Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1)

by McCallum, Coral

  With a yawn, Jake realised it was late and that he had lost the thread of the plot in the movie. Reaching for the remote, he killed the power to the TV. Beside him Lori was snoring softly, her long golden blonde hair cascading down over her shoulder like a silk cloak. Asleep, she looked so peaceful, with an air of fragility about her. Gently he scooped her into his arms and slowly stood up. She stirred slightly at the movement, but, with her head resting on his shoulder, she remained asleep. Carefully he carried her through to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Deciding against removing her dress, he pulled the cotton sheet over her. Watching to see if she stirred, Jake stripped off his own clothes and slid into bed beside her. Propping himself up on one elbow, Jake lay watching her, coming to the conclusion that he was the luckiest man alive to have her by his side. Eventually his eyelids began to droop and he too settled down to sleep.

  ♪

  Sun was streaming in the window and across the bed when Lori finally woke the next morning. Stretching sleepily, she realised that something didn’t feel right. She pulled back the covers and saw she was still fully dressed. The memory of falling asleep in front of the TV filtered back through. Beside her the bed was empty. All the warmth was gone from the space where Jake had slept, suggesting he’d been up for some time. Wiping the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, Lori wandered through to the bathroom.

  Freshly showered and dressed in slim fitting jeans and a black vest top, she went through to the kitchen, following the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Jake was standing barefoot by the sink having a glass of water. From his attire and the sweat pouring off him, he had just been for a run.

  “Morning, sleepy,” he said with a grin.

  “Morning,” she replied. “Good run?”

  “Best for a while,” he declared, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I ran up towards town for a change. Up beyond the far end of the boardwalk and back. It’s beautiful out there today.”

  “Any word from your dad?”

  “He called a few minutes ago to say they were just checking out and heading over. They’ll be about a half hour,” Jake explained. “I ran out to the store first thing and got fresh bagels and pastries. I wasn’t sure what to get, so I bought a variety. Hope that’s ok.”

  “Perfect,” said Lori, pouring herself a coffee. “You go jump in the shower and I’ll get organised here. I’d better call Maddy too.”

  Her friend’s phone rang out, then cut to voice mail. Having left a brief message asking her to call back, Lori went to set the table for brunch out on the sun deck. It was still a nice temperature to eat outdoors, but she appreciated that days like this were numbered as they moved through autumn. Over the past week, the town and especially the beach had been quieter. She preferred it like this – warm enough to be out and quiet enough to enjoy it. As she brought out the plates and plastic cups, she heard cars in the driveway. From indoors, Jake called, “They’re here!” By the time Lori made her way to the front door, Jake was ushering his sister and father into the hallway.

  “Morning,” called Lori brightly. “You found us then?”

  “Jake’s directions were spot on,” said Lucy, giving her a hug. “Oh, and we stopped off and picked up a cherry pie. I hope that’s ok.”

  “You didn’t need to bring anything,” scolded Lori, accepting the box from the colonel.

  “We couldn’t come empty handed, my dear,” he stated.

  “Go on out to the deck while I put this in the kitchen,” Lori suggested, before asking Jake fetch them all a juice.

  When she came out to join them on the sun deck, Lucy and Colonel Power were admiring the view of the ocean.

  “This is a prime spot you have here, Lori,” said Ben, as he came to sit at the table. “Beautiful.”

  “Thanks. It was the family holiday home. After my accident, I decided to relocate down here,” explained Lori, also taking a seat. “Best decision I ever made.”

  “Do you never miss the city?” asked Lucy.

  “Not really,” admitted Lori. “We went back for a week or so in June and it was nice to be there, but it was nice to come home too.”

  “You’ve still got a place there?” asked Ben.

  “Lori nodded, “An apartment on the Upper West Side.”

  “Will you go back there for the winter?”

  “I doubt it,” said Lori. “But never say never. We need to go back for a few days next month. Jake’s back in the studio for a weekend.”

  “You are?” Lucy squealed. “What are you doing now?”

  Looking a little embarrassed, Jake replied, “I’ve to record some vocals for a track for Weigh Station.”

  “Oh, your room used to be covered in posters of them! Remember?”

  “I’ll never forget,” muttered their father. “Left a hell of a mess on the walls when I tore them all down.”

  All of them laughed and Jake confessed to feeling a bit overwhelmed about being asked to tour and sing with his idols.

  “Will you get to guest on stage with them?” asked Lucy.

  “Maybe,” he admitted. “How good would it be to play with them in London?”

  “Well, you never know,” said Lori with a smile.

  The relaxed conversation continued for the next couple of hours over brunch. Lucy insisted on helping with the food, leaving Jake and their dad to chat. As the two girls prepared a selection of filled bagels, they too chatted and got to know each other a little better. Lori found herself warming to Jake’s little sister. She talked animatedly about her two young sons, commenting on how much they would love the beach and the ocean. When they took the plates out to the table, the two men were talking NASCAR, a common passion for both of them from the comfort of their armchairs. Shaking their heads, the girls continued to chat amongst themselves. Keen to know more about Lori’s work, Lucy quizzed her about the designs she had done and her plans for the future. Guardedly, Lori explained about the two projects she was currently finalising but she said she had nothing else lined up.

  “Don’t let her fool you,” said Jake, butting in on their conversation. “She’s a workaholic!”

  Lori blushed, then confessed, “I do tend to get absorbed in it once I start. But, in my defence, I’m no worse than him when he starts to write.”

  “That’s true,” conceded Jake, with a smile.

  “Well, this has been lovely,” said Colonel Power. “But I have to head off. Time to get back to ship. We’re heading out tonight about seven.”

  “Where to this time?” asked Lucy, checking her watch.

  “We’re delivering a yacht to St Lucia then flying back unless we can pick up another delivery trip while we’re out there,” he replied. “Oh, I was meant to ask. Do you have any souvenirs from the launch that I can take back for Steve?”

  Jake thought for a moment, then disappeared into the house. He came back out smoothing out a crumpled piece of paper and clutching a pen.

  “Will this do?” he asked. “It’s my copy of the set list from yesterday.”

  “Sure. That kid would accept anything as long as you’ve touched it. He kept that plastic cup you used for three days after you left!” laughed Ben.

  Shaking his head in disbelief, Jake scribbled a message along the bottom of the set list and signed it. He passed it over to his dad then gave him two guitar picks that were in his pocket.

  “Thanks, son,” said his father. “He’s a good kid.”

  With a flurry of hugs and promises to keep in touch, Ben and Lucy said their farewells, Lucy somewhat tearfully, and then they were gone.

  “It was great to see Lucy again,” declared Jake, as he watched her reverse carefully out of the drive. “I’m glad you and her got along so well.”

  “I’m just glad you’ve made peace with them,” admitted Lori, giving him a hug.

  “Me too,” he agreed. “Right, time to come back to earth. I promised Grey I’d help him tow a car into the shop then I’ve papers to grade.”

  Laughing Lori said, “Oh
the rock and roll lifestyle!”

  “Well, what are you planning to do, Mz Hyde?” he challenged playfully.

  “Laundry.”

  Once she had the first load of laundry on to wash, Lori poured herself a coffee and tried to call Maddy again. The phone rang out, but it was Paul who picked it up.

  “Hi Lori,” he whispered.

  “Hi. I was looking for Maddy,” said Lori. “I’ve been worrying about her.”

  “You and me both,” he sighed. “She’s sleeping. It’s been another rough day.”

  “Oh, poor Maddy. She was so fragile yesterday. So unlike herself.”

  “I know,” agreed the drummer sadly. “I’ll get her to call you when she wakes up. No promises though.”

  “Ok, don’t stress her about it,” replied Lori. “But try to convince her to see a doctor.”

  “I’m trying. Believe me, I’m trying.”

  “Are you ok?” asked Lori, suddenly concerned at how flat the usually cheerful drummer was sounding.

  “I’m ok. Just worried,” he assured her. “And excited. And scared.”

  “Well, you both know where we are if you need us,” said Lori warmly. “Maddy’s like family to me. She was there when I needed her.”

  “Thanks, Lori. Means a lot.”

  “Ok. I’ll talk to you later.”

  By the time Jake got back, the laundry was done and was in the dryer and Lori was sitting sketching out on the deck. An idea for a new venture had slowly been developing at the back of her mind ever since she had drawn the Celtic dragon for Silver Lake. It had struck her that it would make a nice pendant and, when she had had a few minutes to spare, she had begun to expand on the idea. The page in front of her was full of Celtic themed doodles.

  “Hey, li’l lady,” called Jake from the doorway.

  “Hi. Did you get Grey sorted out?” she asked.

  “Eventually. First tow rope snapped. Scared the crap out of me. We got there at the second attempt. I’m going to get cleaned up. I’m covered in oil.”

  “Lovely,” she sighed, as she returned to the design in front of her.

  It wasn’t long before Jake was back outside beside her, armed with the book bag he used for school.

  “Better do my homework assignment before dinner,” he said grudgingly, opening the bag and taking out a pile of essays.

  Closing her notebook over, Lori said, “I’ll go make dinner and leave you in peace.”

  “Stay for a while,” suggested Jake softly. “I’m not really hungry yet. Too much cherry pie earlier.”

  “If I’m not disturbing you, I’ll stay,” she agreed, picking up her pencil again and opening the book back at the page she had been working on.

  Together they sat working on their respective projects for more than an hour, barely communicating with each other. It was the chill of an early evening breeze blowing in from the ocean that brought them back to reality. Much to his surprise, Jake had enjoyed reading his students’ essays on what music inspired them and why. His class’ tastes were quite diverse and some of the reasons that the kids had given were heart wrenching. He was relieved to discover that none of the essays featured Silver Lake. Since both he and Rich had returned from the summer break, both staff and students had been playfully teasing them about their rock star status. More than once he was quizzed by the kids in his classes about the incident in Milford, with numerous requests to see his gunshot scar. It all served to reaffirm his belief that teenagers were ghouls, but he had obliged on every occasion, noting their disappointment that it didn’t look more impressive.

  With a shiver, Lori closed over her sketchbook and declared, “I’m going in.”

  “Let me finish these off and I’ll be in,” said Jake, lifting the second last essay from the pile. “Almost done.”

  When he finally wandered back indoors, Lori was in the kitchen folding the laundry she had just removed from the dryer. The warmth from the clothes was gradually removing the chill from her hands. Smiling at watching her perform such an everyday task, Jake stood behind her and wrapped his arms round her waist.

  “Are you happy, li’l lady?” he asked softly.

  “Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “Are you?”

  “Couldn’t be happier,” replied Jake, kissing the nape of her neck.

  “Glad to hear it,” she purred, as he continued to kiss her neck.

  “Do you want me to run out and bring something back for dinner?” he offered.

  “There’s still salad and shrimp left from lunch. It would be a shame to waste it.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Jake agreed. “Do you want me to sort it out while you finish what you are doing?”

  “No,” said Lori. “You can take this lot down to the bedroom and fetch some wine while I fix dinner.”

  “Deal, li’l lady,” he said, with a final kiss to her neck. “Love you.”

  “Love you too, rock star.”

  ♪

  After Jake left for work on Monday morning, Lori tried to get hold of Maddy again. Her phone went straight to voicemail. Guessing that her friend was on a call, she left a message, then settled herself at her drawing board to finalise one of her designs for an up-and-coming country rock band from Kentucky. The remit had been for cowboy boots and western style saddles and felt a bit too cheesy for her liking, but the client was the one calling the shots. She had to admit that it had been fun re-producing the intricately tooled designs characteristic of the culture. In some ways, it wasn’t dissimilar to the Celtic knots that she loved to work with. The design she was finalising was a detailed oak leaf pattern. The shading work was complex as she worked to create a 3-D effect. Totally engrossed in the challenge at hand, she lost all track of time and was startled back to reality when the door opened, announcing Jake’s arrival home from school. She glanced at her watch and was stunned to discover it was after four o’clock.

  “Lori!” he called, dropping his bag on the kitchen floor. “Are you there?”

  “In here,” she called back. “You ok?”

  “Yes and no,” he said, striding through.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Lori, noting the worried look on his face.

  “Paul called. Maddy’s in hospital. She collapsed last night and he had to call 911.”

  “Is she ok?” asked Lori, the colour draining from her face.

  “She’s going to be fine, but they’ve admitted her for a few days,” explained Jake calmly. “Paul said it’s something called HG. It has a fancy Latin name that I don’t remember. She’s on an IV and they’ve given her meds to try to control the sickness. Baby’s ok too.”

  “Thank God,” sighed Lori. “When can we see her?”

  “He’s cleared it for you to see her anytime. I assume you want to go now.”

  Lori nodded. “Let me grab my bag.”

  As they were driving out towards Beebe’s maternity unit, Lori remembered Jake had had good news too.

  “Oh, that,” he said nonchalantly. “The principal has given Rich and I the six weeks off on one condition.”

  “That’s great news!” exclaimed Lori. “But what’s the catch?”

  “He insists the band plays a set at the school Christmas social. We’ve agreed but I just hope Grey and Paul are up for it,” revealed Jake, trying hard not to laugh. “London one week, then school gym hall the next!”

  “The kids will love it,” giggled Lori, seeing the funny side of it.

  “I’m not sure Dr Jones will when he hears us.”

  “Well, there is that,” she acknowledged with a laugh. “I’m sure Maddy will manage to turn it into a good publicity stunt too.”

  “You can bet on that,” he agreed.

  Hand in hand, they walked across the car park and into the medical centre, following the signs towards the maternity wing. In her hurry to get there, Lori had left her cane at home and she was trying to ignore the panicky feeling that was rapidly rising in her chest. Subconsciously she must have been squeezing Jake’s hand tigh
t. Leaning towards her, he whispered, “I won’t let you fall. Stay calm.”

  “You know me too well,” she said quietly.

  When they arrived at the maternity unit, they went to the nurses’ station to find out what room they were looking for. A mature, rather matronly, nurse gave them directions and said she would call through to say that they were on their way round. Paul was waiting for them in the corridor when they reached the room. His usually cheerful face was pale and there were dark shadows under his eyes. Giving him a hug, Lori asked how Maddy was.

  “A good bit better,” he replied. “The nurse is just fixing her IV. She hasn’t been sick for almost three hours.”

  “Is that good?” asked Lori anxiously.

  He nodded, “Better than she has been for over a week.”

  Behind them the nurse came out and said they could go in.

  “You go on in, Lori,” said Paul. “I’m going to grab a coffee. Jake, do you want to come?”

  Jake nodded, glad to have an excuse not to go in to see Maddy just yet. Women’s health and baby issues always made him uncomfortable. Hospitals made him uncomfortable.

  “We won’t be long,” he said to Lori. “Promise.”

  “Ok. Bring me one back, please,” she answered, as she opened the door to Maddy’s private room.

  The small private room was noticeably cooler than the corridor, thanks to a large fan sitting on the bedside locker. Maddy was propped up on a pile of white pillows, her face almost as white. When she saw Lori, she smiled weakly, then burst into tears. Without hesitation, Lori rushed over and hugged her friend, holding her tight until the sobs subsided.

  “Come on now, no more tears,” soothed Lori softly. “You’ll be right as rain in a few days.”

  “Oh, God, I hope so,” sighed Maddy, slumping back against the pillows. “I feel like shit. I’ve never felt this bad. Not even the worst three day hangovers felt this bad.”