“Everything’s great,” Riley snapped. “And Mom, I don’t need your help. You can go home.”
“Of course you do. You can’t go out there tonight looking like you do. Not to mention, you never performed well on Chart Toppers without my pep talk.”
“Oh, like the time when you slapped me right before I went out onstage? That was a great motivator.”
Her mother looked stricken. “I never—”
“Yes, you did. Don’t deny it just because he’s here.” She gestured to Garrett, who looked on in shock.
“Why couldn’t you ever be a normal mother? Why couldn’t you love me?” Tears welled in Riley’s eyes and she trembled with emotion. “What made you not even care about your own kids?”
“Of course I care about all of you,” she said.
“You lie to us, steal from us, and abandon us!” Riley cried, not caring that Garrett heard the details of her nightmarish past.
He stepped between them. “This has to stop. I can see there’s a lot you two need to talk about, but save it until after the show.”
“No! You brought her here, and she is going to answer me,” Riley demanded. Once and for all, she deserved to know.
Her mother, never one to back down, retorted, “You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve been Goddamned Mother Teresa compared to my mom. Did you ever go without food to eat? Did I ever bring men home that crawled into your bed? No! I protected you. I gave you a roof over your head. I didn’t kick you out when you turned eighteen, but you couldn’t wait to get away from me.”
These were her mom’s standards for good parenting? Not throwing her kids out?
Garrett looked at her mom, then at Riley, and then back to her mom again. “I’ll give you two a couple of minutes.” He disappeared like a frightened child, unequipped to handle two angry women.
“You were never there for me,” Riley shouted.
Her mom raised her hands in the air. “Never there? I’m the one who went to LA with you when you were on that show. I hocked everything I had to buy you clothes for all those early auditions. My boss fired me for skipping work so much. Matt and Britta had to live with my brother’s ex-wife for a month. I did everything I could to give you a shot at making it, and you threw it all away. I didn’t raise you to be weak. I raised you to be a fighter.”
“But I was a kid. I was scared, and you told the press everything, all my hopes and dreams, my deepest secrets. You stomped all over any small bit of confidence I had.”
“Well, you were a little know-it-all. You always thought you were better than me.”
“How could you think that?” she cried.
“The way you’d parade around with Desiree Diamond and laugh with Jason Edgette.”
“Desiree was horrible to me. Couldn’t you see that? I hated her.”
“Well, look who you’re acting like now?”
Garrett reappeared in the doorway, his concern turned to panic. “Riley, you really need to get ready. I can’t push back the curtain any later.”
She sighed. “I know. Mom, you need to leave.”
“But I’ve always been here for your performances.”
“I can’t do this drama with you right now.” She needed to pull herself together, and fast.
“You’re the one who started it. I only wanted to help.”
“It would help if you left.”
“I can’t believe you don’t want me here. You’ve never appreciated what I did for you.” She picked up her purse and headed for the door.
“Mom?”
“What?”
“Take off the jacket.”
Her mom tore off the leather jacket and threw it onto the couch. Garrett scrambled out of the way as she flew past.
After her mom was out of earshot, Garrett apologized. “I had no idea. I never would have asked her here if I knew she was going to stir up family drama.”
Riley came at him full force. “No. You didn’t think, did you? Even though I told you how she had me sign loan papers for her and made me liable for her mistakes? You don’t know everything about me. Not even close.”
“I only meant to help.”
“Stop!” She held up her hand. “I really don’t want to hear it. I have to get ready to go onstage in front of a packed crowd, even though I’m exhausted, sick as a dog, and just did fifteen rounds with my mom.”
To his credit, Garrett left the room without another word.
48
“How do you feel?” Garrett asked again as Riley approached the stage. After the screaming match between Riley and her mother, he didn’t know if she’d have a voice left to sing with. He had a lot riding on tonight. He’d dropped a load of money to pull this taping together. Now, with the lack of rehearsal time in front of the cameras, and Riley pissed at him for pulling away, it would be a miracle if this thing went well.
“I told you. I’m fine,” Riley barked back, refusing to look at him.
They waited backstage, moments before she went on. Riley was a knockout in low-rise jeans with a fitted T-shirt bearing a turquoise graphic. A wide belt with metal adornments hugged her hips, and she wore the cropped leather jacket that she had loved, but insisted cost too much.
“I meant emotionally,” he said. “After that scene with your mom, well, you guys looked like you were about to tear each other apart.”
She glared at him instead of responding.
Fine. He deserved that. The edgy streaks of blond in her dark red hair made her look tough, but from what he’d witnessed, Riley was a vulnerable girl who had suffered plenty. All her bravado was just a wall she’d put up.
“At least you look good,” he said.
“Gee, thanks,” she said sarcastically.
Taped rock music filled the theater, exciting the room full of pumped-up concertgoers. Garrett remembered the early days of Jamieson when they were the opening act. No one wanted to listen to them. The crowd only wanted the main attraction.
But the audience tonight had been informed they would be part of a music video, so hopefully they’d step up and make a good show.
“You remember all the moves I gave you?”
“Of course.”
“And be sure to work the whole stage. Damn it, I should have flown Peter here to show you how it’s done.” He adjusted the collar on her jacket and she slapped his hand away.
“Are you really trying to crush any tiny shred of confidence I still have?” she asked, bouncing nervously on her feet.
Where’d she learn that trick? He always did that with his brothers to relieve stress and up their energy before going on. “Are you nervous?”
“Of course I am, and you’re not helping. So would you please shut up?”
He held his tongue. She was right. He was unloading his nerves on her. He would keep quiet.
But then he couldn’t help himself. “We didn’t have time to rehearse camera shots, so when you get the chance, be sure to take some time to focus on them.”
“Garrett!” she barked. “This isn’t my first flipping time on a stage.”
“What?”
“I’ve done this before on Chart Toppers, a much bigger venue, and on live television with millions of people watching. Some of the best people in the industry were directing me.”
“Yeah, but—”
“I never wanted to do this again. I did everything in my power to avoid it, but I’m here. And I’m going to try, with every ounce of energy I have left, not to fail. And if I screw the whole thing up, I screw it up. But I promise you I’ll do the best I possibly can. Now if you don’t back the hell off, I’m outta here!”
The evil glare she delivered erased any doubt that she’d do exactly that. “All right. I’ll shut up and stay out of your way.”
“You know how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say those words?” she muttered.
And even though it killed him to do it, he stepped away.
The announcer from the radio station sponsoring the headliner, Amnesia, took the st
age. After a few quick comments, he said, “And now, without further delay, put your hands together for Riley Parks. The little girl from Chart Toppers is all grown up!”
With his hand reaching out to touch her, Garrett stepped up to wish her good luck. He pulled back when he saw the fear in her eyes. For all her bravado, she was scared. He wanted to reassure her, but the time for that had passed.
“Here goes nothing,” she said, and ran out onto the stage.
The band hit the opening chords and Riley jumped into the first song without missing a beat.
He watched from the wings like a little kid not allowed to go out and play in the snow. For all the drama Riley caused, there was no question that she was a natural. Her distinctive sound and captivating personality captured the crowd’s attention.
He clenched his hands while analyzing every move she made. Riley came to the edge of the stage and belted out the high notes, she pulled back and went quiet and emotional and then amped everything back up for the soaring climax, unleashing the killer power that had silenced everyone in the control room when she sang with Steven Hunter.
He wished Peter was here to see the crowd’s reaction to his song. But it pained him to realize that at the rate he and Peter were going, they wouldn’t be getting along for a very long time, let alone seeing each other.
The first song ended and Riley spoke to the crowd. “Hi, everybody. It’s great to be here. I know you’re really here to see Amnesia.”
The crowd erupted and Riley laughed. “I know. Only one more song and I promise to get out of here.”
She smiled at the crowd with gratitude and Garrett’s heart melted. If only he could get her to smile at him that way again, but he’d probably burned that bridge when he chose business over pleasure. He couldn’t blame her, he was an ass, but in the long run, ending their relationship was a smart business decision.
Garrett tensed when the song began. If any of the songs they recorded would hit, this was the one. He’d worked with the crew on the lighting design for days. The camera guys knew what he needed, but if the crowd wasn’t into it, or if Riley avoided looking into the cameras, he wouldn’t get the needed footage.
But the second song went even better than the first. Riley seemed more relaxed. He heard the strain in her voice, but doubted the audience would know anything was amiss. He wished she’d play more to the cameras, but at least the crowd was fired up.
She didn’t work the stage the way he wanted, but she was damn good. Excitement bubbled within as the crowd watched in awe and burst into a roar of cheers and applause when she ended.
Riley smiled, soaking in the audience response. The lights caught her glistening eyes. “You guys are awesome!” she yelled to the crowd. “Thanks for giving me such a great welcome back, Chicago!” She blew them a kiss, waved, and ran to the wings.
Garrett moved to swoop her into a hug, but she sidestepped him. He felt a stab to the heart at her rejection, but knew he deserved it.
49
She’d done it. She hadn’t forgotten words or fallen on her face. Garrett waited for her in the wings, but he was the last person she wanted to see right now.
“Nice job.” He patted her on the shoulder after she avoided his hug.
“Thanks.” She forced a smile.
“But I wish you would have played to camera two more, and you never once looked into the mini cam.”
“I was a little distracted after the visit you arranged with my mother. Not to mention the fact I only learned a couple of hours ago that there would be cameras tonight.”
“I know that, but you have to pay attention to the small details.”
Was he for real? It had taken all the energy she had to step out on that stage.
“Whatever,” she said, ready to change out of her clothes, find Erika, and go home.
“I’m serious. You did fine for your first try, but we need to really put some work in before you take the stage again.”
Again? She couldn’t think past today and getting out of here. She refused to let Garrett get her down after how hard she’d worked. “You may be right, but the audience was into it, so it couldn’t have been too bad.”
“Riley, the audience knew they were part of the video. They were told to cheer and be rowdy. You can’t expect audience adulation. You have to earn it.”
She stared at him with disbelief. “Do you say these things on purpose? Or are you stupid?” She spun on her heel and stalked toward the stairs.
“What?” he said, following close behind.
She stopped abruptly and Garrett almost ran into her. “I have been working my ass off trying to make the best of a bad situation, and all you can do is ruin any small bit of joy I find. You are just like my mother.”
Garrett frowned. “You don’t understand.”
She climbed the stairs. “I understand plenty. You stick your nose into things you shouldn’t. You schedule me for appearances, photo shoots, and live recordings without bothering to tell me. Did you ever consider that I might do a lot better if I know about things in advance? A little more rehearsal would have made a huge difference.”
“You weren’t ready to be told.”
She turned on him. “No! You weren’t ready to trust that I can handle it. You’re out of line. All the flippin’ time! And, you had no right to call my mother. She’s half the reason I quit singing to begin with. Stay out of my personal life. In fact, stay out of my life altogether.”
“Hi, Garrett,” a familiar voice called.
Riley turned to see a smiling Tara waving at Garrett from the base of the steps.
“Oh look, your next conquest is here.” She stormed up the remaining steps. “I don’t know why I ever trusted you. You’re nothing more than a manipulative jerk,” she muttered, thinking of how he had kissed her into submission. So why was she shocked when he dumped her?
“That’s not fair. All I did was kiss you,” he said, chasing after her.
“Well, I stupidly thought it meant something. I trusted you, and I’ve learned the hard way that, like my mother, you can’t be trusted.”
“You can be pissed all you want, but you’re forgetting one little detail. You’re under contract. I bailed you out of your bad decision-making. You owe me.”
Riley stormed into the dressing room. “You’re right, but signing a contract with you was just one more huge mistake, and I plan to fix that right now.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, blocking her exit.
She tore off her jacket and hung it on the garment rack. “Screw your contract, your big lawyers, and your constant need to push me around. It’s over. Sue me for every penny I owe you. Even if it takes me the rest of my life to pay you back, it’ll be worth it.”
“You can’t,” he started, but she cut off whatever he was about to say by disappearing into the bathroom and slamming the door.
“You can’t do that,” he shouted. “You’re sick, tired, and upset. You need to go home and get some sleep. In fact, take tomorrow off.”
She changed out of the boots, jeans, and T-shirt and back into her regular clothes. Garrett was such an ass; why hadn’t she listened to her gut and kept him at arm’s length? She carried the clothes out and fumbled with the hanger. Frustrated, she balled up the clothes and tossed them on the couch.
“I used to idolize you as an artist and performer. Boy, I was stupid. You’re no more than a cocky jerk who struts around bullying people until you get your way. News alert, I’ve dealt with bigger bullies than you. I know your kind. You hide behind all that bravado because you’re scared, just like the rest of us.”
“Riley, calm down for a sec. You know you can’t break the contract.”
“Watch me.” She sat down and put on her shoes. “And to think I was really falling for you. What a joke. You never cared about me. You wanted me to like you so I’d believe every piece of crap you fed me.”
“You’re sick. Go home. We can smooth this over in the morning.”
<
br /> “I’m not smoothing anything over. I quit. Do whatever you want with the recordings we finished. I don’t care.” She pushed past him out of the dressing room. “But I’m not singing another note for you!”
“Riley!” he called out.
“Ever!” she shouted.
50
Garrett was jarred awake by his phone buzzing. Who would call in the middle of the night? Was it possible that Riley wanted to apologize and take back her angry words?
He grabbed for his phone in the dark.
It was his mom.
At three o’clock in the morning.
“Hello?”
“Garrett, it’s Mom.” Her voice wavered.
He jolted up in bed. “What’s wrong?”
“I have some terrible news.”
A sense of dread flooded over him.
“It’s your father.” Her voice broke.
He went stone cold with fear of what she might say next.
“He’s gone.”
Garrett’s world fell out from under him. He gripped the phone tighter.
“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice a whisper, but he already knew the answer.
“He died.” And his mother, a pillar of strength, began to cry.
“What happened?” Tears filled his eyes.
“He was fine while we packed for the trip. He was reading in bed, and then said he had an upset stomach. We had ordered Thai food, so I thought nothing of it. He got up to get an antacid and collapsed on the bedroom floor.”
His dad couldn’t be gone. He needed him. “No, Mom. He can’t be.” Garrett struggled to breathe as the walls of the room closed in around him.
“I’m so sorry, honey. I wish it weren’t true. The doctor says it was a massive heart attack.”
Garrett leaned over, his head in his hands. “But I saw him yesterday. He flew all the way out here to see me before you guys left on your vacation tomorrow.”
He thought of their conversation and the disappointment his dad had expressed over Garrett getting involved with Riley. Then he remembered his parents’ trip. “Oh, Mom, it was supposed to be your anniversary trip.”
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