“Yup,” nodded Jake as he scooped his son up into his arms. “Do you want to go back on the time out bench?”
“No,” replied Jesse tearfully.
“Then behave, young man. Final warning.”
“I be good,” promised the child, choking back tears.
“Ok. Go and tell your Mommy that Maddy and Paul are here.”
By mid-afternoon, almost all of their guests had arrived, the BBQ had been lit and both Lori and Kola were down under the gazebo assisting with the shell painting. Music was filtering out from the sound system in the sunroom. Like all parties at the beach house, everything was totally relaxed, adding to the family feel of the gathering. Glancing round, Jake realised that Rich hadn’t arrived yet and neither had Scott. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Jesse making another bid for freedom round the side of the house. Before he could get to him, he heard a voice, “Hey, tiger, where you going so fast?”
“You got him, Rich?” yelled Jake as he made his way down the path, the pavers burning his bare feet.
“Yup,” said Silver Lake’s guitarist as he appeared from the driveway with the two-year-old under his arm. “Where do you want him?”
“Nailed to the deck,” stated Jake bluntly. “You need eyes in the back of your head with this kid.”
“Put me down!” protested Jesse, wriggling furiously under Rich’s firm grasp. “Down!”
When they reached the deck, Rich let the little boy down. He scowled up at the guitarist then said sourly, “Want Mommy.”
“Go and stay beside her then,” suggested Jake. “She’s down on the beach painting. Go help paint some shells.”
“That’s girl stuff!”
“Once the girls have finished up, I’ll clear the tent away and get the football out,” promised Jake, trying to be fair. “If you don’t want to paint, go sit on the deck with Jethro.”
“I paint!” declared Jesse without hesitation as he ran off in search of Lori.
“Still scared of Jethro?” laughed Rich as they watched the little boy disappear.
“Looks that way,” replied Jake with a grin. “Want a beer?”
“Just soda for now,” said Rich. “When I leave here, I’m heading down to Florida. Going to drive down to Maria’s. Spend some time with her.”
“That’s a hell of a drive.”
“I’ll break it up. Maybe take two or three days to get down there. Got a few stops I want to make.”
“Get down where?” quizzed Grey from his chef’s post over at the grill.
“St Augustine,” replied Rich. “Going to head down there straight from here to stay with my sister.”
They were interrupted by Melody’s arrival up on the deck, “Daddy.”
“Yes, Miss M.”
“You promised you’d paint a shell for me. I’ve kept one especially for us to do,” began the birthday girl. “Mommy says we need to do it now so she can lay them out to dry.”
“Ok, I’m coming.”
With all the shells painted and spread out on the garage floor in trays to dry, Jake and Paul dismantled the gazebo and makeshift tables. Soon the arts and crafts area had been transformed into a beach ballpark as all the members of Silver Lake played with the kids. Fast on his feet, Jesse was usually the first to run off to score a “touchdown” with Jake hot on his heels. Balancing little Anna on her hip, Kola commented to Maddy and Lori, “Hard to tell which ones are the kids.”
Laughing, Lori had to agree as Maddy added, “The boys need to run off some steam too. That last tour took its toll. Nice to see them relaxing for a change.”
“Were things really getting that bad?” asked Lori, conscious that Jake had revealed very little so far about the last leg of the “Elements” US tour.
“Things were strained,” admitted the band’s tour manager. “They were bitching at each other. Rich seemed a bit off. Moody. Quiet. I just put it down to too long on the road together. I was starting to feel the same. The Silver Bullet was getting kind of cosy.”
“Grey said he was worried about Rich. Said he kept going off on his own or just lying in his bunk,” added Kola softly.
“Think they all just needed some personal space,” said Maddy. “I know I sure as hell did.”
“Well, they’ve plenty of space now,” laughed Lori as she watched Jake sprint down the beach, clutching the ball, with Becky in hot pursuit.
As the sun sank lower in the sky, all of the guests were sprawled over the deck. The hamburgers had all been eaten. Most of the salad was gone. Almost half of Melody’s mermaid birthday cake had gone too.
“Evening!” called a voice from the path up from the beach. “Any cake left?”
Before any of them could reply, Scott and Ellen arrived with a third person following behind.
“Sorry we’re late,” apologised Ellen softly. “We had to drive up to the airport to collect Tailz. His flight was an hour late then he was in the baggage hall forever!”
“Plenty of cake left,” assured Lori, getting up to hug their friends. “We might even have a few hamburgers left in the refrigerator.”
“We’ve had dinner,” explained Scott, stepping aside to allow Taylor, the guitarist from After Life and Ellen’s bandmate, onto the deck. “We ate on the boardwalk on our way over here.”
“Grab a beer and find a seat,” invited Jake from his reclined position on the sun lounger. He had Wren and Melody snuggled in beside him and Jesse, who was almost asleep, curled up in his lap. “Nice to see you, Mr Rowe. What brings you over here?”
“A 747,” joked the After Life guitarist, with a wink.
“Guess I asked for that,” acknowledged Jake with a grin.
“Thought I’d check out the surf this side of the Atlantic. Spend a few weeks here before we hit the road with the new record,” explained Taylor, his soft English accent sounding strangely out of place.
“Plenty of waves around here. You might want to check out the Indian River Inlet or go out to Herring Point first. With the right wind, you can surf off the beach in town too,” explained Jake.
“I’ll check it out. Need to invest in a board first.”
“There’s a couple of stores in town on Rehoboth Avenue,” commented Paul. “Used to buy my gear there a few years back.”
“Good stuff. I’ll check it all out when I get over the jet lag.”
Taking a seat at the table, Ellen said, “Oh, Lori, thanks for those designs. I love the merch proofs.”
“Glad you liked them,” replied Lori, feeling quietly relieved. “Initial reaction from Lord Jason was pretty positive.”
“Luke’s not checked them over yet,” continued Ellen. “But I think he’ll love them. So intricate. So detailed.”
“Multi-layered,” added Taylor, settling himself down on the deck. “Awesome detailing.”
“Well, that was my remit,” said Lori, her cheeks flushing at the compliments.
A few minutes later, Kola apologised that they would need to head home. Little Anna was curled up asleep on Grey’s knee and Linzi was struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Let me grab the girls’ shells,” said Lori, getting stiffly to her feet. “They turned out really well. Becky, can you give me a hand, please?”
“We’d best make a move too,” said Paul with a nod towards Maddy. “Kids are wiped out. Sign of a great party.”
Having waved both families off as they drown onto E Lake Drive, Lori turned around to head back to the party. She was surprised to find Rich standing behind her.
“You heading off too?”
He nodded. “Time to hit the road. Want to get a couple of hundred miles done tonight,” replied Silver Lake’s enigmatic guitarist.
“When do you expect to reach your sister’s place?”
“Not sure. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday,” replied Rich vaguely. “Want to explore a bit. Revisit a few familiar old haunts. No sense in sticking to I-95. I know what the highway looks like. Not a fan of highway driving. Prefer the back roads. Quiet
er.”
“Be careful,” cautioned Lori, reaching out to hug him. “Don’t get yourself lost in the mountains.”
“I’ll try not to,” promised Rich, hugging her tight. “Take care of him, Lori.”
“Excuse me?”
“Jake. Take care of him,” repeated Rich quietly. He paused then cleared his throat. “I’d best be on my way. Thanks for a great day. Another successful Silver Lake family BBQ.”
“Thanks for coming and for Melody’s gift. She loves it.”
“Pleasure,” said Rich with a smile. “Right, I’m out of here. Till next time.”
“Drive safely.”
When she returned to the sun deck, Lori discovered that Jake had already carried the kids indoors to put them to bed. Beer in hand, Dr Marrs was deep in conversation with Jethro about After Life’s new album. After a lot of persuading, Jim Marrs had travelled to London to produce the album for the English band. It had been his first overseas production trip since they’d opened JJL.
“Ellen, can I fetch you a glass of wine?” offered Lori, noting that the younger woman was without a drink.
“Please,” answered Ellen shyly. “Red if you have any.”
“Shiraz?”
“Perfect.”
“Give me a moment. Scott, what can I get you?” quizzed Lori, gathering up some empty cups to take to the trash bag.
“I’ve a beer here, Lori,” replied the photographer, indicating the bottle at his feet. “Any snacks though?”
“I’ll see what I can find.”
Taking care not to make too much noise in the kitchen in case she disturbed the kids, Lori opened a bottle of Shiraz and poured a generous glass for Ellen then filled a glass with white wine for herself. Judging that she felt steady enough on her feet, she left her cane in the kitchen, tucked two unopened bags of chips under her arm, then slowly limped her way back through the house, taking care not to spill the wine.
“Hope that one’s ok,” she said as she passed the glass to Ellen. “I got it at the new liquor store out on the Coastal Highway. You know the one that opened last month?”
“We passed it on the way down from the airport. Looks huge.”
“It is,” giggled Lori as she tipped the chips into two empty bowls on the table. “Great selection of European wines. Picked up a few good deals.”
“You brought home enough wine to start our own store,” joked Jake as he stepped out from the sunroom carrying two acoustic guitars.
“I may be over-shopped a little,” confessed Lori, trying to sound innocent.
“Good wine never goes wrong,” stated Ellen, sipping her Shiraz. “And this is nice. Really nice.”
“Taylor,” said Jake, interrupting the group’s conversation. “Feel like playing for a bit?”
“Sure,” agreed the English guitarist, accepting one of the instruments from Jake.
“Your voice recovered, son?” asked Jethro with fatherly concern.
“I think so,” replied Jake with a relieved smile. “Not sung a note since I stepped off stage until I sang Happy Birthday to Melody earlier.”
Giggling, Lori said, “I can see the headlines now. Rock star relaunches career singing Happy Birthday!”
“Well, it didn’t do Marilyn Monroe’s career any harm,” laughed Jake as he settled himself down to play. “What’ll it be, Mr Rowe?”
“Oh, ladies’ choice,” countered Tailz, looking a little flustered at being put on the spot.
“Tailz, sing that one from Midnight Cowboy,” suggested Ellen, knowing it was a song close to his heart.
“Good choice,” acknowledged Jake with a nod. “My mom loved that movie. She was a big John Voigt fan. Over to you, Tailz.”
Eventually, after a few more rock classics, Ellen was coaxed into singing.
“Black Velvet,” she said with a smile towards Scott.
Sitting swaying gently on the swing seat, Lori smiled as she watched the three musicians play. Across the deck, she saw Jethro and Dr Marrs whispering to each other and guessed they were sharing a similar thought. No stage, no fans, no setlist, no pressure just three musicians relaxing with friends and family and enjoying an acoustic jam session.
“A bit warmer than the usual beach sing-a-longs I’m used to,” joked Taylor a short while later as he carefully laid his borrowed guitar down. “I hate to break up the party but I’m beat. It’s been a long day.”
“Lord, I forgot!” squealed Ellen, looking sheepish. “You must be exhausted.”
Her bandmate nodded, “My body’s telling me it’s about 4 am.”
“Let’s call it a night,” said Jake softly. “Plenty time to continue this another time. We’ve 4th July and Jesse’s birthday coming up. Plenty of opportunity.”
“I think Maddy’s doing 4th of July this year,” interjected Lori. “But still an opportunity to play. You know how her parties go.”
“Do you kids need a ride back into town?” asked Jethro as he got stiffly to his feet.
“That would be great, thanks,” accepted Ellen.
“If it doesn’t take you out of your way,” added Taylor with a yawn. “A lift sounds good.”
“Right, let’s make a move before you’re asleep on your feet, Mr Rowe,” said Jethro. “Lori, thank you for another fabulous day.”
“Pleasure as always. And thank you for Melody’s gifts. You’ve spoiled her,” replied Lori warmly.
“Glad she liked them. The lady in the store said those dolls are all the rage with kids just now. Those ones were new. She was just putting them out on the shelf so I picked up one of each.”
“One would’ve been enough.”
“Nonsense. Miss Melody needed the full set,” declared the band’s manager. He looked on the various band member’s children like grandchildren and spoiled them every chance he got.
“I’ll walk you all out,” said Jake, stretching his hands high above his head to ease the kinks out of his back. “I’m stiff from sitting on that deck.”
“You’re just getting old,” teased Lori with a giggle.
Compared to the summer heat outside, it was cool down in the basement. Keeping half an eye on his daughter, Jake rummaged in one of the desk drawers for some of his old lesson plans from his days as a music teacher. He had invested in a low stool for Melody to sit on and bought some jewel-coloured picks, hoping that the bright colours would help keep her focussed on the strings.
“Found it,” declared Jake eventually.
“Found what?” quizzed Melody curiously.
“Your first music assignment, Miss M,” he replied with a grin. “Now, a few ground rules before we start. We’re going to have fun but you also need to pay attention and do as I tell you. You need to practice what I show you to toughen those little musical princess fingers up. But, the most important rule is still that you do not come down here on your own. OK?”
“Yes, Daddy,” replied Melody. “But why not?”
“It’s too dangerous for you to be down here alone,” began Jake firmly. “Plus, there’s a lot of equipment you could accidentally damage. If you want, you can keep your guitar in your own room but be careful your brother doesn’t get his hands on it.”
“He’s not allowed to touch it!”
“I understand,” sympathised Jake. “I feel the same about a couple of mine.”
“But Todd fixes yours?”
“Only some of them,” revealed Jake. “There’s a couple that I don’t like anyone touching. Another reason you’re not to come down here on your own.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Picking up his own beloved acoustic guitar, Jake said, “My Mom bought me this for my eighteenth birthday. This guitar is very special to me.”
“Is it the most expensive one?”
Jake shook his head, “Some of the others are worth a lot more money but this one is priceless to me because my Mom bought it for me.” He paused, lost in a memory, then said, “Now, are you ready for your first lesson?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!�
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“Ok, let’s start with learning about the different parts that make up your guitar. Do you know what they are all called?”
Patiently, Jake talked his young daughter through the “anatomy” of her half-sized instrument and was more than mildly surprised when she knew most of the names of the various parts before he told her.
“Where does it plug in?” she asked as she inspected the endpin.
Laughing, Jake said, “Yours doesn’t.”
“Awh,” sighed Melody, looking a little disappointed.
“Right, Miss M, do you know the names of the strings?” quizzed Jake.
The little girl shook her head.
“See this skinny one. It’s E. Next is A, then D then G then B then back to E,” he explained, plucking each one in turn.
“Like the letters I learn at daycare?”
“The very same only these don’t spell out words. These are the letters that are the names of the note that the string plays when it’s in tune and you aren’t pressing down on it. When it’s open.”
“E, A, D….” began Melody, plucking the strings. “What was next?”
“G, B and E,” repeated Jake. “Think of it like this. Eddie Ate Dynamite. Good Bye Eddie.”
“Boom!” giggled Melody.
With a smile, Jake realised he was going to need every last ounce of his patience and teaching skills to keep his young daughter focussed. Eventually, the lesson picked up a bit of pace as he taught her the finger positions for three basic chords. Without being shown, the little girl strummed rhythmically while holding down an A chord then repeated the action with D and E.
“Very nice,” complimented Jake, genuinely impressed with her natural ability. “Try it again. Hold each chord in turn and strum each four times.”
He demonstrated what he meant her to do and, after a few failed attempts, Melody managed it successfully.
“Great job, Miss M,” praised Jake. “How are your fingers?”
“Sore.”
“Want to rest till after dinner?” he suggested. “We could come back down when your Mommy is putting Jesse to bed.”
“It’s a date,” declared Melody, smiling at him. “A Daddy/daughter date.”
Shattered Hearts Page 4
