She held up three fingers. “It’s three weeks, and yeah. An air mattress isn’t any less comfortable than the coffins we sleep in on tour.”
Maeve peeked into the room. “It’ll be fine. And I can speak for myself, Santiago.”
“See?” Yael gave me a triumphant smile. “Maeve can speak for herself.”
I growled, not liking the situation. “Maeve’s going to be sitting at a drum kit for hours every day while we rehearse. She needs a real bed.”
“Then she can have my bed,” Yael suggested.
“No way, girl. I’m not takin’ your bed,” Maeve said. “And I don’t like this weird, overprotective daddy thing you’re doin’.”
Oh shit. Daddy thing? She was either calling me old or a fucking lecherous perv.
I winced at the accusation, however she meant it, and held up my hands in defeat. “Okay. I tried. If this doesn’t work out, I’ve got two spare bedrooms. Let me know.”
What the motherfucking what? Where had that come from?
“I’d sooner get a hotel room than impose on you.” She curled her arm around Yael’s waist. “But I’ll be great here. We’ve got a lot of years to catch up on.”
Giving up, I skirted around them and headed for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said over my shoulder.
I pulled the door open and glanced back to find Maeve a couple feet behind me, her hands shoved deep in the pocket of her stolen hoodie. “Thanks for the ride. I mean it. I’d still be ridin’ the train if it weren’t for you rescuing me.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.” I gave a sharp nod. “Tomorrow.”
Instead of going home, I drove to my dad’s auto body shop. The place was slick, with shiny floors and bright lights. I’d helped him buy it a couple years ago, and I might’ve been prouder of this place than anything else I’d accomplished. My dad had insisted on naming it “Eli & Sons” even though neither my brother nor I had any plans of ever working there.
I found him with his head under the hood of a Mustang that looked like it was from the early seventies. If Diego were here, he’d know the exact year. I’d never been able to tell just by sight.
Hands braced on the side of the car, I leaned under the hood. “What’s up, old man?”
Dad’s head popped up, a tired smile filling his face. “Hey, boy. Didn’t expect to see you today. You just get back in town?”
I never got over how much Diego looked like our dad. Looking at my dad was like seeing a grizzled, older version of my kid brother.
“Yeah. I hadn’t planned on coming down until later, but I had to drive our new drummer down too, so plans changed.”
He shook his head and wiped his hands on the rag he had tucked in his back pocket. “Still can’t believe you hired a girl.”
“You have to see her play, then you’ll believe it.”
The press of his lips was grim. “I don’t think I can see another drummer sitting in Diego’s place, girl or guy. It’s too damn soon.”
“We didn’t have a choice. We had to replace him.”
He laid a hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. “I’m not blaming you. Life’s gotta go on. Doesn’t mean it won’t hurt to see a fourth member who’s not your brother, you know?”
“I know, Dad. I fucking know. I haven’t even had much of a chance to process everything. All I know is I miss him, and I’m pissed as hell at him at the same time.”
We went into his office, which was just as pristine and shiny as the floor of the body shop. Pops had always run a tight ship. The corners of our sheets had to be done military-style, which he double checked all the way through high school. He’d been supportive of Diego and me playing instruments, but he rode our asses hard to get us to practice every day.
Well…he rode my ass. He was soft on Diego in a lot of ways. We both were. The way he’d started life...I guess we both felt like he needed a break.
“You haven’t talked to him, right?” I asked.
“Nope.” He leaned back in his desk chair, arms crossed over his barrel chest. “After he walked through those doors, it was like he disappeared off the planet. I don’t expect to see hide nor hair of him until he gets out.”
I nodded, absently picking at the worn spot in the knee of my jeans. “I’m delaying going home.”