by Andrea Hurtt
“Hope, are you trying to get rid of me?” His words brought forth the tears he’d suspected she’d been holding back.
“No! I just…I still don’t understand all this. Your attention to me, your declaration. Especially the way you made it…I’m still confused.”
He grabbed the handle of her suitcase and led her inside. How the hell should he reply? Hadn’t he done a well enough job of showing how he felt?
Nick’s declaration had been totally spontaneous.
He hadn’t meant to do it. It’d just happened.
That didn’t mean he hadn’t meant what he’d said.
They reached the ticket counter, and Hope stepped forward to check-in.
Nick’s phone rang.
Damn it.
He ignored it, but when it rang again, he pulled it out of his pocket.
Blaze.
He can wait.
Nick shoved the cell back in his pocket, not wanting anything to take time away from Hope.
“Glad that’s done. Now for security,” she said.
He slipped his hand into hers, not waiting for an invitation. He wasn’t going to let her go until he absolutely had to.
They hadn’t talked about what would happen next.
I guess it’ll have to wait until we talk on the phone tonight.
At the entrance to the security line, Nick pulled her off to the side and into his arms. “You’ll call me as soon as you land?”
“If you want me to.”
He let out a huff. He wanted to come back with a snarky, duh, but didn’t want to be an ass in their last moments.
Instead, he kissed the top of her head.
She made eye contact, hers filled with so much turmoil.
He took that moment to capture her lips, telling her everything he couldn’t form into words. Nick didn’t care if people stared.
He was where he needed to be, doing what he needed to do.
Hope kissed him back with the same fire, and it calmed his soul.
“I’ll let you know when I get to my gate,” she said, pushing softly against his chest.
He reluctantly released her, in more ways than one. He kept his gaze on her until she was no longer in sight. Nick let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, turned, and headed for his car.
Buzz, buzz went his phone again. He glanced at the screen.
Blaze, again.
He accepted the call and let out a grunt.
“Hey, Nick, I know you’re about to take Hope to the airport, but I need some help.”
“I already did. What’s up, bro?” he asked and started his car.
“I’ve been patiently waiting for Grace to call me back. I quit calling her, but I sent her another text. I got a reply while I was in the shower. ‘Leave me alone. I don’t want you anymore’.”
“Seriously?”
“I don’t get it, I thought she’d be happy I told everyone—the whole freaking world—I was in love with her. Don’t chicks normally dig that?”
Nick laughed. “Yeah, sure, but Grace is different from anyone you’ve ever dated. If you’re really concerned, I’ll see what Hope thinks. Call you back in a few.” He disconnected the call and selected Hope.
“I’m getting on the plane,” she said by way of answer.
“Just a quick question. It’s about Grace.”
“Hope had already boarded when you called,” Nick said as the car sped down the highway. “She said it doesn’t sound like Grace. She said if Grace has a problem with you, she’d tell you to your face, or at least over the phone. Hope’s certain she wouldn’t send a text like that.”
Blaze sighed. “Not that I’d ever call Hope a liar, but this came from Grace’s number. So unless someone’s there with her, she sent it.”
“Hope said she’d try to call Grace. See if she can find out what’s going on. She’ll call me back as soon as she lands.”
“I tried calling after I got the message. It went straight to voicemail. Did Hope say she had a landline?” The frustration in his voice was obvious.
“She didn’t. But if you can’t wait the three hours for her to land in Pasco, there’s someone who’d know how to get a hold of her.”
“Yeah, her boss. I don’t know why I didn’t think of him first,” Blaze said.
“Good idea, but not who I was thinking.”
“Who?”
“My brother. They spent five months together. Not together-together, but you know what I mean.” When his friend didn’t answer, he regretted saying that. Nick switched gears. “I think you’re right, Blaze. I’ll pick you up and go to the theater with you. They can at least tell us if they’ve heard from her.”
Chapter 13
They got no help at the theater.
Nick tried calling his brother on the way back to Blaze’s place, but only got his voicemail.
He slid onto the brown leather sofa in the living room, watching his buddy pace.
Their open beers sat untouched on the coffee table.
“You can’t get a hold of your brother. I can’t get a hold of Grace. Hope says something isn’t right. Are you fucking kidding me?” Blaze stopped his jerky movements long enough to pick up his drink. He brought it to his lips but never took a sip. “He’s obsessed with her. Remember our fight?” He raged, setting the warming bottle back down, then falling back into pacing.
“I know…” Nick completely understood his frustration.
“I have to do something.”
“We have obligations,” he reminded his bandmate. “You can’t miss the Jimmy Kimmel taping. Besides, you don’t know something’s wrong.”
“Fuck that, man. This is Grace. Answer me honestly. Would he hurt her?”
Nick cursed. “I don’t know…” he whispered.
“Look, I know he’s your brother, but she’s my…”
He could hear the hopelessness in Blaze’s voice, and when they made eye contact, Nick could feel it. “I don’t know what he’s capable of, but I know he thinks he actually loves her.”
“One thing I learned from Grace; everyone sees love a little differently. The difference is, how to show it.”
His cell rang. “Shit, it’s Angel.” He put the phone on speaker. “Hey, sis.”
“Nicky? Did you ever get a hold of Charles? I’m getting worried.”
Nick snapped his head up, meeting his buddy’s eyes again. “No.”
“Oh. Well, damn.”
“Angel. What’s up…” he prompted.
“He was acting all funny. I don’t know, like he was high or something. He wasn’t. I can always tell when he’s fallen off the wagon, and this isn’t it. He just kept walking around the house, in a constant circle, mumbling something about roses.”
“Did he say anything else, before he left?” Nick pushed.
“I didn’t even know he’d left! When I went to bed, he was still leaving tracks on the kitchen floor. I woke up about nine a.m. and he was gone. No note, no goodbye. Nothing. Nicky, and I’m worried. You don’t think he’s relapsing, do you?”
He sighed. “I don’t think this is drugs. But keep trying to get a hold of him. And let me know if you do.” He set his phone on the couch after disconnecting .
“That’s it. I have to get to her. I need to get to Denver.”
Nick stepped right up to Blaze, putting his hands on his shoulders, hoping to ground him. “Try and get some sleep. There’s nothing you can do tonight. Tomorrow we can try again to reach Grace’s bosses and see what they know. If it comes down to it, we can fly out tomorrow night, together. Just slow down, dude.” He grabbed his phone and headed for the front door. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
Nick crawled into bed, absolutely exhausted. It’d been the craziest couple of days he’d ever experienced. He’d grown up on crazy, so that was saying something.
Hope had called, letting him know she was home safe. She’d claimed she didn’t have a lot of time to chat; she had chores to do. Something about a horse and a fi
eld.
He didn’t press. She’d had a long week, too.
What was going on in her mind?
Then there was Blaze, worrying them both about Grace.
“Hope will call me if she needs me,” he said to himself when he turned out the lights.
Nick had to be up at oh-dark-thirty for their rehearsal before the Jimmy Kimmel Show. They didn’t get the luxury they’d had for Ellen’s taping. It was two run-throughs, then taping. It would be another long day.
With only a few hours of sleep, he relished the coffee he sipped while heading into the studio to meet up with his brothers.
He’d been running a little late, and of course, had hit every red light on the way there.
“Have you heard from Blaze?” Scott, the eldest band member asked about their resident bad-boy.
”Not since last night, why?”
“Nothing.” Scott shook his head, like he was clearing a thought. “Let’s get started.”
For the next two hours, Nick constantly looked over his shoulder, waiting for Blaze to arrive.
No sign of the tattooed man.
“‘I’m gonna kill him.”
Before they started filming, management pulled them all aside.
Sarah, their main agent, a tiny little thing with black hair, started yelling.
When she yelled, they all cringed.
“Can anyone tell me where Blaze is?” She turned her sharp eye on Nick. “You were the last one to see him, right?”
Nick could only nod.
“So, where the hell is he?”
He knew better than to lie to Sarah. She could tell when something was up.
Next thing he knew, Nick was telling them all what had happened, what he thought was going on.
“You’ve got five minutes. Find out where he is!”
He stepped away from the group. Before calling Blaze, he dialed Hope.
“Hey, I wondered if you’d call.”
Her voice was the most comforting thing.
“Yeah, I had to be at the studio early for rehearsals. How’re you holding up?”
She was silent for a moment. “Honestly, not good. I can’t get ahold of Grace; it keeps going to voicemail. That’s not like her.”
“Babe,” he began, but should he share?
“What’s going on, Nick? There’s something you’re not telling me.”
How does she know?
“Blaze didn’t show up for rehearsals. We’re about to tape and he’s not here.”
“Oh, shit.”
There’s more.” Nick took a breath and launched into his suspicions about his brother.
“Nick! You have to do something!”
“I know. I’m gonna call Blaze as soon as I get off with you; find out where he is. I’ll get on a plane and fly to Denver if I need to.”
“Can you?” she asked, desperation clear in her voice. “I need you to go check on my friend. I’d fly there myself if I could.”
“I know, baby. I’ll keep you posted.”
He let her go and promptly called Blaze.
The moment his friend answered, background noise revealed where he was.
The airport.
“What the hell, dude? You leave in the middle of the night and don’t tell anyone? Did nothing I say last night sink in?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep. I had to do something.” Blaze’s voice was just and thick as Hope’s had been.
“And you couldn't wait until after the goddamn taping to get a flight out? You left me to explain to not only management, but the boys, why you didn’t bother to show up! Not fucking cool! Scott’s freaking out; you know how he is, big brother and all. And what about Hope?”
“Attention guests in the terminal, we will begin…”
“Bro, I can’t hear you. I’ll call when I land.” Blaze didn’t let his friend get another word in.
Damn, it.
Nick returned to his band and Sarah, still cursing in his head. “He’s at the airport, on his way to Denver.”
“I hope you can pack fast. You’re going after him.”
Not even ten minutes later, he called Blaze again. It went straight to voicemail. “You’re probably in the air but I wanted to let you know, as soon as we finish on Jimmy I’m heading to the airport. Already have a car lined up. I just need you to text me the address. Bro, it’s not for you. I mean, it is. But I promised Hope I’d do everything I could.”
He sighed. The rental car employee handed him the keys to a Honda Civic.
Not the car his manager had secured for him, but at this point, Nick didn’t care.
If someone had given him a Honda Civic just a week or two ago, he would’ve thrown a mini tantrum, pulled the ‘but I’m famous’ card, and gotten what he wanted.
Today, he felt like a different man, because of Hope.
It was almost six p.m., and Blaze should get into town any moment, too.
They were both worried about what they were going to walk into.
He’s been acting weird, I really hope he hasn’t started using again.
His brother had been clean for almost a year now.
Drugs made people unstable and do things they otherwise wouldn’t. So yeah, Nick was scared for Grace; he was scared for his brother, and he was scared for his best friend.
While he waited for them to bring his rental car around, he grabbed his phone to call Blaze.
It took a few rings before his friend answered.
“I’ve landed, obviously, and I’m waiting for my rental. What’s your ETA and where am I going?” he asked.
“I’m in a cab; we just left the airport. Damn, I wish I’d known when you were landing. We should get there about the same time, if you can drive faster than this dipshit is. Thank God. I need you there, because I don’t know what I’ll do to Charles if he’s hurt her,” Blaze said.
“I know. I’m right there with you. I don’t know what’ll happen next. But I’m sure Grace is okay. She seems like a strong woman. Charles… has been acting weird, the lashing out.” Nick’s voice wavered, revealing some of that fear. “I gotta let you go; I need to set up my GPS. I’ll see you there.”
“Thanks, Nick.”
“Dude, don’t go in without me. Promise.”
It wouldn’t end well if Blaze went in alone.
“Then you better fly like the wind.”
Chapter 14
Hope had never had a harder time concentrating than she did that day.
She’d fed the dogs twice—not that they minded.
They kept slipping between her feet as she moved around the house.
“Damn it, Moose, you’re gonna kill me if you don’t stop that,” she screamed at the little yorkie when he almost tripped her for the third time. “I’m going outside. You,” she pointed at the three small dogs that followed her. “You will stay here.”
She tended the horse, mucking her stall and cleaning out her water trough.
Hope did everything she could to keep herself busy. She tried not to think about Nick, who’d called her on his way to the airport.
It would be hours before she heard from him again.
There’d still been no word from Grace.
Hope made inquiries with neighbors and her co-workers. If she needed to leave, there would be very little notice. She’d need to have things figured out beforehand.
After doing the dishes and a few loads of laundry, she packed an overnight bag with the essentials.
Just in case.
Around six p.m., Nick called.
“Baby. Pack a bag. You’re flying to Denver tomorrow.”
“What? Why?” Hope heard the waver in his voice. Why was he having issues getting words out?
“It’s Grace. She’s in the hospital. She’s alive, but she needs you. Needs us all.”
“Nick? What the hell happened?”
“Are you sitting down?”
“No.” Hope’s hands were shaking.
“I need you to sit, then I’l
l tell you.”
“Okay. I’m ready.” She really wasn’t.
How could she prepare to hear why her best friend was in the hospital?
“It was Charles. He kidnapped her in her own home. Hope, he hurt her.” Nick sniffled. He was actually crying.
“He broke her wrist; I know for sure. When Blaze and I got there, she was…she had…” he could barely speak.
Her eyes filled with tears and she swallowed. “I don’t want to know. Just tell me she’s gonna be okay. And Charles is in jail.”
“My brother,” he emphasized, “is in surgery. Grace stabbed him in the leg with a knife.”
“Good!” Her anger surged and she couldn’t hold it back.
“Your flight’s at 3:12 p.m. It’s the only flight I could get you on. It goes to Seattle with a layover, then gets into Denver at 10:42 pm. I’m sorry. I wish I could get you here faster. You should have the email anytime now.” There was a change in Nick’s voice. He went from intense caring, to distant.
Why? Because I think Charles should be in jail? What the hell?
She could only guess. “Thank you,” Hope whispered.
“I gotta go. I need to call my sister and let her know. Call me tomorrow, before you get on the plane.”
She sat on the couch, staring at her phone. She had more questions than answers but couldn’t handle the knowledge.
It was going to be another sleepless night.
The Pasco airport was small and security only took a few minutes, but Hope was still there almost an hour before her flight.
She didn’t check a bag; just had her carry-on suitcase.
She ordered a coffee at the small cafe stand and sat at her gate.
Hope pulled a small travel-sized bottle from her bag and poured half of the contents into her coffee.
“Is your coffee too hot?” an older gentleman sitting next to her, asked.
“Oh, it’s coconut rum.
“You scared to fly?” the man continued to push.
“No. I don’t mind flying. I have anxiety until the plane gets off the ground. But this,” she shook the bottle, “isn’t for that.”
“I see.” He arched a bushy eyebrow, obviously confused.