Rock the Dream (Redfall Dream #1)

by B. B. Miller

“I think we all are.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Everyone is forgiven, and we all love each other again, yada, yada, yada. Can we play some fucking rock-and-roll now?” Sean asks, smacking Cam on the shoulder. Sean’s dyed his hair bright blue today, and Cam can’t seem to resist poking at it with an amused grin.

  Sean shrugs him off, descending into the studio. Matt and Cameron follow quickly behind him, but Nic’s voice stops me.

  “I need five minutes before you disappear into your rock-and-roll man cave.”

  I laugh, turning back to see Nic and Abby approaching. “What’s up?” I can feel the adrenaline spike as Cam strums a few chords, my heart pounding harder at the sight of Abby.

  I also can’t resist taking her hand and pulling her in for a lingering kiss. “Missed you,” I mumble, pressing her against my side.

  “Just no,” Nic complains, and I feel Abby smile against my lips before she pulls back.

  “We’ve been talking to Landon” Abby begins, and I lift a brow.

  “On a first name basis are you now?”

  “Oh, yes,” Nic starts with a smirk. “Mr. Ravine has been very sweet and accommodating.” Nicole knows exactly what she’s doing, trying to get a reaction out of me, and she flashes me a grin.

  “I just bet he has,” I mutter, glancing down at Abby.

  Abby doesn’t miss a beat, continuing on, “You two will be performing toward the end of the concert, and I thought maybe we could run a video. We have a lot of great shots from today we could add. And then your mom said we should put some pictures of yours in there, too.” I can hear the excitement in Abby’s voice, and I love that she’s come up with this idea.

  I scan the room, looking for Mom, but come up empty. “Mom’s got old pictures of me with her?” I ask, slightly horrified. Abby doesn’t need to see any of those, particularly the ones of me naked running around with a cowboy hat on in the yard when I was three. The guys would never let me live it down.

  “She said she has a bunch up on Dropbox and to not look so surprised when I told you that.”

  “I can pull some from the other guys, and Tucker, too,” Nic adds. “I think we should try to get you all in there if we can.”

  “On one condition,” I start. Nicole adjusts her glasses, glancing at me over her ever-present tablet. “Pictures of both of you get in there too.”

  Abby starts to protest, but I place my fingers over her perfect lips. “Non-negotiable. None of this would be happening without the two of you.”

  Abby nods, pressing a gentle kiss to my fingers. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “Now go,” Abby urges, pushing me in the direction of the studio. “Make music.”

  Abigail

  “I guess we have our marching orders.”

  My smirk mirrors Nicole’s. “Apparently so,” I agree. “But, luckily, we get to choose which of our own photos get included. And only one of each of us.”

  “Damn straight.” She taps a few keys on her tablet. “We’ll put them in because he insisted, but we’re not the show, they are. Right?”

  “Right.” I knew she and I would be on the same page. “But we need to get hopping if we want it ready for tonight.”

  “On it,” she says tersely and looks up from her tablet to give me a cheeky grin. “And you need to call your buddy Landon, back.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes. “I’ll meet you in Kennedy’s office in ten.” I give her a friendly push in the direction of the office, and shake my head as her laughter floats back to me. Okay, so I was a little excited to be talking to Landon, but that doesn’t mean she needs to wind Kennedy up about it.

  I want to do that.

  Wandering down to the kitchen, I pull a couple bottles of iced tea out of the fridge for us and then head out to the deck for a breath of fresh air before I join Nicole. Bracing one hand on the railing, I savor the sea breeze on my face and feel my shoulders relax a little.

  Graham is sitting on the beach reading and looking far more relaxed than when I first met him. It seems the beach has been a healing balm for everyone today at some point. I watch the waves below and feel my heart expand as I remember watching Kennedy and Parker laughing as the water washed over their toes.

  Parker was virtually incandescent with joy. He’s beginning to look up to Kennedy like a favorite uncle or something; I wonder if my rock god realizes that. He’s been amazing all day, but when they were standing in the surf, hand-in-hand . . . I quickly swipe away some dampness in my eyes. Kennedy is going to make a wonderful father someday.

  A sigh of relief escapes me. I’m so, so glad that Cameron made it in time. I’m not sure what the future holds for the guys after they finish this tour, but they work too well together, know each other too well, for them to break up contrary to the tabloid rumors.

  Turning, I make my way with my bottles back inside and to the office. On my way, I pass Helena and Sara sitting on the sofa in the living room, their heads together over a laptop as they search for photos of Kennedy for the montage. Although she’s still tentative toward Kennedy, I can see the heartache and grief she’s been clinging to the last few years thawing and falling away as the days go by. The spark in her eyes when she offered the photos of a young Kennedy warmed my heart, and Nicole and I both eagerly accepted. This concert has become a labor of love in more ways than one.

  “Oh, I buzzed April and Tess in through the gate a few minutes ago,” Nic mentions as I walk in the office, which has turned into whirlwind of controlled chaos. She accepts the bottle of iced tea with a grateful smile. “I have to say, it’s been a godsend to work with your staff on this. They’re awesome.”

  I chuckle. “The feeling is mutual, believe me. I think April wants to adopt you.”

  She smirks and gestures to the room and the many framed concert posters and photos of the band—both promotional and in action during shows—that cover the walls. “And leave all this? I think Kennedy would have a nervous breakdown.”

  “Don’t tell me that’s the latest rumor?” April says drily, as she and Tess arrive, their arms full.

  “No one’s breaking down anywhere,” I assure her, and take the bag full of shirts bearing the ‘Rock the Dream’ slogan out of Tess’s hand. We’re selling them at the show, but these are for us to wear tonight. Pulling one out, I inspect it to ensure the Foundation’s logo isn’t screwed up.

  “Don’t worry—it looks good,” she confirms, and then adds oh-so-casually, “So, um, where’s the fearsome foursome? Have they headed over to the stadium already?”

  Nicole snorts in amusement, her eyes glued to her laptop, and I cock an eyebrow at my assistant. “You’re not fooling anyone, you know.”

  “What do you mean?” Tess asks, her voice suddenly an octave higher.

  “We mean that you’re really only interested in one member of the ‘fearsome foursome’,” April answers for me, a smile quirking her lips. “That was quite a display you two put on back at the office. We’re thinking of starting a pool about which one of you caves first.”

  Tess’s face reddens and she’s about to protest, but Nicole cuts her off before she can get started. “But not until after the show, okay? We’ve got too much to do before tonight. Could you please give the caterer a call and double check that they received the supply of bandanas for the green room?” She taps furiously on her tablet. “Oh and make sure they got that last minute beverage request from Kate Mara straightened out.”

  Tess tilts her chin up, marches from the room with dignity, ignoring our quiet giggles. April winks at me. “Twenty bucks says they don’t last the week,” she whispers under her breath.

  I laugh. “No bet. I’ll be surprised if they make it forty-eight hours.”

  After another conversation with the flirtatious Landon and a few hours perfecting the photo montage, my phone chimes, alerting me to the latest arrivals to the house. I can’t help the nerves fluttering in my stomach. This event has become so big on so many levels.
It’s a bit unnerving to have so much of my private and professional lives colliding. I pull down my concert T-shirt and check the mirror. I’m too nervous for tonight to deal with my hair, so I’ve tied it back into a loose braid. Between that, my jeans and my favorite New York stiletto boots, Ralph may not recognize me tonight.

  I hear Adam’s voice in the foyer, and I know I’d better get out there. I scurry out of Kennedy’s bedroom and down the hall where the voices are getting louder. Turning a corner, a smile breaks out on my face when I see my parents. Mom has traded in her floaty skirts for a pair of jeans and a black tank top under a sheer blouse, while Dad is once again sporting his old Redfall shirt.

  “Abby!” Mom throws her arms around me and hugs me tightly, oblivious to the Lanes standing off to the side. “You look wonderful, sweetie.”

  “I was beginning to wonder if you guys were going to make it in time to go with us,” I say with relief. I’d been working on a separate transportation plan in my head if they hadn’t arrived in time.

  “Oh, well,” she starts with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You know that GPS thingy isn’t always reliable.”

  “It would be reliable if you entered the right address the first time,” Dad grumbles, shooting her a look that she blithely ignores.

  “This house is incredible! It’s nicer than anything I’ve seen on HGTV,” she gushes before surrendering me to Dad’s gruff embrace.

  “Yeah, trust Kennedy to have the nicest digs on the beach,” Adam jokes, but cuts off when Helena gives him a look.

  “It’s a fine investment, Adam,” she informs him crisply. “Far better than your dozen fancy cars that depreciate by half the minute you drive them off the lot. You’d think you’d get enough of cars just doing your job.”

  “Never! And, it’s only a half-dozen,” he retorts with a grin, undeterred. “Besides, I bought them for Sara.”

  “Even the Lamborghini?” Sara asks dubiously, stepping up beside him. “And the Maserati?”

  He gives her a sly grin and wraps his arms around her. “Well, maybe not those two.”

  “Uh, Mom, Dad? Let me introduce Kennedy’s family. This is Graham, Helena, Sara, and Mr. Hot Car Guy is Adam,” I say with a sweep of my hand. “And, these are my parents, Frank and Terri.” Hands are shaken all around, until my mother surprises Helena by drawing her into a hug.

  “I’m so happy to meet you all! You must be so proud of Kennedy,” she exclaims. “He was a delight when he came to visit us last week. He left me the loveliest note to thank me for the offer of our—”

  “Mom!” I blurt, suddenly afraid of what she was going to say, but she merely laughs at me.

  “Equipment, dear,” she says with a wink. “I was going to say equipment. Not that they used it, but it’s the thought that counts.” She turns back to a confused Helena. “Anyway, when I read that sweet note, I knew that boy had been brought up right.”

  Graham chuckles. “We tried.” He steps closer to his wife and slips an arm around her waist.

  “And as for your question, we’re proud of both our boys,” Helena says, her eyes flicker over my shoulder. I glance around to see Nicole and Kennedy join us. “I haven’t shown it enough the last few years,” she continues, looking at Kennedy as her voice gains strength. “But I’m incredibly proud of them, and never more than now.”

  Kennedy clears his throat, a shy smile playing around his lips as he loops an arm around my shoulders. “Frank, Terri, I’m glad you could make it,” he says, reaching out with his free hand to shake Dad’s.

  “I’m sorry we were a little late. We wouldn’t miss it for the world!” My mother beams at us; she’s practically vibrating with excitement

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I’d show you around, but we don’t have a lot of time now. We all need to get over to the stadium,” I say apologetically. “Let me show you to your room.” I gesture to their bags beside Dad, but Helena stops me.

  “Oh, let me,” she offers graciously, smiling with a little more energy than she’s shown before. “Your room is near ours.” She leads my mom down the other hall, Dad and Graham dutifully following with the bags. Adam mutters something into Sara’s ear that makes her smile, and they slip off into the kitchen, leaving us with Nicole.

  “Are you guys ready?” I look up into Kennedy’s sparkling blue eyes, and I can see that his session in the “rock-and-roll man cave” must have been fruitful. He has that calm look that only comes after he’s figured out a tune that’s been trying to work its way out of him.

  He nods and pulls me into a hug. “Of course. I love it when we all come together like that. It’s an incredible feeling.”

  “I can tell.” Then my smile becomes impish. “The only other time you look so satisfied is after sex, and unless there’s something between you and Sean I don’t know about...”

  Nicole snorts beside us, but a loud laugh interrupts us. “He wishes he could get a piece of me,” Sean declares loudly, leading the remaining group in. “He got close a few years ago in Budapest.”

  “Nah, that was Cam,” Kennedy retorts, and dodges a swing from the guitarist. He pulls me in front of him like a human shield, ignoring my laughter at their ridiculousness. Cam gives him a stink-eye and leans up against the wall. He looks relaxed and very pleased with himself. They all do, actually. It must have been a really good session.

  “So, are we doing this thing, or what?” Cameron asks, but startles into silence when Matt grabs his arm, his eyes wide.

  “What the fuck is that?” Matt demands, looking in horror at something behind me. I turn to see April and Tess have joined us. Tess is tapping something on her tablet, seemingly oblivious, and rocking a flaming pink Vandels tank top. She glances up at me, as if suddenly aware of our gaze, and only the barest hint of a smile tells me that she knows exactly what she’s doing.

  “What?” she asks innocently, while Matt practically growls on my other side.

  “That.” He points at her chest. “What the fuck is that?”

  She gives him a devilish smirk. “Well, if I have to explain what they are, you must not be the Casanova they say you are,” she hums. He glares at her.

  “I’d be more than happy to tear that fucking thing off you and give you a demonstra—hey!” He winces from Cam’s slap on the back of his head.

  “Watch your language, asshole,” he hisses, tossing his head toward where Parker and his parents are now standing with Nurse Claire. Kennedy groans.

  “Both of you watch it,” he warns, but all three stop what they’re doing at my laugh.

  Joyce giggles. “See what I have to live with?” Nicole laments, and then waves her arms toward the door. “Okay, let’s get moving! Parker, you and your parents and Nurse Claire get to ride with the band, all right?”

  “Cool!” Parker grins and eagerly pulls his father’s hand toward the door. His nap has obviously recharged his batteries. Kennedy and I follow them and the band outside, where Tucker and two stretch limos await. Kennedy didn’t spare any expense.

  “Wow! Do we get to ride in the limo again?” Parker asks, a hopeful smile stretching across his face. Kennedy squats down next to him.

  “This night is just getting started, Park. We need to arrive in proper rock-star style, don’t you think?”

  He pumps his little fist, and lets Cam and Sean usher him and David toward the first limo. We watch as Tucker gets them settled for a second, and then Kennedy pulls me into another hug. “See you in a little while,” he hums against my lips. He gives me a soft kiss that sets my head spinning. “Are you going to be okay with all of them?”

  The plan is for me to follow with the families and Nic in the second limo, and for April and Tess to drive separately. Maddie and Dylan are meeting us there. “Of course. As long as my mother doesn’t start talking about anybody’s sex life,” I add wryly. He chuckles and gives me another kiss, his hands sliding down . . .

  “Hey, sunshine!” Tucker calls from the limo. “Let’s get this show on the road. You’ve only go
t a few thousand people waiting on you.”

  Smiling up into his beautiful eyes, I give him a light push against his chest. “Get going, you. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Can’t wait,” he whispers. He trails a finger down my cheek in farewell, and then turns and sprints over to the limo, arms held out wide, to the delight of the little boy waiting inside.

  Kennedy

  “CAN YOU BELIEVE she was fucking wearing a Vandels T-shirt?” Matt’s annoyed voice bellows through the back of the stretch limo as we wind our way to the stadium. His leg bounces off nervous energy as he shakes his head. It’s actually quite amusing to see him like this.

  “Matty, watch your mouth. There are virgin ears present.” Sean smirks at him before turning to Parker’s parents. “I apologize for the Neanderthal. You really can’t take him anywhere.”

  David gives a short laugh, but doesn’t look bothered. “Don’t apologize. Everyone is always so careful with Parker all the time; they’re almost afraid to say anything. It’s nice to see normal for a change.”

  Sean barks out a laugh. “Mate, if you wanted normal, you’re in the wrong car.”

  Joyce smiles from her spot across from us. She’s obviously exhausted from the day, from the months and years of living under the cloud they all have been under for so long, but she also looks genuinely happy.

  Parker’s laugh drifts down to us from the sunroof. He’s been perched up there with Cam for the better part of the drive. I’m looking forward to hearing his reaction when the police escort that will lead us the final miles to the stadium comes into view.

  “Joyce, darling,” Sean starts, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I want you and David to spend a weekend at my place in Malibu.”

  Joyce’s eyes widen, and she immediately shakes her head. “That’s very sweet, but we really couldn’t.”

  “Sean’s a lot of things, but sweet isn’t one of them.” Sean flips me the finger at my comment, and receives a swift smack on the back of the head from Tucker.

  “Hey! What was that for?”