The Greatest Show (Willow Son #5/Brothers of Rock #20) (4 page)

“
Someone
is here to see you. She
’
s
willing to get arrested to see you. She swears she knows you. She, uh, well
…
she
’
s got a convincing story.
”

With his fingers still in position
to strum the G chord, Brantley watched as Emma stepped onto the bus.

“
Sexy
moves
?
”
he asked.

She smiled.
“
Hey.
”

“
What
the hell are you doing here?
”
he asked. He stood up and put the guitar down.

“
I
’
m stalking you,
”
she said.

“
That
’
s weird,
”
Harry said.

“
Harry,
go away,
”
Brantley said.

“
Good
luck,
”
Harry said.

“
I
’
m sorry to do this,
”
Emma said.
“
I just
…”

“
You
left,
”
Brantley said.

“
As
opposed to what? Staying with you?
”

“
Sure.
We could have gotten breakfast.
”

Emma laughed.
“
Sure thing. I thought that would
make it easier. I figured that was your style.
”

“
Maybe,
yeah. But you
’
re here now.
”

“
Yes,
I am,
”
Emma said.
“
Can you sit down?
”

“
Can
you get closer to me?
”
Brantley asked.
“
I
’
ve been hoping to see you again
for a long time,
sexy moves
.
”

Emma got closer. But she was
hesitant.

Brantley looked to her left hand,
wondering if there was going to be a ring on her finger. Not that it mattered.
They hadn
’
t seen each other
in a couple months. Even then, it was a one night stand. No big deal.

“
What
’
s going on?
”
he asked.
“
Are you okay?
”

“
I
’
m not exactly sure,
”
Emma said.
“
Sit down.
”

Brantley sat down.

He watched as Emma
’
s eyes dropped. She looked
terrified of something.

“
Hey,
”
he said.
“
Is that asshole out there? Are
you with him?
”

Emma shook her head.
“
No. I
’
m here
…”

Before finishing her sentence, Emma
reached into her bag.

She plopped down a picture in front
of Brantley.

It took Brantley a few seconds to
realize what he was looking at.

At first, it looked like static.

But it wasn
’
t static.

It was a baby.

(6)

*NOW*

Emma didn
’
t even want coffee. She would have preferred a
stiff drink. But she wasn
’
t
comfortable drinking in front of Cassie. Cassie was the happily married with
two kids sort of a best friend that lived down the block. Her mother was a
widow and had a major crush on Emma
’
s
father. The whole thing was weird, trying to play matchmaker for her own
father. But he was far from interested, even if he did help Cassie
’
s mother out whenever she
needed.

“
So
what comes next?
”
Cassie
asked.

“
We
wait,
”
Emma said.
“
He
’
s
going to need the transfusion. Just to try and boost him up a little. That
’
s the hell of this. He can be
fine one second, sick the next, and the medicines kill the infection, but they
also do more damage to his system. It
’
s
like he
’
s just bouncing in
the middle. I hate it.
”

“
I
hate it too,
”
Cassie said.
“
More coffee?
”

“
No.
I
’
m done.
”

“
Are
you sure you
’
re okay alone?
”

“
Cassie,
I
’
m fine. I
’
m happy to be home. Finally.
Being in the hospital sucks. I can
’
t
imagine what it
’
s like for
Seth. He
’
s so brave though.
I think he
’
s just used to
it all by now.
”

“
He
’
s got you for a mother,
”
Cassie said.
“
Of course he
’
s tough.
”

“
Thanks.
”

Cassie finished her coffee. She
then took a piece of a sticky bun and ate it. Cassie could never come over
without bringing food. It was just her thing.

She had moved into the neighborhood
with her husband, Ted. Ted was two years older than Emma and went to the same
school that Emma did. Cassie was from Oregon.

“
I
can stay here. I
’
ll tell
Ted. As long as I
’
m back
before he goes to work tomorrow.
”

“
I
’
m fine here,
”
Emma said.
“
It
’
s
my house. I grew up here. I
’
m
not worried.
”

Her father had given her the house
two years ago when Emma tried to move out. He preferred a smaller place and
lived above the bar he owned. It pained Emma to see all that happen, but her
father insisted upon it. A friend of the family fixed up the house with some
needed repairs, including the upstairs, allowing Emma to turn her childhood
room into a master bedroom.

Life was good and life was simple
…
right until something happened
with Seth. When he got sick, it was like the world stopped.

“
I
just need a good night
’
s
rest here,
”
Emma said.

Cassie reached across the table and
took Emma
’
s hand.
“
You know, it
’
s never really come up between
us, but maybe it
’
s time to
talk to his father. He might be a match.
”

“
I
agree,
”
Emma said.

“
You
never talked about it.
”

“
It
’
s complicated.
”

“
I
understand. I
’
m not asking,
Emma, but if you need someone to talk to.
”

“
He
’
s a traveling kind of person. So
it
’
s not like he lives in
the next town. I
’
ve been in
contact and all I can do is wait. Wait and take care of my son.
”

“
What
about Ricky?
”

Emma scoffed.
“
He never got it. He really
thought he could somehow be Seth
’
s
father. But the weird thing was he never took care of Seth. I think he just
wanted to find a way to force himself on me. You know?
”

“
That
’
s not right.
”

“
No.
And I think he told people he was Seth
’
s
father. Like blood related. So when he couldn
’
t
help Seth
…
you know, he got
so angry, I almost took it as a romantic thing. Like he was genuinely upset.
The truth was that he was embarrassed by it. I haven
’
t heard from him in days and I have no intention of
talking to him right now. I can
’
t
have that in my life. Or Seth
’
s
life. It
’
s weird.
”

“
Well,
if you need help with anything. I mean anything. You just call me. I
’
ve got room at my house. I can
stay here. I can beat someone up for you. I keep a baseball in my trunk.
”

“
You
’
re the creepiest woman I know,
”
Emma said with a grin.
“
You bring sticky buns and have a
baseball bat in your trunk.
”

Cassie stood up.
“
Don
’
t forget that either.
”

Emma walked Cassie to the door.
They hugged and Emma finally got relief. There were plenty of times when being
alone hurt her. Lots of long and lonely nights scarred her heart but tonight,
she welcomed it. She crashed to the couch and traveled back in time. Her days
of rock n
’
roll journalism
were short lived. Now she worked as an editor, able to do most of her work from
home, and make a small enough living to keep the lights on. She worked the bar
on the weekends with her father, either having Cassie help with Seth or friends
of the family did.

Lately, it had been hard to do
though. It seemed every cut or cough with Seth turned into a hospital trip. The
poor kid didn
’
t deserve
that kind of life. Emma blamed herself for it. Always being on the run in life.
That night with Brantley. Getting pregnant. Still going to concerts and trying to
be defiant about her career. She never put herself or her baby in danger
…
but still
…

The doctors told Emma - hell, they
insisted over and over - that there was nothing she could have done to prevent
Seth
’
s condition.

Still, she was his mother. That came
with  the entitlement to guilt, right?

Emma went upstairs to check on
Seth. It was his first night without machines hooked up to him. She told
herself she wasn
’
t going to
obsessively check on him. She wasn
’
t
going to be in fear and panic. But she had just spent how many days and nights
smiling and acting tough in front of her sick son?

Inching into the room, Emma
realized Seth was used to people checking on him. He didn
’
t wake up when the nurses
checked on him. Emma stood at the side of the bed and stared at Seth. For a
split second she swore she didn
’
t
see his dinosaur blanket rise and fall with one of his breaths. She tore the
blanket off him and put her hand to his chest, the other to his stomach. His
heart beat just fine and he took a breath, just fine.

Emma ended up on her knees, gently
touching Seth
’
s neck to
count his pulse. He was taking big and clear deep breaths. No crud in his nose
or down in his chest. He was actually healthy for once.
For now.

Seth
’
s
eyes flickered and he looked at Emma.
“
Mommy?
”

“
Sorry,
baby,
”
she whispered.
“
I was just checking on you. Get
some sleep.
”

“
Mommy,
I
’
m happy I
’
m home now.
”

“
Me
too, Seth.
”

“
I
want to stay home, Mommy.
”

Emma felt her throat tighten. She
leaned forward and kissed Seth
’
s
forehead.
“
Just get some sleep.
We
’
ll talk and play in the
morning.
”

Seth already had his eyes shut and
was sleeping again.

Emma fell back to her butt and sat
against the nightstand. One of Seth
’
s
tiny hands hung from the bed. She reached for it and held his hand. Tears
streamed down her cheeks as she tried to keep it together.

We had an arrangement. It was
weird. It was maybe wrong. But it worked. I was never going to hold him back or
get in his way. He always knew the door would be open.

Right now, Emma needed him to walk
through that door.

She needed to be saved.

Their son needed to be saved.

Emma forced herself to leave the
room. She believed in vibes. Good vibes brought good things and bad vibes
brought bad things. Her father joked with her and told her it was all just
hippie shit.

Either way, Emma wasn
’
t going to sit there and cry for
Seth. Seth was the brave one. The strong one. He was the one sleeping, wanting
to wake up and have waffles with extra syrup and watch his favorite cartoons.

Back downstairs, Emma went to the
dining room table. She cleaned up the coffee mugs and spotted her cellphone on
the counter. She pressed a button and the screen came to life.

There was a missed call.

No voicemail.

There was also a text message
…
from the same number that
called.

Hey, it
’
s Brantley. We should
talk.

**

Brantley drank until he was full.
By full, that meant drunk. The guys helped him up and carried him out of the
bar. The night of music had been amazing, but it didn
’
t help the emptiness he felt.

They got him back to his place and
dropped him into bed.

They all left the room except for
Colby.

“
Brother,
I
’
m putting a trashcan next
to the bed. I
’
m going to
sleep on the couch in case you need me.
”

“
No,
”
Brantley said.
“
No, man. Go home. Go to Tessa.
Take care of her.
”

“
Ah,
shit,
”
Colby said. He sat
down on the bed.
“
You
’
re feeling it, brother. I get
that. You admitted a lot of stuff to us. I appreciate that. But you know what
comes next. That
’
s it. I
’
m not going to force you. The
band isn
’
t going to force
you. You can
’
t use the studio
and touring as an excuse for anything. Not when it
’
s family. And you have a son. That
’
s family.
”

“
I
just assumed it,
”
Brantley
said.
“
That he
’
s mine. I trusted her so much
without
…
does that make me
wrong to think that now?
”

“
Probably.
But if you feel otherwise, do something about it. Talk to her about it. Get
your shit together, bro.
”

“
I
will. Give me my phone.
”

“
Right
now?
”

“
Better
late than never.
”

“
Christ,
man. You
’
re full of
something.
”

Brantley reached for Colby.
“
I love you, man.
”

“
I
love you too. Now figure this out. There
’
s
a kid out there and he
’
s
sick.
”

Brantley took the phone and Colby
left.

That
’
s
when Brantley sent a message. He had no idea what time it was or if it was too
late to text her. All these years of communicating through Harry. That was
wrong. Everything about it was wrong.

It took a little while, but a reply
came through.

Seeing it made Brantley sit up and
suddenly feel sober.

Hey. Let
’
s talk.

A minute later, Brantley called
her.

He was actually calling Emma.

After all these years.

She picked up and the sound of her
voice made his heart instantly race.

“
Hey.
”

“
Oh,
damn,
”
Brantley said.
“
Sexy moves
…
”

“
Are
you drunk?
”

“
Yeah.
”

“
Oh.
”

“
What?
”