Broken Road (Limelight Series Book 1)

by Piper Davenport

  “I have a pretty good idea.” I turned around quickly to see Rex Haddon standing in front me, Roxie by his side.

  “Holy shit!” I blurted out.

  “Nice to see you too, Bam.” He smiled wide and gave me a hug. “We just wanted to come by and say have a great show.” He moved his attention to Lucy and the others as they began walking to the stage area. I stood there still somewhat stunned.

  “You coming, silly?” Lucy asked, holding out her hand.

  “You go on, I’ll see you out there,” I said smiling.

  She disappeared through the darkness of the curtains and I could see my band mates at the side of the stage waiting for the house announcer’s cue. Usually I’d be pacing, or obsessively adjusting my in-ear monitors, counting down every tick before I could get to my drum throne, but right now I just wanted to stay in this quiet darkness for a moment longer.

  I thought about the broken road that had brought me here and about the broken man I had been when Lucy found me. She saved me from myself, helped heal me with her love, and most importantly, showed me the way home.

  Lucy

  Five months later…

  I STUDIED THE ice skating rink that now sat on my finger. Four carats of oval diamond perfection in white gold, a diamond wedding band nestled close to it.

  “Hey, you gonna keep staring at that, or do I get some of your attention?” Bam complained.

  I sighed and rolled my head to meet his eyes. We were currently on the plane heading to Scotland for our honeymoon.

  If you’d told me six months ago that I’d fall instantly in love with this man, I’d have hit you. Rushing head first into relationships had never been my thing…but when it came to Bam, that all went out the window.

  “I can’t believe you picked the most glorious, ridiculously over the top rings for me,” I said.

  “Your mom helped, baby,” he admitted. “I paid for them, just to be clear.”

  I giggled. He’d proposed to me with a candy ring pop, blue raspberry (my favorite), and since he didn’t drive a fancy car or live in a big home, I didn’t press him for a lavish ring. I told him to surprise me, and man, did he.

  Mom had insisted he and I sit down and openly discuss our finances in order to make a plan for the future, and knock me over with a feather, I discovered my man liked to save money. Or as he liked to put it, “What the fuck do I have to spend money on?”

  He’d surprised me on our wedding day when he’d settled the huge rock on my finger, then the diamond band next to it, which is where I discovered that I was who he had to spend money on now.

  “Did you read the inscription?”

  “What? No,” I squeaked. “I haven’t taken it off since you put it on my finger.”

  “Read it,” he ordered.

  I slid the diamond band off my finger and held it to the light… which is when I burst into tears. “Oh, Beau.”

  The inscription simply said, “Home.”

  He leaned over and kissed me. “You’re my home, baby.”

  “Back atya,” I whispered. “Now, read yours.”

  He slid his off his finger and laughed.

  I’d inscribed, “Love always, Bambi.”

  We were excited to be starting our lives together and even more excited for the all-expenses paid honeymoon to Scotland…a wedding gift from Kade Gunnach and his family.

  But more than anything, I was most excited to be going on tour with my husband, rather than my boyfriend.

  I may have given Bam a home, but he’d given me something far more precious…his heart.

  THE WAY BACK

  JACK & HADLEY’S STORY

  (Unedited Sneak Peek)

  COMING SOON!

  * * *

  PROLOGUE

  Jack

  One year ago…

  Much like Dante’s Inferno, my vision of hell contains many circles. Sitting in an airport Starbucks, I currently found myself in two of them simultaneously. In my former life, at four in the morning, Rex Haddon and I would be sitting in a very dark bar, many empties between us, after having closed the place down. Now I found myself surrounded by bleary-eyed commuters and the smell of burned coffee beans.

  “Why now?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?” Rex challenged. “Why not now?”

  “Well, for starters, last time I checked, Rock was dead.”

  “You’re lucky nineteen-year-old Jack Henry isn’t around to hear you say that.” Rex grinned. He wasn’t wrong.

  I ignored him and continued, “What I mean, is rock music is far from thriving right now. Everyone is listening to Katy Lovato and Selena Grande Latte.”

  “Melody Morgan,” Rex corrected.

  “What?” I asked flatly.

  “You didn’t raise a teenage daughter. They listen to Melody Morgan.”

  “What-the-fuck-ever,” I breathed out. “That’s my point exactly. It’s all mouse ear music these days. Who’d even care about a RatHound reunion?”

  “First of all, rock is far from dead, my friend,” Rex countered. “It’s only dead if we let it die…your words. Plus, there are plenty of great young rock bands that are hungry and raw; like we were. Bands like, Rival Sons, Arms Race Radio, and Roses for Anna.”

  “Man, you know I don’t listen to the radio or watch TV.”

  “I’m not talking about TV star shit; I’m talking about real bands playing real music. It’s time, Jack.” Rex looked at me more seriously now. “It’s time for us to start making music again. It’s time for you to start playing again and reminding the people what real music sounds like.”

  I took a swig of coffee. I had to admit, it was an interesting proposition. It had been ten years since the band had broken up. Technically, we never officially split; we all just went our separate ways and never played together again. Perhaps it was a small distinction to our fans, but it was a big one to us. Unlike a lot of bands back then, we never hated each other or had a big falling out. We destroyed ourselves from within, one at a time.

  “It’s just a summer tour, Jack.” Rex paused for effect. “On the west coast.”

  “And an E.P.,” I added.

  “Yes, the label would like us to record a three song E.P. to promote the tour.”

  “Rex, I haven’t even touched a pair of sticks in over ten years and you want me to go into the studio and then straight out on the road for six weeks?”

  “I have faith in you. I know the drummer is still in there. You just have to let him out.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen I’d like to invite all first class passengers for flight 2137 to Spain to begin boarding at this time.”

  “That’s my flight,” I said, and quickly stood up. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Hold on, that’s it? I haven’t seen you in years, you can only meet me at the ass crack of dawn in the airport, and now you’re off to Spain? What gives, man?” Rex rose to his feet. “Are we still friends or what?”

  “Of course we are. I’m just not sure about the timing. I have a lot of things coming up, you know how it is.”

  “Yes I know very well ‘how it is,’ that’s why I’m here, trying to intercept you before you are off to your next adventure kite surfing in Bali, kick boxing in Thailand or scaling the ice caves of Freeze-your-balls-offistan, or whatever it is this month.

  “Rex, I’m going to Spain to relax and take photos. I promise I’ll think about it and get back to you as soon as I can.”

  “As soon as you can? What does that mean? Do they not have cell towers in Spain? Shit, man, send me a smoke signal or a homing pigeon, just let me know soon! I have an opening band in mind, and am in negotiations with someone to manage the tour.”

  I smiled. “I promise I will get back to you, just give me a little time to think about it and don’t get your hopes up.”

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jack

  Present day…

  I pulled up to the studio and parked the truck. I still wasn’t sure this was a good idea, or if I was u
p to the task, but I’d said yes and that was that. I’m not entirely sure why I’d agreed to a reunion tour, but I suppose I had run out of excuses, not to mention, it was always hard for me to say no to Rex. As the youngest member of the band, I’d always looked up to him and he’d never steered me wrong. Not to say that Rex wasn’t without his faults, he was a lead singer, after all.

  “Jack Henry Gornitzka, as I live and breathe,” Robbie said as he came bounding out to greet me.

  “Mitchell Roberts the third,” I yelled back, before embracing my old friend. “Robbie” as he was known, was the band’s guitarist, and the one most responsible for my joining RatHound.

  “How was Spain?” he asked.

  “It was great. I got a lot of great shots. Hopefully some of them will make it into the next book. Forget about that, what are you up to? How are Lisa and the twins?”

  “They are about to go into college. Can you believe that? Shit man, I still remember sneaking your scrawny ass into the clubs, and now I’ve got kids in college!”

  I’d been a big fan of the band back when they were still playing clubs up and down the Pacific North West. I never missed a show when they played in Portland, and often drove as far as Tacoma and Seattle to see them. I was four or five years younger than anyone in the band, but I knew all their songs, inside and out, and was obsessed with their original drummer, Ben Gorman. Ben was kicked out for being drunk all the time. Ironic, since the rest of the guys were too, the only difference being they could still do their job shit-faced. Ben couldn’t. He’d been my hero, but that still didn’t mean I didn’t jump at the chance to audition when Robbie asked.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d have the balls to show up. You know all our songs?” Robbie grinned from ear to ear. These were the same words he spoke to me the night that I’d auditioned back in 1990. I was just a scrawny kid trying not to embarrass myself in front of my local heroes, but I was prepared, played my ass off, and ultimately got the gig.

  “C’mon, we’re just getting set up,” he said, and led me into the studio.

  Fastback Studios would be our home for the next three weeks or so. We’d be using the space to rehearse for the tour and to record a few new songs. Pacific Records, our old label, was paying for the studio time in hopes to woo us back to them. I wasn’t convinced that we’d be able to make any kind of waves in today’s ever-changing music business, but was intrigued by the idea of creating new music with Rex and Robbie.

  Rex was sitting at the mixing board, along with a recording engineer. He stood up as we entered and reached out to hug me. “It’s great to see you, brother. I can’t believe we’re all finally here.”

  “I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the whole thing, to be honest with you,” I admitted.

  “Well, you’d better get used to it fast, we’ve got a shit ton of songs to play and we can’t play them without our drummer.”

  It was good to see Rex so happy. He’d been through a lot (hell, I’d put him through a lot), and he and Roxie had literally saved my life after Pam.

  “Roxie is so excited to have you back home. Your room is ready and waiting as usual.”

  Rex and Roxie had a guest house that had served as my home for two years. They took care of me when my world fell apart, and I owed them my life. They were the most generous people I had ever known and I learned a lot about being in the service of others from them.

  Rex was a spiritual man with an almost Shaman like presence. Many great singers from Jim Morrison to Bono had this kind of vibe and it made them very attractive to people. I had been drawn to him as a kid and I still found myself in awe of him at times.

  “I can’t believe she keeps that place empty for me. You guys should use that space and I can stay in a hotel.”

  “Use the ‘Jack Henry Suite’ for something else? Like what? Plus, what would we do with your drums?” He smiled. “Although, I must admit we did have another drummer staying there not too long ago.”

  “Is this Lucy’s guy?” I asked flatly.

  “His name is Bam and he’s her husband Jack,” he responded.

  “How the hell could you let her marry a drummer, Rex? What the fuck were you thinking?”

  Rex smiled even wider. “What can I say, Uncle Jack? She loves him.”

  I crossed my arms. “Don’t much care about that fleeting emotion, Rex. I’m worried about her being with a musician, a drummer none-the-less.”

  “You’re so cruel to your own kind Jack, you always have been.”

  “Damn right. I hate drummers!”

  Rex laughed. “Well, rest assured, Bam’s one of the good ones.”

  “Guys or drummers?” I asked.

  “Both, actually. I think you’ll be impressed with Roses for Anna’s music and Bam’s playing.”

  “I’m not easily impressed.”

  “I’m aware,” he said. “But, you should know, he’s a big fan of yours, buddy.”

  “Shit. Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.” He grinned. “He’s not supposed to know that I know that.”

  “Well, young marriages can be annulled and if worse comes to worse, drummers and their bodies can easily disappear while on tour.”

  “Don’t worry brother, I’ve already fitted him for his own road case.” Rex laughed and showed me around the studio complex.

  “This place is great,” I said, surveying my surroundings. I loved being in recording studios. They were like sacred ground to me.

  “Vic here is an amazing engineer. He gets great drum tones, you’re gonna love him,” Rex continued.

  Vic looked up briefly, smiled, nodded, then went right back to his work. I noticed my drums had already been set up and it sparked a feeling inside me I hadn’t felt in a long time. Until very recently, I hadn’t played in years. I started rehearsing on my own a few weeks ago, and the blisters and sore muscles were proof.

  Drums are a very demanding instrument, and time spent away from the drum kit is much like ignoring the gym. Getting back into drumming shape is slow and painful, and the fact that I was now approaching my mid-forties, certainly didn’t help.

  “Wow, we’re already set up to record.” I was both excited and nervous about this. “I didn’t know we’d be diving right in.”

  “Don’t worry about the microphones. Just ignore them. I figured we may as well record our rehearsals so we can go back and review the “game tape” as a band.” Rex smiled reassuringly. “You’re not the only one that hasn’t played some of these songs in years.”

  “No pressure,” I said

  “Pressure? You’re Jack fucking Henry!” he joked. “Modern Drummer magazine’s 1991 Newcomer of the Year. This should be a cakewalk for you, unless magazines can’t be trusted.”

  “Well, obviously magazines can’t be trusted. People named you Sexiest Man Alive…twice!”

  It was good to be with my brothers-in-arms again. I can’t truly explain the bond that band mates share. It exists somewhere between brotherhood and war buddies. Musicians share an intimacy that few people can ever understand, but on the other hand, we’re selfish and often times guarded. Taking the piss out of one another was the best was to keep each other on the same, level playing field.

  “Screw both of guys!” Robbie chimed in. “The only magazine that ever wanted me on a cover was MAD.”

  Laughter filled the air for the next half an hour, as we eased ourselves into the task at hand. I’d made the final tweaks on my drum kit and we were tuned up and ready to play.

  “No time like the present, gents. Shall we?” Rex said into his mic.

  “Whatta you want to start with, Jack?” Robbie asked.

  “I feel pretty solid on ‘Pages.’ How about that?”

  The guys nodded, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I counted my band in.

  * * *

  Hadley

  I was late. Crap! I was supposed to meet Lucy Haddon at the RatHound rehearsal ten minutes ago, but I’d gotten lost. Stupid Seattle.
It was too big. I was a southern girl unused to the big city…although, truth be told, I got lost in Montgomery as well.

  I pulled my rental car up to the front of Fastback Studios where the band had been rehearsing for several weeks, and took a deep breath. I was about to walk onto holy ground and I wasn’t quite sure how to react. RatHound was one of the biggest bands on the planet, and they were heading on tour with Roses for Anna (the band I now managed), which meant more pressure than I think I was prepared for.

  I slid out of my car, grabbed my purse and portfolio (I was still old school enough to write everything down on paper), and walked inside.

  The receptionist smiled and I made my way to her desk. “Hi. I’m Hadley Simon. I’m meeting Lucy Nelson for the RatHound rehearsal.”

  “They’ve been expecting you,” she said, and rose to her feet, handing me a visitor badge. “I’ll walk you back.”

  “Thank you,” I said as I stuck my badge on my blouse, and followed her to a back studio area. I stepped inside and froze. I couldn’t have moved if I’d wanted to. I was alone in a small reception area; one large glass window gave me a direct line of sight to the mixing room, another looked into the tracking room…and the drummer.

  I couldn’t breathe. Jack Henry was a god and I had just become his willing worshiper. He drummed like a man possessed. His long, dark hair fell over his full beard as he hit the skins, but then he looked up, and piercing blue eyes that caught mine as I stood transfixed, stared into my soul. I swallowed convulsively and then forced a slight smile.

  He stared at me for a few tense seconds and then grinned over at Rex Haddon, and I lost my connection to him. I scurried through another door which led me to the mixing room where Lucy hugged me as soon as I walked inside. “You made it.”

  I nodded. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I got a little turned around.”

  Lucy Nelson, nee Haddon, as she was newly married to the Roses for Anna drummer, was a full-figured, drop-dead gorgeous red-head whose father had put her in charge of this tour, and his band. Even though I was several years older than her and had been doing my job for a while now, I knew I’d be able to learn a lot from her.