Running From the Law

by Albright, Jami

  “I know the way.” She grabbed her purse and keys and headed for the door.

  “What kind of Texas son would I be if I didn’t make sure my mama got to her car safely?” He opened the door and stood with his forearm resting against it as she made her way out of the house and to her car. “Thanks for coming by.”

  She stood in the open car door and rested one arm on the roof. “You’re a good man, Hank. Don’t forget it. Lick your wounds then be happy.” She blew him a kiss, then got in the car and headed out of his driveway.

  Be happy. The only time he’d honestly been happy in the last eight years was the few hours he’d spent with Charlie in Austin, and that was a one-off thing, never to be repeated. She didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Just as well—if she gave him another chance, he’d sure as hell screw it up.

  The Odom men were broken, and he wouldn’t drag her into that crap.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Charlie made her way through the back door of Boon’s. After more than two months of working there, the smell and dim lighting barely registered anymore. She headed to the employee locker room, which was really a broom closet with a few cubbies big enough for a purse and a jacket and not much else.

  The bar hadn’t been her first choice of places to work. Hell, it hadn’t been her thirty-fifth choice of places to work, but she’d grown to like it, as long as it wasn’t a night when Chester the ear ripper was performing. Those nights were tough, not just because she had to endure the man’s horrible singing, but because the club was virtually deserted. No customers, no money.

  While the auditory assault Chester inflicted was terrible, the worst part of her nights at work was that Hank had made Boon’s his new hangout since filing for divorce. Yes, she knew about that. She and every other living soul in Zachsville knew about it. She also knew that in the six weeks since he’d filed for divorce, he hadn’t spoken to her once. No, he just sat at a corner table and glared at everyone in the place.

  So much for thinking that his marriage was what was keeping them apart. If her tender heart had expected him to come to her after his separation, it would’ve been disappointed. Good thing she hadn’t expected it…much.

  He didn’t want her. That was painfully clear. It was better that she knew now how he felt. It wouldn’t be long before she had to tell him about the pregnancy, and she knew he’d try to do the right thing. He’d want them to be together for the little thing they’d created and not because he wanted her. She wouldn’t live a lie, not even for Pod.

  The guilt of not telling him was keeping her up at night. She knew she needed to quit procrastinating and deal with it. Just when she thought she had conquered adulting, her old tendency of avoidance would rear its ugly snout.

  “Dad, I’m doing the best I can.” Hailey’s voice floated down the hall to where she stood. Charlie wasn’t proud that she covertly peeked around the corner to see Hailey and her father sitting in her boss’s office. Mr. Lawson looked almost the same, except for the gray head of hair.

  “I’m sorry, Hailey. It’s not good enough. I’ve told you what has to happen to keep this place, and you’re falling well short of that mark,” Hailey’s father said.

  “It’s freakin’ Chester. He’s horrible, he’s a drunk, and he’s driving my customers away.” She swung her arm toward the door. “He needs to go.”

  Mr. Lawson stood and placed his hands on top of Hailey’s desk. “Unless the man falls down drunk on the stage, he stays. Or we can call off this waste of time and money and sell the place right now.”

  Hailey’s hands went to her hips in obvious defiance. “No. You said you’d give me some time to turn a profit, and I want that time.” She rocked back in her chair, insolence written all over her face. “You owe me that.”

  He shook his head, and something like guilt washed over his features. “Stubborn as your mother was about this place.”

  “That may be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Dad.”

  “It wasn’t a compliment.” He took a folder from the desk and turned to leave.

  Charlie ran back to the lockers and pretended she hadn’t just been eavesdropping on a private conversation. She glanced over her shoulder as Hailey’s dad went past. “Hello, Mr. Lawson.”

  “Oh, hello, Charlie.”

  She pulled her hair into a ponytail. “How have you been?”

  He glanced down the hall to Hailey’s office. “I’ve been better. Maybe you can talk some sense into that girl of mine. She’s got it in her fool head to keep this place open—”

  “Dad.” Hailey stood in the doorway of her office with her arms crossed. “Charlie doesn’t want to hear our family business.”

  Like hell Charlie didn’t.

  “Fine, but you remember what I said.”

  “Bye, Dad.”

  He patted Charlie on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Charlie.”

  “You too, Mr. Lawson.”

  “He always did like you better than me.” Hailey still stood in her office doorway. “Did you get an earful?”

  “Ummm… Do you want to talk about it?”

  Her boss turned on her heel and closed the office door. Guess not. Mr. Lawson’s threats kept playing through Charlie’s head while she did the setup for her shift. By the time the first customers began to show up, she had a plan in place.

  * * *

  “Chester, it’s a shame you don’t sing every night.” Charlie leaned against the bar and chatted up the old guy. The man was at Boon’s every night it was open. Mr. Lawson had even set up a cot for him in the back in case he got so drunk he couldn’t drive home, which was pretty much every night. He only performed on the weekends. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the house band played.

  “Why, thank ya, darlin’.” The alcohol vapors coming from Chester’s throat were enough to give her alcohol poisoning. She stepped back so Pod didn’t get a contact high.

  With a finger point, he ordered another drink.

  “Are you sure you need another drink, Chester?” She had a plan, but the man’s health was more important than her plan.

  He flicked his finger again. “Don’t you worry about that. I can handle my liquor.”

  Not in this life you can’t.

  Hailey slid his drink across the bar. “Last one, Chester.”

  He brought his hands under his chin like a praying child. “Awww, Hailey, you can’t do that.”

  “I can and I will, and go ahead and give me your keys.” She reached her hand out, palm up, and wiggled her fingers. “You can sleep here tonight.”

  He grumbled and cussed but handed the keys to Hailey.

  Charlie patted the older man’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Chester.” Hailey gave her a squinty-eyed glare, no doubt wondering what she was up to. When Chester did a combo hiccup/burp thing and sloshed his drink into his beard, she had a moment of doubt.

  Her scheme was solid, but her conscience was standing in the way of its execution. Then again, the man had no business being on stage, as drunk as he usually was.

  She flipped her hair and plastered on her most coquettish Charlie Kay smile. “I love it when you sing Amarillo By Morning.”

  He threw back his drink, winked, and thanked her, but it came out, “Sank you.”

  Her elbow went to the bar, and her chin went in her hand. “I do love it when you sing that song.” She tried to add as much longing and dreaminess to the statement as she could.

  “Charlie, don’t you have tables?” Hailey reprimanded.

  Dang it. She could see that Chester was almost there. He just needed another nudge. But she didn’t want the wrath of her boss coming down on her. “I better get back to work, Chester. I’ll talk to you later.”

  A jaunty salute was his response.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Hailey, then put her lips to Chester’s ears. “She really should let you sing more.” Hopefully, that would be the nudge he needed to get on stage. If not, then she’d have to come up with a plan B.
<
br />   That blasted guilt hit her again. She honestly liked Chester, he just had no business singing at Boon’s Saloon, and he was hurting her friend by doing it. She resolved to try and get him some help when this was over.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Hank didn’t know if he could sit through one more night of listening to Chester’s drunken wailings or watching Charlie sashay around the club taking orders. If he had to endure her talking and flirting with everyone in the place, men and women alike, then he might tear the club apart with his bare hands.

  He wished to hell that Thomas Chang would find another place to hang out. But as long as he was here, then so was Hank. If for no other reason than to try and keep Charlie safe from the man and his drug-smuggling buddy, especially since she was hell-bent on doing business with them. It’d taken all his resolve to not to bust in on the meetings she’d had with them in the last six weeks.

  The good news was that with his pending divorce, no one questioned why he was in the bar nearly every time the doors opened.

  Well, no one but Hailey. The woman in question sat down next to him. “I’m about to tell Monk at the door to stop letting you in.”

  “On what grounds?”

  “On the grounds that you don’t belong here.”

  “That’s discrimination. I’d hate to have to report you.”

  She snorted. “Try it, and I’ll have Lottie bedazzle your uniform.”

  He laughed. “She does love to bedazzle. All of my dish towels sparkle since I let her loose with that thing when she was over last week.”

  “What in the hell is she doing?” Hailey growled.

  “Lottie?”

  She pointed across the bar to Charlie and Chester. “No, your girlfriend. She’s flirting with Chester. Sometimes I wonder if Hollywood sucked every bit of common sense from her body.”

  “She’s not my girlfriend.”

  “That’s what you got from what I said?” Charlie flipped her head and giggled, pointed to the stage, then pushed on Chester’s shoulder. “If she’s trying to get him on stage, I’m goin’ to kill her.”

  “Go easy on her. She’s having a bad time.”

  “Oh, yeah, the poor little starlet has the worst time.”

  Hank angled his head so no one else could hear him. Not that they could anyway, but just in case. “She’s not working here because of researching a role.”

  “But…”

  “She’s broke, Hay. Her mother stole all her money, and the money she’d set aside for Wardell. She says she’s done with show business.” He sat back and took a swig of the beer he was nursing.

  Hailey’s mouth opened and closed like a baby bird’s. “I didn’t know.”

  “Her crazy mother stole from her.” He didn’t even try to hide his bitterness. His hatred of Shelly Klein went way back.

  “I… Her mother?”

  “Yeah.” He knew why Hailey was having trouble digesting the information. She’d worshipped her own mother, and for good reason. Her mother had been a saint.

  Chester laughed and nearly fell from his barstool. “Look at him.” Hailey sounded like she was about to blow a gasket.

  “Mmhm.” He couldn’t look at Chester because his gaze was fixed on Charlie.

  “This martyr routine is really getting old.” Hailey stood, and her hands went to her hips.

  “What?”

  “It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that you want her, but you’re denying yourself happiness. For what? Something you didn’t even do.”

  “That’s not—”

  “Yes. It is.” She glanced in the direction that Charlie was heading. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to chew my employee’s ass.”

  He followed Hailey’s progress as she stormed up to Charlie and said something. He didn’t like it, but she wasn’t his business. With an eye roll, the only woman in the club for him walked away from Hailey.

  Charlie laughed and joked with her customers, then made her way to his table. “You got everything you need?”

  No, damn it. He needed her. All he’d ever needed was her. The words stayed trapped in his chest, and he nodded his head. She was better off without him. The Odom men were broken, and until he understood why he was staying far away from her. He wouldn’t be responsible for hurting her more than he already had.

  Without a word, she made her way back to the bar. He fought the urge to go after her and tell her everything he felt. Instead, he sat mutely and let her go.

  * * *

  The snick of a door closing reverberated through her heart. She wouldn’t be surprised if tears trailed behind her like lackluster unicorn dust as she made her way back to the bar. If she’d had a heart left to break, his indifference would’ve cracked it.

  “Charlie!” Hailey caught her arm and pulled her behind the bar. “What have you done?” She pointed, and they both turned toward the stage where Chester stood. “Look at him. Why would you encourage him to get up and sing?”

  “Hailey—”

  “Don’t lie to me. I know that’s what you were doing.” Hailey jabbed her fingers into her dark hair. “Oh, for the love of… Look at him.” It seemed the old guy was having a hard time getting his guitar strap over his head. One of the guys in the band had to help him put his arm through the hole. “This is my only night to make any money, and now you’ve convinced him to get on stage and sing. On most nights he’s bad, but tonight I’ll be surprised if he can stay upright for even one song.”

  Charlie tapped her chin. “You may be right. He does look like he could fall down drunk at any moment.” She extracted her arm from Hailey’s grip at the same time Chester swayed several times then headed for the floor. Thankfully, the bass player caught him just before he crashed to the stage. After a quick look around at the other band members, he dragged Chester to the back corner of the stage to let him sleep it off.

  Hailey’s wide gaze bounced from the stage to Charlie and back. “You…”

  She handed Hailey her drink tray and apron. “You’re welcome.” With purposeful strides, she headed to the stage.

  Charlie grabbed the microphone. “Hey, folks. It looks like Chester needs a little break.” She glanced at Chester sleeping in the corner. “But if it’s okay with you, I’ll fill in for him. Hey, boys. You know any Miranda Lambert?”

  “Kerosene,” the lead guitarist said.

  “That works. After that, we’ll wing it. Sound good?”

  “Let’s do it.” The drummer raised his sticks above his head and counted her in.

  Adrenaline and the thrill of performing exploded inside her at the sound of the first note. She sang like she had nothing to lose, which was the most freeing thing she’d done in a long time. She loved performing, but she had no desire to do it beyond this little club and this small town.

  By the end of the first song nearly everyone in the place was dancing.

  By the end of the second set, she had her best friend back.

  And by the end of the night, she was running from the law.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  The applause and whoops were the loudest Hank had ever heard inside Boon’s.

  Charlie was mesmerizing. Her brilliant smile lit up the dark bar, and the gold of her hair sparkled in the neon lights as she spun and danced on stage. She was a honky-tonk angel. His dead heart rose up and called him the biggest fool around. What was he doing? Hailey was right. He was punishing himself, and for what? Some overgrown sense of duty and pride.

  It stopped tonight.

  Charlie was the only woman he’d ever loved, and he was pissing his chance away. A sense of rightness melted into his bones. They were meant for each other. He’d get her back, and he wouldn’t wait another day. As soon as she got off work, he’d tell her everything.

  Her booted foot kicked out and her hand went into the air when the song was over. She turned to say something to the band, the music started, and he lost his damn heart all over again.

  “Can you believe it?” Hailey plopped down i
n the chair she’d just vacated.

  “No.” He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the beauty on stage.

  “She planned this. That’s why she kept chatting Chester up.”

  He tore his gaze away from Charlie and stared at Hailey. “What are you talking about?”

  Hailey rested both elbows on the table and spoke behind her hands. “She overheard my dad say that Chester had to stay unless he fell down drunk on the stage.”

  “And she…”

  Hailey motioned to the stage and dance floor. “She sure as hell did.”

  He glanced around the bar. Most everyone was on the dance floor, including Thomas. Those that weren’t either had their phones up recording Charlie, or were furiously texting. “I bet she’ll be trending by the time the night’s over.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears.” The words were a prayer from Hailey’s mouth as she watched everyone dancing. She turned to him, and after a beat of silence, they both cracked up. “I better get back to the bar. Is it me, or are there more people in here than there were twenty minutes ago?”

  “No, I believe it’s more crowded than it was.”

  “Hot damn.” She stood to leave.

  He grabbed her hand. “Hailey.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re right. I am being a martyr, but no more.” He squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”

  “Well, now this night just got even better.” The current song ended, and Hailey pointed to the stage and yelled, “That crazy chick is my best friend!” Charlie’s head jerked in their direction. She made a heart with her hands, and Hailey did the same. It was corny, sappy, and like being in the middle of a sorority party, but he couldn’t control the grin that stretched across his face.

  The smile slid away, though, when Charlie started the next song and twirled around. Her baby doll top flew away from her body. What the hell? He scrutinized her every move. When she jumped up and down during Jason Aldean’s Hicktown, he saw it again. There was a distinct rounding to her belly. Wasn’t there? Maybe the lighting was off.