Duke’s tail is wagging and he tugs against Bash’s grip, not to defend Bash against the intruder, but to smother him. Which is exactly what Duke does. He rips out of Bash’s grip, then rushes Forest, jumping up on him. The dog is massive and tall enough to put his paws on Forest’s chest. Standing on his hind feet, Duke is big enough to give Forest a slobbery welcome kiss.
“What the fuck, Bash?”
“Looks like Duke likes you.”
“Duke? Is that what you’re calling this beast? When did you get a dog?”
“It happened.” Duke licks Forest’s chin then drops down to all fours. He’s snuffling and circling Forest, wiggling his butt.
“You might as well say hi to him, because he’s not going to stop until you do.”
Forest bends down and rubs Duke; the mutt is in heaven with his newest, best friend in the world. The unbridled enthusiasm of the dog brings a smile to Bash’s face.
“I’m sure there’s a story behind this monster.”
“His name is Duke.”
“Whatever.”
Forest stands and Duke meanders back to his spot in front of the couch. He gives the couch a long appraising look. It’s Italian grade leather, buttery smooth and worth a fortune. Duke licks his chops then plops back down to the ground. For now, the couch is safe.
“So, you’re ignoring my texts?” Forest gives him a reproachful eye.
“No.”
“Well, everyone is sitting around with their thumbs up their noses, waiting on your sorry ass.”
“For what?”
“Band meeting.”
“We’re having a meeting?” He has no idea where his phone might be and wasn’t ignoring Forest on purpose.
“Yeah, the one you missed.”
“Didn’t miss the meeting, I cancelled it.”
“And I rescheduled it for now. Get off your ass. Do something with the monster. And get to the Great Room.”
“Like we’ve got somewhere to be.” Unless traveling on a tour, this is the truth, and Bash likes his downtime. It’s a great time to write new songs and chill. Tours are fun, but exhausting.
“You may not, but I’ve got other things cooking.” Forest isn’t backing down and turns his glacial gaze on Bash. It’s a stare to make men’s blood grow cold. Bash would like to say it doesn’t affect him, but Forest is a beast of a man. He would be stupid to get into an all-out fight, because he’d get crushed.
“Well, no need to get your panties in a wad,” he says. Being flippant with Forest is a good way to get him to back down. Forest hates being dismissed.
“I don’t wear panties, ass-wipe.”
Bash searches for Duke’s lead. He’s not ready to let the dog run free in the halls of Insanity.
“Yeah, whatever.” He clips the lead to the metal ring on Duke’s collar and gives a wave to the door. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Forest leaves, mumbling under his breath about how he doesn’t understand how Ash can have such an ass for a friend. Bash doesn’t care. He didn’t invite Forest into his life and has no reason to cater to Forest’s demands.
Duke’s nostrils flare as he explores all the new smells. He’s not tugging at the leash, choosing instead to walk half a step in front of Bash. This leaves Bash dancing behind the dog, trying not to trip over Duke as they work their way to the Great Room. Forest goes ahead, his long stride eating up the distance. Bash tops six-foot, and a lifetime of drumming keeps his muscles tight, toned, and bulked. He’s a big guy, but Forest turns all that on its head.
They close in on the Great Room. Duke’s ears perk up at the strange voices and Bash groans. It’s not a band meeting, it’s a goddamn family event. Skye’s soft laughter echoes down the halls. Piper’s high soprano pulls his shoulders to his ears. Tia is there too, her soft alto a welcome compliment to the others. If Tia is here, that means Ryker is too. The whole damn gang is gathered.
Bash groans and tugs Duke to his side. Someday soon, he’s going to teach Duke how to heel. Duke’s nails scrabble on the tile as he tries to rush into the room. As Bash turns the corner, a high screech has him bracing.
“Oh my God! He’s adorable.” Piper bounces off Bent’s lap and rushes Duke.
“Um…” He tries to pull Duke back, not sure how the dog is going to react to this many new people. Fortunately, the kid from the shelter is right about the dog. Duke is a friendly giant. His tail is wiggling so hard, his entire body is caught up in the excitement. Piper is not much bigger than Duke and she cups his face and stares into his doggy eyes.
“You’re gorgeous!” She turns to Bash and smiles. “Don’t tell me…”
He wasn’t going to tell her anything, except to get back from his dog.
Piper props a hand on her hip and gives Duke a once over. “I’m guessing wolfhound and Great Dane mix.” He’s surprised she guesses right, although Piper is always full of surprises.
Skye is up. At six months pregnant, she’s starting to look really show. He can’t wait for her to pop out the kid, because Ash is getting more obnoxious to be around the further along she gets.
His best friend, Ash, lounges on the couch. Spike is cleaning his fingernails with a knife, looking pissed off about something. Noodles is on the floor, legs twisted into some yoga pose no guy should ever sit in. Bent leans back in a chair. His entire attention focuses on his wife. The two of them are inseparable. Tia is at a table in the corner, maps strewn out before her. Ryker, Angel Fire’s stand in bassist during Bent’s injury, is by her side. Their heads press close together, focusing on whatever is on that map. Ryker looks up and gives a wave.
Forest stands in front of the massive stone fireplace, arms crossed over his chest with a frown plastered on his face. “Now that Bash has deigned to grace us with his presence, how about we get started.”
An hour goes by as Forest drones on about the changes to their upcoming tour. All foreign dates are pushed back by six months. Domestic tour dates bunch up over the next few months, all on the West Coast. Ash isn’t comfortable being too far from Skye, but at least he’s not cancelling the tour altogether. If he had, Bash was going to take him out back and bash his head in. With Bent’s injured arm, it’s been too long since Angel Fire played in front of their fans. They need to get back on the road.
Forest has everything covered. Angel Fire’s helicopter will be nearby to bring Ash back for the baby’s delivery. The happiest part of the meeting is finding out Piper is staying behind to help Skye. Tia, a certified nurse anesthetist, is going to be at the delivery as well. For the first time, in far too long, it’s going to be just the guys on tour. Bash is all on board with this, and it looks like he won’t have to worry about Duke. Skye and Piper lavish the dog with attention which Duke shamelessly eats up.
“He’s so adorable,” Skye says. “Whatever made you decide to get a dog?”
Noodles gives a snort, but none of the guys react. Hopefully, Noodles hasn’t spilled the beans about Holly.
“Just did.”
“Do you mind if I take him on a walk?” Piper looks eagerly for permission. Not from Bash, but rather her husband, Bent. Those two have an unusual relationship.
“Go for it, but keep him on the leash.” Although, if Duke gets it in his head to run, there’s no way Piper’s keeping him under control, but at least the perimeter fence will keep Duke contained.
With the meeting wrapping up, Bash goes to Ash. “Hey, you wanna let the guys in on the new song?”
Spike glances up. He’s running the knife over the callouses on his fingers, shaving them down. “Another new song?”
Bash gives a nod. He wrote the one with the nameless redhead, and then the other about Holly; two songs about red-headed women. Maybe he needs to write a song about that?
“Yeah,” Ash says, standing. He wanders over to his wife and sweeps her into his arms. “Two fucking awesome songs. If we can get them ready this week, we can start practicing them for the tour.”
“That’s cool. We announcing this?
” Spike flips his blade closed. The question is meant for Forest who manages the band.
Forest gives a shake of his head. “I was assuming the dynamic duo wanted to keep it as a surprise. Besides, are they even finished?” His attention fastens back on Bash. There’s a question in his eyes. Forest is a smart guy. He heard the first song and Ash probably shared the second with his brother-in-law. His gaze skips to Duke and his brows twitch.
Damn!
“They’ll be finished,” he states. “Right Ash?”
“Yeah. In fact, let’s take the guys and work on it now.” Ash kisses the top of Skye’s head and releases his wife with reluctance. Ash’s gaze jerks to the table where Tia and Ryker stand. Forest is already over there; the three of them speak in hushed tones. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Skye rests her hand on Ash’s arm. “Sure thing. Love you.”
“Love you more.”
Bash rolls his eyes at the pair. They’re sweet together. Once again, a twinge of jealousy rises in his gut. He turns away, leaving Ash and Skye to say their goodbyes. It’s not like either of them are going anywhere. She’s staying behind, no doubt something about Forest’s project, and Ash is simply headed to the recording studio with the rest of the guys.
They’ll be there for a while. Other than showing the guys the new songs, they have to go over the set list for the upcoming tour. Bash is itching to get back on the road, and as far away from Santa Barbara and a certain redhead as possible.
12
Holly
Another week flies by and Holly is back at the community center. Sprawled on the floor of the basketball court, twenty youths, most of them boys, chatter animatedly about their favorite rock bands. Last week, she introduced them to the cut up she made of the drum set for Insanity by Angel Fire.
One hour extends to two, the youths are excited to play not only something new, but something from one of their favorite bands. Boings, thuds, slaps, thumps, rattles, rings, and tight tinny sounds fill the room. Ranger is curled into a tight ball, ears twitching with all the noise. He’s used to percussive pops and snaps, having been trained to endure a war zone, but doesn’t like the boomy bass drums or the tight buzzing from the cymbals.
“Quiet down.” Her voice rolls through the room, bringing a gradual silence to the excited kids.
They each went home last week with their assignments and should have been practicing. It’s a percussion group and she’s about ready to blow their minds. After months of persuading, the community center finally gave permission to fulfill one of her goals.
It takes a few more call outs to get the room under control, but these kids like her. She’s the cool drum-chick, a teacher who is nothing but fun. She encourages them to make noise and get rowdy rather than yell at them to be quiet and behave.
“Randall!” Her voice cuts through the noise the youth is making with his triangle. All the kids snicker and his friend, Jeremy, nudges him in the ribs.
“Dude…” Jeremy yanks Randall’s triangle away. Normally, such an act would’ve resulted in a tussle, if not an all-out fight, but these kids are eager. None of them wants to waste what little time they have with Miss Holly.
“Thank you, Randall.” She turns to give all the kids her attention, sweeping her gaze around the room. “We’re going to get started here in just a bit, but first I wanted to share something really special.”
“What’s that, Miss Holly?” She has Randall’s full attention now. His mother and father were arrested on drug charges over a year ago and he’s been living in foster care while his parents finish out their sentences. It’s kids like Randall that make her job that much more special. He needs a slice of fun in his life.
“How does the Santa Barbara Bayside Beats sound to you?”
Jeremy’s face squishes as he mouths what she said.
Trina, one of the few girls in the group, raises her hand. “Miss Holly?”
“Yes Trina?”
“What’s that?”
Randall is getting distracted. His hand moves toward the triangle. She moves fast.
“You are!”
Randall’s head snaps up and he gives her the strangest look. “S’cuse me, Miss Holly?”
She sweeps her arms out, encompassing all the kids gathered. “You are all now a part of the Santa Barbara Bayside Beats.”
Randall frowns and she knows exactly what he’s thinking. Fortunately, she’s thought ahead. It took all week, but she was able to get permission for every kid to perform in the Bayside Beats.
“We’re having ice cream to celebrate.”
Randall flicks the triangle away, disappointment and the beginnings of angry frustration marching across his face. “Ain’t much to celebrate.” His foster parents aren’t the best, doing the bare minimum for the children placed under their care, but Holly isn’t leaving any child behind.
“I have signed permission slips for everyone in the group.”
The kids erupt with excitement, banging and slapping, ringing and buzzing their individual instruments. Randall tucks in his chin and he scoots back, moments from getting up to leave. His entire body stills and he cautiously raises his head.
“Everyone?”
She nods. “Yes, Randall. I got permission for everyone to be in the group. I need all of you.”
“Even me?”
“Mrs. Sims thought it was a great idea, but I have to get all of you to promise me something.”
A chorus of What! sounds through the room.
“Well, if we’re forming a band, we need to be perfect.” She gazes out onto youthful, eager faces. “And how do we get perfect?”
They respond in unison. “Practice!”
She claps her hands together. “Yes! Practice makes perfect, and we want to be the best we can, especially when we perform.”
Stunned silence greets that announcement. She rolls right over their shock and keeps the excitement building.
“All your parents and guardians have given each of you permission to be in the Bayside Beats. It’s up to you whether you choose to remain.”
“What does that mean?” Trina’s hand is up, but she’s too excited to wait to be called on.
“Well, to get perfect, we need more practice. We’ll be meeting twice a week from here on out. So, if you want to be in the Bayside Beats, we’re going to meet on Mondays as well as Wednesdays.”
There’s a chance one or two of the kids won’t want to stay on, but she’s fairly confident they’re all going to be too excited to leave. Especially when she shares her next bit of news. “I’ve scheduled our first performance in a month, which doesn’t leave us much time. We have several songs we need to get perfect.”
She’s been working with these kids for months, and they already have several classics down fairly well. There’s room for finishing touches, but she only needs to teach them two more songs. Insanity is one they’ve already started to learn, and she’s working on breaking apart Thunderstruck from AC/DC.
Nobody gets up to leave. They’re all talking amongst themselves, eager young people excited to take on a challenge. This is what the kids in this community need; something to strive for, something to work for, something to make their very own.
She allows the excited chatter to continue for a few minutes, letting the kids build dreams, before setting them down to work on Insanity. It already sounds a hundred times better than last week, and will only get better in the weeks to come. Their first concert will be in the community center to friends and family, a safe venue, but she plans to push her kids to excel.
Once again, she keeps them over the hour-long practice. They show no signs of tiring and she’s thinking on extending all their practice sessions to ninety minutes; at least until their first performance. Ideas for other places the kids can perform tumble through her mind, and she’s scouring the internet for places a kids’ percussion group could play. She’s excited to move forward. The room is full of nonstop energy and she needs to score easy wins before pushing
them higher.
It’s unfortunate she screwed up with Sebastian, because it would blow the kids’ minds if she could convince him to get the band to visit. Freezing up on him had been more instinctual than anything else, and it sucks. He’s a nice guy, genuine and endearing, and didn’t deserve the brush off.
Cocky as hell, he also didn’t hide his interest, but what he did hide is much more important. She appreciates that more than anything else, but now he’s gone. They never exchanged numbers, and she might be letting Ranger play in the park a little longer than normal hoping Sebastian will show up one day. Sebastian tracked her down there, and she fantasizes about him showing up there again. She still can’t believe he got a dog just so he had an excuse to meet her in the park.
How is Duke doing? Is he fitting in with Sebastian’s rock star lifestyle? What does a rock star do all day long anyhow? And how does a dog fit in with that? The band isn’t touring, but will be soon. She keeps up with everything Angel Fire related, especially after meeting Sebastian.
As the days stretch out, there’s no sign of him. Her dreams of him sweeping back into her life fade and she’s losing hope. Is he taking care of Duke? Or did he get rid of the dog after things with her didn’t work out?
13
Bash
For three weeks, Holly and her fiery red hair invades Bash’s dreams, leaving him aching and lost. Ash, Bent, and Ryker keep their women clasped tight to their sides. Bash went out with Spike and Noodles several times, bringing women back to the estate, but he’s no longer interested in a cheap fuck. He tried, several times in fact, but called things off at the last minute, pissing off one too many girls. But what does he care? He’s a rock god and can do what he wants.
He spends most days sitting by the pool while Duke swims in the pool, which literally hangs over the hundred foot cliffs dropping down to the rocky beach below. Turns out, Duke loves water, and Bash can barely keep him out of the pool. This irritates Forest, who gets pissy about dog hair covering him when he goes for a swim. Bash doesn’t care and simply contracts the pool service to come out more frequently to change the filters and clean the pool.
Hearts Divided Page 7
