Page 78 of Love is a Harmony
“Melanie.” She didn’t stop running until she flung herself onto the lounger and into Melanie’s arms. “You came back.”
He saw it in Melanie’s eyes then. Guilt. “I didn’t mean to leave you.”
Dax stepped out, his eyes widening when he caught sight of Melanie sitting with Noah.
Noah let his hands fall from around Melanie. “Hey, mate, I’d have come picked her up.”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. We were out.”
“We got crepes.” Stella smiled, and Noah relaxed, thankful to Dax for bringing out the expression.
“Crepes?” He looked to Dax. “The nearest French bakery is like a half hour away.”
“She asked for them.”
Melanie turned and met Noah’s gaze. They were both thinking the same thing. Stella had claimed another victim. It seemed even the stoic Dax wasn’t immune to her.
“Thanks for watching her last night.”
Stella got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Dax’s legs. “Can I come again?”
Dax’s brow creased, and his cheeks flushed. “Uh, yeah, of course.” He obviously didn’t know what to do with her affection.
Noah suppressed a laugh at Dax’s bewilderment as Stella released him and turned back to Melanie, ignoring Noah. He felt very much like a fourth wheel here, and he was okay with that.
“We played board games and had ice cream. It was so much fun.”
Noah lifted a brow but didn’t comment on how late it must have meant Stella stayed up. She deserved fun. Starting in January, she’d have to go to a new school in a country she barely knew.
Melanie smiled. “Sounds like fun.” She turned her smile on Dax. “You’re good with her.”
His face reddened all the way to the tips of his ears. He removed his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt. “Oh no, I don’t know how to relate to a kid.”
“Seems to me like you did just fine.”
Dax looked uncomfortable at the compliment. Everyone in Rockstars Anonymous saw Melanie as their superior, almost like a teacher or a mother hen.
Well, everyone except Noah.
Dax’s eyes shifted from Melanie to Noah and back again, but he wouldn’t ask. If it had been Drew or Ben, they’d have made ten different comments by now.
Noah had no illusions about privacy though. Now that Dax knew, and Jo—sort of—the entire group would. It was how they worked, how they bonded. No secrets.
Placing a kiss on Melanie’s shoulder, Noah climbed out from behind her and faced Dax. “Jo and I were just talking about you this morning.”
“Jo?” His eyes widened.
Interesting. Noah suppressed a smirk and only nodded instead. “She made me promise to invite you here for Christmas.” Jo would murder him for saying that, but Noah had a theory to test.
“I couldn’t impose. J-Jo… she doesn’t really want me here. I mean, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
This time, Noah didn’t hide his smirk. Dax was nervous talking about Jo. Even more interesting.
Stella reached for Dax’s hand. “Please come.”
Dax looked down at her like he’d already lost the battle. His shoulders dropped. “What can I bring?”
“That’s the spirit!” Noah clapped him on the back and led him inside to give him the specifics.
