Wild Ice

by Rachelle Vaughn

  JD rolled his shoulders to ease some of the tension knotted there.

  “So, are you coming into town this Friday night to support your baby brother or not? Like your pretty neighbor pointed out, there isn’t much for entertainment out here in the sticks.”

  “Why’d you have to bring her into this?”

  “What? How do you know she wouldn’t like to see me shred on the guitar?”

  “You don’t need the numbers. You know good and well that place is gonna be packed on Friday.”

  JD was starting to get grouchy. First he’d had to endure “the talk” with his brother and then Lauren had come along and stirred up more feelings he didn’t want to deal with. The beer made him even more tired and all he wanted to do was collapse into his recliner.

  To make matter worse, Kyle smirked a shit-eating grin.

  “And you didn’t have to drive all the way out here to invite me to your gig. You could’ve just called,” JD added for good measure.

  “Yeah, but you don’t answer your phone,” Kyle reminded him.

  This was true.

  “So, will you be there? I’d really like you to meet Kitty.”

  JD sighed. Kyle may be a gigantic pain in the ass, but he didn’t ask for much.

  “Maybe.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lyrics and Ghosts

  As Friday evening approached, Lauren grew anxious at the thought of a night out on the town. Well, maybe not out on the actual town but at least a night out at this Lavender Fields place. The idea of spending an evening listening to music sounded enjoyable after spending weeks alone in the cottage. Sure, she’d spent a few moments here and there with JD, but with as much as he distanced himself, she might as well have been alone.

  When the big night finally arrived, she dressed in a simple blouse and a floral flowy skirt. The outfit felt summery and casual and was perfect for the occasion. She ran a brush through her hair, left it down, and swiped some mascara on her eyelashes.

  Even though they hadn’t technically made plans to go together, Lauren stopped by the manor to see if JD wanted to ride together. There was no reason to take two separate cars to and from the same place, right?

  Lauren actually looked forward to seeing JD in a different environment. He always seemed like he thought he was doing something wrong by talking to her. Lauren didn’t see anything wrong with it; they were neighbors and they were both adults. Maybe he’d finally let his guard down and lighten up a little being away from Hayley’s Point. When they’d been out on the trail, she’d caught a rare glimpse of how happy he could be. Lauren smiled to herself. In her opinion, it was impossible to be unhappy out on the trail.

  It took JD so long to answer the front door that if his car wasn’t parked in the driveway she would’ve thought he’d already left. It was ironic, she thought, how he had a three-car garage and never seemed to use it.

  When he finally yanked open the door, his hair was mussed and his plaid pajama pants and thin V-neck shirt were wrinkled. The shirt sagged low around his neck giving her a view of his clavicle. The neck was frayed like he’d tugged too much on the collar.

  “Hi,” she said, feeling a little self-conscious and a lot embarrassed. Obviously he hadn’t been expecting her. Or anyone else for that matter. “I thought we could ride together.” She shifted her feet and scolded herself for having such high expectations of the evening. Here she’d been imagining a night full of music and male companionship and he looked like he’d just woken up from a bad dream.

  Yep. The blank look on his face said it all. He’d forgotten all about his brother’s show.

  JD blinked. He wasn’t much for keeping track of the days anymore. It could’ve been Friday for all he knew. Wait, was it Friday?

  “You’re not going?” she asked. “To hear your brother play?”

  “Oh.” He raked his hand through his hair and it stood straight up making him look even sexier. “Yeah. Uh…Give me ten minutes.”

  Lauren waited with Mel in the living room while JD went upstairs. She looked around the room for some clue as to who JD was and what he was hiding from in his past. There weren’t any family photos and there weren’t any personal touches, just fancy décor that an interior designer had put there to make the living room look like a showroom. Teal Manor was beautifully decorated and filled with antiques, but it still seemed so…empty.

  * * *

  In the shower, JD let the icy cold water sluice over his body. When he heard the knock on his front door, he’d been fast asleep in his recliner. Then, after rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he’d opened the door to find Lauren there, looking like a dream. For a second there, he thought he was dreaming.

  It took everything he had not to reach out and run his fingers through her long hair. He’d never seen it down like that before. Loose and wavy around her face and shoulders. At least not in real life. It was always in a braid down her back so he’d never noticed how shiny it was before. Jesus, he bet it smelled good, too.

  He’d forgotten all about Kyle’s music thing. Too bad that selective memory couldn’t be used for everything.

  Unfortunately, JD didn’t have time to linger under the cold spray. He turned off the water and toweled off. She was waiting for him.

  * * *

  When JD came downstairs, Lauren stared at him in disbelief. Who was this man? Ten minutes ago he had been rumpled and groggy and now he looked like a completely different person. His damp hair was combed into place and he wore dark jeans and a crisp white button-down shirt. The outline of his muscles could be seen through his clothes and Lauren swallowed down her nerves.

  “I thought we could just take my car,” she told him after he locked the door behind them.

  JD took one look at the aging Geo Metro parked in his driveway and shook his head. “I’ll drive.” He didn’t think he’d be able to scrunch his legs into that tin can of a car and he didn’t care to find out.

  Lauren didn’t say much on the ride to Red Valley. JD didn’t realize how much he’d gotten used to her chattering until silence stretched between them like a third wheel.

  He felt damn uncomfortable wearing a button-down shirt and jeans after living in pajamas for the past year. Lauren had made an effort and he knew he needed to, too. She looked beautiful tonight and a little nervous. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t like they were on a date or anything. He was only going to this gig out of obligation to his brother and she…well he didn’t really know why she was going. Out of sheer boredom, most likely.

  When he glanced over at her, Lauren’s hands were clasped in her lap and she was staring straight ahead out the windshield. As much as he liked how she looked tonight, he liked her even better with her birds and binoculars.

  “I, uh…I forgot about tonight,” he commented, breaking the silence. “I guess I was hoping to get out of going altogether.”

  Lauren looked over, confusion knitting her brow. “But it’s your brother.”

  “Yeah, well, he’d get over it.” It wouldn’t be the first time JD had let someone down in the last year. At this point, it was just expected of him.

  “Why’d you change your mind?” she asked. “I could have gone by myself.”

  Why did he change his mind? Because, he wanted to say, you showed up on my doorstep looking like heaven. “Because,” he said out loud. “Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.”

  * * *

  Lavender Fields was a small nightclub with a half dozen round tables and chairs, a small stage and dim lighting. The votive candles that flickered in the middle of the tables gave it an intimate feel despite the rough paneling and scuffed floors. Many local no-name bands had performed on that little stage and a few had even gone on to be famous. Crush 21 was a good example. Even though its members weren’t the legal drinking age, they had performed their first gig here and went on to be a household name.

  JD knew his brother had hopes of doing the same. He had his doubts though. It wasn’t that he didn’t want his broth
er to find success; it was that he doubted Kyle could persevere long enough to find it.

  After a look around, they didn’t see Kyle anywhere, so they chose a table near the front by the dance floor and sat down.

  JD ordered a beer. He’d have no problem nursing it through the night, so he could be sober to drive Lauren back home.

  After Lauren ordered a glass of wine, she admitted shyly, “I don’t drink very much.”

  “Neither do I.” If JD started drinking, he feared he might never find his way out of the bottom of the bottle. It was a promise he made himself last year when the urge to liquid medicate was stronger than ever.

  Quietly, Lauren sipped her wine as they waited for the show to start. JD was hoping they’d arrived fashionably late, but no such luck.

  They sat in silence and watched the room around them fill up with people. JD was lousy at small talk and Lauren seemed content to watch the people much in the same way she watched those birds of hers at the refuge. The room filled quickly and by the time the lights dimmed, the place was packed with couples and groups of friends celebrating the end of the work week.

  JD looked down at his beer and frowned. This sure as hell was beginning to feel like a date even though neither one of them would admit it. JD had no problem blaming his brother for the awkwardness.

  “You came!” Kyle’s voice boomed from behind them and Lauren jumped in surprise.

  She wheeled around and saw Kyle grinning from ear to ear. He was dressed the part of rock star in a leather jacket, black T-shirt and faded jeans.

  Kyle squinted at Lauren, no doubt trying to remember her name. “Lauren, right?” he asked.

  “Right.”

  Smooth, little brother, JD thought. You actually remembered. For some reason JD felt protective of Lauren and that unsettled him. He glanced over at the single barstool and microphone stand on the stage. “How come you’re band isn’t set up yet?”

  “Yeah…well…” Kyle bit the inside of his cheek. “The Whisky Chills officially disbanded as of…” He glanced at his watch. “…two hours ago. So, I decided to go solo tonight.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Lauren patted Kyle’s arm and he shrugged much the same way she’d seen JD shrug a dozen times before.

  Lauren sounded genuinely saddened, but JD knew his brother went through bands like he did guitar strings.

  “So, where’s your girlfriend?” JD looked around but didn’t see anyone who looked like they were named Kitty. “Weren’t you going to introduce us?”

  Kyle grimaced. “Yeah, uh, well, she’s part of the reason why the Chills broke up. I’ll spare you the details but, needless to say, I’m single once again.”

  “Sorry man.” JD meant it even though his little brother went through girlfriends the way he went through bands and guitar strings.

  “No biggie, bro,” Kyle shrugged it off. “She was just holdin’ me back,” he said with a wink at Lauren. “Well, I’d better get on stage so we can get this show on the road. I’m opening for the Orange Cones. You’re gonna love ‘em, Lauren. Thanks for coming.”

  “Thanks for inviting me.”

  Kyle leaned in and whispered to Lauren. “Thanks for bringing him out into the land of the living. I owe you one.”

  They exchanged a knowing smile before Kyle took off toward the stage. The stage glowed from a single spotlight and Kyle took his place on the barstool and settled his guitar on his lap. He strummed the guitar and made a few last minute adjustments to the strings. “How’s everybody doin’ tonight?” he asked into the microphone, his voice velvety smooth.

  Cheers and enthusiastic applause answered him.

  “I’m gonna start by playing you a song I wrote. This one’s called “Second Chances.”

  The melody was slow and moving and Kyle’s fingers moved deftly over the strings as if he’d been born with a guitar in his hands.

  Kyle Mason had charisma up the wazoo. Pair that with the ability to carry a tune and play a guitar and he was a dangerous combo with the ladies. If Kyle was this talented with a guitar, Lauren couldn’t imagine how JD was with a hockey stick.

  Then he began to sing…

  When we were younger,

  The sky was the limit

  Then one day it fell

  And I watched you grow old

  I held on so tightly

  You promised to love me

  And keep me forever

  But forever is gone

  There’s room for more laughter

  Has to be room for laughter

  There’s room for more laughter

  And a sweet second chance

  There’s still room for love

  That sweet summer romance

  There’s still room for living

  With a sweet second chance

  The lyrics could have applied to anyone, but Lauren could easily relate them to her own life. Kyle continued to sing about loss and finding love again and she was inspired by the moving message. By the end of the song, Lauren had to dab the tears from her eyes.

  JD shifted uncomfortably in his chair. It was like Kyle had written the song just for him. Which, knowing his brother, he probably did. Kyle had probably invited him here just so JD could listen to his sappy song and make his throat tighten up and his eyes burn.

  After “Second Chances” Kyle played another lighter, more upbeat song and then a few peppy songs after that. After he finished his set, he exited the stage to zealous applause.

  While the next band set up their instruments, Kyle tried to make his way over to Lauren and JD’s table to say goodnight, but he was bombarded with women from the audience.

  After hearing Kyle’s music, JD developed a new respect for his brother. Kyle had a heck of a lot more talent than he’d given him credit for, that was for sure. JD had spent so long with his head up his own ass that he hadn’t noticed Kyle blossoming into a bona fide rock star. Maybe he would go on to become a household name after all.

  Kyle glanced at JD over the heads of several blondes, brunettes and a handsy red-head. The look the two brothers exchanged was brief, but in it were all the words that JD couldn’t bring himself to say out loud. Kyle understood. Either because he obviously had a way with words or because of brotherly intuition.

  Onstage, the Orange Cones played an energetic song with a beat perfect for dancing to. Couples took to the dance floor and everyone bobbed their heads in time with the music.

  “Come on,” Lauren said and took JD by the hand. “Let’s dance.” Without giving him the opportunity to refuse, she pulled him out to the dance floor.

  The mood needed to be lightened after Kyle’s poignant yet beautiful songs and grooving to the music would do just that. Within minutes, Lauren had JD grinning from the silly way she danced in time to the lively beat. The song had funny lyrics and they laughed and moved to the music together. The Orange Cones wouldn’t be finding their faces on the cover of Rolling Stone any time soon, but Lauren and JD had fun anyway.

  After the last note faded into the murmur of the crowd, Lauren and JD made their way out to the parking lot. It was getting late and Lauren was anxious to get back to Hayley’s Point. Marsh probably thought she’d abandoned him for good. As nice as the city was, she still missed the quiet coziness of the cottage.

  When she paused next to JD’s SUV, all Lauren heard was the noisy sound of traffic. People made just as much noise as birds, but what they said was usually less meaningful. Tonight, Kyle’s lyrics were meaningful and she was glad she’d decided to come to the city and drag JD along with her. The crowded nightclub might not be her favorite type of scene but she still had fun.

  Lauren sensed that JD could be charming when he wasn’t trying so hard to be distant. The beer and music seemed to loosen him up and she liked seeing a different side of him.

  On the ride home, Lauren sighed and the happy sound caressed JD in the driver’s seat.

  “I had so much fun tonight,” she said. “Your brother is very talented. I didn’t know what to
expect but it wasn’t that.”

  “Yeah.” JD couldn’t argue. As much as he and Kyle disagreed on things, he knew his brother had what it took to go far in the music business. “He was always trying to get me to be in his band when we were growing up. I couldn’t sing, had no rhythm, and all I wanted to do was play hockey. The last thing I wanted to do was sit around turning my feelings into songs and the last thing Kyle wanted to do was play hockey. I wanted him to be my goalie so I could practice and he wanted me to be his drummer. It was a lose-lose situation.”

  Lauren smiled as she imagined the Mason brothers squabbling over guitars and hockey sticks.

  On the way to the freeway onramp, they passed the NorCal Center, home of the Red Valley Razors. The giant marquee outside was lit up, advertising the upcoming famous names and attractions.

  JD shifted in his seat and Lauren could feel the tension roll off him in waves.

  Did the arena bring back memories of his time spent playing hockey? She assumed he’d played pro because of his financial ability to purchase a property like Teal Manor, but she didn’t know for sure. She could easily look him up on the internet where she’d probably find pages about him and his career, but she respected him enough not to do that. He would share his past with her when he was ready and when the time was right. He used to play hockey. It was all she knew and she’d just have to leave it at that.

  JD looked over at the building as if he hadn’t been expecting it to be there. It reminded him of all the things he’d been missing out on during the past year. He was reminded of a time when he and Darla went out on the town. With his crazy travel schedule during the hockey season and her busy work schedule, they always set aside time to have date nights. Sometimes they would double-date with Darla’s sister, Sloan, and her husband, Collin, and sometimes it would be just the two of them at a romantic restaurant downtown. He could hear her voice now, talking about items on the menu and telling him how nice he looked.