“I still can’t believe you invited me here,” Ashley exclaimed softly as she seated herself on the couch beside Kevin, fingering the hem of her light pink peasant shirt with an air of sweet nervousness. Her soft brown eyes glistened with appreciation as she glanced around the lavish hotel, feeling as if she were in a fairytale dream. She had met Kevin over three months ago when she had accidentally stepped out onto the street as the boys’ shuttle bus was whizzing by. She had stumbled back onto the sidewalk as a loud horn blared in her ears, stunning her as Kevin hopped off the shuttle to make sure she was okay. It was almost as if he were a knight in shining armor, kneeling down to her and cupping her face in his hands. She honestly felt like it was love at first sight, but the growth of adoration had been overflowing as they continued to communicate. She may have not been present at every interval, but Kevin called her when he reached the various hotels on the tour and after every concert. Some conversations were meaningful, some where just simple and silly, but she felt she had known him all her life. He fit perfectly into her, like a special key in the unique lock of her heart. That’s why she had eagerly accepted Kevin’s offer to fly her to their next destination and spend the weekend with the Backstreet family. But, most importantly, she would be spending time with Kevin.
“Why would you say that?” Kevin chuckled in earnest, handing her the Styrofoam container that held her favorite Chinese food. It was easy to say that Kevin had fallen head over heels in love with the woman sitting beside him and was waiting for the perfect moment to confide his feelings. Having Keveney, Jillian, and Stevie in his life had made him realize what passion he had lost for life. And, the longer he watched Brian and Stevie working together despite their vast differences and Keveney and Howie falling into a deeply romantic love, the more Kevin wanted the same. He deserved to be happy.
“Because… I’ve always dreamed of you and here I am and…” Ashley blushed as she glanced down to her food, feeling foolish as a faint blush crept to her cheeks. “…Sorry…”
“I’ve been dreaming about you, too,” Kevin mused, brushing his fingertips underneath her chin. He was so thankful for the day that he rescued her and believed that God almost pushed her out into the road for a purpose. “Don’t worry.”
“Really?”
“Truly,” Kevin chuckled with approval.
“What do I do in your dreams?”
Kevin leaned closer to confide his secret, cupping her face within his hands. He spoke softly, barely above a whisper, causing Ashley to lean closer to him, their lips merely centimeters apart. “It’s always different, but we’re always in a romantic European setting. Candlelight is flickering all around and I compliment you, causing you to blush. The candlelight glistens off your beautiful light brown eyes and accents the shiny coat of gloss on your kissable lips. I’m holding you close as close as I possibly can and just as I lean in to kiss you—”
“HOLD THAT UNPOWDERED TUSHY RIGHT THERE, YOUNG LADY! Hey! I just gave you an order! JILLIAN LUZ DOROUGH!” Keveney accidentally interrupted with a screech of annoyance, completely oblivious to the romantic sparks kindling between Kevin and Ashley. She barreled down the hallway in a rush, anxious to catch her child before any disasters could occur. She held a large towel in her hands as if she were a bullfighter, waving the bull toward her. But Jillian repelled from the light purple towel, anxiously speeding toward the couple with giggles of amusement. “Daddy leaves you for one second so I can take over and you’re like lightening! You’ve never ran away from me before! Jillian Luz! You’re grounded! Grounded! Grounded! Grounded! Grounded! Grounded!”
“Apparently, you’re grounded, little one,” Kevin laughed toward Jillian as she attempted to grasp onto the couch to stand. She was soaking wet from the bath, soapy bubbles clinging to various portions of her silky skin. Her growing blonde locks plastered against her forehead as her dark emerald eyes glistened with great impishness. At ten months old, the child was already developing an adorable personality. She loved to play and cause a minor amounts of trouble, but always managed to slip out of the consequences when she cuddled up to her parents for protection. And, this time was no different.
“Jillian Luz!” Keveney scolded once more as she tackled the infant within the towel, tumbling onto the carpet as she blew raspberries against the child’s damp stomach. “You know Uncle Kevvy reserved the living room tonight for a date! You’re making me look bad!”
“Never,” Kevin laughed as he reached down to pluck the squirming Jillian from Keveney’s hold. The little girl was still giggling from Keveney’s tickles and raspberries as she curled protectively into Kevin’s arms. She nuzzled her face into his neck, obviously thanking him from saving her from the tickle torture. He had to laugh at her sweetness, gently patting her back as he kissed her soaked curls. “Jillie just wanted to see if her Uncle Kevvy’s new girlfriend. Huh, baby girl?”
Jillian nodded with appreciation as she played with Kevin’s dark locks. “Des.”
“Jillie Bean is an excellent judge of prime girlfriend material,” Keveney agreed, seemingly oblivious to the bathing disaster.
“Lo’ Mama,” Jillian promised as Kevin wrapped the towel around her small body.
“I love you, too, Jillie Bean. You just drive me absolutely crazy,” Keveney sighed as she stood up to press a warm kiss to Jillian’s forehead.
“I’ll get her ready for bed and bring her back to you,” Kevin promised.
“You sure?” Keveney immediately questioned.
“Positive, I want Ashley to officially meet one of the most important women in my life.”
“Alright,” Keveney answered with a grin, nodding a polite greeting toward Ashley. “Then I’m just going to go teach the love of my life a lesson about how not to let our little girl alone in the tub with the shifting of duties when her mother isn’t capable of pulling a flying carpet out of her butt to retrieve the little imp when she decides to bolt.”
“Good idea,” Kevin chuckled as he glanced back to Ashley with a warm smile as there was a yelp of surprise in Howie’s hotel bedroom followed by a loud splash. “I’d like to introduce you to Jillian Luz Dorough, the ultimate love of the Backstreet Boys. The one we always seem to be talking about and don’t know what we’d do without.”
“Mama!”
“I got you Jillie Bean!” Keveney promised with a soft laugh, guiding the child into the cool water. Her warm violet eyes locked with Jillian’s dark emerald eyes, assuring the child that everything was fine. And, slowly, Jillian became comfortable with the feeling of water surrounding her body. A lot more water than a small bath at night. She cooed in surprise, causing Keveney to smile with approval. Given a break from the tour, Keveney and Howie had decided to give Jillian her first swimming lesson. Howie was currently getting some refreshments for the group, so Keveney could play with Jillian. And, like her Daddy, Jillian absolutely adored the water. She immediately started to splash and kick in Keveney’s arms once she realized everything was safe in the arms of Keveney, soaking both of the girls in a matter of moments. Laughing, Keveney took it as the appropriate step to dip lower in the water to almost fully submerse them.
“Oh!” Jillian squealed, her emerald eyes glittering as her lips puckered in surprise at the coldness wetting her tiny body. She immediately glanced up to Keveney, reading her facial expressions to know whether it was safe or not.
“Did you like that?” Keveney laughed harder, standing up in the shallow end as she held Jillian away from her body to kick and squirm. The sweetness exuding from her core caused Jillian to relax immensely, allowing her to play more freely than before with giggles of sheer delight.
“Would you just take her under water now and stop fooling around?” Stevie suddenly called from the lounge area, curling safely in Brian’s arms, far away from the splash zone. She had been invited numerous times to join Keveney and Jillian in the large in ground pool, but Stevie knew better. Any time she was near water with Keveney; she was dunked to the point of drowning.
“Brian, please don’t have kids with her,” Howie voiced with warning as he set Jillian’s juice cup on the table, returning from the hotel room in time to catch Stevie’s motherly advice. And, he shuddered at Stevie’s frankness and recalling those special swimming lessons his brother and father had evoked on him as a child, perfectly happy with Keveney’s gentleness toward Jillian.
“Hey--”
“Now do you se what I went through? She complains all the time about how horrible I was as a child. Kevie always teased me. Kevie always dunked me. Kevie always read my diary to our other siblings for a buck a page when I went out on dates. Kevie always put ice cubes down my underwear when I had boyfriends over. But do you see the truth? I did it all for survival! She’s the devil incarnate. She tortured me!” Keveney exclaimed as Howie finally slid into the water to join his two favorite people in the world.
“At least she didn’t break out the whips and chains,” Howie chuckled with obvious amusement.
“I leave those for you,” Keveney immediately promised with an impish smile, leaning to finally kiss her lover as Jillian splashed wildly at her hip.
“Mmm,” Howie murmured with approval, leaning to nip her bottom lip. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Keveney promised as her heart naturally fluttered at Howie’s kisses.
“Dada,” Jillian finally whined with annoyance when she didn’t hear Keveney’s giggle at her adorable splashing. She had been trying to gather her mother’s attention for several minutes, even pulling at the straps of her bikini. But nothing seemed to work. Her father was selfishly hogging Keveney’s attention and Jillian wanted her more.
“Shh, Dada is trying to get you a baby brother,” Howie hushed his daughter, bending to blow a raspberry on her cheek.
“Woah! Baby?” Keveney wheezed in surprise as Jillian shied away from her father with a disgruntled scrunch of her nose.
“Yeah--”
“No way! Not this woman! I ain’t dropping no baby from that tiny opening!”
“Kevie--”
“I’m officially doubling up on birth control for my Latin Lover,” Keveney whistled, shifting Jillian to hop out of the pool. Not that she didn’t want to have children. In fact, she often dreamed of having several children with Howie. He was a wonderful father and Jillian definitely deserved younger siblings. Having a big family was one of the biggest joys in Keveney’s life. Only, there was no shame in making him work a little for it. Especially if it included a beautiful diamond sparkling on her forth, left digit.
“DADA--”
“I know, I screwed up again, Jillie,” Howie laughed, knowing he’d eventually get Keveney to change her mind.
“Wan Mama!”
“Me, too!”
“No Dada! Me Mama--”
“I was just getting her juice cup,” Keveney scorned with a laugh as she interrupted the father-daughter bickering after returning a few moments later. She bent down to perch herself at the side of the pool, allowing her long legs to dangle freely in the cool water. She then leaned to give Jillian her juice cup, smiling as the little girl sucked greedily and wiggled her fingers at her mother to be held. “Can’t let her get dehydrated.”
“More like you can let yourself get pregnant,” Howie teased good-naturedly, wading toward the side of the pool so Jillian could crawl into Keveney’s lap before she fussed even louder. Once she seemed settled, Howie leaned forward to capture Keveney in a loving kiss, allowing his tongue to gently run against the bottom of her lip.
“And ruin this fantastic figure?” Keveney snorted playfully, unable to stop smiling at his tender kisses. “I don’t think so--”
“Damn straight!” AJ suddenly whistled as a series of flashes exploded between Howie, Keveney, and Jillian. He actually bounced on the heels of his feet before crouching down, angling the camera in such a fashion to capture all the fine curves of Keveney’s sweet body.
“NICK!” Stevie screeched.
“What are you idiots doing?” Howie groaned as he glanced toward Brian and Stevie to see Nick attacking them with a camera as well while Stevie attempted to pull Brian on her body as a shield.
“Well… Honestly?” AJ grinned sheepishly, continuing to focus his expensive camera at Keveney.
“Bluntly is more your style,” Keveney suggested as Jillian buried her face against Keveney for protection from her scary uncle. She briefly leaned to kiss the top of Jillian’s head, rubbing the little girl’s bare back as she shifted to fall into her father’s arms while AJ closed in on Keveney.
“We’re not getting enough profit for t-shirt sales, so Nick and I wanted to make some extra dough with Ebay. Only, his dirty underwear can only get us so far… Especially with that lovely chocolaty coating on the back. So we thought bikini clad Backstreet Girlfriends would give us more of a profit--”
Howie immediately frowned with protectiveness, “You need to get--”
“Half of the profit?” Keveney suddenly interrupted. “Do I get half the profit?”
“Will you take your top off?” AJ egged.
“Sure--”
“KEVENEY MARIE MOORE!” Howie and Stevie hollered at the same time.
“We’ll get those later,” Keveney whispered to AJ with a playful wink, causing Howie to pull her into the pool.
