Sahara (A Night Fire Novel Book 3)

by Watkins, TM

  Jerry directed the band members to what he thought would make great photos for Abbey to take, I stood beside Frankie and watched. Abigail had her moment of self-doubt which I don't know what she wanted me to say to it. For Austin to suggest her it meant that she was good. He wouldn't want to build her up believing that she was some fantastic photographer when she was crap. But the results were amazing and when I took a glance as she flicked through the images, I understood why Austin was so eager to have her on the tour.

  “See, point and click.”

  Abigail looked at me a little unsure.

  “Yeah, sure Eden.”

  “I'm teasing.” I laughed.

  God, don't tease these people. They don't know how to take it. She stared at me for a few moments and it was like banging my head against a wall. Time to keep this moving otherwise we'd be standing here all morning.

  “Did you know they were talking about putting them into a book?”

  “No, Austin never mentioned it.”

  I smiled at her with one of my patented dark smiles and wandered back into the plane.

  When I got back to my seat, I settled Sahara into her carrier. She was now asleep and I wondered how she would go with the takeoff and landing. This was going to be her life for the next year, up and down like a yo-yo in this overpriced tin can.

  Fraser was at the cockpit door, talking to the captain. When Austin and Abigail entered the plane the stewardess shut the door and walked into the cockpit which made everyone frown. As Fraser walked back to the seating area I knew this was it. He was finally saying something. Not that it mattered now, it was only Jaxon and Jerry who didn't know.

  But the point of it was that he actually had to verbalize it. Everyone was seated except for him and as he stood there looking like he was about to pass out, I smiled just a little and rolled my hand to indicate that he needed to keep going.

  “Okay um. I got some stuff to say. Uh, well, Kev called and the test came back. She's mine and I'm going for full custody. And uh, this bet that you've all got going, well you're all wrong. Eden and I have been together for a week now.”

  “Yes we know that she's been living at your house.” Jerry said with a lot of confusion.

  “Uh, no. She's been living there for two weeks, since the night that Sahara was dumped on my doorstep. For the past week we've been..”

  “Oh my god.” Jaxon gasped feigned shock. “You defiled mommy two, you bastard.”

  Oh he defiled me alright. The dirty sod.

  “I think I need therapy.” he continued. “I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again. You've made me drink, in fact I think I need one now.”

  “Yeah great, you do that.”

  Fraser turned and thumped on the cockpit door. The stewardess swanned out of the cockpit and as Fraser returned to his seat beside me, Jaxon leaned forward.

  “So does this mean that you're not going to chase after the stewardess anymore?”

  Jaxon's eyes turned to the backside that was nearly pointed at him as the woman tended to the needs of the others. Fraser gripped my hand and kissed the back of it with a cheeky grin.

  “Nope, no longer interested.”

  Chapter Twenty

  First night on the tour and I was officially killing it. Okay so I had helpers but that didn't matter, right? Alright, it mattered. Abbey was always somewhere in the room, madly clicking her camera. She didn't hold discrimination to anyone or anything. If someone pushed a box of gear past her, she took the picture. Jaxon was roaming the dressing room in a pair of tighties, she got a view from the rear. One for the fan girls she had said in her defense. Frankie and I just looked at each other.

  Sahara was strapped into the baby carrier, sleeping against my chest with her pink ear muffs. Yes, Fraser had lucked out and got the ones with the skull motif on them. She was rocking it tonight, he'd found a pair of pink baby converse boots for her. They were several sizes too big for her but he didn't care, she had to have them in his opinion. A pair of jeans with a band shirt and she was like a mini rocker. Where he had found a shirt so tiny I don't know but Sahara was the first to wear an official Night Fire baby shirt.

  “Jaxon, put some clothes on please.”

  He grinned at me and said nothing, ignoring Curtis who was complaining about seeing too much and was now blinded. Sounds of complaints filled the air as Jaxon pulled on a pair of tight black jeans, the women on the lounge near him were now unhappy at losing their free view.

  “Eden Hurley?” A deep voice called out from the door.

  “Yep.”

  The stage manager looked at me and then the sleeping baby, saying nothing as he walked over.

  “Five minutes.”

  His eyes glazed around the room, there were three women in this room that should be here, the rest were not.

  “The leeches are distracting them.”

  “Backstage isn't my department sweetheart, you need to find Cal Fredrick and tell him to deal with them. Five minutes.”

  He turned around and walked out, I scowled at the back of the man and then huffed.

  “Right ladies, looks like we're dealing with this ourselves. Abbey I want you to search out this Cal Fredrick and tell him that you've got some evictions that need to happen right now.”

  “On it.”

  As she bustled out of the room I turned to Frankie.

  “You deal with the easy ones, get them moving and make sure they're ready to go. I'll deal with Jaxon and Evan.”

  She jutted her head at Curtis who knew he had to get going anyway. Sobriety meant that he was on the ball with his life. Fraser lived his life being ready, the only thing that slowed him down these days was Sahara. Austin was a little slower at moving around but it didn't really matter. All he had to do was get dressed and walk out the door.

  No, the battle was the two that were sitting in a sea of glittering and barely-there clothes on the over inflated chests and faces that had far too much make-up on. I watched Evan and Jaxon, picking Evan first.

  “Okay, time to get up.”

  I tossed his shirt at him and earned a scowl from the woman on his lap, mostly because the shirt had landed on her face.

  “Get off him, he has a job to do.”

  “Eden.”

  Abigail had done a brilliant job, finding this Cal Fredrick in record time.

  “Cal, these ladies need to be escorted to wherever it was that they came from. If they have tickets send them back to the stadium, if they don't then kick them out.”

  “Yes ma'am.”

  They all huffed and followed him out of the room, Evan was off the lounge and getting ready in an instant. Distractions gone and he was good to go. Jaxon was engrossed in his phone now.

  “Come on Jaxon, get up or I will take that thing off you.”

  “No mommy two, I need my phone.”

  I took the opportunity of him being distracted in his phone to remove the bottle of vodka from between his legs, tipping it down the nearby sink.

  “Why did you take my bottle?”

  “You are about to go on stage, preferably not drunk.” I looked at the empty bottle. “How can you even drink this stuff straight?”

  Jaxon shrugged and got up from the lounge, finishing his dressing. I sighed and tossed the empty bottle into the bin. As the five of them walked out of the room I wondered if it would be difficult to do an intervention on the road. I'd have to organize his family to fly out to wherever we were, Evan's as well. They both needed drying out. I turned on my tablet and added it to my to do list, everything that I had to talk to Jerry about.

  I followed them through the maze that was the backstage area of the stadium. Last night at the promotional kick off gig I learned not to trust them to find their own way. The biggest distraction was the female kind. Even right now they were distracting, Curtis was searching for a belly on Frankie while kissing her. Austin was talking to Abbey as she took a few photos, stopping to enjoy the affection he would give her. Even Fraser was distracted, ki
ssing Sahara on her chubby cheek.

  The crowd roared with delight, Evan and Jaxon were the first to walk onto the stage. It was loud enough to wake Sahara even though she had the ear muffs on. Austin and Abbey walked out onto the stage, Abbey staying in the shadows to take photos. The crowd got louder as he walked out, Curtis soon after.

  “You'd better get out there papa bear. Have a good one.”

  Fraser grinned at me and as his hands found my hips he kissed me hard. A promise for later summed up in one gesture. He pulled away leaving me bereft of his touch and desperate for more.

  “Oh I've seen that look before.” Frankie hummed with delight. “Somebody's in love.”

  Surely it wasn't possible, not after only knowing him for a few weeks. I looked at Frankie, she was the epitome of falling in love way too fast. She'd only been around for a few days more than I had been but already she was married and pregnant and yes, she loved Curtis. Maybe it was possible.

  I smiled at Frankie and returned to the quiet green room. Well less noisy that is. The crowd and the band were trying to outdo each other. Sahara settled into her stroller well, continuing to sleep now that the sounds were muffled. Opening the email program I quickly flicked through the non-essential items and found the one that I was looking for.

  I'd introduced myself as the band's assistant rather than Fraser's love interest. I'd asked if she was interested in meeting up with Fraser when we went through Utah. And I'd mentioned that he needed his family even if it did bring up a lot of painful memories. Fraser was about to go into therapy, he needed support everywhere he could find it. I took a deep breath and prayed that this would be positive as I opened the email from Mirabelle.

  Eden,

  Your email surprised me at first but I suppose I should have thought that there would be a time when his world would collapse around him.

  I often think of Fraser and wonder how he is doing. Not what I see in the magazines or on the internet but how he is coping underneath the false bravado that he puts on. It pains me to think that he is suffering, a pain I understand unfortunately. I am only ever a phone call away yet I do not hear from him. But contacting loved ones is a two way street and I am guilty of neglect as well.

  You said that he was going into therapy and I am happy to hear this. This kind of pain will never go away but learning to cope will be what helps him in his future. I have often thought of contacting a professional but the stigma attached to it is sometimes hard to deal with. But if my brave Fraser can do it while in the public eye, then surely his dear old aunt Mira can too.

  I would love to see Fraser and the boys again and of course, you too. Someone who cares for such trifle family matters is surely worthy of a moment in time, maybe even a lifetime? I wonder if you are the lass that was at the awards ceremony with the boys? Something inside tells me that it is true, I did notice my Fraser's attention was rather... shall we say, preoccupied?

  Forgive my delay in writing to you, after much thought and of course, perusing the itinerary for the band I contemplated my next step. Please do not think that it was out of hesitation, I wanted to source some viable options for moving forward with Fraser. I know that there was the option to see everyone before the tour started but I could not begin to think of returning to that house.

  I must confess Eden, I have been a little naughty in delaying this email. When I perused the itinerary I contemplated taking leave and having a holiday. I was hoping to incorporate seeing Fraser and touring through the many wondrous sites in Los Angeles.

  I will see you soon.

  Mirabelle.

  “Oh crap.” I gasped.

  Like I was stuck in some horror movie, my phone rang and scared the life out of me. It was an unknown number and I warily answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Eden Hurley?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Front gate security, we've got a Mirabelle Barlow asking for you. Her identification checks out and we've checked her over for any weapons, do you want me to send her in?”

  “Of course, have someone escort her to the green room please.”

  “Yes ma'am.”

  I ended the call and flopped back onto the lounge with a groan. What kind of a nightmare had I unleashed?

  Five minutes later a security guard was standing at the door, a middle aged woman behind him.

  “Eden Hurley?”

  I stood from the seat, nodding as my hands wiped over my skirt. The man nodded and walked away, leaving me with a pretty woman that looked like the one from the video. She had the same whiskey colored eyes as Fraser and the same brown hair. Her hair was pulled into a loose plait, draping over one shoulder.

  With a warm smile I closed the gap between us and held out my hand, the woman engulfed me in a hug.

  “Oh I knew it was you! My Fraser has great taste in women.”

  Yep, the ol' cheeks were red, blushing hard. I could hear Sahara waking, the soft yawn and kicking off her blanket. Mirabelle pulled away from me and looked to the stroller with curiosity.

  “Is this little darling yours?”

  “Not exactly.” I said as I shut the door.

  I walked over to the stroller and picked her up, removing the ear muffs. It was quieter with the door shut, not the kind of quiet that she was used to but it was sufficient. Mirabelle's face turned to happiness as I put Sahara into her arms.

  “Oh she is beautiful, which one of the boys does she belong to?”

  “Fraser.” I said softly. “Her name is Sahara Florence.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at me, the realization of how much her nephew needed her had just sunk in.

  Time passed quickly as we sat and talked, Mirabelle cuddled Sahara and regaled me with all of the crazy things that Fraser did when he was a kid. We were laughing and talking so much that I didn't realize that not only had several hours pass but the music had stopped as well. The door swung open, Jaxon was the first through. Shock hit him for a few seconds but then the old Jaxon was back with a mighty grin.

  “Aunt Mirri! Did you come to party with us?”

  “Oh darling Jaxon, you couldn't keep up with me even if you tried.”

  Behind him was Fraser, shocked when he saw his aunt sitting on the lounge beside me, his daughter in her arms.

  “Okay Jaxon.” I stood to my feet. “I think you and I need to discuss your alcoholism.”

  I dragged him out of the room, pulling the door shut. Fraser stopped me with an appreciative smile.

  “Thanks Eden.”

  “Anytime. I do it out of love Fraser.”

  “I know, I love you too.”

  Epilogue

  Fraser pushed me down the hall, urging me in an annoying way. It was difficult to move when Sahara was wrapped around one leg.

  “Come on girls, papa doesn't have all day.”

  Ignoring him I continued to do my limp walk down the corridor, the little arms around my leg were holding on for dear life. I looked down at those adorable eyes, like her father they were a bright whiskey color. Her hair had grown considerably, now forming soft ringlets that made her all the more adorable. She had been with us for almost ten months now and much to Fraser's disgust, I was the favorite.

  We stood outside the bedroom which had once been Tyler's room. The demons were laid to rest now due to a lot of intense therapy work with a brilliant doctor. Now the room was going to be Sahara's room and as part of the therapy, Fraser had turned it into something for his little girl.

  No one was allowed in, this was his pet project and he didn't want any interference. Getting the time to do it while on tour wasn't easy for him. Every opportunity to fly back for a few days was taken and now we were on hiatus while Frankie gave birth. We had been back two weeks now, expecting Frankie to drop bug at any moment but that little bugger was holding on. Frankie was waddling around like she was in permanent pain, the poor thing. I think she will be grateful to get bug out.

  Fraser pulled Sahara from my leg and into his arms,
she looked at him as she chewed on her dummy. We had tried to get rid of that damned thing but she was determined to keep it. Momma was working on her. Yep, I was officially her momma now, all contact with the vile creature that was her real mother was gone. Once Fraser and I married, he went and made it all legal with Kevin. Oh yes, we married. That promise ring lasted about a week before it was replaced with something that didn't remind him of his mother. He didn't regret giving it to me, he just didn't want to see it all the time. So now it was sitting in the jewelry box and when Sahara was old enough it would be hers.

  Six months of being in what Fraser had dubbed the limbo of the relationship world, we married. Yep, we did the Vegas thing but with family around us. So, it really wasn't a quickie wedding more like a planned and hurried wedding. Why so hurried? Well that was because the man that said let's wait until Sahara's out of nappies before we have a kid had managed to get me pregnant. Personally I think his boys somehow managed to shoot straight through the condom because this is the second time he's gotten someone pregnant while using them.

  “Papa's got something super awesome for you.”

  Little miss quiet said nothing. No giggles or gurgles, baby chatter or any other noises that she usually makes. Fraser fascinated her, especially his tattoos. I am positive that once she gets hold of pens she will be drawing on herself to be like her papa.

  Fraser pushed through the door, the smell of fresh paint hit us like a wave. He passed her over and moved across the room to open the window. As the smell dissipated I looked at the room in awe, he had done an amazing job. The walls were done in a soft pink, cream soft furnishings and dark wood furniture.

  Sahara struggled out of Fraser's arms when she saw the giant stuffed teddy on the floor. She got a few steps and then fell onto her bottom, crawling the rest of the way. Her father squatted next to her holding his hand out. She willingly gave over her dummy.