Feel Like Makin' Love (Rock and Roll Trilogy #3) (30 page)

I lose my head when you are near

You kiss me drunk

You kiss me high

Don’t need nothin’ else

To make me feel the way you do…

This was a good night, but Hatchet told Carlee they’d given her some ‘extra umph’ to keep her comfortable. She watched Johanna and saw how happy she was over Kyliejo’s reaction. There were flat-screen monitors all around the suite so that they could see up close, and Kyliejo was in heaven. Zane did eight songs, and when he began the last song, “Special One,” he dedicated it Kyliejo.

You’re a special one,

This I know
is true

My heart’s so full

Of love for you

You’re a special one

Who loves so deep

A place in my heart

You’ll always keep

Finally it was time to set the stage for Traveler, and Carlee was giddy. Backstage, Geni was too.

The lights dimmed. The hall became quiet and finally, Mark led off with a
familiar beat, and Carlee knew they were opening with Andy’s favorite song, “The Boys Are Back,” a classic hit by Thin Lizzy. She watched as they sang and could tell that Andy was happy to be there. His voice, while not the loud rocker from ‘back in the day,’ was strong and filled the hall. Paul and Hatchet were crazy, singing along.

When the song was over, Andy stepped to the microphone again; the next song was
“Simple Life,” and the crowd went wild.

It’s good sweet lovin, beyond any doubt

It’s making sweet I’m talkin’ about

It makes us complete

The band was quiet for a moment, and Andy took the microphone to speak. “Wow!” he laughed. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been on stage and even longer since we’ve been on this one. We’ll do our best to make you proud that you came, but before we begin again, I want to thank you from my heart, because this isn’t just about Kyliejo Smithson.”

As he said the words, Carlee knew - he was getting ready to say something about her. She leaned to Matthew. “Did you know?”

He nodded and squeezed her closer as Andy continued. “This is personal to me. Many of you know my story, and you know that I was blessed with a daughter later in my life. She is everything to me - she holds the key to my past, my present, and my future. We learned about cancer a long time ago, and it was something very profound in our lives. Carlee took on a huge part in the fight against cancer at a young age. She’s been working with the Cancer Foundation in the U.S. for a long time. She taught me how important it is to keep the conversation forefront and do whatever we can to help in the fight. That’s part of why we’re all here this evening.”

Carlee watched the monitor, saw him pause to collect his thoughts, and
she squeezed Matthew’s hand. The camera turned to Carlee and Matthew, catching them listening intently to what Andy was saying.

“
The other part is that we went through a scare of our own, where we found ourselves facing the possibility once more. When you’re faced with the questions ‘what if?’ and ‘what do we do now?’ you see things differently. And when you come out on the other side without the diagnosis you were fearful of, it’s a blessing. This is “Carlee’s Blessing.””

The music began
, and it was an unsteady voice that began to sing.

You’re a place in my heart

With a
smile that’s warmed me inside out

It’s what this sweet life’s all about

I’ve watch you in a crowded room

I’ve seen sweet love glow and bloom

You’re a place in my heart

A blessing that’s turned my life around

You’re a place in my heart

That made that life a better place

A place where I see my past,

My now and the future ahead

A place where happiness lives and gives and gathers…

Geni watched, saw him struggle, and found herself fighting with emotions of her own. ‘
The key to my past
’ she heard over and over in her head to the point that she didn’t even hear the song he was singing.

Carlee listened, remember
ing the conversation that she’d shared with Andy that brought some of the lyrics. She thought of all they’d shared over the years, and she wept. 

When they were done with
“Carlee’s Blessing,” Geni heard the music and recognized it as “Timeless.” She saw emotions all over Andy’s face, and as he began, his voice cracked. She knew that he didn’t write that song
for
Beth, but she knew the meaning from reading the book. She realized that the words meant more to him than he really realized, and she knew that Beth would never be gone from his heart. The longer he sang, the stronger the voice, and she heard passion that she knew wasn’t directed to her.

We’re Timeless, we’re unaffected by change…

And she knew he wasn’t hers.

~ ~ ~

As he sang the words this time, Andy felt that feeling that came over him whenever it felt as though Beth was with him. In his mind, he heard her voice singing along, and it gave him peace and the strength to go on. His heart felt full. He would always love her, but he felt her telling him that it was time. It seemed he heard her saying -
It’s
about grabbing life with both hands, taking that leap, never questioning anything and ultimately, doing what makes you happy
.
It was a gift from her –
You’ve been alone too long.
And suddenly, he sang with a new passion. He sang for the life ahead of him.

~ ~ ~

When the next song began, Dina walked behind the stage to go to the other side, where Roddy was, and Geni was alone. She looked up and saw Addy come on stage and the crowd went wild. She saw pleasure on Andy’s face as her arms went around him in a hug, and then she joined him in the song, “Won’t You.”

Won’t You - Won’t you

Take my hand
- Won’t you

Give me your heart
- Won’t you

Bare your soul
- Won’t you

Hold me
- Won’t you...

Why didn’t he tell me she’d be here?
She saw Andy slip his arm around her waist as they sang the words and saw Addy look up at him, and an unexpected, familiar smile passed his lips - a smile that said they knew each other more than the business relationship Geni thought they shared. This was more personal than casual. When the song was over, Addy kissed his cheek and slipped away to the other side of the stage. Geni felt that jealous feeling wash over her, and it got the best of her.

~ ~ ~

Geni quietly slipped away as well. She didn’t want to be there when the band left the stage. She was too caught up in the vision of them. She knew from the set list that they still had seven songs and then probably an encore. It had been so long since they’d performed together, she was sure they wouldn’t get away quickly. She knew she wasn’t ready to face Andy with the thoughts she was thinking, the feelings she felt. She wasn’t sure what any of it meant at this point.

She left the hall and hailed a cab
. In the car on the way to the flat she called the airline to book a flight and then called Thomas.

“I’m coming home. Ple
ase pick me up in Orlando at five tomorrow morning.”

“Everything OK?” Thomas asked, alarmed at the abruptness of the trip east.

“I’m not sure I know. I have to go; I need to pack.”

She asked the driver to wait while she ran in and got what she needed. It took no time, and she was back in the car on the way to Heathrow. At the check
-in counter, as she waited to get everything taken care of, her phone rang. She saw it was Andy and silenced it. She wasn’t sure what she would say when she finally spoke to him. She needed time.

Chapter Eighteen

Addy rejoined him on stage, and the band started playing music that even Carlee hadn’t ever heard before.

If I look at you across the room

With longing in my eyes

If we enjoy each other’s company,

There’s no need to wonder why
…

As Addy and Andy sang the duet, Matthew watched Carlee – tears were streaming down her cheeks. He put his arm around her, and she leaned to whisper. “He’s singing that to your mom.”

If your name comes out a whisper

If your touch should make me weak

If I think of you when I’m alone

If my voice trembles when we speak

It’s not because I’m lonely…

Addy left the stage after the song. Traveler played two more songs; Andy thanked the crowd, and the band left the stage. Backstage, he noticed Geni was absent and assumed she’d gone to the suite. He was disappointed; he wanted to share this with her. She knew the song – “It’s Not Because I’m Lonely” – was one he’d written because of her. The band returned to the stage and sang “Forbidden Place” and then, “Give Baby – Give.”

You bring it hard

Then take it away

Leaving behind a shard

A part of my heart that you led astray

You take

You take

And you take some more

Give baby – give

There’s more that I want

Don’t make me wait

You tease and you taunt

For a while, just stay

You take

You take

And you take some more

Give baby – give

Traveler. They left the stage
, and the screams and cheers brought them out once more. They sang “One for the Road,” and the guys gathered to take their final bow. The audience was wild, and the other entertainers joined Traveler on stage and sang the classic Beatles song, “With a Little Help From My Friends.”

What would you think if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song

And I'll try not to sing out of key

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

All of the performers gathered backstage, and it was chaotic. Finally, Andy asked, “Where’s Geni?”

No one knew.

“She must have gone to the suite with Carlee,” Dina said. “I walked over to talk to Roddy, and when I came back she was walking away.”

~ ~ ~

“I had so much fun tonight,” Kyliejo said at the end of the evening. Carlee watched her, noticing how tired and drawn she appeared.

“Well, superstar, we need to get you back to Royal so you can get some rest. I’ll be by tomorrow to see you and talk about this fabulous evening!” Carlee said
. Hatchet and Tamara were getting things ready as they were waiting on transport.

“She’s ‘bout out of steam tonight,” Hatchet whispered in her ear as she hugged Carlee.

As they were leaving, Johanna leaned into Carlee, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for making this so special,” and as she said the words, “she will remember this forever,” Carlee saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I love her,” Carlee whispered
, wiping away her own tears.

As they headed for the door, Kyliejo said, “Stop. I need Carlee.”

Carlee went to the side of the bed, where the little girl motioned for her to come closer. “I love you.”

“I love you right back.”

After they were gone, Carlee needed a moment to regroup. She knew everyone was waiting for them, but she needed to sit a minute. She started to cry, and Matthew saw Kimmy, the only mother that Carlee had really ever known, move to sit beside her, followed by Marissa and Jenna. There were lots of hugs as Matthew watched. Lane and Maxx joined him and Lane told Matthew, “She’s just special, always has been.”

“I only met her once
, and I feel like I’ve known her a lifetime – such a heart, that one” Paul added.

Finally, Carlee rose and reached for Matthew’s hand
, and the group was ready to head backstage.

~ ~ ~

Backstage, there was much excitement, talk, and laughter as the group joined the band backstage.

As she reached Andy, she told him how excited Kyliejo was. “She’
s tired, but she loved all of it! She was so happy, Papa. Johanna too! Thank you for all of this!”

“And you
shoulda seen Hatchet and Tamara!” Matthew said. “They had a blast!”

“Hey
y’all! I wanted to wait until everyone was here,” Addy shouted, “Have you met my fiancé?”

Everyone looked around.

“Chester’s here?” Carlee asked.

“Chester who
?” she said with a wicked laugh. “Chester wasn’t the right one, and I didn’t know that Mr. Right for me was right there all along.

Andy looked around but only saw Marco
, and as he looked, he saw a big grin creep across his face.

“What?” Andy laughed, “Get out!”

“No way!” Carlee shouted.

“
Yes, way,” Marco laughed. “While the boss was away… We’ve shared so many conversations over the years but timing was never right, I guess. When she came in telling me she cut Chester loose, we went out to dinner – one thing led to another, and well, we realized that what we felt was more than friendship.”

Everyone was sharing in the joy of the moment
, and Andy realized that he’d been distracted. He noticed that Geni hadn’t returned with Carlee and Matthew.

“Where’s Geni?”
he asked.

“She was ba
ck here with you,” Matthew said looking around to Dina, and suddenly the room was quiet.

“She left backstage a while ago
; I thought she went to the suite to join you,” Dina replied.

Andy
dialed her number, and it went to voicemail. “Where are you? Call me.”

He
dialed again a minute later. No answer. “I gotta go!” he said abruptly and turned away from the others.

“Wait, Papa. I’ll go with you,
” Carlee said. Matthew followed, as Andy led them to a waiting car.

He made a call and shouted back to the others, “There’s another car arriving in about ten minutes. I gotta go.”

There was quiet, wonder, and worry among the others as they walked away.

Finally, Kimmy said. “We should give them a few minutes to find out what’s going on before we invade their space. Let’s go to the bar at the hotel and have a drink and give them some time.”

~ ~ ~

When t
hey reached the flat, no one was there. Andy went to the bedroom and saw the imprint of a bag on the bed. He jerked the drawer to the dresser open and found her passport missing. He whipped the phone out again and dialed her number.

Carlee heard him shout, “Where in the hell are you?!” He walked to the living room where Carlee and Matthew waited, yelling, “Her passport is gone!”

“What? Why, Papa?” Carlee asked, bewildered.

“I have no fucking idea!
” He dialed her number once more, and when there was no answer, dialed Thomas. He didn’t care what time it was. “Where’s your mother?” he demanded.

“She probably just left the tarmac at Heathrow for home. What in the hell is going on?” Thomas responded in the same tone.

“I have no friggin’ clue. She was there and then she wasn’t. Just vanished. No one knew,” Andy replied in short barks.

Matthew and Carlee sat on the sofa
, anxiously waiting to find out what was going on.

“Did you quarrel?” Thomas asked.

“No! We didn’t talk. I told you, she was there and then she wasn’t. Came home and her goddamn passport was gone. What in the hell did she say when she called you?”

“That she’d land around
five and for me to pick her up. That’s all. I didn’t ask; she didn’t sound like she was ready to talk.”

~ ~ ~

After he hung up, he paced, dragging his hand through his hair, his face reddened, and finally he went to the other room. Carlee heard him on the phone but couldn’t make out what he was saying.

“Matthew, what is going on?” she asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I don’t know.”

Andy exited the room with a bag. “I gotta go. The driver will be here in about ten minutes.

“Where are you going?” Carlee asked standing in front of him sobbing.

“I’ll call you later. I love you.”

“But…”

“Carlee, I gotta go. I have to clear my head. I’ll call you,” he said and was out the door.

And she knew. He was going to the cottage.

~ ~ ~

Matthew locked up, and they made the way to their flat as the car arrived with their friends and family. They all went to the flat, and it was quiet for a while, none of them quite knowing what to say.

Finally it was Carlee who broke the ice. “Here’s the thing - I don’t w
ant this to be uncomfortable, so let’s just get this over with. This is what I know – Geni is on her way to the U.S. – we’re not sure why. Papa has gone off to clear his head - I suspect the island, but I’m not sure. That’s it. That’s all I know.”

Matthew poured wine for everyone and made an attempt to lighten the mood by talking about the concert.

~ ~ ~

Finally, exhausted
, Carlee told everyone she was ready for bed. Matthew went with her, telling the others he’d return in a few minutes.

As she crawled in, she started crying again. “This is all my fault,” she said.

“Carlee, why on earth would you think that?” he asked her.

“I encouraged this.”

“Listen to you,” he said kissing her tears away. He lay beside her and pulled her into his arms. “They’re grown people, and we don’t know what happened. It’s no one’s fault. I can’t even imagine what could be going through Mom’s head to make her act so impulsively. Jumping on a plane and running off is not the way of Genevieve Hall Davis. She’s coolheaded and refined. She doesn’t ‘run off.’ She fights. So this is a crazy something, whatever it is.”

They lay quietly until he realized she’d fallen asleep. 

~ ~ ~

“Wow,” Matthew said
when he rejoined the others.

“I guess,” Kimmy replied.

“Any thoughts?” Matthew asked as they all looked at Kimmy.

“Insecurity
is the first thing that came to my mind.”

“Not Geni Davis,” Matthew interrupted.

“Did you hear the passion in his voice when he sang “Timeless?”” Jenna asked, and they all nodded.

“You think she left over a song?”

“No,” Kimmy said. “The passion from his heart over a song that she knew was one of Beth’s favorites.”

“But…”

“I know that every time he’s sung that song since Beth died, he was singing to her, here or not. And you saw the struggle. Close your eyes and do a mental play-back; you’ll see it too.”

“Wow, Mom said they had to overcome some ‘ghosts
.’”

~ ~ ~

At two in the morning, with everyone finally gone, he dialed his mom’s number and left a message.

“It’s me. I just wanted you to know I love you and remind you that things aren’t always what they seem. Call me when you get in.”

Carlee stirred when he crawled into bed. “It was something to do with Addy,” Carlee said.

“Why do you think that?”

“When everyone was talking about it, Dina said she saw her walk away when Addy joined Papa on stage. Dina assumed she came to sit with us.”

“
They’ll figure it out, because you know, as well as I do, they love each other. You OK other than that?”

“Yes, other than whatever that was with Papa and your
mom, it was a glorious night, and I know she was tired, but Kyliejo loved it, especially when they said her name and the crowd roared. Johanna loved it too, but I think it was mostly because Kyliejo was so up. She’s really just looking tired, isn’t she?”