She bowed her head and began to pray, beseeching the Lord to help her find a solution that wouldn’t wreck lives. No brilliant ideas were forthcoming, but she began to feel a strong urge to speak with her mother. Chelsie understood the power of prayer and knew when the Lord was pressing on her heart. She retrieved her cell from her bedroom and made the call, absolutely clueless as to what she would say to her mother.
She chose to place the call the old-fashioned way, without holomode, an app that allowed a 3-D hologram to pop up over the screen of one’s device, similar to the old-fashioned FaceTime app. Her emotions were still foamed, thanks to Chad, and she didn’t want her mother picking at the perma-frown she wore.
Mia Davenport answered on the second ring. “Chelsie! I’m so glad to hear from you. I know this is going to sound strange, but just minutes ago I was talking with Nathan about you. How are things with your practice and the band?”
Chelsie inhaled deeply, wishing she’d taken a bit of time to center herself before she’d made this call. But it was done now. “I’m fine. The band and guys are fine. So is my practice.” But she wasn’t fine at all and hadn’t been in a very long time. Hiding troubles from her mother had never been easy, but keeping this secret about her brain tumor was the biggest most difficult lie she’d ever kept.
“What’s wrong, honey? You sound…flat. Are you and Chad having problems again?”
“Mom, there is no me and Chad. There hasn’t been since I left Missouri for Massachusetts.”
There was a pause. “Oh. I just assumed since he moved to New Orleans, you were at least entertaining the idea of getting back together with him. I’m sorry it’s not working out.”
“I’m not. Chad’s ancient history. My troubles have to do with the band. Chad has this Nashville producer coming to the place where we’re playing tonight. He just doesn’t get it, Mom. I’m not giving up my practice to become a country-western singer. The band is a hobby, not a career. I love being a doctor.”
“I know how happy and committed you are to your career, honey. You just have to be firm with Chad. Tell him what you’re willing to do and not do, and stick by your choices.”
She had, multiple times, but Chad’s listening abilities were about equal to that of a toddler. “I have, Mom. What’s eating at me is the fact that three families I care about uprooted their lives to come here with the false hope that making me a part of the band again would be their key to a big break. I’ve been very honest and firm with Chad that the band is and always will be a hobby for me. He’s not accepting that, and I suspect he’s lied to the guys, telling them I’m on board with this, even though I told all of them in the beginning I wasn’t. If I don’t come through for them should a recording contract present itself, I’m afraid my decision is going to decimate their lives.”
“Wow, that is a problem. Chad’s always had a slick tongue, and I never thought he was right for you. I’m glad you see that, but I’m very troubled for your friends. I think the wisest thing to do is tell them the truth. Tell them what you’re telling me, because if Chad has lied to them regarding your level of commitment to the band, honey, they need to know so they can make choices.”
Chelsie pressed her fingers to her lips and nodded. Her mom was right. She’d call them all right away. The truth would hurt them, probably make them very angry, too, but at least they’d have honesty and could begin making decisions from there. Those calls could be the beginning of the end for the band, because Randy, Wayne, and Colt would be furious when they discovered Chad had been lying to them. “You’re right, Mom. That’s exactly what I need to do. I just…I guess I just needed to unload.”
Her mom laughed lightly. “Well, I’m here anytime you feel the urge to do so, honey. So the band aside, how is your practice?”
“It’s okay.” It sucked, but she didn’t want to tell her mom that she was being discriminated against by vampires.
There was a long silence on the line, then her mother said, “That didn’t sound very convincing. Talk to me, honey. You know I won’t judge. What’s going on?”
Chelsie trusted her mother completely, but enough to lay it all on the line? Not all of it. Not yet anyway. Once she had a date set for her turning, she’d tell her about the glioblastoma rapidly killing her.
“Chelsie? Please talk to me. What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Her mother’s voice was soft and pleading and broke her defenses. The discrimination she faced came out in a rush, with tears and a shaky voice. “My practice is a joke. I have a fraction of the patients my partners have. Most won’t accept me as their doctor because I’m human.”
“Oh, Chelsie, that’s terrible! I’m so sorry. Are you certain you should be practicing medicine for vampires? Honey, you’re a brilliant woman with a Harvard degree. There are far more human facilities in need of someone like you.”
Chelsie knew that to be true, but she wanted the practice she currently had with all her heart. She just needed it to grow. “I’m where I need to be, Mom. I’ve given it much thought and prayer. I’m positive.”
“Okay. Then all you can do is be patient and wait things out. Nothing happens in life without a reason. Apparently, you have time on your hands. Use it to your advantage. Perhaps you could volunteer your time and talents to those less fortunate. Or maybe you could use the time to concentrate on yourself. Have you developed any sort of social life since you moved to New Orleans? Have you even had a date since you graduated?”
A wan smile claimed her lips as she thought about Asa. She could easily see herself falling in love with him. What would her mother think about that? Better yet, what could her mother tell her about falling in love with a vampire? Before she could consider the repercussions, she asked, “How did you know for sure with Nathan, Mom?”
There was a lengthy silence on the line before her mother spoke. “Who is he?”
Well, she’d let the cat out of the bag, she supposed. “Asa Bradley. My partner.”
“Oh. Christian’s friend, right?”
“Yes.”
“And he’s vampire if I recall. He was Christian’s best man.”
“Yes.”
She heard her mother chuckle, the last thing she expected. “Well, I don’t know Asa at all, but Christian and I go way back. I consider him one of my closest friends, as you well know. I suppose if Asa is Christian’s friend he must be a wonderful man. Care to tell me about him?”
She was surprised her mother wasn’t concerned about her dating a vampire, then again, her mother had dated Nathan when she’d been human. Albeit she hadn’t known Nathan was a vampire in the beginning stages of their relationship.
“Chelsie? Tell me about him.”
This was a conversation best reserved between her and Tiffany, because once she started describing Asa, there were going to be many adjectives involved such as smoking hot and deliciously sexy—terms she didn’t feel comfortable using with her mother. “As you may recall, I shadowed with him during my internship at the clinic. He’s an incredible doctor. Very kind and compassionate.”
“And good looking.”
Chelsie chuckled. “Yes, he’s very attractive.” An understatement, but she was talking to her mother.
“Has he drunk from you yet?”
Wow. She was getting right to the point. But if Chelsie hoped to glean information from her mother, she might as well be honest. “No. Our relationship isn’t to that point yet.”
“I see. But I sense something intriguing has occurred, or you wouldn’t have mentioned him.”
“It’s tenuous at this point. How would I know, Mom? How did you know?”
“You just will, honey. Trust me, if Asa is your life mate you both will figure it out and nothing will stand in the way. I know you’ve studied vampire anatomy and physiology and everything else about our kind. So you probably understand most aspects of the mating bond. If he drinks from you, he’ll know if you’re his life mate.”
“I’m aware of that.” It amazed Chelsie how va
mpires chose mates. A bite. A mere bite. Not months or years of dating and trying to get to know one another determined a union like humans searching for a mate.
“Of course you do, and I’m not encouraging you to allow him to do that if you’re not ready, because it’s a very intimate and personal act, but if it should happen, the answer will be instantaneous for him. Once he knows you’re his, he’ll stop at nothing to convince you of that fact. The way it sounds, you’ll need very little convincing.”
Chelsie smiled because that part was true. She’d just wondered if there had been other clues for her mother, because her and Nathan’s relationship had happened so quickly. So had Dannie and Dominic’s, her youngest sister and brother-in-law. However, with Tiffany and Christian, they had known each other for twelve years before romance transpired. That’s what confused her and fueled her need for answers.
“Just be careful, honey. Vampire males can be very seductive. I know you have a good head and your morals are strong. I just don’t want your heart to be broken. Use prudence and don’t allow anything to happen that would compromise your value system. Remember, men are men, human or vampire. However, as you know, vampires mate for life. Humans not always. Unfortunately, unmated vampire males can be just as randy as humans until they do mate. Make sure he knows you’re a virtuous, Christian woman. Trust me, if he’s an ethical man, he’ll respect that.”
Chelsie sighed. What her mother said resonated deep within her, because her words had been exactly Chelsie’s thinking. After all, her mother had raised her that way. “You’re right. Thanks, Mom. By the way, how are Beth and Nate?” She hadn’t seen her two vampire half-siblings since Christmas.
“Wonderful. Ornery. Both are doing very well in school, but keeping poor Jazeera chasing her tail. She loves them and every minute of their chaos, as you know.”
Jazerra was Beth and Nate’s nanny. A very colorful human. She’d been Nathan’s housekeeper at his New Orleans home for nearly fifty years until her mother and Nathan married. Her mother got pregnant instantly with Nate. A couple of years after his birth, her mom opened a catering business with her best friend Julia, also a vampire. When the time came for childcare, Jazerra had been the perfect choice for her parents. Odd really. Jazerra was a Creole/Jamaican mix, and a woman who practiced voodoo, yet she held a respect for Christian values and an even deeper one for the Davenport family.
“Oh, Beth has a new kitten,” her mother announced.
Chelsie chuckled. “What’s its name?”
“Beth named him Iddy Biddy. He’s a little gray tabby. The runt of the litter, I believe.” Her mother laughed.
“That’s great. Tell the kids I said ‘hi.’ It’s been good talking to you, but I need to go. I have a lot of things I need to accomplish today.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I love you. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Chelsie ended the call and stared at the phone in her hand, sick at heart about the calls she needed to make to Randy and the others. Her cup of coffee had long grown cold. She decided to go refresh her cup and contemplate what she would say to her friends when she made those calls.
She hadn’t even made it halfway to the kitchen when her cell in her robe pocket began to buzz and vibrate. Chelsie paused and extracted it then let out a groan when she saw that the caller was Randy.
Oh, God! Had Chad already called them?
She swallowed hard and answered the call. “Hi, Randy.”
He offered no greeting in return but got straight to the point. “Is it true? Are you going to refuse to sign the deal if we get one?”
Chelsie squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t lie to him. “Yes. As I’ve told Chad a million times, my medical career comes first.”
There was a pause on the line, then he said, “Well, then Chad is right. You really are a selfish bitch.”
Chapter 5
Chelsie’s stomach was in knots as she paced, waiting for her doorbell to ring. She’d called a meeting with all the guys at her place, minus Chad, for 6:00 p.m. Currently, it was about ten till. She had no illusions. All of them were going to let her have it with both barrels. Each had spoken with Chad, and they knew she was about to blow their dreams sky high.
She dropped down onto the couch, leaned forward, and dropped her face in her hands. How could she have let this happen? She knew how tricky Chad could be. She should have never trusted him. She’d had plenty of opportunity to make it repeatedly and abundantly clear to the guys that she merely wanted to play the New Orleans circuit. Instead, she’d left it to Chad to do. Granted, she’d told them she couldn’t be a part of the band if it ever began to tour long before any of them moved here. Stupidly, she’d just assumed they’d accepted that fact, because she’d been so adamant with Chad for months afterward about her medical career coming first.
However, during the majority of time this had all been transpiring, she’d been dealing with her cancer. She’d been so thinly stretched between her time at the clinic, the band, and doctor appointments, Chad’s subterfuge had never crossed her mind. But it should have, and that was definitely her bad.
Chelsie was so distraught and guilt-ridden over this, she couldn’t take it anymore. If the man offered them a contract, she’d accept. It would mean a hiatus from her medical career, but at least it wouldn’t put an end to four other people’s. Besides, touring wouldn’t occur for some time to come. She’d be vampire by then and fully cured of her cancer, which would solve her thundering headaches and other symptoms of late stage glioblastoma.
The doorbell chimed. Chelsie popped to her feet and hurried to open the door. Randy, Wayne, and Colt glared at her across the threshold. “Please come in.”
They did, taking the temperature of the room down to a level in which raw meat could be safely hung. She gestured for them to sit then settled herself on the edge of a brown leather recliner. “Guys, I’ll get right to the point. Until last night I had no clue about this man from Nashville. In fact, I still don’t even know his name. When did all of you find out about him?”
“Three weeks ago,” Randy said. “Chad told us not to say anything to you because he wanted it to be a surprise and he’d tell you in his own time.”
Chelsie pressed her lips together, not at all surprised. Lying snake. “The truth is, Chad’s lied to all of us, but I can’t place all the blame on his shoulders. I should have reminded each of you personally that I only intended to be a part of the band if it stayed small-scale, meaning here in New Orleans.”
“That would have been real nice,” Colt, their bass player, said, his brown eyes flashing with as much ire and disgust as his band mates.
“I know, and I’m not going to pretend to make excuses. I have to own this, so here’s the deal. If the man offers us the contract, I’ll sign. But I have a stipulation. You’ll have to begin searching for a vocalist to replace me. I did not spend my entire adult life studying to be a doctor just to toss my degree for a maybe thing with a music career, which I never wanted to begin with. I’ll do whatever it takes if we get this deal, but only temporarily.”
They all looked much relieved by that news, but not nearly pacified.
“What if we can’t find a replacement?” Wayne, their keyboard player, asked.
“Wayne’s right. Rose was good, but she didn’t hold a candle to you, Chelsie. People with your kind of talent don’t grow on trees,” Randy said.
“But they do exist,” she replied with patience. “Keep in mind, if we cut a recording deal and fame should come our way, we’ll begin to run in circles with other talented artists.” She shrugged. “Who knows. You may snag someone who currently has a name or a winner of a contest or something. A woman who could help take you guys much further than I could.”
Her logic did a great deal to settle the tension in the room. The men began to talk amongst each other, all agreeing that her notion had merit.
Then Colt said, “I say we kick Chad’s ass. Chelsie’s right. He lied to all of us. I’d have never moved here if I’
d known she had no interest in a recording deal. That was the whole reason we moved. Chad told us the two of you were getting back together and that you’d changed your mind.”
Wayne countered that. “It’s all water under the bridge now. Chelsie’s agreed to help us out, for a spell anyway. What matters now is getting that contract.”
Randy said, “Thanks, Chels. I’m sorry for being so harsh earlier. I was just majorly pissed. Mostly with Chad.”
She smiled with understanding. “I know, and I don’t blame you, but we’re going to get through this. God willing, maybe it will finally happen for Twisted Dixie.”
***
Asa entered Cajun Refugees with Christian and Tiffany shortly before nine, the time Twisted Dixie was scheduled to begin. They weaved their way through the noisy, packed crowd to a vacant table on the right side of the stage not far from the dance floor. The four male members of the band were on stage, still in set-up mode, but Chelsie was nowhere in sight. She’d been on his mind all day, and in such a vast array of ways. He was insanely attracted to her, and he sensed strongly that the feeling went both ways.
What stymied him was how well she’d hidden that attraction all these months, because he had enough sense to realize she hadn’t just tripped over her feelings for him and they’d just come tumbling out for the first time last night. He’d done exactly the same thing. He’d stuffed his attraction for her because she was human, she was Christian’s sister in law, and he’d been her mentor for so many of the months he’d known her.
When she’d announced her decision to turn, she’d shocked him shitless. It didn’t take his mind a second to go “what if.” What if she were the one? He’d have a ready-made life mate just waiting for him. But the notion was a selfish one and, at the time of her announcement, highly premature.
Now, if the decision were on the table again, he would be selfish and vote her way, but it appeared she already had her bases covered there. Lucky him. However, he had probably put the cart before the horse here. He hadn’t drunk from Chelsie yet to discover if they shared the life mate connection, a meshing of emotions and souls during that intimate, mental, sexual encounter. He intended to find out soon though. He’d been waiting for his one and only for nearly a hundred years. If Asa had his way, he’d know if she was his tonight. If not? Well, he’d still like to date her temporarily. Nothing could come of it except sex. He’d take that in spades.
Deadly Secrets (Forever and a Night Book 3) Page 6