Page 17 of Love is a Harmony
I’m afraid I have another scandal for you, brother. Rock star Noah Clarke has a secret child. Only, she’s not so secret, and she’s not yours. I’m just guessing at the gossip headlines.
Just like the first time he’d read the words. Noah couldn’t breathe.
You’re the only family Stella has that I trust with her life. Well, other than Nan, but I doubt she wants to raise a kid. I know you’ll take care of her for me. She’s going to miss me. My girl and I are best friends. She’s my favorite person on this earth. She likes to laugh, so make sure she does that often. Please, brother, never let her feel alone in this world. I had you growing up, and now she will too.
But there’s one more thing. I know what your life is like. I don’t want her thrown into a bachelor rock star’s world. And this is your out. If you can’t fulfill this request, her custody goes to Mathieu, my other family. I want Stella to have two parents, something I’d never been able to give her.
Noah stopped reading. He couldn’t look at the last paragraph again, not after the crater it carved in his heart. His brother sure knew him. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe he really thought Noah would be able to fulfill the stipulation. After all, Carson certainly hadn’t expected to die a mere year after he wrote the letter.
Noah wiped a tear off the page and pushed himself from the floor. He walked to the window that looked across at the neighboring house, a shadow in the night.
None of this was supposed to happen. His brother wasn’t supposed to die, to leave that girl in his hands. What did he know about kids? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been around them. When Jo announced she was pregnant, all of Rockstars Anonymous claimed they were going to be dads, but the truth was, it terrified Noah that his best friend would have a crying, pooping, very breakable baby.
Was a little girl that different?
Six. She was six. He had no idea what a six year old knew, what they did. What did they eat?
Melanie would know. She had to. At that thought, a laugh popped out of him. He didn’t know much about Melanie’s personal life, but she wasn’t exactly the nurturing kind with her pressed suits and sterile office.
Yet, he’d asked her to come as if she had all the answers.
He checked the time, noting it was well past midnight, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not with Carson’s last words hanging over him.
Because, even though it terrified Noah, thinking of bringing a kid into his world, one thing scared him more.
Having to leave his own niece behind.
And that was exactly what Carson said he had to do if he couldn’t meet one stipulation.
Noah had to be able to offer Stella a stable home.
He needed to be married.
* * *
Noah didn’t get to sleep until about seven in the morning, so he groaned when his ringing phone woke him. His back ached from sleeping on the couch. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to go into the bedrooms.
The incessant ringing made his head ache more intensely.
Fumbling for where he’d left his phone on the arm of the couch, he answered it with a terse “What?”
“Whoa.” Jo chuckled. “Someone is grumpy today.”
Noah sat up and rubbed his face. “Maybe that’s because you woke me up.”
“Uh, isn’t London like eight hours ahead of L.A.? That means it’s… erm… two in the afternoon?”
Crap, really? That meant it was three in France. “What are you doing up so early?”
“It’s called preggers time. This sucker didn’t let me sleep, so I figured I’d call my other sucker. I didn’t expect you to actually answer.”
Three o’clock, and he hadn’t gone over to the Martins’ house. Did they think he’d left?
He sighed. “I’m sorry I haven’t called back, Joey. I’m a tosser.”
“Yes, you are, but it’s fine. You’ve forgotten about your favorite drummer, but don’t think I—”
“My brother died.” That shut her up.
