The Greatest Show (Willow Son #5/Brothers of Rock #20) (20 page)

They then both faced the hospital
bed.

“
Seth,
”
Emma said.
“
Do you have any questions?
”

“
No,
”
Seth said.
“
My Dad is a ninja drummer.
”

“
Yeah,
he is,
”
Emma said.

“
That
’
s so cool.
”

“
No,
you
’
re the cool one,
”
Brantley said.
“
You
’
re the real ninja. You
’
re fighting off all those bad germs. That
’
s brave.
”

“
I
want to go home,
”
Seth
said.

“
Soon,
”
Emma said.
“
I won
’
t leave.
”

“
Neither
will I,
”
Brantley said.
“
Hey, you want to meet the other
guys in my band?
”

“
Are
they ninjas, too?
”
Seth
asked.

“
I
’
m not supposed to tell anyone
…
but, yeah. They
’
re ninjas. They can
’
t talk it about though.
”

Emma laughed. She put her head to
Brantley
’
s shoulder.
“
I love you both.
”

“
I
love you both,
”
Brantley
said.

He looked at Emma and she felt her
heart skip a beat.

“
Oh,
no,
”
Seth said.

“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Emma asked.

“
You
two are going to kiss. Gross.
”

Brantley winked.

Then he kissed Emma.

Seth let out a groan.

They were finally a family.

(19)

“
We
have a problem,
”
Harry said
as he slipped his hands into his pockets. He leaned against a wall, right next
to a wide window.

Brantley stood with a cold cup of
coffee, feeling half dead, the caffeine shooting through his veins like
lightening, but not doing a damn thing.

“
What?
”

“
There
’
s reports about you,
”
Harry said.
“
I
’
m
sorry.
”

“
Because
of the fight?
”

“
No.
The way it all looks.
”

“
The
way what looks?
”

Right then, the rest of the guys started
to gather around Brantley. He looked right and saw Van and Jett. To his left,
Colby and Ryker. In front of him, Harry.

“
What
is this?
”
Brantley asked.
“
Some kind of intervention?
”

“
Maybe,
”
Colby said.

“
We
want you to hear everything from us,
”
Ryker said.

“
Why?
What
’
s wrong now? Christ,
guys. I just spent the night with my son, watching him get a blood transfusion.
I just want to get him home and get him settled.
”

“
You
will,
”
Harry said.
“
But this is what
’
s happening. Just bear with me.
You guys haven
’
t played any
big shows lately. You guys are spotted in some bars, playing shows. You are in
New York, with After the Run. Then you, Brantley, seem to disappear from town.
Okay? You end up out of the limelight, something you
’
ve always loved. Then you appear at a bar, working.
Then you get into a fight. And now
…”

“
Hospital
sightings,
”
Ryker said.

“
Which
means?
”
Brantley asked.

“
Looks
like you have a problem,
”
Colby said.

“
Ah,
shit. Are you kidding me?
”

“
Bro,
we know it
’
s all bullshit,
”
Jett said.

“
Portis
doesn
’
t,
”
Harry said.
“
I haven
’
t said anything to him about you. All he knows is
that you
’
re dealing with
some personal issues.
”

“
Personal
issues,
”
Brantley said.
“
Rockstars and personal issues
usually go right back to one thing
…”

“
Yeah,
”
Harry said.
“
I
’
m
sorry to dump this on you now. But I think you have to get ahead of it all.
”

“
Meaning
what?
”

“
Telling
the world about your family,
”
Ryker said.
“
Tell the
truth. You have a son. Who is ill. You
’
re
trying to figure it out.
”

“
That
’
s nobody
’
s goddamn business but mine,
”
Brantley said.

“
Hey,
brother,
”
Colby said.

Colby touched Brantley
’
s shoulder and Brantley turned,
losing his cool. He dropped the cup of coffee, let it splash on the floor. He
then grabbed Colby by the shirt and threw him out of the way.

“
Whoa!
”
Van yelled.

Brantley charged down the hallway.
“
Don
’
t fucking follow me. This is my life and my family.
”

Brantley took to the stairs and
charged down them. He got to the ground floor and kicked open the first door he
saw and went outside. He stood there, looking around. He was on the side of the
hospital. Leaning against the building, he let out a sigh and touched his
chest. It seemed like just yesterday the biggest worry of his life was figuring
out the name of the city he was waking up in. Along with the woman next to him
in bed.

Now it was all changed.

A car pulled around the side of the
hospital and pulled into an empty spot.

It was Mike.

He climbed out of the car and
looked right at Brantley. As he walked toward Brantley, he touched his leg.
When he got closer, he let out a cough that put Brantley in a bad place.

“
Mike,
”
he said.
“
I have to say this right up
front here
…
you can
’
t see Seth. You have a cough.
”

“
I
know,
”
Mike said.
“
How
’
s he doing?
”

“
Good.
Really good. They
’
re
sending him home today.
”

“
That
’
s great. Usually he stays for
days.
”

“
No.
Not this time I guess. I made a few calls and I have a few doctors checking on
his medical history. I have a name for you. A specialist in Los Angeles I want
you to go see. Get that leg checked out for good. Get yourself rested up.
”

“
Well,
I guess I got the time now,
”
Mike said.

“
What?
”

Mike reached into his pocket and
pulled out a piece of paper.

Behind Brantley the door opened.

He figured it was going to be the
band, but it was Emma.

“
Dad,
”
Emma said.

“
Hey,
sweetie.
”

“
Is
Seth okay?
”
Brantley asked.

“
He
’
s fine,
”
Emma said. She grabbed for Brantley
’
s hand.
“
Colby came to find me.
”

“
Oh.
That. Yeah. I shouldn
’
t
have gotten pissed at the guys. I just hate all this. The way people perceive
things, you know? It
’
s
bullshit.
”

“
We
all know you
’
re not on
drugs or something,
”
Emma
said.

“
But
the only way to stop this from getting worse is to get ahead of it all. That
means talking about you, Emma. And Seth. I don
’
t
want you two dragged into all this.
”

“
We
’
re family,
”
Emma said.
“
We
’
re
together. Who cares?
”

“
Hey,
”
Mike said.
“
Back to me for a second.
”
He waved a piece of paper.
“
I got an email this morning
…
apparently someone bought the
bar. The building. The lot.
”

“
What?
”
Emma asked.
“
How? Was it in foreclosure? Oh,
Dad
…”

“
No,
”
Mike said.
“
It wasn
’
t in foreclosure. Some damn fool picked up all the
debt on it. I got an offer that I couldn't refuse.
”

“
Who?
”
Emma asked.

Mike looked at Brantley.
“
You going to tell her?
”

“
Brantley?
”
Emma asked.

“
I
had to do it,
”
Brantley
said.
“
I know the building
and the bar means something to you both. Mike, you deserve a break. You did so
much for Emma and Seth. Hell, you did so much for me. I
’
ll keep it however you want it. My opinion? We fix
it up, turn it into something real. You manage from behind the scenes and let
someone else run the place. You just collect the rent. Enjoy life a little.
”

“
I
can
’
t believe this,
”
Emma said.

“
You
know that was a really bad financial decision?
”
Mike asked.

“
Probably,
”
Brantley said.
“
You know, I know money can
’
t fix or buy everything, but
what I can control, I will.
”

Mike swallowed a big lump in his
throat. He put his hand forward.

Brantley took it.

They shook hands for a few seconds
and then Mike came in with a big hug.

“
Just
take care of my daughter and your son,
”
Mike said.

“
As
long as you take care of yourself now.
”

“
What
about the house?
”
Emma
asked.

“
What
about it?
”
Brantley asked.

“
You
don
’
t want to live in a
mansion?
”

“
Do
you?
”

“
No,
”
Emma said.
“
Seth loves the house. I mean, we
could move someday, I guess. Maybe before he starts school.
”

“
Whatever
you want,
sexy moves
,
”
Brantley said.

“
Sexy
moves?
”
Mike said.
“
Oh, Christ. I don
’
t need to hear this.
”

The door opened again and out came
the band and Harry.

Two SUVs then drove by slow,
cameras hanging out the window.

“
Fuck,
”
Ryker growled.

Brantley threw the middle finger as
picture after picture was being snapped of him.

“
That
won
’
t look good,
”
Harry said.

Brantley looked at Emma. She smiled
at him. She was everything to him. So was Seth.

He then looked at Harry.
“
Okay. Get Portis on the phone.
Let me talk to him about everything. And then find out what we have to do to
get the truth out. I don
’
t
want any pictures or videos of my family. Okay? I
’
ll
talk about Emma and Seth and that
’
s
it.
”

“
I
can have someone help you with the words,
”
Harry said.
“
We can spin
…”

“
No,
”
Brantley said.
“
No spinning anything. It
’
s all about the truth. I have a
son. I love my son. I love the mother of my son. I
’
m going to marry her someday. We
’
re a family. And that
’
s the end of my personal
business being in the news. What matters is the next fucking song Willow Son
releases.
”

“
Which
is done,
”
Colby said.

“
And
I have an idea for,
”
Ryker
said.

“
Oh?
”
Harry asked.

“
In
the spirit of all this shit,
”
Ryker said,
“
we release the
song and everything made should go to the hospital. Or a bunch of hospitals. Or
some kind of organization for kids.
”

“
Ah,
man,
”
Brantley said.
“
Ryker
’
s got himself a heart.
”

“
Don
’
t make me hit you,
”
Ryker said.

Brantley grabbed for Ryker and
hugged him.
“
Thank you,
brother.
”

They all hugged, five men together,
five men as brothers, the way it all started years ago, and the way it was
meant to be.

Emma
’
s
phone beeped and she then said,
“
Hey,
good news. Cassie just texted me. They
’
re
releasing Seth now.
”

“
Let
’
s go home,
”
Brantley said.

“
Got
room for us?
”
Jett asked.

“
Man,
remember the last time we all got together in a house?
”
Van asked.

“
You
’
re banned from a few towns,
”
Harry said.

“
Please
don
’
t trash my house,
”
Emma said.
“
I have Brantley and Seth to do
it.
”

Brantley opened the door and
ushered everyone inside the hospital. He then grabbed Emma
’
s wrist at the last second and
pulled her back outside. He shut the door and put her against it. One hand to
her face, one hand to her hip.

“
What
are you doing?
”
Emma asked.

“
I
meant what I said. About you. About me. Us. Seth. Family. I want to marry you
someday, Emma. I want to live in whatever house you and Seth want. I
’
ll buy it. I
’
ll build it. You two deserve it
all. See, I
’
m famous to all
these people around me. They follow me and take my picture and want to write
stories about me. They want a piece of my life to try and figure me out. I
guess that comes with the territory I
’
ve
chosen. But you
…”
Brantley
slid his fingers into Emma
’
s
hair.
“
You
’
re my star,
sexy moves
.
You
’
re famous to me. I
’
m going to spend everyday of my
life looking at you, smiling, loving you. And when we argue, I
’
m going to make you smile.
Because nothing will ever be more serious than the way we look at each other.
”