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

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  She wanted to know more about him? He liked that idea, but who knows what his sister or Avery would tell her.

  This ought to be good.

  Lucas tried to hold back a laugh.

  "Oh the things we could say. Where should we begin?" Blaine exchanged a look with Avery.

  Oh boy.

  "You like him, don't you?" Avery asked.

  Melody's face immediately turned beet red. "Maybe I do." She sounded defensive.

  "Maybe? It's a lot more than maybe. I notice the way you watch him, especially when he plays the guitar," Blaine teased.

  "Okay, now you're putting her on the spot." Avery took a sip of her drink.

  "Me? You're the one that commented that she likes him!" Blaine shot back, giggling like crazy.

  "Oh my God, you two!" Melody sputtered with a smile. "Back to the subject at hand. Jameson. I want stories."

  Melody must have felt comfortable enough around them to be able to talk like that. Jameson liked that about her. So much better than the quiet, meek woman she'd been. How could she think about leaving? Then again, he wasn't in her head. He had no idea the things that ran in her mind.

  "Should we ruin his image? Or tell her stories that will make her even more gooey over him?" Blaine laughed.

  "Gooey? Really?" Melody shook her head. "I'm not gooey over anyone. What a word."

  "I have a tendency to use strange words." Blaine shrugged. "Okay. When Jameson was about three, he had a little bit of a wild streak and ran naked around the yard."

  "Who doesn't do that as a toddler?" Melody asked, laughing. "Cute. I know you have something even better though, don't you?"

  Jameson felt the heat rush to his face. Oh hell. Toddler stuff? Low blow, Blaine.

  Lucas socked him on the arm, holding back another chuckle. Jackass. Jameson kicked him under the table. That only made it harder for Lucas to contain his laughter. The idiot was going to give them away if he didn't stop!

  "There was a time, I think we were ten," Avery started. "We wanted to go swimming. There was a storm coming, so we decided to do a 'go away' rain dance. Jameson grabbed some glow sticks and put them in a triangle and danced around them. He was doing some weird chant, but then the storm only got worse and rained all over us. Blaine and I had already ran to the porch, giving up, but not Jameson. Then when the lightning struck nearby, he bolted, slipped and fell face first in the mud. He looked like a swamp creature, and then ended up ripping his shorts at the seam." That got them all to giggle.

  Thanks, Avery. You had to join in the embarrassing childhood moments with Blaine? Traitor.

  "You know what he did to me one April Fool's Day?" Avery put her hand on the table and leaned forward. "There was a little talent show in high school. We were practicing for it, and every fifteen seconds, he would change the song. There were probably about fifty people in the room, listening. He started off with the one we were originally supposed to do, and then completely screwed it up! Drove me nuts. So I got payback big time."

  Jameson knew exactly what day she was talking about. He'd gotten her good, and boy he had no idea what she had in store for him when she threatened payback.

  "I was so annoyed at him, I snuck into the boy's locker room when he was in the gym, stole his regular clothes and made sure to put a bright pink shirt and a pair of very flowery shorts in his locker. I found them in the lost and found. I didn't give him his regular clothes until the principal made me because his dress attire was distracting the classes. Man, he got so mad at me. Totally worth it though."

  "Sounds like you guys had a great time growing up," Melody said.

  Blaine nodded. "We did. Even with all the teasing and tormenting, Jameson always looked out for everyone. Even me, though I'm older. And I know he did a lot of fighting back when some of the girls said some rude things to Avery."

  "I think he kept me from getting in trouble a few times, because I was so ready to go off at them. They always told me I was a nobody, and Jameson never liked those words. Man, he'd yell so loud at them, until they got their boyfriends involved. Jameson is a protector, but not a fighter, so … let's just say he probably has a few scars that won't go away."

  No, he'd definitely never been a fighter. But he'd stand up to anyone that messed with the ones he loved and cared about.

  "He does seem the protective type," Melody said softly.

  "Sometimes a little too much. He takes the weight for everyone and I know it's getting to him. But I think things are getting better now." Blaine leaned back in her seat. "My brother is a good kid."

  Jameson took that as his cue to move. He leaned back, tapped his sister on the shoulder and said, "Good kid, huh? Nice stories you two decided to rat me out with."

  He and Lucas burst into laughter at their shock and surprise, each of them turning beet red.

  Chapter Seventeen

  "You both are sneaky, rotten brats!" Avery was the first to say something after they all recovered from the surprise that both Jameson and Lucas had been listening in.

  Just how much had Jameson heard? Did he hear how much she'd wanted to know the fun details of his childhood? Melody didn't know what to say. Neither of the men could quit laughing.

  "What did I do?" Lucas asked, pretending to be hurt. He'd moved his chair closer to Avery and hugged her. "I'm innocent. It really was Jameson's idea."

  "Gee thanks, Lucas! First, you got to hear all the little details these girls love to hold over my head, and now you rat me out? I appreciate your support," Jameson quipped. "As for you, dear sister, your time will come! And you, Avery … Well, let's just say I have some details I can tell Lucas about you that will probably be equally as embarrassing as what y'all said about me!" Jameson moved his chair over, sitting in between Blaine and Melody. She laughed at the responses until he turned those gorgeous eyes on her. "As for you." He reached for her hand under the table. "If you wanted to know details, you could have asked me. Not the 'Embarrass Jameson' brigade over there." The corners of his lips lifted as he squeezed her hand.

  "But those are the best details!" Melody protested. "Would you have told me any of that?"

  That got him. He shook his head while laughing. "Hell no! I wouldn't give away anything that detailed unless I knew you for a year!" he teased.

  "Well see, then I got a head start. If you hadn't been eavesdropping, you never would have known that I was told about these things. By the way, I heard about your moment in a dress." She bumped her leg against his. "That I would have paid to see."

  "Oh, you'll pay all right," he growled. She loved that this embarrassed him. She had no doubt he'd find a way to make her pay for her comments. The thought riveted her.

  "I doubt it. Maybe I've become immune to all your charms." Melody playfully pinched his knee.

  "That would imply that he has charm!" Blaine snorted. She ducked away when Jameson turned his head.

  "Whatever did I do to deserve this torture?" He shook his head. "I expect it from you Blaine. Avery, you're a different story. How could you? Blaine has always been a bad influence on you." They were all laughing.

  "I see y'all have some new members to your party. What can I get you gentlemen?" The young waiter came up behind them, ready to fill the men's order.

  Jameson and Lucas scrambled to search through the menu and order.

  "All right. I'll be back with your drinks. Ladies, your entrees will be out shortly." The burly waiter moved away to serve another table.

  "So did you get your truck figured out?" Melody asked, still feeling a little flutter while Jameson held her hand. He rubbed her palm with his thumb, and she almost shivered instantly at the touch. He had that effect on her every time.

  "It's going to cost a lot, but yes. I should hopefully have the truck back in a week or so. I'm really glad this is being taken care of before the baby comes so you two can have your car back soon." Jameson nodded at Avery and Lucas.

  "We would have figured something out," Avery assured him. "So who's ready for the show to
night?"

  Melody leaned into Jameson, enjoying the time she'd been spending with everyone, even if she'd been caught red handed wanting details of his childhood.

  *****

  Back at the house, Melody carefully folded and hung the clothes she'd bought. What a day! She enjoyed herself more than she imagined. Avery and Blaine had been friendly and fun, even when they teased about Jameson. She never meant to admit how much she liked him. She'd become more obvious than she realized.

  She'd put away the last of her new clothes when someone knocked on her door. She turned to see Jameson standing in the entrance.

  "What's up?" She tried to be casual, even though her body reacted very strongly to him being there.

  "I was thinking about taking a walk before the performance tonight, and wanted to know if you'd join me. Maybe, just maybe, I'll tell you more stories. But only if I get a few from you. It's only fair." He winked and slid a sexy smile her way.

  "What if I have a one year rule?" Melody joked, batting her eyelashes.

  Jameson crossed the room and took her hands in his. "I could lessen the amount of payback." He growled, drawing her to him. "Unless you want me to find the worst ways to get to you."

  You've already found them. You get to me every time.

  "I'll give it some thought," Melody smirked, knowing full well she would tell him things. Just … not too many. "Is Blaine here?" She hadn't heard anything from her in awhile.

  "No, she went to visit another friend of hers and is catching up. In truth, I think she's avoiding me because she knows I'll get her back, the little tattle tale. She'll be back for the show."

  "It's your fault for listening in. You never would have known otherwise." Melody grinned.

  "Despite the fact that you know way too much about my childhood and teenage years, I was quite pleased you asked about me."

  Melody laughed. "Come on, let's take that walk and I'll think about a few of my own childhood events that may match yours."

  The air had turned a little cooler, a brisk breeze rustling what was left of the late fall foliage of leaves. Low clouds hung on the horizon, bringing with it the fresh smell of rain.

  "Where are we going?" Melody asked, curious. Not that she minded. It would be nice to have a little quiet time, especially with him.

  "Just weaving through the woods a little. Hey, Avery had an idea. What would you say to singing backup with us tonight? You've been around long enough and have heard our songs. What do you say?"

  They wanted her to sing with them? Hell yes! Melody wanted to squeal, shout, and jump in Jameson's arms. Instead, she tried a more casual and calm approach, despite the way her insides felt like rubber.

  "Seriously? Jameson, that would be really neat!" Okay, that wasn't as calm as she'd hoped, but this was exciting!

  He laughed at her giddiness. "I'd hoped that you would be all in. I was worried you might not go for it. But I'm glad you are." He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss on it. A ripple of shivers ran down her neck.

  "It's something I've always wanted to do," Melody admitted, "It wasn't until you that I felt comfortable enough to sing in front of anybody. It was always one of those things people would never know about me."

  "Really? You never sang in front of anyone until me?" Jameson sounded shocked. "You're so good at it! The night I walked in and heard you sing and playing my guitar, my guess would have been that you'd been doing it for years."

  "Oh, I have. But in the privacy of my own room with no one around." Heat rushed to her face.

  "So you're a stage virgin."

  Melody burst into laughter. "You and your sister have a weird way with words."

  "I blame it all on Blaine. She's the older one. What an influence." His tone was light.

  "Funny, because she blames things on you, too."

  Jameson squeezed her hand. "She would. But then again, this is Blaine we're talking about. The one who loves to bring up old stories about me. Speaking of, it's your turn. Come on. Let's make it a game. The better stories you tell me, the more kisses I'll give you. Really good stories will result in a back rub. The best stories..." He stopped, shooting her a sly look.

  Melody arched a brow. "You drive a hard bargain." She couldn't hide a smile.

  "I do my best." Jameson shrugged, his eyes ablaze with intrigue and laughter.

  Melody let her mind wander, attempting to come up with something. "You'd better not hold any of these over my head," she warned.

  Jameson tugged on her hand, stopping in his tracks and pulled her to him. His eyes fixed on her face and he bent his head closer to hers. She thought he was going to kiss her. His hands lowered, moving down her back and stopped just above her butt. "That depends on how much of what you heard today is held over my head." His voice turned all sorts of husky.

  "Fair enough," she whispered, leaning into him. "So, are you ready for a story?"

  "I've been ready a long time." While his tone was teasing, she also detected a serious layer to it.

  "I'm so going to regret this," she groaned, "but here goes. I was eleven and had my first crush. I decided to write a letter to him. I never planned on sending it, but I'd accidentally turned it in instead of a book report I was supposed to do. Well, our teacher decided to make a game from the book reports, and she shuffled all the papers, handed them out and we were supposed to guess just by the writing and the book, who's paper the person was reading. Not only was my letter in there, but wouldn't you know it, guess who had mine?"

  Jameson tried his hardest to hold back a laugh. He squeezed her hand. "Oh, ouch. Your crush. And of course not only did he read it, but read it out loud."

  "Yup. The universe has a sick sense of humor, even back then."

  "So what happened? Did he like you back?"

  Melody let out a laugh. "Oh no. In fact, he and most of the other boys avoided me the rest of the time I was at the school. A few months later was when my mom left, and my dad decided to move us out of town. I couldn't have been more relieved."

  "Your mom left you?"

  Melody nodded. "She couldn't take it anymore. She had a lot of depression problems, and it just wasn't working for her. She never kept in contact with us after that. She was done." The bitter memory came crashing back. She hadn't talked about this in years.

  "I'm sorry, honey."

  "Don't be. It was her loss," Melody bit out.

  "Still, that must have been difficult."

  "It was. That was an age where I could have benefited from having her there. Not that I didn't ever need her, but the years before I became a teenager were the hardest ones. I learned to toughen up. Maybe it was being around males- my dad and brother are both stubborn and they put walls up, so I guess I just learned to do what they did." She shrugged it off. She'd made out just fine.

  For the most part, anyway.

  Light raindrops landed on her skin. Through the tall, thick trees, she could still tell that the sky had clouded over, darkening with a more promising threat of rain. They'd gone a decent distance while talking. Hopefully they could get back to the house before anything heavier moved in.

  "Oh, here comes the rain," Jameson said, looking in the same upward direction. "Guess we'd better cut our walk short. Damn. Well, that was still nice. Melody, thank you for letting me into your world a little more. I hope for more of this. And your story, well, how about you get kisses and a back rub. As for the other-" Jameson winked. "That one is completely up to you."

  She laughed. "Isn't that so kind of you." She let him wrap an arm around her as they made their way back to the house. It felt right, so natural to be with him like this.

  The rain decided not to wait. The drops were bigger, colder and heavier. The skies opened up, rain splashing everywhere. The sound of the precipitation through the trees played a beautiful rhythm.

  They were so close to the house when her feet practically lifted up from under her step. The mud had become slippery and Melody fell right into the trap. Jameson was ca
ught off guard and couldn't catch her, and ended up falling in the mud with her.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she sputtered, spitting out some of the mud. Jameson rolled over her, his face inches from hers. "Are you all right?"

  "I'm just fine. How about you? Hurt anything?"

  "Just my pride," she quipped.

  Jameson chuckled. "Come on, let's get out of this mud and cleaned up." He attempted to get up and held a hand out to her. He pulled her from where she lay with both hands and she tumbled against him. This time, Jameson lost his footing and they went down once again, both of them laughing and gasping from shock.

  "Okay, this isn't working out so well!" Jameson muttered after he finally stopped laughing.

  They were both soaked and muddy, but couldn't stop laughing. She stared down at him. His face was free of mud. With a grin, Melody dipped her hand in the wet soil and smeared a streak across his cheek.

  "Why you little devil!" he grunted, flying up from the ground. He reached for her, and with his other hand fisted a handful of mud, tossing it right at her chest.

  "Jameson!" she cried out, stomach clenching with laughter.

  "It's only fair!" He reached for another handful, which landed all over her chin and neck.

  She could only imagine she looked just as dirty as Jameson after they'd finished dragging each other through the mud. It was like something out of a swamp movie. That's when the rain fell even harder.

  "We'd better get back and clean up before it gets worse. Truce?" Jameson held out a hand, his blue eyes shining.

  "Truce," Melody said softly, reaching for his hand. This time, they both managed to stay on their feet and get to his house with no problem. "I can't believe we just did that."

  "Felt like a kid again. That was so much fun." Jameson pulled open the door. "We'll certainly have a mess to clean up."

  Melody followed him as he led them to the bathroom. She stopped right at the entry, thinking she'd wait for him.

  "Might as well clean up together." Jameson nodded at the shower. "If you want, that is."