Laying it Bare Backstage (Laying it Bare #10)

Six | ~ Teak ~

Six

~ Teak ~

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F or the past two hours or so, I had been slouched in my writing chair with my guitar and phone at the ready, busy working on the song I had started yesterday and was making decent progress. Some of the melody wasn’t flowing quite right, but more of the pieces were coming together. Even though Serenity was at work, my thoughts still drifted to her. And this probably sounded really strange, but the house seemed unusually quiet with her not being here. Not that she ever made noise while I was working – the complete opposite really; she made sure I didn’t hear her at all no matter if she was inside watching television or reading or busy in the kitchen or heading out to my deck. But I could feel that she wasn’t here. And that might have been more distracting than actually having her here. I shook my head at my nonsense. But I couldn’t help it. I loved her and she was already a huge part of my life.

Alright, I needed to focus my attention on my lyrics. She’d be home in the afternoon. Then my house would feel normal again. I chuckled to myself. Maybe I needed to write a song about that. While I was reading over the lyrics I had just jotted down, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Serenity. Maybe she had changed her mind about going to lunch with her co-workers and had wanted to meet me somewhere. Smiling, I hit accept on my screen.

“Hey, Sweetheart.”

“Hey.” Something was off in her voice and I immediately tensed. Had she been harassed again? Or did the cops find something?

“Don’t freak out. I’m okay. But could you come get me at the emergency room?”

“What happened?” My heart leapt into my throat as my heart pounded against my rib cage. Worse case scenarios tore through my mind for several long beats before I was able to force out a moderately calming breath. And then another one. After all, she was talking to me so that was a good sign. Right? And asking me to come get her; not telling me she had been admitted to the hospital.

“I was hit broadside at the intersection not far from the house and because I had been knocked unconscious the ambulance brought me to the hospital. But I’ve been released.”

Relief washed over me, but fear still constricted my chest, making it difficult to take my next breath. I wouldn’t be able to suck in a deep one until I saw her with my own eyes to see for certain she was okay. “I’m leaving now.” Rushing out of my office and to my front door, I grabbed my keys on the way and then sprinted to my car. After slipping inside my SUV, I took in a few steadying breaths. It would do me no good to get involved in an accident and not be able to get her. Convinced I was as calm as I could manage, I headed down to the gate and out onto the main road. During the drive, my thoughts whirled in my mind. Was this connected to the other happenings? Or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? I didn’t believe for a second that she was a careless driver, but you couldn’t control other drivers.

About thirty minutes later, I pulled into a spot down from the entrance to the hospital. Then I raced down the sidewalk to the main doors. Stepping inside, my eyes anxiously darted around the waiting area. Serenity was sitting in one of the plastic chairs staring at the television on the opposite wall. Not giving it much thought that it was a hospital setting, I rushed over to her. When I got to her seat, I gently pulled her into my arms and hugged her to my chest, kissing the top of her head. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She had bruises all along her left arm and a huge one on her left cheek and a bump on her forehead. Although the fact that she was just involved in a car accident, her injuries could have been a lot worse. However, I didn’t like seeing her in any pain, but I’d take the bruises over broken bones . . . or even worse. Fuck, I shook that disturbing thought the hell away.

“Just a little sore and probably have a mild concussion, but I just want to go home.” Hearing her use the word home did crazy things to my heart. But now wasn’t the time to rejoice in that. I needed to take care of my girl.

Cuddling her to my side, I walked her out to my car. Once I got her situated, I hopped in the other side and drove us home.

When we got to the house, I led her into the living room and I sat down on the couch with her on my lap.

Locking her eyes with mine, she gave me a small smile. “You have work to do. I’m okay. Don’t let me keep you from that.”

Some of her hair had worked loose from her pony tail, so I tucked it behind her ear. “First of all, we’re going to have a little bit of lunch, if you’re up to eating anything. And I need to hold you for a bit to reassure myself you are okay.” I kissed the top of her head. “Did the police get your statement?” This time they better get some answers. Unlike the last few incidents. “Do you know if any witnesses gave them any information?”

“The police talked to me for a little bit and told me they’d call me if they needed any additional information and one of the officers gave me his card. They talked to the witnesses and got the license number and stuff, but no one got a good look at the driver. The person was wearing a hoodie and sunglasses. And the car had been reported stolen around five o’clock this morning. Because of that, they can’t connect the person by the car he or she was driving. Unless they get a lead on that incident.” She released a long breath and placed her head on my shoulder.

“Are you hungry for some lunch? And then you can curl up on the couch while I get back to work.” I ran my hand up and down her back.

“Maybe I could eat a little something. Oh, and I had my car towed to your buddy Simon’s garage. Since you use him, I know he can be trusted. And I’ll pay. He was just who I thought of when I was asked. And I guess I’ll have to contact him to see what to do about the car. I don’t know if it can be fixed or if it’s totaled. I’ll have to have him get it to a repair shop.”

I wasn’t going to argue with her about payment. I’d call him after we ate and I got her settled on the couch and tell him to tell her he was giving her a discount, but in reality I would be paying for most of that bill. I would also be helping her take care of any repair bills or finances for a new car if needed. I’d discuss that with her later, since she was bound to put up an argument about that too and I didn’t want her doing that while she wasn’t feeling well. I was sure she got pain medication at the hospital, but right now she needed food and then rest before they started to wear off.

After our lunch of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, I grabbed a blanket from my hallway closet and handed it to Serenity. “Do you need anything else? And if you need something later, you don’t have to get up, just text me. You’re not bugging me. I know you wouldn’t interrupt unless absolutely necessary. So don’t feel bad if you need me.” I placed a kiss on her forehead. “Do you need me to contact your workplace for you? I know you missed a meeting today and I don’t want them to think you just didn’t show up for work.”

“No. I talked to Corinne after I called you and explained what had happened. It was recommended I rest for now and then ease back into computer usage. I told her I’d FaceTime them tomorrow morning to catch up on what I missed today. And I’d try to get some work done after that if the screen doesn’t bother me. If it causes me discomfort or brings on a headache, I’ll take some sick time. But we’re just going to take it day by day for a few days. I’m good for now. Go get back to work. I’ve already kept you from it long enough today. Don’t let me get in the way of your progress.”

Fuck that. She would never be in the way. And if it got to the point where I was concerned I wasn’t going to have enough tracks ready for the album in time, I’d figure something out. I had dated in the past, but never really had a girlfriend who hung out at my house or temporarily moved in with me so I wasn’t sure of the code of behavior. I didn’t want to smother her or hover, but I also was itching to hold her until she fell asleep. I wanted to take care of her.

“You are not a hindrance to my work; you are my girlfriend. And I want to be here for you. You’ve been in an accident and if I’m being honest; I really would like to curl you onto my lap until you fall asleep. But I don’t want to come on too strong. Our relationship is really new. I’ve dated, but you are my first serious girlfriend. That being the case, I’m just winging it here and going with my gut.”

She shot me a dazzling smile. “I would have never guessed this was unfamiliar territory for you. You’re doing a great job. In fact, I think you’re pretty perfect. Granted my last one was a sleaze, but from everything I’ve read and witnessed with how couples should treat one another, you’re more than I could have ever wished for.”

Considering the morning Serenity had, I was convinced she’d be fast asleep in less than ten minutes. Although I would hold her as long as she needed. Sitting down beside her, I pulled her onto my lap and cuddled her head into the crook of my neck. I wanted to make her feel safe. However, I wasn’t sure I could do anything to give her a complete sense of security. Frustratingly, that was out of my control. But I’d be making a phone call to the police after I took care of her car issue. I was thankful she had dropped the officer’s card onto my coffee table because I would never betray her trust by rummaging through her purse. Even if I was only searching for something so that I could help her.

Winding her arms around my neck, she played with the strands of hair at my nape, as she curled in closer to me.

I wrapped one of my hands around the back of her head and massaged her scalp, while my other hand trailed up and down her spine. Then I rained gentle kisses onto the top of her head and the temple that wasn’t pressed against my throat. Her content sighs caused my heart to squeeze and my dick to twitch. I’d be really pissed if he poked at her bottom and disturbed her rest. But I guess I really couldn’t fault him; he was as enamored by her as I was.

As expected, less than ten minutes later, her breathing grew even and her fingers at my nape grew limp. I didn’t want to let her go, but I knew she’d be more comfortable snuggled on the couch rather than on my lap, propped against my chest. Although it really pleased me that she was so at ease she was able to fall asleep. That being in my arms brought her contentment.

After kissing the top of her head again, I very carefully slid her from my lap and softly lay her onto the couch. Grabbing the blanket from beside us, I covered her and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Snatching the officer’s card from the coffee table, I retreated to my office to make a few phone calls before getting back to my songs. Once inside, I dialed Simon and requested he send me a bill for most of the towing charges and the remaining balance to Serenity with a note stating she got a discount so she wouldn’t know I had helped her out. I was well aware I shouldn’t lie to her about that, but I knew she’d argue about allowing me to help her with the car repair payments, so I figured I’d have better success if I only had to do one battle. Besides, she was my girlfriend and I was going to take care of her. She had had a long string of bad luck since meeting me and I didn’t like the eerie feeling that conjured. After I had Simon settled with that request, I asked him to do what he could with her car and let me know what he determined. Once I hung up with Simon, I dialed the number on officer Tag Monroe’s card. Surprisingly he answered, but he kept the conversation short. Which I understood and respected. And I appreciated that he gave me a brief run-down of things. They were treating the incident as a hit and run as of now, but were also investigating the stolen car so that they could then question the driver. Even though I was frustrated, I recognized that Serenity and I were putting things together that didn’t have an evidence based connection. But I was irritated all the same. However, I was courteous and thanked him for his time and information.

Finished with my calls, I headed back out to the living room to check on Serenity. She hadn’t moved a muscle– but I hadn’t expected her to – and was still sleeping peacefully, her hands curled under her chin. I still counted my lucky stars I had stepped out into the hallway after my concert at that particular moment. I hadn’t been heading to anywhere in particular because I had figured the groupies were still hanging with the guys, so I wasn’t on my way to join them yet. But talk about stars aligning that night. I believe I was meant to meet her. And I was determined to keep her safe and make her forever mine. Yes, I was ahead of myself on the forever thing, but it was on my mind on replay. However, right now, I had to focus on the safety part. That needed taken care of first.

Then I strolled out to my deck for some fresh air before shifting my attention back to my writing. Serenity wasn’t a distraction; she was inspiration. Having her in my life wasn’t going to be an obstacle to my creativity or my career. I didn’t like that she thought she was impeding my writing flow. She was the missing piece to my life I hadn’t even realized I was missing until I had met her. She brought a wholeness to my life that settled deep in my soul and that was where my music originated anyway.

Standing at the railing, staring down at the beach, I concentrated on the exhilaration that always accompanied the completion of composing an extraordinary song. I added to that feeling the loving and fiery passion I shared with Serenity and within moments I had ground myself. Satisfied with my mood improvement, I headed back inside to resume my writing.

About three hours later, I emerged from my office, feeling really good about my progress on two more songs. Nothing would be set in stone until I played them with the rest of the guys to make sure everything meshed well together, but what I had created was really solid. When I peeked into the living room, I was surprised to discover the couch empty. I didn’t find her in the kitchen, when I paused in there to grab a bottle of water. On my way to my deck, I stuck my head in my room to see if she had popped in there, but no Serenity.

However, when I stepped through the sliding doors, I spied her lounging in one of the chairs, wearing a pair of sunglasses.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” I sat down in the chair beside her and pulled it up close to hers.

“My head hurts a little so I took some medicine and ate an apple before I came out here. I didn’t want to watch any tv or read and aggravate my head. Instead, I came out here for a change of scenery. I’m hoping to be able to work on my computer tomorrow, even if just half a day. I do have blue light glasses that I wear when I’m on it, but I don’t want to push things.”

“Can I do anything for you? Get you anything?” Leaning toward her, I ran my hand gently down her hair.

“You’re very sweet. I’m okay. I’m not dizzy or anything. I’m a little tired, but that’s to be expected. I had a hell of a morning.” She shot me a phony smile and shook her head slightly. “I needed the rest, but it was good for me to move out here when I woke up and do something else too. I can’t just lay around or I’ll go crazy. Especially since I can’t read, work on my computer, and I don’t want to risk trying tv. Maybe we can take a walk on the beach again tonight after dark.”

“I have a better idea. Do you feel up for a short drive? About twenty minutes.”

“Maybe. Where are we going? Although I don’t think you’d be taking me somewhere to do some strenuous activities. Which means that cuts out the potential for sex tonight.” Her lips pulled into an adorable pout.

“Yes. At least for a couple of days. But I’ll make it up to you later this week. How about I take you to Panther Beach? There is a cool site south of that beach called ‘Hole in the Wall.’ You are going to love it. Nighttime is the best time to go because it’s low tide which makes it easier to walk through. I don’t plan on swimming there. It’s just a beautiful site to see. Although it is a bathing suit optional beach.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.

Her own eyebrows peeked up over her sunglasses. “I do not want anyone else seeing my naked body. Even if it is at night.”

“I would never put you in that position. Besides, your body is for my eyes only.” A low growl crept up my chest. “If we would plan to do that; I’d take you to a private island where we are the only ones there. And I wouldn’t allow you to pack any clothes.”

“I don’t believe you have your own private island, so I think I’m safe.”

“You would go with me if I did?” I couldn’t keep the hopeful tone out of my question. I would love to go away somewhere with her. Preferable just the two of us, but a vacation to any place neither of us have been before would be perfect. And I’d love to take her away now, just so I could keep her safe, but it wouldn’t solve the problem. The threat would be here when we returned. More and more I was completely convinced these happenings were not lone instances of bad luck, but connected in a twisted way.

She pretended to mull over the question, tapping her finger to her bottom lip. “There is a really good chance I would say yes. You haven’t given me any reason not to trust you.”

Pulling her finger from her lip, I pressed mine to them in a delicate kiss. “You can trust me always.” A boulder of guilt settled in the pit of my stomach. I was going to have to come clean about the towing expenses. Maybe after I treated her to the beautiful site tonight. Then she would hopefully be in too good of a mood to yell at me too much. But then something occurred to me. “Do you have a pair of water shoes? If so, did you bring them? Because the trail down to the beach is pretty steep. You don’t need any more injuries.” I really wanted to take her tonight, but I also wanted to keep her safe. I tried to keep the disappointment off of my face as I mulled over the fact that this might not be quite the soundest suggestion at this time.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be walking with you and you won’t allow anything bad to happen to me. Besides, I don’t want to stop living for the next couple of days. This sounds fun and something I can do that doesn’t require straining my eyes or vigorous activity.” She shot me a flirty smirk. “And yes, I do have a pair of water shoes and I packed them just in case, since you’re so close to the beach. Now that we have our exciting evening plans made; did you get a lot of lyrics written today, despite the interruption?” I couldn’t see her eyes through her sunglasses, but her lips pulled into a brief frown.

“You are never an interruption.” I kissed her forehead. “I would have paused to help out any one of my friends and you are many steps above them. But in answer to your question; I did get a good bit accomplished today. I’m pretty confident I’ll have things ready for when we are ready for the next step. If anything, being with you opens me up to a lot more. I’ve always felt things more intensely; that’s why I can write the songs that I do. But being with you helps me lay bare my feelings even more passionately about everything . And not just for love ballads. We can have a couple on the album, but we need to make sure we have plenty of hard hitting rock ones as well. Although I’m toying with one that is a bit of a combo. I got the idea watching you at the beach Saturday night. Finding the girl of your dreams out in the moonlight and then she drifts away like the waves of the ocean by the time the sun rises.”

“That gave me goosebumps. I think that one is going to be perfect. Although which of yours aren’t.” She shot me a silly grin. “Sometimes it’s so weird to think ‘my boyfriend is Teak Pierce’.”

“I’m a real person.” I raised my eyebrow at her.

“Duh. But I never in a million years would have thought I’d be dating you.”

“Well, you’re stuck with me.”

“Good thing I really like the idea then. And at least I can say I don’t wear t-shirts that have my boyfriend’s picture on them. Now that would be really weird.” She scrunched her nose up like she thought that was a distasteful idea.

But she looked so adorable doing it; I couldn’t resist dropping a kiss onto her nose. “I would wear a shirt with your picture on it.” I teased, even though I was serious.

Tugging down her sunglasses, she shot me a ‘yeah right’ look. Then she pushed them back into place. “What is your next step after writing the songs? Do you have to head into a recording studio?”

“Yes. But we won’t do any recording until we make sure the songs mesh with the other guitars and drums and make sure the other guys like the sound and lyrics too. I wasn’t even thinking when I brought you home; do you want me to contact your parents for you? And what about Ivy?”

“No to both.” She released a sigh. “I talked to my parents yesterday, but I’m not telling them anything about what’s going on. Now if I would have been seriously hurt in the accident, I would want them to know. But I don’t want them making the four hour trip because of this craziness. But thank you for thinking of them. And as for Ivy; I’ll tell her about it the next time I see her. Otherwise she’ll be banging down your door.”

As if just mentioning her name summoned her, in the next moment, the doorbell rang.

She placed her hand on my arm. “Did you already call her and that was just to warn me?”

“No. I didn’t even think about those things until just now. First, I was really worried about you and then I was getting you settled. And then I got absorbed in my music.”

The doorbell rang again. Followed by some impatient banging.

“In case it is her, you better hurry or she will bust down your door.”

Taking Serenity’s hand, the two of us stepped inside and headed down the hallway to the front door. When I pulled it open, Ivy brushed past me, with Ascher on her heels.

She whirled around and narrowed her eyes at Serenity. “Hey, rude Ho-bag. Why did you not call and tell me about this morning? I ran into Corinne at lunch time at a little café and she told me. She gets a call but not me? Especially with all of this other shit going on around you.” Hands on her hips, she angrily tapped her foot on the floor.

Serenity had perched her sunglasses on top of her head, so she gave Ivy a pointed look. “If it would have been more serious, I’m sure Teak would have contacted you through Ascher. And I’m not supposed to be on my phone. It was simple to hit the missed call notification to call Corinne without bothering my eyes. And I had to call her since she’s my boss. I had to let her know why I didn’t show up to work today. And I figured I’d be seeing you soon and I could tell you about it then. Besides, it’s not like a car accident is a strange occurrence.”

Well, it was when you combined it with the other shit going on in Serenity’s life at the moment. Although not really strange so much as suspicious. But I kept my comment to myself. I didn’t want to stress her out any more than she already was because it wasn’t good for her concussion.

Ivy stormed up to Serenity but softened her movements before tugging her into a gentle hug. “I worry about you, bestie. And even though Corinne assured me you were fine, just taking a day off or so, I had to come see for myself.”

“I worry about you too. And thank you for that. I didn’t intentionally keep it from you. But I just wanted to come home and take a nap. And I didn’t want to do anything to irritate my head. Besides, I didn’t even call my parents.” She pulled away from Ivy and gave her a silly grin.

“Well, that was just smart thinking on your part. They would have jumped in the car and sped up here and been even crazier fussing over you than me. Although you did notice I dialed it back some since I knew you had a concussion.”

“Yes, thank you for that. Let’s go chill out on the deck and let the guys talk shop. Since you dragged Ascher over here, they might as well be productive and get some work done.” Serenity grabbed Ivy’s hand and led her down the hallway.

Ascher ran his hand through his hair. “They will probably be a while. But I guess we weren’t interrupting anything considering she has a concussion.” He smirked at me.

I punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t be an asshole.”

He studied me for a moment, his smirk morphing into a satisfied smile. “You’re in love with her.”

“Yeah, I am. That means no jokes about her like she’s some groupie. She’s the one, Ascher. We have some things to figure out, but she’s it for me.”

“I’m happy for you, Bro. And I didn’t mean any disrespect to her. I could tell she is important to you. I’m a little jealous too. I can’t quite figure out Ivy. Sometimes I think she really likes me and other times I think she just likes the idea of dating a drummer. And while she’s hot and there are benefits to that; I think I’m ready to settle down too. And maybe we should go take a look at your songs so that can be an excuse for all of the pansy shit coming out of my mouth right now.” He shook his head.

“I won’t ridicule you for it. But before we head in there, now that the girls are out of earshot, I’m really getting uneasy about all of this shit going down around Serenity. I know car accidents are commonplace, but this bad luck streak is really nerve-wracking.”

“I guess the police don’t have any answers to the earlier incidences?”

“No and I know I’m putting connections together that aren’t substantiated by evidence, but I can’t help it. It’s a bad feeling in my gut. I don’t think she was accident prone before she met me. She doesn’t seem the type and I don’t get that impression from the way Ivy has reacted to all of these things either. These incidents aren’t settling well with her either.”

Ascher rubbed his chin for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed, and his expression pensive. “The only thing that really isn’t random is the bloody picture that was at her house. Everything else can be brushed aside as shit that happens. I know that doesn’t make you feel any better, but I can see why there haven’t been any answers.”

“And it’s frustrating the hell out of me. If she really is in danger; I want it stopped before one of these times it’s really serious.” A shudder of terror shot up my spine with the thought. “But she won’t hide away from life. Not that I want her to. It’s just . . . it makes me want to lock her away so I can keep her safe.”

“You’ll just have to be more vigilant when you’re out together and she’s going to have to not so much be more cautious but more mindful and watch her back. It’s kinda a terrible way to have to be, but at least until something comes to light. And hopefully it does soon.”

“I’m hoping they track down who stole the car because that will give them a person. And then they can back track from there. I mean these could be random things, but I have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach over all of this. And if the driver happens to be someone we don’t know, then maybe I won’t be so anxious about this. Thanks for listening, but let’s go talk about something more fun.” I wasn’t brushing things aside, but I needed a positive attitude, even if just for Serenity. And I didn’t want to ruin the mood for tonight. I was looking forward to taking her to the beach tonight and hopefully getting away from these troubles for a little while. Her thoughts mirrored mine and I had to be strong for her. Although she was in no way a wilting flower. Instead, she was one incredible woman.

Ascher followed me to my office and I played a couple of the songs for him and had him look at the others and give me his thoughts. He agreed with me that while they needed some tweaking, they sounded spot on. As long as they meshed with the other guys. While we were hanging out, my phone buzzed on my desk, Quinn’s name flashing on the screen.

Snatching it from the smooth surface, I swiped to answer and put her on speaker. “Hey, Quinn. We don’t have definitive dates in mind, but I’m making great progress and should be able to meet up with the rest of the guys in a month or so to start making tweaks to the songs.”

“That’s great to hear, but I wasn’t worried about that. You guys do an amazing job of keeping things on schedule. I wanted to know if you and the guys would be interested in doing a benefit concert at Choco Hall next Saturday afternoon. There are a few other bands that are scheduled. Not a huge venue; they’re hoping to get three hundred attendees. All proceeds are being divided among the homeless shelters here.”

“I can send a text out to the guys and see if they are available. If not, I can do it myself. I can do a few songs acoustic. I would bet I won’t be expected to play a long time on stage, so I’m game for that.”

“Awesome. Let me know later today or tomorrow if possible. And then I’ll email you the details. Thanks, Teak. I’ll be talking to you.” Her end dropped off.

Setting my phone back on the desk, I lifted an eyebrow at Ascher. “You want to make it a double date?”

“I think if the other guys aren’t available, it will be easier to just be you. But Ivy and I will be there as your crew.”

I chuckled. “I don’t need a crew if I’m doing it acoustic. But good, then you guys can keep Serenity company while I’m on stage. And I’m sure there will be some pictures and autographs afterward. I’ll send a text now, but I’d be surprised if any of them will be available. They always take off across the country when we have our break. And I don’t blame them. If I didn’t live here and have my dad here, I would do the same. But I’m glad I do because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to chase down Serenity.” Smirking, I shot off a group text to our band mates and then Ascher and I strolled out to the deck.

Slipping myself behind Serenity on the chair, I wrapped my arms around her middle and nuzzled her hair. “You still feeling okay?”

“Still just a little bit of a headache and I’m tired, but other than that I’m good.” She rested her hands on my forearms.

Ascher tucked himself behind Ivy. “Have you been keeping it low key out here?” Leaning to her side, he nibbled her ear.

“Don’t be such a jerk.” Twisting her head to the side, Ivy fluttered her eyelashes at Ascher. “Or you’ll have some groveling to do when we get back to your place.”

“You do know that isn’t much of a deterrent.” He shot her a devilish grin.

“Save it for Ascher’s. I’m not averse to watching porn on the screen, but I don’t know about live action.”

Ivy rubbed her hands together like a cartoon villain. “Ooh, you’ve given me something to think about. Maybe someday we might want to try that.” Winking at Serenity, Ivy gave her a mischievous grin.

“Which are you . . . never mind; I don’t want to know so I’m not asking.”

“My oh my, a job on the side or an invitation to my bestie and her lover. I’ll let you know what I decide.”

“Ugh. Don’t you know I’m recovering here and don’t need your insanity.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll wait until you’ve fully recuperated.” Ivy’s grin widened. “Now on a serious note. I can be that sometimes. How about we meet for lunch later this week or plan to double date again on the weekend?”

“Either or both sound good to me.”

Ivy and Ascher hung out with us for about an hour, just chilling on the deck. Then they left after Serenity promised to let Ivy know about another date.

While Serenity napped on the couch again, I answered emails and then made us dinner. During that time, my other band mates responded to the text that they weren’t available for the benefit concert. I didn’t really expect them to be. I gave them an update on my song progress and told them I’d be in touch. Then I sent a text to Quinn telling her to go ahead and email me the benefit information and that I’d be doing it acoustic. After I got the salmon off of the grill and dinner onto the bar, I walked into the living room to wake up Serenity.

Kneeling on the floor beside her, I ran the back of my fingers along her soft cheeks before pressing a gentle kiss to them. “Dinner is ready. Do you want to eat or for me to leave you alone to sleep?”

Sleepy eyes fluttered open and she grinned at me. “Both.”

I chuckled. “We can eat in the living room if you want. But you have to be awake in order to eat.”

“Since it’s a requirement for me to be awake, I might as well eat at the bar where it will be easier.” Her grin shifted into a pout.

Leaving me powerless to resist, so I kissed it. “After dinner we can take a long drive before going to the beach. And we can stop for ice cream on the way. Ice cream always makes everything better.”

“You spoil me.” Her eyes lit with amusement.

“Nope. I have a sweet tooth and happen to love ice cream.”

“Then you’re not doing it for me.” Expression scrunched, she feigned annoyance.

“Nope. I’m using you as an excuse.”

“Well, I guess as long as I’m getting something out of it.” She pulled herself to a seated position before sliding the blanket off of her and standing. “Something smells delicious. You know I could’ve helped you make dinner.”

Taking her hand, I led her to the kitchen to take a seat at the bar. “Next time you can help. I don’t mind cooking and having you here makes it worth it. When it was just me, I ate entirely too much takeout. But I want you to rest so that you’re back to your usual soon. What do you want to drink? I think wine is out for the next couple of days.”

She put a hand to her head. “I don’t even want to think about that. Not that I drink in excess, but I’d be afraid even a glass with dinner would aggravate my head. I’ll take some iced tea. Thank you.”

I poured us each a glass and set them down on the bar before taking my seat beside her. Then we filled our plates and dug in.

“Earlier you had said your parents live here in California. Do you have any siblings? I didn’t get a chance to ask you that before Ivy came barging in.” I grinned around my bite of salmon.

“I have an older sister who is married with two girls and lives in Michigan. I don’t get to see them often. Every other year we try to get together at Christmas when we can take an extended time off from work to either head out there or the four of them come to my parents’. We FaceTime once a month so I can see them and watch the girls grow up at least remotely. They are two and five.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “Where does your dad live?”

“He’s still in the house I grew up in in Monterey, only about an hour from me. I do see him every couple of months and depending on my tour schedule we spend every major holiday together. And since we’re guys, we don’t do the phone call thing, but we will text each other every week or so to check in.”

When we were done with dinner, I cleaned up while Serenity fussed that I wouldn’t let her help. Then we grabbed our water shoes and slipped them on at the door. Serenity donned her sunglasses and the two of us walked outside to hop in my car. Even though the two of us lived in California and had traveled the Pacific Coast Highway before, I decided a cruise along a small section of it would be enjoyable tonight, so I headed in that direction. It didn’t matter how long I’d lived here; I never grew tired of gazing at the ocean. Windows down, the salty breeze wafting inside, we soaked up the exhilaration that accompanied living by the Pacific; the rocky outcroppings, the grassy golden cliffs, and the beautiful slow undulating white froths drifting in the blue water. As promised, we stopped for ice cream in one of the little towns, before making our way toward Panther Beach.

About a half an hour later, I pulled into what was considered the parking lot, but was really a poorly maintained dirt road. I turned to Serenity. “Are you ready for a little bit of an adventure? I won’t let you fall.” And if we did tumble, I would be sure to do everything in my power to cushion her fall.

“We’ll just be extra careful. It’s not like we’re in any hurry. And I trust you to protect me.”

After we hopped out of my car, I took her hand in mine to start the moderately difficult climb down to the beach. We followed the railroad tracks to a narrow overgrown path. It wasn’t much to see at this point, but the beach and the Hole in the Wall were well worth it. We slowly trekked our way down and the entire time I made sure our footsteps were careful and measured.

When we got to our destination, we took in the beauty of the windswept sands and unruly waves crashing into dark layer cake rocks.

“That wasn’t too terrifying, and this is really pretty.” Serenity stared out at the ocean.

“Wait until you see the main attraction.” I led her further down. “But you can see why it’s not really a place for swimming. Those riptides would get ya.”

Walking along, hand in hand, we strolled behind a rugged stone wall and through a sea cave to a tall, wide opening in one section of the golden cliff which created a picturesque arch. On the other side was more of the beautiful sounds and scenery associated with the beach.

“Wow. This is incredible. I know it’s still beach area, but it’s so cool that you have to step into it. Like it’s another world or something. Thank you for suggesting this for tonight.” Serenity beamed up at me. And I would do anything to put that gorgeous look on her face every single day. Especially now with everything else that was going on.

Shelves of gray rock jutted out into the surf, creating homes to numerous marine invertebrates that could be found there swimming, hiding, clinging, and crawling in the tide pools. The eroding cliff also provided countless private rocky coves, sheltered from the wind, with a view of the Pacific and was supposedly popular with nude sunbathers. We didn’t see any right now. I chuckled and pointed to the coves. “So anytime you want to try out the nude beach thing; they have natural spots that are perfect to give you that little bit of privacy.”

Giggling, she knocked into my shoulder. “Don’t hold your breath.”

Plopping down onto the sand, Serenity and I gazed out at the waves rolling along the ocean.

“I don’t want to stress our relaxing time here, but I’m surprised I didn’t hear from Simon about my car. I can’t imagine he wants it cluttering up his property.”

Well, I guess I didn’t have to bring up the topic. “I talked to him while you were napping and asked him to take care of any repairs it needed and let me know what he determined.” I paused for a moment and braced myself. Now was the perfect time to come clean. “I also asked him to give you a discount and that I would pay the rest.”

She stared at me for a beat before she narrowed her eyes and her lips pulled into a scowl. “Why didn’t you talk to me about this first instead of taking it upon yourself to pay for me? I don’t know that I like that. Why do you think I can’t take care of myself financially?”

Well shit. That wasn’t it at all and I hated that she thought that way.