Chase the Road (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) by Karolyn James Page B

her grandfather and Hunter actually getting along. The business look
and wealth would have definitely put her grandfather off.
    It was just a nice gesture though.
    And then came Hunter ’ s next text.
    Sorry. I won ’ t be able to come back.
When I land … I have so many meetings. I ’ m
sorry I didn ’ t
meet him either. If you need financial support when he passes, I will help.
Please understand.
    Maya read the text twice and felt
herself getting angry. Hunter wasn ’ t
even going to make an attempt? Then again, they had split up before Hunter
left, right? Why would he bother coming?
    “ Because
he should care, ” Maya
whispered.
    Like Blake.
    She shut her eyes.
    Blake was a rockstar. On tour with
possibly the biggest band in the country. Maybe the world even. And he dropped
everything after a show to ensure Maya would get to her grandfather as
comfortably as possible.
    And he was on his way here …
    Maya pressed a button on her phone
and started typing.
    Yeah, thanks. I ’ ll be fine, Hunter. Good
luck with your meetings.
    She wanted to take a jab at him
because she could. Because she was hurting right now.
    Then Hunter texted back - Just
worry about what you need.
    That was it.
    That ’ s
where Maya left it.
    “ What
I need? ” she whispered.
    She looked to her grandfather and
her eyes filled with tears. A second later there was a knock at the door. When
it opened, in flooded Gone by Autumn. All five guys. They looked tired and worn
out. But in old time fashion, they surrounded Maya as she stood up. They all
hugged her, squeezing her tight in a sweat smelling, booze lingering scent that
made her burst into tears.
    These guys were everything to her.
Like the family she never had. Like big brothers … well, all except one.
    The hug broke and the guys all
moved away. All except Blake. He stood just a few feet away. He looked at Maya.
Then he looked at her grandfather. Then he looked at her again and his eyes
were instantly glossy.
    Blake then opened his arms, and the
sight was the greatest thing Maya had seen in a long time … in a long damn time.
     
    *
     
    Blake held Maya and told himself to
never let her go. Hell or high water … well, that really wasn ’ t
possible. But he held her for a few minutes, walking backward and leaning
against a wall, with a crying Maya tucked tightly to his chest. She wept and he
stroked the back of her hair. He rested his chin on her head. The rest of the
band stood there and stared. Damn, the entire scene was uncomfortable, but they
all needed to be there for Maya. She deserved it; so did Ted. He was rough and
tough man on the outside but he had a heart of gold and that gold melted into
goo when it came to Maya.
    And now he was barely holding on.
    Blake knew how this was going to
come to an end, too. Ted wouldn ’ t
go in front of Maya. He had his own terms to do it. While Blake wasn ’ t exactly a believer in much of
anything truly spiritual, he believed that a bullish man like Ted would have
the strength to control his own passing.
    So Blake held Maya tight. He kissed
the top of her head. “ I ’ m sorry, sweetheart. At least
you made it, right? ”
    Maya pulled away and looked up at
Blake. Blake cleared his throat and blinked fast. He didn ’ t want to lose himself in front
of Maya. He gently touched her face. All those old memories and feelings
doubled up on him, deep in his heart.
    Shit …
    “ Thank
you for being here, ” Maya
said. Before Blake could speak, she turned around. “ Thank you all for being here …”
    “ Where
else would we be? ” Asher
asked with a grin.
    Maya laughed, finally.
    Her body was inches from Blake ’ s. He stood there with his fists
balled up. Staring at Maya ’ s
body, desperate to touch her waist. To slide his arms around her and pull her
close. Hold her tight. Kiss her neck. Whisper to her that everything would be
okay and then spend the rest of his life proving to Maya that it wasn ’ t a lie.
    “ We ’ re here, ” Ryan