Feuds and Interludes (Rock ‘n’ Romance Legends #1)

Chapter 2

Two

B oone

“Boone, honey, will you zip me up?”

Vera Jean Collins possessed the kind of beauty that turned heads, the grace of a royal, and the unshakeable poise to shrug off even the most rabid paparazzi. And tonight, all those characteristics would be put to the test.

“Gladly. How are you feeling?”

She turned with a huff. “Is it over yet?”

I chuckled. I’d never get over how stunning my grandmother was. The only constant in my life, she was my home, my role model, and my best friend. Wearing a form-fitting, sleevelessblack dress adorned with iridescent rainbow sparkles, she had a youthful glow about her at nearly seventy years old and still commanded attention. A statuesque former actress, beleaguered rockstar wife, and now passionate philanthropist, Vera Jean Collins carried herself with an elegance that belied her years spent married to my lovable scoundrel of a grandfather.

“That tuxedo is very flattering,” she said as I stepped behind her and carefully zipped her dress to the nape of her neck. She’d pulled her long silver hair into a twist that looked professionally done, and with her heels on, she stood nearly eye-to-eye with my five-eleven frame. “I love the vest, too.”

I looked down at the navy velvet suit and gold brocade vest and smiled. “The tailor did a nice job taking it in. I think Papa would get a kick out of me wearing this. He loved this one.”

I held up the matching bow tie and she took it from me, gesturing for me to let her tie it. She looped it over my head and went to work, a wistful smile on her face.

“He certainly did. He bought it to irritate me, and then was frustrated when I told him that I loved how it brought out the blue in his eyes. He was always trying to pull a fast one on me.”

“And you’d always call his bluff.”

She handed me her diamond choker to fasten, and I winced when I noticed her hands were shaking. She was so brave, no matter the challenge before her, but I’d learned to notice the subtle traces of her struggles. Tonight her task would be smiling and waving at her deceased husband’s adoring fans and colleagues as he was posthumously inducted into the Rock Hall.I knew she missed him terribly. We both did.

“Kept things fun,” she said with a little shrug. She ran her fingers over her choker and relaxed her shoulders. “Always kept him guessing.”

I had my own reason for being nervous. My band, Stellar, was chosen to lead the tribute performance. In a few hours, I would be performing for an arena full of my musical heroes. With Bruce Duncan. I usually did my best when under pressure, but this was ridiculous.

“It was weird seeing Bruce at rehearsal.”

I’d grown up hearing the stories of when he and my grandfather ruled the world, but I had no idea what to make of him as a person.

“Oh? How so?”

Gran stopped what she was doing and turned to face me.

“He talked to everyone else in the room but me. Well, he scolded me about the timing on one of the songs.”

“Relax, darling,” she said as she fastened her bracelet. “He’s probably just as nervous as you.”

“I’m not nervous. I know these songs like the back of my hand.”

“Right,” she said as she looked me up and down. “And that’s why your shirt is misbuttoned.”

I ran my hand down my shirt, and sure enough, I’d missed a button and the thing had a big bump in the middle sticking out from my vest. I went about undoing and redoing my shirt and vest. You’d think by the age of thirty, I’d be able to dress myself. You’d be wrong, apparently.

“Yeah, well, his infuriating grandson has probably told him terrible things about me.”

“Oh, nonsense. Shane is a good boy.”

“Boy? He’s two years older than me.”

“You two have more in common than you’d think.”

“He’s determined to be rude to me, so I guess I’ll never know.”

She was right in the sense that we came from similar backgrounds, but that’s where the similarities ended. I put together a band of unique artists interested in playing smart rock music with a point and a backbone. Shane was a hotheaded, brilliant musician who, instead of following in his grandfather’s footsteps, had chosen to while away his time in a mediocre albeit popular metal band. He could do so much better.

“Maybe if you two walked a mile in each other’s shoes, you’d get along. Speaking of which, do you have to wear those shoes?”

I looked at my feet and back at her. “My Chucks? Of course, I’m wearing my Chucks. They’re custom-made. Most comfortable shoes I own.” I’d managed to get a sponsorship from Converse a few years back and they made some amazing inserts for people like me, who are on our feet a lot and need more support than your average skater or ball player. Now more than ever I had to take care of my feet, so I lived in these damned shoes. I’d chosen my gold sparkly ones tonight to match the tuxedo, so they really stood out.

She exhaled through her nose and raised an eyebrow at me.“You’re lucky you’re so handsome,” she said as she fastened her dangly diamond earrings. “You get away with a lot more that way.”

“And you wouldn’t let just anyone escort you tonight. Right. You said that already.” She could tease me all she wanted. I knew how much she loved me.

“Are you almost ready? Or do you have more metal to put in your head?”

She smiled sweetly at me and I rolled my eyes. I adjusted my septum piercing and ran my fingers over the thick silver rings in both ears. I had a stud through my tongue as well.

“I think I’m good.” I crossed my eyes at her and she wrinkled her nose. Then her smile morphed into that grandmotherly look of concern she’d had frequently as of late.

“How about you ? How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. All good.”

A trip to the doctor when I returned home after our tour landed me a brand-spankin’-new Type 2 diabetes diagnosis and a whole host of pamphlets, apps on my phone, and gadgets. I was young for an illness like this, but thanks to years of regular drinking and smoking, very little sleep, and a pervasive family history that I knew nothing about—thanks to my bio dad—it was time I started making some changes, and Grandma was all too ready to see me change.

I’m not changing the shoes, though. I mentally stuck my tongue out at her.

“You had enough to eat today?”

“Yes, Gran, I’m fine. I’ll be all right.” I hope.

“Good. Because we can’t both be falling apart tonight.” She winked at me.

“Right. Like you’d ever fall apart in public.” Oh, sure, she was prone to the occasional dramatic histrionics at home from time to time. But never in the public eye.

“There’s a first time for everything, my darling.”

She threw a lipstick and some breath mints in her tiny purse, showed me that she had my inhaler and a package of crackers in there in case I needed them.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling six years old again, which was when I came to live with her and Papa.

My phone buzzed, letting me know our car had arrived. I helped her into her coat and we made our way downstairs and to the lobby of the hotel, where a dude in the black suit was waiting to whisk us away to the ceremony. Gran slipped her hand through my offered arm and I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

“Chin up, tits out,” she muttered.

“I’ll try to remember that.”

She subtly hip-bumped me and put on her most dazzling smile, no doubt practicing for the evening ahead.

I loved this woman, owed her my life, and I would stand by her side no matter what. I wanted her to be happy. She deserved happy.

As for me? I just needed to survive without making a fool of myself. I knew I was good enough to keep up with the likes of Bruce Duncan, but he’d rattled me more than I let on at that rehearsal. The idea that I wouldn’t do my grandfather’s music justice terrified me.

My career may not have happened if it weren’t for my connection to one of rock’s greatest artists of all time, despite the fact that I was talented enough in my own right. I’d never intentionally ridden his coattails, but I never turned down a connection or networking opportunity, either. My family got me in the door, my playing and singing got me and my band a record deal, and our collective hard work won us two Grammys, sold-out shows around the world, and a platinum-selling album.

Papa taught me everything I needed to know to launch my career. I would do him proud tonight.

And if that meant dealing with the likes of Bruce Duncan or his aggravating grandson, Shane Butler, so be it.