Page 49 of His Last Chase
Chapter Eleven
Chase
“Why the long face, little man?” David asked as he emerged from their love nest at the back of the bus. I’d just sat down with my notebook, ready to knock out some lyrics.
“I miss my Daddy.” I flipped the notebook open to the tab I had at the next blank page.
I traced the letters, imagining him writing it while I slept. “Daddy loves me.”
“Yes he does,” David replied. I’d forgotten he was there. “Did you eat?”
“Not yet.”
Jordan walked in. “On it. Grab your coffee, David, and I’ll make you both breakfast.”
“Thanks, Jordan.” My little replied for me as he crept to the surface. He protected me just likeDaddy did.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Jordan got to work pulling eggs and bacon from the fridge.
Now that they knew of my lifestyle—well, David was the one who figured it out first—it was easier to be my true self around them. A lot less stressful having to hide who you were and given how much time I spent with them it was nice. Even Sikes and Snipe didn’t bat a lash when my little peeked out, though they seemed to be huddled together whispering more as of late.
Huh. Wonder what was up with that.
I read Daddy’s note again and fired off a text with a picture of it.
Me: Love you to the moon and back, Daddy.
Daddy: I see you got my note. Wanted you to know I was thinking of you. I love you, too, Little Songbird.
My special nickname from Daddy was the best. Just like that, an idea for a new song came to mind. I flipped the page to write it down and found our playlist for the upcoming shows:
“Here you go.” David slid a cup of coffee in front of me. I didn’t drink it much at home but on the road it was the fuel that kept us going.
“Thanks.” I took a sip and dove in. When inspiration hit, you learned to run with it.
David and Jordan chatted around me, merely background noise as I jotted down random words. I was used to working in the best and worst of conditions. Noisy, crowded places. Sounds of the road beneath the bus, though this new one must’ve had additional measures put in place because I could barely hear the asphalt beneath the tires.
It wasn’t until Jordan slid a plate of food in front of me that I stopped.
“Thanks, Jordan.”
“You’re welcome.”
Sikes, Snipe, David, Jordan and I dug into the omelets and hash browns he’d whipped up. Hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I took that first bite, then I all but inhaled it.
“So,” David said, “that song you’re so engrossed in. Are we gonna play it or…?”
“Not sure. Kinda personal.” Did I want Daddy’s song out there for the world to see or did I want it to be something special just for him? Maybe I’d perform an acapella rendition for his ears only. “For now, no.”
“Understood.” David had written a song for Jordan and Jordan had the chorus inked somewhere on his body. I never asked where. Those two had their own special bond and it was a bit too intense for me. But it worked for them and that was all that mattered.
“Where are we tonight anyway?” David asked.
“Omaha, Nebraska,” Sikes replied.
My phone vibrated on the table beside me and I jumped up when I saw who it was.
“Daddy!” I announced as I ran back to my bunk and the guys laughed. So much for remembering to call him Casey in front of others. Oh well. “Brats!”