Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)(49)

 

"Big fan of the band, man," he whooped when Cade thanked him.

 

They all settled in Sheila's living room with popcorn and drinks. Even Cade's grandmother joined in on the fun, telling her granddaughter that if the music got too loud, she would turn down her hearing aid. Harley had laughed at her comment and given the older woman a hug.

 

She reminded her of Harley's great grandmother, and being around her had given Harley a brighter hope. Her plan had been to get Cade and her father to spend more time together, until they both realized that they were crazy for each other. But she had mis-stepped, ending up at a hospital, and the doctor who'd been in charge of her had advised against any long flights.

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

It would have been disastrous, but since she'd be staying with Cade and her grandmother, she'd taken that as a good omen. All Harley had to do was put a bit of information in Cade's ears of how great her father was, a little nudge here and there in the right direction.

 

Jax owned the stage. Even through the TV screen, she could feel the power of his presence, what attracted many to her father. After dedicating the entire show to Harley, the band started, and the crowd went wild. Before leaving, he had promised Harley that she would get to see him perform live one of these days, when she was healthier.

 

"Can Cade come too?" Har had asked.

 

Jax had nodded and laughed. "That's the plan, kid." At that moment, there had been no doubt that Jax was attracted to Cade.

 

But where was Cade's heart in all of this?

 

While Jax's voice filtered into the room, Harley snuck a peek at Cade, and found her entranced and enthralled. If that didn't answer her question, then she didn't know what would. Harley relaxed into the couch cushions, reached for Cade's hand, and held it.

 

Yes, she would love more of this.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty-One

 

 

 

 

 

The much cooler air in Vancouver was a welcome feeling to Jax's warmed skin. It was scorching hot in LA during the past two days of their shows. Ideally, he should have gone straight to San Diego with the band, but he wanted to see Harley back in Vancouver. And he'd be lying if he didn't admit that he wanted to be with Cade too.

 

He checked his watch. Three o'clock in the morning. After the last song, he did one quick interview, skipped the after party, and went straight to the airport. The drive home didn't take long through downtown Vancouver. Jax managed not to go ballistic when he found his private elevator was out of service. He would take the stairs all the way up to the penthouse if it meant being with the two people he cared for the most. The other elevator wasn't nearly as quick as his, and only a couple of residents had gone on with him and Zee.

 

His place was quiet. It would have been calming if his heart wasn't on high-speed from the start.

 

"Go on home, Zee. Everything looks good here. Take tomorrow off too and I'll see you Wednesday." He shook hands with his bodyguard before striding towards the stairway.

 

First stop, Harley's room.

 

He found her curled up under her blanket, clutching a pink bear. Harley, his larger-than-life daughter, asleep as snugly as one child could be. Jax hoped she was dreaming.

 

When she was two, she had the energy of ten kids. She was exuberant, lively, and rambunctious. Fiona had often passed her to him when she couldn't deal with "it" anymore, telling Jax that there was something significantly wrong with the child.  

 

"Our child," Jax had reminded her, only to receive a reply of "whatever" from Fiona.

 

But Jax had been worried. Harley's heart worked double time even after the surgeries she'd received early on. Wouldn't all that energy make it pump harder? Would her heart break? The doctors had assured him that people with Harley's condition had a brighter outlook on life. They were positive and delightful, less worried about the nuances which would often bring stress to others. Harley just loved life.

 

However, when she turned four, she became too smart for her age, and began to understand what life was about. What life with her mother was like. Harley's heart only broke once she realized how irresponsible both her parents were. And at such a young age. For the past few years, Jax had seen the light dimmed in her eyes. The stress of having to look after her own mother and the lack of attention from her own father, him, had sucked the life out of little Harley.

 

"Never again," Jax whispered in the dim room. He curled a lock of her hair around her little ear, and kissed her on the temple. That was his promise to his daughter, just like the title of the song he'd written for Harley.