Chapter 21

The end of the tour arrives quicker than they all had anticipated, the time seemed to have flown past and Dot and Leah were going to be dealing with the press conference for their project on the same day as they guys were doing their last show. From the minute they met up for breakfast the atmosphere was different to previous shows, they were all excited but it was met with a mixture of relief that it was over but also sadness that after tonight they wouldn’t be performing together for a while. As the day goes on Dot and Leah leave to deal with the advertisement of their designs while the guys head to the stadium for sound check. The whole experience goes well for Dot and Leah and their clothing range has been well received which let them finish up and get to the stadium in time for the end of the show before they headed to the party afterwards.


The show was once again electric with the guys giving it their all for the last night. By time they were due to leave the stadium for the party everyone was ready for a good time and they all squeezed into the cars that were waiting for them. Arriving at the club, they all seated themselves around a large table near the back of the room and arranged for champagne to be sent over to celebrate the end of the tour and the success of Dot and Leah’s work. With the alcohol flowing it wasn’t long before everyone started to get a little drunk and Leah was taken by surprise when Richie lifted her off the chair and onto the dance floor for a dance. It wasn’t just her who was shocked by it as she looked over Richie’s shoulder to see the faces at the table stare in a combination of shock and amazement which made Leah laugh as she started to dance with him. “So you know that house I was looking at in Sedona? Well I got the keys today and I was wondering if you’d like to go down there with me for a while until Josh’s wedding?” Richie whispered in her ear as they danced. “Of course I will,” Leah accepted his offer without any hesitation. After an awkward start to their relationship, they had come a long way. Most days when they had some time off from work they would be inseparable but it didn’t cause any problems with the guys who had all decided that they were good for each other. Leah had been taken in as part of the family. After hearing her answer Richie lifted her into the air and twirled on the spot much to Leah’s amusement and embarrassment, before they went back to the table to tell the others about his new house.


Stepping off the plane in Arizona, Richie and Leah made their way to the car that was waiting for them. It was an uncomfortable journey due to the heat and they were both glad to get out of the car when it pulled up outside a beautiful house. The heat in the car had distracted her so much she never bothered to look out the window and take in the sights around her. Standing outside the house at the top of a hill they could see for miles around them, the giant sandstone formations creating a breathtaking view. “Still convinced the sea view is better?” Richie asked her after watching her take in the area around her. “Well it is much nicer than I expected, but to compare this to the sea isn’t possible,” Leah grinned not wanting to give Richie the satisfaction of gloating about having a view like this from every room in his house after she made such a big deal of living somewhere far from the sea. Richie shook his head and laughed at her reply knowing exactly what she was doing. Together they entered the house and investigated the place room by room. It really was a beautiful house.


After they unpacked and rearranged things the way they wanted they made a start on dinner together. They made a great team as all the food was cooked and prepared without any problems and Richie set the table on the balcony for them to eat at. When Leah brought the food out she was amazed at the trouble he had went through just to set up a table. The balcony had been cordoned off by beautiful red curtains so that it appeared that the balcony wasn’t part of the room but standing on its own so they could be entirely alone, surrounding them was a well laid out selection of candles which made it look so romantic. Leah praised him for the work he had done before they began to eat. As the sun set over the sandstone formations and the night grew darker, the candles really came to life and they spent the whole night talking. It was the first time she had experienced Richie’s song writing too, as they sat together he would play her various songs he had written and had also put together bits of new songs that were in progress. It was then that Leah realised that she really loved him. As the sun began to rise, he was playing his guitar and looking like he had the first time she saw him play when she thought he had gone to another place while playing. He looked so at peace with everything around him. She was surprised when she realised he had stopped playing but instead was looking at her the way she had been watching him. It was then that he said the words “I love you.” Leah smiled at him and felt tears of happiness well up in her eyes as she replied, “I love you too.” Holding each other close they watched the sun rise over the sandstone formations, creating an astonishing view all around them.