It took me all of ten minutes to feed the animals and get everything packed and ready to go. Mentally preparing myself for the fireworks, I opened the door and found … nothing. Had Pat taken Bodhi hostage? In a panic, I jogged to the main house. Slipping through the door unannounced, I was totally prepared to find Bodhi bound and gagged in her living room. Instead he was bent over the kitchen table signing an AnyDayNow collectible magazine.
Bodhi flicked his gaze to me when he noticed me standing there. “Hey, Breeze.”
“H-hi.” I took a couple steps. “What is happening here?”
“Girl, why didn’t you tell me you were harboring Bodhi Beckett in my granny flat?” Pat asked, her cheeks flushing pink with excitement. “Oh my goodness, this is the most thrilling day of my life. I’m just speechless!”
I cast a questioning glance in Bodhi’s direction.
“Turns out you were right,” he said with a smile. “The haircut isn’t foolproof, nor is the mask. Pat here is a big fan. She recognized me the second you shut the door.”
“I sure did,” she crowed. “You can’t fool old Pat. I’d know you anywhere. You’ve always been my favorite ‘Dayer’.”
Dayer…
Was my lumberjack landlord really using the tween terminology for the band? Apparently there was no age limit for idol worship. More importantly, was she aware of Bodhi’s missing in action status? No way was the fifty-eight-year-old fangirl going to keep her mouth shut about Bodhi’s whereabouts. Suddenly I had a bad feeling about our road trip. Pat’s favorite Dayer was about to get a one-way ticket back to La La Land.
“I’ve been crying all day thinking sweet Bodhi was killed in that terrible fire and then, as if by some miracle, he shows up at my house… my house, Breeze.”
“You’re the best,” Bodhi said, sliding the magazine in Pat’s direction as he laid on the charm and reduced my landlady to a pile of liquid goo.
It was an impressive show indeed. I’d never question his magnetism again.
Sidling to my side, he slipped a reassuring arm around my waist. “I told Pat how the band was keeping my whereabouts a secret from the news outlets until I could get safely home. She agreed to keep quiet and in return I promised to send her an AnyDayNow gift box in the mail with all the guys signing a personal message just for her.”
“Ohhh,” I said, sporting a fake ass smile that matched Bodhi’s. “What a wonderful offer. I’m so happy you two were able to meet, but we should probably hit the road now. You don’t want to keep the band waiting.”
Bodhi nodded, taking my landlady’s trembling hand in his and kissing the backside. “It’s been a pleasure.”
Pat’s body sagged under the weight of her giggles. “Isn’t he just dreamy, Breeze?”
Oh yeah, he was dreamy all right. In fact, I was this close to buying the two of us matching posters for our walls.
14
Bodhi: Pinnipeds
“What?” I finally asked, cutting my gaze to Breeze, who’d been wearing the same expression since we pulled away from the curb. Shock. Maybe a little awe. Not that I minded. Much. There were plenty of things I wanted to do to earn that look in her eye. But none of them involved my celebrity.
“What exactly happened back there?”
“I was protecting Little Dick, and seconds away from getting axed in the nuts, when Pat slapped her hands over her mouth, mewled like an animal with a mangled limb, and started jumping in place. I honestly wasn’t sure if she was having a medical episode or if a swarm of bees was fleeing the burn zone. I can tell you one thing, it never once crossed my mind that a woman who wears Timberland boots would be an AnyDayNow groupie.”
Breeze playfully hopped in her seat. There was so much enthusiasm in that simple twist of her body. How could I not smile? Since she’d come into my life my energy had been different. I felt happy and so damn alive.
“Here’s a creepy thought,” she whispered, her eyes wide with the promise of a story to dazzle me. “Do you think she’s got a shrine of you in her bedroom?”
A shiver ran through me as I pictured the lumbersexual with a full-blown AnyDayNow fetish. “Honestly?” I winced. “Yes.”
If I thought Breeze would sympathize, I was sadly mistaken. Her smile widened. “She probably sleeps with one of your Barbie dolls and kisses it goodnight.”
“Breeze, please be respectful. It’s an action figure.”
She laughed, leaning closer to me. The feel of her breath against my neck nearly did me in. If she kept up this flirty behavior we were never getting out of town. “I owe you an apology, Bodhi. You told me you could charm a snake, I just didn’t believe you and I’m sorry.”
“We all make mistakes,” I conceded. “And you’re forgiven.”
“Speaking of mistakes, are you sure you should be driving? What if we get pulled over? You don’t have a license.”
“The reason I insisted on driving is two-fold. First, you still can’t open the trunk even after being given ample opportunity to learn. Until you master that skill you don’t deserve to drive.”
“Whatever, Jedi master. What’s the second reason?”
“I don’t want you driving a stolen vehicle.”
Arching a perfect brow, she sat back in her seat, sizing me up. “Well, how gentlemanly of you.”
“Yes.” I smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“And what happens if we get pulled over? What if the police are looking for this car?”
“They’re not. As far as they know, it burned up in the fire.”
“Okay, smart stuff, but what if they just pull us over because the car you’re driving looks like it survived a riot?”
I sighed dramatically. She was totally overthinking this.
“Hey, it’s not that far-fetched,” she insisted. “The paint is charred and peeling. The sunroof is sealed shut. Even the windshield wipers are melted to the frame. I mean, Bodhi, what happens if a bug hits the glass and we can’t wash it away? Huh? What then, genius?”
“Stop being so extra, girl. Damn. Remind me not to take you along on a bank robbery. Look, you saw what happened with Pat. That should tell you never to underestimate the scope and size of my fan base. Maybe the cop that pulls us over because a bug has committed suicide on our windshield has an action figure of me too.”
Breeze cleared her throat and said in a low, deep tone, “Barbie doll, but yes. I get it. Your band is the future. I hear it’s prophesied to one day unify all the nations on earth and usher in a new age of peace and groovy prosperity.”
My jaw dropped as I cut my gaze to hers. No frickin’ way! “Tell me you didn’t just quote Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, my favorite movie of all time?”
“Why yes, Bodhi. I totally did. Wyld Stallyns, all the way!”
We did a simultaneous Wyld Stallions hand signal salute, which only solidified my attraction. Now I was absolutely convinced this meeting of the minds was meant to be. It was as if the universe had chucked the girl into my path just so we could share this exact moment.
I was still marveling at my good fortune when she shrieked, “Oh my god! Pull over!”
“What is it?” I slammed on the brake, still a little twitchy from last night. “What’s happening?”
“Oh, sorry. Sorry.” She soothed my tattered nerves with a kiss when we rolled to a stop. “Nothing bad, look!”
I followed her gaze and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
She snorted, patting me on the arm. “A sprinkler, Bodhi. And not just any sprinkler but the old-school rotating kind. What are the chances?”
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “Depends on what the hell you’re talking about?”
Breeze didn’t wait for me to catch up. She was already out of the car, leaving me to ponder her words while watching her from the rearview mirror as she skipped down the sidewalk.
“Come on!”
She signaled me forward with the exaggerated wave of her hand as if I were a dog she’d wanted to come. My gaze shift
ed to the sprinkler, then to Breeze, then to Hercules’ reflection in the rearview mirror.
“Goddamn Herc, is she crazy or the girl of my dreams?”
The big dog didn’t answer. But that was okay because I’d already formed my own opinion of Breeze Cassidy and it was decidedly awesome.
Pushing open the door, I jogged up to her side then took Breeze’s hand and let her lead me to my first frolic through the sprinklers.
* * *
A couple of hours into our trip, Breeze directed me off the beaten path and onto a scenic coastal road. I welcomed the detour. With every mile we traveled, I felt the noose tighten around my neck. The longer it took to get to San Francisco, and the inevitable phone call to my father, the better.
When she pointed to an area just past Morro Bay, I dutifully parked the car, then turned to her with an exaggerated sigh. “Another surprise?”
The boredom I tried and failed to telegraph was just for show. There was nothing boring about the adventures Breeze had already brought to life. If this was what constituted a normal life, then sign me up.
A smile played on her lips. Coy. “It’s a good spot for the dogs to stretch their legs and I want to show you something.”
Spying the tourists, I took care to don my hoodie and keep my head down. Until constipated barking drew my attention to the waterfront. Hundreds, maybe thousands of seal-like creatures with large hanging noses basked in the sun, occupying every square inch of the prime beachfront real estate. I’d never seen such a sight.
“What the hell are those things?”
“Elephant seals. The males can weight upwards of 5,000 pounds.”
“I should say so.”
When I cut my gaze to hers, the smile went from coy to downright smug. “And that, Mr. Beckett, satisfies your seal requirement. I think someone now owes his father a phone call.” She finished her little display by pantomiming wiping her hands of me and my sea-lion inspired ultimatum.
“I don’t think so,” I said, resolute. “Those slabs of baloney are not what I call sea lions. Mine are cute and brown and clap their hands and waddle around like fat guys with swim flippers on.”
“No, you’re right. They’re not exactly the same. Sea lions and elephant seals are like second cousins because they belong to the same family of mammals called the pinnipeds. So what I’m saying is – since they’re similar enough to share family holidays, in my book that means Bodhi Beckett’s about to come back to life.”
As much as I wanted to argue the point, I couldn’t. It was time to concede defeat. It wouldn’t matter if I called now or once we got to San Francisco because I was already far enough away from the burn zone to evade detection from my meddling father.
I nodded, sullen. Because even though I was doing the right thing, that didn’t mean I was happy about it.
“Yes.” Breeze woot-wooted, her whole body coming to life at my surrender. There was a little dance, and even a fist pump. For her this was good news. For me… not so much.
“So, you’ll call your dad now?”
A tiny speck of doubt shone in her eyes as she waited for my confirmation.
I sighed. “After I get a better look at these big blobs of blubber. Why are they all here?”
“The elephant seals come every year. The winter months are when they have their babies. The females will get pregnant again before going back to sea and won’t give birth until they come back here next year. Wild, isn’t it? There’s a pup there. Do you see it?”
She pointed out the babies littering the beach. Even though they weren’t much to look at, the pups were undeniably fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the two males fighting for supremacy while the females egged them on with fart-inspired barking cheers.
My attention back on Breeze, I swept a lock of hair out of her face. “Do you think that’s considered a sexy sound in the pinniped world. Are the male seals like ‘ooh baby, give me more of the ‘rip ass’ bark.’”
She beamed, and it was sexy as all hell. “I’m sure. Check out that big stud over there. He’s more popular with the ladies than you are.” A giggle parted her lips. “He has his own harem of females and everything.”
“Yes, but does he have an action figure modeled after him? I don’t think so.”
After fifteen minutes of seal watching, Breeze somberly pressed her phone into my palm.
Tipping her chin to the car, she offered me a sympathetic smile. “I’ll wait here. I think you’re going to need the privacy.”
15
Bodhi: Still Alive
“Tucker here.”
For as long as I could remember my father had answered his phone with the same brisk announcement. It was almost as if he couldn’t be bothered with the word ‘hello’. But there was something different about the greeting today…something heavy and laden with effort. Was he…crying?
“Dad.”
“Bodhi?” That word, my name, it was spoken steeped in disbelief. “Bodhi! Oh god, Bodhi.” His voice broke, that strangled sob shaking me to the bone. “Is it really you?”
Shame pooled in my belly, spreading to my limbs. What had I been thinking?
“I’m okay, dad.”
Heavy breaths marked the conversation. “Your belongings were found in the rubble. I thought… they thought…”
He didn’t need to finish his sentence. I knew exactly what he’d thought because it’s what I’d chosen to make him think. Even as pissed as I was at my father, no one deserved that misery. “I know, Dad, I’m sorry you had to go through that but I’m alive. Everything happened so fast I had to leave my stuff behind.”
As I waited for my father to regain his composure, I wracked my brain for any occasion that I’d heard him cry. There were none.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he finally asked. “How you got out?”
I related the story, not sparing any details. I owed him that much. By the time I’d finished, his breathing had returned to normal.
“Are you hurt? Burned?”
“Um, no, maybe some smoke inhalation but otherwise I’m okay.”
“I can’t even tell you, Bodhi… I can’t even… I’ve never been so scared in all my life. Thank god you’re safe. Where are you? I’ll come and get you right now.”
Tucker’s concern struck a chord and my conviction wavered. Maybe it was best to call this whole trip off. My dad may be a controlling asshole most of the time but at least he was a devoted one. Did I really need to know my mother? It’s not like she’d done a damn thing for me in life. Except stay away.
I was about to crack when I glanced over at Breeze, on the bench getting brutalized by my furry-assed best friend, Sweetpea. And suddenly I remembered why I needed the time away. It wasn’t just about my mother. It was about me finding out who I was and where I’d come from. Bonus points would be handed out if I could also figure out where the hell I was going.
“I’m not coming home yet. I have somewhere I want to go first, but I’ll be back for the show Friday night.”
“What do you mean you aren’t coming home?” An authoritative edge crept into his tone. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Well, where are you now?”
“I can’t tell you that either.” I tracked my finger on the steering wheel, ready to move on. “Look, last night I thought I was going to die, and it caused me to reevaluate my life. I need this time for myself. I’ll be safe and, like I said, I’ll be back for the concert.”
“The concert? Jesus Christ, Bodhi, five minutes ago I thought you were dead. There wasn’t going to be a concert… ever again.”
“And now there is.” I blew out a breath. “Listen, I’ve got to go.”
“Bodhi, wait. How can I get in contact with you? Let me send you a phone.”
“No. I don’t need one right now.”
“But I need you to have one,” he insisted. “I need to know where you are at all times.”
“No, Dad, you don’t. I’m
not a kid anymore, and if I say I need to take a few days to myself, that’s what I’m going to do. And don’t bother calling this number back because I just borrowed it from a random person. I’ll call you in a couple of days to arrange a flight back to Los Angeles. In the meantime, let the guys … the media … let everyone know I’m fine. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”
His objections raced across the line, but I hung up. Maybe it was cruel to freeze him out so soon after the fright he’d suffered but if I gave Tucker too much power, he’d use it against me, and I’d already decided that wasn’t acceptable to me anymore. My dad was no longer calling the shots. I hadn’t saved myself to become a slave all over again.
Nope.
I was taking back my life.
16
Breeze: Road Trip
“Everything good?” I asked, curious how one tackles a conversation centered around the sensitive issue of resurrection. “Was he surprised?”
Bodhi arched his brow. “Nah, I mean he was kind of like, ‘crap you again’?”
I laughed nervously at his sarcasm. “Sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask.”
Sighing heavily, he let the mask slip. “No, I’m just testy right now. And to answer your question—yes, he was surprised. For some strange reason he thought I was dead.”
“Gee, wherever did he get an idea like that?” I ducked to catch his gaze, “You know, Bodhi, I hate to say I told you so but…”
“Oh, I know you told me so, but here’s a fun fact about me that maybe you didn’t know. I’m a fucking idiot.”
I hauled to my feet and wrapped him in a hug. “It’s okay, at least you have a nice ass,” I offered, patting his butt.
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