"Hang on; let me grab a tissue, because that heartwarming sentiment might lead me to think you were crushing on me. Wait, has being around a real man like me caused you to rethink the whole lesbian thing?"
"And . . . you wrecked it. Get the flowers and don't be late." She hung up.
I laughed and some of my tension drained out. Dealing with the flowers? Right up my alley. As a former manwhore, I had several flower shops on speed dial.
• • •
I forced myself to stay away from the school until twenty minutes before the program started. While I'd gotten the ball rolling on Camp Step-Up, the credit for its success didn't belong to me at all. Astrid and Dallas were the real stars.
I parked by the back entrance and opened up the back of my Hummer. After I hauled the flowers backstage, I peeked through the curtain. The entire café-torium was packed. The front row had a RESERVED sign. I managed to snag Astrid's attention the fourth time she hustled past me. "The flowers are in the back corner."
She hugged me. "Thank you, thank you. Seriously."
"Who is handing them out?" Please say me so I can stay back here.
"Jaxson. During your speech and while you're introducing the staff after the program."
Panic slammed into me as hard as a hit from J. J. Watt. "You did not tell me I'd be speaking tonight, Astrid."
"Mr. Lund. Camp Step-Up is your LCCO project and your responsibility. During football season you do at least two national press conferences a week. Millions of people watch you on TV. Why is speaking in front of a hundred and fifty people-mostly children-putting that fear in your eyes?"
Because this time it matters. All the people who matter the most to me in the entire world are here tonight and I don't want to fuck up.
"You rock at on-the-fly adjustments, Rocket," she said with a smirk. "You'll be fine. Just follow your playbook."
"Hilarious." I pointed to the reserved seats in the front row. "Are you sitting out there?"
She shook her head. "I'm back here the whole performance. That's for you. Now shoo. I'm busy."
I killed another ten minutes moving my car. When I reached the front entrance and heard the excited din, my hand automatically went up to adjust the ball cap . . . that wasn't there. Dammit. Maybe I should grab the extra one out of my workout bag.
Or maybe everyone already knows who you are and you should just take your seat so the program can get started.
A firm hand swept across my shoulders.
Two weeks I'd been without her touch.
Everything inside me settled and I could breathe again.
Rowan rested her head on my biceps. "You okay, big guy?"
"Antsy. Is Calder nervous? Does he get stage fright?"
She laughed softly. "Are you kidding? The boy is in his element. I'm more worried he'll deviate from the program and perform a dance solo."
"I'd be okay with that."
"The other parents wouldn't be." She squeezed my shoulder. "Calder was thrilled about the voice mail. Thanks for letting him know you were thinking about him. It was important to him."
"He's important to me." I angled my neck to kiss the top of her head. "You're both important to me. You've jumped to the top of my newly created list of life priorities."
"Jens-"
"I love you," I murmured into her hair. "Most days I don't know what the hell to do with it, but it's there. Every day. Without fail."
She slid her hand from my shoulder and lightly punched my kidney. "Don't you dare make me cry before this performance even starts, Jensen Bernard Lund."
I froze. "Where did you hear my middle name?"
"From your mother. But I don't believe her claim that she named you that because you weighed as much as a full-grown Saint Bernard when you were born." She nudged me. "Go take your seat. The show starts in five minutes."
I forced her to meet my gaze. "Aren't you sitting with me?"
"Nope. I'm in the back with my parents."
"No, you're in the front with me. You have the very best seat in the house to video every moment of Calder's performance."
Her eyes searched mine. "That's not fair to the other parents who were here earlier than me."
I got nose to nose with her. "They wouldn't even be sitting in the audience if not for you bringing the need for this camp to LCCO's attention. This time, baby, you get the perks because you deserve it. Now are you walking up there on your own steam? Or am I dragging you?"
When it appeared she intended to argue, I snagged her hand. "Suit yourself. We'll play it that way."