Page 33 of Echoes of a Muted Song

“Oh, I notice how you left out the Spam strips you added to the noodles that night,” Rebel pointed out. “Somehow, those two cans and a handful of ingredients from that roadside farm stand managed to get us through an entire day.”

“Maybe a cookbook wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Dash murmured. “Remember when we got that huge ass zucchini?”

“Man, that thing looked so obscene I still have nightmares about it,” Ozzy grumbled.

“You could have knocked someone unconscious with it and only bruised the dammed zucchini,” I said, grinning at the memory. “That could be a whole chapter of its own right there.”

“A dozen ways to use the same zucchini,” Rebel said, stroking his beard. “We did have fun with that.”

“I may be biased, but the chocolate chip zucchini bread was phenomenal,” Dash declared.

“You are biased,” Rebel said. “But you’re also right. That was the best dessert right there and I love that you broke it out right after we’d devoured those grilled steak and zucchini kababs.”

“We need to make those again and get littlepearl onions to stick on the skewers, too,” I suggested.

“And mushrooms,” Rebel suggested. “Fat, juicy bellas and shiitakes.”

“Definitely,” I groaned, wiping at the corner of my mouth where drool had begun to form.

“Okay, I’ve got a grocery list started,” Ozzy said. “And I made a note to see if we even have any seasonings left in the top cupboard or if we need to stock up when we hit the grocery store.”

“Pretty sure were out of damn near everything, with all the cooking we did in the desert,” Dash said.

“True. I’ll just add them to the list, too.”

As the movie mercifully wound down, I sat there thinking about the way we fed off one another and the energy a single idea could raise, despite the dreariness of the rain-soaked world outside our windows. I knew they’d heard what I said about the case, and I was grateful they let it pass without comment. We all knew what the reality was, but they were choosing to embrace a possibility while celebrating a piece of our past. A cookbook would be fun for our fans. I could add doodles, and we could sell the eBooks as well as physical copies. We could even offer signed versions directly from our website and at shows, making them actual collector’s items in the process. Might be fun to go over those old recipes again, too. We’d have to before we printed them. Jagger had tried several of them when I’d madethem for him back home, but his bandmates hadn’t, nor had Draven. It would be fun to get his take on them, too.

“What’s the next movie?” Dash asked, staring across the table at Rebel, who looked Ozzy dead in his face. “Smokey and the Bandit, with a real god damned police chase!”

“Heaven help us all if they ever try to remake that,” I grumbled, tiny bits of lyrics still floating around in my head.

Ozzy must have sensed it because he passed my notebook back and I settled in to watch a movie I loved and could quote in places, hoping for dozens more days like this in the years ahead.

Chapter 18

(Draven)

“This is just gonna become a thing with you, isn’t it?” Johnny grumbled as I led him through the parking garage, his hoodie pulled low on his head as we headed for the entrance to the building. “A little game where you try and see how many rewards you can earn by taking me to interesting places you know I’ll love?”

Shrugging, I flashed him a little grin as his eyes lit up and he went up on tiptoe to kiss me.

“Game on,” Johnny whispered before pressing his lips to mine.

When I stroked my hand down the small of his back, he melted against me, and when I cupped his behind in my hands and rocked him against me he whined and deepened the kiss, until Christine coughed and reminded me that we weren’t alone here.

“Behave,” I mouthed to Johnny, who got the most indignant look on his face before he pulledthe door open.

All was clearly forgiven when he saw the sign revealing the building to be the Museum of Animation and Comic Art, because he whirled around and threw himself in my arms again. Before things could drift into intimate territory, he let go, grabbed my hand and dragged me up the next five steps and into the first gallery.

“Whoa.”

I’d say.

My eyes followed the solar system painted up the wall, each planet a character displaying a different emotion. One comet was streaked to the left, looking freaked out and terrified of the speed it was traveling, while the one to the right had a big grin painted on his face. Light and images shimmered and swirled along the wall from the projector at the room’s center and when I turned, I saw that each of the corners looked like it was in motion, all flowing up to the galaxy-covered dome overhead. Stars almost seemed to sparkle when I tipped my head back, then I saw the look of wonder on Johnny’s face and knew that I’d hit it out of the park when I’d chosen this place.

“We’ve gotta see everything,” Johnny gushed. “Please tell me that there is no other place we’re supposed to be today.”

Since he still had my hand, I just shook my head and laughed when Johnny squealed, clapped and did a little dance before tugging mearound the room.

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