Chapter 5
Family First
Cali
Sitting in the waiting room with all the guys, I felt completely out of place. Fallon was trying to sooth Leilani, who was crying her head off only a seat away from me. Tears were pouring down the rock goddess’s face and she pressed her lips to her daughter’s forehead. “Shhhhh, sweetie. Everything is going to be all right.”
Getting up, I stood in front of Fallon. “You must be exhausted. Want me to take her for a little bit?”
Fallon’s storming eyes met mine as I took the seat next to her. “Thank you. I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, and she’s way overdue for a nap.”
Rocking the cranky baby in my arms, I gave Fallon a small smile. “She’s beautiful.”
“Thanks. When she isn’t wailing up a storm, she’s pretty great.”
“How is it having her on the road?” I asked, trying to deflect the conversation from the looming unknown of what was happening with Dane’s father.
“I have hung back from the tour this go-round because I think she’s just too little to drag all over the place.” I could tell Fallon hated that she wasn’t touring with the band from the furrow in her brow and the sorrow in her tone.
“I’m sure it’s hard not having Dane around to help.”
“Marty and the rest of the Steeles have really been great. I don’t know what I would do without them.” Her sobbing erupted as her head fell into her hands.
Colt stood up, putting his phone back in his pocket after making some frantic calls. “I just got off the phone with our booking agent. We’re going to cancel the rest of the tour.”
My heart sank. I didn’t know if I was sad to not go on the great adventure with Maverick like he had wished or if I was relieved, but I knew if Colt was canceling the rest of their gigs, things were not looking good for Marty.
Maverick walked back into the waiting room with an older woman I assumed was his mother and a younger one who must have been his sister. Sinking down into the seat next to mine, he grabbed my hand. The two women were talking to Dane in the corner as his hands started to shake.
Fallon took baby Leilani from me, getting up to join her husband.
“It was a pretty bad heart attack. They have to take him into surgery right away to repair the damage,” Maverick told me as his head fell onto my shoulder.
“I am so sorry,” I muttered, resting my cheek against his.
“Mom, Julie, this is Cali.” Mav waved the women over to us as we stood to greet them.
Hugging both of them, I couldn’t help the tears that welled up in my eyes. “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”
Putting a kind hand on my shoulder, Maverick’s mom forced a smile. “Thank you for being here for all of us, especially my son.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just hugged her again. Maverick held his sister as she cried, and my heart broke for them. In the short time I had known Marty, I could tell how special he was and how much he meant to everyone in that waiting room.
The hours ticked by. We sat mostly in silence, waiting for the surgeon to come tell us anything he could. It was grueling. I felt downright helpless. Fallon was fast asleep, drooling on Dane’s shoulder, while Leilani was cradled in his arms.
Finally the doctor strode into the room. Maverick leapt to his feet, rushing to his mother’s side, holding her hand.
“He’s stable. He did very well in surgery, but he does have a long recovery ahead of him. It won’t be long now until a few of you can go see him.”
I hurried to Maverick’s side, wrapping my arms around his middle. The sigh of relief that escaped him as he kissed the top of my head washed over me.
“He’s one tough son of a bitch.” Dane put his hand on Maverick’s shoulder as he offered words of encouragement only a brother could.
Maverick looked over to him. “You’re so damn right.”
Dane helped his sleepy wife to her feet. “Why don’t you take the baby home and get some real rest.”
Colt grabbed the diaper bag from Dane. “I’ll drive her.”
