Covered In Lace

chapter FOURTEEN

A weather delay kept Flynn grounded at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut for nearly two and a half hours before he was finally able to depart for Ohio. By the time he arrived in Cincinnati, he was aggravated beyond belief.

It was almost midnight when the taxi dropped him off at Lacey's hotel. He walked through the lobby and took the elevator up to her floor, found the door to her penthouse suite, and knocked three times. A moment later, a tall, skinny guy opened the wide, mahogany door.

“I'm here to see Lacey,” Flynn said.

The man's lips slanted up on one side and formed a grin. “You must be the new flavor-of-the-month.”

“I'm Flynn Beckett.”

“Donovan,” the man said. He extended his hand to Flynn and added, “I'm Annie's bass player.”

Flynn nodded, wondering why Annie's band member was in Lacey's room this late at night. He stepped inside the foyer of the suite and waited for Donovan to shut the door behind them. Laughter echoed in from another room. Apparently Donovan wasn't the only guest Lacey had with her. Flynn rubbed the back of his neck. Lacey's voice was the loudest of them all, as she sang the lyrics to one of her songs acapella.

“She's a little firecracker, that one,” Donovan said with a laugh. “Like hopping onto a mechanical bull. All you can do is hold on tight and hope you can stay in the mount long enough to enjoy the ride. But I'm not telling you anything, am I right?”

Flynn reacted to Donovan's comments by slamming him up against the foyer wall. A vase sitting on a small hallway table beside them toppled over and broke into tiny pieces on the marble floor. “Don't talk about her like that,” Flynn said through clenched teeth.

“Dude! It was a joke,” Donovan said.

The others heard the commotion and came running out, Annie's beefy drummer leading the way.

“What the f*ck's going on?” the drummer asked.

Flynn released his grip on Donovan and shoved him away when he saw Lacey coming out of the room. Her questioning eyes held his. She moved to his side and touched him on the forearm.

“Are you all right?” she asked Flynn.

“Looks like we're outta here,” the drummer said. He walked with the other three men back into the bedroom to collect their things and Lacey faced Flynn.

“What the hell just happened?” she asked.

“I didn't appreciate your friend's comment,” he said.

“Jesus, Flynn,” she said. “What did he say to piss you off to that extreme?”

Flynn shook his head and moved into the living room. He watched the four band members walk through the living room carrying their belongings and head toward the door.

“Sorry about that, guys,” she said.

Donovan waved her off in disgust and shut the door, leaving Flynn and Lacey alone.

“That was not cool, Flynn,” she said.

He crossed the room and went into the bedroom. The bed quilt was rumpled and the bed pillows were scattered around the floor. The idea of Lacey entertaining men he didn't know in her bedroom did not sit well with him. He went to the wide expanse of windows almost fully occupying one wall and looked at the city skyline spread out before him, the building lights all twinkling in the night sky.

His head hurt and a knot had tightened in his gut. What the hell was he doing, he thought. His behavior was like a flashback from his years of living with Jenny. The old questions, suspicions, and 'what-if' scenarios had remained with him; buried in a tiny corner of his brain. Being in Lacey's hotel room at this moment had unlocked the vault and all the old skeletons and insecurities were spilling out around him. It felt like he was picking off the scab to a very old wound and he hated it; hated himself for acting like such an a*shole, but there was no way he was going through that hell again. He simply wouldn't put himself through it a second time – not even for Lacey.

Lacey came up beside him. “Care to explain what the hell is going on with you? Why are you so pissed off?”

Flynn was quiet for several long moments. Lacey watched the muscle twitching in his jaw.

“I didn't sign up for this,” he finally said in a soft voice.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Me, arriving at my girlfriends' hotel room late at night and finding it full of guys. That's what I'm talking about.” Jesus, he hated how he sounded right now, but it needed to be said. All of it.

“Guys? For God's sake, they're the musicians from Annie's band – not random men I picked up after a show!”

Flynn looked at her with an icy glare. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” He turned away and leaned against the window frame, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I've been down this road before, Lace, and you know how well it worked. I won't put myself through it again. I thought you understood that.”

“I'm not your wife, Flynn, so don't assume I'm doing – or plan to do, what she did to you,” Lacey said.

“It doesn't matter,” he said. “I refuse to spend a single minute wondering.”

“So much for trust,” Lacey said.

Flynn started walking toward the door. “This is your life, not mine.”

“And I thought you wanted to be a part of it,” she said.

He stopped and faced her. “You just don't get it, Lace, and I don't have the energy to explain it.” He left the bedroom and headed toward the living room.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Home.”

“You just got here,” she said, and reached for his arm to try and stop him.

“And I no longer want to stay.” He stopped in the foyer of the suite leading to the front door and looked at the broken vase on the floor. “I'm sorry about that and I'm happy to pay for the damages,” he said, and paused. “And just so you know, Donovan's comment implied he'd slept with you. That's what pissed me off.”

“Donovan and I have never slept together!”

Flynn closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. “I love you, Lace, but it's now painfully clear to me this won't work.”

Lacey stepped closer, her eyes filling with tears. She reached for his hand and entwined her fingers with his. “What's happening here, Flynn?”

“I'm going home and you're continuing on with the road party.”

“It's my job,” she said. “This is what I do and you knew that when we first got together.”

“See, that's the thing,” he said. “It wasn't too long ago you told me you were ready to retire, said you were tired of living out of a suitcase and wanted to grow roots, wake up with the same guy every morning and make some babies.” He stroked the softness of her cheek with the back of his hand. “I can give you all that and then some,” he said. “But now it seems we no longer want the same things – maybe we never did.”

“That's not true!” she said. “I still want all that.”

“If you really did and were truly ready, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”

“I am ready, Flynn,” she said.

A long moment passed and Flynn shook his head. He wasn't an emotional guy but he could feel tears biting at his eye lids. “This hurts, Lace, more than you know,” he said, his words a soothing whisper edged with emotion that ripped at his soul. “I guess I was hoping you loved me more than the rush you get from touring because that's what it boils down to. I can't give you a rush like that and if you can't be happy with what I can give you, then I think it's best we go our separate ways, before we hurt each other any more than we already have.”

“I don't want to lose you,” she pleaded.

“Then come home with me.”

Lacey wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I'm on tour, Flynn. I can't just leave.”

He reached for the door knob. “And after this tour, they'll be another one, and so on,” he said. “I'm not interested in following you around like a groupie while you tour, nor do I want to wait at home alone. I want a real partner in life, not someone that breezes in and out of my life when it's convenient for them.”

He turned the knob and opened the door.

“Please don't go,” she said.

Flynn pressed his forehead to the edge of the door. “Me staying will only make it hurt more,” he said softly. “If you change your mind, come find me. You know where I'll be.”

Lacey watched the door close and broke into heavy sobs. She stood in the hallway for several minutes, hopeful Flynn would come back and knock on the door. Finally, she went into her bedroom and picked up her cell phone and called him.

“I love you,” she said after he answered his phone. “Come back and we'll talk some more.”

“And what would that solve?” he asked. “You've made your decision and that's fine. I don't have to like it, but I'll accept it.”

“It's not as easy as you make it sound,” she said, then heard voices in the background. “Where are you?”

“Checking into a hotel,” he said.

“Come back and stay with me.”

Silence filled the phone and Lacey held her breath. It felt like her heart was shattering into a thousands tiny pieces. She could hear him breathing; slowly, deeply.

“I can't do that,” he finally said.

“This hurts so much, Flynn,” she whispered.

“And it's killing me,” he said. “But me leaving is the best thing for both of us.”

He signed the hotel registration forms and took the key pass from the woman behind the counter, tossed a fake smile at her, and walked to the elevators.

“I never expected to fall in love with you,” she said. “You're everything I've been looking for; exactly what I need.”

Flynn entered his hotel room and locked the door behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the bedside lamp. He bent forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and tried to digest her words.

“I've never felt like this with anyone else, Lace, and that's why it hurts so much. I'd do anything to be with you and keep you in my life, but I don't feel you're willing to do the same for me.”

“Those are strong words, Flynn, when you have no idea just how far I'd be willing to go for you.”

“I'd take a bullet for you, Lace; I'd walk through fire. Can you say the same?”

“A bullet?”

“It's a metaphor, Lace.”

“I really wish you were here,” she sighed.

“Me too.”

“Tell me the name of the hotel and I'll come to you,” she said.

Flynn rubbed at his face. “No.”

“Please, Flynn. I don't want it to end like this.”

“Us having sex for a few hours isn't going to change anything,” he said. “In the morning, I'll still be heading home and you'll be moving on to the next stage in the next city.”

“How about we meet for breakfast or lunch?”

“I see no reason for me to hang around in the morning,” he said. “I'll probably head to the airport early and see what I can get for a return flight.”

“I can't change your mind, can I?” she asked.

“Can I change yours?”





Lacey's next call was to Annie. As soon as she heard her friend's voice say hello she started to cry again.

“Am I interrupting something?” Lacey asked with a sniff.

“Michael and I are watching a movie. The nanny is in the adjoining suite with the kids,” Annie said. “What's going on? You sound like you're crying.”

“I think Flynn and I just broke-up.”

“No way.”

“I think so,” Lacey said.

“Are you in your suite?”

“Yes.”

“I'll be right there.”

A moment later, Annie entered Lacey's room. She saw the vase pieces on the floor and looked at Lacey.

“Did Flynn do that?” Annie asked.

“Yes, he did, but not from fighting with me.”

“I'm not following,” Annie said. “Let's go sit down. I need to hear the whole story from the beginning.” Annie walked into Lacey's living room and plunked herself down onto the couch. “Start talking and don't leave anything out.”

Lacey sat down beside Annie and folded her legs beneath her. She slowly retold the details to her evening, occasionally stopping to dry the tears from her face and blow her nose.

“He's staying at another hotel in the city and flying back to the Berkshires tomorrow.”

Annie combed her fingers through her long hair and sighed. She was aggravated by Lacey's story and knew she needed to chose her words carefully; so as not to let her anger show through and cause Lacey to stop talking.

“You're mad at me,” Lacey finally said. “You think I didn't handle that very well, don't you?”

Annie shook her head. “Lace, we've been friends for a very long time, haven't we? And in all those years, and countless heart-to-heart conversations, you have always said you'd retire in a heartbeat, or at least curb your touring schedule, if you found a man worth doing it for. Do you remember those talks?”

“Of course I do,” Lacey said, and blew her nose again.

“Flynn's your guy,” Annie said. “He's the one. He's your Forever Man. You wrote a God-damned song by that title – about him. So why did you let him walk away? What the hell are you so afraid of?”

“I committed to doing this tour with you,” Lacey said. “I can't just walk away from that.”

“Don't use me as an excuse. You can leave this tour whenever you want and you know that. So, again I ask: what are you so afraid of?”

Lacey covered her eyes and began to sob.

“Flynn is offering you everything you've ever wanted and he loves you, Lace. He truly loves you for who you are on the inside, not the gorgeous, rock star enigma you are on the outside.”

“What the hell would I do for work out there in the boonies?” Lacey asked.

“You could take the school up on their offer and teach music; mentor an up-and-coming musician, and make a difference in someone's life and you could be with Flynn.”

“What if it doesn't work out with him?” Lacey asked. “What if I'm not good enough for him? I'm not exactly the most domesticated woman on the planet, you know, and that's what he's used to! I'm not sure I can be what he wants me to be. I play music, Annie. That's all I know how to do – that's all I've ever done. What do I have to offer a guy like Flynn?”

“Yourself,” Annie said. “And that's all he wants.”

“It's not enough,” Lacey said. “He deserves better.”

Annie cupped Lacey's face. “Look at me,” she said. “Flynn loves YOU, not what you can cook for him or how clean you can keep a house or your ability to bargain hunt at the local grocery store. You're being ridiculous and making more excuses. If you don't explore this relationship for what it really is and what it is bound to become as time goes on and strengthens your bond, you'll never know how good it could have been and you'll spend the rest of your life wondering 'what if'. Don't do that to yourself. Trust your heart this time and go for it.”

Several minutes passed, with Lacey nearly curled on the couch in a fetal position, her head resting on Annie's shoulder.

“It's too late. I've already blown it,” she finally said. “He's gone.”

“He's gone for tonight, but you said he's flying home commercial; which means his departure times are limited to what the airlines offer.”

Lacey lifted her head from Annie's shoulder. “What are you getting at?”

“One phone call, Lace, and you can have a plane fueled and waiting for you at the airport in a matter of minutes. You can be back in the Berkshires long before Flynn gets there – and you'll be waiting for him when he arrives. Are you getting the visual now?”

Annie pulled her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans and started dialing the phone number to the charter airline company they used on a regular basis. She made the necessary reservations with the booking agent and disconnected the call.

“There. It's done,” Annie said, a smile curling her full lips. “Start packing. You've got a plane to catch.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Annie said with conviction. “You can thank me later by naming your first born child after me. Or at the very least, you better invite us to the wedding!”



Annie stretched like a satisfied cat beneath the soft, Egyptian sheets, stirring Michael from a sound sleep. Sunlight filled the cream-colored room, basking the bed in a beautiful, golden glow. Michael rolled onto his back and covered his eyes to shield them from the bright light.

“You've got that look on your face, babe,” he said. “What are you up to?”

Annie curled against his naked form and draped a slender leg over his thigh. Her fingers canvassed his chest and muscled stomach.

“What makes you think I'm up to something?” Annie asked.

“The glint in your eyes tells me you're match-making again,” he said. “Who are you plotting to fix-up now, and why the need to do it this early in the morning?”

Annie sat upright and straddled his lap. “First of all, it's nearly nine o'clock in the morning; which isn't all that early,” she said. “And I'm not fixing anyone up. I'm simply nudging two people back together that never should have parted.”

Michael's hands gripped Annie's hips and held her in place over his expanding cock. “Who are we talking about?” he asked.

“Lacey and Flynn,” she said. She bent forward; supporting her weight on her elbows, the tips of her breasts grazing against the hair on his chest creating a delicious friction. Michael made a humming noise, clearly pleased with the way Annie was fully waking him up.

“Lacey and Flynn are already together,” he said. “I don't think they need your help.”

“They broke-up last night,” Annie said with a sigh, feeling Michael filling her completely and then he stopped, waiting for her to catch her breath. “I simply created an opportunity for them to reunite.”

Michael opened his mouth to speak and moaned instead, when Annie swiveled her hips on his lap. Thoughts of Lacey and Flynn were replaced with Annie and the perfect fit of her to him.

The ring of her cell phone had Annie reaching for it, instead of grabbing Michael. She looked at the caller I.D. and saw that it was a restricted call. Her hand pressed on Michael's chest and he stopped moving.

“You're not going to answer that now, are you?” he asked.

She showed him the caller I.D. “I have to. It might be important.”

Michael exhaled loudly when she rolled off of him and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Annie Logan?” the voice on the phone asked.

“Speaking.”

“This is Detective Mark Walsh from the Massachusetts State Police. Are you familiar with an Earl Fisher?”

Annie's blood went cold and she nearly dropped her phone.

“Yes, Detective. I am,” she said.

Michael realized she was talking to the police and pushed himself upright against the headboard of the bed.

“We have reason to believe Mr. Fisher is on his way to Massachusetts to find you,” the Detective said.

“But, I'm not in Massachusetts, Detective,” she said. “I'm on the road with my band touring.”

“Our data is displaying ownership of two Massachusetts addresses listed for you and your husband, Michael Wade. Besides the estate near Boston and the Martha's Vineyard address, are there any other locations within the State that Mr. Fisher could be targeting?”

Annie began to shake. Michael saw the change in her and took the phone from her hand.

“This is Michael Wade,” he said. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Mr. Wade, this is Detective Mark Walsh. I'm with the Massachusetts State Police. We're working a case involving Earl Fisher and believe he is traveling from Florida to Massachusetts searching for your wife.”

Michael looked at Annie. “Who the f*ck is Earl Fisher?” he asked her.

“He's the guy that attacked me at the Tallahassee Civic Center,” she said. “I dropped the charges, but the police sent him to prison for drug possession.”

“Sir, I need to know of any addresses in Massachusetts your wife has a connection to; friends she visits in the state – even on occasion – relatives, etcetera. Until we're able to detain Mr. Fisher, they're all in danger.”

Michael gritted his teeth; his fingers rubbed at his forehead. Then slowly he began to recite a handful of locations to the detective.

“Jesus, Michael,” Annie said. “Tell him about the studio and Lacey's cottage!”

Michael gave the detective the addresses and phone numbers Annie had for Flynn's recording studio and for the cottage Lacey was renting on the lake, along with Lacey and Flynn's cell phone numbers.

“We'll send out a team to check these locations, Mr. Wade, but you should probably give a 'heads-up' to anyone associated with these addresses. Have them be on alert for anyone acting suspiciously, seems out of place and talking with a southern accent.” Detective Walsh said. “Mr. Fisher is armed and very dangerous and should not be approached. If anyone gets a visual on Mr. Fisher, we ask that they contact us and let us deal with him.”

Detective Walsh gave Michael a special phone number to the Task Force assigned to Earl Fisher's case and also a direct line to him. By the time Michael ended the call, Annie was near panic.

“Michael, we've got to get in touch with Lacey and Flynn,” she said, her voice pitching an octave. “There's a good possibility they could both be at her cottage tonight. What if Earl shows up there – before the cops do?”

Michael didn't answer her and dialed Lacey's cell phone. His call went directly to voice mail.

“Lace, it's Mike. It's critical you call me soon as you get this message,” he said, and disconnected the call. Then he dialed Flynn's number and squeezed his eyes shut when that call went to voice mail, too. He left a similar cryptic message for Flynn, then tossed Annie's phone onto the bed as he stood up and began to pace the room.

“Why would that cocksucker come after you out of the blue, Annie?”

“It's not exactly out of the blue,” she said.

Michael stopped pacing and looked at her; his eyes turning ice blue. “What do you mean by that? He asked. “Has that dirt bag contacted you recently?”

“The show you did in Tallahassee about a month ago,” she said. “A man approached me from behind, said something about payback, and took off before I could get a good look at his face. I think that could have been him. The voice sounded just like I remember.”

“And I'm just hearing about this now?” Michael's voice roared in the room. “Are you f*cking kidding me?”

Annie started to cry. “I wasn't sure it was him,” she said. “And I didn't want to upset you.”

“Jesus, Annie! What were you thinking?” he pleaded. “This is why we pay a security detail to be up our asses twenty-four, seven.”

“I didn't take him seriously,” she said. “And besides, I thought he was in jail!”

“Well, obviously he's out!”

“What are we going to do, Michael?” she asked. “If something happens to Lacey because of this, I'll never forgive myself.”

“We're going to sit tight and let the police to their f*cking jobs,” he said. “And hope to God no one gets hurt.”