Page 66 of His Last Chase
“Is there a party I wasn’t aware of?”
“Nah, just figured you could use your band brothers.” David was a true best friend.
“Thanks.”
I waved to Daddy from the tinted windows though he couldn’t see me, but he still waved back. Daddy had to go back to work today to get ready for his classes next week, so he had lots to do.
Our first stop on this leg was Los Angeles, not a long drive mile wise but once you hit LA traffic everything went to shit. Coming in a day early for the show at the Hollywood Bowl was a smart move. Honestly, I didn’t have any complaints with how Easton and Jeremiah had booked us. Even theback-to-back shows were limited. One week we may have three then the next they were separated by a day. They made sure we were well fed, mostly by Ely and Jordan, and rested up.
“Game ofHalo?” Seltzer held a controller out to me, and I snagged it.
“Might as well.” I tossed my bag on my bunk to unload later and got to schooling Seltzer.
As per usual when we played, we lost track of time until the driver pulled over beside the other buses.
“Lunch time!” Rhone announced as he hopped off.
“Where are we?” I asked Jeremiah when we lined up. They had the dishes of food set out across a picnic table.
“Barstow, private fenced area the owner let us stop at.”
“Oh, right on.” Today was one of my favs, subs and potato salad. Big fan.
Chatter went on around me. The guys from Chaotic and Stoli talked about changing up a few things on stage. Joey surprised me when he slid into the seat beside me.
“How’s it going?”
“It’s going. Bet your bus is nice and quiet.”
He laughed. “Yeah, sometimes too quiet. There are times I miss our early years. The four of us in one hotel room full of energy and talking untilsunrise. Living in a van for weeks on end you learn things about each other you’d rather not know, but you also form an unbreakable bond.”
“More than understand that. When my brothers started pairing off it got lonely for me.” Now I had Daddy, but he couldn’t be with us and three hours into our trip I was back to being lonely.
“One day it’ll all change, for the better.” Joey took a bite and gazed off toward his husband, Stoli. As if Stoli felt Joey’s eyes on him, he turned and winked at him. The blush on Joey’s cheeks said it all, these two were still ridiculously in love. “You’ll have that, too,” he said when he caught my watchful gaze.
“I already do but his job will keep him in Vegas while I’m on the road.” I was proud of Daddy and the fact he was a professor. It was freaking cool but at the same time…
“I saw how Casey looked at you. He kept his eyes on you the entire time you played, and the smile never left his face. That man is wicked in love with you.”
That I did know.
“Have you been doing the exercises I taught you before each show?”
“I have.”
“You follow directions well.”
That’s ‘cause I’m Daddy’s good boy, but I kept that thought to myself as my little wiggled and jiggled inside.
“So, your dad showed up in Vegas. That had to be a major boost. I’d likely lose my shit if my deadbeat mother showed up, though the last and only time Stoli handled it for me.”
I’d only heard through the rumor mill how Joey’s mom randomly showed up to a concert they had in Seattle wasted and obnoxious, and Stoli called security to try and keep Joey from seeing it.
Now that’s love.
Much like what Daddy did with my dad.
“We hadn’t talked since I graduated and moved into an apartment with David. He wasn’t mean, in fact he was great when my mom was alive, but when she died it was like he did, too, and I was just forgotten.” Even though we’d talked it still hurt to recall. Did I want a relationship with him? Absolutely, but he wouldn’t hurt me again. Daddy would see to it that didn’t happen.