The Plan: A Sweet and Sexy Rock Star Romantic Comedy (The Creek Water Series Book 3)

by Whitney Dineen

  “I have one brother in this world, and it’s you. I’m not letting you deal with this without me. Even if I’m no help, man, I need to be there.”

  Huck nods once. “Thank you. You know what that means to me.”

  Once Milo has turned over the keys to his van, Tanya calls in a couple of men to take out our bags. It’s such a flurry of activity, I don’t have an opportunity to explain that I’m not going with them. I figure I’ll just have to drive to the airport and then a take a taxi back to the hotel.

  Huck picks up a sleeping Maggie and carries her out to the van. I remember being a kid; I could fall asleep anywhere and then miraculously wake up in my own bed the next morning. No one can sleep as peacefully as a child. Boy, do I miss those days.

  Milo’s hippy van is an old VW minibus. There are two seats up front and two bench seats running front to back that face each other.

  “Amelia, you’re going to need to drive while Huck and Gizzy hide out in the back,” Tanya says.

  Panic floods my senses as I wait for Huck to tell her that’s not possible, but he doesn’t say a word. His mind is clearly on Cootie. He needs me to be strong, so I start counting. One … three … five … seven… I need to get us to the airport. I force myself behind the wheel as Tanya orders, “Give me your phone.”

  Once I hand it over, she programs the directions on my map app. “This will get you to Midway Airport’s private terminal. Gizzy will get you through security. Good luck.” She hands my phone back and says, “I’m really glad I had a chance to meet you, Amelia. Take care of our boys.”

  She looks around before adding, “Wait five minutes. The press is going to sense something is up, so I’m going to send the limos out in the other direction as a decoy. As soon as they move, take off, but drive normally. No speeding or they’ll follow you.”

  She waves to Huck and Gizzy. “Keep in touch. Let me know what else I can do.” Then she takes off running to talk to the limo drivers.

  I say a silent prayer while we wait.

  Dear God, please watch over Cootie and give me strength to help Huck and Maggie. I promise to volunteer somewhere every week and help old people cross the street. I promise to give up chocolate and expensive shoes. I promise to go to church every Sunday and put fifty bucks into the collection plate. I promise to buy an electric car and be a better recycler, just please, please, please help the people I love.”

  And that’s when it hits me, I love Huck Wiley. If that doesn’t complicate things, I don’t know what does.

  Chapter 57

  According to the GPS, it’s only twenty miles to the airport, but in current traffic conditions, it will take us forty minutes. I hope I can keep myself together for that long. I wonder how high I can count in that time. My record is three thousand three hundred and thirty-three.

  As soon as the limos pull out, a series of vehicles immediately trail behind them. Fans get out of their cars and fling themselves at the chain link fence that separates their side of the parking lot from ours. They yell and scream their appreciation to the passing limousines while I turn in the opposite direction.

  I let the GPS guide me and try to calm my swirling thoughts. As soon as I get onto the freeway, I finally ask Huck, “How are you doing?”

  “I don’t know. I’m in shock for sure. How could something like this happen just when we found her?”

  I have no answer. I inhale deeply and release my breath slowly, trying to steady myself. “We’re going to get you there as quickly as possible.” Then I ask, “Should we wake Maggie and tell her?”

  “No. She’s on stimulation overload right now. She’ll sleep like a three-year-old for several more hours. It’s just her brain trying to regroup.”

  As I navigate from the toll road onto the freeway, Huck starts to sing the song he wrote for his mom from his Untethered album. Gizzy joins in on the melody; talk about a private concert. Goosebumps begin to pop up all over my arms. The only interruption comes when the maps lady gives me traffic updates. Other than that, I concentrate on the familiar melody that permeates the air around me.

  I follow directions to the private terminal, which is a good distance from the main airport. Gizzy tells me how to find his plane, and I finally think to ask, “Do you fly to all your concerts? I thought bands toured on a bus or something.”

  “I’m usually on the bus with the rest of the crew but I like to fly to my favorite cities. It buys me an extra day or so to do some things.”

  I park where Gizzy tells me to. A person I assume is the pilot comes over and asks Gizzy, “Is your luggage inside, sir?”

  He motions toward our few bags. “That’s all that’s coming with us.” Then he leads the way to the plane.

  I’m about to tell Huck that I’m not going with him, but he grabs my hand and pulls me along beside him. Gizzy carries Maggie up the stairs like she weighs no more than a magazine. I finally stop in my tracks. “I’m not going with you, Huck. I’ll pack up our hotel room and drive home tomorrow.”

  He turns and stares daggers at me. “What are you talking about? We’re flying to Missouri right now.”

  “I’m not getting on that plane,” I tell him.

  “Why? Because you’re afraid?” he asks unkindly.

  “Yes, Huck, because I’m afraid.” I don’t tell him that it’s not only the flight that scares me.

  He snorts in obvious frustration, so I add, “I was afraid to come to Chicago, but I did it. I was afraid to go to the concert, but I did that, too. And now I’m afraid to get on that airplane and I’m not going to do it.”

  Huck looks at me like he’s trying to crawl inside my brain. I feel ripped apart by his scrutiny. Then as tender as can be, he leans down and he kisses me like I’m the answer to the world’s problems. He pulls me into his arms until I’m flush up against him. I can feel every hard plane and contour of his body, and it’s pure torture. It’s utter bliss. He doesn’t let up either, he just kisses me like he has no place he needs to be.

  When he finally lifts his head, I’m leaning against him for support. “Amelia Frothingham, you’ve proven that you can do things that scare you. You’re more courageous than you think you are.”

  “I’m not,” I tell him.

  Before I can say more, he interrupts, “I’m not as strong as I normally am right now. I’ve only just found my birth mother, and she doesn’t seem to even want to know me. On top of that, she may die before we can come to terms with who we are to each other.”

  He continues, “Maggie is inside that airplane and when she wakes up her whole world is going to be rocked, again. I need you. She needs you. What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen if you get on that airplane with us?” he asks like he truly can’t conceive that anything bad could happen.

  My voice falters before I manage, “The plane could crash.”

  “Then we’d die together,” he says. “But if this plane goes down, which is highly unlikely, at least you’d die in the arms of the man who loves you.”

  My whole body goes numb in reaction to his words. “We’ve only known each other for a short time, but you know things about me that my closest friends don’t. I know things about you that your closest friends don’t. Amelia, we were meant to find each other.”

  Then he takes my hand and begs, “Please stay with me. Help me and Maggie. We need you, sweetheart.”

  I stand mutely while I try to process everything he just said. Huck Wiley loves me. Just tonight I realized that I love him, too. I’ve listened to his music for ten years. I admire the honesty with which he sings and shares what’s closest to heart. And now in his darkest hour, he’s standing in front of me telling me that he loves me. It’s almost too much to process.

  He turns around and walks up the stairs without me. When he gets to the top, he holds out his hands and says one word. “Please.”

  Suddenly Tanya and that other woman from the concert mean nothing. They’re the past. The future isn’t written yet, so I consciously choose not to
put the horse before the cart, and I climb like I’m sleepwalking. One step after another passes until I’m standing right next to him. Huck takes my hand and leads me into the airplane. It looks nothing like I’d imagined it would from what I’ve seen in the movies. Of course, the plane is much smaller than commercial airliners.

  There are three rows of two seats, one on either side of the aisle. The chairs are large recliners. Gizzy is strapped into the first chair and Maggie is across the aisle from him. He says, “You two can take the back room. Try to get some rest.”

  The back room? I follow Huck through front cabin and past a small kitchen area which is opposite a bathroom. We walk through a door in the back which leads to a bedroom, of all things.

  I look at Huck with alarm and say, “I’ll just go sit up front.”

  But he takes my hand and pulls me toward him. He sits down which causes me to land on top of him. Then he lies down, bringing me with him. “Stay with me,” he pleads.

  I don’t have the strength to say no.

  Chapter 58

  My fear of flying is seriously diminished by having Huck beside me. I ask questions like, “Why’s the plane making that noise? What happens if we get hit by lighting?” You know, the typical worries of a first-time flyer. Overall, I’m doing better than I could have ever imagined possible. I guess there’s something to what they say about having superhuman powers when a person you love needs you. I briefly wonder if I could pick up a car, too.

  When the panic starts to build, Huck says, “Let’s count kisses. But only the odd numbered ones.” By the time we hit seven I’ve lost all ability to think. About an hour into the flight, I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, so Huck holds me while I sleep. We’re on the ground before he wakes me up.

  “We’re here, sweetheart.”

  My eyes open slowly. “You love me,” I say before I come to my senses.

  “I love you, Amelia Frothingham. I really do.”

  “I love you, too.” Even as I say the words, I force away the thought of how different our lives are.

  “I figured,” he replies cockily.

  “How so?” I demand.

  “All the new things you’re willing to try because of me. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.”

  He’s right on the money. “I’m still not going to live anywhere other than Creek Water, so don’t get too sure of yourself.”

  “I can live there. I bet we could even talk Maggie into wrestling a greased pig.”

  I want to ask him if he really means it, but I don’t. Emotions are running high, and I don’t want to push him into committing to something in a vulnerable moment. The next time Huck Wiley says that he can live in my hometown, there need to be no other distractions.

  When the plane stops taxiing, we join Gizzy and Maggie in the front. Huck leans down next to his daughter and shakes her gently. “Wake up, baby.”

  She groans in her sleep and tries to roll over, but she can’t because she’s strapped-in by her seatbelt. “Come on, baby, wake up.”

  Maggie opens her eyes and focuses on her dad and me before she realizes that we’re on an airplane. “Where are we?” she asks, clearly confused.

  Gizzy tells her, “We’re in Missouri, Squirt.”

  “Why?” She bolts upright. I hear them fill her in while I call Mama to see if there’s any update.

  She answers her phone on the sixth ring. “Hey, honey.”

  “I’m just checking to see how Cootie’s doing? Is there any news?”

  “Not yet, but I called Shelby like you asked. She went right over to the hospital.”

  I don’t tell Mama I’m in town yet because doing so would mean that I’d have to tell her why I’m here and that’s not my news to share, at least until Huck tells me it’s okay to let the cat out of the bag. So, I say, “I love you, Mama. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  I hang up as our little crew exits the plane and loads into yet another limousine. This one isn’t as big as the one in Chicago, and it’s made to feel even smaller by the presence of an additional large man. Gizzy rides facing us and his shoulders take up half of the width of the car.

  It’s three o’clock in the morning when we arrive at the hospital. There isn’t anyone at the information booth to let us know where Cootie is, so I call Shelby.

  In lieu of a greeting, she asks, “Does Huck know?”

  “We just got here. What floor are you on?”

  “The second. I’ll meet you at the elevator.”

  Shelby is waiting for us right where she said she would. Her eyes are red-rimmed and she looks exhausted. “She’s still in surgery,” she tells us as Huck reaches for her.

  Brother and sister hold onto each other for a long moment before Maggie nudges her way in between them. “Is she going to live?” she asks her aunt.

  “I don’t know, honey.” Shelby’s voice breaks as her face flinches with emotion. “That woman, she’s so dang ornery and she drives me plain crazy, but I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  I can’t even imagine what she’s feeling right now. Things have not been good between Shelby and her mama ever since Shelby’s miscarriage. It would be a real shame if Cootie died before they could work things out.

  “Is your daddy here?” I ask.

  She releases a low growl in the back of her throat. “No. He’s spending the night elsewhere.” Her angry tone indicates that he’s probably with another woman.

  “Does he know what happened?” I ask.

  “I’ve left three messages. He’ll know as soon as he bothers to listen to them.” Shelby’s eyes drift over to Gizzy and she demands, “Gizzy Jacobs?”

  He bows his head to her. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry for your troubles.”

  Shelby looks up at her brother for explanation. “He wanted to come along to offer his support.”

  “I suppose I’m going to have to get used to stuff like this with having a famous brother.”

  “I guess,” he says softly. “But, I’ll look after you,” he assures her.

  Julia Stayton, from my high school class, comes out the retracting doors that lead to the patients’ rooms. She’s wearing scrubs, so I’m guessing she works here. When she sees Shelby, she approaches her. “Your mama is out of surgery. She’ll be in recovery for a couple of hours before she can be moved to a room. I’ll be her nurse.”

  “How did she do?” Shelby wants to know.

  “I don’t have all the details. The doctor will meet you in the waiting room down the hall in about twenty minutes to give you an update.” She seems to finally notice that Shelby isn’t alone, and her eyes nearly pop out of her head.

  “Julia, this is my brother, Huck.” You can see the nurse trying to figure out how that’s possible.

  “Huck Wiley is your brother?” Huck nods his head. Then she looks at Gizzy and asks, “Is Gizzy Jacobs your brother, too?”

  Shelby turns to Huck’s friend with a look of confusion mixed with something undefinable. “No, he’s not.”

  When Julia walks away, I tell Shelby, “Jules was never known for being discreet. I’m willing to bet the whole town is going to know about Huck within minutes.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Mama already knows.” Then she looks at Huck. “There was no way she wasn’t going to recognize you.”

  “It’s fine by me. There are more important things to think about right now.”

  Shelby leads the way to the waiting room. We all sit down except for her. She paces back and forth like she’s trying wear a hole in the flooring. She eventually stops and looks around for a place to sit. Huck, Maggie, and I are on the couch, and Gizzy is sitting on the loveseat across from us. The spot next to him is the only available seat in the room.

  Shelby appears to consider her options closely when she finally announces, “If I sit next to you, I’ll practically be on your lap.”

  Gizzy jumps to his feet. “I’ll stand. You go ahead.”

  Shelby does so, but not before givin
g him another long look. It’s like she’s seeing a purple rhinoceros for the first time and doesn’t know what to make of it.

  The doctor comes in a short time later. He addresses Shelby. “Your mother has three broken ribs, a broken foot, a lacerated spleen, and an open fracture of the skull near the frontal lobe. It’s obviously the head injury that has us most worried.”

  “Is she conscious?” Shelby wants to know.

  “Not yet. Head injuries are trickier than other surgeries in that we don’t have a set time when we expect a patient to regain consciousness, especially when they were unconscious before surgery.” Shelby nods her head absently like this whole thing doesn’t seem real to her.

  “Luckily, there were no bone shards or foreign matter that reached the brain. But even so, there’s definitely been significant trauma. The front lobe is like the control panel for a person’s personality. It’s responsible for things like emotional expression, problem solving, impulse control, and executive functioning. We won’t know the extent Mrs. Wilcox was affected by her injury until she wakes up.”

  “So, Mama’s gonna live?” Shelby asks hopefully.

  “It’s too soon to say,” he tells her. “If she wakes up, it probably won’t be for several hours. You should go home and get some rest so you can come back fresh. You can’t see your mother until she’s out of recovery and taken to a room, so there’s nothing you can do here.”

  Before leaving the room, the doctor says, “Someone will call you if there’s any change.”

  Shelby sits back down and seemingly folds in on herself. Huck reaches his hand out to her. “Come on. You drive back with Amelia and Maggie in the car we came in. I’ll drive your car, so you don’t have to pick it up later.”

  Shelby lets us lead her out of the hospital. She crawls into the back of the limousine without even seeming to see it. Huck nudges Gizzy. “You go with them, okay?”

  Clearly he’s passing the responsibility of brotherly care off to his friend until we all get back to Lexi’s. Gizzy gets into the car and sits right next to Shelby, while Maggie and I sit across from them.