Feeling pretty good in my size thirteen shoes—in your face, Kellan!—I sauntered through the door after the women. Kiera had wandered into the entryway, and extended her hand to my mom in greeting. “Hello, Mrs. Hancock. I’m Kiera, this is Kellan. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
Mom looked back at me as she shook Kiera’s hand. “Yes, I don’t know how we missed so many opportunities to meet while you were visiting Los Angeles. It’s almost like it was orchestrated…”
I shrugged at her implication. “We were recording an album. That’s kind of time-consuming.”
Mom rolled her eyes then looked back at Kiera. “You have a lovely home…but way too many steps.”
“We get that a lot,” Kellan said with a laugh. I swear Chelsey let out a wistful sigh beside me. That better be because she missed her husband. If she turned into a simpering, starstruck Kellan fanatic, I was going to smack her. Repeatedly, if necessary.
I indicated her once Mom was done with Kellan. “This is my sister, Chelsey. These are her kids, Dawn and Della.” They were running around the group of us in one big looping circle, chasing Gibson, so I merely pointed in their general direction.
Kiera’s eyes turned sympathetic as she took Chelsey’s hand. “Sister, huh? You have my condolences.”
Kellan laughed again, and I swear my sister muttered, “Damn.” More loudly, she said to Kiera, “Thanks. There have been times when I’ve needed them.”
With a guffawing noise of disbelief, I raised an eyebrow at Chelsey. She may get smacked just for fun if she kept it up. “The only sympathy you’ve ever needed was over the fact that you could never be as awesome as me. You’ve come close a time or two, but you’re still so far…”
Chelsey smiled at my joke. She was one of the rare human beings who saw the humor behind the things I said, and she usually didn’t get too irritated at me. Usually.
Dad and Liam were finally in the house, so I introduced them too. “This is my dad, Gregory, and my brother, Liam.”
Liam immediately reached out for Kiera’s hand. When she extended it to him, he daintily kissed her knuckles, like we were suddenly back in the fifteenth century or something. I nearly expected him to tell her that her beauty hath no rival, or something equally flowery, but all he said was, “Nice to meet you.” You wasted your moment, dumbass.
Matt and Evan joined the group, and Kellan shut the front door once we were all inside. As Matt hugged my mom, Chelsey grabbed my arm. Voice intent, she hissed, “Why didn’t you warn me?”
I blinked at her, completely lost. “About…?”
She slyly indicated Kellan. “That he is so much hotter in person. I mean, I thought I was prepared for his looks, but clearly, I was wrong.” She chewed on her lip. “Dustin wouldn’t be comfortable with me being here.”
She looked so worried about it, I almost laughed. “Why? Are you going to jump him?”
That remark instantly earned me a glare. “No, of course not. I love my husband.”
I shrugged. “Then what does it matter what he looks like. It’s the same with me and Anna. I’m constantly surrounded by chicks, but I don’t do anything with them because I’ve got her.” Peeking over at my wife talking to her sister, I smiled. I can’t wait to suck on her tits tonight. “Your husband is enough for you, and my wife is enough for me, so the Kellan Kyles of the world don’t matter.”
When I looked back at my sister, she was staring at me openmouthed. “Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my brother?”
I shoved her shoulder away from me. “Asshat.”
Chapter 6
And Then There Was More Awesome
After everybody was introduced to everybody, the core group of us moved to the rehearsal room. Mom, Dad, Liam, and Chelsey came with, while Anna and Kiera stayed behind to watch the kids. When I asked Matt and Evan where their gal pals were, they glanced at each other before looking back and me and replying, “Work,” almost simultaneously. I took that to mean they were truly working, or they were still irritated about the gallery thing. I was going to assume they were just busy, like the guys said. Not even chicks could hold on to a grudge that long.
Since my family was watching, and also because I wanted the guys to take me more seriously, as Anna suggested, I manned up, let my irritation over the tour go, and tried to take a more proactive approach to the part of being in a band that was a struggle for me—the creative process. I just didn’t have lyrics constantly running through my head like Kellan, or rhythms constantly pounding on my skull like Evan. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have ideas. I did. And I was going to share them with the guys, even if they did moan and groan after hearing each one.
“So, wait, you want us to bring in a didgeridoo on our next album?” Matt asked. By his face, you’d think I’d just told him we should wear kilts…which was actually an awesome idea. Kellan would probably veto it though. Wouldn’t want his chicken legs exposed.
“Yeah, I think they sound cool, and do you know anybody who uses them? We’d be totally unique.” I looked over at Mom and gave her a chin raise. See how smart your little boy is? You did good, Mom. Real good.
Matt sighed as he glanced between my parents. He almost looked like he was unsure if he should respond in front of them. I didn’t care. Go ahead, they can know how much of a genius I am. I don’t mind. “It’s not that they don’t have a great sound, it just doesn’t mix with ours. We’re a rock band, so we should stick to the traditional rock instruments.”
I gaped at him, surprised. “I thought you said you wanted to be cutting edge? Fresh? Sticking to what works, playing it safe…that’s how we go stale. We should surprise people on this next album.”
“Yes, surprise people, not turn them away. We want to grow our fan base, not completely replace it.”
Crossing my arms, I shook my head. “I think you’re being too technical about it. We won’t lose fans by trying new things. They’ll respect us for attempting to grow.”
Sighing, Matt looked over at Kellan and Evan. “Anyone miss the days when he just sat around and played video games while we worked?”
Evan gave him a humoring smile, while Kellan turned to me and said, “We appreciate the input, Griffin, and I actually do think you have a point, it’s just not quite the right fit. Keep thinking on it, okay?”
Irritation ran up my spine and the words Not tonight, maybe tomorrow rang through my head, quickly followed by You are never going to play lead. Guess I hadn’t let that go as much as I’d thought. Holding on to Anna’s pep talk of not giving up, I gave Kellan a tight smile in response. At least they hadn’t flat-out said no this time.
After the guys worked on lyrics that I cared nothing about, and rhythms that were good but all too familiar, we played a couple of our older songs that we’d played five million times before. I knew the guys wanted to show off to my family, so I didn’t object to playing “Callous Heart” and “Sucker Punch,” since those were two of our better songs, but I thought Matt could have offered to give me the lead, just for today, just so my parents could hear me jam. They all clapped and applauded once we were through though, even Liam, although his was more of a polite golf clap. Chelsey made up for it though with an impressive ear-piercing whistle.
We were just about to pack it up for the day when I walked over and grabbed Matt’s arm. “Hey, I know it’s your instrument, but can we do another one with me on lead…for my mom and dad?”
Matt hesitated as he looked over at them animatedly chatting between themselves. They looked genuinely proud of me, and I wanted to bolster that image of my greatness in their minds. When Matt looked back at me, I knew my parents had managed to do what I hadn’t—they’d swayed him. Looked like I would have to have them around for every rehearsal, since it might be the only time Matt let me play.
“Fine,” he said. “We’ll do ‘Killer.’ It’s not that difficult…you should be able to play it well enough.”
I bounced up and down on my toes. I was so excited. I
might have Chelsey film the song, then leak it so the fans could get a taste of what a real D-Bags show should sound like. Matt handed me his guitar and I fumbled a little as I looped it around me. My fingers were shaking I was so giddy. I’d need to calm down, or else I wouldn’t be able to play. As I handed Matt my instrument, I tried to remember the song. I knew it backward and forward on bass, but it was far more complicated on lead. I was sure it would kick in once we started though.
My family looked confused, since they’d thought we were done, and I let them know the show was just beginning. “We’re gonna play one more, but Matt and I are switching so you can hear me on lead.” I looked over at Kellan and Evan. They had their eyebrows raised, but they seemed fine about letting me do this. “Killer,” I told them, so they’d know what song to play.
Evan nodded, then started tapping out the intro. I flexed my hands, letting the blood recirculate, since it felt like they’d gummed up at the wrists. Evan’s pounding drums started in, busting out a heavy beat for us all to follow. Matt and Evan looked at me expectantly, like they were waiting for me to do something. I couldn’t remember how Matt’s part began though, which was weird. I’d heard it so many goddamn times, it should be second nature, but now that it was time to play it, my mind was a blank wasteland.
With a shake of his head, Matt started in on the bass line. That’s when everything fell into place for me. Letting out a small “oh yeah,” I started in on guitar.
It took me a minute to get the hang of playing it, and even then I hit a few wrong chords. Taking a peek, I couldn’t tell if anyone noticed. I didn’t think so. Kellan joined in when his part began. It sounded weird to me, and I couldn’t figure out why, until I realized I was trying to play the bass line during a spot when Matt was typically silent. Oops. Cursing, I stilled my fingers, and waited for the guitar’s reentry. Was it after the second line or the third? Fuck, I wasn’t sure. It was so much easier to pretend to play the song than to actually play it. I made a guess that it was after the second line, and hoped for the best. Kellan and Matt both shot me irritated looks. Oops, guess the guitar came back in on the third line. Well, what the fuck? Who composed this shit? The guitar should be blaring full force the entire song. Kellan should have to shout to be heard above it.
As I glanced up at my family, I saw Liam grimacing, Chelsey flinching, and both Mom and Dad wearing strained smiles on their faces. Heat blossomed on my cheeks, and I nearly stopped playing so I could chill my face with an ice-cold beer bottle. I could do that on bass, but not on lead. I had to keep going through the discomfort.
There were a few more notes that sounded wrong to my ears, and I cursed my bandmates with each twang. If they’d let me play more often, it wouldn’t sound so awkward now. I’d be fluent, effortless. Once again, they were holding me back.
Just as I was about to toss the instrument away in disgust, the door opened, and outside sounds filtered into the room. Kellan, Matt, and Evan kept playing and singing, but the new, odd element to the room distracted me, and I stopped playing. Matt groaned and tossed his hands into the air. Evan frowned and Kellan shook his head.
“Griffin, you have to keep going through the distractions. It’s called the lead for a reason.”
I looked over at Matt, but I didn’t have a response suitable enough for the strange feeling ripping through my body. It was almost…shame or embarrassment, but that was ridiculous. I didn’t feel those things, so I settled on anger instead. If the guys weren’t such jackasses, I’d be better at this. Just when I was about to tell Matt as much, Kiera strode onto the “stage.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, a little breathless. Her eyes, a slightly browner shade of green than Anna’s, locked on mine. “But I’m pretty sure Anna is in labor. Real labor. I think the baby is coming today.”
Unstrapping the guitar, a different sort of emotion flooded through me—excitement and anxiety. A new baby! Today! Shit! We were in the middle of nowhere, we needed to get back to civilization…now!
I set the guitar back on the rack, but I lined it up wrong and it fell off. Goddammit, I didn’t have time for this shit right now! Managing to catch the guitar before it smacked against the floor, I tried putting it back on the rack. Matt came over and helped me. I offered him a thanks before hurrying away, or at least I tried to scurry off; he had grabbed my wrist and was holding me there. I was so riled up I almost shoved him away from me, but I managed to control myself enough to say, “Back off, dude, I’ve gotta go.” Kiera was leaving the room with my family, and I needed to go with them. Anna was probably in a good dose of pain. She needed me.
“What was that?” he asked, clearly perturbed by my playing. Kellan and Evan stepped closer and I nearly groaned at all of them. Couldn’t this wait?
“What? I was a little rusty, that’s all.” I tried to move past him, but he put his hand on my chest to stop me.
“You said you knew the songs as well as me, but you were clueless, Griffin. You had no idea what you were playing.”
Familiar irritation pushed back the rush of endorphins I’d been feeling. “I’ve seen you play them enough times that I feel like I—”
Matt cut me off. “You’ve seen me play? But you don’t actually know the songs…And you thought that would be enough to take over for me? See…that’s just another reason why it won’t ever happen, Griffin. You don’t get that this isn’t a game.”
I was just on the verge of telling him that all I needed was practice, but his holier-than-thou tone pissed me off. And even worse, Kellan and Evan were nodding, like they agreed with him. “Fuck all of you. I’ve got a baby to deliver.”
Assholes. If they had ever given me the chance I’d repeatedly asked for, I’d be better. It was entirely their fault that I wasn’t. I elbowed my way past the Judgey McJudgersons, then raced to the house. My anger and disappointment shifted to concern the closer I got to Anna. As if it were yesterday, I remembered how much pain she’d been in with Gibson. I’d never seen someone in so much agony. I could only compare it to getting my junk pierced. That…had sucked.
“Anna! Anna, where are you?” I spun in circles in the living room, wondering which way to go first. Where the hell was my wife?
“In here, Griffin!” Anna’s voice sounded from the kitchen, so I headed that way. When I got there, I saw a sight that I didn’t quite understand. Anna was calmly making Gibson, Ryder, and the twins a snack. Ryder had a big grin on his face as he sat in his high chair, digging into a container of applesauce with a tiny plastic spoon.
“Anna?” I asked, confused. “I thought you were going into labor?”
Nodding, Anna glanced at the time on the microwave. “I am. Every five to ten minutes. Gibson said she was hungry, so I thought I would make the kids something to eat before we headed out.”
Grabbing her hand, I stopped her from slicing pieces off the block of cheese. “Kiera can handle that. In fact, we should probably leave Gibson here with her. Dawn and Della too. But we need to go. It’s a long drive, and you don’t want to give birth in the Hummer, do you?”
Anna’s eyes widened as she thought about that possibility. “No…definitely no. Okay, let’s go.”
“Okay then.” Looking around, I tossed my hands in the air. “Where the hell is everyone?” Kiera had come back into the house with Mom, Dad, Chelsey, and Liam, but Anna was in here all alone. That didn’t sit right with me.
Anna let out an annoyed huff, then straightened and rubbed her back with both hands. “Your mom and dad are starting the car, and Kiera and Liam went to go get the buggy, so I don’t have to walk down the steps.” She raised an eyebrow. “Like I can’t walk down steps or something.”
Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She was having a contraction right now. I glanced at the clock, making note of the time. I had no idea what she meant about a buggy, but I didn’t care. Anna needed to get out of here. “Come on,” I said, walking to her side. “We need to get you to a hospital in a cit
y where the doctors don’t work on animals in their spare time.”
“I don’t think that happens here…” She stopped talking, then shook her head. “We have to wait for Chelsey to come back. She can watch the kids…”
I was just about to ask where she was when Chelsey dashed into the room holding a skinny, rectangular pillow covered in little purple flowers. “I looked where Kiera said, but this was all I could find. It smells right though,” she said, sniffing it.
I had no clue what they were talking about, but Anna nodded and pointed to the microwave. “It will do. Heat it up.”
When Chelsey put it inside and turned it on for five minutes, I finally understood what it was—a hot pack. Waiting the five minutes for it to heat up felt like we were waiting for five years. Kiera came back just as the timer dinged. “Your ride awaits,” she said in a bright voice.
Anna’s contraction was over by now, so she gave Kiera a scornful look. “I can walk down stairs. I’m not an invalid.”
Kiera sighed. “Just get in the buggy, Anna. Don’t be difficult.” Her features were so similar to Anna’s that it was distracting at times—high cheekbones, wide eyes, full lips. At the moment, they were more irritating than appealing though. I just wanted to scoop up my wife and leave already.
“Let’s just go. Chelsey, can you hang here with the kids?” I asked. My sister frowned, like she wanted to go with us, but then she nodded.
Giving Gibson a quick kiss, I told her, “Daddy will be back soon for you. You be good for Aunt Chelsey, okay?” Her blue eyes were wide with concern as I scuffed her blond hair; she wasn’t sure about this, but she liked my sister well enough to not be too upset. “That’s my girl. As soon as your new brother or sister arrives, I’ll come get you so you can meet ’em.” Her pale lips turned down into an adorable pout. She definitely wasn’t sure about the idea of sharing us with somebody, even a new potential playmate.
Kellan, Evan, and Matt entered the kitchen right as we were leaving out the dining room door. “Meet you there,” I tossed out. I heard them say something along the lines of “okay,” and then we were outside and I was staring at the treasure Kellan and Kiera had apparently been hiding from me.