Beat of the Heart (37 page)

I was in the Seventh ring of Hell, heading for the very fiery center. Just to be on the safe side, I had

tried making my escape from Philly on Wednesday night after our show when a fucking snowstorm

blew through and closed the airport for twelve hours. When flights were finally up and running, I was

left with a thirty minute window to get from Hartsfield Jackson in Atlanta to Mia’s doctors in North

Fulton.

Bottom line: I was basically fucked.

Rhys had flown in with me since he had left his car at the airport. As I cut my eyes over at him, I

shook my head. “Dude, this is a fucking Porsche. Quit driving it like a grandma.”

Rhys’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “Jesus, I’m doing ninety. Excuse me for wanting

to live to see tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that’s all well and good, but if I’m late, I’m totally fucked with Mia. She will do the

emotional equivalent of cutting my balls off and roasting them over an open flame if I miss this. That

or have her Sicilian family literally do me in.”

Rhys chuckled. “Listen man, you gotta calm down. Take a few cleansing breaths or some shit. I’m

doing the best I can with the traffic.”

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to take his advice to calm down. Nervous energy hummed

through my body. I couldn’t stop my legs from bouncing up and down in the cramped confines of the

two seat convertible. I had my hands moving too as I smacked out a steady beat of our newest song

Convicted
on my jean clad thighs. As I stared down at the faded, holey pair of jeans, I grimaced.

“Shit, I should have worn something nicer.”

“Huh?”

Motioning to the ratty jeans and my faded button down Polo shirt, I replied, “I look like a second

rate hood rat, not an expectant father.”

“Daaaamn,” Rhys replied.

“What?” I demanded.

He cut his gaze over from whipping in and out of lanes to pin me with a wicked smile. “Mia has

got you completely and totally spinning.”

“She does not.”

“Oh hell yes, she does.”

“This isn’t just about Mia.” When he continued scoffing at me, I shook my head. “This is bigger

than the both of us now. I’ve got a kid on the way, and I gotta be the best damn father in the whole

fucking world.”

Rhys took one hand off the wheel to pat me reassuringly on the shoulder. “You’re going to be an

amazing father. I have no doubt about that.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” He turned to me and grinned. “But you may wanna start working on your language.”

I grimaced. “Sh-I mean, shoot. I really do swear like a sailor.”

With a laugh, Rhys replied, “You’re probably okay. I mean, considering Bray is his dad and he’s

surrounded by us, look all the f-bombs Jude grew up with, and he’s just fine.”

“Yeah, that was Jude, but how quickly you forget that after da-da and ma-ma, Melody managed to

say shit and damn.”

“Oops, I forgot about that one.”

We were making good time when one glance in the rearview mirror sent my stomach plummeting.

Blue lights from an Atlanta Police Department cruiser flashed all around us. “Fuuuuuuuuck!” One

peek at the clock sent me pounding my fist against the dash. “I’m screwed.”

“Easy man,” Rhys replied as he eased into the emergency lane. My phone vibrated in my pocket.

When I snatched it out, I had a new text from Mia.

Where the hell r u? I’m at the docs, and u r not here like u promised. Appt is in 10 min!

“Shit, shit, motherfucking SHIT!” I yelled.

“What?” Rhys questioned he dug his wallet out of his pants.

“I just got a pre-rage text from Mia.”

“Uh-oh.”

We were interrupted by the cop knocking on the window. He appeared barely out of puberty.

“License and registration please.”

Rhys quickly obliged by rolling down the window and thrusting out the two cards.

Before the cop glanced at them, he asked, “You do realize you were doing ninety-five miles an

hour in a seventy zone?”

“Yes sir, and I do apologize for that. I normally obey the speeding laws, but you see, my friend has

a very important appointment he needs to get to. Unfortunately, to appease him, I felt it necessary to

break the law,” Rhys replied, oozing the charm and respectfulness he’d been raised with.

One glance at Rhys’s license, and the cop exclaimed, “Holy shit!”

“Excuse me officer?”

Leaning in the open window, the cop, whose badge read Carlisle, eyed Rhys. “Are you
the
Rhys

McGowan, the guitarist for Runaway Train?”

Silently, I mouthed “FUCK YEAH!” and did a mental fist pump in my seat as I saw a glimmer of

hope at the end of the tunnel. I never shamelessly used my fame, but I sure as hell was going to do it

today.

A million dollar grin spread across Rhys’s cheeks. “Why yes, I am.” Jerking his thumb at me, he

replied, “And there’s AJ Resendiz.”

“Holy shit!” Officer Carlisle exclaimed again. His head shook back and forth so fast I thought he

might lose his hat. “Dude, you guys are like my most favorite band in the world! I snuck in to

Eastman’s once to see you guys play.”

“Really? That’s awesome. We always love meeting die-hard fans, so let me shake your hand.”

Rhys stuck his hand through the window.

As Officer Carlisle pumped Rhys’s hand up and down, he exclaimed, “Oh man, no one at the

station is going to believe this!”

“You mean we’re not on your dash cam?” I questioned.

He shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got an older cruiser, and we’re still working on installing them

throughout the department.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “Maybe I can have you sign

something?”

The wheels in my head started spinning in overdrive. I practically leapt over into Rhys lap, so I

could get closer to Officer Carlisle. “Yeah, I didn’t need those balls,” Rhys groaned.

“Listen man, I take full responsibility for the speeding, and I’ll be happy to pay whatever ticket we

need to—hell, I’ll even pay double—it’s just I need to get out of here ASAP!” As Officer Carlisle

stared at me skeptically, I exhaled a noisy breath of frustration. “Here’s the deal. I’ve got exactly…” I

glanced at the dash and cursed under my breath. “I’ve got five minutes to get to the doctor’s office, or

I’m in deep shit.”

“Dude, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’re sick.”

“No, it’s not me. It’s just if I don’t get there on time my…” Shit, I didn’t know exactly what to call

Mia. Girlfriend? Ex-flame? Baby Mama? I cleared my throat. “It’s like this. If I’m not there for the

gender ultrasound for my baby, I may never have a chance to be a part of its life because its mother

will emotionally cut me out of her life and then maybe even cut my balls off.”

Officer Carlisle shook his head. “Dude, that’s some tough shit.” He shifted on his feet momentarily

before nodded. “Follow me,” he instructed.

As he started back to his cruiser, I glanced over at Rhys. “Think we’re about to get a police

escort?”

“Hell to the yeah!” he exclaimed with a grin.

Flashing blue lights commenced followed by the wail of the police siren. Officer Carlisle pulled

out first and then Rhys eased out behind him, turning on his flashers. While we started making our

way down the interstate, I quickly texted Mia back to let her know I was on the way. When she didn’t

respond, I got a little nauseated.

“Oh fuck,” Rhys groaned.

Glancing up from my phone, my heart plummeted at the sight of bumper to bumper traffic. “You

have got to be shitting me!”

We came to a full stop behind Officer Carlisle’s cruiser. He stepped out and then came back to the

car. “Sorry man. I just heard on the radio that an eighteen wheeler jackknifed about a mile up the

road.”

“Damn. Damn. DAMN!” I cried. This time I beat my head, instead of my hands, against the dash.

“Stop it, AJ,” Rhys demanded.

I shook my now aching head miserably and fought the urge to hang my head out the window and

scream at the top of my lungs. “I’m utterly fucked, dude.”

“I’m sure if you explain it to Mia, she’ll—”

I snorted. “No man, you don’t get it. Not only is she pregnant and a hormonal hurricane, but every

single guy she’s been with has let her down. It’s not just about being the exception to that rule. If I

screw this up, she could totally give up on me and choose that douche of an ex fiancé of hers.” With

shaking hands, I grabbed my phone and prepared to make the call I really, really didn’t want to. But

even if I dreaded calling Mia, I refused to just not show up. An excuse was better than being stood up.

“Listen, maybe you won’t be too late. I mean, we’re only about a half a mile down the road.”

My head snapped up. “It’s only that far?”

“Yeah, it’s right off the road in the same medical building as my dentist. Why?”

Without a reply, I fumbled with the door handle. My shaky hands made it almost impossible to

open it. Finally, it flew open, and I fell out onto the pavement. Glancing over my shoulder, I cried, “If

I can’t get a ride home with Mia, I’ll call you, okay?”

Rhys’s chocolate brown eyes widened to the size of his shiny Porsche hubcaps. “You’re seriously

going to run the next half mile?”

“Totally.”

He shook his head slowly back and forth. “Be careful.”

“Gotcha.” I slammed the car door, and then started sprinting down the side of the road. I mean, the

issue wasn’t being in shape. After all, I usually tried to do a few miles on the treadmill at every tour

stop. It was just I never quite pushed my body as hard as I was pushing it right now. The line of cars

still hadn’t moved when I streaked into the parking lot of the medical building. I screeched to a stop

to board the elevator. Thankfully from Mia’s texts I knew what floor and what suite number I needed

to go to.

After the elevator dinged on the third floor, I burst through the third office door on the right,

skidding to a stop on the waxed hardwood floors just inside the entrance. I lunged over to the

receptionist who stood frozen with a phone’s receiver in her hand. “M-Must find M-Mia,” I gasped

as my lungs screamed in agony. Desperate to catch my breath, I doubled over at the waist, pressing

my hands against my thighs.

“AJ?”

Jerking my head up, I gazed across the full waiting room. Dodging the shocked expressions from

the other women and men, I sought out Mia. Finally, I found her. She sat in a corner chair, gaping

open-mouthed at me. “Hey babe,” I replied lamely.

As Mia’s brows shot up, the dude across from me snickered until his wife or girlfriend elbowed

him in the ribs. Ignoring him, I somehow managed to pick one aching foot up and put it in front of the

other to close the distance between Mia and me. It seemed like years before I collapsed down in the

chair next to her.

“I can’t believe you made it.”

“Promised. I. Would,” I wheezed, wincing at the pain in my chest. When I opened my eyes, Mia,

along with the rest of the waiting room, was staring expectantly at me. “Was afraid you’d already be

done.”

“Well, normally I would’ve already been taken back, but the ultrasound technician is stuck in some

horrible traffic caused by a wreck.”

I snorted thinking that I probably ran by his or her car on my way in. Mia reached over to grasp my

hand in hers. “AJ, are you okay?”

“Just. Fine.”

As I continued sounding like I was hacking up a lung, Mia shook her head. “No offense, but you

look like hell.”

I winced. “I meant to wear something nicer.”

She squeezed my hand. “Oh AJ, it’s not what you have on. I could care less how you’re dressed.”

“Really?” When she started to bob her head, I grinned and added, “You wouldn’t mind if I were

nude?”

Instead of admonishing me, she actually giggled. “I don’t think you could have made any more of a

scene nude than the way you just busted in here.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

She gave me a once over from head to toe and sighed. “I’m worried about you. Your face is beet

red, you’re sweating profusely, and you’ve just caught your breath. You look like you just ran a

marathon or something.”

“I sorta did.”

“Huh?”

Now that I had my breath fully back, I explained about the delayed flight, the ticket, then the police

escort and finally about the traffic jam that had caused me to run the last half mile to the doctor’s

office. Mia’s hand flew to cover her mouth as her eyes widened. “Oh AJ, you went through all of that

for me?”

“Of course I did.”

Mia’s bottom lip trembled, and I could tell she was about to let loose crying. “I, um, I need to run

to the bathroom again,” she said, as she rose out of her chair.

I slung both my arms over the backs of the chairs next to me. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

With a jerk of her head, she replied, “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Feeling someone’s hot stare on me, I glanced up from the floor and over at the middle-aged woman

directly across from me. Her shaking hands held the latest copy of
Rolling Stone
—the one our kick-

ass PR firm had somehow managed to get us on. She appeared to be fanning herself because she kept