Drop Beat (The Heartbeat Series Book 2)

by Ryleigh Sloan

  I’ve got to hand it to the guy, even though he was clearly still on the quest to make me fall in love with orange, his whole gift hit the mark when he threw in my favorite color too. The guy sure knows how to score some points. Which was completely unnecessary since we’ve already established that Keller doesn’t need to butter me up to get me to sleep with him. I pretty much made that obvious when I climbed him like a tree the first day we spent together.

  The garage door opens, letting in a fresh burst of cold air and Papaw’s warm voice. “Shoulda known you would beat me to it, Madison.”

  “Hey, Papaw, I’ll be right out. I’m just trying to get this…last…bolt…out.” I groan as I press against the socket wrench with all my might. Damn, it’s really stuck in there. “Mind passing me the WD-40? This one’s being a real shit.”

  His booming laugh echoes around the garage, and I didn’t realize until now how much I missed it. With Blair being away this last year, I’ve been seeing less of the McKenzie family. I know their doors are always open to me, but I haven’t been around much because being on the reserve highlights how much I miss Blair. When she left to join the record company and tour the world, I was so busy with school I didn’t have time to realize how empty my life was without her. But ever since I came back from the States, it has been harder to ignore that it’s just me and Mom now.

  Papaw bends down and hands me the lubricant. I give the bolt a couple of squirts and try again. It takes a while to budge, and when it does, my hand slips from the wrench and I smack my knuckle on the side of the chassis.

  “Motherclucker!” I blurt out, shaking my hand. “Sorry, Papaw, that one snuck up on me.”

  “No harm, Madison. It gets me every time too.”

  I remove the starter and put it next to me on the creeper before I roll out and reach for a rag. Sitting up, I wipe off as much of the grime from my fingers as I can.

  “I brought a flask of tea and pancakes from Grams.” Papaw indicates to the snacks on the workbench. My stomach rumbles, and I remember I haven’t had breakfast.

  “Great, let me get cleaned up.” I lift the starter and place it on the workbench near the sink and start washing my hands. “After breakfast I’ll pop the new one in.”

  “Thanks, Madison, I owe you one.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’ve been itching to get a look at the belly of this beast for ages now. I’ve missed this.”

  Since Blair and I became friends in preschool, the reserve has been a home away from home for me. Some days Mom worked long hours at the grooming parlor, so Papaw would fetch us from school and bring us back to the McKenzies’ reserve. We’d spend our days playing, with rhino and giraffes as a backdrop, and occasionally go out on the helicopter to count the game, until Mom would fetch me just before dinner. But as much as I loved being able to spend time in nature—a privilege I realize many would kill for—I was always more at home in Papaw’s garage tinkering with the various cars he brought in and remodeled.

  I guess maybe one could say it was my way of trying to connect with my own family. Of course, I don’t know who my father was. Mom picked his name out of a catalog before the IVF, and Bob’s your uncle. But she would tell me stories about how my maternal grandfather used to fix cars, and I hung on every word, desperate for any tie to my family, treasuring every detail of my roots. My grandfather had what mom called an “old bucket of bolts” which he was constantly working on. She inherited the car when he died, but it was stolen from our backyard when I was five. I still remember how it used to smell in there even after all that time: like oil, cigar smoke, and leather.

  I dry my hands and reach for a Band-Aid to stick over my cut, swallowing down a lump in my throat that totally came up on me by surprise.

  “We’ve missed seeing you around here, Maddie. You’ve been scarce.”

  Guilt gets me square in the gut as I head over to Papaw. “I didn’t want to intrude.”

  Papaw clucks his tongue. “Don’t you be silly. You know you’re as much ours as Blair is.”

  My throat tightens around my threatening tears. I hate that with Blair gone, I don’t feel that way anymore. I push the rolling chair toward where Papaw is perched on a paint tin. “Why don’t you let me sit there and you have this?”

  He smiles. “I’m fine right where I am thank you, Madison.” The man could be sitting on hot coals and he still wouldn’t complain.

  “I know Grams gave us an equal amount. I hope you aren’t digging into my stack,” I tease, trying to even out my emotions.

  His kind eyes twinkle with amusement. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Scout’s honor.” He makes a cross over his heart.

  “Good. I’m watching you.” I narrow my eyes playfully at him.

  Papaw chuckles. “So any idea what you’re going to do now that you graduated?”

  “Ugh, I don’t know yet. I can’t see myself working for someone and pushing out generic cupcakes, you know? I want to Maddie them up, but the market is already saturated.”

  Papaw nods. “I have no doubt something will come up in time.”

  My phone rings and I dig into my jeans to retrieve it, then place it on speaker when I see it’s Blair.

  “Hey, Blair. I’m with Papaw. Say hi.”

  “Aww, my two favorite people in the world. I’m jealous right now.”

  “Hey, we’re freezing out here in my garage while you live it up in sunny California. It should be us that’s jealous, isn’t that right, Madison?”

  “Damn straight.” I wink at Papaw. “Should we make her even more jealous?”

  Papaw grins. “Go for it!”

  I turn the camera on, switching the call from voice to video so I can show Blair what’s left of our breakfast.

  “Ooh, you two are freaking mean,” Blair mock-huffs.

  Papaw chuckles and opens the flask. He pours tea in the cup lid and hands it to me, then picks up a mug off the workbench, blows the dust out, and pours some for himself.

  “Listen, I called for a reason other than to get jelly belly,” Blair announces with a wink. “Mads, I sent you a menu based on your suggestions. I also think we should go for a plum, lilac, and navy theme. I’ve sent a color board along so you can tell me what you think.” Her face grows serious. “I hate that we’re miles away and doing this. I wish we were together.”

  That same dang lump grows in my throat again. “I know how you feel.”

  “We miss you too, Bubbles,” Papaw calls from his seat, and I think he is feeling as sad as I am.

  “It sucks that I don’t have more time to chat, but I’ve got to go. I’m heading to the studio to record a song. I’ll call you both in the morning—my morning.”

  “You’re recording after ten at night?” Papaw asks, clearly surprised.

  “Yeah, no rest for the wicked.” Blair winks. “I have to move my ass if I’m getting married in just over a month and plan on goofing off in Bali after.” She laughs. “I love you, Mads. Love you, Papaw.”

  “Love you too!” we call back, and I blow kisses at the screen.

  I end the call and put my phone back in my pocket. I’m suddenly not all that hungry anymore.

  “Why don’t I get going with that starter?” I try to make my voice light, but it breaks when I say the words.

  “It’s okay to miss her, Madison. We all do.”

  I feel the tears I managed to push down earlier well and slip down my cheeks. As much as it sucks to plan Blair’s wedding when we’re miles apart, that’s not the reason why I’m sad. Chatting to Blair these days only seems to highlight just how different things are now, and more so how different our lives are. She’s busy with her second album and knows exactly what she wants to do with her music career. I don’t know what to do with my life right now. She has this wonderful family that used to feel like mine, but now they feel like they were on loan to me. She’s getting married to Dean, her perfect match, and I’m receiving flowers and lingerie from a guy who warned me he was only in it for fun. I don’t even know wh
at Keller wants from me. Heck, I don’t even know why that matters. I signed up for exactly what he’s given me.

  Papaw offers me a clean rag to wipe my face.

  “Ugh, I don’t like tears.” I gaze up at him as I dry my cheeks. “Know what would cheer me up?” I thumb over my shoulder. “If you let me take this big boy for a ride once we’re done.”

  Papaw laughs. “Seems fair since you’ve done all the work. You’ve got yourself a deal.”

  I hold out my hand so he can shake it. We both laugh when he does.

  “Alright, back to work for me.”

  I lie back down on the creeper and slide under the truck again. Papaw talks to me about the pregnant rhino, and as much as I love that he’s trying to distract me, I can’t stop thinking about how directionless my life is. I feel the sadness weigh me down and shrug it off, irritated with myself. I’ve had enough of this damn pity party, and if I’m not going to do anything about my life, I can hardly wallow, now can I?

  First things first, I need to put everything I can into Blair’s wedding. I’m going to give her the best damn cake she’s ever laid eyes on. I start getting excited as I think about what flowers I can use to decorate her cake. I don’t want something standard. It needs to wow and represent them both. Unique. Bold. Rock stars.

  I think about how beautiful sugared galaxy lilies would look on a pure white cake, the deep blue petals setting off the lilac center of the petal. I have to check with her first, but I’m sure she’s going to love the idea. I have a neat idea for the cupcake tower too.

  Papaw keeps talking, and before long the excitement drowns out the loneliness I was feeling a few minutes ago.

  By the time I have the new starter installed, I’m feeling tons lighter. It helps to take things one step at a time.

  Fifteen – More?

  Maddie

  “I think it’s romantic.” Mom beams at me from where she’s lying on my bed. It’s eight o’clock on Sunday morning, and she’s fully dressed in jeans and a bright green sweater with large pink daisies sewn onto the front. It looks like she’s wearing a flowerbed, but that’s Mom for you—the more outrageous the better. I inherited my mother’s looks, the same blonde hair and hazel eyes. I pretty much look just like a younger version of her, although not as much younger as you might think, since she had me at twenty and I’m twenty-two. But I definitely didn’t inherit her taste of clothes.

  “It’s not meant to be romantic, Mom. Believe me, Keller is not the romance type of guy. He made that very clear when we first hooked up.”

  “Yet here you are almost three and a half weeks later and he’s still sending you gifts.”

  Mom pulls the box where I’ve stored most of Keller’s gifts closer and starts pulling everything out. Everything except the lingerie. That’s safely tucked away in my overflowing underwear drawer. Some people have a shoe addiction; for me it’s pretty panties. Mom and I may have a very open relationship, but I’d like to keep that side of things to myself.

  If I thought I was confused before, I honestly don’t know what the hell to think now. Keller and I have chatted almost every day since he sent me the lingerie. He tells me about band stuff, and I update him on pooch shenanigans at work. When I get one of his gifts, I send him a pic of the dogs I groom “posing” with them. And no, before you get any ideas, I don’t put my panties on the dogs. It’s fun and goes along with keeping things easy breezy since I still don’t know where I stand with him. And I’m sure as heck not about to ask him that. I don’t want him to think because he sent me a few gifts that I’m getting clingy.

  “It’s just a joke between us. He’s trying to convince me orange is a nice color.”

  “It is a nice color. I’ve never understood why you dislike it so much.”

  “Remember first grade? Miss Shelby had her walls painted dirty orange, and whenever I talked in class she’d make me go sit in the corner and stare at the walls. It was traumatic,” I tease. “Plus, you know, brown movies.”

  The truth is, orange has grown on me. Or maybe it isn’t the color that’s grown on me, but the man trying to get me to love it through not so subliminal messaging.

  Mom holds up the clown-sized glasses with bright orange rims and laughs. “What are these for?”

  I grin. “I don’t know. Honestly the gifts have been getting more and more ridiculous as we go.”

  Every few days I receive another parcel from Keller. I gave him my home address after the lingerie incident, and now all his gifts get delivered to my cottage at the back of Mom’s property. He’s sent me balloons, a matching beanie and glove set with white and orange pompoms that look like bear ears, an orange gumball machine almost as tall as me, a jar of orange gummies, and today he sent me half a dozen cupcakes with orange glitter frosting. I swear the guy is going to make my dentist really happy.

  “Are you two going to the wedding together?” Mom pops open the gummies tub and steals a candy.

  I shrug. “I doubt it. We haven’t talked about it.”

  “But he’s going?”

  “Yeah, he mentioned it a couple of nights ago.”

  “Why don’t you ask him to be your date? Seems like after all this…” She indicates to all the goodies she’s unpacked on the bed. “That it’s the natural progression of things. You can thank him in kind for all the gifts.” Mom waggles her eyebrows.

  “Mom! Are you seriously suggesting I sleep with Keller again because he bought me gifts? That’s a fine line away from prostitution.”

  Mom waves her hand dismissively. “As if you don’t want another ride on that bull. I could always thank him on your behalf.” She grins, and I swear I’m going to be sick.

  I hold out a hand. “Mom, stop!”

  She laughs and I know she’s teasing, but it’s gross. So gross.

  “What? I googled him. No wonder you haven’t stopped smiling since you got back from the States.”

  I start gathering the gifts and put them back in the box. I’ve wondered about sending Keller some gifts of my own, but what would I even get him? One of those helmets I see the American football players use? God knows he needed one of those the first night we were together. I’ve even thought of sending him giant clown boxers in lumo orange to match the sunglasses he gave me. But would that be dumb? It would totally be dumb.

  Mom snatches the gummies and takes another one out of the jar.

  “Maddie, honey. All jokes aside, trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to live your life with regrets.” Her face grows serious. “I don’t regret the life I’ve led. I’ve had some pretty amazing times and met some really awesome people, but at the end of the day, when you lock up the house and crawl into bed, it can be really lonely.” She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “I haven’t wanted to say anything, but I met someone. He’s a great guy, and adores me. He’s a retired businessman who moved here to get away from the rat race of Joburg. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now, and he wants to take me to Italy. I didn’t mention him before because I didn’t want to parade another guy in front of your face.” She looks down at our joined hands. “I realize my lifestyle may have influenced the way you handle relationships, and I don’t want you to be lonely like I was.”

  She looks up, tears swimming in her eyes.

  Holy shit, I had no idea Mom felt this way. She’s always been the strongest advocate of the single life. Maybe now that she’s getting older, things are different.

  I scoot closer and hug her. “Why didn’t you tell me you felt that way?”

  “Because it’s my job to take care of you, not the other way around.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Bob Marriott.” Her smile softens and her eyes shimmer when she says his name. And I think I know exactly what’s happening in her chest when she thinks of him.

  “When do I get to meet him?”

  “I was thinking of inviting him over before you head to Blair’s wedding.”

  “You’re not going?”

&nb
sp; Mom looks sheepish. “Bob kinda sprung the whole trip to Italy thing on me. Blair’s wedding happened so fast, and he’d already bought the tickets. I’m handing over the reins to Chelsea while you’re away.”

  What is happening? Everything is changing.

  Mom tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Are you ok with all of this?”

  I nod. “Of course I am! You’ve worked so hard your whole life, you deserve to have this.” That’s really true. I’m so glad she has this chance for happiness.

  “Mads, I want you to have more. So much more. Seems like this Keller feller is a step in that direction.”

  I shake my head again. “It doesn’t really matter what I want, Mom. Keller lives on a completely different continent, and he made it very clear he isn’t interested in more.”

  Mom looks pointedly at my gifts but doesn’t say anything. She gets up and slips on her boots over her jeans. “I’ve got to head to the parlor. Enjoy your day off, honey, and thank you for all your help this week in the shop. That’s the last time I eat sushi from a drive-through. Food poisoning is no joke. “ She bends down and kisses my head before leaving to go to work.

  I spend the next ten minutes twirling the crap out of my earrings while pacing my room and thinking about what Mom said. I always thought she was happy, but I guess she was lonely too. How did I not know she had a relationship going on?

  Reaching for the phone, I dial Keller’s number. I might not be able to have more with him, but I can sure as hell have fun with him until Mr. Right comes along.

  He answers on the fourth ring, just as I’m about to put down. And he’s requesting a video call.