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Spring marked the release of Josh’s third record and the beginning of yet another long tour. As I packed my suitcase Claire crawled into the bedroom and pulled herself up to a stand next to the bed. I glanced down at her, her white blonde curls crowned the top of her head.
“What are you doing?” I asked her. She banged her fists on the mattress and muttered something unintelligible. “Well glad you’re having a good time doing it. Where’s your da-da?” I folded a pair of khakis and put them in the suitcase.
“Da-da.” She repeated. “Da-da, da-da.” She flopped down onto the floor and crawled back out of the room. I continued on my task until I heard Claire shouting at the head of the stairs. “Da-da!” She called. “Da-da!!” As I headed towards the stairway I saw Josh coming up the stairs.
“I heard someone calling my name.” He said and picked her up. She threw her little arms around his neck and lay her head on his shoulder.
“Da-da.” She sighed. I smiled.
“Someone adores her daddy.” I said. He placed his free hand on her back and squeezed her.
“Her daddy loves her.” He said meeting me halfway down the hall. He leaned down and kissed me lightly. “How close are you to being done?” We walked back into the bedroom and as I continued on my task of packing Josh lay Claire down on the bed and when she tried to flip over and crawl away he caught her and lay her back down where he began to tickle her and blow onto her tummy. She giggled. “Da-da!” She cried and pulled at his hair. He pretended to bite her legs and she squealed with delight. “Da-da, no!!!!” She screamed yet he continued. I rolled up the shirt I had in my hands and snapped him right on his ass with it. As he stood and yelped in pain Claire flipped over and crawled to the end of the bed where she turned around and slid down the side. He turned to me, his brows furrowed.
“I guess it’s your turn now …” He said as he stalked me slowly. I threw down the shirt, giggled and tried to get away. He caught me right before I made it to the door. I struggled to get away but he threw me over his shoulder and threw me down on the bed where he pulled up my shirt and began to blow on my belly. I giggled and pulled at his head.
“Daddy!” I squealed. “Stop!!” He bit my sides and then worked his way up to my neck where he sucked at it and nipped me. I tried pushing at him but he held my arms down. Claire appeared again on the side of the bed, a frown on her little face.
“Da-da!” She scolded. “No, no!” He growled and wrapped his arms around me pulling me close.
“Claire! Daddy has to spank Mommy now, she’s been a bad girl.” He said and flipped me over onto my stomach.
“No you don’t!” I protested.
“Bad girl.” Claire repeated and then giggled as Josh spanked my bottom. I giggled and kicked my feet. He pulled my jeans down and bit my butt.
“Hey!” I screamed. “That hurt!” He lay down on top of me. “Oh gawd, now you’re going to crush me!” He ground his hips into me and I could tell he was excited and wanted some action. “Oh,” I said into my pillow. “I see why you’re doing this.” He got up and I turned over then pulled him back down on top of me. He kissed me long and hard as Claire toddled up toward us.
“Ma-ma.” She said making an attempt to stick her fingers in my mouth. Josh growled at her and sucked her fingers into his mouth. She squealed and pulled them out. He tried to kiss me erotically again this time sliding his hands up my shirt. He moaned as he kissed me and felt me up but with Claire pulling at wisps of his hair he stopped and lay his head down on my chest and then he giggled.
“Well I guess there’s no having sex with baby around.” He sighed, resigned to it and pulled himself off of me. I sighed too, I wanted it. I got up and when I was finished packing my suitcase went and packed Claire’s. Josh wasn’t going anywhere without us and there was no way I would let him go for that long either. He kept her busy with toys while I finished up and then I changed her into pajamas. Josh was lounging on the couch in the family room, TV on, beer in hand when I entered the room with Claire in tow.
“Ni-night time Daddy.” I said. He set down the beer and held his arms out to her. She slid into them easily.
“No ni-night?” She said questioningly rubbing his cheek with her hand. He turned his head and kissed her fingers.
“Sorry baby girl, bed time. We have to get up early to go on a trip.” He kissed her little lips. “But Daddy loves you.” She snuggled him, her arms tightening around his neck when I went to take her from him.
“Let’s go Claire, bed time.” She held on tightly.
“No, ma-ma. Da-da.” He grinned at me. He loved the fact that she adored him and tried never to let him out of her sight.
“I’ll put her to bed.” Josh said and smooched her plump cheek before heading up the stairs, Claire giggling all the way.
“Fine.” I said and turned towards the kitchen. I opened a bottle of raspberry flavored water and snuggled up on the couch. I grabbed the remote for the TV and started flipping through channels. Josh came back down the stairs a short time later wearing a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. I raised an eyebrow at him as he went the long way around the back of the couch and walked in front of me to sit. I pretended to ignore him and kept flipping channels. He finally grabbed the remote from my hand and tossed it behind him then lunged at me. He pushed me back on the couch and kissed me passionately.
“Oh baby.” He moaned. “It’s hard to get it on with her around.” I giggled.
“Yeah, it is. But you’d better get used to it. She’s not going anywhere anytime real soon.” He sat up on his knees and pulled my shirt up over my head.
“I’ll just have to ravage you when she’s sleeping then.” He said and went for my neck.
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It was exciting being on the road again after almost a year. It was better this time being with Josh as his wife and joined by our daughter. I still helped Cassie cart him around to personal appearances and interviews. On the eve of the first concert of the tour Josh was so nervous that he began to get sick to his stomach and at one point nearly threw up. I set Claire on the floor of his changing room and went into the bathroom by him where he was rinsing his face with cool water.
“Honey,” I began, rubbing his back. “Are you okay?” He hung his head down.
“Yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong. My stomach is churning.” I reached up and felt his forehead, he felt a normal temperature.
“You don’t have a fever. Could it just be nerves?” He shrugged.
“Why would it be? It’s not like this is my first concert not to mention all the appearances I did while I was making the recording.” He leaned back against the sink and sighed. Claire walked in unsteadily and held onto his legs. He rubbed her head gently. “Hi little girl.” He said. She pulled at his pant legs.
“Up.” She said. He leaned down and scooped her into his arms. She pinched his nose. He wrinkled it up and pulled free of her grasp. She giggled. He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him burying his face in my neck. The three of us hugged for a few moments and then Josh stood. He took a deep breath then paced the room carrying Claire. The stage manager poked his head into the room. “Fifteen minutes.” He said. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler and cracked it open.
“Trade me.” I said holding the bottle out to him. He gave me Claire, took the bottle and chugged. “Be careful.” I said. “Don’t irritate your stomach.” He capped the bottle and set it down on the table. He stood straight again and breathed in.
“I think I feel a little better.” He said and smiled weakly. When it was five minutes until show time we headed out to the backstage area. Claire and I had a small area where we could see the whole stage and we waited there while Josh did some last minute preparations with the other band members. All at once the lights went down and the crowd roared. Right before he was to go on stage he stopped by and first kissed Claire’s and then my forehead.
“Feeling okay?” I asked quickly. He nodded and walked swiftly away. He performed magnificently and after the show he seemed like he was back to the old Josh. Later, when we finally settled onto the bus and Claire was sleeping in a specially made crib next to our bed in the back of the bus, Josh told me that he was sure it was just nerves and that as soon as he went out on stage and began to sing he felt great. I asked him how great. He winked at me and pulled me into bed.
“Let me show you.” He said.
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It was no more then two weeks later when I woke up in the middle of the night. We were traveling through the Midwest after a show in Ohio. My head throbbed and my belly ached. I sat up in bed and held my face in my hands. Nausea swept through me. I got up and headed for the bathroom quickly. Oh God, I thought, please don’t let me get sick on this bus. I never did throw up but there was no sleeping for me with the back and forth movements of the bus and the feel of the road underneath. When we finally pulled to a stop at the next venue, Claire and I headed out to a nearby store where I purchased a pregnancy test. I had a feeling that when I started getting the headache and the nausea that I might be pregnant again. While Josh attended the sound check I was peeing on a stick and waiting for an answer. I joined Josh in the venue with Claire in tow. When he was finished I approached him and handed him the baby. He took her and headed for the dressing room.
“Come on Teddy, I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.” I reached for his hand and pulled him to a stop. “What? What is it?” He asked turning to me. I smiled.
“Umm …” I began timidly. “Guess what?”
~~*~~ THE END ~~*~~
