Lush (32 page)
25
ant. But there you go. Also, my brother fl at- out adores you, so
26
you’re not going to have to worry about him like that.”
27
Jules waved a hand. “Oh I know. I was just commiserating.
28S
And saying, I guess, that I’ve seen him with you around and he
29N
watches you like you’re the only person he’s interested in. The
• 208 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 208
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 208
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
fame thing is hard; we know that from Gillian. But Damien digs
01
you, stupid tabloid pictures or not.”
02
Mary huffed a breath. “Oh man, those pictures. I made
03
myself a promise, a pact I suppose, not to look at them. It drives
04
me crazy to see. Because that’s not the Damien I know. It’s scary,
05
and then I start doubting myself and him and what I feel and
06
maybe he doesn’t feel it and this is only so hot because I’m not
07
like the others and I don’t just fall at his feet.”
08
“I know a little bit about that. I mean, about feeling like per-
09
haps it’s the novelty and not the reality that is getting the dude
10
all hot for you. You know I was worried at fi rst about Cal not
11
wanting me, not really. I’m not sure words or reassurances can
12
make it totally go away. It’s going to take time and example. He’s
13
going to have to show you, and you’re going to have to believe
14
it’s real. And there’s really no way around the fact that he is that 15
Damien too. At least in some part. He’s got a persona. His band
16
has a persona. So where that Damien stops and the real one
17
begins is something you have to accept.”
18
“I know.”
19
And she did. It scared the hell out of her, but she realized the
20
stuff in the tabloids and on the Internet would always be there.
21
It was up to her to deal with it and up to him to not be a wom-
22
anizing dick.
23
If she meant to let this go further. Which, she guessed, she did.
24
25
26
His mother caught up to him as he got back from a ride with
27
Ezra. Having taken Mary home just that morning, he knew his
S28
mother would want to debrief.
N29
• 209 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 209
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 209
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
Ezra gave him a face, but Damien shrugged.
02
She sat on his porch, rocking back and forth in the porch
03
swing. “Nice day to have a sit for a while outside. This is a good
04
spot for the swing. Come up to the house and I’ll make you and
05
your brothers lunch.”
06
“Brothers?”
07
“Vaughan and Paddy are up at the house helping your dad
08
fi nish the enclosure for the back fence. There’s a ham in the oven.”
09
Score.
10
He and Ezra took up on either side of her as they began the
11
walk back to the main house.
12
“Mary get back all right?”
13
“Yep. She left her car at the airfi eld. She left a message for
14
me when she got back home safely.” He’d liked that she had. It
15
made him feel better. Next time he’d stay, drive her back home.
16
That way there’d be more time with her.
17
“What do you think of the girl, Ezra?”
18
“She charmed the demon pig.”
19
“That’s a good point. Your dumb dog loves everyone, so
20
that’s not a big deal. But the demon pig, well, that’s another
21
story.”
22
“Violet misses Mary already. I hope she doesn’t revert to her
23
evil ways in Mary’s absence. Elsewise we’ll have to make the
24
girl live here to keep us all safe. Once the beast gets bigger she’ll 25
be a killer if she gets mean. She’s pretty. Mary, not the pig.”
26
Damien laughed.
27
“And she cooks like a boss. Christ, if you stay with her, you’ll
28S
have to exercise a lot more or you’ll have to roll around every-
29N
where.”
• 210 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 210
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 210
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
“I went for a run on the treadmill earlier for that very rea-
01
son.” And the sex was also a good workout.
02
“I asked her if she’d sign a prenup.”
03
Damien halted, his mouth open. “You did what? Mom, I’ve
04
been trying to get this woman to give me a chance and you go
05
and do that?”
06
“Close your mouth. Of course I did. You know what Kelly
07
did to Vaughan. She’s got her monthly check, it’s all she wanted.
08
Do you think I want that for you too?”
09
“She’s not in it for the money. If she were, I wouldn’t have to
10
fi ght her so hard to be with me. God.”
11
“Don’t you take that tone with me. And no, she isn’t in it for
12
the money. She told me she’d only known you three and a half
13
months and you were nowhere near marriage. I like that she
14
told me to back off but with manners.”
15
“Kelly was too young. Like Vaughan was too young. I don’t
16
think she did it for money. I think she felt like if she had
17
Vaughan’s babies he’d stay home. He’d make a commitment and
18
love her.” Damien knew his family hated Vaughan’s ex. But he
19
mainly felt sorry for her. Vaughan was twenty- fi ve years old
20
when he’d married Kelly. She’d been six months pregnant. Kelly
21
had been even younger at twenty- three. Neither of them had
22
been ready. It fell apart because of that. Another baby to try to
23
keep Vaughan home where he should have been. But that never
24
worked.
25
“He pays her so she’ll stick close. She could up and move to
26
San Francisco, you know. She stays close so the girls can see
27
him.” Ezra kept walking. “He’s gone four months a year. She’s
S28
the one who parents them every day. Give her a break.”
N29
• 211 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 211
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 211
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
Their mother loved them all fi ercely and at times, with a
02
blindness only a mother can pull off. Vaughan was not blame-
03
less in the mess, and while he was a great dad and he loved his
04
daughters, Kelly wasn’t the mercenary bitch their mother
05
believed she was at times.
06
Their mother sighed. “I love you boys. The problem is that
07
you’re all talented and handsome. Women see that and some-
08
times you get blinded by what’s under their skirts. And they’re
09
blinded to that by all your charm. It’s my job as your mother to
10
watch over you. Yes, yes, you’re all adults, but I’ll always be
11
your mother. Anyway, I like Mary.”
12
Well, that was lucky.
13
“She didn’t run out the door when I called her my girlfriend.
14
That’s a step in the right direction. It’s an issue that I get recog-15
nized a lot. But I can’t help it. It’s part of this gig.”
16
His mother laughed as they went up the porch steps. “She’s
17
far enough away that it’s going to cause her worry. You have to
18
understand it.”
19
“I know. She’s worried about the life. Worried I’ll stray. Wor-
20
ried I live too hard.”
21
“You do live too hard.” His mother paused at the door.
22
“I did. I’m trying not to. I’m trying to be worth it to her.”
23
His mother looked back over her shoulder at him. “Good.
24
That’s what I like to hear.”
25
“The two- states thing is odd. How you gonna handle that?”
26
Ezra held the door open for their mother as he spoke to Damien.
27
“Well, it sucks that I can’t see her as often as I’d like. But
28S
travel is part of my job too. So it’s not actually as big a hassle
29N
as it would be if I didn’t tour and all that.”
• 212 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 212
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 212
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
“I’ve been working with Paddy on some new stuff.” Ezra
01
spoke once their mother had moved into the kitchen. “I’ve
02
blocked out time in November.”
03
They would start work on their next album in two months.
04
Recording was grueling. They spent a lot of time in the barn
05
working. Reworking. Working some more. Paddy was a perfec-
06
tionist. He insisted on fi fty takes if that’s what it took to get it 07
just right. He and Vaughan were at each others’ throats a lot.
08
Damien had to do his level best to ignore most of what Paddy
09
said and did while they were in the studio or they ended up
10
bloodying each other far too often.
11
One thing was that Ezra was the leader of the band again
12
while they recorded. It saved them from breaking up over and
13
over. He did the guitar work on all their records, wrote nearly
14
all the songs with Paddy and kept things as chill as possible with
15
all the hotheaded Hurley brothers.
16
“You should ask Mary to come down and personal chef it.
17
You know, while we work on the record.”
18
Damien paused. That wasn’t an entirely bad idea. He’d con-
19
sidered asking if she’d be their tour chef. He knew she had the
20
supper club, though. But the tour was a year out anyway.
21
But if she was there while they recorded they’d probably be
22
healthier. They spent a lot of time eating crap and takeout. She’d
23
be a calming infl uence. Most likely they’d be better behaved and
24
she’d get to see him work.
25
“I want her to respect what I do. I mean, I think she does.
26
She loves live music and she was a fan before she met me. The
27
questions she asks about the work seem to show she’s interested
S28
and not in that fangirl way. I don’t know. I’m . . .”
N29
• 213 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 213
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 213
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
Ezra squeezed his shoulder. “She’s good for you. I’d totally
02
vote for her to come down here to cook for us. God knows we’d
03
probably work better with real meals instead of potato chips
04
and frozen burritos.”
05
“I’ll bring it up. Thanks.”
06
His brother tipped his chin. “Any time. Plus she’s gorgeous.
07
Not like it’s a hardship to look at her.”
08
He fl ipped Ezra off as he walked past. But he smiled.
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28S
29N
• 214 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 214
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 214
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
18
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
S
16
he missed him.
17
She didn’t want to. Didn’t plan to. But she did any-
18
way. Missed the way he said her name. Missed the feel
19
of him next to her in bed in the mornings. Missed the sex most
20
assuredly. Mainly though, she missed talking with him about
21
the fl otsam and jetsam of her daily life.
22
Of course her daily life was menus and catering jobs and his
23
was winning awards and making records. He was probably
24
bored with her stuff. Maybe.
25
This was dumb. She stood up decisively. For something to
26
do she uploaded the pictures from her camera to her computer.
27
Of course there were hundreds of shots and 90 percent of them