A Voice to Love (Fallen Tuesday Book One) (A Brothers of Rock Novel) (18 page)

“When I offered to help
you with Denny, you refused.”

“Are you mad about that?”

Luke shook his head. “Not
at all. I think you were right. If you took that money it would have been
something between us.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You did tell me
though I needed to invest in something.”

“I was just talking,” Amy
said.

“But the thing is, Amy, I
hate that money. I told you that and I meant it. I didn’t asked to be paid from
Chasing Cross for those shows. They did it to be fair. It almost cost me my
career… and for all I know, it may still have. I haven’t tried singing and
can’t for a little while. When I do try, I may have no voice or I may hurt it
again. This can define me. The money was given to me out of respect. I wanted
to do the same with it.”

“You invested it? In
what?”

“Something local,” Luke
said. “Something I can watch grow and be proud of.”

“Like what?”

Luke produced a black box
and Amy let out a gasp. She assumed it was an engagement ring. Luke had
invested in a diamond ring to give to Amy. That’s what he meant when he said about
growing and being proud. It would be he and Amy together, in marriage. But then
Amy noticed the box was bigger than a diamond ring box.

“Open it,” he said.

“What is this?”

“Just open it, Amy.”

Amy opened the box. She
touched the key and looked at Luke. “I’m confused…”

Was it a key to his
apartment? Was it a key to a house he bought? What was it?

“Okay, come with me
then,” Luke said. “I want to show you something and you can’t get upset with
me.”

“I can’t promise
anything,” Amy said.

Luke put his hand out and
Amy took it. Their fingers interlocked and Luke led the way. The first thing
she saw was a small crew of people working on the building next to the
restaurant.

“Why are you showing me
this?” Amy asked. “Someone bought it.” Amy swallowed and had the urge to cry.
She knew the building wouldn’t stand empty forever. But why was Luke showing
her this? “I don’t get it.”

A man with a ladder
paused and put the ladder on the ground. He waved at Luke and walked away.

“What is this?” Amy
asked.

Luke took the key from
the box and placed it in Amy’s hand. He walked forward and turned. “Go open
your new bakery, Amy.”

The words didn’t register
at first. It took Amy three times looking between the key and Luke to make the
connection.

“What did you do, Luke?”
she asked.

“I invested that Chasing
Cross money. I bought this building and it’s becoming a bakery. Since I can’t
even bake brownies from a box, someone needs to do everything. Someone smart.
Someone beautiful.”

Luke smiled. Amy touched her
cheek as a tear fell from her eye. She slowly stepped forward, unsure what to
look at. Luke or the building. When she was close enough to Luke she fell
forward into his arms.

“Why? Why did you do
this? I’ll owe you forever.”

“That’s the deal then,”
Luke said.

“What?”

“Amy, I did this because
I wanted to. I’m not giving money away. I invested in you. In your dream.
You’ll make it all work, I know it. And yes, you’re going to owe me… like you
just said, forever. You owe me forever, Amy.”

Luke took Amy’s hand and
placed it to this chest. His other hand touched her face, wiping a tear away.

“I’m in love with you,”
Luke said.

“Luke, I’m falling in
love with you too,” Amy said. “I really am.”

“So then there’s nothing
to worry about,” Luke said.

“There actually is,” Amy
said.

“What’s that?”

Amy broke away from Luke,
leaving him lingering for a kiss. She walked to the building and slid the key
into the lock. She turned and felt the deadbolt engage. She smiled. She turned
it again and felt the door unlock. This was really happening. This was her
building her business. She’d work at the restaurant and the bakery. Her life
would be busy as ever. She’d have Luke by her side. He’d write and record with
Fallen Tuesday and tour the world.

It was all so much at
once.

“Amy, what else do you
need?” Luke asked as he stepped up behind her.

She looked over her
shoulder at him. “I need a menu. There’s so much to think about. So much to
bake. To practice. To taste test…”

Luke licked his lips. He
came down to Amy’s mouth and kissed her. The kiss lasted for a few hot seconds
out on the cold street.

“That tasted damn good to
me,” Luke said.

Amy smiled. “Then I guess
we’re off to a great start.”

*~*~*

Luke had been writing
lyrics faster than his hand could go. It felt like ideas were coming and
slipping away so fast. The band sounded great in the studio. Writing riff after
riff, perfecting a sound that would certainly keep Fallen Tuesday on top of the
charts. Everything they had sent to the record company had made everyone happy.
Frank and the band decided to release the snippet samples of new music that
kept the fans happy.

Amy had been working some
long hours and late nights, getting everything together for the bakery. If all
went well, she’d be open by late spring. So far everything she had made were
the best desserts and baked goods Luke ever tasted. He had brought food to the
studio everyday the band recorded. Everyone wanted Amy’s food and Luke knew his
investment was one of the best decisions of his life.

The band stopped playing
to take a break.

Mack came from the studio,
sweating. Gray, Trent, and Jake bumped shoulders, talking about the song they
had just been playing.

“Sounds good,” Luke said.

“Yeah, it does,” Mack
said. “Feels good too. I was worried that things would sound processed.”

“No, not us,” Trent said
with defiance. “Never.”

“We write it, we record
it,” Jake said.

“At least we have time to
do this,” Gray said.

“I’ve got a ton of words
written here,” Luke said. “I need to figure out what I want to say.”

“We’ll get there,
brother,” Mack said. “I’m sure of it.”

A phone beeped and Gray
touched his pocket. He took his phone out of his pocket and sighed at the
screen. “I’ll be right back.”

He left and Luke looked
at Mack. “How’s that situation?”

“Is what it is,” Mack
said. “How’s yours? Where’s the food for today?”

Luke laughed. “Amy is
working the restaurant today. I’ll have something tomorrow. You know, when she
opens the place, you’re going to have to pay.”

“Once we drop this next
album,” Trent said, “we’ll make enough.”

“We’ve already made
enough,” Mack said.

“It’s a good feeling,”
Luke said.

Luke started to review
lyrics with the band. He went to the sound board and dialed up the song the
band had just been playing. Luke started to talk over the music, trying to find
the right lyrics. It sounded really good. Maybe it was just because it was new
music and the first time Luke had done such a thing, but it did feel really
good.

When Luke turned to see
what the guys thought, he saw Mack, Trent, and Jake nodding in approval. Then
he saw Gray standing in the doorway. He had his phone in his hand. He stared
into the room, but he was obviously focused elsewhere.

“Gray,” Luke said,
“what’s up, man?”

“I just got off the
phone,” Gray said. He was calm and cold. “I have to leave, guys, right now.”

“What happened?” Mack asked.

Gray blinked and he
finally looked like he was there with the band. He let out a shaky sigh and
broke down.

“My brother… my little
brother… he overdosed last night. They don’t think he’s going to make it.”

The
Brothers
of Rock
novels featuring rock band,
Fallen Tuesday
–

In the second book of the Fallen Tuesday series, Gray
must face the demons of his little brother and the demons within his own heart.
With the band set to head back into the studio, Gray must find the strength to
pick up his guitar and play. But can he settle his past and focus on his future
when an unexpected woman steps into his life?

Also coming in 2014 –

The romance series,
Ferry
Creek
!

A CHANCE AT
LOVE (A FERRY CREEK NOVEL)

A simple phone call can change your life... just ask
successful businessman Sullivan Chasen.

When the caller shares the news that Sullivan's
father is dying, Sullivan laughs and hangs up.  He isn't
being heartless, he just knows that it can't be true - because his
father already passed away... ten years ago.

Like a bad dream, the calls keep coming and DNA
results turn Sullivan's world upside down.  There is only one way, and
very little time, to figure out the truth.  He packs his bags for the
small town of Ferry Creek, North Carolina.

Once Sullivan arrives, he must confront a past he
never knew existed, including a half-brother who lives above their family
diner.  The longer he spends away from his wealthy lifestyle and
successful business, the more he falls in love with the small town, its
community... and waitress, Jess Winthorne.

Can Sullivan Chasen go back to his normal life after
learning about his past or will he discover the missing piece of his heart
in Ferry Creek?

Don’t miss any of the
Brothers of Rock books, along with all of Karolyn’s books!

Brothers of Rock:

Chasing Cross 1 -5

            All
Access

           
Broken Sound

           
Bitter Farewell

           
Buried Notes

            Last
Song

Karolyn James
 
writing
under the pen name,
 
Claire Charlins
,
creates western romance novels that will capture your heart as you follow women
in the 1800s as they travel west to become mail order brides seeking romance
and a better way of life…

Mail Order Romance:

       West For Love

Finding Love West

A Marriage West

Hope Found West

True Love West

AND MORE!

Stay up to date with Karolyn James!

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This book is a work of fiction.  Any references to
historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. 
Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s
imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living
or dead, is entirely coincidental.

First electronic edition January 2014

Copyright © 2013 by Karolyn James

All rights reserved, including the right of
reproduction in whole or in part of any form.