Love Notes ((Book Two of the Heartbeat Series)) (5 page)

S
haring in the moments of my mother and uncle’s honeymoon, only made Rand and I begin to stir and want that soon for ourselves.

“Our honeymoon was so perfect,” my mother began to elaborate. “We stayed on one of the many beaches in St. Martin, there are so many beautiful ones that each day we drove around the island to view another.”

My Uncle Jake joined in, “The island food is really good. There are a lot of French restaurants but also there are Lolo’s which are open air barbeque areas along the beaches where the women cook all the food,” he licked his lips smiling as he was still remembering how good it tasted.

“Everyone we met along the way was so friendly. I enjoyed a ferry ride we took across the bluest waters to Anguilla. There we walked on the white powder sand that was the softest I ever felt between my toes.” My mother said this last part while wiggling her toes in her sandals with a huge smile. I could see her enthusiasm bursting out of her both for being so in love and talking about it openly and to me, her daughter, now in her life. Second, her happiness was obvious at the fact that after so many years she was able to go on her honeymoon with her husband.

“It sounds lovely and quite relaxing. I hope when Rand is done with some of his shows and traveling that we can one day take a getaway to a private beach,” I said as I winked at Rand.

“Madison, you know I will take you to the moon and back,” and he puckered his lips at me.

What a wonderful meal we all shared. My mother was inspired by all the French bakeries on the island that she tried to recreate some desserts from pictures she took while there. They also brought back infused rum from the island where they stopped into a place called Ma Dou Dou. Here they hand paint the island bottles. We had banana vanilla rum and the bottle displayed a beautiful painted purple hibiscus flower that jumped from the bottle like a three dimensional picture. It looked so real. I traced my fingers along the petals and down the stem. I can’t even remember what Thomas and I did for our honeymoon. I think I blocked that memory. I know that if Rand and I have our honeymoon that it will be a memory I revisit in my head every single day.

“You’re lost in thought Love, can you hear me?” Rand tapped my leg lightly.

“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking, dreaming here for a moment,” I wrapped my hand lightly over his.

Having joined them for dinner at my old townhouse was fun. They have definitely made it their own while living here by changing most of the room’s artwork and colors. My mother did keep my writing room just as it was the day I moved to Rand’s. She kept it like that just as a mother would keep her little girl’s room in tact after she went onto college. I think my mother was just trying to keep a piece of me there with her forever now, not wanting to lose us again. We shared a wonderful meal and evening with them. I had a smile across my face as Rand and I walked silently hand in hand to Rand’s Hummer.

Once seated inside and belted in, Rand leaned into me, “They’re really happy, I want that for us.” I smiled and kissed him delicately, then turning into fervently as he opened his mouth to mine. He broke away from my lips first, but quickly said, “Put your head back and listen. I have just come up with a few new lyrics and I want to sing them out to you on the drive home.” It was nice to hear him say we were driving home, and I set my head back and closed my eyes and heard his singing words drift through me.

When we arrived back to our home, we were already very comfortable as a couple. Climbing into bed he took out his music to work on and looked so handsome in his reading glasses low on his nose. Those beautiful blue eyes with dark swept lashes glanced at me often. I pulled out my writing as I was working on something new.

“Babe, what are you so busy writing there?” Rand lifted his eyes to mine.

“Well I’ve decided to step out of my comfort zone and try to write a different genre since I am so in love and inspired now. I am writing a contemporary romance that I have titled
Mask of Rade
.” I told him as I cleared my throat. His genuine interest in my work caused a slight lump to form in my throat. “And what are you busy creating this evening?” I questioned.

“Well, leaving your mother’s tonight made me think about a few new lyrics, the ones I was practicing on you in the car. I just wanted them on paper so I won’t forget them, although anything I write about you, I could never forget.” He smiled so contentedly at me. It was moments like this that we were just in sync with one another both through our artistic personalities and being in each other’s presence. I spent the rest of the evening after putting down my writing, tracing my fingertip delicately over each of his many tattoos. I studied each curve with my fingertip. I did this often as I would etch them into my mind and look for those vivid colors to brighten my days while he traveled.

Saying goodbye to him the very next day as he left the airport terminal to walk toward security and his gate seemed surreal. I wanted to still be sleeping and having him hold me. But the next hold I felt was the kindness in Maxwell’s embrace and his whispering into my ear that he would bring Rand back to me in one whole piece, untouched by the youthful ravishing girls that swarmed them at the concerts. I let out a relieved laugh, but held in a sigh for the unknown. I patted Maxwell on his back and told him what a great man he was and to take care of all the band boys. I pulled back in time to see the back view of Rand. I began to walk away with a few tears building up in my eyes and I reached into my jeans to grab my sunglasses and get them fixed in place before the waterworks came.

I did one last quick look back to the terminal for hopefully one final fix of Rand. I didn’t see him. I suppose he was already onto security. My phone sounded, my ringtone was programmed with none other than a song from the Rolling Isaac’s. I reached in my purse to dig it out. It was Rand. “I miss you already.” Hearing that his voice sounded so close, even through the phone and as I turned back to wipe my eyes and gather my breath to respond to him on the phone, I felt a soothing touch capture my hand. I felt the same tenderness in his other hand sliding across my cheeks to dab the moist droplets. Breathless, I fell into Rand’s arms. He came back, even if for just this moment. He took me in his arms and I sobbed. I felt his heartbeat and rested my head on his chest. It was only a few more minutes that I had with him but then he was off and dashing through the airport and I could see ahead Maxwell cursing, shaking his head and wondering where Rand had gone off too.

Driving back to our home went by in a blur. Sometimes we just go through the motions of driving, walking and moving about and then suddenly we realize we are at the destination and have completely passed the time it took to get us there. Sitting in the driveway, the air was still and the grounds empty as the band was off traveling once again. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Jillian telling her that we would be spending a lot of time together over these next two, long months. I knew she had not gone to the airport to see Raeford off as they were recently treading on a rough patch in their relationship. She told me most of it was his being played less on stage, but I felt there was more that she hadn’t shared with me yet. I am so thankful that Rand and I had not hit that same patch. We were the polar opposite lately, we could not get enough of each other and it seemed so deep. Perhaps sometimes it was too deep to me that I worried about ever losing him. Jillian responded that many walks in the local park and morning coffee chats and dinners out would help us pass the time. She said she had just heard from Cecile who sounded upset after saying goodbye to Kent earlier too. I had to laugh inside at how all three of us mature women were so strongly tied to these three band men.

I wasn’t sure how the relationships would progress with either of my friends and with Rand’s band mates, but I knew my connection with Rand was solid. It was not going to be severed and could never be removed. I thought about his tattoo with my married name permanently on his skin, with him every day and every moment. I shook away the thoughts that I would have anything to worry about while he was traveling to do his job.

I scrolled down through my emails and was seeing what had come in since I last reviewed them. My mother wanted a day out and that I could surely do now. I had a few responses for some articles I wrote and submitted. That would keep me busy with writing work, plus the freelance income was always a perk. I saw that Thomas emailed me and I opened that one up. He said he wanted to let me know that he heard the band was traveling for a lengthy amount of time and if I needed a person to talk to or hang out with that he was always available for me. I smiled and closed that email. I was surely not going to reply to that one. Thomas still hung in the wings for he somehow thought there may be a possibility of us someday, but I knew that my heart was completely devoted to the greatest man. I missed Rand so much already. I leaned back and placed my hands to my chest and pulled them tightly over my heart and closed my eyes and breathed. A deep sigh released from my lips.

The first month the Rolling Isaac’s traveled went by so quickly for me. I got things arranged in the house, our house, and passed the time well. I was fully engaged with Cecile and the publishing house that liked my story with the band, that I finally titled
Rock Notes
. It was moving forward through their channels and Cecile keeping up with all the progress. It was looking very promising. This was good since I had worried that no publisher would want it. I had gotten out and had a few dinners with friends and also even joined my mother weekly for girl time. This morning I opened an email invite for a happy hour in the city that Jillian sent to me. Her friends at work were all heading out on Friday and it seemed like it might be fun. I hadn’t seen her as much as I liked this month as she had a client at work that demanded more attention which meant overtime hours, but if it all went well for her she would surely be compensated. She worked very hard at the marketing firm over the years and she would definitely be helpful to me as my friend and my personal marketing guru once
Rock Notes
was released. I replied back that I would join the happy hour and smiled at my screen.

When Friday came I awoke with a ring tone of none other than Rand calling me. “Hey my Love, morning.” He sounded very tired, but we continued to talk and mostly about how we missed one another so much. My eyes misted already as I lay in bed with his voice coming through the phone. “Rand, I am counting down each day till you’re back but how has it been going?”

“It’s been fun. The guys are keeping it upbeat. Killjoy and I have been practicing lots. We’re psyched about playing together here in Chicago, I heard it’s sold out already. Raeford’s still pissed that Killjoy will be taking over some of his sets but it’s only temporary, he doesn’t have to worry. I suppose Maxwell knows what he’s doing on the business end of things bringing Killjoy in for few spots. I showed Killjoy your picture. You now have another admirer. Killjoy and I were creating a few new tunes the other day and I really think I may have found my musical counterpart.” In talking about the collaboration with Killjoy, some of Rand’s exhaustion seemed to fade away. Rand sounded so excited and I was so glad that Killjoy was working out for them. I had never met Killjoy but I did hear there was a following of Killjoy’s music and the buzz was good. I meant to look Killjoy up online but hadn’t gotten to do that. If the band was happy that was a good thing.

“Just think, only twenty nine days and you will be back in my arms and our bed.” I said, trying to sound sexy.

“Madison, I think of that every day.” We talked for quite a while and I finally said that I was going to get moving and out of bed for the day. I told him I was heading out this evening to a happy hour and he seemed pleased that I wasn’t sitting in all the time.

“Don’t let any guys hit on you, tell them you are TAKEN!!!” he ordered.

“I’ll be fine, I’m a big girl, and older and wiser. I know all about the ways of men in bars.” We laughed and then I told him yet another time that I loved him so. “You have my heart,” were his closing words.

It takes me so long to get ready to go out, I really must learn how to just throw on an outfit rather than pace and try on so many choices. This evening I took out a rather short black skirt that was very fitted and a red sleeveless blouse that had a long “V” opening in the back and I placed my cuff bracelet that Rand had given to me on my wrist and thoughts of him entered my mind and I sat on the edge of my bed wondering what he was doing at this very moment. As my doorbell rang, I knew that Jillian had arrived as we said we would head to the city together. She had to finish up with a client close to where I lived with Rand now so it would be easy for her to get me on the way.

“Are you still primping? Come on girl!” She said as I let her in and she hugged me tightly.

“I will be ready in one minute, just let me grab shoes.” As I ran up the steps I glanced at the pile of clothes I left scattered about from all my earlier wardrobe choices that did not make the cut. I made a mental note that I would clean them up later.

As we drove to the bar in the city, Jillian looked out the window a lot and chatted with me but was surely trying to tell me something and didn’t seem to have gotten to it yet. I knew her so well over all these years and even seated next to her with her straight beautiful reddish hair flowing in the summer night’s air I could feel that there was something stirring within her. “Is everything okay, you seem a bit preoccupied?” I asked.

“Just a lot on my mind lately but we’ll talk about it later. By the way have you seen the band playing with Killjoy? I saw some of the fan made videos. Killjoy is awesome. Are you worried about them playing with Killjoy?” she asked.

“No, I spoke with Rand and if he is happy then I am happy, he said Raeford was still pissed though. It’s only temporary he need not worry.”

“But Madison, Killjoy is so awesome,” she said again and then stopped herself.

We were pulling into the bar parking lot, so I didn’t respond anything more except, “I am glad they have someone awesome to cameo with them. I am thrilled for them”.