Buried Notes (Brothers of Rock #4)

Welcome back to the world of Brothers of Rock!

A series built on love, life, and rock n’ roll
romance!

Brothers of Rock
Books 1 – 5 follow rock band
Chasing Cross

You can visit
Chasing Cross
on their blog at
www.ChasingCross.wordpress.com

Read about the band! Check out the album covers!

Don’t miss a single book in the
Brothers of Rock
series!

All Access
(Chasing
Cross – Book One)
– Johnnie, lead singer

Broken Sound
(Chasing Cross – Book Two)
– Davey, guitarist

Bitter Farewell
(Chasing Cross – Book Three)
– Danny, guitarist

Buried Notes
(Chasing Cross – Book Four)
– Chris, bassist

Last Song
(Chasing
Cross – Book Five)
– Rick, drummer

Recently announced for 2014!

The
Brothers of Rock
series will continue with
the band
Fallen Tuesday
!

Be sure to look for the books... or better yet, sign
up for the official
Karolyn James
newsletter and you’ll never miss a new
release!

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~**~

Also announced!

A brand new romance series set in the small North
Carolina town of
Kis Bay
. Stories of love, redemption, heartache, and
hope!

Coming fall 2013!

~**~

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www.KarolynJames.wordpress.com

On
Twitter @KarolynWrites

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NOW
...
are
you ready for some more?

This... is...

BROTHERS OF ROCK!

The Brothers of
Rock novel series continues again with a novel about finding the past to find
the future in
BURIED NOTES
...

Finally exposing a
secret to his band after years of hiding, Chasing Cross bassist, Chris,
confesses that some years ago, during a wild night, he ended up marrying
someone. It was supposed to be a no-big-deal kind of thing, with a stipulation…
if one of them fell in love or wanted to get married to someone else, they
would divorce.

*

Chris has been
served divorce papers, and it should be easy to just sign them, but he can’t.
His heart won’t allow it.

*

Becky loses her
mother to breast cancer and realizes that life sometimes really is too short.
She finds the ring she received from a sexy rockstar the night she secretly married
him. The memory should have been fun, but after being pushed into a corner to
stay married while that rockstar’s band took off, Becky can’t do it anymore.

*

She sends divorce
papers and waits… and waits… and weeks after sending the papers, she wonders
what’s taking so long...

*

In a journey that
forces Chris to step back in time to find his future, he knows he needs to find
Becky – his wife. He isn’t sure what he’ll find, but he knows he wants the
truth.

*

Was it love back
then? Or just a crazy nigh with a rockstar?

(1)

The crowds cheered louder each
night, or so it seemed. The roads turned and twisted, the gentle rumble and hum
of the tour bus and private jets became a midnight comfort for Chris Danielsons
as he spent each night after each show staring at a set of divorce papers.

Actually, he stared at two sets of
divorce papers.

One set was plain white. The other
set was a pinkish color. They were, what, warning papers? Sure, it had been
more than a month since he’d been served divorce papers right before a Chasing
Cross show, but did that mean he would hurry to sign the papers and send them
back?

Somewhere just outside Syracuse,
far away from Bakersville, Virginia but closer to some spot in Maine where
Chris swore he was going to build a cabin someday, the tour bus sat parked and
Chris stood in the aisle, stretching. He’d just taken a long nap, something he
started doing before shows for a quick shot of energy. It seemed a little sad
because ten short years ago if Chris or any of the guys in Chasing Cross needed
a little boost of energy, they sought out a bottle. Whiskey, vodka, gin, or
wine, it didn’t matter. They always saved the beer for after the show, or
during. Today’s world brought them bottles of water and healthier meals, but
lately Chris had been enjoying a stiff drink more and more.

Anything to keep his thoughts at
bay.

Anything to keep him from signing the
divorce papers.

It wasn’t the time.

Not yet.

Not when he was hundreds of miles
away.

Not when it felt like thousands of
miles away.

Chris bent a little and looked out
the tinted window of the tour bus. He looked to the back of the building where
the crew was hard at work. They were all talking, working out the last minute
kinks and details of tonight’s show. They had been working from the second the
brakes squealed when the bus and trucks pulled in twelve hours ago.

City to city, tour bus to private
jet, Chasing Cross had once again become an unstoppable force. And tonight’s
show was the last before a much needed break. Then, Chris told himself, he’d
handle this divorce situation head on.

Another bus was parked next to
Chasing Cross’s, something that Chris wondered about himself. Peter had been
working hard - maybe too hard - to bring Chasing Cross back on top of the rock
world. Chris wasn’t sure whether it was something Peter wanted or the band
wanted. Chris just wanted to play music for fans. Whether it was ten people or
ten thousand, he was happy. This was no longer about getting rich; the diehard
Chasing Cross fans had made every member of Chasing Cross wealthier than they
could have ever imagined.

This was about music now.

This was about life.

This was about giving back to the
fans.

And helping out other bands along
the way.

The door to the bus opened and
Chris saw Rick’s head pop up a second later. His jeans had a hole in the knee
and he tapped his hands on his legs. Ever since getting his cast off and
getting the all clear to finally play full sets, Rick had been so focused, he
was like a man possessed.

“Chris, they’re set for sound check.”

“Sounds good,” Chris said.

“Our friends are up on stage right
now,” Rick said. “They sound good. Really tight, you know?”

“Who? Fallen Tuesday?”

“They’re the only ones touring with
us.”

“They’ve always been tight. They’ve
been around for a little while.”

“Yeah,” Rick said. “But the
passion, man. It’s like they live for it and nothing else.”

Rick looked at Chris and Chris
didn’t reply. Rick waited a few seconds and shrugged his shoulders. He turned
and left the bus in a hurry. Chris watched the drummer walk away and felt the
frustration for Rick. After spending all that time in a cast - by his own dumb
decision to drink and drive - Rick wanted something that just wasn’t there.
Rick wanted to be twenty again, with the world to gain. Those days were long
gone and Chris knew it pained Rick. Especially to see the other guys starting
to settle down, enjoying life off the stage and outside of the studio. Not that
it didn’t bother Chris to watch Johnnie rush to New York City to see Jess and help
her write her next book or to see Davey pop in at Anna’s school to guest teach music
to the kids, or to see Danny rushing to Virginia at any chance he got to check
on Liv and her father.

It just proved how much time had
gone by since Chasing Cross signed their first deal. Since they recorded their
first album. Since they played their first big show.

Since they took over the world of
rock n’ roll.

But times change, and so do people.

It’s the beauty of life.

Or maybe, in some ways, it was the
nightmare of it...

The thought hit Chris and he
swallowed a lump of guilt and pride.

“Divorce papers,” he whispered as
he forced himself to get off the bus to get to work.

It was the only job Chris ever had
and it was the only job he ever wanted.

(2)

As he walked across the back
parking lot, listening to the growling of the trucks and buses, Chris inhaled
the smell of exhaust and gasoline. People came in and out of the building and
when Chris heard someone calling his name, he turned, smiling, his mind lost
elsewhere.

Years of being on the road and
years of shows taught him that sometimes you just had to keep walking. It was
hard to ignore a fan or two but sometimes he had to. Sometimes he and the band
had to just get inside a building or get ready for an interview or photo shoot
that it was simply impossible to greet and sign autographs for every fan in
need.

But when he turned and saw a young
woman standing at the back gate, jumping up and down, waving a poster, he
smiled and sighed to himself. In his mind he thought he heard someone else’s
voice; however, that voice wouldn’t be near Syracuse. That voice wouldn’t be at
a Chasing Cross show. The closest to that voice would be her lawyer calling
about the divorce papers.

Chris waved to the young woman and
she screamed for him again, holding up a black marker.

Ten years ago the band walked
around Los Angeles as regular guys. They had fans in the sense of people who
would tell them they were good enough to get signed. Fans who would show up to
band practice with some beer and a pizza. Fans who came to all those small
shows with five dollar cover charges and cheap PA systems that cried with more
feedback than music.

Now, fans were much different. They
were dedicated. They looked to Chasing Cross as rockstars, which they were.
They wanted pictures, autographs, even the occasional offer of a night of fun.
They weren’t afraid to get involved with the band, thanks to social media,
where everyone felt connected. The first set of shows after Johnnie and Danny’s
father died, fans left cards for Johnnie and Danny outside the show. They
chanted for Johnnie and Danny so much so that Johnnie and Danny actually took
the stage alone to thank everyone for the support and played a song together.

That’s what fans did.

They were the blood of Chasing
Cross.

Chris looked around and made sure
there wasn’t a horde of a thousand people waiting and then ran over to the
eager woman at the fence.

“OhmyGod!” she cried out.

“It’s a little early for the show,”
Chris said.

“I don’t care. I’d sleep in a tent
if it got me to meet you guys.”

“Well, everyone else is inside,”
Chris said.

“I don’t care. I got to meet you.
You’re my favorite, Chris. I swear.”

Chris laughed. He stuck his hand
out of the gate and grabbed the black marker. It was an uncomfortable way to
sign an autograph but the second he touched the marker to the woman’s poster of
Chasing Cross, she touched her face and started to tear up.

It always amazed Chris when fans
wept. But that was the truth and beauty of music. A song or album could
symbolize someone’s life. Or a part of their life. Someone going through a
rough time - death, divorce, or just simply growing up - could find comfort in
music. Chris was thankful that Chasing Cross was able to have that kind of
impact on so many people.

After signing the poster, Chris
handed the woman the marker back.

She then bit her lip and took a
camera out of her bag.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I
don’t want to hold you up...”

“It’s going to look like I’m in
prison,” Chris joked.

“That makes it so much cooler.”

The woman turned and held the
camera out. Chris lowered himself to her level and smiled a rock n’ roll smile.
She snapped more than one picture, something Chris let slide.

“Okay, I have to get in there.
Stick around, we’re doing a soundcheck.”

“Yes!” the woman cried. “I missed
out on tickets for the show. I’ll be happy to hear anything.”

“No ticket?” Chris asked.

The woman shook her head. “That’s
okay. I have a picture.”

Chris turned and saw Jimmy H., one
of the road crew guys. He called for him. Jimmy H. looked at Chris and then
started to run. Anytime one of the crew saw Chasing Cross with fans, they
rushed to their aid, just in case something was going on. About five years ago,
someone showed up with a knife, wanting to share blood with Chasing Cross. It
was a very strange experience, but thankfully it ended with nobody sharing or
shedding blood.

“Jimmy, it’s okay,” Chris said as
he touched Jimmy H.’s shoulders.

“Shit, Chris,” Jimmy H. said.

“Listen to me,” Chris said. “My
friend right here...”

“Jackie,” the woman said.

“Jackie,” Chris said. “She missed
out on a ticket to the show. You’ve got to get her inside.”

“No way!” the woman cried out.
“Chris! I love you! I love Chasing Cross!”

“I’ll take care of it,” Jimmy H.
said and then smiled.

Chris patted Jimmy H. on the shoulder
and walked away. It still felt good to do something like that. To give someone
something they didn’t see coming. To maybe even change their life.

After walking into the venue, Chris
heard the first cry of a guitar. The open chord echoing through the empty area
gave him chills. It always gave him chills. When the fast solo began he knew it
was Danny shredding it up on stage.

Peter saw Chris a minute later and
hurried to end his phone call. He opened his arms and smiled.

“There you are,” he said. “Thought
you left us.”

“No. Just had a fan outside.”

“Beautiful. Hopefully that fan will
be inside soon enough. Buying a new Chasing Cross t-shirt.”

“I’m not worried about that stuff,
Peter.”

Peter looked around and then got
close to Chris. “Yeah, well, maybe you should be.”

“Why’s that?” Chris asked.

“Do you realize what this mess is
going to cost you?”

“Mess?”

“The divorce.”

Chris stiffened. He swallowed.
Peter was the only one who knew about the divorce. Well, Peter and Danny knew
since Danny was the one standing there when the divorce papers were handed to Chris.
And that’s all he knew... it was a divorce. He didn’t know of the story, the
purpose, the agreement, nothing.

Nobody really knew it.

But Peter had been there for the
entire thing. He knew about the marriage and the agreement Chris had made with
his wife. And now, of course he focused more on the financial, legal, and
public aspect of it all rather than the emotional pieces.

“That’s not going to happen,” Chris
said.

“Come on, Chris. Get real. You’re a
mega rockstar millionaire. You just hit the road on another tour. Another album
is coming out next year. She knows you’re raking it in. And has been. She wants
her ticket out.”

“Her ticket out of what?”

“Her life,” Peter said. “She
probably hates her job. Hates living in an apartment or something, I don’t
know. She figures throwing the papers at you will get her the winning lottery
ticket. She’ll want millions and she’ll get it.”

“You don’t know...”

“It doesn’t matter what you two
talked about,” Peter cut in. His face was red. The sweat trickling down his
forehead. “This is reality now, Chris. If you don’t comply and get those papers
signed, she’ll go to the press. That won’t help the band or the tour.”

“Sure it will,” Chris said. “I’m a
married man... it shows stability. Secrecy. Women love a man who can commit.”

Peter made a fist and shook his
head. Chris smiled. He loved messing with Peter sometimes, even in such a
delicate situation.

“Dammit,” Peter growled. “I’m just
warning you, Chris. You can only control so much for so long.”

“I’m aware,” Chris said. “There’s
just things I have to take care of too. It’s not that simple.”

“It is,” Peter said. “Sign the damn
papers.”

Peter’s cell phone rang and he took
the call. He stormed away, head down, talking loud. He almost bumped shoulders
with Johnnie as Johnnie came down from the stage to greet Chris.

They shook hands and Johnnie
smiled.

“Are you ready to get up there and
play or what?”

“I’m always ready,” Chris said.

Chris walked with Johnnie to the
stage. He grabbed his bass and looked around the empty arena. Not a single seat
was filled but in just hours there would be at least fifteen thousand people in
those seats and on the floor, chanting, screaming, singing along to every song
the band played.

They played a thirty minute set for
their sound check with the tech guys out in the middle of the floor perfecting
the settings for Chasing Cross’s sound for that arena. They played as a band
with all their instruments and they played a couple acoustic songs, everyone
but Johnnie grabbing an acoustic guitar and jamming out to some new material.
They were slowly working the new songs into the set list and gauging fan
reaction. Of course the fans always cheered. The real test though was last week
when Peter got the record company to release one of the live acoustic songs as
a single. It shot straight to number one on the singles charts and remained
there ever since.

The sound check came to an end and
Davey suggested everyone get back on the bus to relax for a little while. The
band left the stage, all but Chris, arguing over what to order for dinner
before the show. Their voices lingered and echoed and faded away. Chris stood
alone on stage. His tech came over and took his bass. Chris stuck his hands in
his pockets as he looked out to all the empty seats.

Each seat represented a person who
paid money for a ticket to see Chasing Cross. It still amazed him.

All the people across the country -
and world - that Chasing Cross had played for. The miles on the tour bus. The
miles in the air. The fans, like Jackie, desperate to see the band, get an
autograph, hear their favorite song.

This was the legacy Chris had
created for himself.

They touched so many lives through
music.

And yet there was one person who
touched his life... who made him rethink everything... all because of divorce
papers.