“That’s because she takes after me.” Joe said as he closed the newspaper and placed it on the table. He winked at his daughter. “Good job, daughter.”
“She does not we just let you think she does.” Deb said before she blew her nose.
Joe waved his hands at his wife, ignoring her and stood up. He held his hand out to his daughter.
“Dad?” Sam asked questioningly, but placed her hand in his and let him help her to her feet.
He took one of her hands in his and wrapped the other around her and began to sing. Joe sang as he began to spin his daughter around the hospital room. Each one of them knew the Buddy Holly, classic. Many a day’s were spent dancing around the Lanza home as Joe played his vinyl records. Rave On, was Joe Lanza’s favorite song, and when all was right in the household he’d play it loud and each and every one of them would sing and dance along with him. His love for the song was contagious and it proved so at that moment. Luke brought the portable table in front of Jake.
Jake grinned at his brother and began to tap his hands against the table to the beat of the song. He looked over at Cara, who was watching the scene unfold around her. She looked at them like they had all lost their minds, but couldn’t contain her laughter.
Jake smiled wide at Cara, and urged her to bring the beat to life with her hands. She laughed at him as she joined him, tapping the beat. Luke grabbed Deb and began to spin her around as they chimed in with the singing. Joe dropped Sam’s hand and began to play air guitar as Sam grabbed Jake’s Gatorade bottle and used it as a microphone. Laughter echoed through the stale hospital room, and the door opened. Two nurses and a doctor raced into the room, skidding to a halt when they saw the family dancing and singing around Jake.
Jake laughed when he looked over at the doctor who looked flabbergasted. Jake shrugged his shoulders and continued to tap his hands. They may not be the most conventional family, but they were his. They were his support system. They had rallied around him and given him the strength to be the fighter he was. He turned his gaze to Cara and watched her laugh through the words she sang with his father. It was moments like this that made the struggle worth it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
One Month Later…..
Jake stood in front of Rudy’s holding Cara’s hand, his eyes roamed around the parking lot that was filled with motorcycles. There were all types, from classics to motorbikes. The sound of the engine’s purring was like music to his ears. He took careful notice of the people that all nodded and clapped their hands to his back, some of them familiar faces, the rest strangers. All of them there for him, and he was completely humbled by each of them. He felt Cara squeeze his hand, and he diverted his attention to her. She smiled up at him like he was the man of her dreams. The feeling in the pit of his stomach that he got, whenever she looked at him like that, was one he’d never get sick of.
She was wearing her “Team Jake” T-shirt, and her curly hair fell wild around her face. He stared into her hazel eyes, trying to figure if they were green or gold today. It didn’t matter, whatever color they were, they were mesmerizing and he could lose himself in those eyes. She didn’t look so tired and drained anymore, he concurred.
The last month had been easier than most. Once he was released from the hospital, he was homebound for a full week. His blood count had been low and with his immune system compromised from the drugs, he had to be careful of his environment. One infection and he would’ve had to return to the hospital, for God knows how long. He followed the rules, and played all his cards right. He took the last month to build his strength. Even began to feel good enough to run on the treadmill. His appetite had returned as well. What pleasured him most was that he had finally been able to make love to his beautiful Cara. Granted, it hadn’t happened until last night, but he didn’t care. He missed the intimacy they had shared and was happy to have that part of their relationship back.
In two weeks his PET scan was scheduled, and by the way things were going Jake was certain the results would be in his favor. He felt too good, almost like himself. He ran his hand along the top of his head. His hair started to grow back, and it felt like fuzz beneath his palm. He smiled and leaned down to press his lips to Cara’s.
“You ready to see what kind of shindig your sister threw?” Cara asked against his lips.
Jake pulled back slowly, and chuckled. Knowing Sam, she probably had covered everything. He wouldn’t be surprised if she sent each of the biker guys home with party favors.
“Yeah I’m ready. Let’s check it out.” He grabbed hold of her hand and with his other hand he pulled open the door to Rudy’s. The moment his foot stepped into the bar, applause erupted. Jake wasn’t one to be shy or embarrassed, nope not him. He grinned and bowed, as if he was a rock star they all had paid top dollar to see perform. He felt Cara drop his hand and take a step back, before joining the crowd and applauding him.
He looked around the bar, much as he had the parking lot. His family was crowded around a table in front of a makeshift stage that had been brought in. Usually when bands performed at Rudy’s they set up where the dart board was. Not tonight, tonight they were front and center on a stage. The pool table was covered and it now was a portable tattoo station, courtesy of Riverdale Ink and Jake’s right hand Pete. Pete had done a hell of a job keeping his business afloat while Jake had been in the hospital.
Jake glanced at Cara and motioned toward their beloved pool table. He frowned at her like someone had killed his pet and she laughed, her cheeks flushing as she too remembered their rendezvous. He wasn’t kidding when he told her he’d never look at the table the same, and judging by the expression on her face, neither would she.
The applause died and the crowd shuffled around him. The friends he hadn’t seen in years hugged him and told him how proud they were of him. They called him an inspiration. Jake Lanza, an inspiration, go figure he mused. He and Cara finally made their way towards the rest of his clan. Luke was sitting with Ava on his lap. He was leaning into a woman with unmistakable hair the color of black cherries. Jake’s grin was off the radar he assumed as he elbowed his brother.
“Well now if it isn’t my favorite niece!” He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms. He hadn’t remembered the last time he was able to hold her in his arms like this. He squeezed her tight and her giggles shot straight through his heart.
“Uncle Jake put me down!” She said between her little bouts of laughter. Jake showered kisses on top of her head and looked down at Luke and Leah who were holding hands.
“Miss Black Cherries, it’s always a pleasure to see you.” Jake smiled sweetly as he placed Ava down on her feet.
Leah rolled her eyes but smiled, she was becoming used to Jake’s relentless teasing. “Jake, it’s good to see you too.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. Now remember that the next time you see my handsome face at the doctor’s office.” He wiggled his eyebrows, unashamed that they weren’t as prominent as they once were.
“I’ll never let you wait again. I promise.” She winked at him and Luke leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“He’s going to hold you to that.” Luke said and then looked back at Jake, who nodded in agreement with him.
Jake turned his attention to his parents, and let out a laugh when he saw his father. He had a green suit on. He was probably a good four feet higher than the ideal height of a leprechaun, but standing there dressed liked that, he sure as hell resembled one. Jake couldn’t control his laughter, and tried to cover his mouth.
“Joe, what are you wearing?” Cara asked politely, as she hid her face behind Jake’s shoulder to mask her humor.
Joe looked down at his suit then back at them. “What? I’m raising awareness! Green is the color.” He nudged his wife. “Tell them green is the color.”
“Lime green, honey.” She shook her head at him. “What you have on---“
“Joe, my man I love you. But you look like a Saint Paddy’s day parade float.” Nick said as he to
ok a swig of his beer. Jake figured he was probably a little drunk, because Nick rarely got disagreed with his father. In fact he probably took Joe’s side more than he or Luke ever did.
Joe mumbled a slew of curses, before grabbing Nick’s beer out of his hand and taking a healthy gulp himself. “To hell with you kids. You wouldn’t know style if it bit you in the ass. Back in my day a suit like this got you to the center of the dance floor at Studio 54.”
“And four flat tires when you left.” Deb added. When Joe shot her a look she smiled at him innocently.
Jake shook his head as he wrapped his arms around Cara. He glanced up at the stage when he heard his sister’s voice. He pulled out a chair for Cara and she sat. He sat down beside her and stared up at his sister. Gone was the girl who tagged around him and Luke, begging them to play with her. There stood a beautiful young woman, who took control and orchestrated this entire event for him. He was proud of the woman she was and even more so that he could call her his sister.
“Testing. One. Two. Three.” Her voice shrieked into the microphone and Jake laughed out loud. She smiled brightly. “I always wanted to do that.” She said more to herself than to her audience.
“God she’s gorgeous.” Nick whispered beside him as he downed a shot. Jake glanced at him and patted him on the back. Poor guy; he had it bad. Nick shook his head and Jake turned his attention back to Sam.
“Thank you all for coming to Rudy’s tonight in support of my brother Jake.” She winked at Jake and he blew her a kiss in return. “Those of you, who know Jake, know that he has the most exuberant personality there is. There is no one who enjoys life and all it has to offer more than him. Six months ago, my brother was diagnosed with stage four Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I remember my family sitting around the living room after he told us his diagnosis. I was shattered. When I heard cancer, I immediately thought how I wasn’t ready to lose my brother.” Her voice caught and she paused. She looked down at her feet and tried to compose herself. When she lifted her eyes, they landed on Jake.
Jake watched her intently, and with one look he willed her to continue.
“I was naïve because at that moment I forgot who, in fact, we were talking about here. Jake doesn’t let anyone tell him he can’t do something or can’t have something he wants. Jake decided that night, that he was going to fight because more than anything he wanted to live.” She smiled at him as tears fell from her eyes. “His journey isn’t over, but we have hope and we have a ton of faith. Nothing’s going to stand in his way and I am so very proud of him. You, Jake Lanza.” She pointed to him. “You’re my hero.”
He brought his fist to his chest and patted the spot over his heart as he looked at her. Tears fell from his eyes but he didn’t care. He watched her smile at him and wipe at her cheeks. The room was silent as she collected her bearings.
“Anyway tonight, is about awareness and about raising money for research to better assist those who struggle to fight cancer. Instead of Lighting the Night with a walk, we decided to make this more personal and more about Jake. He loves his motorcycles.” She smiled. “So those of you who have signed up to ride, it’s time to kick this thing off. Buckle your helmets, kick up your kick stands and let’s ride for Jake.”
The bar sounded with clapping hands as Sam made her way off the stage. Jake stood and caught her as she threw her arms around him. He hugged her with everything in him.
“Love you.” He whispered as he closed his eyes.
“I meant every word.” She said as she pulled back and stared at him for a moment.
Mostly everyone stood on their feet, and started to head towards the parking lot where the bikes were. Cara tapped Jake’s arm, and he released his sister to turn to her. She handed him his helmet and winked at him.
He stared down at the helmet she offered and took a deep breath. He was going to ride. A grin slowly spread along his mouth. He took his helmet and leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around him as if she was no longer afraid she would hurt him and let her tongue run along the seam of his lips. He smiled against her mouth before he parted his lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She tasted sweet and sinful all at once. His teeth grazed her lower lip before his tongue soothed it. She pulled away slowly.
“I have a surprise for you.” She whispered as she stared up at him lovingly.
His brows furrowed curiously, but he smiled.
“I’m all for surprises, especially when they involve you, but can it wait until after the run?”
She shook her head. “Nope.” She said and took both of his hands, tugging him towards the doors. Everyone followed them outside the bar.
Jake watched the excitement come alive in her eyes. She leaned behind him and reached on her tip toes to cover his eyes with her hands.
“No peeking.” She said against his ear. He laughed and wondered what she was up too. He could hear all the engines gearing up for the run and the adrenaline began to boil in his veins. Cara shuffled him to where he needed to be, her hands still covering his eyes.
“Okay are you ready?” She teased.
“Yes. I’m ready, lay it on me.” He said as his lips curved into a smile. Slowly he felt her hands disappear from his eyes, and he opened them. Parked before him, was the motorbike he drew, the one that he hoped to someday ride. It was painted in black and lime green, he had never colored in the sketch, but he couldn’t have been happier with the colors she chose. Team Jake was written in the same bold letters that had adorned her shirt, along the engine. He stepped forward and ran his hands over the sleek body of the compact bike. It was exactly like he pictured it. He turned around and looked at Cara.
She stood there staring back at him nervously. She chewed on her bottom lip holding back her smile. “Do you like it?”
He looked at her for a moment, and shook his head. Not because he didn’t like it, but because he was amazed by her. “I love it.” He said his voice thick with emotion. He blew out a breath, his eyes traveling back and forth between her and the bike. “How did you do this?”
She stopped chewing on her lip and let her smile take over her face as she stepped towards him. “I took one of your sketches and asked Luke and Nick for some help. I would’ve built it for you myself, but I’m pretty sure this was the safer bet.” She joked and then slapped his chest playfully. “Well aren’t you going to get on it?” She pressed her palms against his chest, pushing him towards the bike, urging him to get on it.
He couldn’t wait to ride it, but first things first. He took her hands in his, and brought them to his lips, kissing one hand and then the other. “I love you, Cara.” He stared into the deep green of her eyes, losing himself for a moment.
She rested one of her hands over his chest, where the image of her lay over his heart. “I know.” She leaned up and pressed her lips softly to his, sealing their truth.
Cara pulled her lips from his and patted the seat of his new bike. “I’ve been dreaming of you straddling this bad boy.” She leaned closer and gave him a sexy glance, her voice was like silk. “Go on now, make my dreams a reality.”
Jake raised his eyebrows and smirked, look at her being all seductive. He’d be a liar if he said his dick didn’t twitch at the sight of her. He growled as his body brushed passed hers, hoping she knew he was ready to eat her alive. He gripped the handlebars and threw one leg over the body of the bike, and straddled it. She stepped back and watched him make himself comfortable.
Jake ignited the engine and the bike sounded instantly. He closed his eyes, savoring the beautiful symphony it sang. He placed his helmet on his head and fastened the chin strap. Life was full of unexpected turns, and his was a winding road but at that one particular moment, he felt like everything was exactly how it should be. There was no illness, no darkness knocking on his door. He looked around as he kicked up the kickstand. His family stood around Cara. He thanked God, for each of them. Without them this journey meant nothing. Cara blew him a kiss.
“B
e careful.” She mouthed. Most importantly, he had her, at the risk of sounding like a lovesick sap, she was his savior. He blew out a heavy breath and peeled out of the spot, he heard the other bikes and when he glanced over his shoulder, they followed his lead.
With a brigade of motorcycles behind him, Jake peeled out of the parking lot. He glanced at his side mirror and saw the banner that read “Light the Night.” He flicked on the headlights of the motorcycle and accelerated. The headlights of the motorcycles lit the road they traveled in honor of him and his battle.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cara had offered to stay behind and help the crew at Rudy’s clean up after the benefit. As she helped her co-workers move tables back to their rightful positions and place chairs accordingly, she couldn’t help but think of what an amazing night it had been. Sam had really thought of everything. When the riders made their way back to Rudy’s, the band went on and kicked off the celebration. They had raised an impressive amount of money that would go to research and help those who suffered from Jake’s illness.
She wiped down one of the tables, and couldn’t help the smile that played upon her lips. She would never forget the look on Jake’s face when he saw the bike. She knew how he felt when he saw it. He had been making her feel that exact same way for years, with his thoughtful gestures and the love behind each and every one of them.
He truly was amazing. She knew that though, she knew that from the very first night she came to him after her father had beaten her. Through the years his un-wavering devotion to her, had proven the man he was. And now he was hers.
Jake was convinced he was on the road to recovery and while Cara hoped he was right, she was scared, more scared then she had ever been in her life. She would never admit it though. She wasn’t a church goer, and wouldn’t deem herself religious, but she found herself praying to God, every night. She’d pray for him to take away Jake’s illness, and for them to be able to leave those dark days behind them. More than anything, she wanted for them to live out their dreams together. But no matter the outcome, she’d take what she could. If Jake’s battle wasn’t through yet, she’d be by his side every step of the way until it was.
Pieces (Riverdale #1) Page 23
