I threw everything in the bag and ran down the few blocks to the bus stop. There had to be a way for me to get in contact with Heath. He may not want anything to do with us, but I needed the financial support to stay afloat. I’d have to make an appointment at the clinic to have it confirmed before I spoke with him. No reason to get everyone worked up if the test happened to be faulty. After years of being on my own, my ability to problem solve was off the charts.
No way would I post on any social media accounts to try and get a hold of him. I didn’t need to become tabloid gossip fodder. I’d seen the way the media speculated about the members of Jaded Ivory. Which left me trying to get in touch with him personally. By the time I arrived at the diner, I still had no plan. The place was packed. Thankfully. It left me no time to think about the mess my life had become. The only thing my brain had space for was which table ordered what.
Hours later after the rush died down near the end of my shift, my mind picked up speed again. A lightbulb went off. Something Doug had said to me before we’d left for the hospital. He’d told me Marcus was friends with one of the guys and to trust Heath. Maybe there was a way I could get his number from Marcus or at least have him pass along mine. How stupid I’d been to throw away the paper he’d written his number on. Only I’d have to figure out why I needed to get in touch with Heath. No way was I ready to tell anyone the truth. Not yet.
I walked into the club and felt everyone staring at me. Almost like they knew, even though that was impossible. My head was playing tricks on me. The first thing I did was head to Doug’s office. Whether I liked it or not, reality slammed into me. I could sit and dwell, crying over things I couldn’t change or I could figure out a way to survive like I always had.
I lifted my hand and rapped on the door.
“Come in.”
When I pushed the door open, I found Doug sitting behind his desk. He glanced up and back down at the paper he was writing on. “Hey, Jenna. Feeling any better?”
I forced a smile onto myself. “Getting there, just a little tired.”
“Good to hear. I have you up in the VIP section again tonight. It’ll keep you busy and I know you still have a lot of bills from your grandmother’s funeral.”
Luck fell on my side as he’d given me the perfect segue. “Thanks. I wanted to ask you a favor.”
He set down the pen he’d been scribbling notes with. “What can I do for you?”
I started to twist my hands in front of myself and forced them down to my sides. There was no reason to be nervous, not yet anyway. “I wanted to get in touch with the guys from Jaded Ivory, especially Heath, to thank them for all they did that night. I haven’t gotten a chance with everything that happened after that. Do you think Marcus would pass along my number to them? I don’t want to send a message on social media in case they aren’t the ones that run their accounts.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure they appreciate it. They’re not like the other people in the music business. They seem to really care about their fans, so I’m sure they run their own accounts, but I get why you’d want to be cautious.”
My chest seized up. No air getting in and out. Doug didn’t know, did he? His next words let me pull in a breath.
“Not like you want to have a conversation about your grandmother with a complete stranger.”
I gave a strained laugh. “Not really. Do you think he’ll mind? I wouldn’t expect him to give me their numbers.”
“Nah.” He stood and came around the front of his desk and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t think he’ll mind at all. I’ll give him a call in a little bit. He was going to be here tonight but had to take care of a wedding at The Beach Club.”
“Thanks.” I smiled up at him. The comfort in that gesture settled me a bit, even if Doug didn’t understand the reasons why.
“No problem. If you need anything else, promise you’ll let me know. You know we’re all a family here.”
I nodded. “I know. Thanks for everything.”
“Anytime.”
I threw a thumb over my shoulder. “I better get out there.”
He walked me to the door. “You bet. You’ll rack up the tips tonight. We have a private party up there tonight.”
CHAPTER 9
Heath
The couch looked absolutely inviting the moment we got off stage. We were used to playing shows multiple times a week, but it was nothing compared to touring. The only thing I wanted was a shower and bed. I flopped down onto the couch and watched the rest of the band stumble in looking just as weary. Jackson took the seat next to me and closed his eyes. Everyone else took seats around the room, their bleary eyes speaking loud and clear.
“All I want is sleep.”
I glanced over at him. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Thank God we have a week off,” he mumbled.
Since the shows had sold out so quickly in this city, the studio decided to add a couple of extra ones. Which meant playing every night since we arrived. Originally we were supposed to have two weeks off. One to relax and another to travel to our next destination.
“I don’t even care that we have to spend the week traveling. I’m not sure my voice can take any more.” Mari groaned when Sawyer pressed his thumbs in her back to relieve the tension.
The door opened. “I’m glad I know he’s not into women with the noises coming from this room.” Reagan walked in with a smirk on his face, his eyes instantly connecting with Sawyer’s.
A tinkling laugh left Mari. “But he gives the best massages.”
Reagan winked. “Trust me, I know.”
“I bet he does.” Monty lifted his brows up and down until Sawyer stopped what he was doing and threw a drumstick at him.
It missed, but a second one flew across the room and hit him square in the chest. “Ow,” he said, rubbing the spot. “What was that for?”
“For ruining my massage.” Mari laughed, her hand still high in the air.
Sawyer stood and walked over to wrap Reagan in his arms, placing a kiss on his lips. “I didn’t see you the second half of the show. Is everything okay?”
He nodded and glanced over at me. “Yeah, I got the strangest call from Marcus.”
The name brought to the surface memories of Jenna. Many of which I kept with me when I was alone in my bed. Suddenly, I was alert and awake.
“About what?”
Reagan stepped out of Sawyer’s arms and came to stand in front of me, holding out a piece of paper. “Actually, the server we helped that night wanted to thank you. She was hoping to do it personally and asked Marcus to give us her number.”
“Did you call her?”
Reagan smirked. Dirty bastard liked to use his lawyer skills against me, reading me like a dammed book. Sawyer warned me it would happen the longer we lived together and he’d been right.
“I did. She thanked me for all our help that day. She also was hoping to talk to you personally and thank you for taking her to the hospital. Marcus told me her grandmother had passed away the night we left.”
My chest constricted. I would have been there if she hadn’t pushed me away. The feeling of losing someone so close to you hurt like a bitch. I’m not sure how she survived it all. Even after my grandmother had passed, I still had my dad to lean on, then my friends. Jenna didn’t seem to have anyone.
Sawyer sat down on the other side of me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. It just sucks. I know how that feels.”
He sighed. “I remember. Is there anything we can do?”
“Nah. I’ll give her a call when we get back to the hotel.” I glanced up at Reagan. “We’re still not hitting the road until tomorrow morning, right?”
“Yeah. Everyone can get a good night’s sleep before we hit the road, unless you want to grab a few drinks.”
Sawyer shot Reagan a look. “I don’t think I could handle another moment of being on my feet.”
No one had to ask what he might be doing ly
ing on his back.
“I agree,” Jackson grumbled. “Normally, I’d love to unwind after a show, but we’ve played damn near every night for the last two weeks. I need a night to crash and not move.”
“Good thing I have the cars waiting out front then.” Reagan threw his thumb over his shoulder.
My ass was off the couch in seconds. I wanted a chance to talk to Jenna and see how she was handling it all. Not to mention, I hadn’t been able to get her out of my head. More than the situation with her grandmother, something about her called to me. Underneath the pain of seeing her grandmother ill, there was an inner strength. One she used to help her navigate the crap that had been thrown on her plate.
“Let’s get out of here. The crew is already packing up the stage.” I reached a hand out to Jackson, who dropped his hand in mine and I pulled him to standing.
Sawyer was already hustling Reagan through the door. Playing this many nights didn’t leave a lot of room for alone time.
“I guess that just leaves me and you.” Monty reached out to help Mari off the couch.
“You’re just kissing up so I don’t throw more shit at you.”
“Maybe, or maybe it’s to keep Cole from beating my ass when he meets up with us next week.”
“Good plan.” She laughed and followed Sawyer out the door.
We piled into the back of the car. Although I should say limo. The vehicle could have held another ten people. With a stocked bar and bench seats, it made for a comfortable ride back to the hotel. Since we agreed to play the extra shows, the studio figured we’d be happy to get a break from the tour buses and reserved the rooms. Which I was more than grateful for at the moment.
I flipped the phone around in my hand, my fingers itching to dial the number on the piece of paper in my pocket. I kept myself from doing it. Even though I happened to be in a car with my closest friends, something about this phone call felt more personal. Like I needed to be alone when I made it.
The car pulled up to the doors of the hotel and we piled out, each going to our own rooms with muttered ‘good nights’ and ‘see ya in the morning.’ I unlocked the door and went straight for my bathroom. A quick shower, then I’d have a clear head to talk to Jenna for as long as she needed my ear. I washed and toweled off in minutes. After pulling on a pair of boxer shorts, I sat against the pillows at the head of the bed and dialed Jenna’s number. When she hadn’t answered after the first few rings, I glanced at the clock. Almost midnight. Maybe I’d called after she’d gone to bed, or she could still be…
“Hello,” a soft voice answered.
“Is this Jenna?” My cock definitely took notice of the sexy timbre of her voice.
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“Hi, Jenna. It’s Heath. I got a message from Marcus you wanted me to call you.”
“Oh, God. Wow…Yeah, I um…I talked to Reagan earlier.”
I tried to imagine what she’d look like rambling like that. Would she twist a piece of hair between her fingers or would her knee bounce quickly up and down? I hadn’t had the chance to get to know those little quirks about her, but for some reason, I wanted to know them.
“He told me about your grandmother. I’m so sorry to hear that. You could’ve called me.”
A giggle bubbled up, but something seemed off about it. “Well…I…uh…threw out your number. Marcus was the only way I knew to get a hold of you.”
Threw out my number? What the hell? I hadn’t treated her poorly that night, had I? Sleeping with her wasn’t my plan when I took her home from the hospital, but one thing led to another…
“Honestly, I’m not sure what to say to that.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d ever need to get a hold of you again.”
Need to get a hold of me? “Is something wrong? Is there anything I can do to help? You can talk to me.”
“I doubt you’ve been here before,” she muttered just loud enough for me to hear it. She wasn’t making any sense. I’d told her about what happened with my own grandmother. Both of us had to climb some of the same hurdles.
“Jenna, what’s going on? What do you mean I haven’t been there before?”
“Shit, I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
“I figured. Now will you please tell me what has you so worked up?”
“Look, I don’t need any help. Well, I do need some help, but I don’t expect you to be involved. I can handle it on my own. Most of it anyway.”
She was rambling again, except this time she wasn’t making a damn bit of sense. “Jenna, I’ve had a long week of shows, and maybe it’s because I’m tired, but I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“I’m pregnant.”
I bolted upright and time froze. The two words danced around my head, taunting me. I’m pregnant. Did I hear her right? In the distance, I heard her going on about a paternity test and financial support, but nothing was getting through except, I’m pregnant.
“Heath? Heath, are you still there?”
“What?” My name on her lips pulled me out of my daze. “Yeah. Um…I’m still here.” I ran a hand over my face.
“Did you hear what I said?”
My heart pounded harder in my chest. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “The clinic confirmed it yesterday morning. Like I said, I’ll have a paternity test, but there’s no doubt you’re the father. I haven’t been with anyone in a long time before you came along and none since.”
Father.
I was going to be a father.
“Holy shit,” I breathed out.
“Please don’t be mad. I didn’t plan this. I had no idea my pill pack would fail. And I don’t need anything but a little financial support. I can raise the baby on my own if you can help purchase things. If you want to have a lawyer draw up a contract—”
Her words were making my head spin. “Jenna, please stop for one second.”
“It’s not my—”
Both of us were in the bed that night. The old cliché rang true. It takes two to tango.
“I know it’s not your fault. I’m trying to figure out why you’d think I’d want to send money—”
“Because it’s your kid too.” A frigid tone had swept over her voice.
That had me up off the bed and pacing the room. “I know that. You didn’t let me finish. I don’t want to just be a bank for some kid I don’t know. I want to be involved in my child’s life.”
“No, you don’t.”
My feet stopped short. “Don’t tell me what I want and what I don’t.”
She scoffed. “You’re a rock star who probably lives some crazy life on the road. Drinking, partying, hanging out with gorgeous groupies. You wouldn’t want to give that up to deal with a baby.”
“Fuck, I wouldn’t. You don’t know me very well, if that’s what you think. But that’s certainly not the man I am.”
“Not according to the tabloids I’ve seen in the stores checkout line.”
Yeah, there were plenty of pictures out there, but not one of them showed what was really going on. “And every thing you read in those papers is absolute bullshit. If it’s one I’m thinking of, that picture was taken a few seconds before I handed those women over to Monty and went to the bar to drink.
“It was one night. How am I supposed to know anything about you besides what happened with your grandmother?”
“Maybe if you had called instead of throwing my number out, you would. I left it for a reason.”
She sighed into the phone. “Look, I’m tired. I’ve been on my feet all day and you’re obviously pissed off. I’m gonna go and we can talk another day after you calmed down.”
“You’re damn right I’m pissed. You think I’d pick partying over taking care of my own child. And we are going to talk about this. I’m catching a flight back tonight and we’re going to talk about this in person.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
I raked a hand through my hair. “Why no
t?”
“Because…because I have to work tomorrow.”
“I’ll wait until you get done.”
“Heath…” she trailed off for a moment then rushed out. “I’ll talk to a lawyer tomorrow and have him get in contact with you about the details.”
And before I could argue she’d hung up. In an instant, I dialed the number again only for it to go directly to voicemail. I tried twice more with no luck.
“Goddammit,” I yelled into the empty room.
I grabbed the duffel I’d brought up to the room from the tour bus and randomly started throwing my shit into it. Once it was packed, I pulled up the app on my phone to find a flight back east. There was no way I’d deal with a lawyer when it came to my own kid.
My kid.
I hadn’t even had the time to process any of this. How was I supposed to think when all I could focus on was getting my ass to the airport in time for my flight? I threw the bag over my shoulder and bolted down the hall to a room a few doors down. I pounded on the door. There were noises coming inside. I had no doubt what I was interrupting. At the moment, I didn’t give a shit. They could get back to fucking each other’s brains out later. When no one answered, I slammed my fist against the door until it was yanked open.
Sawyer stood there with narrowed eyes, his shorts unbuttoned and partially open.
I averted my eyes, not needing to see any of my closest friends’ parts.
“What the fuck, Heath?”
I pushed past him. “Tell Reagan to get dressed and get his ass out here. I have to leave.”
“Leave? What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Just go get Reagan.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Fine, but you better explain when I get back.”
I nodded stiffly.
Sawyer left the room and less than a minute later, returned with Reagan in tow. “What does Sawyer mean you need to leave? You realize we’re on tour, right?”
“We have a week off and I need to go.”
Sawyer walked over and grabbed my bicep, dragging me to the couch. “Sit your ass down and start explaining what the hell happened between the venue and now.”
Cover Me (Jaded Ivory Book 3) Page 7
