Hey everyone. I have another update and it only took me a little over two weeks. Good news is I'll be out of Massachusetts in four weeks and onto somewhere new. Maybe I'll have better luck there. Hope you like it. I came up with a new twist. Happy reading.
Connecticut
Dave glanced at the caller ID and debated about not answering. He knew what they wanted but wasn't sure he could face their questions. He didn't want to lie to them and didn't have the energy to keep up the happy pretense. The easiest thing to do would be to tell them what's been going on. But he wasn't ready for that, had barely accepted it himself.
The answering machine kicked on and John's voice came into the room. "Big man, where're at? Haven't seen or heard from you in a while. Kinda getting worried here. And don't come up with any excuses. I know Jayden's out of town. How about spending some time with the rest of us."
Dave sighed as he erased his friend's voice. The worry in the words had been apparent. He had to give them some kind of reassurance. Reaching over he picked up the phone.
"How's rehab been going?" John asked the older man as they were escorted to their table.
Dave shrugged as inside he winced. "It's going." He answered noncommittally. He smiled gratefully at the waitress when she handed them menus. "What are you planning to order?" He asked trying to change the subject.
Randy shared a look with his best friend. "Going as in going good or going bad? Are you going to be able to come back to work soon?" He asked after they had ordered.
"When they clear me I guess. Going to be a while yet." Dave answered. He avoided their raised eyebrows as he lifted his glass of water.
"Don't you want to come back to work?" John asked surprised. He couldn't image doing anything else but Dave sounded like it was a bad thing.
Dave shifted his eyes before answering. "Of course I want to come back. Why would you ask something like that?"
John shared another look with Randy. "You seem like you don't want to talk about it." He hedged. "Does it have something to do with us?"
Dave frowned. "Have you done something I need to be aware of?" He asked sternly.
"Is there something we need to be aware of? Cause you seem to be avoiding us an awful lot lately." Randy spoke up, his voice grim.
Dave pretended confusion. "I'm not ignoring you. Where are you getting all of this from?"
"You haven't been to the show in two months. You have no idea what's going on there or what's going on with us. You ignore our calls and pretend like you're not home when we visit." Randy told him, his voice slightly bitter.
"Every time we invite you over or ask you to do something with us you come up with some kind of excuse. You wouldn't have come today except that Jayden is in Texas helping Mandy with wedding plans." John pointed out.
Dave sighed. "I've just had a lot on my mind. Jayden's had the book tour and I had all the demands of the championship. We weren't able to spend a lot of time together. The past two months we've concentrated on just being with each other."
"So it isn't something more serious?" Randy asked apprehensively. He looked at the older man worriedly.
Dave dredged up a smile for his young friends. "I'm fine. Now if you two are done interrogating me I'm going to head to the bathroom."
John watched as the big man weeded his way through the tables before turning to his friend. "Think he's telling the truth?"
Randy shook his head. "Not a chance." He sighed. "Are you sure Journey doesn't know anything?"
John shook his head. "He's been ignoring her too." He looked around to make sure they were still alone. "You need to talk to Jayden."
The younger man snorted. "Don't you think I've tried? I haven't managed to catch her alone. I've even staked out the damn house. She's been sticking to him like glue."
"They're apart now." John announced, grinning wickedly. "Maybe it's time for one of your famous kidnappings."
"Who'd he kidnap this time?" The low voice asked in amusement behind them. Randy hunched forward guiltily as Dave sat back down.
"No one." He answered sending John a mean look.
"Yeah." Dave leaned back in his chair. "And I suppose you weren't the one that started the food fight in catering a couple weeks ago or the one that flooded the bathroom at the arena last week."
"Actually I wasn't the one that caused the flood." Randy defended himself. He frowned. "How do you know about that anyway?"
"Just because I've been a little preoccupied lately doesn't mean I don't check up on you."
John burst out laughing causing Randy to throw a roll at him.
"I wouldn't laugh if I were you. I know for a fact that Mark does the same thing with you." He grinned as his friend stopped laughing abruptly.
Texas
"What are you doing?" Laney asked slyly as she leaned over the back of the couch. Her blond hair swung forward as she tilted her head up to look at her father.
"What do you want?" Mark asked dryly, not looking up from his book. He could feel her looking at him expectantly.
"The keys to your truck?" She asked hopefully. She grinned when he put down his book and turned to stare at her.
Mark raised his eyebrows. "You don't know how to drive." He pointed out.
The teenager gave an exaggerated sigh. "I would if you would keep your promise and teach me." She said hopefully.
Mark shook her head at the excitement in her eyes. "You just got your learner's permit last week. You have a whole year to learn. What's the rush?"
Laney gave her dad her best puppy dog look. "Why can't we start tonight?" She pleaded. "The more time I have to practice the more experienced I'll be when I'm by myself." She reasoned.
"It's raining out." He pointed out as he picked up his book, managing to tune her out and concentrate on the words.
Narrowing her eyes she walked around the couch and sat down on the coffee table leaning forward as she stared at her father.
Mark let her sit there for five minutes before he lowered his book. "Now what?" He asked in exasperation.
"I'm not supposed to drive in the rain?" She asked innocently.
"That's not supposed to be the first thing you learn. Think of it more as an advanced lesson." He answered. "But, I guess there are a few things we can go over." He agreed spotting the mutinous look on her face.
"Now." She demanded jumping up. She triumpetly held up the keys to his truck.
"Nope, the first thing you need to do before learning how to drive is to read the driver's ED manual." He said picking the book up off the end table and exchanging it for the keys in her hand.
Laney rolled her eyes. "Daddy, I already read that before you took me to get my learner's permit." She whined.
Mark narrowed his eyes at her tone. "So I suppose you could tell me what to do when you park on a downhill slope." He questioned, folding his arms over his chest.
"Make sure you turn your wheels toward the curb and set the emergency break." She recited dutifully. "I did pass the learner's permit test with a hundred percent." She finished sarcastically.
Mark pursed his lips. "I guess we can go over the check lists in the truck." He said giving in.
Giving out a loud yell she snatched the keys back and raced for the door causing Mark to roll his eyes as he got up to follow.
"Okay." He said a couple minutes later in the passenger seat of his truck. "One of the most important things you need to know before you start driving is where every thing is."
"Daddy." She whined as she fastened her seat belt. "I've been watching you drive for only 15 years. I think I know where everything is."
"Delaney." He growled warningly. He waited until she had finished pouting. "Lights?"
She reached out and flashed the lights before crossing her arms over her chest rebelliously. Her father tamped down his frustration before indicating for her to check the mirrors. She gave a cursory look in the side mirror before turning to look at him.
"The mirrors are fine."
"There are three mirrors and it is important to check all three while driving." Mark pointed out as patiently as he could.
Laney gave an exaggerated sigh. "I looked in all the mirrors."
Mark clamped his hand to the top of her head. "Okay then, tell me what's behind the truck right now."
"You are so not being fair." She pouted jerking her head away.
"Then that's it for tonight." He stated firmly, climbing out of the truck. Laney slammed the door as she jumped out to follow him.
"Where are you going?" She demanded.
"Lesson's done for the day." He announced. He pointed to the trash cans behind the truck. "If you had tried to back out without checking your mirrors you would have hit the cans."
"Minor problem." She waved the problem away. "Why can't we keep going?"
"Because I said the lesson was over and if you keep arguing with me there won't be another one until you're 25." He announced walking into the house.
Connecticut
"How did it go?" Dave asked into the phone as he lounged in his favorite chair.
"Just about as horrible as we expected." Jayden answered. She flopped back on the bed. "We ended up getting a hotel room for the night. She didn't feel like she could face Shawn tonight without breaking down."
"Is she okay?" He asked in concern.
"She says she is but she's easily startled. It's going to take some time before she's going to be able to relax fully." She stared up at the ceiling as she listened to the sound of the shower.
"I guess she's going to be waiting for him to jump out of the shadows. What's Shawn going to say when she tells him what happened?"
Jayden sighed. "He's going to be angry that she didn't ask him to go with her today but not as angry as he's going to be if she waits until after the wedding to tell him, if she does at all."
"How can she not tell him?" He asked startled.
"She's scared. She thinks he'll reject her if she tells him."
"Can't you do something? Force her to tell or maybe tell him yourself? It's going to kill him if he finds out she went through this by herself." Images of Randy's and John's faces flashed through his mind. Shaking his head he forced himself to stay concentrated on the conversation.
"Dave I can't tell him. Its bad enough I told you. She has to reach that point by herself." She admonished. Hearing the shower turn off she quickly changed the subject. "So what did you do tonight? Did you remember to eat?"
"Actually I had dinner with John and Randy." He told her trumpet. He could easily image the shocked look on her face.
"That's all good but did you eat?" She persisted. She knew how little he had eaten in the last couple weeks.
He frowned at the phone. "I ate a little. Mostly I was fending off their questions."
"They're worried about you and they have a right to be. They're part of your family." She continued when there was silence on the line. "You're being a hypocrite."
Dave grinned into the darkness of his living room. "And I missed you too." He said sweetly.
Jayden smiled at the laughter in his voice. "I'm serious. You want Mandy to spill her guts while you keep your secrets hidden safely away."
"It's different."
"How?" She demanded.
Dave could see her crossing her arms in his mind. "When are you planning on coming home?" He asked instead. He was becoming an expert at changing the subject.
"At the rate you're going? Not until after the wedding." She replied hotly.
"You'd worry about me too much." He teased. He knew she hadn't wanted to leave him at all but Mandy's pain had been too much for her to ignore. He hated that he was having to scare her with his problems. Unfortunely he was scaring himself too.