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

Chapter 30

Thirty

B oone

Shane and I made it back to the RV before the twins, and I laughed when I realized it wasn’t even midnight.

“Sorry I’m such a party animal,” I said as I pulled off my sweaty clothes and pulled on one of Shane’s t-shirts. “If you want to go back out there?—”

“I want to curl up with you and go to sleep. We’ve got three more days of fun ahead.”

“And press. I’ve got about thirty notifications from the label, my manager…everyone wants to talk. Right now, I just want to be with you.”

Shane crawled into bed next to me and held out his arms.

“We did it.” He kissed my head. “That was probably my favorite performance ever.”

“Really? Not when you guys played that massive show in Brazil? Or that time you played with Brothers?”

“You remember that?” he asked with a laugh, covering his eyes. “Pretty sure my voice hadn’t fully changed at that point. Brazil was intense, but no. Tonight was my favorite.”

I shook my head at him and poked his chest. “You and your grandfather with your declarations.”

He pushed up and smiled at me. “Couldn’t help myself. I love you.”

“God, I love you, too, Shane.” I curled up against his chest and yawned. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“I’ll take you anywhere,” he said.

That was the last thing I remembered until both of our phones went nuts on the shelf above our heads at five-thirty in the morning.

I sat up and fought off the dizziness I sometimes had first thing in the morning. Shane grunted so I handed him his phone.

“Shit. I’ve got two missed calls from my mom,” Shane said, as I read my text.

Bruce was taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai. I’m waiting for a car so I can join him there. If you could please let Shane know?

“Shane, honey, we need to get dressed and find a way to the airport.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Bruce was taken to the hospital. I don’t know anything else.”

His face paled and he shot out of bed, scrambling for his pants.

“What’s going on?” Bran called sleepily from his bunk.

“I need to get Shane back to LA. Bruce isn’t well.”

“No worries. Let me get dressed. We’ll take you to the airport and then drive the RV back.”

“Thanks, man,” I said, and I placed my hand on Shane’s back.

“What did the doctor say? Why did they call an ambulance? Well, call me when you know something. I’m headed to the airport now with Boone. We’ll be there in a few hours. I know, Mom. I’m coming. I know. I’m sorry I’m not there. If you’ll quit yelling at me…I know , Mom, shit. Can you just… I’ll meet you there. I’m hanging up. Call me— Mom, come on. I’m coming, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m hanging— I know. I— Fuck! She hung up on me.”

Shane looked at me with the most terror I’d ever seen from him, and I wished I could sprout wings and fly him there myself, or spontaneously invent a fucking teleporter.

“GPS says it’s just over two hours to Reno. I think that’s the closest.”

“Wait, let me call my rep. Maybe the jet can get closer.”

Shane rubbed a hand over his head and nodded. He was pacing in the narrow walkway as I called the company.

“Great. Thank you. Shane? They can get a jet to Empire Farms Landing Strip in forty-five minutes. It’s not far from here.”

“Thank you,” Shane rasped, and he excused himself to go into the bathroom.

I shared the location with Bran and he got the RV started. I texted Gran to let her know we’d be flying into Burbank and we’d meet her at the hospital.

Thank you, Boone. I’m quite frightened. My car just arrived. I’ll see you soon. I’ll text you if I hear anything. Love you.

Shane was on autopilot for the quick twenty-minute drive and the hour-and-a-half flight. I would be writing rave reviews for the flight company for taking care of us and being so speedy about getting us there. My rep even hired a car to take us from the airport to the hospital. I hadn’t been able to get any updates on the flight and once we landed, all Gran would say is they were waiting for test results but that Bruce was awake and talking.

The car dropped us off in front of the hospital, and I practically had to run to keep up with Shane. I was groggy and hadn’t been able to clean up beyond what I could find in the airplane bathroom, but thankfully I’d brought my medication and my blood sugar was only a little bit high.

We made our way to the emergency room waiting area and were told only one of us could go back, and that one of Mr. Duncan’s guests would have to leave. Shane gave me a sad look, and I squeezed his hand.

“I’ll be here,” I said, giving him a small smile. I hoped he knew that I would be there for him no matter what.

He pushed the doors open a little harder than he should have and stalked back down the hallway, the harsh lighting glinting off his wallet chain.

I sat down with a huff and texted the twins that we’d made it. I’d told Bran and Annie when they dropped us off that they should go back and stay at the festival.

“Maybe you guys can do some of the press? If you want.”

They shrugged. “Whatever we can do for you, Boone. And for Shane.”

I loved having such supportive partners. My hackles rose just thinking of those jerks who shall not be named who’d abandoned Shane and then shown their full asses by joining up with a festering boil like Mike Broward.

I looked up as the doors opened again, and Gran floated toward me with her arms out.

“My dear boy,” she said as I stood to embrace her.

“What happened?” I asked, but she took my arm and led me outside the ER and around to an alcove, where we were out of sight of folks coming and going.

“Oh, Boone, I’m so embarrassed. We were…intimate last night, and when he woke up this morning, he wasn’t feeling well. I panicked. I thought, well, he’s had issues with his heart in the past. The ambulance came and he told them he was fine, but they insisted. The poor man has been poked and prodded…and do you know the doctor said he might have just been light-headed and had indigestion from the curry we had last night? That was all and…and I overreacted.”

I held my Gran and pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh out loud.“You did what you thought was best. At his age, it’s better to be conservative, isn’t it?”

She wiped at her eyes. “Then his daughter showed up here. The hospital called her when they couldn’t reach Shane, because she was listed as his next-of-kin. Boone, darling, she wouldn’t even speak to me, and she yelled at him for carrying on like a young man and further embarrassed him. She’s quite an angry person.”

“She wasn’t kind to Shane on the phone either. Are you all right?”

“Yes, of course. A little tired, but I’ll rest later when they let him come home.”

I gave her another hug and sighed. “At least he’s going to be all right.”

Gran burst into tears, and it was as if a five-alarm fire had just broken out. My grandmother never sobbed like this.

“What’s wrong, Gran?”

“I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered. “I was so terrified! I cannot bear the thought of losing him like I lost John. I don’t think I could take it.”

“Oh, Gran, but the doctors said he was all right. I know this is scary, but you two are so happy.” I couldn’t believe I was encouraging her to stay with him when two months ago, I was determined she would not become involved with the man. “At your age, he may just need to take it a little easy, that’s all. But he loves you, Gran. You deserve to be happy together.”

She nodded and wiped at her eyes with a tissue she’d pulled from her coat pocket. “I’m afraid I’ll be worried about him every second, that if he so much as sniffles, I’ll have him carted off to the laboratory for blood tests. Why am I like this?”

“Because losing Papa was hard, and it took a long time until you were ready to get close to another person. But you are now?—”

“I never thought I’d survive losing your mother. I don’t know what I would have done without John by my side. I was so lost. I didn’t know how I would take care of you. I was distraught. But he was so determined, so sure we could give you the life you deserved…”

“And you did.” I smiled and brushed her hair back that had come loose from her bun. “Gran, you and Papa gave me a wonderful life. Everything I could ever dream of. You deserve to be happy, and I know Bruce makes you happy. You’ve been glowing ever since the Rock Hall show. Sure, there are going to be tough times, but I’ll be here, and Shane, and we’ll make sure you’re both able to enjoy the time you have.”

“Bless you, my dear boy. I am so blessed to have you in my life. Not many young people would have come running when a silly old woman panics.”

“You are neither silly, nor are you panicking. You had every reason to be concerned. Bruce is up there, Gran, and you’re a lot of woman for a man at any age to keep up with.”

She shushed me, and I kissed her cheek.

“It’s going to be all right, okay? Now, can I get you some water? Some tea while we wait?”

“I’m all right, dear. Just sit with me, please?”

So we did. I pulled up the video of our performance from the night before and we watched it together, sharing my earbuds I’d happened to shove in my pocket on the plane.

“It’s like listening to the two of them as young men,” Gran said when Shane and I sang together. “That Shane is a wonderful performer.”

“He’s pretty wonderful period,” I said with a sigh.

She elbowed me. “I’m glad you two found each other.”

“We didn’t have much of a choice! Who was going to keep an eye on you two?”

She chuckled, wrapped her hands around my arm, and rested her head on my shoulder.

I’d gone from being a complete disaster who couldn’t take care of my own damn self to this place, a few months later, where I was beginning to get a handle on my illness, I managed to prove myself worthy of man like Shane, and I was able to be there for my Gran when she needed me to be strong for her.

Maybe I had a little of that determination Papa had. Maybe he really was with me, channeling a bit of that gumption that kept him on top of the world for a long, long time. For the first time since my diagnosis, I felt like I could handle what was thrown at me, and that felt like a pretty big accomplishment.

I hoped Shane was faring all right. I wished I could be with him right then.