Hastings, page 1
BRITTANY WYNNE
The Rock On Series • Book One
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2024 Brittany Wynne
Cover Design: Murphy Rae
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author. Except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.
ISBN 979-8-9903637-1-7
Contents
Dedication
Note From The Author
Prologue
1. Chapter One
2. Chapter Two
3. Chapter Three
4. Chapter Four
5. Chapter Five
6. Chapter Six
7. Chapter Seven
8. Chapter Eight
9. Chapter Nine
10. Chapter Ten
11. Chapter Eleven
12. Chapter Twelve
13. Chapter Thirteen
14. Chapter Fourteen
15. Chapter Fifteen
16. Chapter Sixteen
17. Chapter Seventeen
18. Chapter Eighteen
19. Chapter Nineteen
20. Chapter Twenty
21. Chapter Twenty-One
22. Chapter Twenty-Two
23. Chapter Twenty-Three
24. Chapter Twenty-Four
25. Chapter Twenty-Five
26. Chapter Twenty-Six
27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Playlist - J+C
About the Author
Dedication
For my dad.
You’ve always believed in me, Daddio, and made me
believe I could chase my dreams.
P.S. Don’t read this one. As you would say, it has parts.
Note From The Author
Dear reader,
Music is a huge part of Jaxon and Cambri’s story. Each song listed was chosen carefully to convey words or emotion between them. If you aren’t familiar with a song, I encourage you to give it a listen!
I cannot wait for you to travel down this road with them. So, crank up the volume and find a cozy spot to crack this story open! Enjoy the moment. Just Today.
Rock On!
Brittany
Prologue
Cambri | Before
The wind blew through the open window in my bedroom right as I flipped my pencil around to use the eraser. Reflexively, I reached up and tucked the hair that blew in my face back behind my ear. Brushing away the pink bits that were left on the paper, I got back to it.
“You need a starting point, sweetheart,” my dad had said the night before when I told him my grand plans. I was going to apprentice at the record label and then I would start my own company, from the ground up, just like he had.
I am going to be just like him. I want to be the next Norwood that takes the music world by storm.
A knock sounded on my door right before my dad popped his head in. His eyes scanned the room, a grin stretching from ear to ear when he found me sitting at my desk. He strode over toward me, resting against the tabletop, peering down. “What do you have there?”
I gave a shrug. “My starting point.”
“Always so determined, my love.”
“If I’m going to run my own record label by the time I’m thirty-five, I am going to need a solid foundation. It’s like you always say, Daddy. Dream big. Work harder.”
He had that twinkle in his eye as he watched me move my pencil around the page. “I have no doubt that you will accomplish everything you set your mind to. I’m going to be working for you someday.” He reached over and ran his hand across my head.
“Dad,” I laughed, smoothing my hair back into place.
He crossed his arms in front of him as he chuckled. “Tell me about this starting point that you are working on.”
I opened my mouth to explain what I had been sketching in my notebook, when movement from outside my window caught my eye. My cousin Sarah was running up the lawn, waving her hand when she saw me noticing her.
I whipped my head toward my dad, and he glanced out the window before meeting my eyes with a resolved grin. He knew what I was going to ask before I even uttered a word.
“Go on. Get out of here.” He motioned with his head. “I’m just about to head down into the recording studio to listen to some new tracks that got sent over anyway.”
I was practically bouncing. I gathered my notebook and pencil and rushed toward my bedroom door, pausing before I stepped out of my room. I quickly made my way back to my dad’s side and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Daddy,” I beamed.
He held out my cell phone that I’d forgotten, and I slipped it into my pocket. “I expect a full report on your business plan later.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I couldn’t wait to show him. He never made me feel silly for having big dreams and big goals. He made me feel like I could reach the stars if I wanted to. Him and his smile that made you feel like the most important person in the room.
When I’m older, I’m going to do business exactly the way he has. He will be right by my side the entire time. He told me so.
“Love you, Cambri. Have fun with Sarah.”
“Love you too, Dad!”
I ran down the hall and the stairs. Briefly stopping in the kitchen to grab an apple for Sarah and I to take.
“Hi, Mom. Bye, Mom,” I said grabbing the fruit, carefully maneuvering one into each hand so I didn’t drop my notebook.
“Darling, where are you off to in such a hurry?” she asked with amusement in her voice.
“To the field with Sarah!” Before she could ask, I added, “Dad said it was okay.”
Her mouth closed, swallowing the question I’d already answered. “Alright. Have fun.” She grinned. “Wait. What do you have there?” she asked, noticing my notebook as I turned toward the back door.
I glanced over my shoulder. “The first phase of my business model.”
She lowered the spoon she was using to stir the pot against the rim. She was giving me that look.
“I know. I know. I’m such an old soul,” I said, adopting a British accent to give my best impression of her.
She grinned so big, her eyes got lost in her smile. Holding the spoon up like a magic wand, she moved it in the cadence of her words. “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it a thousand more.”
That’s when I realized it. Halting my forward momentum. “Are you cooking? Where’s Eliza?” My mom is a lot of things, but a chef is not one of them. My tastebuds were still recovering from the last over salting, when she attempted a birthday dinner for my dad. I shuddered at the thought.
Her shoulders dropped. “Emery is sick. She is home nursing that sweet toddler.”
I tried not to grimace, but when the fate of my meal was in my mom’s hands, that was a difficult task. She looked from me, to the spoon, and then back to me. “Pizza?” She laughed.
“Pizza.” I nodded along. My relief palpable.
Adjusting my notebook in my arms, I took a breath. “Can I go now?” I asked excitedly.
“Sometimes I don’t know where your dad stops and where you begin,” she teased. “Go have fun in the field. Be a kid!”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you, Mom,” I said, hurrying out the door.
“Love you too, Cambri,” she called out as I made my exit.
I met Sarah down at the bottom of the steps.
“What took you so long?” She asked.
“Sorry. Here, I got one for you.” I tossed her one of the apples.
Catching it, she smiled. “Thanks! Let’s go!”
We took off across the stone path until our feet hit the grass. Cutting through the crepe myrtles, we dashed toward the field, pausing near the pavilion to check on the baby bunnies we’d found a couple days ago. They looked more like furry little balls than bunnies. Satisfied that they were snuggled in well, we took the last set of steps before reaching the door that would take us to the field behind my house.
I undid the heavy iron latch and leaned into the large wooden door, pushing it open. This was our favorite way to get to the field because it felt more like we were entering a magical realm than simply a field behind my house.
We walked out the door, careful to latch it behind us, and made our way through the red oaks and into the clearing. Sarah pulled out a blanket she had in her bag and spread it out. I immediately plopped down and opened my notebook.
Sarah placed her hands on her hips. “What’s that?”
“Step one of becoming CEO of my own company one day.”
“Of course, it is,” she grinned. “Okay, fine. You work on that for a little bit and I’m going to gather us some flowers.”
“Sounds good.” I began adding to what I had been working on.
“Cool.” She danced off, gathering all the wildflowers she could find.
I worked in my notebook, my father’s words urging me on. “Go get ‘em, Cambri. Dream big. Work harder. There’s nothing you can’t achieve.” He meant it. I could tell by the way he was looking at me when he said it.
&nb
“Cambri!” Sarah said, exasperated, like this wasn’t the first time she had said my name.
I glanced up from my notebook, a smile stretching across my face. She had both her arms out, twirling in slow circles, head tilted toward the sun.
She collapsed on the blanket beside me. “Are you done yet?” She removed the crown of flowers she had made and adjusted one of the stems.
“Almost.” I hugged my notebook to me. It wasn’t ready to be shared.
Her shoulders and her head dropped. She gave me that look. The one that said she was no longer taking no for an answer.
Sarah reached out and took my pencil, setting it down on the blanket before carefully taking my notebook and closing its pages. I released it because I knew she wouldn’t look at it until I was ready to show her.
“Let’s make you one. I’ll show you how.” She placed the flower crown back on her head before reaching over to what was left of the pile of flowers she had collected earlier.
I watched her carefully choose each stem, weaving them in and out, creating my crown.
“Here.” She handed me what she had gotten started and then a couple of the spare flowers. “Now just stick them in the openings and loop around the stems until you can tuck in the last little piece. That’s the most important part. You don’t want your crown to look like it is made of thorns with all the little ends poking out.”
I did my best to follow what she had done. There was no point arguing against it. That was the thing about Sarah: she lived life and expected that I live it right along with her. She was always telling me that I was trying to grow up too fast. That I needed to slow down and enjoy right where we were.
I guess I really was an old soul. Sarah always managed to get me to take a break from my plans and live a little, as she would say.
I loved her for it.
Sometimes it felt like I didn’t know how to act my age. I certainly felt different than other kids my age. I was focused on what I wanted to become. Sarah helped make sure I lived in the moment, right where I was.
She stood up and reached down for me. I placed my hand in hers, letting her pull me to standing. She gave me a tug that almost knocked me off balance. Our eyes met and we both broke out into giggles.
She took off running, and I followed closely behind. Laughing, we ran and twirled through the field.
Eventually, we tired out and made our way back to the blanket. We landed on our backs with a whoosh. Her hand reached out for mine. I set mine on hers as I let my head fall to look at her.
She grinned.
I grinned.
“Just today,” she said, like it was a lifeline.
“Just today,” I repeated back, breathing in the moment here with her.
I hoped it was always like this. I needed it to always be like this. She made me feel alive in a way that I couldn’t seem to manage on my own.
Sarah sat up and reached over for her bag, taking out her phone and starting her current playlist. “I’ve added a few new ones that you have got to hear. They are so good.” She laid the phone between us before laying on her back, touching the top of her head to mine. I placed my hands on my chest, listening to the music she shared, thinking how much I loved this.
The music played as we watched the clouds take shape, shifting into different forms as they drifted by.
“You going to show me what you were working on?” Sarah’s voice cut through my thoughts of oddly shaped cloud creatures.
“Maybe. When it’s done.” I continued to watch the clouds, particularly enthralled by one that reminded me of one of those creepy creatures Winnie the Pooh was frightened of. What were they called again?
Sarah rolled over, making us lay side by side. “Don’t be such a nincompoop. I want to see what you were working on so hard that kept you from picking wildflowers with me.”
I eyed her, letting the silence speak for me.
“I guess I will just have to tell Ronald Asterly that you would in fact like to be his date to the ice cream social at school.”
I pushed to sitting, looking down at her with an aghast expression.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Ronald Asterly, Ron, had asked me to go to the ice cream social fundraiser at school with him a week ago. No one else my age was coupling up, yet Ronald had decided we should go together. Citing his reasoning that we were the only two redheads in our grade. Like that was a good enough reason to go to a school event with someone named Ronald, of all things.
My family’s trademark red hair had really gotten me into a pickle this time. Though I actually quite like my bright strawberry-blond hair. It is definitely more of the red hue than blond, but I am certain you couldn’t lump my red and Ronald’s red together. His was a dark sort of orange that was rather dreadful if I am being honest.
She didn’t respond.
“Sarah!” I shrieked. “You know how I detest a grouping based on something as simple as our shared hair color. Besides, it would be rather dull to attend an event with anyone but you. Plus, you know Daddy would have an absolute fit if he were to find out I was meeting a boy at the social.”
I circled my finger on the spot beside me, needing a moment to calm my racing brain before I rambled on further. “Come, have a sit, will you? Let’s talk logically about the whole sordid idea.”
“You’re doing it again.” She wore an amused grin as she pushed to sitting.
“Doing what exactly?”
“You’re starting to use more British English than American English. It always happens when you get excited or flustered after you get back from visiting your mom’s family in London."
I crossed my arms in front of me, letting out an exaggerated “Hmph.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Listen, Cambri. I won’t say anything to Ronald. I swear. I just want to see what you have been working on.” She nudged my shoulder with her own. “You know, to see what ideas are going to make you the future CEO of your own company.”
I swiveled my head her direction with a grin. “Fine. But promise you won’t laugh. It’s not done yet.”
She held out her pinky. “Pinky swear.”
I hooked my pinky with hers and then reached over for my notebook.
“Wow. This is really good!”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah! Future CEO material for sure!”
I grinned larger. “You don’t even know what it is.”
“Doesn’t matter. If you dreamed it, it will be great. I don’t know anyone else so headstrong and determined. That counts for something.”
I tucked my knees underneath me. “Well, right now I am determined that you won’t catch me.” I tagged Sarah and then pushed up and fell into a dead sprint across the field. It took mere seconds for her to follow, both of us giggling as we ran.
Her laughter stopped, gaining my attention. I turned to see Sarah slightly hunched over, grasping at her chest.
“Sarah?” I took a step toward her. “Sarah!” I ran back to her side, grabbing onto her for support while she took a shallow breath. “Hold on. Stay right here. I’m going to call for help!”
Frantically, I ran over to grab my cell phone, fingers fumbling as I tried to navigate to my dad’s name. He answered almost immediately.
“Daddy. It’s Sarah. We are in the field back behind the house. Out the left door. Hurry! Please.”
Sarah had had episodes before, but something in my gut told me this one was different.
When the ambulance arrived, they tried to separate us, but they couldn’t remove me from her side. I rode in the ambulance the entire way to the hospital, her hand in mine.
“Cam, tell me about your company. The one you are going to build.”
“I don’t care about the stupid company. I just want you to shake this off, okay?”
“I will,” she grimaced. “I just want you to help take my mind off it until I do. Okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” I nodded several times, trying to piece my thoughts together. I didn’t like seeing her like this. My larger-than-life cousin, my best friend. Seeing her strapped to a gurney was terrifying.
