Love is a Drum Beat (Rockstars Anonymous)

by Michelle MacQueen

  Dax’s mom sat on a stool at the end of the bed where Jo’s legs were lifted in some weird leg thing. He wasn’t going anywhere near that part of the room. The chair he’d sat in before had been pushed back into a corner, so Dax stood beside Jo, reaching for her hand.

  “Jo, I think this baby has had enough today. He’s ready to meet his mom,” Dax’s mom said.

  “Wait until I tell him what he came out of.” Jo groaned and didn’t let go of Dax.

  “All right, Jo. I want you to try pushing. I’m going to count to ten, don’t stop pushing until I finish.”

  Jo sucked in a breath and the doc started counting. She pushed, her face contorting as if she was trying to scream and couldn’t. Her grip on Dax tightened as her cheeks went red. Once they hit ten, she exhaled loudly and gulped air as if she hadn’t been able to breath for a long time. After a few moments, she relaxed back onto the bed. “Is he out yet?”

  “Take a break for a minute until the next contraction. And here, this will help.” She handed Jo an oxygen mask to wear while a nurse looked for contractions on a machine that printed out what looked to Jo like little squiggly lines interspersed with mountains. The nurse nodded to the doctor and Doctor Lawrence smiled. “Come on, Jo. Let’s push again.”

  Dax leaned down and brushed sweaty hair out of her face. “You can do this. Do you know how I know that?”

  She shook her head.

  “Because you’re Jo freaking Jackson. The first time I saw you, I knew you were capable of anything. You’re strong, a fighter. Who are you?”

  “Jo Jackson.” Her voice was weak.

  “Who are you?”

  “Jo Jackson,” she screamed as she pushed.

  “Good.” His mom nodded in approval. “Now, you can relax for a moment.”

  Jo turned a tear-stained face to Dax. “It’s too much, Dax. I can’t push anymore.”

  Dax pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I will never abandon you. And you have a waiting room full of people who’d say the same thing. We’re here for you. This baby won’t want for love. You can do anything, Jo. We all know that. Now, it’s time for you to believe it.”

  Tears rolled over the bridge of her nose. “I’m ready.” It was a whisper at first. “I’m ready,” she said louder.

  Dax’s mom nodded. “Give a big push.”

  “Dax, you need to distract me.” She barely gritted the words out as she pushed and pushed again while Doctor Lawrence counted. This one lasted longer.

  Dax didn’t have his guitar or any instrument that served as sort of a security blanket. All he had was his voice.

  So, he started singing, leaning down to let the words flow right into her ears. No one other than Marco had heard this new song.

  I want to dry those tears of yours.

  Build you up as you were meant to be.

  Let me be the one to love you.

  To have your smiles and your tears.

  Let me be the one to hold you.

  To brush away all your fears.

  Her eyes stayed locked on his as her jaw clenched, and she pushed. She didn’t look away with each push, until finally, the baby came.

  Dax brushed his lips across her forehead as silence surrounded them. He glanced at his mother as she handed the unresponsive baby to one of the NICU nurses. No one spoke. He doubted anyone breathed.

  Not until a cry pierced the room.

  “Is he okay?” Desperation clung to Jo’s words.

  The nurses cleaned him up while Dax’s mom fixed Jo up with whatever they had to do to clean up from the birth. Dax never wanted to know about all that.

  One of the nurses turned around, holding the most precious thing Dax had ever seen.

  Only… “Meet your daughter,” the nurse said.

  Jo’s mouth fell open. “Daughter?” A smile stretched across her lips. “I have a daughter?” She laughed. “I was prepared for a son, but now I can’t imagine having any baby but her. How did this happen?” She looked to her doctor.

  Dax’s mom smiled. “Sometimes, we get it wrong, Jo. Congratulations on your baby girl.”

  The nurse put the baby girl in Jo’s arms. “Pull down your robe a bit and rest her against your skin.”

  As Dax watched them, he realized he wasn’t only in love with one girl.

  There were two.

  Jo would have slept holding her daughter if she could, but after she was cleaned up and checked out, a nurse put the baby in a bassinet near the bed instead.

  Dax’s mom gestured for him to come out into the hall. “She needs rest, son. My shift ended hours ago, so I’m headed home.”

  “Hours ago?”

  “Honey, there wasn’t a chance I’d leave the delivering of this baby to anyone else.” She patted his cheek. “Don’t forget our waiting room full of rock stars who deserve the news.”

  After she left, Dax glanced back in at the sleeping Jo. She deserved every bit of rest for being a superhero.

  Weariness overcame him as he headed toward the waiting room. Was it really only yesterday he’d woken up in Jo’s bed? He checked the time on his phone. Five AM.

  Rubbing a hand over his hair, he brought it down to the ridiculous outfit he wore. But he was too happy to care.

  When he entered the waiting room, the group stood as one. They were missing Melanie—who’d taken Stella to sleep. But it wasn’t lost on him that these guys stayed here all night.

  Dax smiled despite his tiredness and spread his hands. “Rockstars Anonymous has a girl.”

  A cheer wound up toward the ceiling. Dax looked to the other people waiting, but they only gawked at the group.

  Footsteps sounded, coming their way. A tall woman in a navy pant suit with her black hair in tiny braids approached them. “Hello. I’m Laquisha, an administrator at this hospital. I’ve been called in early because of the VIPs in one of the waiting rooms. Are you here for Jo Jackson?”

  They all nodded.

  “I can escort you to a more comfortable waiting room with food and beverages.”

  Noah crossed his arms. “Is it in this part of the hospital?”

  She shook her head. “The South Wing is a bit of a walk.”

  Noah sat. “We’re good then. We won’t leave Jo.”

  Laquisha raised an eyebrow. “Okay. I’m afraid I have to address another matter. The receptionist downstairs claims three of you say you are the father of Jo Jackson’s baby. If there are DNA tests to be run, we can get you started on the process.”

  All four men looked at each other.

  Ben raised his hands. “Not me. I was just an accomplice to Noah saying the baby was his.”

  Drew shrugged. “It was the only way to get past that scary woman at reception.”

  “You mean the one doing her job?” Dax groaned.

  Drew slipped his arm over Dax’s shoulders. “She said three. If Ben is out, that means…”

  “Fine. I said it too.”

  Laquisha nodded. “Mr. Nelson was the first, actually.”

  Three sets of eyes landed on him.

  “Mr. Nelson?” Ben’s eyes widened. “You told them your real name?”

  “Gentlemen.” Laquisha gave them a professional smile. “Let’s return to the issue we have here. Which one of you is the actual father?”

  Noah sighed. “None of us is the father in the biological sense.”

  Laquisha pursed her lips. “And are any of you married to Jo? Is that why you claimed to be the fathers?”

  “Honestly, ma’am.” Drew leaned in and dropped his voice. “We’re her harem.”

  Dax choked at that. Ben dropped into a chair with a sigh.

  But Noah… the one who loved fake scandals and loved Jo… he dropped an arm over Drew’s shoulders. “Baby, you weren’t supposed to reveal that.” He pressed a kiss to Drew’s cheek.

  Laquisha couldn’t seem to get another word out, so she cleared her throat. “Um, please let us know if you need anything. Anything at all. In this hospital, we appreciate our VIPs.” She t
urned on her heel and sprinted away from them.

  Drew pushed Noah away with a laugh. “Don’t kiss me again. I’d rather it be Grandma Dax with those pretty clothes.”

  Dax had always struggled to bond with people until this group, but they were also the first guys who treated him like he was one of them. “Well, I can already see tomorrow’s headline. Jo Jackson and her harem of rock stars have baby.”

  “Nah.” Drew sat next to him and grinned. “Maybe that’s a page two headline. Page one will be all about the anonymous yet famous musician who revealed it all for the woman he loves.”

  “And that makes you happy?”

  “Ridiculously so. Daxy joins the rest of us. You should come out to my tour for your first concert.”

  “Whoa there. Concert?” He swallowed. “There’s just no way.” He didn’t see concerts in his future.

  “Now that the secret is out, the fans will demand it. You’d be wise to give them what they want.”

  He couldn’t think of the next career move while Jo and her baby girl were down the hall, sleeping as if they both hadn’t just entered a new world.

  He slouched in the chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

  “Dax.” It was Ben this time. “You should go home, change, and get some rest.”

  He was right, but Dax didn’t budge.

  Noah put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll call you when she wakes.”

  He nodded and stood.

  Drew did the same. “I’ll take you since I doubt you have your car. I could use some shut eye before I visit with the baby and then drive back to the tour so Piper’s head won’t explode.”

  Dax was glad for the ride and for the company. But that changed the moment they walked out of the hospital where a crowd of paparazzi buzzed like tiny bees trying to become queen.

  The two rock stars ignored the shouted questions as the valet attendant ran to get Drew’s car.

  Dax looked back at the hospital, the past few hours overwhelming him with images and words.

  The baby was here and healthy.

  Jo had been brave enough to bring her daughter into this world. Dax had to find some of that courage for himself because he needed to tell Jo how he felt, and he wasn’t sure what she’d say in return.

  25

  Jo

  Jo stared down at the baby in her arms, wondering how she lived her life before meeting this beautiful girl. Nothing else mattered except the warmth of her little body, the tiny little squeaking noise she made in her sleep.

  Everything about her was perfect, from her tiny toes to the dark hair on her head. She blinked her eyes open and stared at Jo without making a sound.

  They’d both gotten much needed rest after the birth and had been moved to a different room, one so near the waiting room, she could hear Noah’s voice.

  A nurse smiled at her as she entered the room. “Good morning. I’m Jessica. I’ll be your nurse for the day.”

  Jo gave her a tired smile. “Do you think you could do me a favor?”

  “Of course, dear. I’m here to take care of you.”

  “There’s a man out in the waiting room. Noah Clarke. Can you bring him to me?”

  Her eyes widened. “You want me to speak to Noah Clarke?”

  “And Ben Evans. I know he’s still here too.”

  The nurse shook her head.

  “Please.”

  Her shoulders dropped. “Well, I might make a fool of myself, but the new momma gets what the new momma wants.”

  “Thank you.” Jo leaned her head back against the pillows. The weight of the baby in her arms surrounded Jo in a feeling of contentment. She was still in a lot of pain—more than during birth—and the doctor refused to let her live on those epidurals. Then, there was the exhaustion and also that tiny bit of fear—okay, a lot of fear. But this little girl took all that away. Jo looked down into her little face. “I love you, my little alien.”

  A knock sounded on the door before Noah stepped through, a smile stretching his lips. “How’s my girl?”

  “Me or the baby?” It hit her then, how much she’d missed Noah while he was in London. Tears hung on her lashes.

  Noah must have noticed because he rushed to the side of the bed. “Hey, don’t cry.”

  She reached out to cup his cheek, to make sure he was really here. “I can’t help it. The hormones are making me vomit all these emotions. But Noah, you came home for me.”

  “I told you that was always the plan.” His eyes settled on the baby. “But you don’t need me, Joey. You have all the strength you need inside of you. Now, introduce me to the baby I’m going to love for the rest of my life.”

  Jo hiccupped back a sob. “Noah, meet Ali Ice Cream Jackson.”

  Noah stared at her, his jaw hanging open. “Ali… you named your kid alien?”

  “Yes, because the first name is the most ridiculous part of the name I just gave you.”

  “But Ice Cream is a name I can believe you’d use.”

  She laughed. “Well, it’s Ali, not alien. Only we need to know what it’s short for. As for middle names… I’m thinking Clarke.”

  Now, it was Noah’s turn to tear up. “I think I have something in my eye.”

  “Those are called tears, bro.” She laughed through her own tears. “Ali Clarke Jackson.”

  “It’s perfect.” He ran a hand over the top of the baby’s head. “She’s perfect.”

  “My body tried to screw this one up, Noah. But I did it.”

  “Yes.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers. “You did.”

  When he pulled away, she met his gaze. “For so long, it was just us. The only person I ever relied on was you. Neither of us had anyone else. But we’re changing, Noah. You have Melanie and Stella. I have Ali.”

  “I don’t think Ali is all you have, Joey. You let Dax in here during the birth but not me.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. That moment right then was you not needing me as much as you needed him. It’s when I knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  He smiled, the action reaching all the way to his eyes. “Dax is your person now, just like Melanie is mine. You and I… we came together at a broken time in our lives. We filled the holes in each other’s lives. But it was never meant to stay the same forever.”

  “Dax is… When he’s here, I feel safe. Like I’m not scared of life. But you’ll always be my best friend, Noah.”

  He nodded. “You’ll always have me, even if you need him more. You and I… we’re not done taking the music industry by storm. Plus, Ali is a Rockstars Anonymous baby. We’re here for you. Always.”

  She nodded as her eyes glassed over. “I love you, Noah.”

  “Joey, I will love you forever. It’s what family does.”

  She wiped her eyes as another knock sounded on the door and Ben walked in.

  “Hate to interrupt.” Ben shrugged. “But I didn’t want to wait any longer to meet our girl.”

  Noah backed away so Ben could see Ali. “She’s beautiful.”

  “Yes.” Jo smiled down at Ali. “She is.”

  The hospital wanted to keep Jo an extra night to make sure she didn’t have complications after having the baby since she’d been somewhat high risk.

  It was okay with Jo because it meant she didn’t have to move from this bed.

  All day, there’d been a string of visitors. Drew, Ben, Noah, Melanie, Stella… even Mr. Snyder came by to wish her well.

  But no Dax.

  Ali slept in the bassinet, and Jo tried to sleep. It was no use. She pulled out her phone, hoping to find messages from Dax explaining his absence for most of the day. The song he sang played on repeat in her mind.

  But there were no texts, no missed calls.

  Her eyes navigated to the email app that said she had way more emails than she should. She tapped it with her thumb. The first ten were all from Devlin, her new publicist. He started each email in all caps as if yelling at her.


  Something made him mad.

  Under his message of “We need to clean up your mess” there was a link.

  She clicked it and an article popped up. “The secret of Jo Jackson’s harem.”

  “What?” she murmured. This was not good. She skimmed the article until she found a quote from Drew. “We’re her harem.” The article told a story of three rock stars claiming they were the baby’s father.

  Jo rubbed her eyes. She had to be reading this wrong.

  One person could tell her what was going on. She dialed Drew. He picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, baby momma.”

  She could practically hear him grinning.

  “Watch where you’re driving,” he yelled.

  “Drew?”

  “Sorry, Joey. I’m on the road trying to get back before Piper kills me.”

  Jo closed her eyes and sighed. “Why does the world think I have a harem?”

  Drew choked on a laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Okay, sure. Let’s pretend I believe that. I’ll put out a statement saying you were mis-quoted. Right? There probably won’t be any people who overheard you coming out to call us liars.”

  “It wasn’t just me!” he burst out.

  She already figured that. There was one person who was just as ridiculous as him. “You idiots are not my harem. Don’t you think I’d pick guys who weren’t in love with other people? Or at least guys who brought me chocolatey snacks when I’m in the hospital?”

  “What is that? Static. Jo, I think I’m losing you.”

  “Drew,” she groaned.

  “I can’t hear you anymore, Jo. But read the articles more closely. The harem isn’t the biggest piece of news. Oh no, I’m going through a tunnel. I’m—” Click.

  Jo rolled her eyes, wishing Drew could see what a weirdo she thought he was. She’d have bet anything there was no tunnel.

  Read the articles more closely.

  Jo had only read the headline. She skimmed the words, looking for anything of interest before freezing as she reached the list of the supposed members of said harem.