Laid Bare - Lauren Dane [86]
Adrian grabbed her wrist as she started to leave, to stay her. “I’ll walk you out, Jeremy.”
“Come on, you guys want to see the studio?” she asked Ben and Todd. Ben’s eyes lit up as he nodded.
She led them down the spiral staircase and through the doors into what she considered the heart of the house. She’d slept on the couch in the corner more times than she could count.
“Is everything all right?” Todd asked quietly.
“Yeah. It was hard for him, but he needed to see it. He’ll be all right.”
“This is amazing!” Ben looked around.
“It is, isn’t it? We’ve done the last two CDs here. There’s some postproduction stuff we’ve had to go down to LA to do a time or two, but I’d way rather record here. Once we recorded in New Orleans, which was awesome. But the studio was destroyed by Katrina. The new space is nice, I hear.”
“It’s not haunted though,” Adrian said as he joined them. “The old one was magical. I was down in the new space to do some work with Mia Long, it’s not the same. Ben, I don’t think we’ve officially met, although we’ve seen each other in passing.” Adrian offered a hand and Ben took it. “You two want to hear a track or two? Top secret and stuff?”
“No, it’s okay! They don’t need to.” Erin wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, but Todd and Ben were important to her.
“They want to.” Ben rolled his eyes. “We’d love to,” he said to Adrian, and Todd put his arm around her shoulders.
Todd listened to the tracks and fell for her all over again. Adrian did the singing—it was his CD after all—but she did backing vo cals. He recognized the lyrics, knowing she’d written them a few months back.
He hadn’t much liked the way Jeremy had looked at her, but he’d liked the way she’d looked back. Like a woman who cared about the guy but not at all the way she looked at Todd.
She blushed as she stood in his arms.
“This is amazing. This CD is going to fly off the shelves,” Ben said to Adrian. “And you, that’s some top-notch songwriting.” He had turned to Erin and she grinned.
“I totally agree. I can’t wait to hear this stuff live. The Gorge in the spring will be great,” Adrian said.
“Long as it doesn’t rain and shock me over and over. I hate that.” Adrian laughed, and Todd and Ben listened as the siblings began to trade stories about touring and recording. Todd liked their connection. Brody’s connection to her was more paternal than brotherly. He had a way of taking her in hand that would have seemed dangerous coming from anyone else. But she and Adrian were friends as well as siblings.
Adrian had voiced his concerns to Todd some weeks before. Had laid it out that Erin needed stability and a man who loved her and would protect her while understanding she didn’t need managing. He saw Todd as a man who would protect her but worried that Todd would try to control her, even if it was done for her own good.
That sort of honesty was refreshing and Todd had reassured Adrian he respected Erin as a whole person and understood she’d never allow anyone to manage her anyway.
They’d reached a place Todd liked to think was that of friends, and he appreciated her connection to her family.
“Can you guys stay for dinner? Brody and Raven are going to swing by when he’s done with his last client.” Adrian led them back upstairs. “I’ve got salmon and steaks for the grill.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Can you guys swing it?” She turned to Ben and Todd, who both nodded.
Todd took another step into her life, one more in a series that brought them closer each day. And Ben was there too, which meant something to him and Erin both, he knew.
26
They left Adrian’s well after midnight. Ben had enjoyed watching Erin with her brothers and her friend Raven. She was softer with them, less guarded. He liked that side of her. Raven freaked him out a little and he could tell Todd wasn’t a big fan either. She was free-spirited like Erin, but far more so. Brody was totally