URGENT (Book 2 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 56: Rock Stars Boost Boats

Trace

I hoist the backpack and open the door to Adam's room as gently as possible, but there's no need for stealth. Adam's awake, propped up in the bed, shirtless, with a small bandage covering his right side, Mac hugged up beside him in his Johnny Cash t-shirt. They are sharing a bottle of ginger ale with a straw and eating strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting.

Without even looking at me, Adam says, "Get the fuck out, man."

Of course, I ignore him and hop up on the dresser. "Don't mind me. Carry on," I make a big deal out of observing them. I pretend I'm doing it to fuck with them, but honestly, it's hard not to look at them. They are so much in love that it draws the eye, like a beautiful painting or something.

I'm so fucking glad to see them chill right now. Adam came through emergency surgery yesterday evening just fine, but it was a damn hassle getting him out of the hospital, because somehow news of his emergency leaked out, and the place was swamped with fans and Nashville paps. We had to leave by three exits. Bodie, Kat and I went out the normal discharge exit to draw the eye. I only shoved and cursed two paps that got in Kat's face, hospital security and Ben hauling me back both times, so I counted that a successful exit.

Leed insisted on smuggling Mac out a little used employee exit, because despite her calmness with Adam, she was amped to the max while we waited for the outcome of his surgery. Even though the Doc came out after and assured her Adam was fine and would be ready to be wheeled out and tucked up in bed at home within the hour, the last thing she needed was to get trapped in a press of fans, all laying their hands on her. She, Leed and John breezed out unnoticed, thankfully.

They wheeled Adam out through a service entrance, with his family, Dawes, two of our security guys and some hospital security with him, but it didn't go as smoothly as it could have. Unfortunately, Brett, with her goldy blond hair and pretty looks, got mistaken for Mac by some fans. She got jostled pretty hard. Thank god her brother-in-law Luke stuck with her, shouting at security for help, because when they finally forced a perimeter and got her to the truck, she'd lost some jewelry to grasping hands and had a nasty, raw scratch down her arm where someone's ring had grazed her.

It was a sobering moment for Adam's family—realizing how difficult our life as celebrities can be sometimes. Brett and her dad made light of it for Adam's sake. After we got him hustled to bed back at the Farm, there were some tense words between Dawes and Brett's husband, and of course, Mac felt terrible. After making sure Adam was out for the night, and profuse apologies to Brett, she did that thing she does.

She disappeared.

Leed, Bodie, John and I had an unhappy fifteen minutes looking for her, but Leed finally found her out in the barn. She lost it, crying in Leed's arms for a couple of hours. Adam slept, blissfully unaware of Mac's meltdown. By the time he woke up this morning, she was cheerful and calm.

Adam's been up walking around today, both Mac and his mom babying the hell out of him. Dude's loving that shit. Spent most of the day layed out on the couch, eating steak sandwiches, while the rest of us sweated our asses off this morning picking blueberries. Although he did miss out on the kick-ass lake day this afternoon.

Which is kind of sad...considering his birthday present he doesn't know about.

The rest of us had a blast, taking out the several small boats that make up the Heartley fleet—a pontoon, a ski boat, and a pair of personal watercraft. Leed and Bodie spent most of their day giving the Heartley kids the rides of their lives, racing around on the Sea-Doo's, jumping other boat's wake and spinning 360's. Scared the shrap out of their parents, but the kids loved it.