It feels fucking amazing to be back, staring out at a sold-out arena while the four of us play our hearts out for the fans is like being home again. It was a long, hard road to get back to this place, but I feel like all that we’ve been through in the past few years has made us stronger as a unit. We really are a family.
I glance over at Riff who smiles at me as he plays the rhythm of “Ball Busting Bitch” while Noel bends at the waist and belts out the chorus. My bass matches the steady beat of Trip’s crazy-ass drum playing, taking the song to another level.
Black Falcon is back, and we aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
Contentment fills every inch of me, and I glance over at Frannie who’s waiting at the side of the stage with Lanie and Holly. What almost felt like the end of one of the world’s greatest rock bands was just the beginning to one of the most infamous love stories: mine and Frannie’s.
Frannie smiles one of those breathtaking smiles at me, and I can’t help but to fall in love with her all over again. My woman has a heart of gold. Not only does she challenge herself with nonprofit work as an addiction counselor, but she also puts up with my crazy ass. She couldn’t be any more perfect for me if she tried.
We play the last few notes in unison while Noel thanks the crowd. The fans jump, push, and pull one another trying to capture one of the tiny picks I fling to them. Being a rock star is insane.
I follow the guys off stage and immediately find myself in Frannie’s waiting arms. “I missed you.”
She giggles as I press my lips to hers. “I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been right here watching you play the entire time.”
I continue to assault her with kisses. “You were too far away. Next time, I’m just going to have to bring you out on stage with me.”
She shakes her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
As I’m about to kiss her again, a familiar voice halts me in my tracks.
“Did you find one for us to play with, Tyke? It’s been a while, but I’m game,” Gabby says as she licks her lips while checking out Frannie.
I try to push Frannie behind me, not liking the idea that Gabby would even think that my girl is some random groupie. I open my mouth to tell her to piss off, but Frannie beats me to it.
“Gabby, is it?” Frannie asks in a smooth tone.
Gabby lifts her chin. “Yeah, what of it?”
Frannie steps around me. I reach out to stop her, but her determined blue eyes cause me to freeze. She clearly wants to handle this.
Frannie extends her hand to Gabby. “I’m Frannie.”
Gabby glares at her but finally shakes Frannie’s hand. “So?”
“I just wanted you to meet the woman who owns Tyke Douglas’ heart. This is your one and only warning to stay away.”
“And if I don’t?” Gabby fires back.
A wicked grin slides over Frannie’s face as she steps into Gabby’s personal space, making her seem very intimidating in a crazy way. “I’ll make you wish you had.”
Gabby swallows hard and her eyes flick from Frannie to me before she steps back. “Fuck this. He’s not worth it.”
Frannie stands there with her glare fixated on Gabby as she hurries out of sight.
I come up behind her and pull her back into my chest. “I didn’t know you were such a badass, babe.”
She laughs. “I’ll do anything to protect you, including fighting off crazy ex’s.”
I kiss the top of her head. “The feeling’s mutual. I’d maul a bear for you.”
She turns to face me. “A bear? Really?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’d make that fucker wish he’d never been born if he messes with my babies.” I reach down and place my hand on her stomach. “I love you, Frannie.”
My fingers fly over the strings of my bass as I bust out the last few licks of the song. Things have really come together since we found our way back into the studio as a cohesive unit. The day Frannie and I left Serenity Hills, I took her back to the place I own with my brother Trip. It’s in the hills of Kentucky, not that far from Noel and Riff. Since Noel and Riff have the kids running around their respective places, we did most of our songwriting sessions at our house.
These tracks that we’ve come up are unlike anything we’ve ever done before, and we blew through the songwriting process. I wrote like a man possessed. Everything just flowed out of me. The melodies, the beats—everything. We have a mixture of dark, dirty beats that I’m sure the fans will go crazy for, as well as some soft ballads, most of which I wrote with one woman on my mind.
“That sounded amazing, Tyke,” Jimmy, the producer says into my headphones as soon as I’m done with the song.
I open my eyes and adjust the headphones on my head. “Thanks, man.”
“Why don’t we lay down a vocal track for “Push and Pull”? You up for it?”
I nod and my eyes flit over to Frannie, who stands behind the glass in the booth, watching me intently as I work. She hasn’t heard this song yet. It’s the one I’ve held back to surprise her with. Staring into her eyes, knowing she’s growing rounder every day with my child, makes me smile. I know it’s the perfect time for her to hear me sing the words I have written just for her. I never get sick of telling her that she’s always on my mind, and how much I love her.
I place my bass back on the stand and say, “Let’s do it.”
I step up to the mic as the melody we previously recorded begins to play. I remain focused on Frannie’s blue eyes as I open my mouth and begin to sing.
“Your skin makes me wanna touch you
Be a part of your world
So I push you, but I won’t let you fall
But you’re a hard girl to get through to
All I want is to hold you and tell you it’ll be all right . . .
When I push you . . .
You pull me back
There’s nothing like, a love like that
A love like that
Let me ask you
When’s the last time you’ve felt like that
Bet it was with me
Bet it was with me
I’m falling for you
It’s easy to see
Without you girl, I just ain’t me
There’s no future without you
Give it a chance girl, give into the pull
When I push you . . .
You pull me back
There’s nothing like, a love like that
A love like that
Let me ask you
When’s the last time you’ve felt like that
Bet it was with me
Bet it was with me.”
When I’m finished with the first take, I fully expect Jimmy to tell me to get ready to do it again, but instead I hear his voice cut through my thoughts with an entirely different message. “Hot damn, man, I think that was the one. It’s like a new fucking record. We got the entire song on the first take. Everything was perfect—the pitch, the emotion. Wow. I’m impressed. If I’d known you had that in you, we would’ve let you take the lead on a few songs before.”
I laugh. “I don’t know if I’d have been able to do that before. That woman in there beside you has blessed me with a new lease on life.”
I wink at Frannie and smile when she mouths the words, “I love you.”
It’s in that booth, staring at the people I love through the glass—Frannie, Trip, Noel, and Riff—that I finally find peace with myself. Those people in there are my family, and I would do anything in this world for them, and I vow never to return to the dark hell of my addiction ever again. I will be stronger. I will always be a man that Frannie and my child will be proud of. I’m going to make sure that the rest of our forever is fucking perfect.