Music of the Soul (Runaway Train #2.5) by Katie Ashley
Chapter One
I ducked my head under one of the low hanging oak trees as my feet crunched along the gravel pathway. The ache in my chest grew as I made the familiar pilgrimage through the garden of multicolored stones. Cool Springs Memorial Park was the last place on earth I wanted to be today, but my heart drove me there.
Close to the duck pond and beneath a massive oak tree was my mother’s final resting place. “Hey Mama,” I murmured, as I crouched down onto my knees on the grassy earth. The only reply I received was a few tweets from the birds nestled in the tree above me. “Brought you some flowers.” Although the sun had yet to fade the bouquet of silk lilies on her headstone, I had still brought new ones. A smile crept on my lips as I went about replacing the flowers. I could almost hear her chiding me while a perfect picture of her with her hand on hip while wagging a finger at me formed in my mind. “Jacob Ethan Slater, why on earth would you bring me new flowers when the ones I’ve got are perfectly good? Didn’t I teach you a thing about managing finances?”
“There. That looks better, doesn’t it?” Cocking my head, I surmised the deep reds, oranges, and purples of the silk flower arrangement that I had just placed in the bronze vase on her marker. “Hope you like the fall flowers. Abby picked them out. Of course, if she was with me, she would know exactly how to reshape them and all, but I have no freakin’ clue.”
Although I felt like a tool doing it, I always spoke aloud to her when I came to visit her grave. It wasn’t like I thought she could hear me—it was all part of my grief counseling. After her death when I had gone into a dark place, I had balked at seeing any professional therapists. I didn’t feel right sharing my deepest, darkest thoughts and feelings with a stranger. So Abby had volunteered her mother’s services. As the wife of a minister, Laura was used to consoling people. At times, I still felt guarded talking to her. She was the one who had given me the idea to talk to Mama to get my feelings out.
Rising to my feet, I wiped my dirty hands on my jeans. “I won’t be back for a few weeks, but Papa is going to check in on you. You know, make sure your flowers are okay if it comes up a bad cloud, as he would say.” Grinning at the thought of my grandfather and his Southern euphemisms, I brushed the back of my hand over my face. “Abby and I are leaving tomorrow for Mexico—we’re getting married on some private beach there. I can’t even begin to understand what she has planned. I’m just keeping my mouth shut and going along for the ride.” Shaking my head, I smiled when I thought of how the office in my old house—now mine and Abby’s—had been transformed into wedding planning central.
Gazing down at the marker, I sighed. “I know you’d be disappointed I wasn’t getting married in a church, Mama. Trust me, Abby’s parents totally flipped out that we weren’t getting married at her dad’s church. But this island is beautiful, and it gives us privacy from the paparazzi. We’ll have the whole place to ourselves for a week—they only bring meals and do housekeeping when you call, and then they come by private boat. After the last few months of touring, I’m stoked as hell to have all that time alone with Abby.”
I knew I was rattling on now to try and steady my out-of-control emotions, but somehow in some small way, it helped. A breeze rippled my clothing, and I shifted on my feet, fighting the tears that burned my eyes. “I’d give anything in the world if you could be there, Mama—for you to be sitting there in the first row wearing a beautiful dress.” I shook my head and then wiped my eyes. I brought my fingers to my lips and kissed them. Then I reached down to touch her marker. “I love you as high as the sky,” I murmured. With the familiar ache of grief burning in my chest, I turned and started making my way back to the truck.
It was hard to believe that almost two years had passed since my mother’s death. Sometimes it seemed like forever since I had seen her smile, held her in my arms, and kissed her cheek. Then other times, her memory was so strong that it was like I expected to turn a corner in the house and see her there. Through the dark cloud of grief, I hadn’t been the easiest person to be around or to love. Those first few months I drank too much, slept too much and generally acted like an a*shole too much. But somehow Abby held on and wouldn’t let go. Having proposed to her so many months ago, I couldn’t wait to make her my wife.
But unfortunately, life had gotten in the way. Just as I was dealing with the implosion of my personal life, the band experienced an explosion of popularity. More was expected of us than ever before. Our crossover tour with Jacob’s Ladder grew bigger and bigger, and we sold out more and more shows as we crisscrossed the country. Then came the Grammys eight months ago when we really found ourselves in the celebrity stratosphere.
Each and every time Abby and I tried to set a wedding date, another concert or appearance came up. I thought I was never going to get to make my angel Mrs. Jake Slater. But fortunately, we had finally found a one week window between the last leg of our tour and the holiday season, and in less than twenty-four hours, we would be exchanging vows on our own private beach in Mexico.
Just the thought sent a goofy grin curving on my lips. As I turned onto the road I’d called home for the last fifteen years, I threw up my hand to one of my older neighbors who sat on his front porch. While he waved back, I could only imagine he was grumbling about me and how I’d caused all the traffic on the one way, gravel road. Well, it wasn’t entirely all me. Abby was to blame as well since it had been her idea to have a pre-wedding party at the farm.
When I pulled in the driveway, I found cars lining both sides of the road along with several catering trucks. I eased up beside the barn and hopped out. My dog, Angel, came yipping to my side. “Hey girl, you keepin’ an eye on things for me?”
She barked and wagged her tail. I patted her head before I started back up the hillside. Down below the house where we usually held our bonfires, a huge, white tent had been erected. We were doing a sit-down dinner and dancing celebration for over two hundred people who would be unable to come to Mexico since it was a ‘destination wedding’, as someone had called it. Tonight was mainly friends, extended family members, along with our road crew. Tomorrow was intended to be only our closest family and friends. Abby had wanted to keep the actual ceremony small with only fifty people in attendance. She claimed that she had to share me with so many people—the world when it came down to it—that on our special day, she wanted it to be as private as it could be.
As I started up the front walkway, the sweetest sound in the world floated back to me. Abby’s singing. Although it was a part of my daily life when we were on tour, I never tired of hearing it. Without her voice, she would have never accidentally fallen into my bed for me to fall in love with. Craning my neck to find her, I jogged up the front steps.
Down at the far end of the porch, Abby sat cross legged on the wicker couch with a guitar on her lap. Eli sat to her right in one of the rocking chairs. He strummed along with her, harmonizing on some of the lines. Gabe leaned back against the porch railing, tapping out the beat with his foot. Since we were coming right off our honeymoon to go back onto the road, I imagined they were trying to get in a little last minute rehearsal time.
Abby’s eyes pinched shut in concentration, but as I made my way down the porch, they flew open as if she sensed my presence. Her gaze locked on mine as she sang the lyrics, “And I get lost in your eyes and thrilled at your touch. Nights like these were made for love.”
With a smile, I winked at her. A pleased flush entered her cheeks as she continued singing. When she strummed the last chord, she glanced anxiously at me. It tugged at my heart that she always sought my approval when it came to her music. I nodded. “Very nice.”
She gave me a beaming smile. “Thanks. It’s a cover of an old song by The Lynns. We wanted to add a song or two to the set arrangement while we’re writing the new stuff.”
“Hmm, I knew it didn’t sound too familiar.”
Eli snorted. “The daughters of Loretta Lynn were the best compromise we could make with Abby that didn’t involve busting out Coal Miner’s Daughter or something hideous like that!”
I laughed as Abby scowled. “I can’t help that I appreciate the greats of country music,” she replied.
I grinned at her. “I’ll agree with you on that one. I seem to remember some Dolly Parton karaoke in your past.”
Abby grinned. “That’s right.” Glancing back at Eli, she said, “Be glad I’m not asking you to do a duet of Islands in the Stream.”
“Over my dead body,” he grumbled.
“You have nothing to worry about. I’m her only duet partner. Right, Angel?”
“No one but you—now and forever.”
Gabe made a gagging noise behind us. “Why don’t you guys get a room?” he suggested.
Eli shook his head. “Don’t give them any ideas. That’s all we need to send Mom completely over the edge—Abby late for the reception after a bang-fest.”
When I opened my mouth to tell them to go f*ck themselves, Abby distracted me by leaning in and peering at my watch. “Oh shit, it’s after five? I’ve got to go get ready.” She handed her guitar to Gabe before bridging the gap between us. Glancing back at her brothers, she then asked in a low voice, “Did you get your errand done?”
“Yes, I did.”
She reached up on her tiptoes to plant a tender kiss on my lips. “I wish you would have let me go with you.”
I shrugged. “Just something I needed to do. Besides, you had enough to do here.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Between the wedding coordinator, the caterers and my mother, everything is taken care of. I seriously got shooed out of the kitchen when I tried to help. That’s why I got the boys together to rehearse.” A shudder rippled through her. “Too much nervous energy.”
As she started into the house, I teasingly asked, “Having cold feet?”
She skidded to a stop before whirling back around to wrap her arms around my neck. “Never, ever, Mr. Slater. You’re getting me as your lawfully wedded wife whether you like it or not.”
I grinned. “Oh, I like it. In fact, I f*cking love it.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” She kissed me again before pushing out of my arms. “Okay, I gotta go get presentable for this pre-wedding shindig of ours.” She eyed my ratty jeans and T-shirt. “I’d say the same for you, too.”
“You’re such a bossy thing.”
With a wink, she replied, “Get used to it, babe.”
A warm rush filled my chest as she started into the house. I didn’t care if she bossed me around for the next fifty years, just as long as she was in my life. I’d never imagined loving anyone as much as I did Abby. Selflessly and unwaveringly, she had reached into the very darkest places of my soul to bring me back to the light. She’d shown me what the true, unfailing love of a good woman was. I would always owe her for loving me that much.
Close on her heels, the urge to show her just how much I loved and wanted her overcame me. My dick instantly swelled at the idea of being inside her. Just as she rounded the corner to go into the master bedroom, I grabbed her wrist, jerking her back to me. My other hand came around to press her body flush against mine. When I ground myself into her core, her eyes bulged. “Jake, what are you—” she questioned breathlessly before I crushed my lips to hers. My tongue danced along hers as I wrapped my arms tighter around her. Her little moan caused me to shiver.
When she felt my half-mast hard-on pressing into her stomach, she jerked away. “No, no, no!” she hissed. Her blonde ponytail flipped wildly back and forth as she shook her head at me. “We’re abstaining until our wedding night, remember?”
I groaned. “You’re the one who made that decision, not me.”
“You agreed to it,” she countered.
“Yeah, that was a week and a half ago when I was coming off of an all-day sexathon with you. I didn’t realize what I was agreeing to.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “It’s only twenty-four more hours, Jake.”
Reaching over, I nuzzled my lips against her neck. I wasn’t playing fair since I knew it was one of her sensitive zones. A little sigh escaped her mouth when I ran my tongue across her jawline to suck on her earlobe. “I could explode by then.”
“I just want our first time as man and wife to be special, that’s all.”
I pulled away to arch my brows at her. “Do you really think tomorrow night is going to be the most amazing sexual experience of your married life?”
She jerked her chin defiantly up at me. “Maybe,” she countered.
My amused chuckle almost seemed to piss her off more. “Angel, we’re going to be exhausted from tonight’s party, jetlag, and the ceremony and reception. Bray and Lily didn’t even have sex on their wedding night—they passed out into an exhausted coma.” Taking her face in my hands, I grinned down at her. “By the flush on your cheeks and the way you just moaned into my mouth when I was kissing you, I can tell you really want to take me in that bedroom and have a quickie.”
Abby chewed on her bottom lip, and I could tell her resolve was slowly fading. “It’ll have to be fast. Everyone is supposed to be here at six.”
“We can shower together—you know, multitask.”
She grinned. “Oh, you say the most romantic things. Think you can whisper more sweet words in my ear?” she teased.
“Yeah, how about this? You’re such a sweet looking smartass,” I said before bringing my lips back to hers. Her eager tongue thrust into my mouth as she tightened her arms around my neck. Grabbing Abby by the ass, I hoisted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist. We both moaned at the closeness. With my lips locked on Abby’s, I balanced her under the ass with one hand while my other groped blindly for the doorknob. When I finally found it, I flung it open and staggered into the room.
“Shit!” came a voice from the bed.
When my eyes flew open, I was a goner. One glance was all it took to kill my wood. On the bed, Mia scrambled to close the front of her shirt with one hand while she held Bella in her other arm. She pivoted on the bed, so her back was to us.
“Jesus,” I groaned as I glanced down at my crotch. Just that one glimpse of AJ’s breastfeeding fiancée was enough to completely obliterate my junk. My dick shriveled even further when Bella began shrieking and howling in protest that her meal had been interrupted.
Mia gave us an apologetic look over her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, guys. With all the catering staff and people buzzing around, I thought this would be the best place to feed her before we got dressed for the party. I should have gone in the bathroom.”
“Oh, don’t apologize, Mia,” Abby said.
When I didn’t respond, Abby elbowed me in the ribs. “Oomph,” escaped my lips before I could stop myself. “Yeah, uh, it’s fine,” I replied. Gently, I set Abby down on her feet. I jerked my chin towards the bathroom. “You go on and get a shower. I’ll use the one off the guest bedroom.”
“You don’t want me to come with you?” Abby asked coyly.
I scratched the back of my neck furiously. Part of me really wanted to shower with her, so we might finish what we started. But the other part was so traumatized that I knew there would be no way I’d be ready. “Um, no. I better take a rain check.”
Abby’s blue eyes widened in surprise. She stared at me for a moment before turning to Mia. “Excuse us,” Abby said, as she grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom. “What is wrong with you?”
With a shrug, I replied, “We were interrupted.”
“It’s never stopped you before.” She cocked her head at me. “Did seeing Mia bother you that much?”
I couldn’t help shuddering. “Yeah, it did.”
“It’s just a breast, Jake. I mean, you’ve seen your fair share of them.”
“Not like that I haven’t.” At her amused expression, I threw up my hands. “That’s my best friend’s fiancée out there. I don’t need a mental image of her boobs seared into my mind.”
“You are too adorable,” she said, before leaning up to kiss me.
“It’s not funny,” I argued feebly. When Abby’s warm lips covered mine, I decided to shut the f*ck up and not argue with her anymore. Knowing that she was trying to start something up again, I reluctantly pulled away. “You need to get ready.”
“Are you sure?” When I nodded, she sighed. “Okay then. To be continued tomorrow night?”
I smiled. “Oh yes.” I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” she murmured.
When I exited the bathroom, I kept my eyes glued to the hardwood floors. “Jake?”
Shit. It was AJ. “Yeah?” I questioned still not glancing up.
“What’s this I hear about you ogling Mia’s boobs?”
I jerked my head up to glare at him. “Excuse me?” I demanded.
Mia smacked AJ’s arm. “You’re such an ass!”
He grinned at her and then back at me. “I’m just screwing with you, man. Mia and I don’t give two shits about what happened.”
As I took a step toward him, he motioned down to where he balanced Bella on his hip. “Easy now.”
“Using a baby as your shield? You’re such a p-ssy.” When I glanced at Bella, who was giving me a toothless smile, I grimaced. “Sorry for the p-word.”
“It’s okay. He deserved a lot worse,” Mia replied with a grin.
“I gotta go get ready,” I said, as I motioned to the door.
“I’ll walk you out,” AJ said. He glanced at Mia. “Do you need any help getting Bella ready?”
“We’ll be fine. Of course, if you want to go get changed and come back to get her while I’m getting ready, that would be wonderful.”
AJ smiled. “Anything for you, amorcito mio.”
“Thanks, baby.”
I snickered as I went out the door. “What?” AJ demanded behind me.
“I just never thought I would see the day that you were completely and totally whipped.”
“Oh yeah, well, I could say the same damn thing about you,” he countered.
I skidded to a stop in the hallway, causing AJ to bump into me. “Oh God, we’ve become the dudes we used to make fun of, haven’t we?”
He winced. “Yeah, I think so.”
With a sigh, I added, “We probably owe Brayden an apology for ragging his ass all these years.”
AJ grinned. “Nah, no use in letting him know he was right. It’ll just inflate his head even more.”
Poking his head in the hallway, Brayden said, “I heard that, dickweeds.”
“Dammit,” I groaned, as we came into the living room.
Brayden rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Like I didn’t already know I was right, and you two shitheads were wrong,” he scoffed.
“Daddy, what’s a shithead?” Melody asked.
As Brayden flushed, AJ and I busted out laughing. He glanced up to narrow his eyes at us. “Laugh now. Your time is coming.” He pointed to AJ. “Especially you.”
I laughed at AJ’s grimace. I could only imagine he was thinking of how bad his potty-mouth was, along with Mia’s. If Bella’s first word was a cuss word, I wouldn’t be surprised. “Well, on that note, I’m going to run upstairs and get ready. See you guys in a few?”
Brayden nodded while AJ replied, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”