Love Notes ((Book Two of the Heartbeat Series)) (15 page)

We relaxed at the house together the rest of the day. As the evening came, I spent some time in the kitchen pulling a nice dinner together. Rand was working on repacking some things for the road. “Hey babe, time for dinner. Can you come with me as I decided we are dining out, nothing fancy, come as you are.” Rand made his way to the front foyer and looked at me in his tee shirt and sweatpants that hung low on his hips.

“Really Madison, this is acceptable?” and he waved his hands over his casual clothes.

“You look terrific, come follow me.” I tugged his hand and led him out the front door and over to the loft of the barn. Upstairs I had previously laid out a blanket and scattered some pillows on the floor. I began to pull out the contents of our picnic dinner. I had prepared roasted chicken, a crisp arugula salad with sliced watermelon and diced feta cheese and a few shavings of basil and a chilled bottle of chardonnay. There were also plenty of desserts left from when the girls were here visiting that I kept for us to share later.

“Madison, thank you, this was very sweet of you.” He happily smiled and I knew times that we shared like this he really appreciated. Often his days were filled with music and fans, not peacefulness. I had also brought some new photos of us together and after we finished our meal I attached them to
The Wall
.

I stepped back and took in the view of so many great memories on display all over the brick façade. Rand came up to hug me and took in the sight as well. He reached up and delicately swept with the pad of his thumb a strand of hair and tucked it behind my ear. “There, now everything is perfect.” He seemed pleased. Standing here in the barn with Rand was strange because there was such a quietness surrounding us. Usually the band is playing loudly and I hear their songs that carry in the air and flow into our house. It always is wonderful, literally, music to my ears.

As we left the barn and our private dinner our fingers laced comfortably into each other’s hand. We walked the sidewalk to our home, seeing the fireflies randomly appear in light bursts along the way. Both of us relaxed from the day as we climbed into our bed for what I always enjoyed, our pillow talk moments when Rand is home.

“Babe, I love having just you here and I know this is odd, but I miss the guys. I miss the noise. Lately, all I hear are crickets and they don’t sound near as good.”

“Well Love, I was actually thinking about that and since I have to head back to be with them tomorrow to play, while I’m away you can begin to plan a party. How about something here at the barn to celebrate you and your book?” Rand asked but looked like he already really wanted to do this.

“I would love that, I haven’t really seen the guys all together in a long time except on the video feeds of your shows.”

“I think they would be up for playing a few songs here and while I head back it would give you a few weeks to plan and pull it together. Ron said if we do a gig here that he wants to bring Dahlia around us all again.”

It made me feel good inside to know that Rand had already been thinking of this and talking about it with Ron. “That would be great, Dahlia was nice. I will reach out to Cecile and she’ll run with the party planning. I already told her that I wanted her to plan a launch party, so this works out perfectly. Plus, she will love to see Kent.”

“I’ll mention this to Maxwell and the rest of the guys when I see them. I’m sure they’ll all be good with it.”

I eased up on my tiptoes and kissed the tip of Rand’s nose. “I am so happy that you have such a great band of brothers, but I think I have captured the best of the group.”

“Well, now that you mention the band, I’ve been thinking of another project that perhaps you can spearhead.”

“What’s that?” I wasn’t sure what he was going to ask.

“Well, I am really close to the guys and over the years it has been fine for them to crash here in the house anytime, all the time…but I don’t want that now that you are here.”

“Rand they are welcome, I don’t want to put them out.”

“Oh, I want to put them out, and keep you in, all for myself. But what I thought we could do is build out on the back of the barn with a room or two. This way they can bunk there and we can keep ourselves in our home with lots of privacy. What do you think?”

“I think that sounds great in fact, Cecile would even stay there too if we had that available when I need her to help me out.”

“Well if you want to get some estimates and line up some contractors, it’ll be the next project here on the Rand compound.”

“Actually I know who to call. Connor was a contractor, but he is now works in finance. Maybe he can help or put us in the right direction. At least I feel I can trust him and you can trust him around here.”

“Madison I don’t ever doubt your judgment of someone’s character. If you feel comfortable with him, get in touch with him and let’s get this moving. One day we will be filling this house with our children and so we won’t have any room for anyone to stay.”

Rand climbed up facing me and wrapped his warm arms around me. I laid there thinking I couldn’t get any happier than this moment. Children! I never thought I would remarry and I never dreamed I would have a family. I know we have our lives ahead and time to do this, but as I rested my eyes still locked in his embrace, I drifted off to thoughts of what our children would be like. How wonderful Rand would be as a father, and my heart swelled and beat to a rhythm that made me sleep.

My eyes opened as I saw across the room Rand fully dressed and moving quietly around gathering his clothes and packing up his bag. “Hey you, I’m wide awake, there will be no sneaking out of our bed ever again.”

“Love, I didn’t want to wake you but I have to head to the airport, the limo is here.” Rand was scrambling about gathering a few things and shoving them into his duffle bag.

“I know you hate seeing me say goodbye, but I am getting to be a pro with this.” I flashed him my most sincere smile.

“It’s only a few weeks that I have to go sing and then I will be all yours to do whatever you desire and I can give you a few ideas if you want.” He shot me a very sexy look with a shake of his head.

“Come here, let me kiss you and tell you what I so desire.”

As he walked over, I knelt up on my knees on the bed and pulled my cami top up over my head exposing my breasts. It took seconds for him to pull his shirt off and drop his pants. “I see exactly what I want. I want you one more time, and the limo driver can wait. I need you Madison. I need to be inside of you.”

As the limo pulled away forty minutes after his scheduled pick up, I watched until it pulled out onto the main road and was out of my sight. One tear escaped my eye and I paused a moment. I turned what was to be a sad moment into a happy one. I decided to focus on the fact that he took the time for a short visit with me. I wouldn’t allow myself to be caught up in him leaving again. I touched my lips, still tingling with his passion. I felt my breasts still swollen from his bites and kisses. I rubbed my stomach and longed for the day we would be a family and today Rand had brought up children and it seemed to make him so happy with just the thought of us raising our own.

I snapped out of my day dreaming when my phone sounded. It was Connor. “Hey I was going to call you for your services today,” I said before even greeting him with a hello.

“Well what can I do for you pretty lady? I was calling to see how you have been.”

“Rand flew in and we decided to add onto the barn area with a suite or two and I told him you could surely help us or point us to who could for the project.”

“Madison I would love the opportunity to do the work. I have several friends that need the work too that I trust to be on site with you. I know Rand is not there often.”

“Well if you get a chance this week, come over and we’ll discuss the build.”

This week definitely flew by, with Rand out west and still calling and texting daily. I got with Cecile and he got with the band so we confirmed a date to do a book launch party here at the barn. With the party plans in place, I turned my focus to the addition to the barn.

I was amazed at Connor’s construction ideas and how quickly he got to bringing me preliminary plans in person. I mentioned to him that I was going to have a book launch party and if he wanted to come I would like him to so that he and Rand could meet. I asked him if he met any new girl that he wanted to bring and he said, “Madison, there was only one girl for me and I don’t think anyone will ever compare to her. I still am not ready to move on.”

“Connor, have you ever thought of finding her and telling her?”

“I hurt her so bad. She left town, she was embarrassed. I don’t want to hurt her anymore, and I thought to ask some of her old friends where she went but they don’t like me much.”

“Connor we all mess up and it seems you have punished yourself plenty for your mistake. Maybe one day you will see her and be able to make it right. I am sure that time heals some wounds. Hey, look at me, even my hair has grown back.”

“Thank you Madison you always make me feel so much better.” Connor smiled and pulled me in for a hug and rubbed his hand on my new patch of hair on the back of my head. I froze at first but then realized it was purely a friendly hug there was no hidden innuendos. I patted his back gently and hugged him back. This was as close to having a brother as I had ever had. I was confident that Connor would produce quality work and glad that he wanted to take on this new construction. Soon there would be some activity beginning here on the grounds. I welcomed the sounds even if they weren’t going to be musical. Sometimes it was very quiet here.

But, it wasn’t silent here lately as Cecile was spreading the news of the party, and my phone had rung call after call with well wishes for the release of
Rock Notes
and it was being received favorably. I had to remind myself that one day I would sit and reread it as I had it on my laptop and in scattered papers for so long, going over each chapter and doing edits and all the changes…but I really wanted to read it in a paperback. I know the guys were already reading through it while on tour because they sent me a few funny text messages, shocked that I captured a few rare quotes from them. And in some instances they didn’t even know I was around when they would pour their hearts out but then act all tough later. I enjoyed traveling with them. When Maxwell sent me the latest text, I had to breakdown and cry.

Madison, I just couldn’t have imagined it would be this GREAT. I am so proud of your accomplishment both in paper and with my boy Rand. You have turned his life around. He is like a son to me. I couldn’t be happier than knowing you are engaged to him and will be in his life forever.

I responded in between wiping the tears from my eyes –

Thank you for the compliments. I know Rand will always be a great guy as you have mentored him well. I miss all you guys and look forward to seeing you next week at our celebration because the book could never have been written without a bunch of good characters to follow and write about. I love each of you, but Rand is my favorite of course!

I then began to shed a few more tears as I took a moment and thought about this past year. It had been both wonderful and quite overwhelming. It was like doors opened in my direction and gave me access to enter new opportunities for my writing and for Love. I pulled out my safety net notebook and began to write another love note for my one and only, Rand. I fell into a deep sleep and awoke in the morning not by an alarm clock but the ever so cheery voice of Cecile.

“Get up sleepy head! I used the spare key to let myself in, we got a ton of party planning to pull together for next week’s celebration of you!”

“Cecile, good morning. Let me get a cup of coffee first, you are way ahead of me and I need the caffeine to catch up to you.”

“I am still ahead of you. Here I already made you a cup of coffee.”

“You’re the best.” I started to sip the morning brew as Cecile must have rattled off a dozen things. I was going to need yet another cup to keep up.

I knew I could slow her for a moment so I said, “Hey are you excited that Kent will be back for a bit.”

Her eyes got brighter if that could even be possible. “Oh Madison, there is something about him that makes me want to be with him, I mean really be with him. I think I may be ready to give myself to him.”

“Oh I didn’t mean you needed to get that excited! I just was trying to change the subject a bit.”

“Well you did get me excited, and I am even more excited about giving myself to him. I know he is patient and jokes with me about being his virgin that keeps him satisfied in all ways but the big one. I really feel that he should be my first.”

“Cecile, you sound bitten by love for sure.”

“Madison, I want to give Kent something back and I think I am ready for that to be me.”

“Well, sweetie you will be with him soon as they all will be rolling in here at the week’s end.”

It was like Cecile didn’t miss a beat. She went right onto the next item on her agenda for the party. I rolled my eyes and went to pour the second cup of coffee.

Chapter Nine – Lightheaded