Melody, page 5
I clap my hands together. “That’s wonderful. If Maddie goes, she and I can room together.”
Except…then I won’t have a place to be alone with Jesse. But I’ll worry about that later. Having Maddie along on the tour will give me some leverage. She’ll want someone her own age around to hang out with. Or she will, once I tell her how fun it will be.
“Yeah, of course you could.” Rory smiles.
“But,” Brock says, “Maddie didn’t graduate early. She has to get back by the end of January to start her second semester of her last year of college.”
“Right… Well, if you just tell me all the places you’re staying while you’re on tour, I’ll book a room at the same places.”
“You’ll have to have your own room,” Rory says. “I’m the only woman in the band, and of course I’ll be bunking with Brock.”
“Right.” Brock gives her a sultry stare.
I hold back a sly smile. That works just perfectly for me.
“So you’re okay with me coming along?” I ask.
“Sure I am,” Rory says. “But I’ll have to ask the guys.”
An idea pops into my head. “What if I went along as an influencer? Or your social media manager? I have a pretty large following on Instagram and some of the other apps. I could take photos and give the band some great publicity.”
“Brianna,” Brock says, “the band is already getting great publicity. They’re opening for Emerald Phoenix.”
I sigh, biting my lip. I can’t tell the truth—that I’m going on the tour to get Jesse Pike to fall in love with me.
What if he doesn’t?
Well… If he doesn’t…I come home. I come home, patch up my broken heart, and take my place at Dad’s side in the orchard.
But I have to try. And if it doesn’t work out, I get to see some amazing concerts and a lot of Europe.
“Brianna,” Brock says, “why don’t you just tell us the truth? You want to come along.”
A chill hits the back of my neck. Does Brock know about my feelings for Jesse? Or does he suspect? I may as well just admit the truth—or part of it.
“All right. I give. I want to come along.”
Rory smiles then. “I think it would be lovely for you to come along. In truth, I wish Maddie could come along with you for the whole tour. In fact, I wonder…” She tilts her head.
“What are you thinking?” Brock asks.
Rory grabs Brock’s hand. “It would be a really awesome opportunity for Maddie. I mean, when else could she see so much of Europe with her family? Maybe she’d be willing to put off her last semester of college. That way, she and Brianna could room together, and neither one of them would be alone.”
Damn it. I like Maddie and all, but having a roommate wasn’t in my plans. Still, I force a smile. “That’s a perfect solution. I bet Maddie would love to come.”
“It would entail her going back to school in the fall and then graduating in December,” Rory says.
“I’m not sure she’d be up for it,” I say.
Seriously, why would she want to miss her last semester? I may get my private room after all.
“Well, we can ask her.”
“What if she doesn’t want to come? Can I still go?”
Now I’m acting too eager. Be cool, Bree.
“I’ll have an easier time selling it to the guys if Maddie comes along,” Rory says. “But honestly, it’s a free world, Bree. I can easily give you the names of our hotels, and you can book a room. No one’s stopping you. I just can’t guarantee you’d be able to ride with us to all the gigs and stuff.”
“I never saw you as a groupie anyway, cuz.” Brock laughs.
“Riding with the band would be fun,” I say. “I’d love to be able to do that.”
“Then to get Jesse and the guys on board with that, we probably need Maddie to come. Jesse’s very protective, and he wouldn’t want you going along with the band unchaperoned.”
Ha! Jesse could be my chaperone. I’d love that. However, that’s not the way to get him to agree. “But I wouldn’t be unchaperoned, Rory. You’ll both be there, and Brock is my cousin.”
“She makes a good point,” Brock says.
Rory scratches the side of her head. “Yeah… That unchaperoned argument wasn’t really working with me anyway. The truth of the matter is, Brianna, I don’t know how the guys are going to react to this. Let me talk to Jesse and bring the idea up to Maddie as well. We’ll try to get it to work out.”
“I would love it if it could. This is a perfect opportunity for me to see Europe before I start working full time on the ranch. I’m a huge fan of Emerald Phoenix, and an even bigger fan of Dragonlock. So please, please make this work out.”
Damn, Bree. Don’t be so over eager. Of course my advice to myself is too late.
“I’ll do my best,” Rory says.
“Thanks.” I give her a hug.
“Tell you what,” she says. “All the guys are coming over for rehearsal. In fact, they’re probably already here. If you want, we can talk about it to them right now.”
“Maybe we should talk to Maddie first. Is she home?”
“Yeah, she’s home. I think she’s up in her room reading.”
I stop myself from jumping. “I’ll go see her right now. I know I can talk her into this.”
I race up the few steps to the main level, and then down the hallway to Maddie’s room. I knock on the door.
“Yeah, come in.”
I open the door. Maddie’s lying on her bed on her stomach, her head hanging over the edge of the bed, a book on the floor before her. Her bed is adorned with pillows and a cozy leopard-print duvet. Her bedside table holds a stack of well-loved books, a reading lamp, and a small potted plant. It’s some kind of cactus. Her walls are oddly bare except for a corkboard where she’s pinned what appear to be inspirational quotes.
“I am an outsider looking in, absolutely.” — David Bowie
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” — Dr. Seuss
“The worst part about feeling like you don’t belong is trying to find a place to belong.” — Trent Shelton
Interesting. My parents are big David Bowie fans, and of course I know Dr. Seuss, but I’ve never heard of Trent Shelton.
“Hey, Mads.”
She cocks her head toward my voice. “Brianna? What are you doing here?”
“Who’s Trent Shelton?”
“What?”
“The quote on your board.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks redden. “He’s a former NFL player. He’s… He’s a big name in motivation and personal development. That kind of stuff. What’s up?”
“I was talking to Rory and Brock, and we had this fabulous idea. I want to run it by you.”
“Yeah, okay. What?”
“How would you like to take next semester off?”
She moves into a sitting position on her bed. “Why would I do that? It’s my senior year. I know you don’t mind missing all the parties and fun, but I don’t want to.”
I walk toward Maddie and sit on the bed next to her. “Wouldn’t it be more fun to go to Europe? With the band?”
She stares at me intently. “Why would I want to do that?”
“You’re already going for a few weeks, to the UK with Donny and Callie.”
“Yeah.” She breathes in. “I am looking forward to that. But I’ll be back in time to start second semester.”
“Mads, think of it. Sure, you’ll miss all the parties, but I’m missing them too.”
“That was your choice, Bree.”
“I know. But if we go on tour with the band, you’ll be with me.”
“The band is my brother. And sister. And cousin.”
“But three members of Emerald Phoenix aren’t spoken for. And we’ll be in Europe, meeting European men.”
That gets her attention. “All right. Keep talking.”
“I’d really like to go, but Brock and Rory think they’ll be able to sell it to the guys better if you come along. The two of us could room together.”
“I’m not a groupie, Bree.”
“Neither am I.”
She laughs then. A scoffing laugh. “Are you kidding me? I’ve seen how you hang around my brother and the guys over at Murphy’s. You, Gina, and Sage are total groupies.”
I’m not sure how I can retaliate on that one. She’s completely right.
“Okay, so I’m a little bit of a groupie. But that’s not why I want to go on this tour. This is a chance to see Europe, Maddie. I’ll be paying for my own room, so you can stay there free of charge.”
“My parents wouldn’t like that.”
I shrug. “Your parents don’t have to know. As far as they’re concerned, the band is paying for everything.”
“They would know better than that.”
I sigh. “All right, Mads. What will it take—right now—for you to do this? Anything within my power, and it’s yours.”
She closes her book and scrambles off her bed, standing.
“Tell me. Tell me right now. Are you after my brother?”
I blink. “Of course not.”
That’s a lie. But I said I’d do what’s in my power. I didn’t say I’d be completely truthful.
“Do you have any interest in him whatsoever?”
“I think he’s good-looking. I think he’s mega talented. But he’s thirty-two years old, Mads.”
I feel my nose growing by the second.
“What about my cousin?”
“Cage? Of course not.”
No nose enlargement on that one. Cage is handsome, but Jesse is…out of this world.
Maddie sits back down on the bed next to me. She doesn’t say anything for a few minutes.
I rack my brain, trying to come up with something else to nudge her—
“All right. I think it could be fun. Just you and me.”
Yes!
I grab her hands to stop myself from jumping up from the bed in joy. “Absolutely. It’ll be a blast.”
She looks down at her lap. “To tell the truth, I’ve always felt kind of left out of the awesome foursome.”
Hmm. Those inspirational quotes are making some more sense. How could I—and Angie, Sage, and Gina—be so obtuse? “You know you’re an honorary member, Mads. If it weren’t for you, there would be no awesome foursome. You came up with that term.”
“I know. But you guys forget about me so much of the time. The four of you head out to Murphy’s, and you don’t think to invite me.”
“But we won’t have to worry about that if we’re in Europe, will we?”
Maddie rolls her eyes. “You’re not getting it.”
She’s right. I’m not approaching this well at all. If she feels left out, I need to show her she’s important to me. It’s not even a lie. She’s very important to me. She always has been.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way. I’ll do better.”
She huffs. “I need to get over it anyway. I’m twenty-two years old. A grown-up. Time to let go of this petty jealousy.”
I squeeze her hand. “This is a perfect opportunity for you and me to do something together. Without the others. It would be a total blast for us to see Europe.”
“Yeah. It might be. I still have to find money for a plane ticket.”
“You don’t need to find money for a plane ticket. You’re already flying out with Donny and Callie. Just change the dates.”
“It’s more than the dates, Bree. I’d have to change the return plans. I think the tour ends in Paris.”
“That’s true. But you can still change it. I’ll help. All we need is a computer and your confirmation code.”
“And extra money. I can’t ask my parents for anything extra. They’re already strapped.”
I can’t offer to pay for any change fees. She’ll take that the wrong way. But I’m going to make sure she goes. I feel terrible that she’s felt left out of the awesome foursome. The four core members are all family, so we don’t always think about outsiders.
I’ll do better.
Perhaps she and I can become closer in Europe.
“Plus,” she continues, “I have to check with the university. I’m on scholarship. What if they’re not willing to extend it to the next semester?”
“Why wouldn’t they be?”
“Because, Brianna, sometimes money doesn’t grow on trees. Sometimes money is available for a specified time period, and that’s it.” She huffs, her shoulders stiff.
Uh-oh. I may have just blown it.
“I know that, Maddie.” I push my hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Sometimes I don’t think about money.”
“You never think about money, Bree. None of the awesome foursome ever thinks about money. Right now, my family is in a bind. We lost most of our livelihood in that fire. Rory and Jesse are hoping to help out with the money they make from this tour.”
“Callie and Rory are engaged to my brother and my cousin. You guys don’t have to worry about money ever again.”
She scoffs. “Brianna Steel, you just don’t get it, and you never will.”
Damn.
How can I make this happen?
I rise, walk to the doorway of her bedroom, and then turn. “I see. Well, it would’ve been fun, Maddie. Maybe we could have gotten closer if we went to Europe together.”
Maddie claps her hands to the sides of her head. “For the love of God, Brianna, it’s not that I don’t want to go. There are just some things I have to look into. I’m not you. I can’t just decide something and then snap my fingers.”
“I can’t decide by snapping my fingers either, Maddie. If you don’t go, I’m not going to get to go.”
She shakes her head. “I should’ve known. You just want to use me.”
Now I feel lower than a sewer rat. “That’s not true, and you know it. We’ve been friends forever.”
“Yeah. Friends.” Maddie crosses her arms and drops her gaze to her hardwood floor. “But not family.”
I take a few steps back toward Maddie’s bed. “We’re going to be family. Callie’s marrying my brother. Rory’s marrying my cousin.”
And I’ll marry your brother someday.
“Yeah, right. That doesn’t make all the times you and the rest of the awesome foursome left me out of everything hurt any less.”
“I’ve already explained. None of us knew that, Maddie. We would never hurt you intentionally.”
“I’d like to think you wouldn’t.”
I sit back down next to Maddie. “Listen. How can I make this up to you? Even if you don’t want to go to Europe, I want to make it up to you.”
“The past is in the past,” she says. “And you’re not going back to school. It’s probably up to the other three.”
“Well… If you look into coming to Europe on the tour with me, I’ll try to make it up to you there. I’ll always ask you what you want to do.”
Maddie shakes her head. “Bree, that’s not what I want. It’s not all about me. I just don’t want to feel like the fifth wheel anymore.”
“In Europe with me, you won’t be the fifth wheel. You’ll be the sister of the two lead singers in the band. I’ll be the odd man out.”
She cocks her head.
For God’s sake… That’s what’s getting to her?
The Pikes are good people, and Madeline is a nice girl. I honestly always thought we were friends, and I never knew she felt so left out with Angie, Sage, Gina, and me. I vow right now to make it up to her, whether she goes to Europe or not.
“I would like to see Europe, and I know my parents would be much more comfortable if Rory and Jesse were there.”
“See? It’s a great idea all the way around.”
“All right. I’ll look into it. But I’m not making any promises.”
“That’s all I ask.” I give her a quick hug. “I have to go. Would you like to go get a drink later at Murphy’s?”
“With everyone else?”
“No. I thought maybe you and I could get one together.”
She cracks a small smile. “Yeah, Bree. I’d like that.”
Chapter Ten
Jesse
“Great rehearsal, guys.”
Rory clears her throat at me.
“Oh, and Rory.”
“Rory is one of the guys,” my cousin Cage says.
“She doesn’t look like a guy from where I’m standing,” Brock says, eyeing her.
Damn. The way the Steel men look at my sisters is enough to make insects crawl up my spine. First Donny with Callie and then Brock with Rory.
But Callie and Rory are both in love, and from what I can tell, Donny and Brock feel the same way about them.
My sisters could do worse, for sure.
Maddie comes traipsing into the garage. “You guys done?”
“Yeah, we are,” Rory says.
“Good. I have something to ask you.”
“What’s that, sis?” I ask.
“Brianna Steel was just here, and she thought it would be fun if the two of us came on tour with you guys.”
Rory and Brock exchange a glance.
Apparently they know something I don’t.
“Don’t you have another semester at school?” I ask.
“Yeah, but I only have one class I absolutely have to take. For the rest, I was going to take some easy electives. In fact…I could probably take an online class to satisfy requirements for graduation, and we’d be back in time for me to walk for spring commencement.”
“But it’s your last semester,” I say. “I know Brianna decided to skip it, but you and the rest of the Steel girls were looking forward to your last semester with your sororities and all that other shit I don’t understand.”
Rory punches me in the arm. “That stuff is important to college girls, Jess.”
“Then why are you willing to miss it?” I ask Maddie.
“It was just a thought.” She turns. “If you don’t want me there—”
I grab her arm so she turns back around to face me. “Maddie, it’s not that I don’t want you there. It’s just that I’m surprised you want to go, given that it’s your last hurrah at college. Plus…since when are you and Brianna so close?”
