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

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  What was that all about? Jameson wasn't sure if it was just that she was nearing her due date, or what.

  "I'm glad Blaine invited Avery out. It'll get her mind off things," Lucas muttered. Jameson wasn't sure if Lucas directed that at him or was just mumbling to himself. Whatever the case, it had him worried now.

  "What kind of things?" Jameson folded his arms over his chest. "Is everything okay?"

  Lucas rubbed his head and sighed. "Someone is sending us really screwed up notes and photos. I thought it was just something to get at Belinda again, but I think it's more than that. It's pissing me off and worrying me at the same time, and I don't know what can be done about it. The cops have been informed, I've got a security system on the house which I had to pay extra for so they'd come out and install it yesterday."

  "What kind of letters?" It had to be bad for Lucas to freak out like that. He was usually so calm and unfeathered. Unless it came to Avery or someone he cared about, Lucas was always so sure of everything. But the fact that he looked physically rattled worried Jameson.

  "Okay, you know that whole thing about that guy Sam? When I was on the streets?"

  Jameson nodded. He remembered that. Lucas hadn't talked much about it, but when the whole media frenzy started after the news of Avery discovering her birth mother, it had been one of the many things they wanted to learn about.

  "Someone is sending letters that say-" Lucas shook his head. "Ugh, I can't even say it without wanting to punch a wall."

  "Tell me. You can't just do that and then not tell me. You've got me concerned about y'all."

  "They keep calling me a killer!" Lucas spat, shifting his gaze to avoid looking at Jameson. "And then the second one had a photo of Avery and I. They- To me, it was like they made a threat."

  Damn it. Not again. Hadn't they been through enough with that man that pretended to be Avery's birth father? Now someone else wanted to target them?

  "No wonder you're so agitated," Jameson said softly. He felt bad for Lucas. He understood the feeling about the past coming up to haunt him all too well. At least his didn't cause a threat to anyone. He couldn't begin to imagine how Lucas felt.

  "I hate this." Lucas turned away, checking the door. "Are you ready? Sorry to blurt that all out on you. I'm just stressed. I hate that Avery gets caught up in trouble from my past."

  "As you have a right to be. I would be too, if someone messed with my family like that. You're not a killer, Lucas. Don't let those words rattle your cage. As for Avery, you know she loves you." Lucas had been heading down the steps, and stopped at Jameson's words.

  "Avery says the same thing, yet I can't keep the words out of my head."

  Jameson tried to think of the right words to say while getting into the truck, but nothing he thought of sounded good.

  *****

  What a perfect distraction. Melody had been relieved when Blaine suggested she spend the day with her and Avery. At first she worried about imposing, but both ladies were warm and friendly with her. They laughed and talked like they had all been old friends for awhile. Of course, Blaine and Avery had been, but it was nice that they included Melody as if she belonged.

  Another thing she would miss when she had to leave. The forming friendships. She liked Blaine, despite their first meeting and the way she had reacted to her. She also liked Avery, even knowing that Jameson had loved her for years.

  "So what are you in need of?" Blaine asked Melody.

  They walked around the outlet mall just outside of town. This was the first time since she'd been here that she actually had a chance to check out some of the surrounding area of Harmony's Echo. Mostly she'd been at the inn, Avery's house, or with Jameson. It was the sense of normalcy that she so desperately needed. And, she had some time away to think about things, and not have her brain turn to mush when she was around Jameson.

  "I'd like to get a few new outfits. More than what I came here with." Not too much more, since she still had to fit what she had in small enough bags to take with her. "Do you know of a place that's not too pricey?"

  Avery's eyes lit up. "I have just the place. I know it's still open, because Mom and I went there a couple weeks ago looking for something."

  "Don't tell me," Blaine said, practically bouncing. "Swap's Shop is still here?"

  Avery nodded.

  "Oh hell yeah!" Blaine squealed. "Mary, this place is so neat. And the lady that ran it when I was here last was the sweetest. She's gotta be what, in her seventies now, Avery?"

  "Yes, and she runs it with her daughter. It's a discounted clothing store, but we love this place. It's like a treasure chest of nothing but awesome clothes."

  A flicker of excitement budded in Melody, growing more as the two talked about the place.

  "I remember dragging Jameson in there so many times. Oh, never again." Blaine giggled. "I haven't been this giddy in years. I needed this."

  "Me too. But come on, tell me more about what you did to Jameson. It sounds like a fun story to hold over his head." Melody was eager to hear it. She wanted to know plenty more about Jameson's past, especially hearing about it from from his sister and Avery. The stories ought to be good, that's for sure.

  Avery laughed. "Oh man. We drove him nuts for hours."

  "I remember when we dared him to dress up in one of the dresses, and he actually did!" Blaine giggled.

  "I hope you have pictures of this. I'd love to see!" Melody threw her head back and laughed with them. This was nice. What other stories would they dish about Jameson? She bet he'd been a cute kid. Some of the pictures on the wall indicated that he'd had a great personality. He still did, though Melody sensed it was overshadowed by the stress he was under with his family.

  "I wish we had photos!" Avery said. "Man, we all got in trouble when he ripped the sleeve on one. We had to do lots of yard work to make up for the damage. Jameson was so mad at us!"

  "Yeah, that was not the way he wanted to spend that summer vacation. But all we did was dare him. He's the dork that took us up on it."

  "He just didn't want to wimp out in front of a girl." Avery giggled. "Ooh. There it is. This place rocks. You'll love it, Mary." Avery lifted her sunglasses from her face, staring at something across the street. She tugged on Melody's arm. "You guys … is that person following us?"

  Her heart beat against her rib cage with a vengeance. "Where?" she whispered hoarsely.

  Avery leaned in close to her ear. "Right there. The one that just ducked into the McDonald's. I swear he's been tailing us for awhile, but I could just be paranoid."

  She caught a glimpse of the person before they fully entered the building. No, Avery wasn't being paranoid. She'd seen him nearby for awhile, but hadn't wanted to alert Avery or Blaine. Maybe she should have.

  "He's inside now. Let's get into Swap's and keep an eye out. If you still feel nervous when we're ready to leave, we'll just call Jameson and Lucas," Blaine suggested.

  Good idea. Melody had no idea if the person had anything to do with her or Avery. Hell, they could all be paranoid, but with the strange things going on, no one could be too sure.

  Blaine stepped forward and opened the door. Melody took in the surroundings as they walked inside. A bell dinged, signaling their arrival. Wow, they weren't kidding. What a neat store! Plenty of room, and rows of clothes on racks awaited them. Country music played on the radio softly, and the store wasn't that crowded.

  "Definitely hasn't changed much." Blaine let out a whistle. "The clothes, the atmosphere, it's all just the way I remember it."

  Melody headed for a rack, eager to sort through the clothes and see what they had. Rows of bright, dark, and everything in between filled the racks. Where to start? One could easily get lost in this store, with all the interesting styles they had. Avery came up beside her and tugged at a sleeve of a long shirt.

  "I don't think I can fit into anything here today, but it sure is fun to just browse," she said, smiling. "I'm going to have to live vivaciously through you. So if I hand you so
mething, try it on, no questions asked." Avery tried to look serious, but the corners of her lips kept twitching.

  Melody burst into laughter at her expression. "Sure, I guess I can do that. I don't want to mess with a pregnant woman," she joked, hoping that was okay. When Avery laughed again, Melody relaxed.

  "We should look for something for your New Year's Eve concert." Blaine came back to them after disappearing to another rack. She held up a blue dress that dripped sparkles. The kind of outfit someone would wear on the red carpet or something.

  "What a beautiful dress!" Melody touched the fabric, fingering the edges. She couldn't recall the last time she'd gone out and just had some fun with other women. Friends.

  Avery eyed the dress wearily. "Do you have to taunt me so?" She narrowed her eyes at Blaine.

  "I'm not taunting you!" Blaine protested, holding up the dress.

  Avery crossed her arms and hid a smile. "No? You don't consider holding out a dress like that in front of a huge pregnant woman that can't fit into it as taunting?" She put a hand over her belly and bowed her head. "Love you, baby Bennett, but you make your mommy pretty crazy." Melody smiled at the loving way Avery talked to her unborn child. Then Avery almost doubled over. "That's the thanks I get. A nice big kick and another trip to the bathroom. I'll be back. Tease!" she called out to Blaine before she hurried off to find the bathroom.

  "I've missed being home," Blaine said softly. "I've been away too long, and these are the things I've missed out on."

  Melody missed home too. Even though she felt more at ease here, she still missed Colorado. More so, she missed her family. Tears sprung in her eyes. She turned away from Blaine and wiped them away before she could see them.

  "Are you all right?" Blaine asked, touching her shoulder lightly.

  "Yes. Something got in my eye," Melody lied, keeping her face down until she was certain the tears stopped. That hit hard, Blaine's comment about home.

  "You're crying. Why?"

  Oh great. Now Blaine knew something was up and she probably wouldn't leave things alone. "I'm not!" Melody protested, failing miserably at keeping it in.

  "Yeah, girl, you kind of are. What is it?" Blaine's eyes filled with concern and she stood directly in her path to ensure she didn't try to walk off and evade the question.

  She sighed. "You mentioned home, and I miss mine."

  Blaine opened her mouth, then shut it again. "You miss some people, but feel you can't go back because you're hiding from someone. Am I right?"

  Had Jameson said something to her? Or was she just that obvious? No, Jameson promised he wouldn't. As much as she didn't give trust easily, she did trust him. That was the problem. She could rely on him and trust him with little difficulty. That was rather scary. Damn it.

  "Right about what?" Avery had returned. Melody found herself trapped between the two women.

  Great, now what? Would she have to answer to both of them?

  "Just homesick," Melody muttered, putting her focus back into searching for clothes.

  She had no idea where home was going to be for her in the future, and the cold hard reality of that truth made her ache inside.

  "That's gotta be tough," Avery said sympathetically.

  Melody shoved away the tears. If they only knew how tough.

  *****

  "It's not that bad, Jameson." Lucas had said that phrase at least twelve times since they'd gotten the total estimate on the truck. Jameson's knees had almost given out from under him and he cursed himself for being an idiot. But the figure slammed him like an oncoming car that couldn't stop. That uttered amount was at least three or four of his paychecks, without paying any other bills. The insurance wasn't going to cover it because his mother had been driving drunk. Nope, it all fell on him again.

  Damn, damn, and triple damn.

  "That's very bad, Lucas. You say it's not because you have that kind of money. I don't. Not at once, and I really feel guilty about taking a loan from you." It would take a week to have the truck fixed and fully running. "You're already covering the costs for the music studio-."

  Lucas folded his arms. "Jameson, stop. First off, of course I'm paying for the studio. It's Avery's dream and I'll do everything I can to ensure she has every opportunity. The band is important to her, like I know it is to all of you. I don't consider it 'covering the costs'. I consider it helping to get you guys where you want to be. It's more than just making your dream happen. I stand behind you all a hundred percent. I believe in Baby Stetson. I have ever since that very first night I came to town. You guys were amazing! It was more than Avery's voice. It's the music you play, the way you all have the energy on that stage and I know each one of you puts your all into your music. Hell, one of these days I might have to take guitar lessons from you. As for the loan on your truck, you can make it up by baby sitting when we need it, if you're really that bothered by it. I've told you this before, I'm not, but I get where you're coming from about it. Okay?"

  Jameson nodded, giving up on the idea of arguing. He had to be crazy to turn down the help if Lucas was so insistent. He would find a way to repay them for everything. He just needed to take things a day at a time. It would be nice to have his truck back soon. "Fair enough. I give. I appreciate it, Lucas."

  "I know you do. I wouldn't do this for just anyone. How is your mom's treatment going?"

  "She's doing pretty good. I'm surprised at how well she's been transitioning. I thought when Blaine and I had that talk with her that it was going to be a lot harder to convince Mom to get the help. We have to have a family counseling session soon, which could be interesting. But if it helps..."

  "Consider yourself lucky that she was willing." Lucas avoided eye contact. He must have been thinking about his own parents, who hadn't made the better choice.

  "I do, Lucas. Despite how much has been wrong, I know things could have been worse. Thanks for listening, and everything else."

  "It's no problem. Hey, what do you say we go crash the girls' party and have lunch with them?"

  Jameson laughed. "That sounds like a perfect thing to do. They didn't happen to say where they were going, so how are we going to find them without their knowing?"

  "Avery mentioned to me the shop they were going to, and I happen to know one of her favorite restaurant Is near there." Lucas grinned. "Something about Swap's?"

  Jameson groaned. "I know exactly where they're at. And I remember Swap's. Great. I bet Blaine and Avery are filling Mary in on the torture they used to do to me there."

  "I don't think I even want to know." Lucas shot up a brow, laughing as they headed for the truck.

  "Good, because I sure as hell won't tell you!"

  On the way, Lucas asked the question he'd known was coming.

  "What's the deal between you and Mary? I see the way she watches you."

  "You don't miss anything, do you?" Jameson shook his head with a laugh.

  "I miss quite a bit, honestly. I've always been a people watcher. Kind of had to when I was on my own. I never wanted my guard down."

  "Makes sense. As for Mary … I don't know. We connect, but she has no plans to stay. As much as both of us try to stay away, it doesn't work as well." As the words came out, Jameson surprised himself by how easy it was to talk about this with Lucas.

  "Did you ever find out what she's running from?"

  Jameson's hesitation probably told Lucas what he needed to know.

  Lucas nodded. "Ah. You know and can't say. Okay, I won't ask then. I hope you know what you're getting into."

  So did he. He had a feeling it would end up not working out in his favor unless he found a way to convince Melody he could keep her safe here. It hadn't happened yet. She was determined that Harmony's Echo wasn't the place for her. Why he felt the need to try so hard, he didn't know, other than he'd come to care a lot about her.

  "Does one ever know what they're getting into?" Jameson mused out loud.

  "Probably not." Lucas pulled the truck into the parking lot of the d
iner, next to Blaine's car. "Found them!"

  "We should go in and try not to be seen, then listen in on their conversation. See which one of us they talk about the most." Jameson rubbed his hands together.

  "Damn, Jameson. That's evil! What's wrong with you?" Lucas hid his grin. "I love it!"

  Jameson followed Lucas into the diner. He peeked through the window to see if he could figure out where the women were sitting, in order to make their entrance without being seen. As luck would have it, they sat at a table for four and all three of them faced away from them. It would only be a matter of time before they'd been seen, but it was still fun to sneak in anyway.

  He spotted Melody, resting her chin on her hands and smiling. She looked like she'd been having a good time with Avery and Blaine. Her hair was down, and a time or two she brushed it back with ease. At that very moment, no one would ever know she hid a tormented past she refused to talk about. From where he stood, he saw a lovely woman enjoying some time with friends.

  Maybe he could do a little searching, see what he could find out about this man. He didn't have a last name to go by, but unless Melody erased the history on the computer's browser, he could find what she'd been looking at. If she knew where her brother or father were, that would put her mind at ease. Maybe she'd realize she could stay.

  He marveled at how much he wanted her to stay in Harmony's Echo. When he'd offered to help her out, the last thing he ever expected was to have feelings for her.

  He pulled out a seat and sank into it, as quiet as possible. He heard the sound of constant laughter coming from the table next to them. So far, so good. They hadn't turned their heads to notice Lucas and himself yet.

  Lucas had a mischievous grin on his face. He winked, folded his large frame in the seat and turned his attention to the table.

  This was such a teenage act, but Jameson loved it. It was nice to have a little fun. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they finally caught on that they were there.

  Then the conversation got very interesting when he heard his name.

  "So tell me more stories about Jameson," Melody said, her long fingers drumming on the table. "Really good juicy details."