Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Maybe it’s me realizing I’m a matchmaker extraordinaire because had I not invited Harrison and Quinn to my first Christmas with Josie, he would’ve never met Katelyn and they wouldn’t have fallen madly in love with each other.
Matchmaking could be another side hustle for me.
Katelyn begins to hug me until Josie squeals and I become an afterthought. The two take off for the kitchen discussing turkey and cake in the same sentence.
Harrison and I pick their bags up and that’s when I see him wince. He rolls the shoulder once and acts like everything’s okay. I follow him, up the stairs and down the hall to Noah’s old room. This is where the triplets sleep when they spend the night, which has only happened a couple of times. Mostly, if Noah and Peyton need an overnight, Josie and Paige will go over to Noah’s. It’s much easier and it keeps the babies in their familiar space. Still, we have three cribs, a dresser, and everything else the triplets need, along with a toddler bed for Ollie.
In the next room over, Katelyn and Harrison will stay. I set the bags on the bed and then sit.
“How bad is the shoulder,” I say. It isn’t really a question.
Harrison winces and rotates it again. “Bad enough. Doctor says if I keep the pace I’ve been keeping, I’m getting the surgery.”
“And if you don’t keep the pace?”
“Then I don’t get the surgery. I’ve been doing physical therapy with Xander three days a week. It hurts like a bitch, and I think he’s a sadist.” Xander is Harrison’s brother-in-law. He owns a gym in Los Angeles and has helped so many of us recover from ailments. Mostly, he was vital in making sure Peyton could walk again after her accident years ago. “My mind reminds me I toured all summer on it. My body says figure it out before I can’t use my arm anymore.”
We are quiet and likely thinking the same thing. We’re aging, our bodies are aging, and we sure as shit had a hard time selling out venues.
We head downstairs, check in with our wives, and head down to the studio in my basement.
“You know, it’s funny, when I look at that kit and think it’s been there for twenty-some years.”
“I know,” I say. “This was the first modification I did to the house when I bought it. I needed a place to play. I never thought in a million years I’d get you and JD to move here.”
“Yeah well, you really didn’t.” Harrison looks at the ceiling. The kitchen is above us, where Katelyn is. “It was all her.”
“Thanks, man. That means a lot.”
Harrison laughs and picks up the sticks left on one of the drums. He plays for a minute, winces and then puts the sticks down. “This is who I am. This is who I’ve been since my dad was killed. I don’t know the me without these sticks in my hands.”
His words give me pause. So much of our lives have been defined by our instruments. I remember when I really started playing my acoustic and started putting words on paper. They made sense to me. I could express myself without having to actually say the words to someone. If I didn’t have my guitar then, I’m not sure where I’d be today.
“For the last few months, I’ve been giving advice to people, but if you called in, I’d have no idea what to say to you. I’m at a loss. You’re my best friend, my bandmate. There’s no me without you and I wouldn’t ever think of performing unless you were on stage with me.”
“What about JD?”
I sigh and run my hand through my hair. “JD’s ten years younger than us, and I think if presented with a chance to tour with another band, he’d take it. Sure, he’d ask or tell us, but he’s still in his prime. I get that right now, he’s busy with Eden and her surfing career, but that’s going to change soon, and then what’s he going to do?”
“He’s definitely not ready to hang it up,” Harrison says. “They came over before they left for Australia. He asked if this radio gig was long-term because Eden has a break coming up and he wanted to know what our plans were.”
“And he wasn’t talking about a tropical vacation somewhere?”
Harrison shakes his head.
“Damn.” I sigh heavily. “I’m going to start the 4225 West satellite channel and I really want you both involved. It can be remote, but I think it would be nice to have all of us in the studio at the same time. Fans would definitely go for it. Bex is just waiting on the permits to be finalized.”
“JD and The Love Line, he’ll totally be game.”
“Hey now, I don’t know about him taking over my show.” I laugh. I already told him he could take over anytime he wanted.