In Your Honor

by Heidi Hutchinson

  Blake nodded and patted her foot next to him with one hand.

  “Nothing more recent?” Harrison asked, chewing on his upper lip. “No, say, juggling two guys at once or playing one while falling for another?”

  “No,” Lucy snickered. “I haven't been in a relationship in a long time so... nothing to tell.”

  “Why, Harry?” Blake asked, amused at the man's odd behavior. “You writing a user's guide?”

  “Yeah, you're the one who grew up with sisters. Shouldn't you already have some kind of insight into this already?” Mike interjected.

  Harrison shrugged, “Miranda was too Type-A to really be like most girls. And Greta... well, Greta is about as cocky as Lenny. She's too rebellious to be a game-player.”

  Blake snickered, “That she is. You were so pissed when she transferred to San Diego.”

  “She should have stayed in Boston, she was safer there,” Harrison said harshly, and Lucy was surprised at his reaction. It wasn't typical of his normal sweetheart persona.

  “You're too hard on your baby sister. She's got a good head on her shoulders,” Blake replied in defense, and Lucy felt a strangeness in her stomach. Blake had a life away from Oklahoma. He didn't stop existing when he left. He had built friendships and probably had a home and all sorts of things. Maybe he even had a girlfriend. What if he he'd been engaged or married? She hadn't even asked.

  “I know. Sorry. I think I'm just in a weird mood.” Harrison frowned and looked away. He scratched the back of his head briefly. “I haven't been myself since seeing Mordrid up close...”

  The bus shook with laughter from the occupants, snapping Lucy out of her reverie.

  “I almost forgot to tell you!” Sway sat up straighter, excitement lighting his face. “The lead singer stopped by, she saw you in the audience and wanted to say hey.”

  “Shut up.” Harrison glared at the bassist.

  “No, really!” Sway dug in his pocket and fished out a scrap of paper. “She left her number. She said her name is Slappy or Happy or something.” He handed the paper to Harrison, who stared at it in disbelief.

  “You gonna call her?” Mike asked tentatively after no one had spoken for a minute.

  “Whatever.” Harrison crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash can. “Very funny. You guys are dicks.”

  “It's not a prank!” Sway protested.

  “I'm going to bed. Wake me up when we reach a new state.” Harrison stomped towards the bunks, his bandmates sniggering behind him.

  “It's not a prank,” Sway said again as he dug the paper out of the garbage and stuck it to the fridge with a magnet.

  “I should be going to bed too.” Lucy patted Blake's shoulder as she stood.

  “I'll walk you,” he volunteered. She was going to tell him that wouldn't be necessary, but he was already at the door, waiting for her.

  She followed him down the steps and into the warm summer night. A lot had changed between them in a very short span of time, and Lucy was still feeling a little like the room was spinning. She had spent so many years praying to forget him and now he was with her everyday.

  “Did you have fun today?” he asked as they crunched along the gravel next to the buses. She noticed they weren't moving very quickly and she couldn't tell if she was setting the pace or matching it.

  “Yeah,” she answered honestly. “You make me feel like I might be fun.” She smiled sheepishly.

  “You are fun,” he laughed softly.

  They reached the bus door and she turned to him, taking in his green eyes that seemed to darken whenever they were alone together. She wanted to say so much. To tell him she was sorry about Frank. That she was sorry for all the things she couldn't change. She wanted to ask if there was someone waiting for him in Boston. If he'd promised forever to anyone after her. But that would start conversations they weren't prepared to have.

  “Thank you,” she said simply. “For always believing in me.”

  Those emerald eyes darkened a bit more and he tilted his head slightly, his brows drawing together. “It's by far the easiest thing I've ever done.”

  Lucy placed her palm on the center of his chest and felt his heart beat through his thin t-shirt. “Goodnight, Blake.”

  She tried to walk up the stairs of the bus at a regular pace, not wanting him to notice her sudden urge to bolt. It was all she could do to pull herself away, to not get lost in his eyes. She didn't want to start looking for more than was there. Or find a spark of a remnant for her to cling to. She was his friend. They could be friends.

  Just.

  Friends.

  The bus was empty, so she changed her clothes quickly and slipped under the covers in her small bunk. She stared into the darkness, letting her thoughts and hopes get the better of her.

  Today had been the kind of day that she would have been afraid to even dream about. Blake had been all the things she remembered, without all the regret attached.

  Her phone chirped and she reached behind her head to grab it off the shelf. She expected it to be Blake. No, she wanted it to be Blake. She wanted him to answer all of the questions she was too scared to ask. She wanted him to ask her one more time to give them yet another chance. Because she wanted nothing else in the whole world at the moment. She would say yes, no hesitation.

  Instead, it was a number she didn't recognize.

  Unknown Number: Lenny tells me that you need a new bracelet, Newton.

  ***

  Luke faced away from Lenny and ran one hand through his hair, closing his eyes. They'd gotten back to the bus and he had retreated to their bedroom in the back. She followed him but hadn't said anything yet. He rested both hands on his hips and took a deep breath. He didn't want to be mad at her. He hated being mad at her. It hurt like nothing else in the world.

  “Are you angry?” she asked from behind him, her tone a little more confrontational than he would have preferred.

  Luke finally faced her and he knew his agitation was obvious by the look on her face. She set her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Why did you have to introduce Lucy to Shane?” he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

  “They're both friends of mine. I didn't realize that I was supposed to be keeping them in separate boxes,” she responded dryly.

  “But then you gave him her number,” he pointed out.

  “And you wouldn't have? Shane's your friend too, remember?”

  “No. I wouldn't have.” Luke shook his head adamantly. “Lucy is...” He rubbed his hand over his forehead in aggravation.

  “Lucy is what, Luke?” Lenny pressed.

  “She's Blake's,” Luke said plainly.

  That had apparently been the wrong thing to say because dark clouds rolled into Lenny's eyes and she narrowed her gaze at him.

  “Lucy is a person. She doesn't belong to anyone.”

  “That's not what I meant.” He held up his hands defensively, attempting to backtrack.

  “As far as what anyone will tell me around here, Blake and Lucy ended long ago. They're just friends now.” She let her hands drop to her hips and she raised her eyebrows at him. “Unless there's more information you're keeping to yourself.”

  Luke stayed silent. Did she know about Blake's drunken tattoo? She must. She only looked at him like that when she had the upper hand. Shit.

  “I was going to tell you about the tattoo—”

  “Oh, come on!” she interrupted loudly. “No you weren't! I've been told repeatedly that I'm part of this family. That I'm the frickin' sixth member of the band, but that's not even close to the truth. You're still protecting your boys and shutting me out! Maybe if I had known the extent of Blake's thing for Lucy, whether it be love or psychotic obsession, I'd have been able to navigate the Shane thing better. You can't be mad at me for operating on the information I've been given. Hell, I'm pretty sure Kendra knows more than I do, and I'm your wife.”

  Damn it. Luke looked down at the floor and frowned hard. “You're righ
t.” He raised his eyes back to hers in time to see her soften her expression. “Honestly, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal except that I saw Blake with her after the open mic thing.”

  Lenny swallowed and nodded in agreement. “I saw it too.” She took a step towards him, a question on her face. “What if this is how it has to happen?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if protecting Blake is only holding him back? What if he needs to face the reality of his choices?”

  “Make him witness losing Lucy forever?” Luke felt sick at the thought. He couldn't imagine having to watch Lenny with someone else.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe you shouldn't try parenting him anymore. He's a grown man.”

  Luke sniffed. “Old habit.”

  Lenny reached out and touched his arm. “I know. That's because you're a good guy. Your loyalty to your friends is one of the first things I fell in love with.”

  He reached out and pulled her to him, pressing her body to his and burying his face in her hair, unable to stand the space that had separated them a moment ago. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

  Chapter 9

  How

  Lucy chewed on the inside of her cheek and she saw Luke narrow his eyes at her movement. She stopped and instead tapped her leg with her index finger repeatedly. She had picked up the cheek-chewing thing from Lenny when she had tried to kick her own nervous habit of playing with her bracelets.

  “We're only talking about five songs. It'll be over before you know it,” Taylor was trying to persuade her. He really didn't get it.

  She still couldn't figure out why they thought this was the best idea they could come up with. They could just as well have Chad go out there and do a strip-tease and it would be just as entertaining. Maybe more so.

  “Look, Lucy,” Mike began. He had stayed out of the discussion for the most part until this moment. Now, he leaned forward from his seat on the chair across from her. “Obviously we can't make you. And that's not what this is supposed to feel like. You've got an enormous talent. We have a platform. Most performers jump at an opportunity like this.”

  “I know.” Lucy let out a sigh and smiled at him. “And I'm flattered. Really. It's just...” She sucked in her bottom lip and bit down. “What if I'm no good without the band with me? What if it's all an illusion?”

  Mike's light blue eyes crinkled at the sides when he grinned at her. “We're professional musicians. You can't fool us.” Lucy moved her tapping finger to her lip and Mike studied her for a moment. “Guys, give us a minute.”

  Taylor and Luke exchanged glances, but they both moved to exit the blue bus. Lucy leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other.

  “Is this the part where you bribe me?” She narrowed her eyes at Mike playfully.

  He shook his head and looked down at the floor. “I want to be honest with you without an audience.” He looked back up, his face serious.

  Lucy swallowed and held her breath, not really sure what to expect.

  “This whole thing was my idea.”

  “Huh?” Lucy felt her face go stupid.

  Mike smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair. He could really use a haircut, she thought to herself absentmindedly.

  “I usually only collaborate with the same four guys. Over and over. They're great and I love them, but you have something different. Something exciting and new for me, and I want to be a part of it.”

  Lucy felt her ears start to get hot and she was thankful her hair was covering them. “I'm not—” she began, shaking her head no.

  “Yeah,” Mike stopped her. “Actually, you are. You're the real deal. I want to sit behind you on that stage with only you out front. I want to watch you make the crowd fall in love with you. And I'm hoping that maybe, eventually, and I realize this is a very long shot with you, but I would love to put our own band together and see what happens.”

  “You're crazy.” Lucy couldn't stop the grin from appearing though. “What would we call ourselves?”

  “I honestly could care less. Naming a band is the hardest part. We could be called Lucy Newton and The Lackeys if you want,” he answered her dryly.

  Lucy chuckled, causing Mike to smile. She bit her bottom lip and let out a loud sigh. “You make me excited to do this.”

  “Then I'm hoping that means what I think it means.” He looked so hopeful.

  “I'm a little surprised, I have to say.” Lucy arched an eyebrow at him.

  “Oh, because we hardly speak? Is it awkward to find out I've been stalking you musically since we first met way back when?” He grimaced when her eyes went wide.

  “You what?”

  “Well, I had sort of an infatuation with your father, and then I met you and I could not get the idea of starting a band with you out of my head. Taylor, Chad and Stuart got a good thing going. But they're green and have a long way to go before they hit their stride. You're already there. Your talent is already mature and developed. And I want in.”

  Lucy's mouth came open, but no words came out.

  “Plus, Luke is looking at taking next year off so Lenny can train, and this really could not have come at a better time.” He tried to get her to meet his eyes. “We could end up having a really great time. I've been doing this for a while. It's all I want to do for the foreseeable future. I have a lot of ideas, and I think we could create something really awesome. ”

  Lucy found herself nodding in acceptance. “Okay, but can we keep the big picture stuff to just us for a little bit? I'm a bit overwhelmed. Excited... but overwhelmed.”

  “I have that effect, I've found.” Mike gave her a crooked smile and then stuck out his hand. “Partners?”

  ***

  Shane smirked at Lucy's reply and turned off his phone. He already had a dozen comebacks, but he was going to make her wait.

  For the past week and a half they had talked almost endlessly every day. Flirting via text was tedious but so worth it. She was spunky and clever and he could picture her happy smile and bright red ears in nearly every communication. The better they got to know each other, the more he wanted to talk to her. It was hard to believe they hadn't gotten sick of one another yet.

  Shane had taken the dating scene easy since his implosion with Lenny. He sort of had a reputation now for being a playboy, and that got two reactions from the female populace. Most women didn't trust him, hated his guts and usually told him off to his face. Then there were those few oddballs who got turned on by a man who cheats. He had no idea if they thought they were going to change him or break him, but he didn't really want to find out.

  He hadn't been looking for anything when he'd met Lucy. She was a game changer simply because she didn't play games at all. She was beautiful and mysterious and he had been taken with her right from the start. Now, he couldn't get enough of her.

  “Are you ready, Big City?” Serge asked from the doorway. Serge had taken to calling Shane that a few months back when he had semi-permanently relocated to New York during the start-up of the East Coast operations. He had teased Shane mercilessly about selling out and going big time.

  After their trip to the back country of Alaska last year, he and Serge had stayed in contact. They had quickly become friends, and Serge challenged Shane to better himself at his chosen sport. He was also one of Shane's strongest supporters when he started to toy with the idea of quitting competition to focus on building his new business. Giving him a hard time for it was his way of approving.

  Shane nodded and left the phone on the nightstand by the bed. He'd talk to Lucy more later on tonight after they got back. It had become the perfect way to unwind at the end of his long days on the slopes of New Zealand. And she didn't seem to mind the time difference, teasing him about his texts coming from the future since he was so many hours ahead of her.

  He looked forward to it more than he cared to admit. He continuously found his thoughts settling on her. He couldn't put his finger on it. Why was she s
o intriguing? What was it about her that made him get so nervous? That made him look for ways to make her laugh even if he couldn't be there to hear it?

  He liked the distance that existed between them at the moment. It took the pressure off and kept him from moving too quickly, which he sometimes did. The last thing he wanted was to be too pushy, chase her away. He wanted to take it slow, see where it went. Start as friends, let it grow. He knew he really liked her. A lot. And it scared him a little bit. He didn't want to screw something up before it ever had a chance. Before he knew if it could be something more.

  His mind kept trying to come up with excuses to meet up with the tour without making it look obvious. Thinking of things he could say to convince her to spend the week with him learning to surf back home. He was thankful for the massive distraction that Serge provided. Without it, Shane probably would have already given her the key to his house. Crazy? In more ways than one.

  That day's events included being dropped out of a helicopter on the side of a mountain and trying not to die before reaching the bottom. Shane was sorely out of practice and he suspected that was why Serge was pushing him so hard. He'd basically taken the last six weeks off from any real physical activity to set up his company, and his muscles screamed at him from their lack of use.

  He made the first run without too much trouble, and then Serge made him do it four more times.

  He felt punished. He felt sore. He felt alive.

  It was the last line of the day and fatigue was catching up with him. He wondered if it was possible that Serge wasn't human at all. He didn't seem to get tired. Ever. And apparently, that's when Shane thought it would be a good idea to wreck epically.

  End over end, his board disengaged and he continued to flop and roll through the powder. Ice and snow packed into his face and against his goggles, whiting out everything. Shoulder, ass, knee, elbow, head, shoulder again. He finally came to a stop lying flat on his back.

  “Am I dead?” he asked out loud, still unable to see through his goggles. Of course there was no answer, and he raised his arm to wave and let Serge know he was fine.