The Right Wish Read online

  Chapter 15

  * * *

  Bradley

  “No more first-class plane tickets for your ex.” In the parking lot beside the bus, I gave Jack a hard look. “Mary Timmons won’t pay for that shit, and you sure as hell shouldn’t either. It’s over with her, and you know it. Don’t keep trying to resurrect it.”

  “But what if—”

  “No, man.” I shook my head. Jack was too nice of a guy. Here he was getting ready to go on another tour after knowing without a doubt that his ex had been unfaithful to him, and yet he still considered giving her another chance. “Any communication with her from here on out needs to be conducted through the lawyers.”

  “You might be right.” He rolled his favorite pair of drumsticks between his hands.

  “I am right.”

  He nodded, then lifted his chin, his normally soft brown eyes turning stony. “Ben’s here.” He transferred his sticks to one hand and clapped me on my arm. “I hope you know what you’re doing putting your sister in charge with that degenerate around.” Shaking his head, he turned and climbed the steps into the bus.

  Unease churned in my gut. I had some reservations about that part too.

  Turning, I watched Ben exit a dark SUV. The bassist’s black hair stood up in spiky clumps. He wore heavily tinted shades, even though the sun had barely peeked over the horizon. He looked like he’d just rolled out of someone’s bed and hadn’t bothered with a shower. Likely, how it looked was how it was.

  “Yo, dear manager.” Slurring his words, Ben lifted a wobbly finger into the air to acknowledge me. “I’ll be on board in a moment. Gotta supervise the transfer of my Fender and such.” Listing heavily to one side, he moved toward the back of the vehicle. He was either hungover or still intoxicated from the night before. Probably the latter.

  My unease grew as another dark Suburban pulled into the lot. I’d used a service, ordering the same pickup vehicle for everyone in the group. Finally, Rush and company were here. Ben’s head swiveled, following the vehicle’s progress too.

  As soon as the engine shut off, I crossed to greet the latest arrivals. I was eager to see Cam, but dreaded it too. She was probably going to be pissed about my solution to her problem.

  I hadn’t seen or heard from her since my plan had been set into motion last night. I only knew she’d agreed to stay with me because Rush had told me. But I knew I would get pushback. With her, it was only a matter of how much.

  “Morning,” Rush said.

  Wearing shades, he was the first to exit the vehicle. He gave me a chin lift, closed the front passenger door, and immediately swiveled to open the one behind his. Placing her hand in his, Jewel emerged, wearing sunglasses too. His were Wayfarers, and hers were cute heart-shaped ones with rose-tinted lenses. The couple were steady on their feet as they moved toward me.

  No overindulging with alcohol anymore for my best friend, and certainly none for Jewel either. Their reasons for hiding tired eyes differed from Ben’s.

  “Everything set?” I asked the couple when they joined me.

  “On our end, sure,” Rush said, throwing his arm around his fiancée’s shoulders.

  Behind us, their driver withdrew their bags from the back of the SUV. But though I peered around the couple and watched the vehicle closely, no one else emerged.

  “How about you?” my best friend asked. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Jack’s already on board. The driver’s here and in his seat. He’s wide awake and ready to take you all the way to Vegas tonight.”

  “Is it Mr. Rivers?”

  “Yeah, and it was a little tough securing him for the tour. He’s an excellent driver and in high demand. But I let Timmons know he was a nonnegotiable.”

  “Thanks, man, appreciate it. With my woman and our baby on board, and the Heavy Metal Enthusiasts’ disaster lurking in the back of my mind, I want someone I trust driving.”

  “Absolutely. Mary wants that too.” And so did I, without a doubt. Rush was my closest friend, and I wouldn’t be out there to protect him on the road for the first time in a long time.

  A fresh wave of unease rolled over me. Relinquishing tour responsibilities to my sister was harder than I imagined it would be. I’d had to remind myself countless times this morning that she was capable, and that I trusted her completely.

  But knowing all of that was one thing. Being comfortable delegating seemed to be another, a missing component to my fundamental makeup.

  “Where’s everyone else?” My gaze narrowed on the vehicle again. “I thought Sierra went to your place earlier.” And what I didn’t ask was, where was Camaro?

  “She was there,” Rush said. “She went over the itinerary for the day, just like you always do on tour. She’s gonna do great. It’s the right call.” He glanced at Jewel, then gave me a firm look. “For everyone involved. We’ll be in good hands. Don’t sweat it.”

  Impossible, although I appreciated his words. He was trying to set my mind at ease. “Call me if you need anything.” I leaned forward and clapped him on the back.

  Grinning, he returned the gesture. “Tour’s gonna go great.”

  “Sure,” I said, hoping so.

  This felt so backward. I was the owner of Marshall Enterprises. Even if I wasn’t going, I should be the one reassuring him.

  “Where is Sierra?” I asked him. “Dylan. Camaro.”

  “They called another SUV and went to pick up some food. Camaro went to help carry everything. Little Dylan went too.”

  “Food’s a good idea.” I nodded, annoyed at myself. I should have thought of it.

  “Gonna go check in with Ben,” Rush said, kissing Jewel on the top of her head and releasing her.

  “He’s talking the talk,” Jewel said softly, her gaze on Rush as he walked away. “Saying the words he knows you need to hear. But he’ll miss you. We all will.”

  I frowned. I wasn’t so sure. “Seems like everything’s moving along all right without me.”

  “And that upsets you, doesn’t it?” She raised a brow.

  “Guess it smarts a little to know that I’m not as critical a component to the process as I once believed.”

  “You are. It’s your solution, your prep that got us all here at the crack of dawn. On time. Even Ben.” Jewel shook her head. “You get all the personalities involved, and you manage us all pretty well.”

  I gave her a distracted nod. Even though all she said was complimentary, I noticed a new vehicle had driven into the lot, and I homed in on it.

  “But you can’t manage feelings, Brad. Not really. Especially not Camaro’s, and your own regarding her.”

  “What?” Surprised, I snapped my gaze back to Jewel. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I know what happened with Camaro the first time you met her. She told me about it last night.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said you were a perfect gentleman, and she was the one who made a mistake. She insists that you had nothing to apologize for.”

  My eyes widened.

  “You and I both know there’s more. What I don’t know is what exactly, and why she’s keeping it from me.”

  She turned her head as the doors to the SUV popped open behind us. My sister and Camaro emerged from opposite sides of it. Sierra looked good. Confident.

  But my eyes tracked only the one wearing a black T-shirt with jeans. Black seemed to be Camaro’s preferred color lately, as if she were going to a funeral. Today, it was probably mine by her hand.

  Seeming to sense my attention, Camaro shifted. Finding me, her gaze met mine. No shades for her, her eyes were alert and electric silver-green. I braced, anticipating the lightning bolt strike. But it wasn’t Camaro who delivered it.

  “Don’t you dare hurt her, Bradley. Cam’s been hurt enough.”

  “I’m not going to hurt her.” Confused, I refocused on Jewel.

  “I see how you watch her when you think no one notices.” Jewel’s golden eyes were
bright behind the rose-tinted lenses as they searched mine. “She doesn’t pick up on it. She might not get it, but I do.”

  “Get what?” I asked carefully.

  “That you want her.”

  I didn’t deny it. How could any man not want Cam?

  My silence was the confirmation Jewel didn’t need. She shook her head. “And now she’s conveniently moving into your house.”

  “She is.” I pressed my lips together, suddenly feeling guilty.

  How much had desire factored into my plan? A significant amount, maybe. But there was more than desire motivating me, and Jewel wasn’t acknowledging that this was the only solution that met everyone’s needs. Even Cam’s. Especially Cam’s, in my opinion.

  “She came to me, Jewel, upset about you and Rush arguing. She doesn’t want to go on the tour. She wants to stay here. This is the only way to fulfill her wish to stay, and to ensure she’s safe while she remains behind.”

  Jewel went still, watching me. “Making sure her wants and wishes are fulfilled seems to be a high priority for you. And her safety,” she said decisively after a long beat. “I owe you a debt for finding and rescuing her last night that I can never repay.”

  “She’s a friend, Jewel. Part of the group now.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that.” She scanned my face. “How’s the jaw, by the way? It doesn’t look so bad this morning. Is it better?”

  I nodded.

  Her expression considering, Jewel asked, “Camaro really came to you and asked for help?”

  “She did,” I said, giving her a slight nod.

  “Hmm.” She bit her lip. “Then I’m sorry I laid into you. I was missing some information, and I put together the pieces I did have incorrectly.”

  “What’s going on?” Cam joined us and threw her arm around her best friend’s shoulders, then glanced back and forth between Jewel and me. Paper takeout sacks crinkled in her grip, probably filled with specialty sampler boxes from Sidecar Doughnuts.

  Her gaze narrowed on me. “What are you two talking about that’s got you both looking so serious?”

  Chapter 16

  * * *

  Camaro

  “We were talking about you,” Jewel said. “You’re my best friend, and I’m leaving you behind. I want to be sure Brad knows how important you are to me.”

  “You’re important to me too,” I said, my heart unfurling in response to her affirming words, like the petals of one of my mother’s prized roses.

  “Jewel!” Rush called. Hanging on to the handrail inside the bus, he waved from his position on the stairs. “Come on board. We’ve got the whole back lounge to ourselves. I want to show you our new place.”

  “I’d better go. Hugs.” She turned to me and squeezed me around the waist at the same time I squeezed her.

  “I love you,” I said, pulling back to look at her. “You can call me anytime. Don’t worry about me.”

  “I won’t.” She released me. “Not too much, anyway.”

  “Good.” I gave her a firm nod. “Contrary to what everyone seems to believe . . .” I raised my brows to include Brad, wanting to be sure he got the message too. “I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

  “I know that, honey. I remember who helped whom first when we were both homeless.” She leaned close and brushed a soft kiss to my cheek. “But you need to remember that accepting help when the tables are turned doesn’t negate your capability or make you weak.” She turned on her flip-flops and walked away, letting her heavy words hang in the air.

  “She sure is something,” Brad said low, and I turned to find him staring at Jewel and nodding approvingly.

  “She is.” I tried not to note—without success—how amazing he looked at the break of dawn wearing a charcoal custom suit, his thick blond hair perfectly tousled as if he were the cover model for an Armani photo shoot.

  “Took me a while to see what Rush saw right away.” Brad’s gaze returned to me.

  “Most see her for who she is.” A precious gem, Jewel shone brightly, untarnished, despite the world she’d come from. I couldn’t say the same for myself.

  “Rush was my priority when I first met her. Because of that, I wasn’t as gracious as I should have been with her.” He exhaled heavily, his gaze narrowing on mine. “Sometimes I focus too intently on one thing and miss others just as important that are right there in front of me.”

  He held me captive with a long look that made my entire body prickle with awareness. Truthfully, there was always an electrical current buzzing in the air for me whenever he was around. That hyperawareness was heightened now that I knew how good his touch felt. But knowing didn’t ease my curiosity—it only made me desire his touch all the more.

  “I told Jewel about us meeting the first time in the motel room.” My heart racing, I blurted out the confession. “She asked directly, and I didn’t feel like I could keep it a secret any longer.”

  His brow creased. “I didn’t ask you not to tell her.”

  “Not specifically. But you never said anything about it, so I never mentioned it. I think it’s better that it’s out in the open, though.”

  “Better how?”

  “I know you look at me and remember me that way.” In those clothes, in that world, I was less. And I wished to be so much more. “That’s not a beginning I can undo.”

  “No, it’s not.” His eyes brightened with increased intensity.

  “Right.”

  Brave it out, Cam. This is important.

  Swallowing to moisten my dry throat, I continued. “I agreed to stay at your house because I promised Jewel. And I’ll consider going to the therapist because she wants me to, and because I want to get better.”

  My best friend’s wisdom was sound. I knew I couldn’t allow myself to sink any lower. If I didn’t do something different with my life, I might not ever be able to climb out of the pit I’d fallen into.

  “But I insist on earning my keep like I did at Rush’s. I’ll shop, cook, and clean until Jewel returns, or some other opportunity comes along for me to earn income that’s better. But I won’t do anything else, just in case you were remembering before and thought what I’d once offered might still be for sale.”

  “Camaro.” His features sharpened like a blade. “You just pissed me the hell off. I didn’t come up with this solution expecting you to have sex with me.”

  “Of course you don’t want to.” Heat blasted my cheeks. “You made that perfectly clear. I haven’t forgotten.” I would never forget that night. It seemed representative of how far I’d fallen.

  “Are you through running your mouth without letting me get in a word edgewise?” he asked, his gaze burning cobalt flames.

  My eyes wide, I nodded.

  “I’m helping you because you asked. But I find it interesting, and not in a good way, to be told by a potential houseguest how things are going to go down inside my own house.”

  “I didn’t . . . I wasn’t . . .” I exhaled, stirring a wisp of hair that had drifted over my mouth. “I’m sorry. I appreciate what you did, what you’re doing for me. I guess I just felt the need to establish boundaries.”

  “Consider them established,” he said with a curt nod.

  “Thank you.” I bobbed my head. “I promise I won’t be a bother. Hopefully, you’ll barely even notice I’m there.”

  “Impossible.” His gaze turned enigmatic as he scanned me. “I notice everything. Even those few loose strands of your hair that seem to want to stay stuck to your mouth.” Breaching the boundary between us, he stepped closer and said low, “Not that I can blame them.”

  My breath caught and I held it as he lifted his hand. Every nerve ending in my body tight, I focused on him to the exclusion of everything else as he very slowly and delicately removed each strand, his fingers skimming across the freshly glossed surface of my lips.

  “I didn’t notice.” I trembled a little all over, even my voice.

  “My point made. I certainly did.” He lif
ted his head, jolting me with his intensity like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. “As I said, I notice everything, especially in regard to you.”

  “What?” Dazed, I stared at him. Blue flames continued to burn in his eyes, but the heat within them seemed different. Hotter, somehow.

  “I have a few parameters of my own I’d like to establish, some things I’d like to make clear that I think have gotten skewed, but we’ll talk about them later.” He glanced away, and when he looked at me again, his gaze narrowed. “When everyone’s gone, and we’re alone.”

  “Okay.” I managed a nod.

  “Uncle Brad. Uncle Brad.” His nephew suddenly appeared, zipping into the narrow and electrically charged space between us. “Excuse me, Miss Camaro.” Too cute with his white doughnut-powder goatee, he turned to his uncle and tugged on the hem of his suit jacket.

  “What is it, wild thing?” Brad immediately dropped to one knee on the pavement. With no regard for his expensive suit or the mess around his nephew’s mouth, he framed the little boy’s face with his hands, and my heart melted.

  “I think Mommy’s scaring Mr. Kennedy.”

  “Is she?”

  Brad turned his head to look where Dylan pointed. I did too and immediately grinned.

  “Oh hell,” Brad said, rising to his feet. “You both hang back. I’ll handle this.”

  “Don’t worry, Dylan.” I offered the boy my hand, and he took it without hesitation. We’d bonded over powdered doughnuts and one of my stories on the ride over. “Everything’s under control. Your uncle Brad will straighten everything out.”

  Chapter 17

  * * *

  Bradley

  “There you are, Brad. Finally,” Ben said drolly with his hands held up in surrender once more. Only it wasn’t to Camaro this time, but to my sister and the business end of a canister of mace.