Page 5 of Tight End

I sweep a hand through my hair, ignoring the chill that slips down my spine. Something doesn’t feel right, and an urgency to get back to my brother grips me. “I’ll be back.”

With my phone in my hand, I run back to the Emergency wing, stopping short at the nurses’ station. A few heads turn my way, recognition in their eyes like a clanging alarm bell between my temples because the last thing I want is to talk to anyone but the people who have control over my brother’s life right now.

“You guys never called. I want a status on Davis Scott.”

The nurses exchange a look and one of them comes out from behind the desk. “He’s in recovery right now. We were about to call you.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Thank God.”

“There was a fair amount of damage, but the doctors worked quickly and were able to stop the bleeding. He should be waking up soon.” She flashes a shy smile. “He’ll be in good shape for your nextconcert.”

“Yeah. Great.”

I don’t mean to be a dick, and I definitely don’t miss the sting of rejection that flashes across her face, but I’m not in the mood to acknowledge anything beyond my brother’s prognosis at this moment.

Following the nurse to recovery, I shoot off a quick text to Allie, letting her know Davis is all good.

I’ve never felt so relieved in my life. Davis is my best friend, and the only one who remotely came close to being a father to me, even though my real one was never too far away physically. But mentally and emotionally? He might as well have been on another planet.

The nurse pushes open the curtain and my heart jumps into my throat when I see my brother’s pale face against the stark white bedsheets.

Jesus. A wave of fear rushes over me.

He looks…

No, I can’t even think the fucking word.

And then, as if he senses my panic, his eyes open a crack. I push past the nurse and run over to the bed.

“How do you feel?”

“Forget me. I need to know about Allie and the baby.”

I pull out my phone to show him the picture I took.

His eyes well up. “My girls. They’re beautiful.”

“Yeah, well, you need to hurry up and get better so you can pick out a name for the baby. Allie won’t do it alone.” I grin. “I’m going with Gorgeous Girl until you decide.”

Davis smiles weakly and shifts on the bed.

The nurse busies herself taking his vitals and checking the IV levels. “Be careful not to move too much, sweetie. You don’t want to tear the stitches, and you’re still too numb right now to feel much.”

“Hey,” Davis croaks, nodding his head at me. “My baby bro here is a rock star. Did you know that?”

She winks at me. “He’s all the nurses can talk about right now.”

Exactly my point about why an openly gay front man just doesn’t sell as well.

My phone vibrates. I click to accept the call from Allie and hold it up to Davis’s face so he can see his daughter for the first time.

There are a lot of tears and sob-choked words exchanged, but the light that brightens up Davis’s face when he sees his baby girl live for the first time…shit, I’ll never forget it.

“What should we name her?” Allie asks with a sniffle.

“You love Julianna. Let’s go with that.”

I sneak a look at Allie’s face. She smiles. “Okay. Julianna it is.”

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