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“Good, but I wanted to tell you that we’ll stop for a quick lunch, so don’t get too far ahead of us. I’ll call you when it’s time.”
Nikki polished off the last bite of her granola bar, crinkled up the wrapper, and stuck it in Melanie’s hand. “See you at Waffle House.”
They always stopped at Waffle House on their way south. The restaurant didn’t have any locations in Topeka or even Wichita, so eating there was a rare treat for them.
“I’m not sure if Gabe likes Waffle House,” Melanie said, but Nikki was already backing out of her parking spot and waving out the window.
“Waffle House is fine,” Gabe said.
“I don’t think we should let her get her way. She’s testing her boundaries to see what she can get away with.”
“She’s a grown woman, not a new puppy.”
Melanie stuck the empty wrapper into his hand. “Are you sure about that?”
He grinned and kissed her. “The only thing I’m absolutely sure of is you.”
When he started to move away, she wrapped both arms around his neck and drew him down for a lengthier kiss. The wrapper crinkled as he moved his hands to her hips to draw her closer.
“Love you,” she murmured against his lips.
He’d never tire of that sentiment and was glad they said it freely to each other now. “Love you.”
She pulled away slowly, lips lingering on his, and opened her eyes. “Maybe we can fix up a pile of hay in the barn for her.”
Gabe chuckled. “Now there’s an idea.”
To pass the time they played a game of Google Feud on Melanie’s phone while they traveled south. Nikki was a few miles ahead of them, so they didn’t see her. She did call several times to complain that she was bored. Gabe could hear Sole Regret’s last release blaring in the background as she asked questions about his house and her would-be room and the nearest night club and his boat. It made Gabe sad that the album she was listening to might be Sole Regret’s last. Surely he could convince Adam to make amends with Jacob. They were giving up more than a career. Music was their life. He knew he wasn’t the only member of the band who felt that way.
“What’s bothering you?” Melanie asked when he didn’t respond to her next Google Feud search prompt.
“Just hoping I can talk some sense into Adam so he can talk sense into Jacob.”
“You miss them, don’t you?”
Gabe couldn’t deny that reality, so he nodded. “I know it sounds odd, but I spend most of the time on the tour bus reading, not goofing off with the guys. But even though I’m off in my own world, they’re there, you know. If I do decide to bullshit with them, they’re there. And now . . .” He shook his head. “They’re not there.” He couldn’t explain the tightness in his chest. He rubbed at it impatiently.
“You can bullshit with me,” she offered, her smile hopeful.
“I plan to,” he said, not wanting to hurt her feelings by pointing out that it wasn’t the same. He didn’t want to bullshit with her. He wanted to love her.
At brunch, Gabe tried to find something worth eating on the Waffle House menu. Both of his companions ordered waffles, but he feared he’d go into a carb coma and drive off the road if he attempted that kind of breakfast, so he opted for eggs and sausage instead.
Nikki continued with her string of questions about their destination. She was definitely a talker, while Melanie was more of an answerer and Gabe definitely a listener. The three of them got along well until Nikki broached the subject of Sole Regret’s breakup.
“So how do we go about getting the band back together?” she asked, dipping her bacon in maple syrup and taking a bite.
Gabe lifted a brow at her. “We?”
Nikki caught his eye and nodded. “I know Shade pretty well. Maybe he’ll listen to me.”
Gabe snorted. “You had a one-night stand with him. You don’t know him at all.”
“More of a one-night, one-morning stand, but I do know him. He does talk to the women he sleeps with, you know. He was worried that he was going to miss his daughter’s birthday. Said his ex-wife told him not to show up at their house unless it was one of his visitation days.”
“He saw her on her birthday,” Gabe said. At least he was pretty sure he had. Gabe had been in such a rush to spend time with Melanie that he hadn’t paid much attention to what was going on with Jacob that weekend. He knew for a fact that it was a visitation weekend, though, because their entire tour had been scheduled around having every other weekend off for that very reason. When he brought that up to Melanie and Nikki, they both looked heartbroken.
“Poor guy,” Melanie said. “Is there any way that Julie can go on tour with the band? He obviously doesn’t get to see her often enough.”
“He does now that he’s back together with his praying mantis of an ex-wife.”
“If he stays with her, Sole Regret is finished,” Nikki said.
“I think you’re right about that,” Gabe said, taking a sip of coffee and staring down at his nearly empty plate. “I really thought he and Amanda had a shot.”
“Who’s Amanda?” Nikki asked.
“His ex-wife’s sister,” Melanie said.
Nikki let out a low whistle. “Well, that would never work out.”
“Why not?” Gabe happened to think Amanda was perfect for Jacob.
“Can you imagine how awkward the holidays would be?”
Melanie laughed. “That would be awkward.”
“But she already loves his daughter,” Gabe said, “so adjusting to being a nuclear family would be easier on the three of them. It would be everyone else that would have issues with it, not those three.”
“Well, his ex would definitely have an issue with it,” Melanie said. “Does she know that Jacob and Amanda were together?”
Gabe shrugged. “I hope not. She’d probably beat the snot out of him.” Which might explain the bruise on Jacob’s forehead when he’d had returned to the tour after his weekend with Julie. Gabe wished he’d been paying better attention to what had been going on with Jacob that day, but then he’d had his own worries to deal with that weekend. And all of his problems had centered around Nikki. He scrutinized her closely as she waved the waitress over for a refill on her glass of milk. She looked so perfectly harmless.
“If my ex-husband was sniffing around my sister, I’d definitely bust his balls,” Nikki said. “Not that I have an ex-husband. Or a sister.”
“I might be okay with it,” Melanie said, “if they genuinely cared about each other and my ex and I had parted under friendly terms.”
“If you’re friendly, why would you part?” Nikki asked.
“People grow apart. Maybe they shouldn’t be married anymore, but it’s possible to still get along.”
Gabe snorted. “Tina and Jacob are anything but friendly. That’s why his getting back together with her makes absolutely no sense. None.”
“I’ll talk to him about what’s going on,” Nikki said. “Maybe he’ll open up to me. I’m a good listener.”
“When you’re asleep,” Melanie said with a laugh. “Maybe. Sometimes you even talk then.”
Nikki stuck her tongue out at her.
After paying for brunch and gassing up both cars, Gabe called Adam to make sure he remembered that they were stopping by the hospital in Dallas for a quick visit.
“I’ll be here,” Adam said. “I don’t have anywhere better to be.”
“Have you heard from the other guys?” Gabe asked.
“Just Owen. He said once his brother is stable, they’re shipping him to an army hospital at Fort Hood. He wanted me to ask the doctors here if that would be in Chad’s best interest.”
“Does Owen know more about Chad’s injuries now?”
“Not much more. But he did say they take those with the most severe injuries to San Antonio, so maybe them sending him to Fort Hood is actually a good sign.”
“I hope you’re right.” Gabe wished he knew more about such things. It was no
wonder Owen had never returned his call about the stupid paternity test. The guy definitely had more important worries. Gabe wouldn’t bother him again. “I’ll see you in a few hours. Do you want to meet me down in the lob—”
