Free Music Notes (Heartbeat #3) by Renee Lee Fisher Page A

to ask how he got it. Jesse explained that everyone always poked his brother’s arm as a child telling him how handsome he was. Jesse apparently still thought this was funny, but Poke didn’t pay much attention. Poke already seemed to be the fan favorite when they were performing. You could tell by the noise level of the screaming girls when the light moved his way. I told them that after being together so long, my band members were my brothers.
    I was about to ask them how they were enjoying opening the shows for me, but I was suddenly interrupted and couldn’t continue my conversation. I had reached over and picked up my coffee cup that the waitress just refilled, and I almost tossed it in the air. I felt Meila place her hand firmly on my leg and she started to rub my upper thigh. I set down my cup and took her hand placing it back on her leg as she pouted. From across the table not knowing what happened, Isaac said loudly, “Oh come on you two, play nice.”
    I stood up at that moment and said, “Guys this food is taking too long, I’m heading back to my room. Catch you later.” I turned and walked away. I heard Maxwell say, “I think he is really missing his wife.” Oh hell yes I was, and I wasn’t going to sit there with Meila already trying to start something with me. When I got back to my room, I dialed room service for what would now be my lunch and then settled up against the pillows on the bed to complete the most important task of my day…everyday…I dialed my wife just to hear her lovely voice through the phone.
    The first couple of weeks passed really fast and the shows in Chicago were delivered flawlessly. Madison and I survived through text messages during the day and long calls that ran late into the early morning hours until one of us dropped off the phone line. I was getting more excited about this next leg of the tour as Madison and Cecile were going to fly out west. Cecile had become my go-to person to find out if everything was going okay with Madison because I was certain if something was amiss, Madison would not tell me. She knew I’d come on home. As a trade off, I had to listen to Cecile go on and on about her love triangle with Kent and Connor who was still waiting in the wings. Guys don’t deal with shit like that. We don’t talk about it. But I guess as long as Cecile was my eyes and ears to Madison, I would endure Cecile’s chats.

Chapter Six – Coming Home

    Another city, another hotel, but this time it was going to feel like coming home, because Madison was coming out to be with me. I was fumbling in the hotel room trying to make certain I cleaned it up just so there wouldn’t be any mess when she arrived. I hadn’t seen her in weeks, which to me felt like months…freaking eternity. I wanted her so much, and needed her far more than she probably imagined. I had a meeting to attend with some local sponsors prior to having the rest of the day available for my wife. Cecile had confirmed with me that she got a rental car and once they landed they would both be on their way to see their men.
    Today, time was standing still. I kept looking at the clock on the wall, not able to concentrate on what the sponsors suggested for the upcoming concert. I watched each second tick by and knew she was coming to be with me. When the meeting finally ended, I pushed back my chair. I honestly couldn’t remember a single topic that was discussed. I remember being like this one time before. Heading to the hospital to see Ashley…Still sweaty from the New York performance, I was racing to get to the hospital and tuned out everyone around me. I made the guys drive through all the red lights, and didn’t care if a cop stopped us. I would have begged them to get me to the hospital faster with the use of their sirens. But standing in that hospital room, I didn’t hear anyone or anything. I tuned it all out. I was lost. Ashley laid there with her eyes closed and her heart beating ever so slightly. I