Vintage Volume Two (19 page)

thirty-three

I had no words.

Nothing I could say could make any of this better.

What if my dad couldn’t play guitar again?

It was his life. It was his first love. And it would be because of me if it was all taken from him.

The surgery was short, under an hour, and it was another hour before my dad’s room was ready. He was in recovery, but visitors were strictly prohibited back there, wives included.

In the meantime, my mother had arrived, and so had Kimmy, Mikey, Carlos, and Johnny. George came back in, too, with a change of clothes for Jadyn, Parker, and myself.

The nine of us sat in the tiny waiting room. Silence descended on us. No one knew what to say. Jadyn told the story each time someone new arrived, and since there was literally nothing else to do—I didn’t even have my phone to play Trivia Crack or Words with Friends against Parker—I observed.

I watched Jadyn talk to my mom. I watched my drama queen mother fall apart as Jadyn picked her back up and put her back together.

Kimmy was a bright relief for Parker, who was suffering in his own way after seeing the man he considered a hero and a father lying shot on the floor. I was of no comfort to him since he was working so hard to comfort me.

Jadyn told the members of Black Shadow that Gideon Price might not be able to play guitar again. I saw the anxiety turn to fear as all three grown men looked like lost little boys, unsure of their future. She hugged each of them, and I saw a nurturing, caring woman emerge from the façade she’d hidden behind.

I finally saw who she really was inside. For the first time, I saw the woman my dad had fallen in love with.

I’d judged her often and I’d judged her ruthlessly. She hadn’t deserved it. In times of tragedy and times of panic, people’s true colors always shine through. Jadyn responded with love for my father and everyone he loved. She showed me who she really was. Whatever I thought of her before didn’t matter. Clearly I had judged a situation I didn’t know anything about. Going forward, I knew who she was. My dad didn’t need my approval, but he had it.

“Does he know?” Mikey asked.

She nodded. “The doctor informed him of all of the risks before the surgery. If he decided not to get the bullet removed, he’d be even less likely to play again.”

We all absorbed that information in a silence that stretched across all of us. A nurse entered the room, finally breaking the tension. She informed us that visitors were limited to four at a time, but my dad was in a room resting comfortably and we could go back to see him.

We decided that Jadyn would go in first with George, Parker, and me.

A police officer was sitting outside of his room. He looked up at the four of us before we entered, nodding his approval.

I stared at the man who was always such a picture of strength to me. He looked weak and pale in a hospital bed. He was under some blankets, but his abdomen and chest weren’t covered. A large gauzy bandage stretched from just above his left nipple toward his left shoulder.

Machines beeped behind him displaying his heart rate. An IV ran from his forearm to some liquid in a bag hanging next to the bed.

“I think he’s still asleep,” Jadyn whispered.

I trembled next to Parker, and I felt his hand tighten over mine.

We all turned to leave so my dad could have some peace when we heard his voice. It was soft and scratchy, but it was him. “I’m awake.”

Jadyn turned around and ran to his side, taking his right hand in hers. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, and he reached up with his good hand to gently stroke her face with the back of his knuckles. “I love you,” he murmured, and she leaned down to kiss his lips. He grabbed the back of her head and gave her a lingering kiss. I looked toward Parker, smiling in embarrassment at the man who should have been my husband by that point.

Jadyn pulled back and whispered something to my dad that I didn’t catch, but it was their moment. His wife needed a moment with her husband.

“Someone else is here to see you,” she said, nodding over to me with a smile.

Parker let go of my hand and I walked to my dad. Jadyn moved over to allow me some space.

“How are you feeling?” I smiled down at him and took his hand in mind.

His hand was freezing. For the first time, I noticed the how cold the room was.

“Okay,” he said, his voice honest. “I’ve been better.”

“Why did you jump in front of me?” I asked, tears filling my eyes.

He stared up at me for a moment, and I bent closer to him as my tears spilled over. He brushed one away, comforting me even while he was the one relegated to a hospital bed. When he spoke, his statement was simple but clear. “Because I’d rather be holding your hand from this bed than standing where you are.”

In his mind, I supposed he thought that jumping in front of a speeding bullet and taking that impact would hurt far less than watching his daughter take the bullet.

“I don’t know what to say, Daddy. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough. It’s my fault you’re there.”

“Stop it, CC. It’s Randy’s fault I’m here. I love you. I would do anything for you.”

“I already knew that. I didn’t need you to prove it.”

“Well if this doesn’t prove it, I don’t think anything will.”

We both laughed, and my dad winced in pain. “Okay, no laughing for me for a while.”

“Noted. I’ll try not to be so adorably funny.”

Parker moved to stand next to me.

“Hey, PJ.” My dad smiled weakly at him.

Parker grinned back. “Dude, if you wanted to stop the wedding, you could’ve just said something. You didn’t have to be so goddamn dramatic.”

My dad laughed again, heartier this time, followed by another wince.

George came up beside us. “You had us all worried, sir.”

“Skip the formalities, Georgie. It’s good to see you here.”

I always thought it was funny to hear George call my dad “sir.” He had probably ten or fifteen years on my dad, but he was my dad’s employee. A trusted one, at that. After the events of the past year, particularly this past summer, I considered George family. I knew my dad did, too.

George smiled tightly. “Glad you’re already back to your old self.”

“How bad is the damage?” my dad asked.

George resumed his professional persona, the smile disappearing from his lips as he slipped back into work mode. “Media was already watching your place because of the wedding. They saw the ambulance, so none of this is a secret. Keith’s working to minimize damages and rumors with publicity. They’ll issue a statement within the next hour. Rebecca is updating social media. Studio time is on hold during your recovery.”

My dad nodded. “And Randy?”

“The investigation is underway. I spoke with police, who interestingly informed your lawyers that you’ve already negotiated with them.” He paused to glance over at Jadyn, who grinned at my dad. Apparently there were more secrets and more to this story than I knew. “And, perhaps most important and most comforting, Marino is behind bars.”

“You’ve already spoken to the police?” I asked.

My dad nodded and glanced at his wife. She smiled.

“It’s actually how Jade and I became close. We started seeing each other, and one day she told me that she didn’t trust Randy. I didn’t either. We’ve been working with the police to take him down ever since.”

My jaw dropped. This was certainly news.

“The cops even showed up on our wedding day,” Jadyn said. “Randy did, too. Luckily George staffed extra security who took him out.”

My dad chuckled at some memory between the two of them. I thought back to the conversation I’d overheard when I assumed—wrongly—that she was using my dad or trying to gain information to use against him.

“Roxy, I’m so sorry we didn’t get along at first,” Jadyn interjected. She handed my dad a cup of water, and he took a sip. He handed the cup back to her. “I had to make you think I was using your dad. I had to make everyone think that. But I swear to all that’s holy, I love him. He’s my life.”

My dad stared lovingly at her. “And she’s mine. I’m never letting her go. I realize it all happened fast, but it was for a purpose. We fell in love. We committed our lives to each other. And then we both realized that together, we could draw him out. We could take him down and get him behind bars. So I went to the police.”

George even looked surprised at his revelations. Apparently my dad was a good secret-keeper even from the head of his security team.

“Randy’s not a good man,” Jadyn said, a dark shadow crossing her face.

My dad reached out for her hand, and I saw him squeeze it. He winced again, and then he continued talking.

I had no idea what that meant, exactly, but if anyone knew what Randy was really capable of, it was probably the woman who had dated him.

“He did some real shitty things, but he never actually killed anyone. But when I took Jade from him, he was pissed. It didn’t matter that we grew up together or that we’d been friends for a lifetime. And after he killed D, he went on the run. No one had seen him in a few weeks, and none of us can figure out how the fuck he dodged everyone. If he hadn’t been so fucking dumb to show up at my house, he probably would’ve gotten away with it.”

A doctor entered the room, interrupting story time.

“Mr. Price, I’m Dr. Carter. How are you feeling?” he asked.

I glanced over at the good doctor. He looked to be in his late thirties, and he looked like he knew what he was doing.

“I’m alive,” my dad responded.

“I performed your surgery, and everything went very well. I was able to recover the bullet, which was resting next to your brachial nerve. The bullet did not fragment, which bodes well for your recovery.”

“What’s the brachial nerve?” I asked.

Dr. Carter looked at me. “It controls movement in the hand and arm. The good news is that the bullet didn’t damage the nerve, but the bad news is that since it was resting right on it, the bullet may have agitated it.” Dr. Carter turned back to my dad. “If it did, you’re susceptible to palsy in your arm, which means you may have limited mobility. Your injuries will require you to wear a sling for a few weeks. Your muscles have been weakened, and to build that back, you’ve got some PT ahead of you.”

“Will I be able to play again?” my dad asked. Ten hopeful eyes turned to the doctor for his response.

“The next month will determine that. Your recovery is dependent on your therapy. With hard work, your chances are much greater. You’re a strong, healthy adult, and I know what your career means to you. A potential palsy is likely to be temporary. I fully believe you’ll put in the effort to give you the best chance of playing again.”

That didn’t really answer his question, but I supposed it was the best the doctor could do. He couldn’t predict the future any more than I could.

After the doctor left, George, Parker, and I headed back to the tiny waiting room to allow Mikey, Carlos, and Johnny to visit. Jadyn stayed with my dad.

We filled in Kimmy and my mom while George went off in search of something to eat. It was well past dinnertime, and once we found that my dad was going to be okay, our appetites returned with a vengeance. After we ate, Mikey, Carlos, and Johnny came back into the waiting room to let us know that my dad had summoned George, Parker, and me back to his room.

My dad looked exhausted.

“Maybe we should leave him alone,” Parker murmured beside me. “He needs to rest.”

I had to admit that I agreed with him. “Dad, we’re going to head out so you can get some rest.”

“Nonsense. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Besides, we’ve got something we need to do.”

“Oh?” I asked. “What do we have to do?”

My dad smiled. “Today is your wedding day. We were moments away from walking down the aisle. I feel terrible that your day was interrupted.”

“Oh my God. Dad, is this what you’re sitting in bed thinking about?”

He nodded, a touch of sheepishness on his face.

“You have nothing to feel terrible about. You just focus on your recovery.”

It was a sweet sentiment, really, but it was a little ridiculous that he had even thought about it considering he was lying in a hospital bed.

“The way I see it, we’ve got a couple of choices. We’re all here. We can do it right now. Or as soon as I’m sprung from this place, we can do it at home. CC, I know that the guest list was bigger than you wanted. I know you wanted a small affair. We’ll do it however you want.”

I smiled at my dad. He was recovering from surgery after getting shot. He was lying in a hospital bed with an uncertain future where his career was concerned. Yet he was thinking about me. He was worried about me.

And that was just more proof that I really did have the best dad in the entire world.

“Let’s wait,” I said at the exact same time that Parker said, “Let’s do it.”

My eyes met his.

“Baby, I know this isn’t how we envisioned it. But we picked today, and I want to marry you today.”