They had the dog park to themselves. Jayne tossed a tennis ball to Patch while Zander tried to coax Shredder with a Frisbee. They'd arrived home from Sacramento that morning to a call from Dalton's mother begging her to pick up the dog. Her landlord was letting her move in a few days early and she needed Patch gone. Dalton was still at school. Jayne didn't like the idea of just taking the dog, so Zander sent him a text, telling him to call them after school.
Shredder and Patch got along great. Patch ran circles around his less enthusiastic counterpart—jumping, playing, rolling around—and Shredder looked on like a bored teen putting up with a kid brother's antics. But Patch was happy to let the double-his-size bulldog take top dog honors.
"I think my dog has had enough for today." Zander crouched beside Shredder and rubbed his head. "I'm hoping Patch will make Shredder a little more active."
She clipped on the dogs' leashes. "We'll have to get them together for play dates."
"Or sleepovers." He leered at her and raised his brows.
Laughing, she tossed the tennis ball and Frisbee into a tote bag. "You want to have a sleepover with two dogs?"
"Well, yeah, as long as you're there too."
"I'll dig my sleeping bag out of my closet." She smiled.
He didn't laugh like she'd expected. Instead, he linked their fingers together. "Tonight?"
"I'm sure I can be talked into it if pizza, popcorn and scary movies are included."
Once they settled the dogs in the car, he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her flush against his frame. As his mouth descended, Jayne strained to meet him. Twining her fingers in his thick hair, she pressed closer and drew his lower lip into her mouth.
"Zander," a female voice called out of a car that had pulled into the lot.
Jayne released her hold. Zander had the expression of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He looked at the woman. "Hi, Mom. What are you doing out this way?"
Jayne glanced between the two. "Mom?"
"And Dad." He waved to the man in the driver seat and leaned close to Jayne's ear. "They don't live close by."
His mother got out of the car and walked over, wearing a large smile. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Mom, Dad, this is Jayne Warren. Jayne, these are my parents Alex and Mila. Jayne is—"
"I know who she is now." His mother extended her hand. "Irisa has told us so much about you."
"She speaks very highly of you." His dad also shook her hand. "How are you enjoying the tour?"
"It's been interesting."
"Why don't you both come to dinner tonight? I want to hear all about how the tour is going."
Zander shook his head. "Sorry, we can't."
She gaped at him. From the way he and Irisa spoke about family, she was surprised he'd turn down dinner. She was about to tell him not to worry about the sleepover when another thought dawned. Maybe he didn't want her around them. An uncomfortable feeling curled in her gut and she wrapped her arms around her middle. She'd give him an easy out if he needed one. "You know, you don't have to do that thing with me tonight. It's not a big deal. You can have dinner with your parents instead. I really should be getting settled with Patch one-on-one anyway."
He frowned at her, narrowing his gaze, then turned to his parents. "We can't do dinner, but we can grab coffee now if you're free. There's a place about five minutes away. They have tables outside so we can bring the dogs."
Mila beamed. "We'll meet you there."
When they climbed into the car, Zander turned to her. "You're angry."
"No. I'm confused about why you turned down dinner with them. If you turned it down because of the whole sleepover thing, well, that could have been moved back later. And if you didn't want me at their house, I gave you an easy out so you could still go."
He rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't know if my sister ever mentioned that my mom's been on this babies and wedding kick for a few years now."
"And you don't want me getting any ideas?"
"Damn it, that's not what I'm worried about. Get as many ideas as you want." His eyes flashed at her in challenge. "She can be relentless and she's not subtle and I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable. She met Dom for the first time last week and told him and my sister they'd make pretty babies together. He rolled with it, but my sister freaked out. My mom doesn't have a filter when it comes to this."
"Oh."
He eased the car onto the road. "So now you know. Forewarned, forearmed, whatever. But no matter what happens, you're coming over tonight. You're sleeping in my bed. And Patch can get settled in with Shredder because they're going to be spending a lot of time together."
His harsh tone and the muscle jumping in his jaw told her the extent of his anger. He'd spoken to Luke that way, but never to her. She clasped her hand over her pendant—the one he'd given her. The heart pressed into her palm. She lowered her hand to her lap.
The car pulled into a parking space. His parents were seated at one of the coffee shop's tables.
Zander was out of the car and had both dog's leashes in hand by the time Jayne had finished unbuckling her seatbelt. His rigid posture and clenched jaw telegraphed his anger for anyone to see.
His parents greeted the dogs while Jayne took a seat. The small, square table insured she bumped knees with Zander. The heat in his eyes and the tension in his features hadn't faded.
They placed their orders. Zander all but growled his. Mila exchanged a look with Alex and murmured something in Ukrainian. Jayne only understood a handful of words, thanks to Irisa, and most of them were expletives or foods. Those wouldn't help her here.
Zander's head snapped up. He barked something back in his native tongue. Definitely sexy.
"Jayne, I love your hair. It's such a pretty shade."
She smiled at his mother. "Unfortunately, it's from a bottle. My real color is pale blonde."
"We've never had a blonde in the family."
Again, Zander spoke a few low, unfamiliar words. The tone sounded threatening, but she couldn't know for sure.
"Do you come from a big family?" Undeterred, his mom continued.
"Not really. I'm an only child. My parents divorced when I was a teenager. They've both since remarried. I don't see them very often. We're not very close." Why couldn't her family be anything like his? She glanced down. Shredder nudged his head into her legs, then settled on her feet.
"Enough with the questions." Zander's hand met hers under the table. He still looked completely pissed off, but she no longer thought it was entirely on her.
His parents exchanged another look before his dad nodded and patted his mom's hand.
The waiter brought out their orders, including two bowls of water for the dogs. Everyone laughed over Patch's antics as he tried to share Shredder's bowl.
Alex asked Zander a few technical questions about the tour, drawing his son to less touchy topics.
Mila took his cue, asking about the band's travel and hotels. Jayne rattled off dates and flights and arrival times, and chatted about catering to the guys' specific needs.
"I'm so glad Zander has you to look after him." His mom smiled. "I've been telling him for a long time that he needs someone."
He set his cup down with a glare and a clatter.
Jayne risked another glance at her usually patient lover. "I'm just doing my job. But he's the easiest one to please. The least high-maintenance."
"Alex and I will be watching Shredder during the last two weeks of the tour. We'd be more than happy to watch Patch, too." Mila's gaze swung back and forth between Jayne and Zander.
Jayne tightened her hold on her mug. "That's very nice of you to offer, but I'm sure I'll figure something out."
"It's not a bother. And look at how well they're getting along. It wouldn't be good to separate them if they're spending a lot of time together. "
True, but now she had no idea how much time she and Zander would be spending together. "I'll think about it."
&
nbsp; "Good." Mila signaled Alex and they stood. His mom gave her a hug. "We'd love to see you again, maybe you can come to the next family dinner. Hopefully, Zander will be in a better mood by then." She ruffled her son's hair before leaving.
He sat glaring into his coffee. "I warned them off questioning you."
"I gathered that much." She set her coffee aside. "What the hell? You made that so awkward."
"Me? I wasn't the one pumping out twenty questions."
"It wasn't twenty. She asked two."
"Thanks to my warning."
"I think it had more to do with your dad than you. Once he patted your mom's hand, she stopped." She dragged her hands through her hair and fought to control her emotions. "They have a relationship where all it takes is a pat on the hand to communicate what you're feeling. Anyone can tell by looking at them that they're still in love. You're lucky to have them."
He pushed away from the table. "I still don't want her scaring you off."
"You're doing that all on your own." She grabbed Patch's leash. "I'd appreciate it if you drive me home."
Fire-sparked hazel returned full-force. He palmed his keys. "Fine."
The blare of her cell phone made her jump. Dalton's mom.
"Hello?"
"Dalton ran away."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"What the hell? What does she mean, he ran away?" Zander grabbed his phone. No reply from Dalton to his earlier message. He sent another.
Jayne scrolled through her phone. "He came home from school, found out they were moving early and that Patch was gone, then he took off. He left a note saying he's been thinking about doing this for a while. A bunch of clothes are missing and he took his guitar."
"Did she check the community center?"
"She said she did. I just sent an email and a text to Kate."
He opened the car door and loaded the dogs in, then opened her door. "Get in. We're going hunting."
"We could cover more ground if you drop me off to get my car."
"Going in pairs is better."
They drove around for hours, didn't say much, and heavy silence lay over them like an awkward blanket. Finally, as sunset streaked colors across the sky, his phone rang. Dalton.
"It's him." He nudged Jayne's arm, and engaged the call. "Hey, bud."
"Um, I think I'm in trouble."
Shit. "Where are you?"
"I'm at a shelter but the guys here are bad news. It's going to be dark soon and I don't know where else to go."
"Which shelter? I'll come get you." He passed his phone to Jayne once he had the address. "Keep talking to him. He sounds scared."
Jayne kept up a running conversation about the dogs until they pulled up at the shelter.
Zander climbed out of the car, more worried than he'd wanted to let on. Anything could have happened to the kid.
Dalton hustled toward him, relief rushing across his features.
Thank God he was okay.
Jayne held back both Shredder and an excited Patch while Zander stowed Dalton's bag and guitar, and Dalton climbed into the backseat. Patch wriggled and whined until she let go of his leash. He leapt into Dalton's lap. He hugged Patch and kept his face buried in the dog's fur.
Zander couldn't just drop the kid off at home. Dalton wasn't ready and might run off again. "Did you eat dinner?"
"No."
"Okay then." He headed toward his house. Beside him, Jayne sent a text to Dalton's mom.
When they arrived, and the dogs raced around the yard, Jayne turned to them. "I'll start dinner. You guys relax."
Zander nodded his thanks. "Dalton, come on, let's sit out here for a while."
They sat by the pool. He kept his attention on the kid, waiting until Dalton had calmed. "Why did you take off?"
"I'm losing everything—my house, my dog, the community center, my friends there, you."
"Why would you think you're losing me?"
"Because when I move, it'll be too far for me to get to the center. You're supposed to give me lessons at the center once the tour is over. I can't get my driver's license yet."
Zander hesitated to point out the how-to videos and phone calls the pair had exchanged over the last few weeks. Dalton knew about those. Maybe the real issue was he worried Zander would disappear from his life like everything else. "Do you think I've been spending time teaching you my solo just to stop in the middle?"
"Uh… No?"
"No. Tell me, do remember that big thing with wheels that we drove in today? I'll bet it would even take me to wherever you're moving."
"You'd really do that?"
"Again, I haven't been teaching you my solo for nothing."
"Wow." His voice cracked and he turned his face away. His breath hitched and his shoulders shook.
Zander leaned against his chair, giving Dalton a chance to deal with his emotions. He patted the kid's back. He'd never had anyone depend on him, but it felt damn good to be making a difference. "You can't run away anymore."
Dalton shrugged. "Not like anyone cares."
"If no one cared, your mom wouldn't have called frantic and scared. If no one cared, would we have gone out looking for you? If no one cared, would I be here? Would Jayne be cooking you dinner? Would you be hanging out in my house? Would countless people at the center and your school have gone out searching?"
Dalton shrugged again. "I guess not."
"You guess right."
"I screwed up pretty big."
"You freaked out a lot of people, so yeah, you did. But I get it. Look, your situation stinks, but you're not alone. Your parents actually do care, but they're going through some pretty heavy stuff right now. Jayne went through what you're going through, I'm sure she'd talk to you about it if you want. How do you think she learned to play the piano? She lost herself in music when her parents' fighting got too bad."
"I didn't know that." He scuffed his sneaker against the patio. "I guess I could talk to her sometime."
"You should. And she's already told you that you can visit Patch whenever you want, and that he's yours no matter what."
"She's awesome."
"She is. If you can keep yourself together, you can help out backstage at shows. You'll learn a lot by shadowing Chad. And you know I don't let just anyone handle my guitars."
"You serious?"
"Yes." Zander reached over and ruffled Dalton's hair. "But if you run away again, I'll cut all of your guitar strings."
"Deal." Dalton hugged him tight.
Zander patted the kid's back. Jayne stood in the doorway, watching them with a big smile where a worry line used to be. He held out his hand toward her. He owed a lot to the incredible woman who'd put him in touch with the lonely boy. But most of all, he owed her an apology.
Jayne padded toward them. She slipped her hand in his and placed her other hand on Dalton's shoulder. Zander held tight to her delicate fingers. They remained joined together until the dogs came barreling in, demanding attention.
Zander showed Dalton where to wash up, then returned to the kitchen. Jayne set the table and chatted to the dogs sprawled exhausted on the floor.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about this afternoon. You were right to call me out on it. I didn't want them to get in the way and push you out."
"I like your parents. They're fun." She placed her hand over his. "At least they care about you, and your mom is going out of her way to try to make sure you're happy. You saw what happened when you met mine. I'm more of an afterthought with them."
"I noticed that about your parents and I'm sorry. But you're not an afterthought with me. You know that, right?"
She squeezed his hand. "I do."
"So we're okay?"
She nodded. "By the way, those things you said in Ukrainian?"
"Yeah?"
"That was pretty sexy."
He met her gaze with a half-smile and raised a brow. "So, sleepover?"
"Sleepover." She laughed and the relaxed tone flowed over him. "But I
have the feeling we won't be doing a lot of sleeping."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jayne sat at Zander's kitchen counter, sipping chai tea and flipping through a magazine. Patch slept on the floor by her chair. Her cell phone rang, jarring a grumble out of the dog. Luke's name appeared on the display. She hadn't seen that in weeks. He hadn't bothered her, had only ignored her. Maybe he was trying to reach Zander. He was holed up in the practice room, finishing up a video chat guitar lesson with Dalton.
"Hello?"
"Yeah, I need tea for tonight."
No greeting. She shouldn't have expected on. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was early. Several hours earlier than when he'd requested things before. "What kind?"
"There's a tea shop in San Diego. They have a special throat coat tea."
She did the quick calculation. "That's a three hour drive each way."
"So? I'm calling you early enough to account for that."
"No. We have that radio session this afternoon, remember? I'm going to that too."
"You can skip that. You're not needed there."
"But Zander wants me there. Even if he didn't, this falls under the ridiculous demands category. There are plenty of throat-soothing teas that I'll be more than happy to get for you at any local store. I'm not driving for six hours."
"Please."
The word gave her pause. As did his tone. He'd never uttered that word to her. Not once. No thank you, either. And certainly not in almost-desperation. Something wasn't right.
"Look. You're obviously trying to get rid of me for most of the day. Not happening. I can call the shop in San Diego and have the tea delivered to your door by private service in three hours instead of me driving six."
More and more of their encounters and his cold stares and harsh glares came to mind. All of the stupid errands. All of the times he'd flat-out ignored her. And all the times she'd try thinking the best of him only to be disappointed again. "You look at me like you hate me. I've seen how you act with the guys, with the fans, and with Irisa, and I know you're not the asshole with them that you are with me. I'm sorry if I did something to make you hate me, but I've racked my brains trying to figure out what that could be, and I don't have any idea. What did I do?"
Love Notes (Rocked by Love #1) Page 11