Love Song: A friends-to-lovers rock & roll romantic suspense

by K. G. Fletcher

  John put his hand on the back of a kitchen chair to steady himself. It took him a moment to realize Sam was still talking to him.

  “John? John, are you still there?”

  “Yes… I’m here.” He reassured Sam he would help as long as he was needed. They agreed he’d take the kids back to the Wildner farm where they could get cleaned up and go to bed if they got tired. With a heavy heart, John hung up the phone and glanced at GG. She was giggling at Dylan as he gargled his milk. The poor little girl had no idea how drastic her life had just changed. He said a silent prayer asking for strength. “So, you all got any cookies at your house?”

  ***

  Casey opened her eyes and was greeted with Sam smiling lovingly at her. He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips, grazing her skin with a soft kiss.

  “Where’s GG?” she whispered hoarsely. Her head swirled with bits and pieces of the events from earlier in the day as she realized she was in a hospital bed, her leg lodged in some kind of soft brace on top of the sheets. An IV snaked out of her arm attached to a silver hook above her head. “What hospital am I at?”

  Sam sat up in the chair he’d pulled close to her bedside. “We’re at Northside Hospital in Cumming. Gwyneth is fine. She’s at the farm with Dylan and my neighbor, Mr. Dukes.”

  Casey eased herself up, cringing with immediate pain, her entire body bruised and sore. Sam placed his hand on her arm. “Your ankle isn’t broken, but it’s sprained really bad. They’re going to put you in a boot so it can heal. The doctor says you have to stay off your feet for the next week or so, and then you’ll be in the boot for six to eight weeks. Casey, they want to keep you overnight so you can get some antibiotics through the IV. You were banged up pretty badly in the fall….”

  “I have to get back to GG. Sam, she doesn’t know this Mr. Dukes and she’s probably scared out of her mind. Laura’s not going to like this one bit.”

  Sam dropped his gaze and looked at his palms he was rubbing nervously together. “Casey, sweetheart…there’s something I need to tell you.” It was hard to make eye contact with her, and his lower lip began to tremble.

  “What?”

  Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for the next few moments knowing he was about to deliver the devastating news. “Before Donny came to the farm, he was with Laura in your apartment.”

  “What?” Her eyes widened. “Did she call the police? You know we have a restraining order against him…”

  Sam shook his head with tears welling in his blue eyes.

  “What did he do to her?” Her voice was laced with dread as Sam wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

  “Sam? What happened to my sister?”

  He hesitated, his throat catching with agony being the one to tell her. “She’s gone, Casey. Donny…he killed her.”

  She stared at him in disbelief, the words hanging in the air like shards of glass after an explosion; dangerous and unpredictable. A cold chill shot straight to his heart as a deep, agonizing moan traveled from the depths of her soul and out of her mouth. When she started to wail, Sam stood, taking a step back. “He killed her? Donny killed Laura? No!” Her body heaved with grief and sorrow and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth to stifle the screams escaping her lips.

  Sam tried to console her, but she pushed him away, her anguish breaking his heart, her wailing echoing into the hallway. A nurse hurried into the room and asked him to leave momentarily so she could try to calm her down. He looked helplessly at Casey who had come undone. Her unimaginable distress was heartbreaking as she thrashed in the bed.

  Choking back his own sob, he exited, and leaned against the white tiled wall outside her room. He hung his head low, pinching the bridge of his nose trying to calm himself down as he listened to the agony unfold. When he looked up, his sister Lisa and brother-in-law, Craig, were heading straight toward him. When Lisa held out her arms, he ran to her and clung to his sister sobbing openly for Casey and Gwyneth. Craig crossed his arms nervously as Lisa pulled back with a look of concern on her face.

  “What happened, Sam? You only told us on the phone that your girlfriend fell from the loft and hurt her ankle. There’s obviously more to the story. What the hell happened?” She pulled him into the empty waiting area, ushering him to a seat in the corner, soothing him to calm down.

  Sam managed to explain the day’s events to his only sibling, overcome with the images of Donny Tanner’s blown off head forever etched in his mind. Lisa was wide-eyed and Craig became angry at the thought of their son near the crime scene. Sam assured them the children were nowhere near Donny when the gun went off, and their son was safely being looked after by their long-time family friend, John Dukes.

  Lisa put her hand on Sam’s shoulder when he finished. “We’ll go back to the farm and stay until you can get there.” Craig nodded in agreement.

  “Thank you.” He paused, taking his sister’s hands into his own. “I can’t imagine what Casey is going through right now. She’s got no one, Lisa. No one but me.”

  His sister nodded, hugging him once more. The gravity of the situation took a toll on Sam – and he would never be the same.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Gwyneth giggled, snuggling under the comforter as she looked up into John’s face. He continued to tuck the thick fabric all around her swaddling her like a baby.

  “Snug as a bug in a rug,” he sang.

  “I need my arm!” she laughed.

  “What? You need your arm? What for?” He sat on the edge of the bed and loosened her burrito-like state. Grinning, she immediately wiggled her arm out and stuck her thumb into her mouth.

  “Oh! You want to eat that ol’ thumb of yours for dessert. I see.” He tickled her sides and she giggled again as Dylan came into the room ready for bed. “You need some tucking in too, boy?” he asked.

  “No thanks. Good night John. Thanks for hanging out with us today.” Dylan yawned and pulled the sheets up to his chin.

  “You’re welcome, son. Now you two get some shuteye. It’s been a long day.”

  The two children responded in unison, “Okay.”

  Bleu looked up from his position on the braided rug in between the twin beds with his paws crossed in front of him.

  “Bleu, you comin or are you in for the night too?” The big dog laid his head on his outstretched legs. “Well, good night to you too then.” Flipping off the overhead light, he shut the door behind him and paused, dragging his fingers down his beard, listening for any signs of mischief. When he didn’t hear anything, he smiled to himself. He’d had a great day, despite the circumstances, happy to help Sam with the kids. He sure hoped his girlfriend, Casey was recovering. When he didn’t hear any more from the children, he made his way downstairs to wait for Lisa and Craig who were due to arrive any minute.

  John busied himself cleaning up the cookies and milk at the kitchen table before he slowly sat his large, worn-out body on a chair. Peering out the window at the large barn, he could see the big doors shut tight and locked with a padlock. He was glad because he didn’t want the kids going in there and he especially didn’t want Bleu in there sniffing out Donny Tanner’s demise. Sam told him a few bales of straw had been spread out to soak up the massive amounts of blood and yellow crime scene tape was still draped across the stall. He was adamant Bleu and the kids not go inside, thus the padlock. It was a tragic situation all around and John shook his head thinking about a little girl who still had no idea she’d lost her mother and father.

  ***

  Sam sat in a chair across from the hospital bed and watched Casey wake up slowly from a fitful night of sleep. Staying with her in the tiny room all night long, he never left her side. It was going to be a long road accepting the loss of her dear sister. And there was still a funeral to plan and the conversation she would inevitably have to endure with her precious niece. The thought sickened him.

  “Sam?” she mumbled.

  “I’m right here darlin’.” He swiftly made hi
s way to be by her side.

  “I need to get out of here. When can I go?”

  Dark circles stained underneath her eyes and her skin was pale. Bending over her, he tenderly brushed her hair back from her forehead with his finger. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

  “Soon, Casey. We’ll be on our way soon.”

  Sam walked beside Casey’s wheelchair as the nurse pushed her to the curb where his truck was idling. The two of them managed to get her buckled into the back seat where her leg was stretched out to accommodate the giant boot she wore.

  The nurse wished them luck before placing a pair of crutches on the floor and handing him a bag with Casey’s personal belongings and pain medication. When he got into the driver’s seat and looked in the rearview mirror, her head was turned as she leaned on the seat back. He wavered before pulling out of the drive, knowing the next couple of hours were going to be hard.

  The sun shone high in the sky and the fall colors in North Atlanta were at their peak as Sam drove them back to his place. Used to Casey’s outgoing personality, he wasn’t sure how to handle the silence that came from her now. His heart ached for her, and for Gwyneth. He loved them both and he was committed to being there for them during the most traumatic time of their lives.

  Every few minutes, he would glance in the rearview mirror hoping Casey would start to talk to him, but she remained still. A short time later, he drove down the long drive to his house. She stirred, rubbing her eyes and blinking in the harsh daylight. Bleu bounded toward the truck, ecstatic to see his master. Sam pulled the key out of the ignition and turned around to face her before he opened the door.

  “How are you feeling? Please talk to me Casey,” he pleaded.

  She was about to say something when her focus shifted to her niece coming out the back door of the house accompanied by a large man with a silver beard. She sucked in her breath as Sam reached into the back seat to touch her. “I’m right here with you. You’re not alone,” he reassured. Casey nodded quickly before she opened the door of the truck and shouted, “GG!”

  Sam hurriedly exited the vehicle to head off his big dog and GG from lovingly attacking Casey and her new boot. “Down boy!” he ordered Bleu, rubbing his neck affectionately.

  Gwyneth was breathless when she got to the truck, her dimples from her smile accentuating her cheeks as she hugged Sam around his thigh. Lifting her into his arms, he breathed in her baby scent, tears threatening to surface. “Hey, sweet girl!”

  GG craned her head to peer inside the vehicle. Casey leaned as much as she could out the door and managed a smile for her.

  “GG, come here. I need to show you something.”

  Sam set the tiny girl on the running board so she could get a better view.

  Gwyneth’s eyes became wide when she saw the menacing black boot on her aunt’s leg. She looked up at Sam with concern before she turned back to Casey who pulled her in for a hug.

  “What happened, Cee-Cee?” Sam heard her ask. He stepped away from the vehicle to greet John and give them some privacy.

  John extended his hand to Sam. “You just missed your sister and brother-in-law. They had to get back to the suburbs. Dylan was missing school and had some kind of practice later today. She said she’d call you.”

  He nodded, glancing back at the truck where he could see Casey talking quietly to GG.

  “How’s she doing?” John asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

  Sam ran his fingers through his hair and looked at his neighbor, his face filled with sorrow. “She won’t talk to me, John. She’s so quiet now.”

  John put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s a long road ahead. All you can do is be there for her when she’s ready.” Sam nodded in agreement, petting Bleu who sat obediently by his legs.

  “I can’t thank you enough for staying with the kids. You’re a good friend, John.”

  “Well, I gotta admit, at first I was a little nervous, especially knowing there was a little girl involved. But she kind of wrapped herself around my little finger.” He chuckled. “We had a good ol’ time and I was happy to stay.” The old man’s eyes crinkled when he smiled.

  The two of them watched GG fumble as she tried to pull the long crutches out of the back seat and quickly came to her aid. Sam introduced Casey to John before they managed to get her safely out of the truck and into the house where she was comfortably situated on the large sofa in the living area. GG chatted the whole time about her aunt’s “boo-boo” and how awful it was she fell in the big barn. Casey seemed exhausted from what little movement she’d endured in the past hour and laid her head back on the cushions, closing her eyes. Sam made sure to elevate her leg while GG spread a blanket over the lower half of her body. It was obvious Casey hadn’t told GG the news about her mother. He left the girls to walk John out.

  “Thanks again, John. I owe you big time.”

  “Nah. It was my pleasure. If you don’t mind, I’d like to check in on y’all over the next couple of days. If you need me to stay with them while you work at the school, I’d be happy to.”

  Sam rubbed the back of his neck, obvious fatigue setting in. “I’ll probably take you up on that. Give me a day and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Will do.” John started to walk out but stopped. “Sam, just so you know, I’ve been in Casey’s shoes before. When I lost Adriane, I thought my whole life was over.”

  Sam sighed knowingly. “I remember, John. We were all so sorry to lose her.”

  “Well, from experience, this is something she’s never gonna get over. I’ll never be over losing my Adriane.” John shuffled his feet and nervously tugged on his beard as if remembering his beloved wife. “You’re in the thick of it right now, but it will get better, I can promise you that. It just takes time. A lotta time.”

  Sam nodded sadly.

  “Be patient. And love on her as much as you can. You two are good for each other. I could tell that right off the bat. And that little girlie thinks you’re the cat’s meow. You’re gonna be instrumental in helping her through all this.”

  Sam’s eyes welled with tears. John reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be in touch, son.”

  “Thank you.”

  The old man shuffled out of the room as Sam wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes again. Unaccustomed to the bevy of emotions he was experiencing, he tried to shake off the heavy feelings before reuniting with the girls.

  “Sam, Cee-Cee needs water,” GG interrupted. He knelt so he could be eye-level with her.

  “Well, let’s you and me go and get her a glass then.”

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the kitchen, the smile she offered melting his heart.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sam finished the end of the storybook, whispering, “The End,” as Gwyneth lay against his chest, sound asleep. He gently positioned her onto the pillow and tucked her in, smiling at the sucking sound she made with her thumb in her mouth. Her long eyelashes made a shadow across her rosy cheeks and her baby skin was flawless. Sam couldn’t help but stare, in awe of her innocence. A sense of protectiveness overcame him, and he shivered thinking about how she would react to the news that her mother was dead.

  “Good night, Bleu,” he said softly to his own fur kid. Bleu wagged his tail lazily back and forth across the wood floor with his head resting on his paws.

  When Sam reached the bottom of the staircase, Casey looked up at him, holding out her glass of water. “Got anything a little stronger?” she joked.

  Smiling, he sat down next to her, taking the glass from her hands and setting it on the side table. “The doctor said you don’t need to be drinking while you’re taking pain medication.” He kissed her hand which she pulled back from his grasp and fisted in her lap.

  “What is it, darlin’?” he asked. Concerned about her mental health, he wondered how he could help her get back to a more stable place emotionally. She’d completely shut him off since hearing the news about her sister’s death an
d it affected him deeply.

  “I can’t do this,” she mumbled.

  Sam shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “Can’t do what?”

  She looked up into his face and swallowed. “Any of it. I can’t do it.”

  “You need to be more specific sweetie. I know it’s going to be hard to tell GG what’s happened, but it needs to come from you—”

  “No!” she interrupted him. “I can’t do it, Sam! I can’t tell her. I can’t plan my sister’s funeral, and I can’t face Beth and all her teacher friends. I can’t go back to my apartment. In fact, I can’t ever live there again. I can’t do this!” Running her hand through her hair, she tugged at the roots. “I can’t let you love me. Not like this,” she whispered.

  Sam’s face fell. “Casey, you’re overwhelmed right now and you’re recovering. You can do this, and I’ll be right beside you helping you every step of the way,” he tried to reassure her.

  As if mulling over his comment, she shook her head and closed her eyes. When she finally turned to look at him, her eyes were full of sadness. “Laura was a good person. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

  “I know,” he answered gently.

  “She was the one who raised me after our parents died in a car crash. I was sixteen.”

  Sam sucked in a breath. He hadn’t known the specifics about her parents’ deaths because they hadn’t yet gotten around to talking about it. Their love song was only in the beginning stages and he assumed they had all the time in the world to continue to get to know each other. He felt like he missed something very important – something he should have known from the beginning. Keeping his mouth shut, he let her continue.

  “She was the smart one; the mature one. She always knew what she wanted to do with her life, and she did it. She made her way through college on her own, studying to be a teacher. I always envied that side of her. She always told me I could do whatever I wanted in life and to just go for it. When our parents died, I became very rebellious. I partied and goofed off while she worked two jobs to pay our bills and go to college. She kept telling me I was going to do something special with my singing. She never judged me, only encouraged me. She was my biggest fan….” A small cry escaped her lips, and she pressed them together, as if determined to go on. “All she ever dreamed about was getting married, having babies and becoming a teacher.” A look of happiness briefly crossed her face. “You should have seen her as a new mom. She was stunning…”