Blurring the Lines (15 page)

NINETEEN

They’d rehearsed so many times Chris didn’t have to think. Lita’s strumming and his picking matched perfectly. His brain was numb from doing the same few songs over and over. He also knew that no amount of practice was going to help him look more relaxed about a song that he wanted to be relaxed about while onstage. He’d rather have a few missteps and imperfections, but Lita wanted it to appear as if they were goofing around, when in reality he’d have played their joint songs more than any others he had planned.

He slouched on the stool in his studio, ready for Corinne to be there, or for a change of scenery. Anything.

“Once more?” she asked.

“Lita…” He sighed and then stopped when he saw the familiar mix of panic and determination cross her face.

He might have started in music young, but it was nothing like starting at seventeen. And being “Lita James” instead of just part of “Kincaid” like he had been also carried with it a different sort of pressure.

“I’m sorry.” Chris sagged in his chair again, his throat sore. “I gotta run, or I won’t make Corinne’s plane.”

Lita frowned. “If we run over the three songs one or two more times... They don’t feel done to me.”

Chris rubbed his forehead. “We leave in two weeks, Lita. At some point, we have to say it’s good enough.”

She pushed her hands through her blond hair, tightened her jaw, and walked out of the room without a word.

Griffin smiled a little as she left. “Give her a minute, and she’ll be back and be fine.”

“Are you serious?” Chris asked. In his experience people didn’t walk out without a word unless they were pissed.

Griffin stood and moved for the door. “I know she’s a pain in the ass, but no one can argue that it doesn’t pay off.”

“You got me.” Chris let his head hang to the side as he thought about Corinne arriving without him there. “Dammit.”

“I’m sorry,” Griffin sa
id. “I know you want to pick Corinne up. I could go, or you could send Max.”

He wasn’t about to send Max. Max might try to talk Corinne out of being with Chris.

“You wanna go talk to your girl?” Chris asked. He hoped that Griffin would be able to talk to her, calm her down, or help her to see that she was being too much of a perfectionist.

Griffin tipped his head before pulling open the door.

“Can I say again that I’m really glad you’re part of this?” Chris asked.

“Trust me.” Griffin paused. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Chris sat for a few more minutes before standing and following Griffin. It wasn’t fair for the guy to always be running interference. He walked upstairs and paused near the top when he saw them standing together in his living room. In that second he knew he should walk back down but jealousy at their ability to touch held him in place.

“I don’t want to feel like you’re always babying me,” Lita said softly as she stared at the floor. “I know I need to calm down.
I left. It’s okay.”

“Hey,” Griffin tipped up her chin. “You walked out without yelling.”

He smirked, pulling a partial smile from her.

“
And,” he paused. “You’re helping me in the way that’s most damaging to my ego.”

“But it’s so easy for me, Griff.
I don’t even have to think about money.”

His forehead touched hers, and Chris ached for Corinne. “And I don’t even have to think about how to touch you or what to say to you when I know you need me. Okay?
This stuff is easy for
me.
”

She let out a breath
. “I’m so scared of messing us up. Of the tour not going right. Of…
You
know.”

His eyes closed and he planted a kiss on her cheek. “I know.”

Damn.
Chris couldn’t cut off rehearsal after watching that. He slowly walked back down the stairs hating the reality that he wouldn’t be the guy picking Corinne up from the airport. He’d have to leave that to Griffin.
Damn again
.

Once Corinne had decided to see Chris in California, every hour had felt like another line stood in. Another obstacle to fight. The last few minutes of the flight, she clutched the armrests on the plane—part because she’d always be nervous flying and part because she had to do something she could
feel
while she waited.

Jonah’s eyes were wide as he stared out the window at the city below, and he clapped as the plane landed. Everything felt hazy. She wasn’t supposed to be in the position where she had a hard time removing her brain from a guy, but there she was, tapping her foot as she waited for the plane to come to a stop and for the door to open.

Seconds and she’d be in Chris’ arms again and she’d remember all the reasons why coming here was a good idea.

Her heart thrummed as the door of the small plane lowered and she stepped down with Jonah on her heels. They’d made it. A few hours of Jonah touching every surface in the small plane, and they were finally there.

“This is so cool!” he said again. Like he’d said about five hundred times on the flight down.

A limo sat waiting with a man she didn’t recognize leaning on the hood, the driver already scooping up her bags and sliding them in the trunk.

“Corinne, right?” the man asked in a southern accent that smoothed over every syllable. His plaid shirt was rolled up to his elbows, and dark hair fell over his forehead.

Her heart fluttered in the beginnings of uncertainty and panic.

“Where’s the car without a top?” Jonah asked. “Where’s Chris?”

She stared at the man who pushed off the car and moved toward her with his hand out.
Younger than her, and tall…

“I’m Griffin.
” They shook hands. “I’m with Lita, and we’ve all been working together a bit.”

“Um… Okay…”

“Sorry Chris isn’t here.” He stood back, bit his lip and gave her a partial frown. “Lita’s a bit of a perfectionist, and they weren’t finished, so—”

Her throat swelled as disappointment sunk in. “You’re here instead.”

All the days and the phone calls and his pleadings for her to come down, and now...she was being escorted by someone else back to his house.

“Lita talked him into it by saying you two would have days together. He really was torn up,” Griffin assured.

She let out a breath. She knew. They’d both said that they’d go through the craziness of just before tour. And that they’d do it together. But how were they doing anything together when she’d come all this way and he hadn’t even made it to the airport?

Corinn
e closed her eyes in the LA warmth and let out a breath. She knew. They both knew. His life was insane at that moment. This was one small setback. She could deal.

“Corinne!” Jonah called. “Come see the car!”

It was past dinner and the day was wearing on her.

“I’m really sorry.” Griffin stood next to the door, waiting for her to slide in. “He wanted you to come in this car because there are photographers camping outside his house with the tour and Lita and all that. He’s just trying to protect you.”

She’d been in limos before. A lot of times. She slipped in. The car felt...empty. She wanted Chris. His warmth. His face smiling in excitement. His old car and the wind in her hair. And she was forced to hide in a stuffy limo just to keep her face out of the papers. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

“Yeah, well…” At least she wasn’t in the car with Max. She had no idea how to deal with him or what his thoughts might be on her and Chris, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know
—no matter which way he was leaning.

They rode in silence for a few minutes as Jonah played with windows, and slid up and down the long, leather seat.

“So, you’re with Lita? What does that mean?” Corinne asked, more to make conversation than anything else. Actually, more to keep her mind focused on something other than the uncertainty she felt in coming.

“I’m…” His smile said it all. “Totally in love with her, and helping her with music, and—”

“How does that work?” Corinne asked.

“How does what work?”

“Are you two able to get along with all the pressure and music and everything?”

He chuckled. “Lita is a perfectionist and has a temper, and I’m mellow. It works. Also, she calls me on all my weirdness, and I call her on all hers. It sometimes leads to one of us feeling stupid and less than thrilled with any given situation, but we’re pretty good about not holding grudges,
at least with each other. So yeah, it works. Well.”

She had no doubt with the smile on his face that it did work well.

Corinne went from uncertainty to hope, and she knew already that her emotions were going to roller-coaster for her visit. The problem was that if she was up and down at the beginning phase of them being together, how would it feel after a few months? Or a year?

She closed her eyes wishing beyond anything she knew what she should do. But maybe by being there, she’d already chosen.

Chris fumbled on the guitar strings again and Lita stopped. “You are for real messed in the head over not meeting up with her, aren’t you?”

Chris nodded and Lita frowned.

“Sorry.” She shook her head. “I get on one track, and I had it set in my head that we were going to play this one perfect before we finished.”

Chris waved her away. “It’s fine. It’s all new with her, you know? And my… It’s that I’m...” He gestured with his hand around his house, unsure of what to say.

“The fact that you’re hot and super famous?” she teased.

“That, I guess,
” Chris said, embarrassed. He set down his guitar and moved from the stool to flop on the couch. “It’s a big strike against me with her, so… the fact that I wasn’t there makes it worse. I know she was worried about coming down, but—”

“There was no way this tour was going to happen when you were in small-town Washington,” Lita finished.

“Right.”

“I think I got pretty lucky with Griff.” Her smile was the shy, uncertain smile of a very young woman instead of the rock goddess she was known as.

“He seems pretty stellar.”

“And when’s Donovan joining us?” she asked.

“Since he’ll probably only sing one with me, not until just before the tour kicks off. I don’t mind getting up there and being a little rough. For me, that’s my roots, you know? I’ve always loved the idea of hanging on stage with my voice and a few words and my guitar and letting the audience lead me and talking and playing and messing up and having it be okay.”

Lita let out a long breath. “That absolutely terrifies me. I’m in the generation of one wrong move and you’re Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears and everyone hates you for being who you are.”

“Are those really fair comparisons to make?” Chris asked wondering if he should be more nervous about performing.

“No.” She pushed her long bangs off her face
. “But we’re never fair to ourselves, are we?”

“No,” Chris agreed. “We never are.”

The outside door clicked and Chris jumped to standing, jogged through the sound booth and Jonah leapt into his arms. Chris held him tightly, pulling him off the ground. “Missed you little man.”

“Ugh.” Jonah laughed. “You’re squeezing too hard!”

Chris tightened his arms a little. “Because I haven’t had a Jonah squeeze in so long! I need to soak you up!”

Jonah’s giggle and shriek made Chris laugh and he set him down, just then seeing Corinne smiling at him from the doorway.

“And you…” He wrapped her in his arms. The feeling of rightness and love and home rushed through him.

“I’ve missed you.” He breathed into her hair. “I might need more than a squeeze from you to get my fix.”

Her arms tightened around him and he felt her body relax. Knew she’d probably been as uncertain about him not picking her up as he’d thought. Maybe even more.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

He let her go only to grab Jonah and hoist him onto his back. “I have a piggy-back ride and a room to show you!”

“We’ll meet tomorrow!” Lita laughed and Chris continued up the stairs, Jonah bouncing on his back.

Lita and Griffin could lock up. They’d be back the next day and the next and the next, and probably every single day until they left and Lita had each of her hip shakes planned out.

“I have food!” Corinne called from behind them, and Chris paused leading Jonah to the deck.

“Let’s eat outside. Lita’s kept me in the studio all day.”

In two minutes Corinne had everyone’s burgers and drinks laid out on a small table, the setting sun coming at them from the side, and occasional bits of shouting or laughter drifting up from the beach.

Chris and Jonah play fought over fries and ketchup packets, and Chris touched his foot to Corinne’s more than he needed to. Found ways to touch her leg or her arm and…