“Why do you call them your brothers?” Bobby asked, and Buz smiled at him.
“Well, because they feel like my brothers,” he answered. And he smiled again as Bobby frowned at him. “It's like … having a best friend, you know?” he asked, and Bobby nodded.
“Jordan's my best friend. He's in my class at school and he lives around the corner.”
Buz smiled. “Okay. Well, it's sort of like that. Like you and Jordan, only … ten times better than that! And there are four of them, not just one, so … it's like I have four, really awesome best friends. Only better.”
Bobby thought about this for a moment. “Are they nice?”
“They are the nicest guys you will ever meet,” Buz answered.
“Will they like me?”
“Are you kidding?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Cool cat like you? They are going to love you!”
Bobby smiled at his response just as they heard the knock on the door. And Janie frowned as she stood up to answer it. Still feeling a bit dazed by Robby's earlier revelation, she opened the door and looked completely surprised to see her friend standing there, bag in hand.
“Beverly,” she said, looking stunned.
“Hi, Janie,” she said brightly as she stepped inside. “I brought you some soup.” Then she glanced toward the couch and fell speechless as she took in the sight of Buzzy sitting there with Bobby on his knee. “Oh, my God. I'm … so sorry. I heard you weren't feeling well and called off work for tonight, so I wanted to come check on you. I didn't know you had company.”
Janie flushed slightly as she closed the door, knowing that Bev easily recognized their house guest and would want a full report of the situation.
“Um, Beverly Choi, this is Robby West,” she began quietly as Buz maneuvered the child off his lap and stood up. “Buzzy to most of the world,” she corrected with a nervous smile. “This is my friend, Bev.”
“It's nice to meet you,” Buzzy said as he shook the woman's hand. “Janie's mentioned you, so it's nice to have a face to go with the name.”
The woman smiled into his eyes as she made no attempt to remove her hand from his grasp. “Janie's mentioned you too. Quite often, actually. And I had a face to go with the name,” she giggled. Then she looked away with an embarrassed grin as she let go of his hand. “I'm sorry; I've never … met a rock star before,” she mumbled.
Buz smiled at her. “Well, I meet them all the time. Trust me, we're not that big a deal,” he said, giving her that movie star smile that always turned Janie to jelly.
“Miss Beverly,” Bobby said, getting her attention. “Buzzy's my dad!”
The kid's exuberance took them all by surprise, and Buzzy couldn't help laughing at his innocence as he picked him up and swung him over his shoulder like he had done yesterday at dinnertime.
“Excuse us,” he said to Janie and Bev as he carried the giggling child from the living room and off to his bedroom.
“Oh, my God,” Bev said to her the minute Buz and Bobby were out of the room. “You told him! You actually did it. When did you tell him? And why didn't you tell me about it?” Her questions were insistent, but Janie knew that her friend meant well. “How did he react when you told him about Bobby? I mean, they've obviously taken to each other, but was he shocked? Was he upset? Why aren't you saying anything?”
“Beverly,” Janie sighed, taking the carton of soup from her friend and walking toward the kitchen. She took the carton out of the bag and placed it into the fridge before she turned around to face her.
“Okay, okay, I know that my questions are annoying, and actually none of my business,” Bev admitted. “But I'm just so happy that you finally told him, Janie. And the two of them seem so crazy about each other.”
Janie smiled at her and nodded. “Yes. It's amazing to me how quickly they seem to have bonded. Amazing and … wonderful.”
“That's so great, Janie. And now maybe you can get some real help around here,” she smiled, as she looked around.
Janie rolled her eyes at her, saying nothing. She wasn't about to get into the whole financial debate with Bev. She'd had enough of that with Robby earlier.
“So … I can see how those two feel about each other,” Bev continued. “But how are things between the two of you?”
“They're good,” Janie replied as they stood in her kitchen. But she noted that her voice didn't sound convincing at all. She shook her head with a sigh. “They're … complicated.”
“Complicated how?”
Janie hesitated a moment. “He spent the night here,” she said softly, glancing at Bev sheepishly.
“He spent the night?”
Janie nodded mutely, just staring at her friend.
“Oh,” Bev replied with raised eyebrows as understanding dawned. “He spent the night. Wow! Okay. How did that go?”
Janie sighed heavily, shaking her head as she thought back on their night. “It was amazing, Bev. It was …” Her voice trailed off and she was suddenly fighting back tears. “It was like the first time we were together. Like … no time at all had passed. He … remembered things about me … how and where I like to be touched and kissed. It … it was incredible, Bev. He was incredible.”
“That's good, isn't it? I mean … how did you leave things?”
“Well, he … he says that he loves me,” Janie answered softly. “That he's never stopped loving me. He says he wants us to be together.”
“You're kidding me,” Bev said, staring at her with wide eyes. “Wow. Well, what do you think of that? Do you believe him?”
Again, Janie hesitated. “I think he believes that he means it,” she said quietly.
“But you don't?”
“I don't know, Bev. It's all been sort of surreal. It is so incredible watching him and Bobby together, after all this time. I mean, I can see it in his eyes every time he looks at our son, you know? He fell in love with him instantly,” Janie explained. “Which is wonderful. But I guess I just … I can't help wondering if it's me he really wants, or if he simply sees me as the logical path to Bobby.”
“Janie … that's an archaic way of thinking,” Bev stated. “You know as well as I do that people don't have to be in a relationship in order to successfully raise a child together. I don't know this man, but I don't think he would be asking to get back together with you if all he really wanted was a relationship with his son. I mean the man is a famous rock star, Janie. He could have any woman he wants.”
“Exactly. He can have any woman he wants. And probably does … frequently,” Janie mumbled, rolling her eyes. “So, why does he want me?”
“You did not just say that,” Bev said softly, cocking her head and looking at her friend in shock. “Okay, first of all … you are an amazingly beautiful, smart, incredible woman, Janie. But secondly, from the things you've told me about your relationship before you broke up, that man was totally in love with you. Why are you doubting that he could still feel that way about you when you are so obviously still in love with him?”
Janie frowned at her friend's question. Why couldn't she simply take Robby at his word and believe that he still loved her every bit as much as she still loved him? She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the counter. “I guess … part of me just thinks that … if he really never stopped loving me, then he would have come to see me. He would have reached out to me. I mean, Jagged Ivory has played Cleveland several times in the last few years. If he loved me so much, why didn't he seek me out?”
“Um, maybe because you shattered his world when you broke up with him?” Beverly offered, looking her friend in the eye. And Janie stared back at her pointedly as if to ask who's side she was on. “I'm just saying, Janie,” she shrugged. “Why would he be eager to seek you out after you did such a thorough job of telling him to go away?”
It was a question Janie had never asked herself, but it made perfect sense. Why would he have come back looking for her when she had given him no reason to? It was only after she had
sought him out backstage that he tracked her down. Almost as if he had been waiting for some sign from her. Some indication that she wanted to see him again.
“You know, every time we play Cleveland I always wonder about you, hoping you’ll show up backstage sometime. You have no idea how often I have had that daydream. And now finally, here you are!”
His words from the other night came back to her once again, and Janie suddenly felt like such an idiot. Bev was right. He had stayed away because she had made him. Because he was trying to respect her wishes, even though he didn't understand them.
“Janie … do you want that man back?” Bev asked.
She felt her heart free fall into her stomach at Bev's question. And she opened her mouth to answer her just as the boys came into the kitchen, all smiles and laughter.
“Mom, we're hungry. Can we have lunch before we go?” Bobby asked.
“Yeah, Mom. We're hungry,” Buzzy chimed in, wrapping an arm around her and lightly kissing the top of her head.
Janie felt the tingle travel from the top of her head all the way down her spine and she glanced up at him, and then over at Bev nervously. She could easily see the questions in her friend's nosy gaze. Her raised eyebrow said it all.
“Um, yeah I can make us lunch,” she mumbled anxiously. “Would you care to join us, Bev?”
“Oh, I would love to, but I have to get to the restaurant. My shift starts soon,” she answered. “But enjoy your lunch. And uh … I hope you feel better,” she said, winking at Janie.
They said goodbye to Bev and then Janie went about the task of making a quick lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. The three of them shared a relaxed, happy lunch, and as they were finishing up, Shawn finally returned from his errand.
“Hey, man,” Buzzy spoke up as he came through the kitchen door. “Did you find it?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. West. In the back floorboard of the car, right where you left it,” he said.
Buz returned his covert wink with a grin and reached out, taking the small game in his hands.
“What's that?” Bobby asked.
“It's for you,” Buz said, handing the game over to him.
The boy gasped loudly as his eyes grew big. “Nintendo 3DS XL!”
Buzzy smiled. “Yeah, well, you said you didn't have one so … I just figured I'd give you mine.”
“Wow,” he exclaimed, opening the device and examining it.
“You know how to use that thing?” Buz asked.
“Yeah! Jordan has one; he lets me play with his sometimes,” Bobby said, never looking up from the small console. “Mom, look … this thing has Super Mario Brothers 2, Mario Kart 7, Kingdom Hearts 3D, and The Legend of Zelda!”
“Wow, that's … pretty awesome,” Janie said as Bobby showed her the gaming system.
“Yeah, some great games, huh?” Buz said, giving Shawn a quick nod of approval as the bodyguard slyly slipped him his credit card back.
“Yeah, they're awesome! Can I take this with me in the car and play it when we go to the concert?” he asked looking at Buz.
Buzzy shrugged his shoulders at him. “It's yours now, buddy. You can do whatever you want to with it.”
“You mean I can keep it?” Bobby asked.
“You can absolutely keep it.”
“Thanks, Dad,” he exclaimed, running into Buzzy's arms.
“You are so welcome, Bobby,” he said, holding his son.
Chapter Nine
“Hey, Mike. It's Buz.”
“Buz! Please tell me that you are on the road,” the manager said, and Buzzy could hear the anxiety in his voice over the phone.
“Yes, we just got underway to try to avoid the work traffic.”
“Good man! Alright, that should put you here in time for a quick soundcheck before showtime,” Mike said, sounding much more relaxed. “Hey, how did things go with your uh … personal issues? You need to talk to me about anything?”
“Um, well actually, Mike … I think things are going to work out on that front.”
“Really?” Mike asked, sounding pleasantly surprised at this news. “'Cause I've already gotten the names of some really great family law attorneys in the area for you.”
“I really appreciate that, Mike. But I'm actually really hopeful about things right now,” he told him.
“Well, that's great, Buz. I'm happy to hear that. I can't wait to hear all about it.”
“Yeah, I'll fill you in later. But I'll see you soon.”
They hung up then and Buz put his phone away and sat back to relax. Seated in the back of the SUV between Janie and their son, he felt like pinching himself as he looked from one to the other. He couldn't believe that Janie was really sitting at his side. That he had woken up this morning with her in his arms. And he sure as hell couldn't believe that their son was sitting here beside him. Bobby was completely enthralled with his new game, and he had taken a pair of earbuds from his mom's mp3 player to use with it.
Buzzy smiled at him and then turned toward Janie, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth, lightly kissing her knuckles.
“It's a good thing you gave it to him, because I don't think you'd be able to pry it out of his hands if you wanted it back,” she said to him, glancing over at Bobby.
Buzzy laughed at her comment. “I'm glad he likes it.”
“That was really nice of you.”
Buz shrugged his shoulders at her, dismissing the subject. He didn't want to talk about the gaming system because he didn't want to let it slip that he had purchased it and the games for it after hearing that she couldn't afford to get him one. He didn't want to argue about money with her anymore. Not when they had more important things to talk about. With Bobby occupied with his new Nintendo DS, Buz turned to Janie intent on having a serious conversation.
“You know, Janie … we haven't really talked about what happens after I leave. How things are going to work, I mean. Jagged Ivory is still in the middle of a tour, so … my schedule is completely planned out through the end of the year. We've got a few more weeks and probably twenty dates or so until this leg of the tour is over. Then we'll have about a month of downtime before the next leg begins and we head off to Australia,” he said anxiously. “I would really like for you and Bobby to come out to California for at least part of that month off.”
Janie stared at him, feeling bewildered. Why was he doing this now? With an audience no less! “Robby, I don't know what to say. We can't just drop everything and come to California on a whim. Can't we talk about this later?” she asked, feeling uneasy as her eyes darted to Shawn, who was behind the wheel.
“Don't worry about Shawn; he couldn't care less about our conversation,” he stated firmly. Then he glanced at Bobby to make sure the child was still oblivious to their discussion. “And no. Actually we can't talk about this later because today is all we have, Janie. After this show is over, Jagged Ivory moves south to Columbus and Cincinnati. And after that, it's on to Indiana and then Illinois. I don't know when I can get back to Cleveland. There is no other time to have this conversation.”
She sighed heavily as she looked at him. Then she shrugged her shoulders as she said, “I have to work, Robby. And Bobby will be back in school by then …”
“Janie, I know that Bobby will have school, okay? But we have to figure something out,” he countered. “I have a limited amount of time until the tour ends in December, and I want to spend as much time with the two of you as I can.”
“I understand that, and I want that too,” she said. “But I can't delay Bobby's school year. And I have to work, I can't just ignore my job; I've got bills to pay.”
“Janie,” Buz said, feeling himself growing agitated and trying to keep his cool. “You know, you wouldn't have to work so hard if you would let me help you. Do you realize that? You don't actually have to wait tables if you don't want to. And what about your writing, Janie? You never did answer that question. Are you stil
l writing? 'Cause you could do that, you know? You could concentrate on your writing if you would let me take care of you. I saw all those stories that you wrote for Bobby; I read every one of them.”
“You did?” she asked. And the surprise in her voice was difficult to miss.
“Yes,” he smiled. “They are amazing, baby! Bobby says that you used to write them for him all the time but now all you do is work.”
“He said that?” Janie asked, feeling guilty.
“Yes. You should be working toward getting those Bobby Books published Janie,” he gushed. “Or, hell … self-publish them. I keep hearing all these incredible things about writers doing that these days. Either way, that's how you should be spending your time. On getting that set of children's books published. Not waiting tables. And you could do that, Janie! You could start a whole new writing career for yourself if you would just let me pay your bills.”
She slowly shook her head as she listened to him. “You can't be serious,” she said softly, looking him in the eye. “Robby, we have been apart for eight years. And after one night of sex you suddenly want to pay all my bills for me?” The moment the words were out of her mouth she regretted them, and she glanced nervously at the bodyguard once more.
Buzzy's head snapped back like she had slapped him, and he stared at her for a moment. “Is that what last night was for you?” he asked quietly. “Just sex?”
There was no way Janie could not see the hurt in his eyes as he looked at her, and she could feel the unshed tears sting her eyes. Quickly, she shook her head. “No,” she whispered ungently, holding his gaze. “That's not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?” he asked quietly, still staring into her eyes.
“Robby, last night meant so much to me. I did not mean that the way it sounded.”
The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set) Page 69