Chapter 1

The sun shone brightly on that beautiful spring day. Its rays reflected off the surface of the pool, making the water sparkle like sapphires.

Brian adjusted his sunglasses as he leaned back against his chaise lounge, trying to absorb as much sunlight as he could. “This is the life,” he said to his wife, Leighanne, when she walked over in her bikini, handing him a freshly-blended frozen margarita that she had whipped up in their backyard tiki bar.

“I know,” she said with a sigh, settling into the chair next to his. She took a sip of her own drink and smacked her lips with satisfaction. “I hope you never have to go back on tour. I love being quarantined with you.”

He smiled over at her. “Thanks, baby. You know how much I love being home with you and Bay.”

The other guys in the group were probably going stir-crazy after being cooped up at home since the COVID-19 pandemic had led to the cancellation of their last concert in Brazil and the postponement of their planned tour dates in Australia and North America. But, of all the Backstreet Boys, Brian had always been the biggest homebody. He didn’t mind having extra time off to spend with his wife and son at home in their beautiful Georgia mansion.

He sipped his margarita, watching Baylee wrangle a big yellow duck pool float over the rim of the glass. He couldn’t believe his son was almost eighteen. Baylee was following in his footsteps, making a name for himself as a country musician, and Brian couldn’t have been prouder.

“We sure are blessed, aren’t we, baby?” he added as he set his drink down and leaned over to give his wife a peck on the cheek.

Leighanne turned her face toward his at the last minute, stealing a kiss on the lips from him instead. “We sure are,” she murmured, slipping her tongue into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer to her. He deepened the kiss, running his hands up and down the leathery hide of her bare back. “Not in front of our son,” she whispered as his fingers fumbled with the tie of her string bikini top. It was too bad Baylee was right across the pool; Brian would have loved to take it off her and do a little skinny-dipping.

“Tonight,” he whispered back with a seductive wink. He was a lucky man to have landed such a gorgeous, large-breasted woman. They had built a beautiful life together. After almost twenty years of marriage, it seemed nothing could come between them.

Leighanne giggled against his lips as her hands moved along his muscular arms. She was massaging his shoulders when she suddenly stopped and pulled away. “Husband?” she asked, frowning as her fingers prodded a spot on his right shoulder. “What’s this lump?”

Brian looked down at his sun-baked skin, not yet knowing his charmed life was about to change.

***