Relentless (Nashville Nights)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “There you are,” she said, wiping her hands on a flowered apron. “You’re just in time.”

  He washed his hands at the sink, salivating as his mother took his favorite dessert, apple cobbler, out of the oven. “I was just kiddin’ about that, Mama. You didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”

  She reached up to pat his cheek, smiling. “It was no trouble. Besides, I thought I owed you, after all those things I said to Nikki about you.”

  He dried his hands, propping his hip against the counter. “Maybe you’d better tell me what you told her so I can do a little damage control tonight.”

  She chuckled while pouring two cups of strong black coffee into tall mugs. “You really think she’s gonna want to be anywhere near you tonight?”

  “What’re you saying? You think she’s gonna bail on dinner just ‘cause she’s pissed at me?”

  His mother pursed her lips at his choice of language before responding. “You saw the way she left here, like the hounds of hell were nippin’ at her heels. I can’t imagine she’s too keen on the idea of breakin’ bread with you tonight, or any other night for that matter.”

  J.T. took the mug his mother offered as he tried to formulate a plan if, as his mother suspected, she tried to bail on him tonight. It’s not like he could go banging on her old man’s door. Luc would just tell him to hit the road. If she wouldn’t agree to see him, the odds of her answering his calls were slim, but there was no way he was going to let her get away that easily.

  Liz set the pie plate on a cutting board in the middle of the scarred wood table before collecting plates and cutlery. She gestured to the empty chair at the end of the table. “Well, aren’t you gonna have a seat?”

  “Yeah, sure.” He was afraid the dessert he often craved would sit like a lead rock in his stomach right about now.

  She cut a generous slice of the pie and put it on his plate, setting it down in front of him before cutting a second piece for herself. “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you and that young lady?” She pointed a fork at him, scowling. “And I’m giving you fair warning right now. If you do anything to hurt her, you’ll be answerin’ to me.”

  He couldn’t believe his own mother was willing to take the side of an outsider over her son.

  “Why do you assume I’m gonna hurt her? Could be I’m the one who’s gonna get hurt. Ever think of that?”

  She glared at him, setting a fist on her hip. “Don’t you sass me, boy.”

  “Sorry,” he muttered, biting back a retort.

  He knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with his mama if he starting making demands. She was tough; she’d had to be, raising four unruly boys. He knew steamrolling her wasn’t an option, not that he would have tried. He’d always treated her with love and respect, not because she commanded it, which she did, but because she’d earned it by being a better mother than he felt he deserved. He’d caused both of his parents grief over the years. When they teased him about being the sole cause of their gray hair, he knew they weren’t kidding. He’d been wilder than all three of his brothers combined, and now that he was getting older and a little wiser, he was beginning to realize that reputation could only hurt him when it came to earning the love and respect of a woman like Nikki.

  She took a small bite of her pie, chewing carefully before she asked, “Now, are you ready to tell me what’s goin’ on?”

  He sighed, pushing the untouched plate aside. “Like I said, we met a few years back. Obviously, she was too young for me to be thinkin’ about her that way, but…”

  She smirked, forking another bite. “But that didn’t stop you from thinkin’ about her anyway, did it?”

  He held his hand up. “Mama, I would never have acted on it, I swear. She was barely legal back then.”

  She nodded, wiping at her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m not judging you, honey. Nikki’s a beautiful woman. I’m sure any single man would’ve felt the same way in your situation.”

  He shook his head, wrapping his hands around his coffee mug. “I don’t think so, Mama. What I felt for her went beyond lust…” He grimaced at the term. He’d never talked to his mother about his sex life before, and he sure as hell didn’t intend to start now.

  She laughed, patting his forearm. “It’s okay. I know you’re a normal, healthy man, and from the stories I’ve heard…”

  He held his hand up, halting her. He didn’t even want to think about the stories she must have heard about his shenanigans with the opposite sex. Ty was right. He was a pig when it came to women, and it was finally coming back to bite him. If it cost him a chance with Nikki, he knew he’d have no one to blame but himself, which made it even harder to take.

  “I tried to put her out of my head after that night, but it wasn’t as easy as it shoulda been. I’d think about her from time to time. Then when she finally broke onto the music scene and started working with Ty, I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about her. I downloaded her music, videos…” He shook his head. “I was actin’ like a damn lovesick fool, over a girl who didn’t even know I was alive, so far as I could tell.”

  “Did you ever talk to your brother about her?”

  He shrugged, recalling some of the brief conversations they’d had about her. “Sure, I’d ask him how it was goin’ with her, but I didn’t want to seem too obvious.”

  His mother rolled her eyes. “You McCall men and your pride. I swear you have more pride than sense sometimes.”

  He chuckled. “You’re probably right about that.”

  “Judgin’ by the fact that she was here with you today, I’m assumin’ you two connected last night?”

  He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking. His mother didn’t need to know that he and Nikki had been intimate last night. That was their business. But she did need to know that he was serious about wanting to take this further. If she didn’t believe his intentions were honorable, she’d never agree to help him make inroads with Nikki, and with a short timeframe, and the odds stacked against him, he needed all the help he could get.

  “Yeah, we connected.” He sighed. “Listen, Mama, I like her, a lot.”

  She smiled, patting his hand. “I could see that, and judgin’ by the way she reacted when Lindsay showed up, I’d say the feeling’s mutual.”

  He chuckled. “You know there’ll never be anythin’ between me and Lindsay. I just tolerate her to be neighborly.”

  “I know that and you know that, but Nikki doesn’t. Why do you think she couldn’t get away from here fast enough? She was hurt and upset. I don’t know what happened between you two last night, and I don’t need to know, but I’m guessing it was enough for her to develop some kind of feelings for you.”

  He’d been so busy focusing on the way he felt about her that he hadn’t considered she may be fighting the same feelings, in spite of her insistence that she wanted to keep it casual. “You really think she’s jealous of Lindsay because she cares about me, huh?”

  She laughed. “Darlin’, a woman doesn’t react that strongly when she sees another woman moving in on her territory unless she’s all in.”

  He thought about her reaction to the kiss he shared with the bartender. No question, she was jealous. Hell, she was acting downright territorial, which was fine by him; he was more than willing to let her stake her claim as long as she understood that it worked both ways. “I need to find a way to convince her to give this thing between us a chance.”

  “She’s reluctant?”

  He smirked. “Can you blame her, given the stories she’s heard about me from my own family?”

  Liz waved her finger in his face. “Don’t expect me to apologize for that, young man. You shouldn’t have been doin’ anything you’d have been ashamed of in the first place. Your daddy and I raised you to respect women, not treat them like a commodity.”

  He hung his head. She was right, there were times when his behavior had been deplorable, and he had to answer for his actio
ns if he expected Nikki to trust him now. “I’m not blamin’ you or anyone else, Mama.” He grimaced. “Should I even ask you what you’ve told her about me?”

  She pushed her dishes aside and crossed her arms over the table, looking him in the eyes. “I told her the truth, that you were a skirt-chasing fool who drank too much, got off on puttin’ your life at risk on the back of a bull, and gave your poor parents more grief than they deserved.”

  He covered his hands with his face. She hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, and it was times like this when the truth hurt. He wasn’t proud of the man he’d been or the life he’d lived up until now, and he realized that with or without Nikki, it was time to make some changes.

  She gripped his wrist, pulling his hand away from his face. “I also told her that you had a good heart, loved your family, were loyal to your friends, and weren’t afraid of hard work.” She smiled. “You may have your faults, honey, but don’t we all? Nobody’s perfect, and I’m pretty sure that’s not what Nikki expects of you. What she does expect—what she deserves—is for you to be honest with her. If you have feelings for her, you need to tell her. Tell her about your past, admit your mistakes, and if she can understand and accept you for the man you are, faults and all, you may have a keeper there.” She reached across the table to kiss his cheek. “And I sure hope that’s the case, ‘cause I love that little lady already.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nikki thought about calling Ty to beg off, but she was a professional. She didn’t want to give them the impression that she wasn’t taking her career seriously. So, like it or not, she would have to find a way to get through the evening.

  When she pulled up the drive, she saw J.T.’s truck already parked in front. She was hoping to arrive before he did so she could settle in before having to face him. No such luck.

  Steeling her courage, she took a deep breath, deciding if she could own a stage in the midst of 17,000 screaming fans, she could face one arrogant cowboy.

  Avery met her at the door, a grin on her face. “We’re so glad you could make it, Nikki.”

  “Thanks for having me.” She passed her a box of chocolate croissants she’d picked up from the bakery on the way.

  “Not you, too.” Avery laughed. “Liz sent one of her cherry pies over with J.T.”

  “That’s okay,” Nikki said, smiling. “We’ll have the pie. You can save the croissants for breakfast tomorrow.”

  She laughed. “That is if my hubby doesn’t polish them off with a huge glass of milk before bed.”

  Ty rounded the corner, pointing at his wife. “I heard that. Don’t be tellin’ her that now. She’ll rat me out to my trainer.”

  J.T. came out of the living room, his niece’s little body wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

  “There she is,” Nikki said, grinning at the toddler. She carefully avoided J.T.’s gaze as she fixed her attention on the little girl. She pulled a small gift-wrapped box out of her purse. “Your daddy told me that you got your ears pierced. Is that true?”

  J.T. set Anna upright on his shoulders, locking his hands around her chubby wrists.

  The little girl nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing up and down. “I sure did.”

  “Wow, you’re one lucky lady,” Nikki said, winking at Avery. “Do you know my favorite thing about having pierced ears, Anna?”

  “Having an excuse for the holes in your head?” J.T. asked, chuckling.

  She knew he was just trying to get her attention, so she ignored him. “I love having my choice of pretty earrings.”

  Anna bit her bottom lip. “What kind do you have?”

  Nikki held her long hair up off her neck so Anna could see the diamond hoops adorning her ears.

  “Wow,” she whispered. “Those’re pretty. Where’d ya get ‘em?”

  “A very special friend gave them to me,” Nikki said, taking a step closer. She felt J.T.’s eyes boring into her as she held the box out to his niece. “Since you’re so special, I thought you might like these.”

  She kicked her little feet against J.T.’s chest, making him wince. “Pume down. I wanna open it.”

  “Okay, okay,” he muttered, bending down so her father could scoop her up and set her on her feet.

  She jumped up and down. “I love presens.” She looked up at her mommy. “Is not even my birfdey yet.”

  Nikki smiled at her pronunciation of the word as she tugged on her ringlets. “This isn’t a birthday present; it’s just a ‘because’ present.”

  She grinned, looking up at Nikki. “I like ose. Uncle J.T. got me one of ose, too. ”

  “Did he?” J.T. crowded in behind her, close enough that she could feel the brush of his cotton shirt against her bare arm. Stroking her hands up and down her arm to hide the rising bumps, she said, “I hope you like them, hon.”

  Avery and Ty watched their daughter open her present, smiling when she gasped at the little red rubies nestled in a bed of velvet.

  “Red,” she squealed. “I love red.”

  Nikki bent down on one knee so she was at the little girl’s eye level. “These are called rubies. Did you know that rubies are your birthstone?”

  She frowned, looking down at the earrings. “Whas a birfstone?”

  Nikki smiled, looking up at Ty, who was grinning.

  “I’d kinda like to know that myself,” he said, stroking Anna’s hair.

  “It’s a very special gemstone,” Nikki whispered, as though they were sharing a secret. “Everyone has a special stone for the month they were born. We were born in July, so ours is ruby.”

  Her green eyes widened in surprise. “We have a same birfstone?”

  Nikki nodded, looking serious. “We do, which means you and I are probably a lot alike.”

  She tipped her head to the side, looking confused. “I’m gonna sing, too?”

  Nikki laughed, drawing the little girl into a big hug. She was too precious. “You never know, sweetheart.”

  The little girl squeezed her neck before pulling back to look at her. “You’re so pretty.”

  Nikki smiled, brushing Anna’s hair off her shoulders. “Thanks, I think you’re pretty, too.”

  Ty cleared his throat. “Don’t you have something to say to Nikki for giving you those beautiful earrings, honey?”

  She threw herself into Nikki’s arms again, nearly knocking her over. “Thanks, I love ‘em.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie,” Nikki said, stroking her back.

  “Well, I should go check on dinner,” Avery said. “Ty, why don’t you and Miss Anna pay a little visit upstairs?”

  Ty picked Anna up and carried her up the stairs, sharing her enthusiasm over her latest treasure.

  Nikki smiled as she watched the pair. She knew Ty and Avery were trying to potty train the toddler with limited success. “Can I help you with anything, Avery?”

  “I left a bottle of wine in the living room. If you guys could get us started with that, I’d appreciate it.” She paused, looking at her brother-in-law. “Unless you’d rather have a beer, J.T.?”

  He chuckled. “Darlin’, I know you’re trying to mold and shape me into some refined dude, but it ain’t gonna work. I’ll take a beer, so long as it’s cold.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’ll housebreak you one of these days, J.T. McCall.”

  He laughed, talking to her retreating back as she made her way to the kitchen. “Don’t count on it, sugar.” Nikki stepped past him, trying to make her way to the living room, but he grabbed her wrist. “Not so fast, sugar.”

  She ground her teeth at his casual use of the endearment. He was talking to her like the checker at the supermarket instead of the woman who’d shared his bed last night. “What do you want?”

  He took a step closer, surrounding her with his spicy scent. “I want you, darlin’. You got a problem with that?”

  “Yeah, you want me and half the other women from here to…”

  He pressed his index finger against her lips, looking into her
eyes. “You’re wrong, baby. I want you, only you.”

  She gripped his wrist, pulling his hand away from her mouth. “I think Lindsay might have a thing or two to say about that, don’t you?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I can’t say that I care what she thinks.”

  She tipped her head back to look him in the eye. “Are you sleeping with her, too?”

  “I’m not gonna lie. I have a time or two.”

  She wished she hadn’t asked. Even more, she wished he’d had the good sense to hedge the question instead of opting for brutal honesty. “Why am I not surprised?” she muttered.

  He locked his hands around her waist. “‘Cause you know I love women and they love me.”

  She hated that he was so arrogant, yet his confidence was half of his appeal. He knew who he was, what he wanted, and he went after it, no questions asked.

  “I’m not gonna sugarcoat things, Nik.” He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek before cupping her face in his palm. “I’ve been with a lot of women, but you rocked my world last night.”

  Avery cleared her throat, stepping into the room. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “Then why did you?” J.T. muttered.

  She slapped his back as she walked past him, a giggle escaping her lips. “You two? Seriously, Nikki?”

  J.T. scowled at her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Avery set a tray containing cheese, crackers, and grapes on the coffee table in the adjoining living room. “No offense, J.T. You know I love you, but…”

  “But what?” he asked, his grip on Nikki tightening when she tried to step out of his arms.

  “You just don’t seem like Nikki’s type.”

  Nikki flattened her palms against J.T.’s chest, forcing some distance between them. “There’s nothing going on between us, Avery,” Nikki said, following their hostess into the living room. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

  J.T. glared at the pair as he crossed the threshold into the room. “I’m gettin’ sick and tired of hearin’ you say that. We both know its bull—” He paused when he heard footsteps on the stairs.