May 20, 1998

The men in the living room had just finished cheering the scoring team on the TV when the cell phone began chirping on the coffee table. Turning away from the commercial break, JC picked it up and read the display, smiling when he saw the number. Flipping it open, he sat back on the couch. “Hey, Boof.”

“Hey.” The group around him laughed at something, and she paused for a second. “Is this a bad time? I can call back later.”

“No, it’s fine. The clan decided to gather to watch the playoffs.” The entire bunch yelled a loud hello, prompting her to laugh. Rolling his eyes when Aaron nudged him with his shoulder, he stood and stretched. “I was gonna call you when the game was over, but it looks like you beat me to it. What’s up?”

“Nothing much. I just wanted to let you know I had the locks changed, so I’ll have a new key for you when you come in next week.” He could hear her swallowing before she continued. “And there’s a new security code, too.”

“Really?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What happened?”

“Everything’s okay.” She hesitated. “We had an … incident.”

“An incident?” His tone brought silence to the men around him. “What kind of incident? Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Josh. I was just shaken up, that’s all.”

“If you’re changing the locks and codes, then that’s a little more than shaken up, Jen.” He glanced over at Aaron’s raised brow. “What happened?”

“I came home and found Mark walking around the house.”

“Walking around the house? Like in the yard?”

“No, he was standing in the hallway.”

“He was in the house?” Blue eyes widened, meeting his father’s concerned expression. “How did he get in the house?”

“Bad judgement on Brian and Adam’s part. They had drinks for the party and sent him over to drop them off. Brian gave him the key and Adam gave him the code. They’ve been chewed out for their stupidity.” She sighed. “My last class was canceled, so I got home early, and he was just going through the place, pretty as you please. Scared me half to death.”

“Had he just gotten there?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but there’s no telling how long he was here, or how much longer he’d planned to stay.” There was a pause, then she went on. “Did you close your bedroom door before we left for the airport?”

“I think so.” He thought back, trying to remember. “Yeah. I put on my backpack, picked up my bag and pulled it to when we walked out.” In consideration of his audience, he edited out the part where he’d been pausing repeatedly to kiss her during that series of events, dropping his bag to pull her to him for an especially deep kiss in the hallway before they headed out to meet Chris in the garage. “Why?”

“He was in that hall when I found him. After he left, I went through, and your door was cracked open.” There was a squeaking noise, and he knew she was in her office. “I looked around, but I don’t think anything’s missing, so I wasn’t sure if he’d really been in there or not.”

“I’ll check it out when I get back.” There seemed to be something missing from her story. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” Silence carried over the line. “What else, Jenny?”

“I called Maggie while I was looking around, because something felt wrong. I felt like someone was watching me.” She cleared her throat quietly. “She’d been at the studio, and Brian and Adam came back with her. They went in every room and didn’t find anything, but when they went onto the patio, they found footprints where someone had walked through the yard and stood at the sliding door.”

“Someone was at the back door? Was it Mark?”

“We don’t know. The sprinklers are on a timer and were still running when I got home.” A deep breath carried over the line. “I only watched him until he was at the corner before coming back in. He might’ve been able to run back that quickly, but the more I think about it, I’m pretty sure it was someone else.”

“Are you positive they were there after you got home?”

“The footprints we found came up to the patio door, then moved to the side so I couldn’t see them from the living room. And my skin was crawling the entire time I was talking to Maggie. I think they were there long enough for the first tracks to dry and tried to leave, but saw Brian and Adam coming, so they ran back around the house to the patio, then left once the guys started checking everything. We were busy looking in the house, so we didn’t pay attention to the yard, and when we went to check upstairs, they just ran around from the back and on down the street.”

“My God, Boof.” Glancing toward the TV, he noticed that the commercial break had ended and turned to walk toward the kitchen. “So new locks and a new code?”

“Yeah. Shan replaced the lock on the screen porch and put in new doors for the patio that are more secure, and Brian stayed with us until the locksmith and security people could get here to do their installations. The security system has video surveillance now and there’s a few alarm key fob things that will alert if the system is tripped. Maggie and I will each keep one and I gave Mom the last, since she and Mac are so close.”

“Sounds good.” He leaned against the counter, brow furrowing as something she’d said flashed back to him. “Wait. He was bringing drinks for the party? When was the party?”

“Uh, last Saturday.”

“Last Saturday?” His mind raced, ticking back the days. “When did all this happen?”

“Damn.” He could picture her shaking her head. “God, I hate it when she’s right.”

“Who?”

“Maggie. She told me I’d be in trouble for waiting.” A stuttering sigh carried across the line. “Josh, please don’t get mad …”

“Waiting? How long has it been, Jenny?”

“The day you left. After I dropped you off at the airport.”

“The day I left?” He moved across the room and dropped into one of the chairs around the table, his head resting on his hand. “That was two weeks ago, Jen! We’ve talked every day since I’ve been here, and you waited two weeks to tell me you walked in on somebody going through the house?”

“Well, like I said, Brian stayed with us.” She cleared her throat again, and her tone wavered. “I didn’t want you to worry, Josh. And I didn’t want …”

“I would’ve come home, Boof.” His eyes closed, and he never registered the footsteps coming into the room. “As soon as that show was over, I’d have hopped a flight right back home to you.”

“That’s what I didn’t want.” He could hear tears in her voice. “You haven’t seen your family in months, and I didn’t want you to have that decision to make. I knew everything would be okay, and you’ve got to spend time with them while you have the chance.” A sniffle carried to him. “Please don’t make me feel guilty for handling this so you can be where you need to be.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Taking a deep breath, he jerked when a hand squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay. Please don’t cry, Jenny. I’m sorry.” Looking up, he found his father taking the seat across from him. “It’s just … God, I wish I could be in two places at once.”

“I know.” A shaky smile entered her tone. “If my finals had already been over, I’d have flown up there with you.”

“That’s right. You’ve been testing this week.” At the change in topic, he felt himself calming down. “How many do you have left?”

“One more tomorrow night and I’m done.”

“Good. I want to hear all about how you ace it.”

“If I’m going to ace it, then I probably need to get in some last-minute studying in for it.” The desk chair squeaked again, and he could picture her twisting back and forth. “I really just wanted to let you know about the new key and give you the new code. A part of me was praying that Aaron and the guys would be visiting so you’d be distracted and not think to press me.”

“Yeah, well, tough luck.” Letting out a laugh, he glanced back at the older man still sitting with him. “Hit me with the new numbers and I’ll pass them on to Chris. Does he have new keys, too?”

“No. He and I are the only ones with keys to his part of the house, and it didn’t look like anyone had gotten into his garage, so they stayed the same. And I’m hoping the code is so simple, nobody will think of it. 0876.”

“Your birth month and year?” Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes. “Totally not original, Boof.”

“Our birth month and year. Easy to remember.” She clarified, then continued. “I know it’s a few weeks out, but make sure to let me know when you’re flying back in. I’m gonna try to be there to meet you at the airport. If Mac sends me somewhere, I’ll leave your keys on the kitchen counter. Chris can let you in through the basement.”

“Okay.” Clearing his throat, he leaned back in his chair. “Just … don’t keep things from me, Jen. I can’t be with you as much as I want, so please keep me in the loop on what’s going on. I need to know you’re all right.”

“I won’t do it again. I promise. If I was with you, I’d seal it with a pinkie swear.” He could hear her smile. “Or a kiss. Whichever works.”

“Uh huh. You know which one I’d choose.” With a grin, he ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay, I’ll let you go so you can study, but I’m keeping my word that I’ll call you every day.” His brow furrowed when Roy gestured toward the phone, silently asking him to pass it over. “Uh, I think Dad wants the phone for a minute. When will your test be over?”

“I should be home around seven thirty. Class is starting two hours earlier, so we’ll have enough time to finish.”

“I’ll try for around eight, then. Okay?”

“That’ll be perfect. Talk to you later, Josh.”

“Later, Boof.” With a questioning look, JC passed the phone over. “Here she is.”

“Hey there, Munchkin.” Roy’s voice was soothing as he spoke softly. “You okay?” There was a pause, then a smile. “Yeah, I figured you had everything under control. This boy of mine just likes to think he’s got all his ducks in a row. I’d say you’re probably the cutest of the bunch.” A brief silence was followed by a laugh. “That’s true. But see, whether he says it or not, he loves you, so he’s bound to worry about you. Just like you worry over him when he’s not around.” His eyes came up to meet his son’s, a knowing expression settling over his features. “He just wants to know that you need him, Jen, even if he can’t be there.” A wide grin formed. “Oh, I hear you. And you can always call us if you need to, sweetheart. Or even if you just want to. Karen and I miss having you around.” Another pause, then his brows arched in consideration. “Two or three weeks? We might can swing it this summer, but you just had the kids down last month. Are you sure you want all of us for that long?” He laughed again. “Bribing me with your lasagna is just playing dirty. All right, sweetie, we’ll let you know soon. Good luck on your exam tomorrow, okay? Bye, Jenny.” Passing the phone back to him, Roy chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, son, I think I have to agree with your mother.”

“On what?”

“Pretty much everything.” He grinned, running his fingers through his hair. “But in this case … if you screw that up, we’ll both disown you.”

“What?” Blue eyes widened in surprise. “Screw what up?”

“Jen.” Sitting back in his chair, Roy studied JC carefully. “You were always a great kid, with a good head on your shoulders. I never questioned any of your decisions, never let you know if I didn’t agree with you. But when you turned thirteen and started bringing other girls around, I wanted to grab you by the collar and shake some sense into you.”

“Why?”

“Because your perfect match was right beside you, looking at you with her heart in her eyes, and you couldn’t even see it.” A deep sigh lifted his chest as he crossed his arms. “It didn’t take much to figure out what she did so you could go to that dance, you know. I asked Steve about it not long after, and he told me she’d said something along the lines of not being able to keep quiet and let you miss out on your first real date.”

“Really?”

“Yep. She felt like it was time to step back, because she didn’t think she was girlfriend material.” Roy tilted his head. “It didn’t matter so much then, because you got over it pretty quickly. But when you got old enough to date, she started making herself scarce whenever the girl of the hour was around. Your mom started worrying, because she knew that once you buckled down and really got serious about one of them, Jen would make herself an afterthought.” A brow arched. “You may not realize it, Josh, but if you lose her, we lose her. No matter how old you two get, she’s a part of this family. My Munchkin. And I won’t take it too well if I have to see her go.”

“I get it, Dad.” JC fought back a smile. “If I have my way, you won’t need to worry about that.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t play dumb, old man. You’ve already figured it out.” His eyes narrowed playfully. “She’s better than just girlfriend material, and you know it.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.” Roy’s shoulders shook with a chuckle. “We don’t have a front row seat like Lisa does, so we’ve been pretty much in the dark on what’s going on. When you came back from Europe, I knew as soon as you stopped in the kitchen doorway that something was up between you. You snuck out at Thanksgiving. Then whatever happened at Christmas went down and you wound up with her again.” A smile made his eyes lighten. “But what I heard you say when I walked in here just now … that’s what proves it.”

“What did I say?”

“That you’d have gotten on a flight and gone home to her.”

“Well, I would have.” Laughing quietly, JC propped an elbow on the table, letting his chin rest in his hand. “Or I would’ve tried to, anyway. She’d have killed me if I hadn’t stayed here.”

“No, son. It’s not that you would’ve gone.” Roy clapped a sturdy hand over his son’s shoulder again. “It’s that you’ve figured out she’s your home.” His fingers gave a squeeze. “You’ve been back and forth from Orlando for years, but I never heard you call it home until she got there.”

“That’s because it wasn’t home until she got there.” With a shrug, JC’s fingers spun the phone across the tabletop. “When I look at Jen, I see home. I want to be where she is, because she makes me happy. When she’s with me, where I can keep an eye on her and make sure everything’s okay, it just feels right. It’s gonna kill me when the tour starts up next month, because I’ve gotten so used to seeing her all the time. Having to leave her again … it’ll almost be like going back overseas.” His brow furrowed. “If her tests hadn’t been scheduled for this week, she would’ve come with me to see you guys.”

“I know, Josh. It’s not hard to see that you love her.” Dark brows bunched. “Everybody can see that you love her. The question is whether or not you’ve clued her in to it.”

“We’ve said it, but we were saying goodbye at the airport, so I’m not really sure it counts for much.” His eyes came up to meet his father’s. “We have an understanding. When I left for Sweden, I asked her to wait for me, and she said she would. I didn’t think we’d be back this soon and coming home was awesome, but we’ve been all over the country since January, and she’s only got until December before she finishes her degree.”

“She’s working on her senior showcase – this concert where she has to pull together performances of the songs she’s written and the pieces she’s composed while she’s been in school and present it to a board that’ll decide how well she’s done with her program studies.” With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I know she’s got it in the bag, but that’s a big deal, Dad. A major deal. There’s no way she can perform all of it herself, so she’s got to get the orchestra squared away, pull together a band and get singers ready, all while finishing her last courses and going wherever Mac sends her. She’ll be spending most of the summer getting sheet music sorted out and figuring out which numbers she wants to include, then it’ll really hit the fan when the fall semester kicks in and she has to get all her people gathered and rehearsed.”

“On my side, we’ve got the routines for the Disney special to prep for filming as soon as I get back next week and show rehearsals, then we’re leaving for the tour and promotional work. Johnny’s telling us Lou wants a Christmas album released this year, so we’ll have to work that in around everything else.” Sitting back with a grunt, he let his gaze go down to the table. “Between the two of us, it’s gonna be absolutely insane for the rest of the year. We need each other’s support, but she really can’t afford any distractions right now. I want her to be able to focus on putting together the best showcase she can, so the advisory board won’t have a choice but to give her the highest marks.” He began playing with the phone again. “As busy as we’re about to be, being with me is the last thing she needs to worry about for the next six months.” Clearing his throat, he raised his attention back to the man across the table. “We talked it over at Christmas, and once she graduates, we’re all in, no matter what’s happening.”

“Really?” Roy’s eyes brightened in surprise. “You’re getting married?”

“Well, I kind of thought we’d try dating first. Jen went through a rough time when she was with Dingess, and whoever came after him wasn’t much better. She’s never seen how good it can be when you’re with the right person, and I haven’t exactly been available the last few years. I don’t want her to miss out on the fun of it, you know?” JC laughed at the slight disappointment that settled over Roy’s features. “We’ll enjoy each other for a while, figure out how our lives work together. But if you’ll be patient with us, I’m pretty sure we’ll get there.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Remember when I surprised her on her eighteenth birthday?” At his father’s nod, he continued. “We were putting together the charm bracelet I’d gotten her, and she was looking at the angel charm I’d had engraved with her dad’s initials. Jen started talking about everything he’d missed and how she wished he could’ve seen her grow up. Then she mentioned how he wouldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle when she got married, so she guessed I’d have to be the one to give her away.”

“Ah.”

“Yep. I thought I was gonna be sick.” He shook his head with a slight smile. “It was even worse than when she told me she was dating Luke. My heart stopped, and I knew that if it came down to me handing her over, I’d never be able to do it. Just the idea of her getting really serious with someone else, let alone marrying someone else, wrecked me, Dad. I’d started seeing her differently the year before, but I never said anything, because I was scared of losing my best friend. Sitting there and hearing Jen – my Boof – talk about marrying some unknown guy … I think right then was when I knew the future I wanted was with her. I went back to the set a few days later and broke it off with whatever her name was …”

“Andrea.”

“Sure. Andrea.” A self-deprecating laugh escaped. “I guess it says a lot that I can’t seem to remember the names of any of the girls I dated, huh? Anyway, as far as I could tell, Jen had never shown interest in me beyond the friendship, so I just rode with it, hoping that one day I’d catch her looking at me as if she wanted more, but trying not to let my heart get too invested. I moved back to Orlando to start the group, she came down later and had all the guys wrapped around her little finger before the first day was out. For a while, I was kind of afraid Joey would make a move on her, but he steered clear, and he and Chris teamed up with J, trying to prod me into action.”

“What was the hold up?”

“I still wasn’t sure if she was feeling it and I was trying to keep my hopes from getting too high, just in case it didn’t work out.” JC cleared his throat. “It wasn’t until after our very first showcase that I thought I’d seen what I was looking for. But just as I’d started gearing up to go for it, Johnny told us the labels we’d be auditioning for were mostly overseas. That ruined everything, since I didn’t want to start something with her, just to have to leave her behind if we got a deal.”

“Makes sense.”

“I was trying to do the best thing for her, making sure she wasn’t tied down to me when she wouldn’t even be able to see me for more than a few weeks out of the year. Then we wound up walking through a grocery store together when she heard her first song on the radio. One thing led to another and suddenly I was kissing her in the middle of the baking aisle. Oh, my God.”

“That good, was it?” Roy laughed.

“I think I caught her by surprise, but when she kissed me back … we’re talking fireworks, Dad. Every last one of the rockets they set off at the Capitol on the Fourth of July went off at one time and tried to burn me alive. And then I remembered where we were and started to back off, but she wouldn’t let me.” A faint red began to flame up his neck. “I never thought I’d be into a girl who took charge like that, but damn it’s a major turn on. Pair that with the lip gloss she wears and the way she wouldn’t let me go, and I was a total goner. I still am.”

“She found the right person.”

“We both did. I’d never felt that with any of the girls I’d gone out with before. It took everything I had not to grab her again as soon as we made it back home, but I had to keep reminding myself that I was only going to be around a few more weeks. I let it go, she never mentioned it, and we made it all the way until the night before I was leaving before it came back up.” One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “She was upset and crying, I was trying to calm her down, she found my necklace and the next thing I knew, we were going at it on her couch. It almost went too far, but I knew we weren’t anywhere near ready for that and had to stop everything. We talked it out, but it didn’t go very well, and neither of us was happy with how we left it.”

“But you seemed fine when you called home …”

“That’s because I couldn’t leave her at that airport without kissing her goodbye.” He laughed quietly. “All my good intentions suddenly didn’t matter anymore. She was under my skin and I couldn’t keep from being the most selfish person on the planet. When she said that all she wanted was to wait for me, I nearly called the whole thing off to stay with her, but I couldn’t just back out on the guys like that. She may have watched me walk away to board that plane, but my heart stayed right with her.” A sheepish smile lifted his lips. “I made sure to talk to you guys at least once a week, but honestly, I was calling or e-mailing her nearly every day.”

“We figured as much.” Roy grinned. “You both seemed too happy to not be hearing from each other very often. And Lisa told us about the photos on Jen’s desk.”

“Photos?”

“The first was of you holding her up …”

“Yeah. Diane took that one after we had our showcase at Pleasure Island.” Reaching for his wallet with a chuckle, JC pulled out a small photo and passed it over. “When I saw how we were looking at each other, I knew that we’d definitely moved past the friend zone. I asked Diane to make a larger copy, had it framed, then left it for Jen with a teddy bear and that heart necklace she wears. She moved it out to her photo wall last fall.” His brow furrowed slightly. “What was the other one?”

“The two of you looking far more than friendly on some rooftop somewhere.” Shaking his head, Roy sighed and passed back the print. “I figured it was from when she made it over for her visit last year.”

“Oh, right.” Trading the first picture for another, he set it on the table. “Probably this one. We were on the roof of the cathedral in Berlin. She has this thing about seeing city lights wherever she goes.” Tapping his fingertips over the image, he slid it over so his father could get a better look. It had been taken from behind at a time when they’d thought they were alone, her arm wrapped tightly around his waist as she smiled up at him, his own smile bright as he’d been leaning down to kiss her. “We were able to take time to show her around every city we stopped in, but she’d had a rough few days when Sara tried to ditch her at the beginning of the promotional run and was still trying to recover. I could tell she was having trouble keeping up in Berlin and carried her for a little while. When they saw what I was doing, Lonnie, Kenny and Tiny decided to take turns carrying her whenever she started to get tired. There’s a picture hanging on her wall of Kenny giving her a piggyback ride through Stuttgart.”

“Good men right there.” Roy nodded, passing back the photo. “I hope you kept them around.”

“We did. They were all available when Johnny started putting together our team here and signed back up with us. Tiny said he couldn’t give up the chance to watch out for his Tink whenever she visited.” With a smile, he slid the picture back into his wallet, making sure it didn’t catch on the others. “Even if I didn’t still have my necklace, she’d be traveling with me everywhere. Whenever we’re in the studio, I always put a photo of her on the music stand after the first few takes, because it helps to think that I’m singing for her instead of a room full of guys staring at me through a pane of glass.”

“That’s what gets you up to those high notes, huh?”

“She’s what I need to get there, I guess.” JC laughed at Roy’s raised brow, his eyes glinting with humor. “Can you blame me? My girl’s easy on the eyes.”

“So she’s your girl now, is she?”

“She’s been my girl since we were kids, Dad. We just see each other differently now. She’s the only one I can see myself being happy with years down the road.” His features turned serious as he reached to pick up the phone, standing as a cheer came from the living room. “Jenny is my home and I’ll protect her no matter what. She’s my heart and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her happy. I’m in love with her and come December we can get started on the good stuff.” A grin formed as another cheer shook the walls. “I’m just hoping the rest of this year flies by.”

“Don’t wish the time away, son.” Roy stood with him, thumping a hand on his back and steering him toward the living room. “You never know what you might miss when you’re trying to speed things along. Even if it means getting to the ‘good stuff’.” Pausing halfway across the kitchen, he gave JC a pleading look. “Just please give your mother a heads up when there’s about to be a wedding to plan. She’ll never let me hear the end of it if she isn’t one of the first to know.”

“You’ve got it, old man.” Wrapping an arm around his father’s shoulders, he gave a quick laugh. “When I start thinking about rings, I’ll give you guys a shout.”

----------------------------------------

July 16, 1998

Rounding the corner, Jen gasped deeply, slowing her run to a jog as she headed for the last turn before home. As she sucked in another breath, her pocket began to chime. Letting her stride slow even more, she fumbled with the phone, glancing at the number before flipping it open. “Hey, Mom.”

“Morning, honey. Are you about to make it home?”

“Yeah.” Gasping once again, Jen slowed to a walk at the corner, trying to cool down in the steamy Florida heat. “Just took the last corner.”

“Good. Are we still on for brunch?” Lisa paused for a sip of coffee. “Mac may have to swing by the office for a while, but he should be able to make it by eleven.”

“That sounds good.” Glancing down at her watch, Jen made her way up the driveway. “It’s just now nine thirty. Aunt Karen was already in the shower when I started out, so Uncle Roy and the kids are probably up by now. Eleven should be fine.”

“Wonderful. Are they having a good visit?”

“I think so. They seem to be enjoying themselves.” Letting out a laugh, she pulled out her keys for the front door and let herself in. “We had a blast at Universal on Monday. They were happy to meet the gang last night, then Uncle Roy and Ty took the Corvette for a spin while Brian, Adam and Nick helped me finish out a number for my showcase.”

“Oh, God. You just made his year, sweetie. He’s always wanted to drive one of those sports cars.”

“I’m a little worried that I’ll run out of ideas to keep them busy.” Jen sighed. “They’re here for another two weeks …”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, honey.” A chuckle carried over the line. “Well, I’ll let you go so you can get cleaned up. We’ll meet y’all at Missy’s Cafe at eleven.”

“Okay, Mom. See you then.” Closing the phone, she moved quickly around the counter and into the kitchen, still breathing heavily as she headed for the refrigerator. Pulling the door open, she cursed quietly when she saw the empty shelf where her bottled water usually sat. “Of course.”

“Mornin’, Munchkin.” Roy laughed as he came down the stairs. “Are you sure getting that worked up when it’s this hot is healthy?”

“It feels better than it looks.” She laughed in return, pulling open a low drawer and taking out the last bottles of water left over from Mark and Nick’s graduation party. Making a face, she twisted the cap off the first, taking a quick sip. “Remind me to stop for water sometime today. I forgot over the weekend and this nasty stuff is all that’s left.”

“What’s nasty about it?” He passed by her on his way to the coffee pot. “Water’s water, right?”

“Not really.” Grimacing again, she drank more. “This is some of that purified junk that has the gross aftertaste.” Holding the bottle up, her fingers checked her pounding pulse as she studied the liquid in the bottle. “It almost tastes like salt. Or chlorine.” Shrugging, she tilted her head back and drained the bottle, tossing it in the trash before reaching for the next. “Mom and Mac want to meet us for brunch at eleven. Then I thought we’d head over to Downtown Disney for a look around, maybe take one of their boat tours on the lake and catch a movie or something. Sound good?”

“Sounds great.” Roy’s brow furrowed as she started working on the second bottle. “Take it easy, Jenny. I know you’re overheated, but you’ll make yourself sick if you drink it too fast.”

“Yep.” Her head spun suddenly, and she blinked quickly, reaching for the counter to steady herself. “Wow. Guess I overdid it a little. I didn’t think it was all that hot outside.”

“Are you okay?” He moved closer to her, concern darkening his eyes. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“No, I’m fine.” Breathing deeply, she took a few more sips of water, smacking her lips against the taste. “I just got swimmy headed for a second. Shouldn’t have made that extra lap.” Sending him a smile, she nodded toward the stairs. “I’m gonna head up for a shower. If you need a snack, I’ve got some blueberry muffins in the container by the stove.”

“That’s my girl.”

“Just don’t have too many. Missy’s has a great brunch menu.” With a quiet laugh, she picked up her cell phone, took another long drink and moved away from the counter. After a few steps, she had to pause, her heart suddenly beating very slowly, the heavy thumping almost painful. “Oh.” She tried to raise a hand to her chest as it began to tighten, making it harder to breathe, her vision rapidly going blurry as she felt fresh sweat breaking out on her forehead and trickling down over her cheeks. “Oh, God.” Swaying unsteadily, she reached for something to hang on to, the bottle of water falling out of her hand, rolling across the floor as the world went dark.

“Jenny?” Roy looked around just in time to see her collapse and rushed across the room, dropping to the floor and quickly turning her over onto her back. “What’s wrong, Munchkin?” His hands patted her cheeks, then shook her shoulders, trying to rouse her into a reaction, but she simply lay there, unflinching. “Jen? Come on, sweetie.” He heard her labored breathing and put his fingers to her neck, eyes widening at the hard, slow pace of her pulse. “Karen!” Turning toward the stairs, he yelled loudly. “Karen!”

“What’s wrong?” His wife came out onto the landing, stopping short when she saw Jen sprawled out on the floor. “What happened?”

“Call 9-1-1!” His voice was panicked as he looked back down at the girl, terror streaking through him when her body suddenly tensed, then began convulsing, thrashing across the kitchen tile. “Now!”

***************************

“Now that was a great show!” JC nudged Joey playfully as they walked down the hall toward their hotel room. “What a blast!”

“I know, right? Canadian crowds are awesome.” Joey let out a laugh and shoved back. “Chill, man. Have you heard from Hot Stuff today?”

“Not yet. I forgot to plug my phone in last night, so it died sometime this morning.” Shaking his head, JC opened the door and moved for the table between the beds, pulling his phone out of his pocket and attaching the charging cable. “I’ll give her a call here in a few minutes.”

“It’s kind of late, isn’t it?”

“Not really. She’s got my family visiting, so I’m sure Ty and Heather are keeping her up and entertained.” He glanced down as the phone chirped repeatedly in his hand, alerting him to missed calls and messages. “Wow. Okay.”

“Somebody was really trying to get in touch with you.” Heading for the bathroom, Joey moved his eyebrows suggestively. “Maybe she got tired of waiting.”

“Maybe.” JC’s voice was unsure as he flipped the phone open, pressing the buttons to access his voicemail.

“Josh, it’s Dad. Call me back as soon as you get this.”

“Josh, it’s Mom. Where are you? Call us as soon as you can, honey.”

“Hey, bro. Dad just gave me his phone and said to call you again. Listen, it’s not good. Give us a shout, okay? Like, ASAP.”

He sat on the bed, his brow furrowing as the messages progressed. Then his blood ran cold.

“Josh, I know they’re keeping you busy, but you need to get yourself home. It’s Munchkin, son. She collapsed after her run this morning and we had to call the paramedics. They said she was in cardiac distress and when they got her to the ER, she stopped breathing, so they put her on a ventilator and admitted her to the ICU. She hasn’t woken up, Lisa’s been in the room as much as they’ll allow her, and we’re hanging out in the waiting room for updates. They’re still trying to figure out what happened, and it’s not looking good. Just let us know if you can make it, or when we should be looking for you.”

“Jace?” Joey had to physically shake him to get a reaction. “You all right? What’s going on?”

“Jen …” JC shook his head, blinking quickly. “Jenny collapsed this morning. She’s on a ventilator in the ICU.”

“What?” Brown eyes widened in horror. “What happened?”

“They don’t know, but it doesn’t look good.” Jumping up from the bed, JC pushed past Joey and toward the door. “Where’s Marianne? I’ve got to get home.”

“Hold up, C.” Joey grabbed his arm, steering him back toward the closet. “I’ll go find Marianne and tell her what you need, you call your parents and start packing a bag.” He nodded encouragingly. “Jen’s a fighter. She’s gonna be all right. You just hang in there until we can get you on a flight, okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” He barely registered the slamming of the door as his friend left, reaching sluggishly for the duffel on the floor of the closet. Jerking himself back into gear, he tossed the bag on the bed and picked up his phone, pressing the buttons quickly, sitting down as the ringing sound pulsed back to him.

“Hello?” Roy sounded groggy as he answered. “Josh?”

“Hey, Dad. I’m sorry it took so long. My phone’s been dead all day and we just got in from the show.” Swallowing hard, he forced himself to stay calm. “How is she?”

“There’s no change, really. Her doctor is saying she’s in a coma, but that could be a good thing, since they’re still running tests to figure out what happened. She came out of respiratory arrest, but they’re keeping her hooked to the machine, just in case she stops breathing again.” A weary sigh carried over the line. “Can you get here? You’ve always done more for her than any medicine.”

“I’m working on it.” JC cleared his throat. “What was she doing when it happened?”

“She’d just come in from her run and was drinking some water in the kitchen.” There was a pause. “She was complaining about how salty the water tasted and asked me to remind her to pick up some of the stuff she usually buys. I saw how fast she was drinking and warned her to slow down or she’d get sick. Then she acted a little dizzy, but laughed it off and said she’d overdone it by running an extra lap or something. She was headed up for a shower and the next thing I knew, she was down.”

“Just like that?”

“Yep. No warning or anything. I tried to wake her up, but she was having trouble breathing and her pulse was entirely too slow for having just come in from a workout like that. I yelled for your mom to call for help, then Jen just locked up and started seizing.”

“She … she had a seizure?”

“That’s what it looked like. Has she ever had one before?”

“No. Never.” His brow furrowed in thought. “What would cause her to have a seizure like that?”

“That’s what the paramedics were wondering. She was still having tremors when they came in. They were asking all the questions while they were working on her, but couldn’t figure it out. They even took what was left of her water, just in case.”

“Okay.” Blue eyes flashed toward the door when it flew open, Marianne and Lonnie following Joey into the room. “Listen, I think I’m about to figure out my flight details. I’ll call you back in a few, okay?”

“Sure thing, son. Just get here as soon as you can.”

“I’ll do my best. Talk to you in a minute.” Flipping the phone closed, he stood from the bed and walked to the closet, pulling clothes down to pack into his bag. “Please have good news for me, Marianne. When can I get out of here?”

“The next flight is a non-stop heading out in …” She glanced down at her watch. “Just under three hours. It’s a miracle I caught anybody on duty in the booking department. Most airports are closed this time of night.”

“Non-stop?” He nodded, liking the sound of that. “Good. When do I land?”

“I got both you and Lonnie booked. Departure is at four thirty, arrival should be between seven and eight.” Marianne flipped to another page in her little notebook. “The others will cover for you during the promotional spots over the next few days. I’ve already let Johnny and Lou know that you’ve had a family emergency and you’ll be out of pocket until Tuesday’s concert.” Fighting back a yawn, she ran her fingers through her hair. “You meet up with us in Ottawa on another non-stop out of Orlando at one Monday afternoon.”

“Monday?”

“Yeah.” She cast him a sympathetic look. “I wish I could’ve gotten you more time, but Lou wouldn’t hear about you missing a show and I couldn’t risk a delayed flight on Tuesday.” Ripping out the pages, she passed them to Lonnie, then came over to give JC a hug. “How is she?”

“No improvement. She’s in a coma and they don’t know why.” Taking a deep breath, he tightened his arms around her. “Dad said she came in from her run and was acting fine. Then she was down, having trouble breathing, her pulse weird. He couldn’t wake her up, then she started having a seizure.” Clearing his throat, he straightened away from her, turning back to continue packing his bag. “She was still seizing when the paramedics got there, and they said she was in cardiac distress, but couldn’t figure out what was going on. By the time they got her to the ER, she’d stopped breathing, so they put her on a ventilator. She’s still hanging out in ICU.”

“My God. Poor Tink.” Lonnie shook his head, glancing toward Marianne. “Will we have a car waiting?”

“My folks are down there visiting. I’m sure somebody can pick us up.” JC sent the guard a quick smile. “It’ll be weird to be the one riding, won’t it, big guy?” His attention turned back to the woman leaving the room. “Thanks, Marianne. I appreciate it.”

“You guys be careful. And let us know how she’s doing, okay?” She paused in the doorway. “Tell her we’re thinking about her.”

“I will. Thanks again.” As she stepped out, his gaze landed on the ball of white fluff peeking out of his suitcase. He crossed the room once more, grabbing a few pairs of pants from hangers before reaching down for the oversized teddy bear he’d bought for Jen as they’d arrived in Toronto. Tucking the bear under his arm, he went back to the bed, put the last of his clothes into the bag, then sat down, letting his fingers run through the stuffed animal’s fur. “She’s gonna be okay. She has to be.”

“That’s right, Jace. Hot Stuff will be just fine.” Joey came around the bed, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “If we haven’t heard from you by eleven, I’m calling for an update.” Taking the bear, he stuffed it into JC’s duffel and waved toward the bathroom. “Go ahead and grab whatever else you need. We’ll take care of your bags until you get back. I stopped by Chris’s room to let him know what was going on while Marianne was on the phone. He’s passing the word along, and they might try to catch you in the hall before you leave.”

“Okay. I think I just need my toothbrush and stuff and I’ll be set.” Looking down at himself, still wearing his post-concert gear, he wrinkled his nose. “Actually, I should probably get out of this funk.” JC glanced over to Lonnie. “I’ve got to clean up and call Dad back. When do I need to be ready, Lon?”

“Head on down to my room when you’re done. We won’t leave until about an hour before boarding.” The guard’s glance moved to Joey. “And you’d better get some rest while you can, kid. Tomorrow’s schedule is a killer.”

“Sure thing, big guy.” Joey watched Lonnie leave, then turned back to JC. “I’ll finish up in the bathroom while you yell back at your dad. Then it’s all yours.”

“Great. Thanks, Joe.” He watched his friend head into the bathroom, then reached for his phone. As the ringing tone pulsed once again, he began a silent prayer. God, please don’t take her from me.