Page 26 of The Drummer's Heart

I went over to the kitchen sink and splashed water on my face. Reading that email had taken a toll on me and made me immeasurably sad. I wanted to assure him he was most definitely wanted and appreciated in this world. But then I’d have to admit to reading it, which I wasn’t prepared to do.

After I turned the faucet off, I could hear Atticus talking to Mimi. When I walked into her room, my jaw dropped: Atticus was painting Mimi’s nails.

“What the heck is going on in here?” I couldn’t help but grin.

“She told me this morning she was feeling frumpy. So I asked what I could do. She gave me the name of the nail color she wanted and asked me to do her nails.”

A smile bloomed on my face. “I could’ve done that, Mimi.”

She turned to me. “I think Atticus does a pretty good job, don’t you?”

He chuckled. “I paint my nails all the time.”

“That’s true. I forgot.” He often wore them black when performing. It went with the whole dark-drummer vibe.

He blew on Mimi’s fingers. “And the women at the store got a kick out of helping me look for theLollipop Kissescolor.”

I wanted to hug him. Not only because of what I’d read in that email, but because of how damn sweet he was being to my grandmother right now. Seeing Mimi so happy made my heart melt.

Since everything seemed under control, I went to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. Except once again all I could think about was Atticus, and I lost my ability to think straight. Forgetting about a meal, I ended up eating half the candy he’d bought me instead.

When I went to check on them a second time, the sight before me was even crazier than the last. Atticus had set up what looked like a mini, inflatable pool behind Mimi’s head at the back of her bed.

I covered my mouth. “Where did you get that?”

“Medical supply store. It’s a portable washing basin for her hair. She wanted a blue rinse put in. It’s got this storage bag for the water to rinse her.”

“I didn’t know we were doing her hair today. I would’ve helped.”

“It’s spa day. Get with the program, Nicole,” he teased. “I’ve got it under control.”

Mimi had her eyes closed, like she was in ecstasy. Atticus began to massage her head and rub something into her hair. He looked up at me for a moment and winked before returning his attention to the task at hand.

If I’d thought my heart was full before, it was ready to burst now. My eyes welled up, and I escaped to the bathroom to let my tears fall. It had been a long time since I’d cried over Atticus. It was kind of odd that what finally did it was the sight of him coloring my grandmother’s hair. But emotions were funny and unpredictable. I really needed my hormones to calm down.

The doorbell rang, and I quickly wiped my eyes.

“Can you get that?” Atticus hollered from Mimi’s room.

“On it!” I yelled as I dabbed my face with toilet paper.

When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Atticus’s bandmates: Tristan Daltrey and his fiancée, Emily, along with Ronan Barber.

“Hey.” I swiped a hand down the length of my hair, praying my eyes weren’t swollen or red.

“Hey, Nicole.” Tristan smiled. “Long time no see.”

“I know.” I smiled over at Emily, whom I’d never met before. “What brings you guys to town?”

“Sorry for the surprise,” Tristan said. “But Atticus wasn’t answering his phone. Emily and I just got back from Europe. Landed in New York overnight. Figured we’d stay a week in the city before heading back to L.A. Since you’re only a couple of hours away, we thought we’d also spend a night here in Monksville—come say hi to Atticus and check out this side of New Jersey.”

I turned to Ronan. “You were with them in Europe, too?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I was bored back in L.A., so I flew in to meet up with them in the city.”

“I thought I heard Ronan’s big trap.” Atticus’s voice came from behind me. “What the hell are you guys doing here?”

Tristan’s eyes widened. “What the hell is all over your hands?”

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