The Melody In My Head (Love and Music in Texas Book 2)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  The door opened with it's usual squeak, and Avery poked her head out. She smiled, and then must have noticed how red faced and sweaty he had to have been and a frown appeared. "Did you run over here? Where's your truck?" She opened the door wider, stepping back to let him in.

  "You weren't the only one who had someone try to take off with your truck, except they were successful in my case." Lame, stupid joke.

  Avery's brows climbed. "What are you talking about?" She pushed the door closed behind him.

  "Mom took off in my truck last night and they still haven't found her. I don't know if she was drinking or not, but I found an empty bottle in her room. When I heard the truck, I ran out there to try and stop her and she just drove off. She saw me there, yelling at her to stop, and she didn't." Anger bubbled within him. He went past the point of feeling sad or guilty for her now. Now he was pissed. He grieved for his father, too, damn it!

  "Oh Jameson." Avery touched his shoulder. "Why didn't you call us?"

  "I can't keep bothering you guys every time there's a problem. I already think I invade on y'all too much." Well there went that. He didn't want to mention that thought, even though it weighed on his mind quite often. Had he become the ex that the happy new couple couldn't get rid of? The last thing he wanted to do was intrude.

  "Jameson Ray, now why in the world would you think that? Have we ever made you feel that way? Seriously?" Avery put a hand on her hip.

  "Uh oh. Avery's using middle names. What did you do, Jameson?" Lucas came up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

  "He thinks he invades on us!" Avery exclaimed, looking from Jameson to Lucas. "Jameson, I-"

  "I'm sorry, Baby Stetson. It's been a long night, and I didn't mean to start talking like an idiot. It's nothing you guys have done. Either of you. You two have been great to me and I appreciate everything." Jameson heaved a sigh. Damn it, he hated that hurt expression on Avery's face. He knew she worried about him. She was just that way and always had been. So compassionate and caring for everyone. "I couldn't take the emptiness in the house. I've been waiting for news all night, and nothing!"

  "What happened?" Lucas asked.

  Before Jameson could fill him in on the latest, Mary entered the living room, her hair wet and hovering in her eyes. "Good morning." She sent a small smile his way. She dressed in an over sized green shirt and jeans, but she still managed to look really good. The dark circles under her eyes hadn't eased up much, though she looked a little better rested.

  "Morning."

  "I guess you heard about last night." Mary didn't meet his eyes. She moved to sit on the couch, sinking into it and leaned back.

  Jameson nodded. There was no reason to say anything. Maybe they could find a way to help her today. He needed to feel like he could do that for someone. Jameson sure as hell couldn't help his mom, and some days, he didn't think he could help himself.

  Damn it, that pity party attitude crap needed to go away. Now. This wasn't like him. Jameson sank into the couch, not too far from Mary. Lucas and Avery followed, finding their place on the love seat. No one said anything for a few minutes, and the awkward silence drove Jameson nuts. What a day.

  "I just want to say again how sorry I am for the stunt I pulled yesterday." Mary finally eased the silence. "I never meant to hurt any of you, especially since all of you have been so good to me. I'm at a loss at what to do. I have no one I can rely on. I don't trust easily. It was an act of desperation, and I'm ashamed." She cast her gaze over at Jameson for a second, and he noticed the tears in her eyes. Her body quivered. His heart went out to her. Here he was, suffering his silent pain, and he did have people he could go to. He just chose not to. Mary was in an unfamiliar place, no one to run to, and felt she had to steal to get away. Funny how people do things sometimes, in a strange frame of mind.

  Jameson knew what he had to do. For himself and for his mom.

  And when it came to Avery and Lucas, he needed to let them in. Especially Avery. They had gone through so much together, it wasn't good to start shutting out his best friend now. If he pushed too far, he wouldn't have anyone left.

  "I'm compelled to help you, Mary. I've been where you are. I'm not one to easily trust. I may not know or understand your situation, but to a certain degree, I get it. It really does help to open up a little. Avery and Jameson are two of the most helpful people that I've ever met." Lucas held Avery close to him as he spoke.

  "I don't want to put anyone in danger," Mary started.

  Jameson reached for her hand and covered it with his. She gasped but didn't pull away. Why had he gone and done that? Impulsive move.

  "The inn could use some extra help. We could get you set up with a job, find you a place to stay, and we'll help you start over, if that's what you need," Avery said.

  Jameson could tell Mary was really thinking about it. She kept biting her lip. He squeezed her hand. Awareness ran through his body. Okay, he shouldn't be having those kind of feelings around her. But there they were. He was all over the place right now.

  Mary nodded. "Okay. I'll do it. It will at least help me come up with a plan. I don't know what I did to get this kind of help, but I really appreciate it."

  Jameson surprised himself by realizing he was glad she chose to stay.

  His phone went off. Hopefully, it would be news. Heart racing, Jameson reached for it to answer. All eyes seemed to be on him. "Hello?"

  "Jameson?" He recognized the voice of the officer he'd spoken to last night. By the tone in his voice, Jameson wasn't sure this would be good news.

  "Yes." He avoided looking at Avery or Lucas.

  "We found your truck. I'm sorry to say, it's damaged and your mom is nowhere to be found. I think she crashed it into a tree and fled."

  No, no! It sucked about the truck, he wasn't happy about it, but it could be fixed. His mother, that was a different story.

  "Where? Where did you find it?" He gripped the phone.

  When the officer mentioned the location, Jameson shot to his feet. He knew exactly where his mom had tried to go. "I have a feeling I know where she is. My truck, is it still there?"

  "Yes. We are going to have it towed to town. You need to decide what to do next in terms of pressing charges-"

  Jameson cut him off. "I'm not pressing charges against my mother. All I wanted was help in finding her, to keep her and anyone else safe. That's my mom! How can I-?" Jameson felt a hand on his shoulder. Avery stood by his side, tears in her eyes.

  "Take it easy, Jameson. I'm just laying out all the options."

  "I appreciate your help. I'll come take care of my truck in a few hours. I'm going to go find my mother. Thank you." Jameson snapped the phone shut and dropped it in his pocket. Avery backed up. Lucas watched him from the love seat. He saw their faces, the way they looked at him and it bothered him. "She crashed the truck. She was trying to- to get back to their house. Back in-" He didn't even want to think of the house. Memories of that night filled his mind and tore him up inside. The night he made the worst mistake of his life. When he just didn't think. The one that changed things for him and Avery.

  Her face crumpled. "And your mom?"

  "Not in the truck. I bet she went to the house. I need to go get her. I can't believe they thought I would press charges. I didn't want to call them, but-" He stopped, drew in a breath and tried to keep calm.

  Lucas walked off somewhere. When he came back to the room a few minutes later, he handed a set of keys to Jameson. "Take the car. Go get her."

  "I'll go with you, if you'd like. For company. You've offered to help me. I'd like to try and do something in return." Mary's offer surprised him. Jameson turned away from Avery and Lucas, keys in hand and gaped at her.

  "If you want me to, that is. I'm not trying to intrude. I just thought-"

  "No, it's okay. I'd appreciate that." He didn't have to face it alone, and he wouldn't be asking more from Avery and Lucas when they had enough to deal with. It was a decent solution. He faced Lucas again. "Y
ou won't need the car?"

  "We've got the truck. I'm off all day, and we don't need two vehicles. It's already filled up. Let us know how things go, okay? We'll see about your truck when it's brought back."

  "Thank you, Lucas. You too, Avery."

  Mary held her purse and waited for him.

  "Keep us updated if you can, okay?" Avery requested softly, hugging him. "We're here for you. Always know that."

  "I know. I don't mean to push you away." Jameson returned the hug, then stepped away from her. "I'd better go. If she's where I think she is, I want to catch her before she tries to run off again."

  *****

  What had she been thinking when she made the offer to accompany Jameson? He looked like he needed someone, and it wasn't like she had anything else she could do at the moment. It would be nice to get away for awhile, think, and get to know Jameson a little bit. What little she knew of him, she liked him.

  She could get away from the tension between Avery and Lucas. They seemed okay this morning, but Melody knew her presence there caused trouble.

  She didn't have any idea what was wrong with Jameson's mom, but whatever it was, it affected Jameson. A lot. Her heart went out to him, and suddenly, her own problems faded away. Just slightly, but enough for her to realize she wasn't the only one battling demons.

  For the first fifteen minutes, Jameson said nothing. He focused on the road, his hands gripped the steering wheel. Melody noticed a slight tremble in them.

  If only she had the right words to say to him. She had a feeling no one did. Even Avery, who seemed to know so much about Jameson, couldn't reach him.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Jameson turned his gaze to her, just for a moment. "I'm sorry I'm not better company. I bet you're regretting the ride."

  Why did people take it upon themselves to guess what someone else could be thinking? Not that she didn't do it herself, but that habit needed to be broken.

  "I didn't come along expecting tons of conversation and happy times." Melody chose her words carefully. The silence didn't bother her that much. She actually enjoyed it. Gave her plenty of time to think. Not that she really needed extra thinking time. She'd been doing plenty of that recently.

  "Today is supposed to be about helping you, and now you're driving off with me. I feel bad about that."

  "You shouldn't, Jameson. This is going to sound weird, and I don't mean it as crass as it may come out, but I'm glad to not be the focus right now. It's nice to just be normal for a second."

  Jameson chuckled. "I know how you meant that, and believe me, I understand."

  He had a nice laugh. Sexy.

  He had nice hands, especially when they strummed the guitar.

  And he had gorgeous, get-lost-in-me-eyes.

  She had no business thinking about those things. What had gotten into her? Other the obvious, and some not so obvious.

  "I have to warn you, I'm not quite sure what my mother's mental state is going to be when we get there." Jameson drummed his fingers on the wheel. He was one of those guys that always had to be moving, it seemed. Even if it were just the movement of his hands.

  "Can I ask what happened? I don't want to pry."

  "It's a fair question." Jameson glanced at her again. "She's having a hard time. My dad died a little more than a year ago, and my mom just hasn't handled it well. At all. She's gone down a depressing path. Drinking, shutting everyone out, including me. She decided last night to take off with my truck after I came home from work."

  The sound of anger and hurt in his voice made Melody ache inside. This man's family was falling apart, one by one. How terrible.

  It made her think of her family, and how she didn't have a clue as to whether they were okay or not. She never should have run. She shouldn't have let Chris give her the fake identity. Why should her family have to suffer because she met and dated the wrong man? If only she hadn't been there that night, seen what she had. She would have loved to undo that night.

  But it meant she would still be there with him, oblivious to the wrongdoings. Then, who knows what?

  "I'm so sorry, Jameson. I can't imagine." She trailed her voice off. "Is it just you? No siblings?"

  "I have a sister. Blaine. She won't come back. She came for Dad's funeral, but bolted right after that. My mom and Blaine, they went through a rough patch for awhile. Now I can't get her to help me at all."

  Melody's eyes brimmed with tears. He carried this burden by himself. But why? He had friends that cared about him.

  She had no room to talk, really. Back home, she'd shut almost everyone out. If her family didn't know her so well, she probably would have kept things from them too. She should have done that, instead of getting them involved, and then maybe she wouldn't be running, wondering if they were okay. It was her problem, not theirs. If only she hadn't been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  You went through this already. You didn't want to be blind to the truth, damn it!

  It was reasons like feeling sympathetic for someone that got her into the mess she was in. Here she went again, feeling that same thing for Jameson.

  But Jameson was different.

  Jameson would never hurt someone, not like that.

  Still, she needed to keep her feelings and emotions in check when it came to this sexy guitarist, no matter how she was beginning to think she could trust him.

  *****

  "No, I do not want to be on a reality show! Stop calling here and bothering us!" Avery snapped into the phone and slammed it down. "Ugh. This is getting way out of hand now." She'd hoped for a call from Jameson, not another stupid person trying to exploit her because of her relationship to Belinda.

  "I don't know how many times we've changed our number, and they still manage to find it." Lucas came up behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He rubbed them, helping to ease the tension that caused the pain.

  "I should have checked the caller ID. I was just hoping it would have been Jameson. I can't stop worrying about him." Avery melted into Lucas's embrace when he stopped massaging and wrapped her in his arms instead.

  "I know. I do, too. As much as we want to help him, we just need to remember to give him his space. He's been through a lot, and he knows he can come to us. I still don't think it's easy for him, being around us sometimes. There's nothing we can do about that. It's something he has to learn to deal with. I know you weren't happy with what he said this morning, but you have to remember he probably hasn't gotten over his feelings, Avery." Lucas kissed her temple, still holding her close. "He feels like the third wheel. Before you protest to say he's not, think about it from his point of view. Especially because you two were in a serious relationship."

  "You always know what I'm about to say and beat me to it." Avery giggled, tilting her face up to look in his eyes. "I know you're right. Still, it's not easy."

  "Of course it isn't. And with you, you're always wanting to fix everything for everyone. Sometimes that's a blessing and a curse, because you channel emotions so well. Especially now, when they are so heightened. It's one of the many things I love about you." Lucas cupped her face and drew her near, kissing her passionately. He stopped short when the little swimmer or soccer player began her kicking spree again. Lucas pulled back, laughing and put his hand on her belly. "That's such an odd sensation," he said with a smile.

  "Ya think? Imagine how I feel?" Avery giggled. She loved the way Lucas's hands felt on her belly. He enjoyed kissing the baby bump, and when he leaned in and talked to their unborn daughter, it melted her heart. He was going to be an amazing father, despite his fears sometimes. It was only natural that he would worry. His past wasn't the best, and the more she learned, the more she ached for him. But Lucas was in a much better place in his life now. He became more open, honest, and full of life. That man would do anything to protect her, and he was a great friend. How did she ever get so lucky? She thought she couldn't be more in love with him, but she found a new way every day.

  "Oh, I know exactl
y how you feel." Lucas ran the tips of his fingers down her arm. "I love how you feel. I love you, soon to be Mrs. Bennett." His eyes were warm and full of love. "And, I love you too, Baby Girl Bennett." Lucas lifted Avery's stretched shirt and kissed her belly.

  Avery giggled. His kisses tickled.

  "In a matter of a few months, we'll be holding our baby for the first time," Lucas said softly, leading Avery to the couch so they could sit. "I'm seriously still in awe that this is my life. I'd be lost without you, Avery." He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "If someone had asked me a year ago what I thought things would be like, this is the last thing I would have guessed."

  Avery's smile widened. "Oh, Luke." He still managed to catch her off guard.

  "I mean it. I'm not just saying that, and you know it."

  "Of course I know that." Avery leaned into him, finally beginning to relax.

  "You're not still upset with me, are you?"

  Avery sighed. "How can I be mad at you? I know you're just trying to help someone that you see a bit of your old self in. I just- I worry. If she's desperate enough to steal our truck, then something isn't right. I didn't feel comfortable with her sleeping here after that."

  "I understand that. I'm sorry. I should have checked with you before blurting out that she could stay."

  "You've got a good heart, Lucas. That's how I know you're going to be wonderful at everything you do." She leaned up and kissed him.

  "I appreciate and love the faith you put in me." Lucas ran a thumb across her jaw. "The day is ours. What do you want to do, sweetheart?"

  "Hmm. We could-" The phone rang again, interrupting her train of thought. Avery sighed. They could ignore it, but it could be Jameson. Or her parents.

  Lucas shot to his feet. "My turn. And I'll give them a piece of my mind if someone is looking for a story." He looked at the caller ID. "Oh, it's Belinda."

  Lucas answered it. "Hi Belinda. How are you?"

  Avery had to hand it to him. Lucas was doing well with being civil to her. Not that she could blame him for being so angry. He had every right to be, but he was really trying when it came to how he acted toward her. Avery hadn't seen Belinda that often in the past few months, especially as the pregnancy progressed, but they kept up with phone calls, emails and letters. Belinda even promised to come out after the baby was born to spend some time with the family and she often said she couldn't wait to help spoil her grandchild.