’s condo and leaned against the edge of the counter. It was such a small, open concept space that Brian couldn’t quite determine if he was standing in the kitchen, the dining room, or the living room. Not that it really mattered in the grand scheme of things. “I get to retain primary custody of Baylee.”

“What?” Kayla’s face registered her surprise. “Brian, that’s amazing! What happened? I thought for sure that I had ruined everything for you.”

“I ruined everything for you.” Brian frowned at the distance that Kayla was purposefully keeping between them. He reached out and gently grabbed her hand. She didn’t resist, but she didn’t tighten her grip either. “I’m sorry about your job.”

Kayla shrugged, but her eyes betrayed how upset she really was. “I was half expecting it to happen anyway.”

“I couldn’t do it.” Brian tugged at her hand and she took a few cautious steps towards him. “I couldn’t lie to your face. I couldn’t tell you that I didn’t care about you.”

“Brian ...” Kayla shook her head. “... don’t do this.”

“Kay, I miss you.” Brian took her other hand in his and continued to pull her closer. “I care about you ... a lot.”

“I’m not staying.” Against her better judgement, Kayla was allowing Brian to pull her against him. He released her hands and dug his fingers into her hips. Kayla could feel every inch of him pressing against her and she struggled to control her feelings. “I can’t stay here without a job. Once C.P.S. registers my dismissal, I will lose my work Visa. I can’t stay in the States without a Visa. I have to go home.”

“This is my fault.” Brian’s voice wavered. “I know that you’ve lost your job, but you can’t leave.”

“I don’t have a choice. I’m not eligible for unemployment benefits.” Kayla’s eyes locked with Brian’s. She moved her hands to his chest. The soft fabric of his suit felt good under her fingers; the hardness of his chest felt even better. “I have Lily to think about.”

“Kay ...” Brian licked his lips. His heart was racing. “... I know that AJ talked to you.”

Kayla’s fingers were fiddling with Brian’s tie. “Yeah?”

“I know that we haven’t been together for very long and I know that I’m probably going to come across sounding like a crazy person, but ...” Brian’s voice seemed to have developed a permanent tremor. “ ... but I love you.”

Kayla stared back at him in silence. She had known what Brian was about to say, but she still hadn’t been completely prepared to hear him say the words. He was right; he did sound like a crazy person. It was too soon, too early for him to think that he was in love with her. At least that’s what her brain was telling her. Her body, on the other hand, was screaming at her to say it back. Her heart was beating too hard and too fast for the confines of her chest; her heart knew that she loved him back, even if her brain didn’t.

“It’s too fast.” Kayla whispered. “You can’t possibly be in love with me.”

“I am.” Brian smiled and pressed her against him. “I knew from the moment that you handed Baylee that five dollar bill on his first day of school. I’ve always known.”

“I still have to leave, Brian. I’ve already spoken to my friend in Ottawa. She’s going to let me stay with her until I can get myself re-established.” Kayla was trying to ignore the fact that Brian looked beyond sexy in his suit. She was trying to ignore the feeling of his fingers sliding around her hips and onto her back. She was trying to ignore his obvious desire that was pressing against her.

“You can live with me.” Brian kissed her lightly on the lips. It took all of his willpower to pull away and keep talking. “I want you to come and live with me. I want you to come on tour with me next month. I want us to be a family.”

“I have Liliana. She gets into everything and she still doesn’t sleep through the night.” Kayla attempted an excuse.

“I have a pre-teen son who insists that I have to keep my shirt on in all of my future music videos.” Brian shot back.

“I’m thirty-one years old and I’m unemployed.” Kayla tried again.

“I’m thirty-eight years old and I’m in a boy band.” Brian countered.

“Lily has a lot of stuff. It would take up a lot of space in your house.” Kayla struggled to keep a straight face.

“I have an annoying blonde roommate who already takes up too much space in my house.” Brian bit his bottom lip as Kayla’s hands snaked their way through the hair on the back of his head. His mind flashed to their first kiss in his mom’s kitchen. He could feel his pants becoming increasingly tight. “I might have to kick him out.”

Kayla dropped her mouth to Brian’s neck. She started kissing him slowly, working her way along his jaw-line to his ear. “I have a pink duvet. It’s my favourite. I would have to bring it with me.”

Brian struggled to pull his mind back to the conversation. Kayla had stopped kissing him and was staring at him expectantly. Brian tightened his grip on her back and gave her a boyish smile. “I have pink shoes.”

Kayla grinned. “Brian?” She rested her forehead against his.

“Yeah, Kay?” Brian swallowed hard. He knew what was coming.

Kayla pressed her lips lightly against his. “I love you, too.”