Keeping the Beat: An Adrenaline Novel

by O'Hara, Morgan

  “Don’t,” I said sharply. “That wasn't your fault and I don’t want to hear you apologizing again. Are we clear on that?”

  For a minute I thought he was going to argue with me before he nodded, his shaggy hair falling into his face. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. Now kiss me.”

  Complying with my request Jace ran his thumbs over my jaw, his lips settling over mine for a bruising kiss that left my lips sore when he pulled away. We were both breathing unsteadily when he tucked my head under his chin folding me into his arms again.

  “Probably shouldn't keep that up on your brother’s front porch.”

  “You’re probably right,” I laughed and squeezed my arms around him briefly before stepping back and offering him my hand. “Let's go to your house.”

  Jace

  At Sunday dinner I felt like I could finally breath again. My whole family knew everything about me and they still loved me anyway. Most importantly, Kenzie still loved me.

  I caught her eye from across the room and smiled when she winked at me before turning to listen to whatever Reece was saying. “Oh my God, Reece! That’s amazing!” She exclaimed launching herself at the other woman for a hug. They swayed together for a moment as Reece laughed and patted Kenzie on the back.

  “I know I still can’t believe it.”

  “Believe what?” Wyatt mumbled around a bite of cookie he had just shoved into his mouth.

  “Wyatt don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Aunt Lorraine admonished from across the room.

  “Sorry.” He looked like he wanted to roll his eyes but didn't dare with his mother’s gaze focused on him. “Believe what, Reece?”

  Declan came to stand beside his fiancé wrapping his arm around her waist with a proud smile on his face. She glanced up at him with a matching grin before looking back at all of us. “I sold my book.”

  “Reece, that’s awesome!” Wyatt said shooting to his feet. We all took turns congratulating her, passing her around the room for hugs and kisses. By the time she made it to Lucas she was sniffing suspiciously making my cousin’s normally calm expression turn to one of pure terror.

  “I don’t want to hug you if you’re going to cry,” he said eyeing her uneasily.

  “If you don’t hug me Lucas, I will cry.”

  Lucas’ arms wrapped around her so fast it made me laugh. He gave Reece a gentle pat on the top of her head before nudging her towards Declan.

  Kenzie had sat on my lap as we watched Reece move around the room. Her delighted smile made my heart soar and when she caught my look, I saw her love for me shining bright in her eyes.

  “Good?” She asked pushing my hair behind my ear.

  I nodded, grabbing her hand to press a kiss to the center of her palm. “Sugar, I’ve never been better.”

  Epilogue

  Simon

  My Aunt Reece and Uncle Declan’s dog Loki was crazy but the good kind of crazy. He liked to chase me around the yard and was always up for a game of fetch. They never minded when I wanted to play with him, but it wasn't the same as having my own dog.

  I really wanted my own dog.

  Dad said I needed to prove I could be responsible before I could get one, the only problem was I didn't know how to do that. I already did my chores when he told me to. I cleaned my room, fed the horses, and did my homework.

  What more did a guy have to do to show he was responsible?

  “Hey Simon,” I turned to see my Aunt Reece walking across the lawn towards me. She wasn't technically my aunt yet, but she would be soon enough so I figured I might as well get in the habit of thinking of her that way.

  “Hi Aunt Reece, is it time for Loki to go to school?”

  Aunt Reece nodded and whistled for Loki to come to her side. He looked at me and I shrugged. I wanted to keep playing with him too, but we all had to go to school sometimes. Suddenly I had an idea that might help me in my own quest of getting a dog of my very own.

  “Aunt Reece, can I come with you?” She looked up from clipping on Loki’s leash and gave me a smile. She was so nice I knew she was going to say yes.

  “Sure thing, buddy. If your dad says you can come along I would love the company.”

  “I’ll be right back!” Running into the house I called out for my dad. He was sitting in the living room and glanced up when I almost ran right past him.

  “Where are you off to in such a hurry, son?” He asked snagging me by the back of my shirt. I laughed when he pulled me onto his lap and tickled my sides. My dad was serious a lot of the time but he was also really fun to be with. He had seemed a little down lately which was another reason I thought we needed a dog. Dogs made people happy. My dad could use a little more happy in his life.

  “Can I go to dog school with Aunt Reece?” I asked between bursts of laughter.

  “You willingly want to go to school?” He drew back to look at me through narrowed eyes. “Who are you and what have you done with my kid?”

  I rolled my eyes and stood up leaving my hands on his shoulders. “Can I go?”

  “Did Reece say it was okay?”

  “She I could go if you said I could go.”

  “Then it’s fine with me.”

  “Yes!” I gave him a quick hug before running back out the door letting it slam shut behind me. Aunt Reece was waiting where I left her when I ran back out onto the lawn. “He said I can go.”

  “Party time,” she said giving me a thumbs up. “Let’s hit the road.”

  When we were buckled into her car I started playing with the radio until I found a song I knew. Reece always let me pick the song. She was fun to spend time with like my Aunt Kenzie and Grandma. Being with them made me realize I wasn't so sad about my mom not being around. She wasn't as fun to be with as they were.

  “Is this school hard?” I asked patting Loki on the head when he popped into the front seat.

  “Not really,” Aunt Reece shrugged. “The lady who teaches it is really nice.”

  I turned to look at my aunt as she pulled out onto the road that led towards town. “What kind of lady is she?”

  Aunt Reece looked at me curiously with a smile on her face. “What do you mean what kind of lady is she?”

  “Like is she a lady like you and Aunt Kenzie or a lady like Grandma?”

  “Oh.” Aunt Reece nodded understanding my question. “She’s a lady like me and your Aunt Kenzie.” I felt her eyes on me again but turned towards the window to look at the buildings we were passing. “Is that important to you?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “It could be.”

  When we pulled into the parking lot I hopped out and grabbed Loki’s leash waiting for him to jump out before shutting the car door. Aunt Reece met us around the front of the car and I followed her inside keeping Loki’s leash wrapped tightly around my wrist.

  A girl with pink stripes in her hair looked up from the desk when we entered, smiling down at Loki when he barked in greeting. “Hi Loki!” She stood up and walked around the desk to give him a scratch on the head, laughing when he tried to jump on her. “Hi Reece. I’ll go let Maeve know you’re here.”

  “Thanks Tegan,” Reece said taking Loki’s leash from my hand. He was strong and had almost pulled my feet out from under me when he’d tried to jump on the girl.

  A few seconds after the girl walked away a woman walked out of the same hallway. She was carrying a stack of papers and a large cup that was teetering in her hands. Her smile of welcome fell away when she tripped and the cup tipped over, the stack of papers flying in all different directions.

  I quickly walked over and helped her gather the papers, trying to put them in a neat stack with little success. When I looked up to hand them to her she was sitting back on her heels grinning at me. Her eyes looked purple and her hair was the darkest shade of black I had ever seen. I smiled back at her, handing her the papers that she had dropped.

  “Thanks, handsome,” she laughed and pushed to her feet, offering me a hand to pull me to mine. “Th
at was very gentlemanly of you.”

  “Uh.” I looked back at Aunt Reece and saw her smiling over at me. I was still a little nervous when I met new people, but this lady didn't make me feel nervous at all. “You’re welcome. I’m Simon.”

  “Maeve,” she said offering me her hand to shake. “Are you here to help train the monster?”

  “Yeah,” I laughed and looked over at Loki. “I think if I can help Aunt Reece with Loki, my dad might let me get a dog of my own. He said I need to prove I can handle the responsibility of being a dog owner.”

  Maeve nodded, the smile never leaving her face. “You’re dad is absolutely right. A dog can be a lot of work, but they’re also the best friends you’ll ever have. How old are you Simon?”

  “I’m ten, but I’ll be eleven on halloween.”

  Her eyes widened on mine. “That’s my an awesome birthday. My birthday is on a holiday too. Valentines,” she explained.

  “How old will you be?” I asked and felt Aunt Reece step beside me. She looked like she was trying not to laugh as she shook her head but Maeve let her laugh free.

  “I’ll be twenty eight.” That was good. My dad and I shared a birthday and I knew he was going to be thirty.

  Maeve tilted her head making her hair fall over her shoulder. “If your dad said it was okay, would you like to come here and help with the dogs after school sometimes?”

  I felt excitement course through me and nodded my head. “Yes! When I don’t have baseball that is. But baseball is almost over so I’ll have more time to help you out.”

  “Awesome. It’ll be nice to spend some time with a nice guy like you.”

  I smiled and followed her and Reece into the fenced in yard. If Maeve wanted to spend some time with a nice guy, I had the perfect one in mind, though I might need some help to make it happen. And I knew exactly who I could ask.

  I asked if I could use the bathroom and waited until Aunt Reece and Maeve had walked around the corner. Taking the cell phone my dad had gotten me out of my pocket I dialed my Uncle’s number and waited until I heard him answer.

  “What’s up, nephew?” My Uncle Wyatt asked.

  I quickly made sure no one was within hearing distance before answering him. “Uncle Wyatt, I need your help with something. I’ve got this idea.” I tried to think of what to tell him until his warm voice interrupted me.

  “Count me in.”

  Thank you so much for reading Kenzie and Jace’s story,

  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

  Feel free to leave a review, I would love to hear from you.

  You can also follow my instagram page at getlostinthestory.

  Stay tuned for a sneak preview of Lucas’ story,

  Finding the Rhythm!

  Preface

  Lucas

  “Lucas, man. You got to slow down,” Jace said from next to me. I grunted and shot him the finger bringing the bottle of beer to my lips again. My cousin sighed and walked away from me. Seconds later the couch cushion dipped again.

  “You’re going to have a hell of a headache in the morning,” Declan whistled. “How many bottles have you had?” He pointed to the row I had lined up on the coffee table. “Looks like about a dozen here since,” he looked at the clock. “What two?”

  “It’s my birthday and this is quite the achievement,” I grumbled and put the next empty bottle by the others.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Wyatt growled knocking all the bottles down. “Get off your ass and get in the shower, Lucas.” My twin brother stepped in front of the TV so I was forced to look up at him. “We’re leaving in five minutes whether you smell like a dumpster or not.”

  “Don’t care,” I said.

  There was a beat of silence before I felt hands grabbing me. Wyatt and Jace had gripped me under the arms and were pulling me into the bathroom. Declan walked ahead of them and turned on the shower. He stepped back as they shoved me inside, keeping the water icy. I cursed and swung out at them but their hold only tightened. After damn near drowning me, Wyatt finally let up and pulled me out from underneath the spray.

  “Put some dry clothes on,” he snarled and turned from the room. “I’m going to make a phone call. When I get back, you better be ready to go.” Jace and Declan hovered at my side for a minute before trailing after him.

  I started bitching under my breath as I attempted to dry off and put on a new pair of pants and a shirt. Glancing over my shoulder I saw that my bandmates had all left the room. I reached down under my bed and found a bottle that I had stashed away before Wyatt could catch me.

  Untwisting the lid I took several deep swallows before putting it back under the bed. I needed a few drinks to get me through the next couple of hours with her. I’d been needing a drink to get me through the next couple of hours period for a while now.

  Fucking Cadence.

  “Lucas,” Wyatt called, walking into the room. He saw me hunched over and his face morphed into one of pure rage. “What the fuck, man? I leave you alone for three minutes and this is what happens?” He strode over and reached under the bed finding my hidden bottle. His blue eyes cut through me as he stood and threw the handle. The glass smashed against the opposite wall as Wyatt continued to breath heavily.

  “That was an expensive bottle,” I said stupidly.

  Wyatt’s jaw tightened. “I don’t give a fuck. This is it, Lucas. This is the moment where you have to decide what kind of person you want to be. The one you're becoming isn't you man. This drunk lazy asshole is not you.”

  I rubbed at my red rimmed eyes and tried to focus on my brother’s face. He kind of looked like he was going to cry. “Are you going to cry?” I asked after studying him for a moment.

  Wyatt swiped an arm over her eyes before resting his hands on his hips. “I fucking might, Lucas. You should be in my place right now. This isn’t good.” He gestured to where I was sitting on the floor. “You’re not good. I think it’s past time we talk about getting you some help.”

  “Bullshit,” I slurred and tried to get to my feet. I didn't get very far before I fell back on my ass again. “Don’t need help,” I groaned.

  “I beg to differ,” Wyatt shot back. He crossed the room and grabbed my arms hauling me to my feet. His hand clasped the back of my neck forcing me to look him in the eye. “After we go do this, we’re going to have a long talk you and I. I refuse to let you to throw your life away Lucas. It’s not going to happen.”

  “Fine,” I said trying to push him off of me.

  After a second he relented. “Come on let’s go.”

  Wyatt didn't give me much of a choice as he led me to the car. I didn't have a chance to open the door because Jace did it for me. Wyatt shoved me into the seat and slammed it shut making my eyes throb inside my head.

  I didn't know how long we drove before Wyatt threw the car into park. “Get out,” he told me. When I didn't, he made me. I heard an ambulance whine behind us and placed hands over my ears to stop the noise from going in. It didn't do jack shit.

  “Fuck, shut that thing up,” I moaned.

  “Those noises tend to happen at a hospital,” Declan said dryly. “Can’t really shut up an emergency.”

  “God,” I swore a few times shuffling behind Wyatt into the building. He stopped at the desk in the lobby and exchanged a few words before tuning back to me. Grabbing my arm he started pulling me down the hallway. “I can walk, Wyatt,” I protested trying to jerk my arm free.

  “Shut up,” Wyatt bit out. “We’re here.”

  Walking over to the nursing desk he bent his head down to speak with one of the girls behind it. I saw her smile at him and would have rolled my eyes if I suspected I wouldn't throw up as a result.

  “How you doing?” Jace asked next to me. I shrugged.

  “This way,” Wyatt said and grabbed me again. He was following the nurse down the hall. We stopped in front of a glass wall and watched the nurse walk into the room. She exchanged a few words with the other nurses inside. Bending down she p
icked up a small little bundle and walked out to us. Wyatt pointed at me and the nurse gave me a dubious look.

  “Mr. Cooper?” she asked. I jerked my chin in acknowledgement. She gave a little smile as she looked down at what she was holding. “This is your son.”

  When she tried to hand me the small pile of blankets I almost took a step in retreat. Jace and Declan’s hands on my back prevented that from happening. I swallowed hard and outstretched my arms so she could gently place the baby into them. I looked at her a moment longer than necessary, then forced myself to look at the baby.

  I had never seen anything so tiny in my entire life. His little face was scrunched up as his fist appeared out of the blanket to run across his nose. I watched in complete fascination as his eyes started to blink open. They locked on mine and I saw they were the same bright blue as my own.

  Just like that I felt my whole world shift.

  Wyatt stepped up next to me and ran his hand over the baby’s head. “What are we going to call him?”

  I cleared my throat and shot a hesitant look at my brother before looking back at the baby. “Simon,” I whispered watching my son stare up at me.

  Then I started to cry.

  Chapter 1

  Maeve

  When I was a little girl I always knew I would be living in a big city. I dreamed about being a high powered career woman who would wear fancy business suits. Never had I imagined cleaning up after a bunch of animals.

  Literally.

  When I thought about it, it wasn't too different from what I had been doing in the city. There I had been planning parties and cleaning up after human animals. I had always liked it but for the past few years the constant crowds and demands had gotten to be too much. It was past time I started taking care of myself.

  When I had decided to quit my job and move out of the city, it had seemed like the perfect time to make a different dream a reality. Being with animals had always afforded me a peace I didn't find in the company of others. Having the opportunity to help animals in need gave me a sense of satisfaction I had never had before.