Baby Stetson (Love and Music in Texas #1)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  “Are you okay?” Lucas asked, touching her shoulder gently. Avery faced him.

  “No. I’m scared. I’ve wondered all my life about my birth parents, but never pursued. I didn’t want to hurt Mom and Dad. Yet, here’s a man who could be the key to my past.” She trembled.

  Lucas’s gaze darted to the door, then back at her. “You’ll be just fine. Breathe.”

  She did so. Lucas knocked on the door for her before she could do it herself. He took a step back and nudged her forward. “Coming!” Rodney’s voice was muffled through the door, then footsteps drew near. The door opened slowly, then wider as Rodney’s head poked out and saw her. A smile spread across his face as he reached out to hug her. Avery stepped into his embrace, a little unsure, but went with the flow anyway.

  “I was afraid you wouldn’t show,” Rodney whispered in her ear, cradling her head. Then the hug was over. “I don’t want to overwhelm you. I just- I needed that hug.”

  “It’s okay. You just caught me off guard. I’m overwhelmed at this whole thing right now,” Avery admitted, her voice shaky.

  “You brought someone with you?” Rodney asked, looking over at Lucas. His tone was light and kind. Warm.

  “I ran into her in the hall and when she appeared nervous, I offered to walk her,” Lucas said, eyeing Rodney.

  “Is this your boyfriend, Avery?” Rodney looked from Lucas to Avery with a smile.

  “Oh, no!” Avery protested. “He’s not. I’ve only met him recently, too.” She moved a little further away from Lucas. She wasn’t even sure why.

  “Oh? Well, the sparks between you two are very evident,” Rodney said, looking a little confused.

  Sparks? Her and Lucas? Okay, that was new. She barely knew the man.

  Then why would you kiss him the way you have?

  Avery stifled a sigh. She really was an open book.

  Rodney turned to Lucas. “Will you be joining us for dinner?”

  “No-” both Lucas and Avery said at the same time.

  “I don’t mind if he comes along if you don’t, Avery,” Rodney insisted.

  What would it hurt? That way, if things got awkward...

  Wait. They already were.

  Oh well. Whatever. It still wouldn’t hurt if Lucas came along. Avery glanced at Lucas. “You’re more than welcome to join us.”

  “Thank you. I’d love that.”

  “Well then, shall we?” Rodney asked. “What do you suggest?”

  “I know a great place within walking distance.” Avery led Rodney and Lucas to the elevator. What had she gotten herself into? She was still reeling from Lucas’s kisses, and being around her birth father... “If y’all like all-American food.”

  Lucas and Rodney nodded in agreement. So that was settled.

  As the elevator followed it’s downward path, Avery stood in between the two men, not sure how she ended up in the middle. Lucas’s hand touched the back rail and as he moved it, brushed up against hers. Caught off guard, she met his stare.

  It was going to be an interesting night. That much was for sure.

  *****

  “You play in a band? Wow! That’s amazing!” Rodney said as the trio waited for their orders at Buzz Burgers. They’d chosen a booth, and Lucas squeezed in next to Avery. He actually didn’t crowd her this time. He respected her space and gave her plenty of her own. She couldn’t help but notice the glances he sent her way quite often.

  “She’s got a voice like no other.” Lucas grinned. “I first met her as she bumped into me after her show. Avery blew me away.”

  “Aww, thank you Lucas.” He hadn’t said that before. The tone in his voice proved he meant that. Avery grinned at him and saw the admiration in his eyes.

  “No, I mean it. I was really impressed. I can’t believe you’re hiding out in a town like this.”

  Avery fiddled with her napkin.

  It wasn’t the first time someone had said that.

  “I’d love to hear you sometime,” Rodney said.

  “We’ve got another live performance coming up in about two nights. Both of you are welcome,” Avery offered, though she would be nervous to have Rodney in the crowd.

  “I’d love that,” Rodney said softly. His expression was unreadable. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here in front of you right now. It’s a feeling I can’t describe.”

  “I know.” Avery sat up straighter and looked back at him again.

  “I wish I had known about you sooner. But I’m glad that you’ve had two wonderful parents that love you. I think you need to tell them, Avery.”

  She swallowed. “I will. I thought I’d wait-”

  Until the DNA test is done.

  Rodney nodded, giving her a knowing look. “Okay. Fair enough. When do you want to do that? I’ve got the means.”

  “As soon as possible, I suppose,” Avery said, suddenly nervous again.

  “Okay. I’ll see if we can start it tomorrow, if you’d like.”

  Avery nodded, not able to speak.

  Lucas watched her. “What are you talking about?”

  “A DNA test,” she responded.

  Lucas nodded. “Oh, okay.” A shadowed expression crossed his face. Why couldn’t she be a mind reader?

  “What’s the name of your band?” Rodney inquired, leaning forward.

  “Baby Stetson.” Now she’d have to explain where the name came from. Ten to one, he was going to ask.

  “Interesting name. Any reasoning behind that?”

  Boom. There it was. The loaded question.

  Avery hesitated. Now Lucas fixed his gaze on her, too. Well, here goes nothing. What can of worms would this open? Would it give insight about her biological mother? “It’s my nickname, given to me at birth, because that’s how my parents found me. I was a baby in a Stetson.”

  Rodney’s face went slack as his eyes widened. He drew in a sharp, shaky breath. “You were just left there- in a hat? Left here?” His nostrils flared, eyes darkening as he narrowed them.

  Avery nodded. She felt Lucas slide his hand across the vinyl seat, reaching for hers. “It was the talk of the town forever. The newspapers dubbed me as Baby Stetson, and it kind of just stuck. As I grew up, I wanted to get away from the nickname, but my band mates thought it to be great for a band name, so I finally give in after awhile. So, there you have it.” And she still had that hat, too. Old, broken and worn out, that Stetson was a symbol of who she was. Could it have been Rodney’s hat?

  “I wish I had known about you. I can’t believe-” Rodney shook his head. “But you had a good life, right? I mean, I see it. You look good. I just, sorry. That caught me off guard. I thought that at least you had a formal adoption or something, not just left- I’m dredging up memories now, aren’t I?”

  “It’s okay,” Avery replied softly. “It’s going to be nice to open the door to my past. As good of an upbringing as I had, it’s good to know what kind of genes I have, you know? I’m glad to have met you, and even though there’s no concrete proof, I already feel connected to you. I want to know so much.” Tears threatened to fall. Avery wiped her face with a napkin. Now wasn’t the time for emotional craziness.

  Lucas still held her hand. In fact, her hand cramped because he squeezed so hard. She moved to pull her hand away, and Lucas let go, startled. He had a troubled look in his eyes, too. His jaw tightened and a muscle ticked. What had him so angry? Was he so bothered by the way she was found? He’d already heard this story once! Oh, if only she knew more about him to know what made him react to things the way he did. The man was a mystery, a case Avery wanted nothing more than to crack.

  Among other things.

  As she rubbed her sore wrist, Lucas mouthed “Sorry” to her before looking away.

  “I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Rodney promised.

  “Even about my mother?” She remembered the letter, and the secrecy behind her birth mother’s identity.

  Rodney stiffened. “I want to-”

  “But you can�
�t, right?” Avery asked bitterly. “What, she doesn’t want some child of hers, one she didn’t want to just show up on her doorstep and find her? She’s that ashamed of her past, of me?” Avery’s hands trembled. She clasped them together in her lap.

  “I-”

  “Forget it. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. I just don’t understand the need for secrecy. But to each their own, right?” Avery tried to change the tone in her voice. Rodney was here, he hadn’t known about her, but he did now. If her birth mother didn’t give a shit, then fine. Why should Avery? Damn it if it still didn’t sting a little bit. All right, more than a little bit. A whole lot.

  No one spoke for what seemed like forever. The too bubbly waitress brought their food over, making sure to smile and bend over in front of Lucas, exposing her ample breasts, probably hoping to score a phone number, or find a way to give him hers. She was too young, and a lot more eager. Avery coughed, hoping to send the girl a hint. Blue eyes met hers, and the girl frowned, then made a face at Avery before plopping down her basket, spilling a couple of fries on the table.

  What a witch. How rude!

  “Would you like anything else?” the waitress purred, batting her eyelashes at Lucas.

  “That’ll be it for now, thanks,” Lucas said, backing away. Avery noticed he kept his gaze away from the exposed cleavage. Lucas sure got a lot of attention, yet, he didn’t bask in it like some men would.

  First Alice, and now this girl.

  Not that it was any of her business.

  Not that she cared.

  Liar!

  Okay, so for whatever reason, maybe she did.

  Just a little.

  When Miss Flirtypants turned away, she strutted off with a swagger and another look back at Lucas. But he was already digging into his dinner and Avery hid her grin when the waitress turned back around, her lips already turned into a pout. Avery watched as she made her next move to some unsuspecting young man at another table. How do girls like her get hired? Oh, right. It was all about the business. Even it it meant showing too much and putting on the flirtation. Overdoing it, if you asked Avery. She shook her head, disgusted, and turned away from the girl. That’s just the kind of world it was now.

  The only reason Avery focused even an ounce of attention to it was to keep off the subject at hand. The silence started to get to her. Someone had to say something soon. The tension needed to be broken. “So, um, hope y’all enjoy the food.” Lame attempt for small talk, but someone had to break the ice.

  “You can’t go wrong with burgers and fries.” Lucas grinned, and bit into his cheeseburger.

  “It’s been a long time since I had a hamburger. My wife is more of a gourmet cook. Not that I’m complaining, but it’s nice to have old fashioned grease every so often.” Rodney smiled at Avery.

  “I actually don’t eat it all the time either,” Avery admitted.

  “Well, I’m sure glad you suggested this tonight.” Rodney bit into a fry.

  “I am, too.” Millions of thoughts swirled around in Avery’s mind. A nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach grew, spreading like wildfire. As happy and excited as she was about meeting Rodney, hurt bubbled inside her over the lack of interest from her birth mother. Why should Avery care, though, if the woman didn’t? How do you carry a child for nine months and not give a crap about them, yet the kindness of two strangers gave her all the love in the world? It didn’t make sense, and Avery hated to admit that it hurt.

  “Hey, Lucas, if you don’t mind, can you scoot out? I need to run to the ladies room.” If it broke the tension for awhile for her, that would be a good thing. Lucas moved in an effort to let Avery out, and she hurried towards the back.

  *****

  What an interesting but intense night. Lucas felt out of place watching Avery and this man who could be her father. Why had he invited himself along? Why did every bone in his body also yearn for her when he knew he couldn’t have her? Yet he’d thrown caution to the wind and sent her an invitation to his room earlier, and actually thought she would act on it? Yeah, she went in for his kiss the other night, but what the hell would make him think she’d go for some casual sex with a guy she barely knew? Avery didn’t appear to be that kind of girl, let alone that she’d just broken up with someone and was obviously still torn about her feelings.

  For once in his life, his feelings toward Avery were more than sexual. He’d actually found a connection with her on a deeper level.

  That scared the hell out of him.

  Lucas felt like an ass.

  Now, as Avery disappeared, he focused his attention on Rodney.

  “For someone that doesn’t know her well, you sure stick to Avery like glue.” Rodney’s glare hardened, matching Lucas’s feelings.

  “Yeah, well there’s something about her I can’t resist,” Lucas said easily. That was true, but there was so much more to it and Rodney wasn’t the one he could share that with. He didn’t trust this man yet.

  “You look like a player. Don’t hurt this woman.”

  Wow, did Rodney ever sound like a father.

  Or a world class jerk. What right did he have to sweep into her life like this and then pounce on Lucas like he was doing something wrong?

  And he didn’t even know for sure Avery was his daughter. Lucas had to admit, there were many, many visual clues to their similar appearance.

  “Me? I don’t think I’m the one Avery has to worry about. You came here to turn her world around, and she’s in distress over it.”

  “All I came here to do was to get to know a woman that is my own flesh and blood!” Rodney slapped his hand on the table, eyes shooting invisible daggers at Lucas.

  “Take it easy. I’m not your enemy.”

  “So what are you? Obviously an out-of-towner. You’re staying at the inn. What’s your purpose here? You fixating on Avery for something? Targeting her?”

  “Now wait a minute. Don’t go around throwing accusations at me. I’m here for work. Avery works for the inn, along with her adoptive parents. We struck up a friendship, and okay, yes, we’re both attracted to one another. Okay? I’m not some stalker, and I’m not here to hurt anybody.” Lucas held his hands up, releasing his frustration. Geez. This guy was in town for less than a day and already acting like Avery was someone he’d known for so long that he could start questioning Lucas regarding his intentions? What the hell kind of crap was that?

  Give the guy a break. He’s making up for lost time.

  Lucas tried again, this time with a kinder approach. “Look, we need to stop having such a heated argument. We’re both strangers to her, and in a short time have grown to care for her very much. You don’t want her hurt, and neither do I. But don’t start questioning my integrity or feelings when I frankly don’t know what I feel, or what I want to do with what I do feel.” This job only got worse as time went on. Lucas should have done something long ago, instead of being dragged into another mess. This time, he cared too much. Stupid heart, stupid feelings, and stupid, stupid penis.

  Yeah, the big guy down there sure had a way of taking over what Lucas had a purpose for.

  Fucker.

  “I don’t think I trust you,” Rodney responded, his stare hard and cold.

  “The feeling is mutual,” Lucas replied. “But it’s really not up to us what happens. It’s all on Avery.”

  Speaking of which, she’d returned, moving gracefully through the tables. Lucas smiled at her, hoping to erase all signs of what he’d just been feeling. If this Rodney was her father, then Lucas would have to deal with it, do what he came here to do, and be gone. He just needed to stop letting Avery’s sweet face get in the way, and turn him into an idiot that wanted to take her to bed. And stay there.

  “Is everything okay?” Avery glanced from Rodney to Lucas. Shit. So much for keeping it to himself. She sensed something wrong.

  “Sure is,” Lucas said at the same time Rodney responded with “Of course.”

  Lucas scooted out of the booth once aga
in to let Avery slide in. Maybe he should finish up his dinner and bow out, before he did something stupid like touch Avery again, or get into another not so good conversation with Rodney. It wasn’t fair for him to intrude. And that’s just what he’d been doing. He just needed to be sure things were going good. Lucas sighed. “I’m going to have to go soon. I’ve got a few things to work on tonight.” He was torn. Stay, or go?

  Avery looked over at him with questioning eyes, but the look flickered away in just a blink. “Okay. Well, I appreciate you joining us tonight.” She sounded like she really meant it. So maybe he hadn’t screwed things up after all. Time would tell.

  “Yes, Lucas, thank you for escorting Avery tonight,” Rodney smirked. He would be glad to get rid of Lucas, that much was for sure. Lucas just hoped that things would go better for Avery after he left. He was hesitant to go, but it would be the best option.

  “Okay, well ... have a good rest of the evening.” Lucas left two ten dollar bills on the table. “Tell the waitress to keep the change.”

  Get out of there, now.

  Without a last look, Lucas left. What a track record he’d had with Avery so far. He’d bolted more than once.

  But it wasn’t about her. Lucas needed to clear his mind, keep the sexual, and even nonsexual thoughts about Avery away. Once he was outside, he checked his phone. Several text messages awaited him, inquiring about new events. Lucas sighed. Someone was going to get hurt in this mess if he didn’t find a graceful way out.

  Chapter Eight

  “I had a nice time talking with you tonight, Avery.” Rodney hugged her one last time as they stood in front of his door an hour after Lucas left. Avery couldn’t put a finger on it, but she gathered from the strange tension after she’d gone to the bathroom that Lucas and Rodney didn’t care for each other. Not like it mattered. She wasn’t dating Lucas, and she didn’t care about his feelings toward Rodney. She had no idea why Lucas insisted on bringing himself along. It had been a little relieving at first. It turned out to be awkward regardless, but it was nice to have another person along in case things went downhill. She’d have to remember to question Lucas about his odd mood later. Or maybe, she’d just let it go. Why should she care a lick at all about him, or his actions? She barely knew him. Just another passing stranger in town and then he’d be gone.