by Marie Savage
When she was done with the song, the crowd cheered her on to do another. She spoke with the band, and once again, she started singing.
“Damn, she’s good,” Hud said, slapping him on the shoulder. When she finally finished the song, she put the mic back and began to leave the stage to the cheers and applause of the crowd.
Luke, worried for her safety, got up and met her on the dance floor. She was so happy and hugged him as soon as she saw him. “They loved me, Luke.”
“I told you,” was all he could say. The band started playing a slow country tune and he started swaying with her in his arms. “Want to dance?” he asked her, still holding her in his arms.
“I would love to,” she replied.
He held her close. The reality that soon he wouldn’t be able to, was hitting him hard. He loved her all right, but he loved her so much that he had to let her go. No way would he spoil her dream.
After they danced, Aimee Jo needed to use the restroom so Luke went back to the table.
“Did you tell her?” Hud asked as Luke sat down next to him.
“Tell her what?” Luke was starting to get annoyed by Hud’s continuous interference.
“You, jackass. Did you tell her you love her?”
“Nope,” Luke said, taking a swig of beer.
“Why not?” Hud looked over at him.
“Did you not just see her?” Luke replied.
“Yeah, she was great, but that still doesn’t answer the question.”
“She’s so happy. The crowd loved her. I haven’t seen her so happy since the day I met her. I’m not going to yank that away from her.”
“I don’t know, I think you are making a big mistake.”
"Really? Well you’re one to talk. Guess who I ran into when we stopped in San Antonio?”
Hud immediately shut up.
“You know, she still asks about you. She told me when I saw you to say hello and for you to call her sometime.”
Hud was pissed that Luke brought up Lisa, the one he let get away. “All the more reason you need to tell Aimee Jo how you feel.” Hud stood up, shoved his chair under the table, and walked to the bar.
Luke didn’t mean to piss off his friend, but he wanted him to lay off. He was a grown man and he was perfectly capable of making his own decisions. He would let Aimee Jo decide what she wanted to do. If she asked him to be with her, he would, but only if she asked.
Aimee Jo stood in front of the restroom mirror, fixing her hair. She was on an incredible high, and she hadn’t even had a drink since the restaurant. How did her life go from being complete shit to wonderful, in just a few days?
Luke McIntyre was the reason. If he’d never seen her and asked if he could help her, there would be no telling where she might be right now. He was definitely the best thing to ever happen to her in life and she loved him. God, how she loved him. When she was singing, the words were for him. In the crowd of people cheering her on, she only saw him. If she told him how she felt, would he change his mind? Would he be willing to be in a relationship with her, she wondered.
The thought of telling him how she felt terrified her even more than stepping onto that stage. She was determined to do it, though. She couldn’t let him get away without telling him. Once again, she took a deep breath, and held on to her courage to go out and declare herself to Luke.
She stepped out of the restroom and was immediately grabbed and held to the other wall, trapped by the drunken stench of Matt Campbell, her ex. He looked around and tried to kiss her, so those that passed would think they were just making out in the hallway. She turned her head to avoid him and his wretched mouth.
“What’s the matter? I just want to kiss the new country star. Don’t you have a kiss for your boyfriend?”
“You’re not my boyfriend. Let me go.” She tried to push him off.
“No, not until I get what I want, you disgusting slut.” He pushed her toward the exit. He grabbed her again and pulled her beside him, and that’s when she felt something at her back. “Don’t even think of screaming. I will shoot you right here if you do and then I will find that trucker you’re fucking and kill him too.”
Matt walked with her outside, holding her close like they were a couple as he made his way to his truck. He opened the door and quickly shoved her inside.
“Matt, I don’t have the money. It’s lost,” she cried as she scooted to the other side of the seat.
“I don’t believe you. You had it on you when you went into the truck stop, didn’t you? That’s why I couldn’t find it in all your shit in the car,” he shouted, grabbing her arm and holding the gun at her.
“It was you! You stole my car,” she said, staring at the gun and wondering if she was about to die right there.
“Damn right, I did. What made you think you could take off with my money?”
“It was my money, not yours,” she screamed, hoping someone heard her.
“Scream one more time and it will be the last time, you understand?”
She nodded.
“I took care of you and that bitch of a grandmother of yours. You owe me.” He squeezed her arm tighter.
“It was in the car. When you tossed my things out, you tossed the money too. It was in a tampon box. You threw it out and now it’s gone.” She cried as he was hurting her.
“Well, maybe your new boyfriend will pay me. I saw his truck. He obviously has money. Or maybe I will just fuck you one more time and get paid that way,” he said as he pushed her down on the seat.
Hud was about to confront the asshole who was walking Aimee Jo outside, but the gleam of the 9mm he was holding against her, caught his eye. This guy was real bad news and he didn’t want to risk him shooting Aimee Jo or anyone else in the bar. Quickly he went to get Luke.
“Hey, let’s go, now.” Hud slapped him on the back. “That fucker has your girl and they’re outside.”
“What the fuck?” Luke jumped up and started scanning the room for Aimee Jo.
“I was going to stop him, but he has a gun on her. We have to do this together to keep him from hurting her.”
They stepped outside, just in time to see Matt shove her in the red pickup. “That son of bitch,” Luke said, ready to charge after him until Hud held him back.
“No, he will hurt her if you confront him. Go slowly and get to her side of the truck. I will surprise him on the other side.”
Luke nodded and they made their way over to them. As long as he didn’t drive off with her, they would be able to save her.
Luke played the part of the hero. He seriously doubted that the fucker had balls enough to shoot anyone, but he wasn’t taking any chances with Aimee Jo. If he could just get her safely away from the asshole, he would gladly take him on.
Luke snuck up to the window to see the asshole on top of her as she tried to fight him off. Hud was ready on the driver’s side, and as they motioned to each other, they went into action.
In unison, they opened both doors of the truck. Hud grabbed Matt and pulled him off of Aimee Jo, as Luke grabbed her up and pulled her out of the truck. At first, she screamed, but then when she saw who it was, she quickly hugged him and started to cry.
By now, Aimee Jo’s screams had brought more people to the scene as Luke could hear Hud slamming the guy against his truck.
“Here, take her.” Luke handed Aimee Jo over to one of the waitresses as he went over to help his friend.
As soon as Hud had him, the bastard tried reaching for his gun. He picked the wrong day to fuck with an ex-marine as Hud quickly disarmed him, tossing the gun away and throwing him against the truck.
Luke came around from the other side but saw that his friend had him under control. “Where’s the gun?” Luke shouted.
“To my left,” Hud grunted as he shoved the guy once again.
Luke grabbed the gun and quickly unloaded it, tossing it up on the hood of the truck.
“How’s Aimee Jo?” Hud asked.
“She fine, no thanks to this
fucker,” Luke said, getting into the guy’s face.
“Don’t you ever come around her again, do you hear me, asshole? Consider it your lucky day that I don’t beat the shit out of you right now.”
Matt just scowled at him. “Fuck you.”
Luke was ready to tear him apart.
“Luke!” Aimee Jo cried out.
“Take care of your girl. He isn’t going anywhere until the cops show up, and then he will be taking a ride with them,” Hud said.
Luke walked away and Aimee Jo ran back into his arms and started sobbing as he held her tightly against him.
The three of them had to stay at the club for a few more hours while the police took Matt away. He was going to be charged with numerous felonies and Aimee Jo would not have to worry about him anymore.
Hud drove them home as Aimee Jo wouldn’t leave Luke’s arms for one second. She had hardly spoken a word since they’d saved her. Luke wanted to take her to the hospital just to make sure she was okay, but she refused. She just wanted to go home and take a shower and go to bed.
Luke started the shower and Aimee Jo slowly got undressed. She took all her clothes and threw them in the trash, mumbling how she could never get them clean enough again.
Matt didn’t get a chance to rape her, but he did enough to traumatize her. Luke was at a loss for what to do for her, as she stood there naked in front of him, with her tear-soaked face and that look. The same look she’d had that day at the diner when he’d first met her. She had that look again, and it gutted him.
He watched as she stepped into the shower and let the hot water hit her. Immediately, she took the soap and started washing herself. Soon she was scrubbing herself raw and crying hysterically.
Luke quickly got in with her, clothes and all, to stop her from hurting herself. She cried in his arms as he gently started washing her from head to toe. When she finally calmed down, he undressed in the shower and rinsed them both before shutting the water off and grabbing a towel. He quickly dried himself, and then grabbing another towel, he began to dry her off.
She was limp in his arms as he took care of her. He feared she wouldn’t even be able to make it to the bed without collapsing, so he wrapped the towel around her and picked her up in his arms. It was if she was asleep and immediately woke up as she stared into his eyes. She touched his cheek as he held her.
“Make love to me, Luke,” she whispered.
“Honey, you’re tired. We’re going to bed,” he said.
She held his face in her hands, making him look at her. “Make love to me, Luke, please. Wash away what he did. I don’t want that memory to be my last for the night,” she pleaded with him.
She leaned in and kissed him and he let her as he held her tightly. He wanted to make love to her and wipe out what happened hours ago. He wanted to wake up with her every morning and make love to her. He still had a few days with her and he was going to cherish every minute.
Luke got up quietly, letting Aimee Jo sleep longer. He’d made love to her last night like she’d asked, and had held her in his arms all night. A few times she had awakened, shaking with terror, but quickly calmed down as soon as she heard Luke’s voice telling her she was okay.
He left the bedroom door open so he could hear her if she called out to him, and made his way to the kitchen. Hud was there to join him.
‘Morning,” Hud said as he stood there drinking his coffee.
“Morning. Do those come in pairs?” Luke said, pointing to his mug.
Hud poured his buddy a cup and set it next to him on the counter. “Here you go. Sleep well?”
“What do you think?” Luke mumbled.
“I think you’re just as ugly in the morning as you are in the evening,” Hud joked.
“Fuck you, asshole,” Luke chuckled.
“No, thanks, you’re not my type.” Hud tried to laugh.
“Sorry about last night,” Luke said.
“What are you talking about?” Hud looked at him funny.
“About mentioning Lisa, it was a low blow.”
“Forget it. How’s she doing?” He motioned his head toward the hall.
“I don’t know. If she is still like she was last night, she is going to the hospital, whether she likes it or not,” Luke declared.
“That guy was some serious bad news. I’m glad he’s behind bars. So have you decided what you’re going to do?” Hud asked him, hoping that after last night, he might have changed his tune.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to make sure she’s okay. She has her audition in less than a week,” Luke said, trying to block all the negative out for now.
Hud looked up just in time to see Aimee Jo walk in. “There she is. Coffee, darlin’?”
“Yes, please.” She smiled as she came over to Luke. Luke welcomed her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss. “You were saying something about my audition?” Aimee Jo asked them.
“Yeah, I was telling Hud here that I deserve a few weeks of vacation, so I’m going to hang out and take you to your audition, if that’s okay,” he lied.
“Really? I would like that,” she said, hugging him once again.
Luke looked over at his friend, who was shaking his head. “How are you feeling?” Luke asked, grateful that she seemed better than last night.
“Better. I’ll be okay.” She smiled.
Luke and Aimee Jo spent the next few days just staying put, watching TV, swimming, barbecuing, and of course, making love every chance they got. Still, neither of them expressed their feelings toward the other. Both were waiting for the other to say it first. One afternoon, Luke’s phone was going off and he left the grilling to Hud as he ran to grab it.
“Probably your driver, calling to say he’s lost,” Luke joked.
“My drivers never get lost,” Hud yelled back.
Luke quickly recognized the number being his baby sister Jeanine’s. “Hey, brat, what’s up?” He smiled over at Aimee Jo.
Aimee Jo and Hud watched as the smile fell from Luke’s face.
“How’s Mom?” They heard him ask.
“Okay, I will get there as soon as possible,” Luke said before hanging up.
“What’s going on?” Hud asked before Aimee Jo could.
“My Dad—he had a heart attack. I have to go,” Luke said, looking over at Aimee Jo.
“Shit, of course, you do. Let me call Mary and get her to book you a flight. You want to fly into Dothan?” Hud asked as he grabbed his phone and started calling.
“Yeah, that works. He is in one of the hospitals there,” Luke said numbly.
Hud stepped inside to make the arrangements as Luke went up to Aimee Jo, taking her hand. “Damn, I really wanted to be there for the audition. I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be. It’s your dad. You have to go,” she said before she hugged him.
“I’ll have Hud get you there, and if they don’t give you a place to stay, you call him and he will take care of you.” He held her tightly, wishing he had the courage to say what he really wanted to say.
“Luke it’s okay, I’ll be fine,” she said.
Hud walked back outside. “Mary got you a last-minute flight. It leaves in a few hours. You have to hustle.”
“My rig?” Luke asked as he left her embrace.
“It will be fine here until you can come back.”
“Thanks, man.” Luke said, walking toward the door. He looked over at Aimee Jo once again, before he stepped into the house to grab his things.
The ride to the airport was quiet as the three of them rode in Hud’s truck. They both joined Luke inside as he went to the counter. After checking in, he didn’t have much time left before he had to walk through security and board his plane.
Hud went first and grabbed him up and hugged him. “Your old man is a tough ole bastard. He will be okay. Say hi to your mom and Jeanine.” Hud stepped away to give them some privacy, hoping one of them would speak the hell up and quit this bullshit game. But both of them wer
e stubborn and it was probably why they liked each other so much.
“I’ll pray for your Dad,” Aimee Jo said as she held his hand.
“Thanks. You knock em dead at that audition, okay?”
“I will.” She smiled. “Thank you for everything, Luke.” She hugged him as the tears started to fall.
“Just remember, I get credit on your first album,” he said, making her laugh. “I left you something back at Hud’s. It’s on the bed,” he said as he squeezed her hand.
“Luke, you have already done so much,” she protested.
“You just go out there and get that contract.” He quickly kissed her one last time before releasing her and stepping through security. He didn’t look back at her—he couldn’t. He didn’t want her seeing his heart break.
Hud drove Aimee Jo back to his home. She silently cried the entire way. She made her way to the bedroom that only hours ago, she and Luke had shared. There, on top of the bed, was his guitar. His beautiful guitar. She sat down and picked up the note that he’d left.
I could never play it as good as you.
Love, Luke.
She lay down beside it and cried.
The next morning, Aimee Jo made breakfast for her and Hud. Neither of them had heard from Luke, but Hud checked with Jeanine and she said he’d made it there okay.
Aimee Jo set the plate of eggs, bacon, and grits in front of Hud before sitting down next to him.
“You know, if you keep doing this, I might have to marry you,” he teased before taking a bite.
Aimee Jo smiled but she wasn’t in the mood for kidding around. She had been hoping Luke would call her, but he hadn’t.
She jumped when she heard her phone ring and ran over to the other counter to grab it. Aimee Jo looked at her phone, expecting and hoping it was Luke. Had he changed his mind? Would he ask her to join him? She was disappointed when she looked at the screen and saw that it wasn’t him, but instead it was Trooper Stephens from Mobile. What could he possibly want, she wondered.