Chapter Eleven
The minute he saw Kelsey and Deck he was glad he’d come. Even if they were wrapped tight in a lip-lock that had him wondering how they were breathing.
“God, they make my heart ache. In a good way,” Zee said as she pulled the car up next to the pavilion True had built for them. She gave him a sideways look and added, “And if you ever tell them I said that I’ll never bring you another cinnamon roll.”
“Can’t have that,” he said, feeling another spark of gladness at this bit of the old, teasing Zee back again. “But is it okay if I say they make me feel the same way?”
When she’d shut off the car she looked at him. “It would even more if you’d seen the way he was before Kelsey. When True first started to work for him.”
“He told me some. I kind of guessed at the rest. I’d already read some of his books.”
Finally coming up for air, Kelsey spotted them then, and waved as they started toward Zee’s car. They both looked a little surprised when he got out, but then he was engulfed in two simultaneous hugs. There was a lot of chatter for a couple of minutes, and he would have felt overwhelmed had it not been so genuinely delighted.
“Sorry about your friend,” Deck said.
“Yeah.” He couldn’t think of another word at the moment.
“Talk about it or not. We’re good,” Kelsey said.
He felt a burst of relief at their willingness to let it be. Then realized that everyone standing here knew up close and personal about loss. “Hell of a club we all belong to, isn’t it?”
“You mean the one no one wants to join, but almost everyone eventually does?” Zee said.
“Yeah.”
“Sucks.”
“In a word,” Deck agreed.
Then, briskly, Zee said, “We brought your speakers.”
Everyone seemed glad of the change of subject. Jamie knew he was.
“Great,” Deck said, “that’s about the final piece. Just need True to get them hooked up.”
Jamie glanced at the pavilion. “He’s already got it wired?”
“And power run out to it. You know True. Down to the last detail,” Kelsey said.
“Yeah,” Jamie agreed. He hesitated, then said, “I know those speakers. And sound stuff generally. I could hook them up right now, if you want.” His mouth quirked. “And if you trust me.”
“That would be great,” Deck exclaimed.
“And save True yet another trip,” Kelsey added.
“You say that now,” Zee said. “Wait until you see his bill.”
Jamie shot her a glance, saw nothing but her old, teasing grin. He breathed again. When he looked back Kelsey and Deck were exchanging a rather pointed glance, but he didn’t ask.
They walked over to the pavilion. It was, as he expected, built solid. Big, but not overpowering, and he noticed the concrete foundation was curved with the same arc of the river beyond, which it was angled to face. The crossbeams were sturdy, yet the ends had been neatly cut in an echoing curve, and the edges were trimmed with stone that looked remarkably like the stone of the tower, making it seem as if it truly belonged. All the attention to detail that was a True Mahan trademark.
With Deck helping, he had the four speakers up in the racks True had built in just a few minutes. Connecting them should only take a bit longer, he thought.
“Great spot,” he said from atop the ladder as he finished the last one. “It’s going to be a heck of a wedding.”
“Still won’t be good enough for her,” Deck said solemnly. “Nothing could be.”
Jamie looked down at the man who had, so unexpectedly, become a good friend. “I envy you.” Then, with a wry grimace added, “But not what you went through to get here.”
Deck smiled, and it held only a touch of sad reminiscence. “I try to look on it now only as material for Sam.”
Jamie slowly smiled back. “I get that.”
“I thought you would.”
Jamie had the feeling the man wanted to say more, but when he didn’t, he went back to work. It had been a while, but when Scorpions had started out, they’d been running on a shoestring and had done it all themselves. Things had changed a bit, but the basics were the basics, and they’d had these same speakers at the last outdoor venue they’d played, albeit a bigger version.
He finished the last connection then went down the ladder. “We’d better test it, make sure I haven’t forgotten the days when we used to hook up our own sound.”
“Yeah,” Deck said. He glanced toward the river, where Kelsey and Zee where standing, talking animatedly. Then he took a deep breath. But still didn’t speak.
“Whatever it is that’s hovering, just say it,” Jamie suggested.
“Kels and I…we…look, we’ll understand if you don’t want to do the song. At the wedding.”
Jamie’s breath caught. He’d been a bit taken aback when they’d first asked him. Not that they’d asked, he was pleased by that, but that Kelsey had said she wanted him to sing “Morning” right after she walked down the aisle, as part of the ceremony, not just the reception after. He hadn’t even realized she listened to them, she’d been so discreet. When she said it had been one of her favorite songs since it had come out, and that it had special significance to her and Deck, he’d been surprised at how that made him feel.
And that they were tactfully giving him the chance to back out now, at this late date, told him the immediate connection he’d felt with this couple was real. They were more worried about him than the biggest day of their lives together. And he couldn’t find words to say how that made him feel, so he tried turning it around.
“Change your mind?” he asked, keeping his tone light. “I get it, been a bit of bad press lately.”
Deck looked utterly shocked. “What?”
“Drug OD, lots of headlines. Might not be the kind of thing you want attached to your wedding.”
Jamie had had a lot of practice reading people’s reactions, since so often with him they were over-the-top. But he knew when Deck’s expression changed that this was real.
“I should knock you on your celebrated ass for even thinking that.”
And he could probably do it, Jamie thought. There was still enough of the fighter who had survived things no kid should ever have to deal with in this guy. “Back at you,” he said softly, “for thinking I’d want to back out.”
Deck got it. Nodded. “Just wanted to give you the chance.”
“Yeah. Thanks for that. But I wouldn’t miss it.” He grinned suddenly. “But just remember I told you I’ve never sung at a wedding before.”
“I do.” Deck grinned back. “Been thinking we should sell tickets. We could raise a lot for Kelsey’s rescue.”
Jamie lifted a brow at him. “They need it?”
Deck sighed. “She’s a little…stubborn. About taking money for it.”
“From you, you mean.”
“It’s not some hobby to her, it’s a calling. Besides, she says it makes people feel good to help, and she doesn’t want to take that away from them.”
Jamie glanced over to where the two women were walking back toward them. “You’re a lucky man, my friend.”
“Yes.” Then, after a moment. “So, should we not put you and Zee at the same table?”
Startled, Jamie’s gaze shot back to Deck. “I…”
Deck shrugged. “Hard to miss there was a bit of an edge there.”
“Especially for an observer like you,” Jamie said wryly.
“It’s what I do,” Deck agreed.
Kelsey and Zee were within earshot now, so he said only, “I’ll let you know.”
And he tried to take heart in the fact that, even three days ago, the answer would have been, “Different tables.”