“It’s too bad I’m due on stage in twenty minutes or I might just lock that door and oblige you.”
I don’t tell him that I wasn’t dressing for him, because that would be a bald-faced lie. Of course I’m dressing for him. I want his eyes on me all night and not checking out Tanya, or any of his fans, the ones that would happily throw their panties at him. I want to make him want me as much as I want him.
Huck leans down and captures my bright red lips in his own and kisses me like he’s trying to brand me. It’s hot and sensual and more demanding than I’m prepared for. I feel like he’s fusing his soul to my own. I ought to run and hide, if for no other reason than to save myself, but I don’t. I feed the fire and give as good as I get.
After what feels like hours of not knowing whose breath is whose, where I begin and where he ends, he pushes me back and warns, “Sweetheart, if you don’t walk out that door right now, I’m going to forget all about playing with Gizzy and I’m going to take those clothes off of you. You have to the count of three.”
“One …” he starts. I take a giant step back. “Two … You better watch yourself, Amelia.”
I stare at him with my heart in my throat before I turn and run for the door.
“Three …” he calls out. I make it to safety before he catches me.
My heart is beating so loudly I’m pretty sure someone walking by could hear it. Lordy, do I want that man. I want him like I’ve never wanted anyone else. It takes all of my will power not to walk back into that room like a woman possessed.
Instead, I try to absorb everything around me. I’m growing stronger with Huck and Maggie in my life. I’m doing things I never thought I’d do. I hardly even know who I am right now, but I know this, I’m not going to stop growing and pushing myself to be more adventurous. I finally believe that I can live a bigger life. Maybe not as big as Huck’s which may mean that we can’t be together. But I’m going to start my journey toward more by watching Huck Wiley do his thing in front of seventeen thousand people.
At nearly thirty-four years old, I’m going to see my very first rock concert.
Chapter 55
Huck joins me and Maggie in the backstage wings as the musicians in the band stroll out and take their places. The crowd is astonishing to behold. Cameras pan across the fans, projecting their images on three giant screens above the stage. They’re positively frenzied with anticipation.
Gizzy is standing on the opposite side from us. He flashes Huck a thumbs-up as the band starts a low driving rhythm. When they pick up speed and the drums join in, the audience screams like a primal urge is overpowering them. The energy filling this building is so intense I wouldn’t be surprised if the roof blew right off.
When Gizzy runs out on stage, the hairs on my arms stand on end. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited in my life. The crowd is making so much noise I can’t hear the thoughts in my own head. But I expect tonight is more about feeling than thinking.
Gizzy picks up his guitar and strums three chords before all the instruments simultaneously stop. A spotlight hits him as he speaks into the microphone. “I’m not big on a lot of chit chat during a show.”
The crowd gets relatively quiet like they’re surprised he’s saying anything at all. “But I want to tell you what my life was like when I started out in music. I was a struggling twenty-something kid with more dreams than sense. I watched a lot of talented people come and go, but there was this one kid who was as stubborn as I was and we became friends, brothers.”
A lone scream pierces the air and Gizzy points to the crowd. “Somebody out there has figured out what’s about to happen.” A few more screams join in. “Hold up,” Gizzy says. “This dude and I, we used to hang out a lot, usually after playing some smaller club on the strip. We used to talk about our dreams, and we used to play songs from the rock legends that fed those dreams. This here is one of our favorites.”
The band starts driving a rhythm which almost brings down the house. Gizzy yells to be heard over the roaring crowd, “This here is called ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ by Mr. Tom Petty.” Then he motions to our side of the stage and introduces, “And this here is my best friend and co-dreamer, Huck Wiley.”
Over seventeen thousand people scream in sheer ecstasy that Huck is going to perform tonight. I don’t think I know seventeen people who would be more than marginally happy to see me. Yet, the excitement these folks are experiencing transcends all words. If they’re feeling a fraction of what I’m feeling, it’s a high no drug could ever match. I have never witnessed such a scene, and I expect I never will again.
Maggie is jumping up and down beside me like she’s got springs in her shoes, but I stand riveted to the ground in awe of the sheer power these two men possess.
Three women from the front row charge the stage but are held back by security as Huck picks up his guitar and joins his friend. They perform the whole song while the crowd dances and sings along, celebrating this moment in time. The band plays song after song together, some Gizzy’s and some Huck’s. Their voices are gritty and rough while at the same time melodious and full of emotion.
I feel like I’m in an alternate universe where everyone is pure energy. There are no boundaries holding us in. We’re like one massive heart, beating together in a giant expression of joy. The sheer intensity of this experience is life-altering for me. I’m not afraid of the crowd. If anything, I’m feeding off of their exuberance.
After a bunch of songs, Huck runs offstage and takes a water bottle that Maggie hands to him. His chest is heaving and he’s dripping with sweat. He drinks the whole thing down in one gulp. Then he picks up his daughter and kisses her on the forehead before putting her back on her feet.
Then he turns to me.
Huck Wiley kisses me like I’m the air and he’s been underwater for five days. He consumes me and I let him. I couldn’t tell you what day of the week it is or what planet I’m on. All I know is that my essence leaves my body to mingle with his. It is the best, most intoxicating experience in the whole wide world.
I vaguely hear Gizzy say, “If Huck would come back on stage and quit kissing the beautiful Amelia, we could keep this concert going.” The crowd screams their approval and the sound forces my eyes to open. I follow the gaze of the audience. Huck and I are the focus of all three Jumbotrons, visible to every single one of the seventeen thousand fans inhabiting this building. I push him on stage and take a giant step back to remove myself from view.
The concert could have lasted two hours or two days, I can’t tell which. All I know is that my head is spinning. Never in a million years could I have ever imagined a night like tonight. There’s no way Creek Water, Missouri can prepare a girl for the magnitude of a rock star’s life.
The band performs seven encores, once again taking turns between Gizzy’s songs and Huck’s. On the last one, Gizzy says, “Okay folks, this is it. We’re going out the same way we came in.” They play “Runnin’ Down a Dream” one more time.
This night is a dream. I could pinch myself until I was black and blue to verify the reality of it, but it can’t be real. There’s no way. How does Huck do this night after night for weeks on end with only a few short months before doing it all over again? How can he survive the avalanche of adoration that’s heaped upon him?
I was just getting used to the idea of the two of us as a couple, but after experiencing this part of his life, I can’t imagine I could ever be enough for him. That thought is so crippling it almost brings me to my knees.
When the band finally leaves the stage, the crowd keeps roaring for more, but Huck and Gizzy don’t go back. They’re immediately converged upon when they get backstage. Crew, groupies, various people with VIP passes—all want a piece of them. Gizzy pushes through toward his dressing room which is next to Huck’s. I hear him call out, “I’m gonna take a shower before I have to meet with the radio stations. You want in on the interviews or do you want me to cover them?”
“It’s your to
ur, man, they’re your interviews. We’re going to head back to the hotel. We’ll catch up tomorrow, okay?”
“Thanks, brother,” Gizzy says. “What happened tonight is why I’m in this business. I’d play every concert with you if I could.”
“The feeling is mutual, my friend,” Huck says.
Gizzy picks up Maggie. “Okay, little lady. I’ll see you tomorrow and then we’ll plan our next date, okay?”
She holds onto him tightly. “I love you, Uncle Gizzy. You did great tonight.”
Then he leans down and kisses my cheek before telling Huck, “You’re the luckiest dude in the world.”
As I follow Maggie and Huck toward his dressing room, I’m waylaid by what I can only assume is a rabid fan. She’s wearing skintight jeans and a halter top that’s so short I can nearly see the underside of her breasts. She grabs my arm and sneers, “You’re just the flavor of the month, honey. Don’t go thinking you’re anything special to Huck. He’ll be back with me in no time.”
First Tanya and now this. Did Huck really sleep with this woman? I’m beyond nauseated at the thought; I’m heartbroken. As drawn as I am to him, I can’t offer him the life he’s used to. I could never share him like these other women so easily do.
Huck turns around and sees who I’m talking to. He pushes Maggie into the dressing room before running over to me. “Is there a problem?” he asks.
I tell him, “Your old girlfriend here was just telling me that you were bound to get sick of me and go running back to her.”
Huck turns toward her and demands, “Do I know you?”
All thoughts that she ever meant anything to him disappear when she says, “I met you a couple times backstage at your concerts.” She doesn’t look the least bit chagrined for lying to me as she devours him with her eyes.
Huck says, “I don’t appreciate you lying about having a past with me.” Then he warns, “Stay away from my girlfriend.” He grabs my arm and pulls me alongside him. His girlfriend! I love how that sounds as much as it scares me.
As I walk into his dressing room, I seriously wonder if I can handle this kind of confrontation in the future. Eventually, I’m going to be accosted by a jealous woman that Huck actually slept with, and I don’t know if I can handle that. I seriously consider that we may need to break up before we’ve ever really been together. My eyes fill with emotion at the very thought. My body physically aches like I’ve just been hit by a bus or a meteor.
Maggie is asleep on the couch, so I turn to look at Huck. I stare at him like I’ve never met him before. If I hadn’t gotten to know him in Creek Water, I’d never have had the courage to venture outside my comfort zone. Is that my takeaway from our brief relationship? Can I live with that being all?
A week ago, I wouldn’t have believed I’d be standing where I am right now. I wouldn’t have thought I’d ever have the courage. I don’t know what future Huck and I could ever hope to have, but I do know that I’ll always be grateful to him for forcing me to face my fears.
He smiles at me so brightly you’d think he’d harnessed the sun. Then he leans down to kiss my cheek before saying, “Let me go freshen up and recoup my strength. Then we’ll talk about how great you did tonight.” How great I did? After that performance he just gave, he’s focused on my miniscule accomplishment.
My brain hurts as I watch him walk into the bathroom. It’s like watching Aiden walk out of my life only a thousand times worse, because this time I actually started to believe a future was possible. Can I let Huck go? Can we find a way to make us work so I don’t have to?
Before I have a chance to ponder what I need to do, I hear the message app on my phone buzz. I pick it up and hit play, more to pause the pain in my head than to hear the actual messages. The first one is from my mama. She says, “I hope you’re having a great time, honey. We’re all fine, if not a little shaken. Looks like Cootie done got herself in a pretty serious car accident. The doctors aren’t sure she’s gonna make it. I just wanted to let you know she’s in surgery now. Maybe you can send a prayer the old biddy’s way.” Mama sounds pretty matter of fact, but her voice cracks something fierce by the end of the message, which is how I know she’s really worried.
I spot Maggie lying innocently on the sofa before my eyes shift to the bathroom door. My god, how can I spoil their night by telling them this news? Then a harder question hits my brain. How can I not tell them?
Chapter 56
Before I tell Huck or Maggie anything, I pick up the phone and call Mama back. “You havin’ a nice time?” she asks.
There’s no way I could begin to explain all the emotions shooting through me right now, so I don’t answer her. Instead, I ask, “What happened to Cootie?”
“No one’s really sure. All I know is that she left Twila’s party and someone spotted her car smashed into a tree about twenty minutes later. They called the paramedics.”
“Was Mr. Wilcox with her?” I ask.
“He left a couple hours earlier, claiming a headache.”
“Claiming?” I pick up her tone immediately. Cootie’s husband is known for having a wandering eye. “Mama, Shelby is in town. She’s staying at Lexi’s. Can you call over there and tell her what’s going on?”
“Why is she in town and why is she staying there?”
While I could definitely tell her, it’s not my business to do so. “I don’t know. Just call her, okay?” After she agrees, I say, “Keep me posted, will you?”
“Sure thing, honey. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I hang up the phone knowing that I have to get Huck and Maggie on a plane tonight. I search flights on my phone but the first one doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning and there’s only one seat left.
Trying to buy Huck a few more minutes to enjoy the afterglow of the show, I go in search of Tanya to ask for advice. She’s talking to the press. When she looks up, I signal that I need her. That’s all it takes for her to tell everyone, “You’re all going to talk to Gizzy in a couple of minutes, so hold your horses. In the meantime, I need to check on something.”
She hurries to my side. “You look spooked, what’s up?”
“Something’s happened. I can’t tell you what, all I can say is that Huck and Maggie need to be somewhere fast, but I can’t find a flight that will make that happen. I don’t know what to do.”
“Obviously, it’s important,” she says searching my eyes for confirmation.
“Very.” My voice breaks when I add, “It may be a matter of life and death.”
“Go back to Huck’s dressing room. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
I have no idea what she’s up to, but it’s a relief to have help. My shoulders bow under the weight of sharing the news with Huck and Maggie. What a horrible way to end such an amazing night.
Maggie is sound asleep on the couch and Huck is towel drying his hair when I walk back into the dressing room. The only clothes he’s got on are a pair of Levis that slouch below his hipbones. The sight is nearly too beautiful to behold.
“Where did you go off to?” he asks. I don’t answer right away and sure as shootin’ he knows something’s up. “Amelia,” he says as he closes the distance between us.
“Huck, there’s been an accident.”
“Who’s hurt?” He reaches out to me like he’s getting ready to console me.
I pull him into my arms and hold on tight, offering what little strength I can. “It’s Cootie, Huck. She’s been in a car accident and the doctors aren’t sure she’s gonna pull through.”
His body stills as he absorbs the impact of what I just said. After several seconds, he pulls back. “Cootie’s been in a car accident?”
“Yes.” I hurry to add, “I can’t find a flight for you and Maggie that leaves tonight, but Tanya says she’s working on something.”
“Did you tell her why we need to go?”
I shake my head. “I just said it was a matter of life and death.”
“Okay, she’ll do whatever she can.
” Then he turns around and starts throwing his stuff into a bag. “Pack up,” he tells me. I follow orders without saying a word.
Tanya flies into the room moments later with Gizzy at her heels. She’s on her phone but stops talking to ask us, “Where do you need to go?”
“Cape Girardeau Airport in Missouri,” I answer.
She shares the information with the person on the other end of the line, before telling us, “They needed to know so they could file a flight plan.”
“You found a flight?” I ask. “How?”
Gizzy interrupts, “You’re taking my plane. It’s parked at Midway Airport. You’ll be able to get out of there hours earlier than O’Hare.” He asks Huck, “What’s going on, man?”
“I found my birth mother. She’s been in a serious accident and it doesn’t look good.”
“Damn,” Gizzy says. “Okay, give Tanya your hotel key. She’ll have someone pack up your room and send your things to the airport. If they don’t make it in time, she’ll get them to you another way.”
“I’ll do it, Gizzy,” I interrupt. “I’ll pack up the room and drive home tomorrow.” Even as I say this, I’m not sure how I’m going to manage it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I somehow managed to get to Chicago, so I know I’ll somehow find the strength to get home.
Gizzy shakes his head. “No, Huck and Maggie are going to need you. Tanya will take care of everything on this end.” Then he addresses Tanya, “Give us ten minutes to get out of here before you tell the press we’re gone.”
She nods. “Got it. Are you taking the limo?”
“Not a chance in hell,” he says. “There are too many people still in the parking lot for us to try to get out of here like that. We’ll take Milo’s hippy van. I’ll leave it at the airport for you to pick up tomorrow.”
I want to know who Milo is but now doesn’t seem like the time to ask. Huck says, “Gizzy, you can’t bail on the press. You stay and I’ll let you know what’s going on when I find out.”
The Plan: A Sweet and Sexy Rock Star Romantic Comedy (The Creek Water Series Book 3) Page 23