Rory

by James, Nicole

  She stared at him. “He had a list?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He searched her eyes. “Give him a chance, okay?”

  “I’ll try, but he hurt me, and he lied to me.”

  Max frowned. “About what?”

  “He never told me he was in a band.”

  Max huffed out a laugh. “Can you blame him? I wouldn’t want to admit that, not if I wanted to know if the girl liked me for me and not because she thought I was a rock star.” He paused. “Rayne, Rory’s had women chase him for years, but I’ve never seen him as wrapped up in any of them as he is in you.” He pulled her head toward him and kissed her hair. “I have a feeling you’re going to be part of the family very soon. Now eat your toast. I don’t want my future niece to starve.”

  “Maybe it’s a boy.”

  “Naw. This family seems to produce girls. And she’s going to have some cousins very anxious to play with her.”

  He walked out, and she took a bite of her toast, thinking about everything he’d just said.

  When she was finished, she put her plate and glass in the sink and returned to her room to get dressed. Then she stepped out on the balcony to see if she could see all the way to Connor Motor Works now that the sun was up.

  While she stood there, she heard voices coming from around the corner. She realized there must be a balcony off another bedroom. Jameson and Rory were talking. She couldn’t stop herself from moving closer to hear.

  “Feel free to use the condo for as long as you like.”

  “I plan on staying until the baby is born.”

  “Don’t rush into anything, brother,” Jameson said.

  Rory chuckled. “Some people may say it’s too late for that.”

  “You know what I’m talking about. Take your time. Get to know this girl. Don’t marry her because of infatuation.”

  “It’s not infatuation.”

  “You barely know each other. You’ve got time to find out if this is real…for her as well as you.”

  Rayne strained to hear, but Rory made no response.

  Jameson continued. “Don’t forget you’ve got some success. Make sure she’s in this for the right reason and not because she’s knocked up and you’re the golden goose.”

  “Jameson.”

  “Plus, there’s that other guy… He’s interested in her.”

  “Charlie? I already set him straight.”

  “How’d you to that?”

  “With a right hook to the jaw.”

  Jameson chuckled. “Direct if not primal.”

  “Direct is what we do, isn’t it?”

  “No argument here. Just don’t go giving him an excuse for a lawsuit. You’ve actually got some money to take now.”

  “Funny.”

  “Not being funny, Rory. It’s true. You get to a certain level, people start coming out of the woodwork, wanting a piece of it.”

  “I suppose.”

  “You need to be careful, and not just with women. Do you trust that manager you’ve got?”

  “Lou Crawford? He’s one of the best in the business.”

  “Doesn’t mean he’s not robbing his clients blind… maybe even Charlotte Justice. You never know with these kinds of people. They’re usually in it for what’s best for them, not necessarily what’s best for you.”

  “Sage words of advice.”

  “Just want you to learn from my experience. You want to talk about shady characters, do a TV reality show.”

  “Right. I can see it now, The Real Rock Stars of LA.”

  Jameson chuckled. “Keeping up with the Tour Bus.”

  She heard the door open and the voices move inside, so she went back into her bedroom, and a moment later there was a tap on the door. She answered it to find Rory standing there, Jameson in the hall behind him with a duffle bag in his hand.

  “My brothers are leaving; thought you might want to come say goodbye.”

  “Of course.” She stepped out and walked with them down the hall. Max and Liam were already waiting, their packed bags sitting on the floor by the door.

  Jameson patted Rory’s shoulder. “Take care of yourself and this pretty lady here.” He smiled over at her.

  Rory looked at her. “I plan to.”

  Max and Liam came forward, each giving him a back slapping hug. Max moved to her and hugged her, whispering in her ear, “Remember what I said.”

  “I will. Goodbye, Max.”

  “When you’re feeling better, have Rory bring you out to Grand Junction. I’m sure Malee and the girls would love to meet you.”

  “All right. Thank you.”

  Liam touched the top of her head. “Take care of that baby, Rayne.”

  “I will.”

  Jameson just lifted his chin to her. “Stay as long as you want. You’ll be safe from reporters up here, and you can order in anything you need.”

  She looked around. “It’ll be a lovely prison. I’m joking. It’s very kind of you.”

  After they left and Rory closed the door, the place seemed very big and very quiet.

  “Have you eaten?” he asked.

  “I had a piece of toast.”

  “You can’t live on that.”

  “I’m not sure I can keep anything else down right now.”

  “Oh. Right. I’ll call and stock up on all the right foods. I was looking on the Internet last night. I made a list.” He dug his phone out of his pocket and pulled his notes app up. “They say anything with ginger is good, and to eat early in the day. You should stash a box of crackers by your bedside table and nibble a few as soon as you wake up. It said an empty stomach ups the nausea factor.” He moved his thumb down the screen. “I have a bunch of stuff I want to get and keep on hand.”

  She thought it was sweet that he’d actually made a list or that he’d even bothered to look it up. “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “I knew I’d never remember it all. There’s actually an app we can download that tracks everything you eat if you want to do that. Some pregnancy website, I can’t remember—”

  “Rory.”

  He stopped scrolling and looked up.

  She smiled and took his hand. “Let’s go see if I can keep anything down.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry. Was I babbling on while you’re standing here starving?”

  “Something like that.”

  He set her up at the island, checked his list, and came back with yogurt and a protein bar. “Try these. And they say tea is good. Do you want some tea?”

  “Sure.” She didn’t really, but he looked like he needed to do something.

  “I thought later we could order whatever you might need and have it sent up.”

  “Need?”

  “For the pregnancy and for when the baby comes.”

  “Oh.”

  He popped a pod in the coffee maker. “Jameson has some herbal tea. Well, I should say Ava has it. Jameson doesn’t drink that shit…sorry, tea.”

  “You don’t have to refrain from swearing on my account. You think I don’t hear it from the guys at the shop?”

  “Right. I’ll bet you do.”

  “Speaking of, is it true you punched Charlie?”

  He paused with mug in hand. “Who told you that?”

  “Did you?”

  “Yeah. I did.”

  “Why would you do that? He’s been a good friend to me.”

  “He wants to be more than a friend. I set him straight on that account.”

  “With your fist?”

  “It worked.” He ran a hand down his face. “Look, I shouldn’t have done it, but it was the quickest way—”

  “To mark your territory. Right.”

  “I told you men talk to each other in very clear terms.”

  “Can’t get much clearer than a fist to the face.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I don’t like violence.”

  “I don’t either, but that’s my baby inside you. It was a special circumstance.”

  �
�Don’t do it again.”

  He nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll try.”

  “Don’t try. Do.”

  He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  She took a spoonful of yogurt, ignoring him.

  “I like this side of you.”

  Her eyes cut to him. Was he being funny? Then he winked at her and set her tea down.

  He made himself a coffee and sat next to her. “So, I’ve got a decision to make, and I need your help.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ve been offered a choice. I either go on Charlotte Justice’s European leg of her tour as her opening act, or they’ve offered me my own American tour. Another artist had to cancel, and I can have his dates.”

  “Wow. That’s some offer.”

  “It’s a big opportunity—my own tour—and I’d be close for you and the baby.”

  “But?”

  He shrugged and let out a huff of laughter. “Not sure I’m ready for it.”

  “Do you like to be on stage? Do you have stage fright or something?”

  “That’s the only part of touring I do like.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “There’s a big difference between being the opening act and being the headliner. The tour flops, it’s all on me.”

  “Why would the tour flop?”

  He shrugged. “I’d have to come up with an entire show full of songs. Now I just play thirty or forty minutes.”

  “Do you have the material?”

  “Yeah, I suppose.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  He tapped his thumb on the counter, staring off in space.

  “Rory?”

  He looked up at her.

  “Then do the European tour. I’ll be fine. Is that what you want—my permission to go?”

  “No, not at all. I thought maybe you could come with me.”

  “To Europe?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “So you’d pass on the American tour? You really want to do that?”

  “I don’t know.” He ran a hand over his beard, stood, and began pacing.

  “Rory, you didn’t get into music to be an opening act for someone else, did you?”

  “No.”

  “Then there’s your answer.”

  “If I go on tour in America, will you come with me?”

  She pulled back. “I—I don’t know, Rory. I’d be on the tour bus with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And sit backstage and watch you play?”

  “Yes. I want you with me.”

  “Rory, I love that you want me with you, but I have a business to run. I can’t just drop everything and take off. I mean, sure, for a week or two, but not months on end.”

  He braced his hands on the island. “I forgot about the shop. Damn.”

  “You should still go do the tour. Do you know what the scheduled dates are?”

  “No. I need to call my manager and give him my decision. I guess I’ll find out the details then.”

  “Maybe you should do that now.”

  He nodded. “I’ll go call him.” He kissed her head. “Eat your yogurt. I’ll be back.”

  She watched him walk out. So, if he was going on tour, she couldn’t depend on him being around for her or the baby. She supposed that meant she was back where she started. She looked around the condo. She also supposed if Rory wasn’t around, she would no longer be staying here. Well, it was nice while it lasted, but she always knew this kind of life was too good to be true.

  Maybe Rory would at least step up with some bills, and she wouldn’t have to be so tight with her grocery money and other things.

  She finished the yogurt, ate the protein bar, and sipped the tea. When she was finished, Rory still wasn’t back, so she wandered out to the big balcony off the living area and sat on the couch by the fireplace. The view was really incredible, the Front Range stretching in both directions as far as the eye could see.

  She enjoyed the peacefulness of it, breathing deeply. It really was quite calming to just stare at that view. She could get used to having tea out here every morning.

  Rory walked outside and sat next to her, patting her knee. “Did you eat?”

  “Every bite.”

  “Good girl.”

  “How’d it go?” she asked.

  “All right, I guess.”

  “You guess?”

  “He sent me the schedule.” Rory pulled it up on his phone and showed it to her. There were dates starting next month and lasting until after the baby’s due date.

  “Oh.”

  His eyes met hers. “I know I’ll be gone a lot, but there are several times when I’ll have three days between gigs. I’ll fly back every chance I get, Rayne.”

  She looked down at her lap and pulled at an imaginary thread, wondering why she suddenly felt so sad. At first when he’d never called her, she’d been hurt, then she’d been mad, and when he’d shown up and pushed his way into her life she’d sort of been relieved, if she were being honest.

  Last night, for the first time in a long time, she’d felt like all the worry and stress had been lifted off her shoulders, and she could actually breathe. Now she suddenly wondered if she was going to be abandoned all over again. He was making a lot of promises, but would he keep them?

  “Baby, look at me.”

  Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze. He searched her eyes, and she hated that he could easily read the sadness there.

  “I promise, I’ll fly back every chance I get.”

  “Sure.”

  “I mean it, Rayne. I want to be here for you and the baby. But I also need to make money. To do that, I’ve got to go out on this tour. If I don’t—”

  “Sure, I understand.”

  “You look like you don’t believe me.”

  “To be honest, I don’t know if I can believe you. I guess that remains to be seen.”

  “I’ll have to prove it to you, you mean.”

  “I guess I do.”

  “Okay. Then I will.” He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles. “We’ve got some time. I don’t need to be in LA for rehearsals until the end of the week.”

  “That soon?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got to work up the show. I’m not at all ready.”

  “I understand.”

  “When’s your next doctor’s appointment?”

  “The twentieth.”

  “Oh.”

  “You won’t be here.”

  “No,” he answered quietly. “But you’ll have your girl squad, right?”

  Her eyes stung with tears, and she looked away, not wanting him to see.

  “Right?” he repeated.

  Her throat closed up, and all she could do was shake her head. She felt the tears overflow, and she put her face in her hands as the silent sobs she couldn’t hold back overwhelmed her.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Rory scooted closer and put his arm around her. She leaned into him, letting him hold her. His palm rubbed up and down her back. “Rayne, tell me what’s wrong.”

  She buried her face in his neck and wiped her cheeks. “I’m not speaking to them.”

  “Who? Your girls?” He pulled back to look in her face. “Why?”

  “I told them to get out last night.”

  “Why?”

  “Sasha told me she was the one who gave the media my story.”

  “Wait, what? She told them you were pregnant with my baby?”

  Rayne nodded. “Yes. She said she sold it to them for a thousand dollars. She did it to get me the money because she knew I needed it.”

  “Did you? Need the money, I mean?”

  “I suppose so, but look what she did to me? Now I’m hiding out.”

  “Your girls have been there for you and gotten you through some very hard times, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. So, Sasha made a mistake, a huge one, but maybe her heart was in the right place.
She was trying to get you some money, and I think more importantly—my attention on you. It worked; I’m here. I was going to find you; she just made it easier. I think you should let it go and make up with your friends. You’re going to need them, especially now with the baby coming and me not always able to be here.”

  “I suppose.”

  “But?”

  “It wasn’t right.”

  “I’m glad you weren’t in on it.”

  “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  He brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the wetness. “So, I never asked. What are we having?”

  She frowned. “Having?”

  “A boy or a girl?”

  She bit her lip. “What do you want it to be?”

  “What do you want it to be?”

  She grinned. “It’s a girl.”

  “Awesome. She’ll have lots of little girl cousins to play with.”

  “So, I’ve heard.”

  “Who told you?”

  “Max.”

  Rory nodded. “So have you picked out a name for our daughter?”

  “Actually, I’d like to call her Danielle, for my brother. If that’s okay with you.”

  “Danielle. It’s pretty. We can call her Danny.”

  “Not if you want to live to tell about it.” She arched a brow.

  He chuckled. “Message received. Can I touch her?” He held his palm a few inches above her tummy. She pulled it to rest on her baby bump. He stared down at his hand. “I can’t believe there’s a little life in there. This is sort of surreal, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, biting her lip again.

  He met her eyes. “Can I pick the middle name?”

  “I guess that’s only fair.”

  “I’d like to name her after my mother, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course.”

  “Everyone called her Betsy, but her given name was Elizabeth.”

  “Danielle Elizabeth,” she tried the name out on her tongue. “I like it.”

  “Danielle Elizabeth O’Rourke,” he corrected.

  Her eyes dropped. “I suppose you would want her to have your last name.”

  “It’s customary.”

  “It’s just…”

  He lifted her chin up. “It’s just what?”

  “She and I would have different last names.”

  He swallowed. “Maybe not.”

  She felt her stomach drop. Getting up, she moved to the railing, her legs carrying her quickly. A cold shiver moved over her body, and suddenly Rory was at her side.