let out the breath I’d been holding. I’d expected him to make a commitment to change too, but maybe it was too soon.
Without further delay, I got out of the van. But as I moved across the public parking lot, I didn’t appreciate the sea breeze, the roar of the ocean, or the view of the pier with the surfers bobbing on the waves next to it like I usually did. Because though I knew Saber and I were okay together, I also knew we needed to be better.
But could we ever get better with only one of us working toward that goal?
Lotus
I TOOK THE private elevator up to Ash’s penthouse apartment without having to show the security guard my ID.
Fred knew me. I came up once a week to take care of the plants on Ash’s rooftop deck, and I’d been invited to an album launch party or two. But right now, what made me walk fast was the anticipation of seeing my brother. I’d missed him.
Only one door was off the shallow hallway on Ash’s floor. Exiting the elevator, I went straight to it and knocked only once before Fanny opened the door.
“Hey, Lotus. I saw you on the video camera feed.” With a hand on her belly that hadn’t yet noticeably swelled, Ash’s wife stepped back and gestured. “Cork’s in the guest room.”
I heard him. He was whaling away on that old Fender of Ash’s.
Since his surfing accident, my brother had lost small pockets of cognitive power, but he’d regained all his proficiency on the drums and bass guitar, his favorites. He loved going on Ash’s rooftop and pounding on the drum kit up there, but lately I think he preferred plugging the surf-green 1962 sunburst Stratocaster into the Vox amp.
“What song is he playing?” I asked the pretty redhead. It had a snaky groove that was appealing, but I didn’t recognize it.
“He said it’s a new piece. One of Saber’s tunes for OB Hardy.”
“Ah.” It must be the new single. Cork admired Saber, but he was also officially OB Hardy’s biggest fan. He ran the merch booth at their shows. My brother hadn’t missed a single show of theirs yet.
“I’ll take him off your hands.”
“I like having him here.” Smiling, she said, “Stay, let me get you some lemonade. Fresh picked from the Meyer tree today. We can sit down and catch up.”
Fanny was pretty with striking red hair and sparkling emerald eyes. When she smiled like she was right now, she was breathtaking, her big heart a rival of her beauty. It was easy to see why Ash had fallen for her.
“You know Cork is a big help to me when he’s here. Ash thinks my being pregnant makes me fragile, and he worries less with someone around when he has to go out of town.”
I knew. Ash had told me.
I reached out and covered Fanny’s hands with mine before they could flutter like they did when she fretted. “Ash loves you, and he’s so excited about becoming a dad. He shows off the ultrasound photo to everyone.”
Her smile widened. “I’m excited too.”
“Another time on the lemonade,” I said, noticing the sudden silence except for rustling in the bedroom.
Latches clacked, the door popped open, and my brother appeared. Tall and boyishly handsome with thick blond hair much like our dad’s, he bounded out of the room, grinning as he headed for me. I braced, but at six feet tall, he rocked me.
“Lotus!” His arms banding around me, he hugged me tight. “Missed you!”
“I missed you more.” I smiled, my worry about Saber and Journey pushed to the back of my mind.
“Did you get to hear the Dirt Dogs perform last night?” he asked, his blue-green eyes shimmering.
His eyes were just like Dad’s. The older Cork got, the more he resembled our dad. It made me sad sometimes. It was one of those dual-edged things, both bitter and sweet.
“I caught their first song.”
“Which one?” he asked, holding his breath as he waited for my answer. He loved the Dirt Dogs only slightly less than OB Hardy. Their music was certainly similar—simple, brilliant, upbeat rock.
“‘Outside,’” I said. “I was backstage for the rest of their set. I was there to work, remember?”
His grin turned into a frown. “I remember what you told me.”
“Good.” I nodded. “I’m just checking. Don’t get defensive. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He gave me his serious look that deepened the thin red scar between his brows.
The injury that had caused that