Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Jake’s smile dimmed and he looked more grown up and irritated than Seamus had ever seen him. “It doesn’t always have to be your job, Dad. Especially if you let us help too.” He chewed on his lip. “Or if you had someone to take care of you while you were taking care of everyone else.”
Fiona sniffled and Seamus caught a glimpse of her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “Your son is an angel, old man. I love this job.”
Seamus kept his eyes on Jake’s. He was so damn proud. “You’re right, Jake. Thank you for doing this for me. For taking care of me. It’s more than any man deserves. I’m incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful family.”
“It wasn’t just me, Dad,” Jake started.
Hugo Wayne interrupted him. “Is that him? Sweet Jesus.”
“I told you he was hot,” Fiona sang from her perch.
Thoreau whistled. “They moved all the cars already. I was wondering if they could set it up fast enough, but where there’s a will, right?”
Seamus froze when he heard the music blasting in from the street and heard his family murmuring excitedly as they headed for the door.
Is that him?
It couldn’t be.
He looked over at Fiona, afraid to turn around. She’d pulled Jake over to her and started dancing with him, all the while watching Seamus with a knowing expression that made his heart drop into his stomach.
“Guess what else your son did?” She winked at Jake, as if proud of him. “Beauty’s back.”
Bellamy.
“What exactly did you do, Jake? Is it as bad as it sounds behind me?” he asked his son softly.
“Probably worse.” Jake was laughing at him. “He said you might freak out but I promised you wouldn’t. That we’d get you here and talk to you first. It’s so cool, Dad. Go and see.”
Fiona shook her head. “Lit, Jake. Something like this? You say it’s lit. Even a genius needs to keep up with his slang.”
Seamus could feel his hands shaking when he pushed himself off the bar stool and turned around.
His parking lot had been turned into a circus.
Not a circus. An end-of-summer thing.
What the hell was happening right now? He saw t-shirt vendors and food stalls and beer—fuck, his beer was everywhere. The bottles with the new logo he and Thoreau had worked on looked great, and people were lining up for it. How did they do this in a week?
Where is he?
He was scanning the crowd when his mother grabbed his arm.
“He’s on stage,” she said, her voice raised to carry over the blaring music. “I think I’m going to faint, Seamus. Don’t tell your father. He’s already jealous.”
That distracted him enough to look down at her ruddy cheeks. Dad was jealous? “Mom? Are you okay?”
She looked at him the way Penny looked at the ponies. “It’s him, Seamus. I didn’t know your boyfriend knew him.”
The stage had been set up on a giant flatbed trailer covered in speakers, and yes, a short, bearded man that looked a lot like the singer his mother idolized was at a piano surrounded by his band.
And then he saw Bellamy smiling down at him from the center of the stage, and the rest of the insanity was forgotten.
You may be right
I may be crazy
Oh but it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for
Seamus started laughing. He couldn’t stop. Adrenaline, relief and joy were making him lightheaded. This was absolutely ridiculous. It was a cheesy, romantic over-the-top fucking fairy tale, and it had been plopped down right in front of his bar by his son, his family and Bellamy Demir.
And if it all disappeared right now, it wouldn’t matter as long as Bellamy stayed.
He’d come back. Again. No matter how many times Seamus pushed him away, no matter how little sense it made, the man would not give up.
He forced his legs to move when Bellamy lowered himself off the stage, and finally they were face to face, the crowd dancing around them.
Bellamy was staring at him as if they were the only two people on the planet. He always looked at him like that. “I missed those eyes, gorgeous.”
“I love you,” Seamus said, moving closer to be heard before he lost his nerve. “I know I’m an idiot and I come with a lot of ba—”
The crowd cheered even louder as Bellamy grabbed Seamus, dipped him in his arms and kissed his fucking socks off.
Seamus wanted them all to go away. He wanted to be back in the basement covered in baby oil. He wanted to be…anywhere he could be alone with Bellamy, damn it.
When he lifted his lips, Seamus moaned, trying to pull himself together enough to speak coherently. “How did you get him to show up?”
“The entertainer? Those people I pay said your mother loves him.” Bellamy pulled him close and buried his face in his neck. “So I doubled down.”