Two Days Later
“Babe, get up!”
Bri’s energetic voice cuts through my peaceful slumber. One of the best I’ve gotten since we’ve been on tour. A part of me wants to push her away and be rude, but she’s not seen that side of me yet. “What?” I growl putting my pillow over my head. It’s early, I can tell by the way the light flows through the bottom of the curtains on the bus. All I want is a few more hours.
“Today is a free day!” She reminds me, as she sits on my back. Her fingers work up my sore muscles, and I do my best not to close my eyes again. “We have stuff planned. We’re in Italy!”
She’s been excited about this stop since we planned the tour, especially since we’ll finally be doing some sight-seeing. I’m just so damn tired. Last night, she’d not even come to bed with me. She’d stayed up and done God knows what. It was the first night since we’ve been on tour we didn’t go to bed together.
“I know,” I answer, trying to get a few more winks in, but knowing I won’t be able to. As much as I’m trying not to let it, her excitement is starting to rub off on me. “And you’re super excited about it. I’m surprised you even slept last night.” I roll over onto my back, dislodging her, making her squeal as she grabs for the covers.
“I basically didn’t,” she confirms, shooting me an irritated look, as she tries to situate herself from where I knocked her off. “C’mon, let’s go!”
Sitting up with a groan, I brush the sleep out of my eyes. We have a totally free day today and we’ve planned to charter a boat off the coast of Italy. We’ll spend the night and then tomorrow afternoon, travel to Florence where we’ll headline the night at a rock festival. Everybody was invited, but the only people who took us up on the offer was RJ, and my parents are meeting us there, too.
“Alright.” I drag myself out of bed, barely living because it’s so fucking early. “You’re lucky you’re so damn cute.” I slap her ass as I make my way through the bus and to the bathroom. “What the fuck time is it, anyway?”
“Eight,” she answers as she passes by me, going to the kitchen area.
Eight? I can’t remember the last time I’ve been up this early on tour when I wasn’t just going to sleep, had an interview, or an appearance to take care of. This shit is stupid. Is this what people do when they get married? Sacrifice sleep to make their wives happy?
I can hear her as I take care of my morning business, making coffee, and I really hope it’s for me. Splashing water on my face and do a quick brush of my teeth, I finish up quickly. When I exit, she’s standing there, a smile on her face, holding my coffee.
“Here you go, let the caffeine flow through you. Let it make you excited to face the day. Maybe it’ll push grouchy aside and let happy see the light of day.”
“I am excited,” I assure her. “I’m just tired.”
“You can sleep on the way there, we have about an hour and a half drive to get down the coast and I can do that, if we need me to.”
There’s a knock at the bus door, and RJ steps on, carrying a bag. “Dude, you’re not ready yet? I share a bathroom with three other guys and I’m ready before you.”
“Why is everybody so happy this morning?” I grumble as I drink my coffee faster.
He glances at me, shaking his head.
“You’re channeling Mom; drink your coffee and get happy.”
I flip him off, but do as he says, closing my eyes and going to a peaceful place while I listen to my wife and my brother talk about what we’re doing for the next day and a half. Eventually, I feel the caffeine hit my system and my mood improve.
“Alright, I’m human.” I hop up from where I’ve been sitting. “What do we need to do?”
“That transformation was scary.” Bri gives me a look. “Are you a pod person?”
“No,” I laugh, reaching over to cup her jaw in my hand. Leaning in, I give her a soft kiss. “Sorry I was cranky.”
“S’okay.” She smiles up at me, and I can’t help but smile back. “Our rental is here, so we can leave any time. I packed us last night, so unless you want to add anything to what I put in your bag, we’re good.”
“Let me just go throw some actual clothes on, and we can get on the road.”
Bri
“You can drive one of these?” EJ asks as he sits next to me in the passenger seat of the Jeep we’ve rented.
His eyes go from the manual stick shift to me, and then back again. There’s a glimmer of disbelief present, and I want nothing more than to both impress him and prove him wrong.
“Yeah.” I put my sunglasses on, adjust my mirrors, and set up the GPS that came with it. “There’s a few things my dad made sure all his kids knew how to do, even if he was shitty at everything else. Change a tire, drive a stick, and be okay to ask for directions if you get lost.”
It was the only thing he was adamant about, and probably some of the only good lessons he ever taught me. Now I’m just glad I don’t have to talk to them.
EJ makes a noise of approval in his throat. “All good skills to have.”
The last thing I do is adjust my seat, before looking at the two of them. “Are you ready? Everybody buckled in?”
“I’m good back here,” RJ answers, and I hear my husband give me an affirmative too.
“Then let’s blow this joint.”
Traffic inside the city of Florence is a bit more congested than I would like for it to be, and I can’t take the time to admire the scenery. But as we get farther away, and make the turn onto the coastal highway, it thins out and we’re able to enjoy the amazing views of the water.
It’s awesome to be driving with the wind blowing through my hair, the sun on my skin. I can’t remember the last time I drove. I’m always being driven places, and I forgot how much I like driving myself. Even if it’s in a different country than I’m used to.
“You know that’s hot as fuck, right?” EJ comments, his voice low.
“What is?” I’m completely lost at what in the world could be doing it for him.
“You driving a stick like that. Handling it with such ease and skill.”
I snort, laughing loudly.
“Dear God, I’m awake back here,” RJ groans, putting his hands over his ears, making noises.
“We’re married, I can flirt.” He turns around to face his younger brother. “Do us all a favor and go to sleep.”
RJ pushes himself in between us, leaning on the console, before he looks first at EJ and then at me.
“Oh hell no, now I’m worried that you’ll have her pull to the side of the road and have a quickie. I can’t trust the two of you together.”
“That’s a great idea, RJ. Just make yourself non-existent.” He winks at me, smiling as RJ starts making noises, slinking to the back seat again.
“La la la la, I can’t hear you!”
“Leave him alone,” I giggle as the two of them start throwing things back and forth at each other. “And be quiet, I can’t hear the GPS.”
I’m worried I’ve missed something, and I’m listening intently when RJ speaks up.
“It said turn right, here.” He points to a turn off, which I accidentally take a little faster than I want.
“Drive it like ya stole it,” EJ yells out as he grabs hold of the handle above his head, a huge grin on his face, when I look over at him.
This is the EJ I love being around, the one who has fun and knows when to let loose. What I’m beginning to learn is that sometimes it’s hard for him to separate this EJ with the one who belongs on stage while on tour. I make a mental note to help him when he needs it.
The GPS is directing me through a smaller town, toward what we know will be the edge of the coastline. One day I want to come back and enjoy the scenery, take a couple of days to explore all the nooks and crannies. There’s no telling how many couples have stolen a passionate kiss in between these buildings over the last few centuries. I want my husband and I to be one of them.
As I take a few more turns and eventually turn into a marina, I’m immediately aware that something is off by the way Everett’s body stiffens. Then I hear his voice.
“Rhett?”
I try to think back to see if I can ever remember him calling his brother by his given name, but I can’t. Immediately I know something is wrong.
“Yeah?”
That’s when I see Reaper and Harmony standing on the sidewalk, a pretty blonde with them.
“Did you know Montgomery was going to be here?”
I know that name, the girl who broke RJ’s heart. The one who hasn’t given him the time of day. RJ leans forward over the back of the seats, almost coming over the console. When he gets a good look at her, I know this wasn’t what he expected when I hear the words come out of his mouth.
“Fuck my life.”