Everlasting (Unrestrained 6)

"Maybe I'll pop in and listen to a song or two. What's your lineup?"

Drake shrugged. "We'll wait and see what we're least rusty at, I expect. Can't say yet. Might be The Beatles. Might be The Rolling Stones. I haven’t even picked up a guitar since I left Manhattan so I know I’ll be rusty as hell."

"You'll be fine," Lara said and waved her hand. "It's like riding a bike or sex. Once you do it, you never forget how."

"I hope so," Drake said with a laugh. "Wouldn't want to forget how to do any of those." He winked at me and I smiled back.

When we'd finished our coffees, we said goodbye and promised to get together again for dinner at our place.

"I'll see you on Tuesday," Lara said to me when she gave me a hug goodbye. Then she turned to Drake. "If you have any questions about the trial, you can always call me." She gave Drake a hug and kiss on the cheek and then we split up, Lara walking north and us south to our car.

"That was a good night," Drake said, his arm around my shoulder as we walked down the block. "I'm glad we got together with Lara."

"Me, too," I said and slipped my arm around him. "She feels like a big sister to me."

"I'd say she felt like one as well, except we had sex, so that would be wrong."

Drake gave m

e an evil grin and we arrived at the parking garage and waited while the attendant brought our car out.

I laughed lightly. "She's been a great friend and mentor."

"She has."

As we drove through the streets of the city, I felt grateful that despite the terrible thing that happened to me – the attack, the emergency C-section, and the long recovery – I was now surrounded by friends and family who loved me.

Chapter 22

DRAKE

Practice at the O'Riley's bar on Sunday afternoon went well despite the fact I'd been away for months and hadn't picked up an instrument the entire time.

We started out playing some really old stuff – The Dave Clark Five, early Beatles, and then some Zombies.

It went well enough considering.

"I'm a bit rusty," I said, apologizing when I flubbed a few songs, my fingers not quite as nimble on the strings due to lack of practice.

"You're slipping, Doctor Morgan," Ken joked while I played the riff a few more times to get it down.

"Hey, old man," I countered. "This is a battle you don't want to fight. You'd lose."

"Oh, yeah?" Ken said, laughing. "Wanna have a go at it?"

Of course, the two of us couldn't resist a play off and so we did a battle of the guitars, him on lead and me on bass. It was all in fun, and of course, a lead guitar will beat a bass guitar any day.

When we were finished, we both laughed and slapped each other on the back. I was considerably more warmed up as a result and the rest of the practice went smoothly.

Kate would join us for dinner and so when we felt we'd gone over our repertoire enough, and had crossed songs off our playlist, we put our instruments back in the basement below the restaurant and went upstairs to the dining room to wait for family to arrive.

"I've got to finish inventory," Ken said and waved me off. "I'll join you in fifteen. Go say hi to Mom. I know she's eager to see you."

"I will."

I passed through the kitchen on my way to the office to talk to Mrs. O, enjoying the scent of the meal preparation. As usual, the cooks were busy, finishing meal service for the restaurant and preparing the family meal on top of it. Once everyone arrived, we'd go to the special private room off to the rear of the main dining room for our meal.

I found my way through the back of the restaurant to the office and Mrs. O's desk. She turned when she saw me and stood, giving me a huge hug and kiss.