Strings of the Heart

by Katie Ashley

  He shrugged. “You could be a friend or a sister. To some women it wouldn’t matter if I was sitting here with a wedding band on.”

  “That’s disgusting,” I huffed, while reaching for my glass of water.

  Rhys chuckled. “Why are you getting so incensed?”

  “Because marriage is a sacred thing. A woman should see a gold band and understand that a man is off limits.”

  When Rhys raised his brows at me, I felt warmth flood my cheeks. With just that one action, he had made me realize the irony of my comment. After all, I wouldn’t even be here if my parents hadn’t had an affair. Obviously, my mother hadn’t let the gold band on my father’s hand stop her. With my gaze focused on the white tablecloth, I asked, “Mind if we change the subject?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It isn’t your fault.” I glanced up to meet his gaze. “I guess I should say that I truly meant what I said. Regardless of what my parents did, I think cheating is very wrong. It’s something I could never do.”

  Leaning forward, Rhys patted my hand tenderly. “You don’t have to worry about it. I know as well as anyone that we are not our parents.”

  “You’re right,” I murmured.

  “Now why don’t I tell you about Jax peeing in my face when Jake made me change his diaper last weekend?”

  I giggled. “Oh no, he did?”

  Thankfully, the conversation then flowed just as easily between us as it had all day. While it certainly wasn’t the first time we had ever been together, it was the first time it had been just the two of us. Usually we were with at least Jake and Abby, if not AJ and Brayden and their families. Rhys wanted to know about the classes I was taking. In between the appetizers of my gumbo and Rhys’s fried green tomatoes, I steered the conversation away from me and to him. “So how long are you here in Savannah?”

  He took a bite of crispy fried tomato. “It just depends. Two weeks, three weeks, or until my parents drive me absolutely fucking nuts, and I have to flee for my sanity.”

  My spoon filled with gumbo paused in midair as my heart ached for him. “Is it really that bad?”

  With a shrug, Rhys replied, “Now they’re more annoying than anything else. Once they realized they weren’t going to be able to control my life, they eased up a bit.”

  “Jake told me once they had disowned you,” I said, softly.

  “Oh yeah, they did that after I left law school when the band got its first deal. As their firstborn son and keeper of the family name, they were not exactly thrilled I was ‘throwing away my life on a foolish dream.’”

  Processing his words, I took another steamy bite of gumbo. Once I had swallowed it, I asked, “Did they change their mind when you had more financial success?”

  Rhys speared a piece of tomato a little more forcefully than necessary. “No, it had more to do with my grandfather’s death, and the stipulations of his will.”

  “Oh?” I asked, but I was interrupted by the waiter bringing out dinner. Although I was already half full from chocolate and now gumbo, the platter full of fried shrimp, oysters, and scallops made my stomach rumble in appreciation. After Rhys and I both dug in, a silence hung over the table while we began devouring our dinner.

  After we both made a dent in our plates, I gave Rhys a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry about your grandfather.”

  “Thank you. He was actually one of the most decent men I knew in spite of his wealth.”

  “What was it in his will that made your parents change their minds?”

  “One thing my grandfather believed in was family unity and putting on a strong family front to the world. As the only surviving son, most of the business investments would be going to my father. In order to receive them, he could not have his only son disowned. So in a way, my grandfather’s death paved the way for our reconciliation.” With a mirthless laugh, Rhys added, “It wasn’t so much that they cared about me. They cared about the money they would otherwise be losing.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t believe that. Your father could have always rigged something on paper and continued ignoring you in real life. He must’ve wanted a reason to reconnect with you.”

  After dabbing his mouth with his napkin, Rhys leaned back in his chair. “Not everyone’s family is like yours, Allison. They don’t all have honest motives for what they do, and most don’t experience or share much love. My parents have never hugged and kissed me like your parents do. I don’t know if I ever even remember them telling me they loved me.” When I gasped in pain for him, he shrugged, “It’s just something I’ve come to terms with over the years, and something I’ve learned to accept.”

  “But it’s so wrong.”

  “I don’t need your pity. I’m perfectly fine with the way things are.”

  “No, you’re not. I can tell you’re putting on a front for me when truthfully, the situation with your parents is something that bothers you a lot.”

  “Dabbling in psychology along with fashion design, are you?” he asked sarcastically.

  “I just don’t like to see people I care about hurt. I hate what your parents have done to you so much.” Before I could stop myself, I reached across the table for his hand. “You deserve so much more, Rhys.”

  Disbelief at my words and actions momentarily flickered in his eyes. “You are aware that there aren’t many people in the world like you—people who are truly kind-hearted and care about their fellow man.”

  “Maybe not in the world you grew up in, but there is in your band world. I hope you know how much you’re loved by them…by us.”

  “I do,” he said softly.

  “You’re loved by all your fans, too, but I know that isn’t a tangible love. You think that if they really knew you besides your persona that they might not love you. But it’s still love and admiration you should appreciate. Take that and couple it with the real love of your band family. So whatever the past was, you just have to see that you have so much love surrounding you now.”

  “You know, you’re awfully wise for just a twenty-year-old kid.”

  Ouch. Had he seriously just called me a kid? I so did not want to be in “kid” territory. After I recovered from my slight horror, I said, “Well, I’m different because I’m an old soul.”

  “Yes, you are. That’s one thing we have in common. I was always old for my age. I never really fit in with the kids around me. That, plus my intelligence, made me somewhat of a misfit. I didn’t exactly feel like I belonged until I met Jake, Brayden, and AJ.”

  “And they completed you.”

  Rhys snorted. “That sounds completely sappy and emasculating.”

  “I like the sound of it. I know Jake had a terrible hole within him that needed completing. You and the guys did that.”

  “And Abby.”

  “Yes, she did.” Tapping my fork on my plate, I decided to address something that was still bothering me. “For the record, I’m not a kid, okay? I’m pretty sure that you hated for the guys to call you that back in the day.”

  “Back in the day? Hell, they still pull that bullshit on me.”

  I laughed. “Am I going to have to have you repeat after me? Allison, you are a woman.”

  With a scowl, he replied, “I know you’re a woman.”

  “You called me a kid two seconds ago,” I countered.

  “Even if it’s hard for me to believe you aren’t the same thirteen-year-old I rescued all those years ago, I am aware that you are indeed a grown woman.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

  “You’re welcome, kid,” he replied, with a teasing wink.

  “You, sir, are impossible.”

  “Want some dessert?” he asked.

  Tilting my head, I tried reading Rhys’s watch. “Wait, what time is it?”

  “Almost six thirty.”

  I slammed my napkin down on the table. “Oh shit, really?”

  “What’s the problem?” Leaning forward, he gave me an impish grin. “Don’t tell me you turn into a pu
mpkin at eight?”

  With a grin, I replied, “Ha, ha, not exactly.”

  After taking a sip of his wine, Rhys’s expression darkened a little. “You didn’t tell me you had a date tonight.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” Part of me debated lying to him and telling him I had to go to work. Where I needed to be was somewhere secret—something I hadn’t even told my parents or Jake about. It wasn’t something I was ashamed of. It was just something I wasn’t sure how they were going to feel about it.

  When I continued to remain evasive, Rhys said, “Are you sure? You’re certainly acting like there’s some mystery man you have to get to.”

  As he continued staring me down, I finally decided to give in. “Do you promise not to tell Jake?”

  Rhys’s dark eyes widened. “You’re doing something Jake doesn’t know about?”

  “Seriously? I’m twenty years old. Jake certainly doesn’t know half of what I do or don’t do,” I replied.

  “Interesting,” Rhys replied.

  “You didn’t answer me.”

  Holding up his hands, he replied, “Fine, fine. But only if it turns out not to be something dangerous or illegal.”

  “Okay, here it is. I have to get back home and change because at ten tonight, I’m singing at Saffie’s Tea Room.”

  Silence permeated the table as Rhys didn’t have a quick response or retort. Instead, he sat motionless, ingesting what I had just said. Finally, he replied, “Did you just allude to the fact you’re singing at some club tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  “And just how is that possible? You’re only twenty.”

  “The owner happens to be Cassie, the woman who owns the house I live in.”

  “I see.”

  Taking my napkin back in my hands, I twisted it nervously at his response. I don’t know why I was so concerned with his approval. In the end, he wasn’t my parents or Jake. He was just the guy I was completely in love with.

  “You see, she has this band that plays during the week. Well, when the lead singer broke up with the drummer, she left the band, and in turn, she left Cassie without entertainment.”

  “What’s the name of this band?”

  “Pink Magnolia.”

  Rhys’s brows shot up, sending my already frayed nerves into overdrive. I couldn’t help hoping that the name of the band had made him think of the magnolia charm he’d given me on my sixteenth birthday. I was probably desperately clawing at straws on that one. “I see,” he once again replied.

  “Anyway, so after she heard me singing in my room when I was unpacking, she totally ambushed me to take the singer’s place until she could find a replacement. At first, I didn’t want to because Jake is the entertainer in the family, not me. Truth be told, I’m not that great a singer. But she was desperate, so I finally agreed to do it.”

  “Saffie’s Tea Room,” he repeated in an even voice. “Am I correct in assuming this is named after Sappho, the Greek poetess?”

  “Yes, it is,” I replied, twisting my napkin a little farther.

  “The lesbian Greek poetess.”

  “Yessss,” I hissed like the sexual orientation was supposed to matter.

  Leaning in on the table with his elbows, Rhys cocked his head at me. “Let me get this straight. You are underage and singing at a lesbian nightclub?”

  “Mmm, hmm.”

  Rhys stared at me for a moment before howling with laughter. “What I wouldn’t give to see Jake’s face when he finds out.”

  “It’s not funny,” I huffed indignantly. “It’s a perfectly respectable establishment. And the girls in the band have been nothing but sweet and helpful to me.” When he snorted back his laughter into his napkin, I said, “As a matter of fact, I’m having so much fun doing it, I told Cassie not to worry about finding a replacement. I would just stay on until I went back home.”

  The mention of home sobered Rhys up. “You’re going back to Atlanta?”

  Glancing down at the table, I sighed. “I guess I’m just a big baby. I miss my parents and my friends. I even miss my dog, Toby. Most of all, it’s hard not being able to see the twins whenever I want to.”

  “But that will change when we go out on tour.”

  “I know,” I murmured.

  Reaching across the table, Rhys took my hand. “It’s okay to be homesick, Allison.”

  “It shows a total lack of character strength not to be able to embrace difficulties and challenges.”

  “Bullshit.”

  I couldn’t help my brows shooting up at his word choice. But then I shook my head. “Oh really? I bet you’re never homesick,” I challenged.

  Sadness flickered in his eyes, and instantly, I regretted my words. “There has never really been much of a home here for me. You don’t really bond with your parents when it’s your nanny who dries your tears after a nightmare or sits by your bedside when you’re sick. When I was far too young, I got shuttled off to boarding schools where I only came home on the weekends. Then I moved to Atlanta for college and now I live on and off of a tour bus.” Running his fingertip over the rim of his wine glass, he said, “There’s really never been a home for me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It is what it is. So while it’s true I don’t really get homesick, there are times I long for Savannah. I get homesick for my nanny, Trudie, for the familiar landmarks, and most of all, for my sister.”

  Latching on to the mention of his secretive sister, I quickly said, “I hope to get to meet her while you’re here.”

  Refusing to look at me, Rhys stared at his wineglass, lost in thought. “Maybe,” he finally murmured.

  I didn’t have to look at his watch again to know I had to go. As if sensing my need, Rhys jerked his gaze to mine and grabbed his phone. “I’ll get us a cab, so you can make it home quicker.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, as Rhys began texting furiously.

  After motioning the waiter over for the check, Rhys reached his hand in his pocket for his wallet. When he started to hand the envelope with his card in it to the waiter, I shook my head. “No, please, I can pay for my own,” I protested.

  Rhys shook his head. “I told you earlier I would treat you to dinner, and I meant it.” With a wink, he added, “What kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed you to pay?”

  “The kind who believes in women’s equality and Dutch treat?”

  “Not when it comes to you, my love.”

  That statement combined with the tender expression on Rhys’s face caused a shudder to ripple through me. “Okay, fine then. But when we do movie night, I’m covering dinner. Okay?”

  As Rhys rose up from his chair, he grinned. “Will it be Penis Pizza? Because I’ll totally let you buy me some of that.”

  I laughed. “Yes, it will.” Wagging my brows, I added, “I’ll make sure you get an extra-large slice of sausage, too.”

  Rhys’s eyes bulged at my comment. As we started out of the restaurant, he shook his head. “Not quite the sweet and innocent little Allison I used to know, huh?”

  “Not by a long shot.”

  “I’ve missed a lot not seeing you as much in the last few years, huh?”

  “You have a lot to catch up on.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  I tried not letting my mouth gape open when we stepped out onto River Street to a chauffeur driven car waiting for us. “This doesn’t quite look like a cab.”

  Rhys’s response was to open the door for me. After I slid across the seat, I glanced expectantly at him. He shrugged. “It’s an app on my phone that brings a car to you.”

  After taking in the sleek interior of the town car, I nodded. “Nice. Very nice.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  We drove along the dusky streets in silence. Occasionally, when we hit a bump in the road, Rhys’s leg would knock into mine. Each time, he would apologize. When the car pulled up outside my house, Rhys once again held the door open for me. He asked the dr
iver to wait a moment, and then he started to walk me to the door. “Would I be overstepping my bounds if I asked to come see your set tonight?”

  His question sent me reeling. I had never in a million years thought a Grammy winning musician like him would want to hear me sing with a nightclub band. It seemed like today was the day for wonders to never cease. At my hesitation, he held up his hands. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “No, that’s not it at all.”

  “It isn’t?”

  I shook my head. “It isn’t that I don’t want you to see me perform. The truth is I would be honored. It’s just I’m surprised someone like you would want to spend their evening listening to me sing in a lesbian bar.” I shrugged. “I guess I thought you had better things to do with your time.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Well, the setting will certainly prove to be interesting, although it might be nice not to worry about being hit on for once.”

  “Yes, how troubling it must be for you to be such a handsome and desirable millionaire rocker,” I teased.

  Cocking his head, he asked, “You think I’m handsome?”

  My chest began to rise and fall in rushed, heavy pants as I desperately tried to catch my breath. “Of course I do,” I quickly replied. At Rhys’s smile, I quickly added, “In your mind, doesn’t everyone?”

  “I’m not talking about everyone—I’m talking about you.”

  “Yes, you’re very, very handsome, okay? Now can you please get out of my way so I can get ready?”

  “Excuse me. I wouldn’t dare to deprive your adoring public of your presence.”

  “Smart ass,” I mumbled, as I started digging my keys out of my purse.

  As I started to unlock the door, Rhys sidestepped me. Bracing his hand on the doorway, he smiled one of the smiles that had captured my heart when I was thirteen and now made me both lovesick and horny. “My very handsome self will see you at ten tonight at Saffie’s Tea Room.”

  “Okay,” I murmured.

  Just being in Rhys’s presence was enough to make my libido go into overdrive, but when he started to lean in closer to me, I fought the urge to combust from both nerves and hormones. It didn’t help that he smelled so amazing, or that I could feel the heat pouring off his body. Feeling lightheaded from the closeness of him, I tried not to faint.