“She’s a smart cookie,” said Jake, the mention of his daughter’s name tearing at his fragile emotions. “I’ve missed them.”
“They’re missing you too,” whispered Lori.
They were less than a block from the gothic palace and Jake was worried about breaking the spell. There was so much that he wanted to say but every time he tried to form a sentence in his mind, it sounded wrong.
“Jake,” began Lori, almost as if she was sensing his fear. “There’s no rush to talk about all of this. Tonight’s about Garrett. This is his big night. All of our mess will still be there tomorrow to talk about. Let’s just get to the party and spend some time celebrating with our friends and family.”
“Works for me,” he replied, sounding relieved. “I don’t want to let you out of my sight. I’m scared this is all a dream. Scared I’ll waken up alone in Garrett’s spare room.”
Placing his hand on her twitching belly, Lori said, “Is this real enough for you?”
Feeling their baby move under his hand for the first time brought tears to Jake’s eyes.
“Feels real to me,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Our third little Power Pack.”
“A very active not so little Power Pack. And definitely the last little Power Pack,” laughed Lori, as the baby continued to wriggle. “They’re ready to party even if we’re not.”
The after-show celebrations were in full swing by the time Jake and Lori entered the lounge. In true over-the-top style, Garrett had organised a veritable feast for his friends. Hostesses mingled among the guests with trays of canapes and champagne. A huge buffet was laid out in the opulent dining room with enough food for a hundred guests never mind the twenty-five who were mingling around in the apartment. Apologising that she needed to sit down, Lori headed straight towards an empty wing-backed chair in the corner of the lounge. Standing at the side of the stage, plus the short walk back, had finally taken its toll on her.
“You ok?” asked Grey, noticing how pale and drawn she looked.
“I’ll be fine in a few minutes,” replied Lori. “Jake’s gone to fetch me a drink and something to eat.”
“Things ok between the two of you?”
“Fragile but we’ll get through this,” said Lori with a weary smile. “What was it you reminded me? “Treat yourselves and each other with respect and remind yourselves often of what brought you together”?”
“Don’t lose sight of that,” cautioned Grey warmly.
“I won’t,” promised Lori as Jake approached with their drinks. Behind him, Riley was carrying two plates of food.
“Lori, allow me to introduce you to the ridiculously talented Miss Riley Johnson,” said Jake theatrically, causing Riley to blush beside him. “Riley, this is my ridiculously talented wife, Lori.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Riley shyly. “I think I bumped into you earlier. Sorry.”
“Great to meet you,” said Lori warmly. “It got kind of crowded at the side of the stage. I’m used to it. I loved your performance tonight. That’s an incredible voice you have.”
“Thank you!”
“I’ll let you two chat,” suggested Jake. “I’m going to check on Garrett. See if he’s recovered yet. I’ll be right back, ladies.”
Lori nodded as she accepted the plate of food from Riley.
Having searched the apartment, Jake found Garrett in the kitchen with Jethro. The older man had a large glass of red wine in his hand but it didn’t escape Jake’s attention that his friend was still trembling.
“You recovered yet?” he teased.
“Almost,” replied Garrett. “Although your manager here is trying to convince me to do a tour.”
“You should,” encouraged Jake with a wink. “Keep the venues small. Spread the dates out to ease the pressure. Take Riley with you. Guarantee it will sell out in minutes.”
“And will you come along for the ride too?” quizzed Garrett hopefully. “And bring Todd out with you?”
“Depending on my Silver Lake commitments, we should be able to come to an agreement.”
“Told you he’d be up for it,” stated Jethro bluntly. “I don’t see any issues getting Todd and young Miss Riley out there either.”
“Fine,” relented Garrett, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. “No more than ten shows. No venue bigger than say seven fifty or a thousand. No more than two shows in a row without a day off.”
“Leave that thought with me,” Jethro said, before turning his attention to Jake. “You talked to Lori yet?”
“Kind of. We’ve talked round things.”
“Talking round it isn’t going to fix your marriage, son,” declared the band’s silver-haired wise old man.
“I know,” sighed Jake, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t really know where to start.”
“We’ve had this conversation before, son,” reminded Jethro succinctly, thinking back to the night he drove Jake home from rehab.
“I know,” said Jake, remembering all too clearly. “And I’ve as much of an idea about how to fix this as I did five years ago.”
“You managed just fine back then,” recalled Jethro warmly. “Lori has already made the hardest move here. She came here tonight. Now, go and figure it out before she leaves. It’s getting late. She’s pregnant and she’s tired.”
Nodding silently, Jake turned and headed out of the kitchen.
When he re-entered the lounge, the chair where Lori had been sitting stood empty. Frantically, he scanned the room in search of her.
She wasn’t there.
Panic began to flood through him.
A hand touched his elbow and he spun around, praying it was Lori.
It wasn’t.
“She’s gone downstairs,” said Riley quietly. “We were talking about her dragon paintings. She’s gone down to see them.”
“Oh, thank God!” sighed Jake, the panic evaporating instantly to be replaced with relief. “I thought she’d left.”
Riley shook her head, “No. She’s down in the dragon’s lair.”
“Thanks.”
The small elevator
