Rory

by James, Nicole

  Rory tossed her shirt to her.

  She made a show of shimmying into it, shaking her breasts in his face.

  He looked, his face deadpan.

  Tommy stood, and Rory glared over her shoulder at him. “Don’t ever use my bed again.”

  “You could have given me ten more minutes, bro.”

  When they were gone, Rory staggered to his bed and passed out.

  Chapter Seventeen

  February—

  As the tour rolled up the West Coast, making stops in San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, Rory began drinking heavily after every show, and sometimes even before the shows. He did it to push away the women who were seemingly always around him now. Somehow in his twisted thinking, he figured if he got drunk, he wouldn’t have to turn them down; he could just go pass out.

  None of them appealed to him. All he could think about was Rayne. She was becoming an obsession with him. In one of his drunken stupors he’d thought of hiring a private detective to find her but had bungled and slurred his way through the phone call so badly that the guy had hung up on him.

  When he’d tried to call back, the guy wouldn’t pick up.

  Rory had ended up stumbling back to his room and passing out once again.

  When he was in Portland, Max and Liam came out to see him. He’d been at a press junket earlier in the day, but had left back stage passes for them at the box office.

  He’d started drinking during the sound check and halfway into his set, he was swaying and slurring his words. He’d even gotten some boos from the audience and had flipped them off before leaving the stage.

  Liam and Max stood there as he walked off.

  He could tell by the looks on their faces, they were disgusted with how he was behaving, but he was drunk and didn’t want them to bring down his mood.

  “It’s party time, bros. Come on back to the bus.”

  They’d followed him on, and when they saw the crowd of hangers-on all partying, they’d tried to hustle him to his bedroom.

  They’d really laid into him then, telling him he was acting a fool and he needed to pull his shit together before Charlotte kicked him off the tour.

  Even drunk, he knew they were right, but he was ashamed, and he didn’t want to listen. So, he turned the tables and told them to get the fuck of his bus. He didn’t need them. He’d earned this. He’d worked hard for this. He had everything he’d ever wanted, and they were just fucking jealous. Even as he’d yelled the words at them, he knew they were a lie.

  His brothers had indeed ‘gotten off his fucking bus,’ and he hadn’t heard from them since. Jameson had tried to call him, but he refused to pick up the call or respond to the texts he’d sent.

  Fuck his brothers, and fuck Jameson, too. They had no idea the pressure he was under. They had no fucking clue.

  ***

  There was a pounding on Rory’s bedroom door.

  “Go the fuck away,” he yelled, burying his head under his pillow.

  “Open the fucking door, asshole.”

  Rory’s eyes popped open. That was Lou’s voice, and he was pissed. What the hell was he doing on his tour bus at… What the hell time was it? He focused in on the bedside clock. Noon. He frowned trying to recall what city he was in. Oh, right. Seattle. They’d rolled into this last stop on this leg of the tour late last night.

  Stumbling out of bed and across the room, Rory opened the door. “Sorry, man, I—”

  He froze when he saw Charlotte standing there, too, her arms folded, leaning against the wall of the narrow passage.

  “Put a shirt on and get the fuck out here. You’ve got two minutes,” Lou ordered, then shut the door.

  Rory went into his private bathroom and splashed water on his face. He grabbed a towel and dried off, his gaze meeting his reflection in the mirror.

  His skin was sallow, he had bags under his bloodshot eyes, and he looked like hell. What the fuck was he doing? And how much trouble was he in? There was a lump in the pit of his stomach the size of a basketball.

  His hands trembled. He didn’t know if it was because he needed a drink or because he was scared shitless. They were going to drop him from the tour and replace him with someone else for the European leg.

  He tossed the towel down in the sink and shrugged quickly into a shirt. Might as well get this the fuck over with; they were waiting. Hiding in the bathroom wasn’t going to help his case. He needed to face them like a man and own up to how badly he was fucking up.

  He strode out and took a seat across the table from Charlotte. Lou was leaning against the kitchen counter.

  She didn’t hold back. “What the hell is wrong with you, Rory? Seriously, is there some problem you’re dealing with? Because the man out on that stage in Portland last night was not the man I’ve known for years.”

  He ran a hand down his beard and shrugged. “I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I’ll tell you what came over you,” Lou snapped. “Booze.”

  Charlotte looked from Lou to him. “Is it just booze or are you using?”

  Rory frowned. “Drugs? No, I swear. I’m not doing drugs. Well, except some pot now and then.”

  Charlotte looked over at Lou. “Show him.”

  Rory’s eyes flicked between them. “Show me what?”

  Lou dug his phone out and pulled something up, then held it out to Rory.

  It was another YouTube video. But this one was not going to do him any favors. He was stumbling drunk and bungling through his songs on stage until the crowd began to boo. If that wasn’t bad enough, when he walked off stage, he flipped the crowd off.

  “Oh my God.” Rory put his hand to his forehead, rubbing it and pinching the bridge between his eyes. “I can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry.”

  “You want to tell me what the fuck is going on with you?” Charlotte asked.

  “I don’t know. I guess I just got caught up in the sudden fame. I’m not handling it very well.”

  “Ya think?” Lou grunted.

  “I know it happened quick, but I can’t have this on my tour,” Charlotte said. “You either clean your shit up, or you’re gone. It’s nothing personal, Rory. This is business. I gave you a shot. I’m thrilled to death with your success. I mean that. I put you on my tour. But I will not have this happen again, understand?”

  He nodded. “I understand.”

  “You will be sober for tonight’s show, then you’re on a plane home for the break. Use the time to think about what you really want. You come back, you better be ready for what it’s going to take to move to the next level in this business. I have no time for this bullshit.” She stood up. “The only reason I’m giving you a second chance is because I know this hit you hard and fast. I pushed you out there on stage to sing that song, and maybe you weren’t ready for the next step in your career. That’s something only you can decide.”

  With that, she turned and walked out.

  Lou’s eyes followed her, his arms folded over his chest, and then he looked back at Rory, straightened, and moved to the table. He sat down and let out a long breath. “I like you, kid. I do. But everything she said is right and goes double for me. I do not waste my time with someone who is not worth my time.” He lifted his index finger. “You get one screw up. One. And now you’ve made it. I won’t have you fucking up her tour. Like she said, take the break and pull your shit together. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “We have a decision to make. An opportunity has come up, and you were the first one I thought of, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “What opportunity?”

  “Axel Rod has to cancel his tour; he’s in no condition for it. So that leaves a string of venues hanging in the wind with no artist coming in. They need a replacement act. So here’s the deal, you can either finish the European tour with Charlotte, or if you think you’re ready, you can take the spots and go out on your own American tour.”

  “Are you serious? My own tour?”


  “I thought you were ready for that. I thought that was what you wanted.”

  “I—”

  Lou held up his hand. “Don’t. Don’t say a fucking word. You need to take the two weeks we have off to go home and think long and hard about it. You get one shot in this business. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. Your very first single went platinum. Right now you’re hot. Right now you’re the new kid. That doesn’t last long in this business. You either fly, or you don’t. But you won’t get a second chance at a career…not with top talent like me and not with a top act like Charlotte willing to help you.”

  Rory nodded.

  “I’ll call you next week. I’ll need your answer then. One way or another I have to find an act to fill those spots.” Lou smacked the table with his palm, stood, and got off the bus.

  Rory slumped in his seat. He didn’t have a clue what he was going to do. It was a big decision, and if he didn’t pull his shit together, the decision would be taken out of his hands. But they were right to question him. He did need that time to think long and hard about what he wanted… what he really wanted in life.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rayne sat in Daniel’s old office, going over the books. The money coming into Connor Motor Works barely came close to covering the stack of bills going out, and it had been that way for months. Now they were in the thick of winter, and sales were even worse. There were lots of cities where it stayed warm enough to ride all year round, but Denver certainly wasn’t one of them. Yes, some people took advantage of the winter months to get repairs or modifications done to their bikes, but with all things considered, Rayne had to face the facts that it would never cover expenses this year.

  Daniel had always done well enough during the summer months to get them through the winter. That hadn’t happen this year. In addition to regular bills, Daniel had borrowed heavily to open the place and there were loan payments to make. She had no idea how much longer she’d be able to make those payments.

  Daniel had been known for his expertise in repair and for having a fabulous rapport with his customers that had built up a loyalty among them. Those things were hard to replace. After his death, customers had stayed out of respect. But now they had begun to drift to other shops for their needs.

  Rayne rubbed her forehead. She had no idea how to turn things around. Suddenly, it all closed in on her and became too much. She didn’t know what she was doing and felt completely in over her head. The first sob bubbled up, tightening her throat, and her eyes stung. “Oh, Daniel,” she whispered. “I wish you were here.”

  She put her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. She tried hard to keep from making a sound. She didn’t want anyone to hear her breaking down like this. She was at work, and the store’s front counter was just around the corner. At the other end of the hallway was the door to the repair shop and garage. The guys walked past this office all the time.

  But the more she tried to muffle the sobs, the harder they came.

  It wasn’t long before Charlie stuck his head around the doorframe. “Rayne, you okay?”

  When she looked up at him, the tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “Oh, honey, what is it?” He was across the room and kneeling next to her chair in a flash.

  She could only shake her head, the words stuck in her tight throat.

  He rubbed her back. “Sweetheart, tell me what’s the matter.”

  She wiped her eyes and drew in a breath. “There’s not enough money, Charlie. Business just isn’t what it used to be.”

  “Then we’ll think of something. We’ll find a way to get people back in here. Don’t worry, Rayne.”

  She appreciated his optimism, she really did, but she didn’t share it. “How can I not worry? This was Daniel’s dream. He left it all to me, and I’m running it into the ground.” She couldn’t stop the new sob that burst from her.

  “Baby, please don’t cry. I can’t stand to see you this way.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. Tears aren’t going to fix anything.”

  “I’ll get the team together for a meeting. We’ll brainstorm and come up with something. I swear it, Rayne. None of us are going to let this place go under.”

  Rayne put on a forced smile. “Yes. Yes, we’ll find a way.”

  But in her heart she didn’t believe it was possible. Daniel had been the heart and soul of this place and without him, it would never be the business it once was.

  “You’ve spent too much time in front of this computer today. You need to get out of this tiny office. Come up front and rearrange the merchandise.” He grinned. “That’s what you love to do most.”

  She wiped her tears away. “Yes. I do need a break.”

  She spent the rest of the afternoon rearranging the wall of apparel and gear until it had a fresh new look, putting all the new spring shirts and jackets in a prominent display. She stood back to study it and nodded with satisfaction.

  Charlie came to stand by her. “It looks great, Rayne. You did an awesome job.”

  She smiled, pleased with it. “I think so, too.”

  Charlie had been right. It felt good to get out of the office and do something creative.

  He patted her shoulder.

  She felt the first rumblings in her stomach that she knew immediately was another bout of morning sickness. Whoever had called it morning sickness had definitely named it wrong. It struck at all times of the day, and Rayne was so sick of dealing with it. She was almost six months pregnant now and just beginning to show. Oh, not enough that anyone would notice yet; to make sure of it, she’d taken to wearing baggy sweatshirts and had given up on anything form fitting. She’d also been very lucky in hiding her trips to the bathroom to heave into the toilet, at least, so far.

  Another rumble, and she excused herself to dash around the counter and down the hall to the restroom. She made it just in time.

  When she was through, she turned on the faucet in the sink and cupped her hand under the water stream, bringing it to her mouth. Straightening, she stared at her face in the mirror.

  There was a tap on the door. “Rayne, you okay in there?”

  Her eyes got big. Shit. Charlie knew she’d been in here getting sick.

  She wiped her face with a paper towel and dried her hands. “I’m fine. I’ll be right out.”

  She put her hand on her stomach, hoping the bout had passed, and took a deep breath. Then she opened the door, pasting a smile on her face.

  Charlie was leaning against the wall. He straightened when he saw her. “Are you sick?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Just something I ate at lunch, I guess. Must not have agreed with me.”

  He frowned and put his hand to her forehead. “You sure? You’ve been looking a little pale lately, and you’ve been so tired.”

  She covered her mouth and dashed back into the restroom. This time Charlie put a hand on the door and watched as she vomited.

  “Rayne.” He held her hair and put a hand on her back, rubbing.

  She was so embarrassed to have him see.

  He grabbed some paper towels and wet them, then wiped her face.

  Finally, the nausea passed, and she felt better. She took the wet towels from him and wiped her mouth, leaning against the wall. “I’m so sorry.”

  He frowned. “Rayne, are you pregnant?”

  Confronted with the question, her eyes filled with tears, and she could only nod. The jig was up; the boys would know soon enough anyway.

  “Oh, baby girl, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It wasn’t something I planned.”

  He nodded, staring at her. “Who’s the father?”

  His question took her by surprise. She wasn’t sure she was ready to discuss that part of all this. “Charlie, that’s really not your business.” She brushed past him and went into the office. He followed her in and shut the door.

  “I know it’s not, but someone needs to look out for you, and Daniel’s not here to do it.”


  “Oh, so it’s your job now?” she snapped, the stress getting to her. He pulled his head up, his jaw tightening at her words, and she felt like shit. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I’m a little hormonal right now.”

  “Of course. You’re right; it’s not my business. If you don’t want to talk about it—” He put a hand on the door knob.

  Her quiet words stopped him. “It was someone I met on my trip—just a one night stand. I never heard from him again.”

  His features softened. “I’m sorry, Rayne.” He studied her a long moment. “So, you haven’t told him? You don’t have his number?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He sat in the only other chair in the small office, his elbows on his knees and rubbed his palms slowly back and forth across each other. Finally, he looked up at her. “Let me be there for you, Rayne.”

  She frowned, not really understanding. “What do you mean?”

  His eyes locked with hers, and she read the sincerity there just before he opened his mouth and dropped a bomb. “Marry me.”

  “What?”

  “You don’t have to do this alone. I’ll take care of you and the baby.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “Is it? I’ve always had feelings for you. You must have known that.”

  “Yes, but you’ve never once—”

  “Never made a move, I know. I figured I was too old for you. I’ve been ready to settle down for a while now, but I knew you were just starting to stretch your wings. I figured maybe in time there’d be a chance for us. I think that time might be now, Rayne.”

  “Charlie—”

  “I’d be good to you. I’d raise that baby as my own, and I’d love you both. So much.”

  “I can’t.” She shook her head. “I can’t marry you just because I’m in trouble.”

  “It wouldn’t be like that.”

  “It wouldn’t be fair to you, Charlie. I don’t love you.”

  “Maybe in time—”

  “No. Not now, not in time.” She took a breath. “Don’t you see? It would have happened by now already. You’re the perfect guy, Charlie. You’re a good man and—”