Gary opened the front door and inspected it. “Door’s old, and I don’t like the frame, not as sturdy as it could be. The deadbolt should be drilled deeper.”
“The landlord would have to approve any changes like that.” Emily pulled out her cell and called George Martin, the complex manager, leaving a message when she got his voicemail.
While they waited for approval, Gary discussed what he’d like to do. When Jack said price was no concern, Emily left the room. She couldn’t afford it and didn’t want to know how much Jack was spending on her. Instead, she made herself useful by brewing another pot of coffee and making sandwiches for the guys. She placed the coffee in a large thermos she kept for entertaining and brewed a second pot.
It was after nine when George got back to them. A new deadbolt was fine, but he’d need a key. Since the doors had to be uniform, they couldn’t replace it or the doorjamb. Jack wasn’t happy, but Gary assured him there was plenty that could be done so she’d be safer.
J
Jack was glad she hadn’t fought him over the alarm or the cost. He knew she wanted to, had been gearing up to, but then she stopped. It pleased him to do things for her and to take care of her. He could do so much more, if only she’d let him. If she wanted to write full time, he could easily cover her expenses, but she’d already vetoed that in no uncertain terms.
He’d thought a lot about what she’d said about how much he’d done for Christie. He’d had resources to help her, and he’d been happy to do it. But Em had made a good point. Somewhere along the way, Christie began to say he wasn’t doing enough and blamed him for not using his newfound celebrity to help her more. He was a musician, not an actor. If she’d wanted to make a record, he had connections that might have been able to help her, but he didn’t know any Hollywood people and didn’t really want to. He’d gone to enough red-carpet events with Christie to know he’d hate having to do that all the time. But if they’d stayed together, he’d have done it for her. He’d have done anything for her.
Jack walked up behind Emily and hugged her. He was relieved when she leaned into him. He didn’t want to fight over this shit, but he still couldn’t believe she hadn’t changed the locks. Shit, maybe I’m overreacting. He’d call Elliot later and ask him; he’d let Jack know if he was being dick about this.
“I’m starving.” Jack grabbed half a ham and cheese sandwich off the platter.
She playfully swatted his hand away. “Hey, those aren’t for you.”
He took a huge bite. “No?”
“No.” Emily moved the platter out of reach. “They’re for Gary and his men. They’re going to be here a while, and since this job took precedence over whatever they had scheduled today, the least I can do is feed them.”
I’m a dick. It never even occurred to him that these guys would have another job scheduled for today. All he’d cared about was keeping his girl safe. Everyone had someone they wanted to protect. “Shit, I never thought of that.”
Emily turned and kissed him. “I got your back, rock star.” She picked up the platter and moved it to the breakfast counter, along with plates and mugs for the coffee. “Gary, I made some sandwiches and coffee for you and the guys, and help yourself to bottles of water in the fridge.”
“Why don’t you two grab some breakfast. I’ll handle everything here.” Jeff poured a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, man,” Jack said. “What about you?”
Jeff smirked. “I ate at 0600.”
“Em, why don’t you pack a bag? After breakfast, we’ll go to the motel and shower. Maybe we can catch a movie later.”
“Okay.”
Dex’s ringtone blared form Jack’s phone. “Hey, man, what’s up?” Jack went into the bedroom and sat on the bed.
“It’s Susan, Jack. I’ll put you—oh, hold on.” Dex’s assistant placed him on hold. A minute later she came back on the line. “He’s on with his wife, can you hold?”
“Sure,” Jack said. “How you doing? Dex driving you crazy?” Jack knew the answer because he knew Dex.
Susan lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “He’s been on a rampage.”
Something in Susan’s voice had Jack thinking it had to do with him. Which could only mean one thing, but Jack hoped he was wrong.
He heard Dex yell, “Get off the line, Susan.” There was a click, and then he said, “Your ex keeps calling me.”
Jack rubbed his hand over his head. “Shit, sorry about that. I’ll call her and tell her to back off.”
“Please do.” Dex hung up.
“That’s what she wants.” Emily zipped up her overnight bag.
“Who?” Jack flopped back on the bed. This was becoming a nightmare. He’d moved on. Why couldn’t Christie leave him alone?
Em lay on her side next to him. “Christie.”
“How did you know that was about her?”
“Isn’t ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ Dex’s ringtone? My dad played it at his victory barbecues when his team bested others during training.”
Jack turned to face her. “Did you guys do a lot of stuff like that?”
“Yeah.” She smiled fondly. “From spring to autumn, someone had a barbecue every weekend. When the guys were deployed, the families kept it up. My dad would make his famous chili recipe. It was always the first thing to go. His dad was a chef, and he made the best chili ever.”
Jack kissed her. “I don’t know what to do about Christie.”
Emily looked down. “She wants you back.”
“Hey…”
She smiled and their eyes locked. “I know you’re with me now. But she’s not going to go quietly.”
Jack thought the same thing about the fucker, but he didn’t say it. “You think I shouldn’t call her?”
“It’s what she wants. If you give into it, there’s no reason for her to stop calling Dex whenever she wants to get to you. If you don’t respond, maybe she’ll get the hint.”
He sat up and pulled her into his arms so he could kiss her properly. “How did I get so lucky?”
Em smiled. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
J
Jack sipped his coffee. They’d stopped at a diner near his motel for breakfast. Em had two strips of bacon left, and he wanted them. He took his fork and inched it toward her plate, but just as he was about to lunge, she picked them up and bit one.
“Too slow, rock star.” She grinned as she chewed.
“Give me one.”
“One of these?” she waved the bacon back and forth. “Nope.”
“I’m still hungry.”
Em smiled and handed over the bacon.
A short, brown-haired guy with a young boy stopped at their table. “Hey, Emily Prescott, right?”
Emily’s smile faded. “Yes.”
“Rich Harrison from Oakdale High, class of ’07. Oh—”
She reached across the table and took Jack’s hand. “Sorry, things are still fuzzy.”
Rich grinned. “It’s great to see you doing so well after…”
His son pulled him toward the door. “Dad, we’re going to be late.”
“Okay, Trevor.” He turned back to Emily. “Maybe I’ll see you at the reunion next year.” Trevor successfully pulled his father out the door.
Emily put the rest of her bacon down. “Can we go?”
Jack settled the check, and they drove the three blocks to his motel in silence. She was hurting, and any questions he’d ask would only make her feel worse. He parked in front of his room.
Emily stared straight ahead. “I never think about her.”
“Who?”
“The girl I used to be. It’s like I’ve had two lives. I’ve been trying not to remember who I used to be.”
Jack squeezed her hand. “Why?”
“Because she’s dead.”
He hated when she said things like that. “Tell me about her.”
“No.”
&nbs
p; He locked his jaw and tried to hold on to his patience. “Why not?”
“Because you’d like her better. It hurts to remember all I lost.”
Jack leaned over and kissed her gently. “I love you and always will.”
“You can’t know that.”
Jack placed her hand over his heart. “I do. Knowing who you were won’t make me love you less.”
“You can’t know that either.”
“Someday?
“Maybe. Can we just go in?”
Jack sighed. “Of course.”
As soon as they walked into the room, Emily asked, “Would it be okay if I showered first?”
“Sure.” He assumed they’d shower together, like they usually did.
Emily took her overnight bag into the bathroom and closed the door.
Fuck. Back to that. She knew he hated it when she shut him out. Anger washed through him. Anger at her for shutting him out and for not getting the motherfucking locks changed. Anger toward the fucker for thinking he could get her back. Newsflash, asshole, she’s with me now. Although, Em hadn’t made that clear, had she? She’d said they’d just met. At the time, he hadn’t thought twice about it. Jack assumed she was getting back at him for cheating on her. But what if she was just having fun with him?
Jack paced the small room because he needed to burn off his anger before they had another fight. Why hadn’t she told that asshole that she was with him now?
They’d only met five weeks ago, but he’d been in love with her every single day. She’d only just said she missed him for the first time. A fear he’d been denying pushed its way to the forefront of his mind, and Jack wanted to punch something. She was so amazing, and he was away so much. His worst fear taunted him. She’d meet another guy, one with the normal life she wanted so desperately, and she’d dump his never-home ass. Bile rose in his throat.
He jumped when she touched his shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Her hair was wet, and she’d dressed in jeans and a Stone Highway T-shirt.
“Sorry, lost in thought. Nice shirt.”
“Gotta support the team.”
When Jack didn’t laugh, she dropped her comb and put her arms around him. “I’m sorry, baby, I just needed a few minutes alone. With everything that’s happened, I’m feeling overwhelmed.”
Jack didn’t hug her back; if he did, he was afraid he’d never be able to let her go. “I hate it when you shut me out.”
She rested her head on his chest. “I know. I’m trying to do better.”
She was. Em hadn’t hidden in the bathroom their whole last visit. Resistance was futile. He was hers. His arms went around her.
Emily sighed. “We can’t seem to get a break, can we?”
Jack was an optimist, but even he had to admit that since that first week together, things hadn’t gone as planned. He remembered the call with his dad yesterday, but now wasn’t the time.
Emily leaned back. “What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I know, but your heart rate picked up.” She placed her palm over his heart. “What?”
“My dad called.” Jack tried to calm down. If she said no, that would be a bad sign. “He and my mom wanted me to invite you to spend Father’s Day weekend with us.”
Emily raised a brow.
Jack shook his head. “I didn’t say anything, I swear.” He crossed his heart.
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
Jack’s pulse hammered in his ears. “And?”
“I don’t think we can be that picky about how or when we get to see each other.”
Jack’s heart threatened to burst out of his chest. “Is that a yes?”
Emily smiled, and his heart flipped. “Yes.”
“Thank you. I love you, baby.” His lips found hers, and their tongues met and tangled. Joy spread throughout his body, and lack of oxygen made him dizzy.
Emily pulled back gasping for air. “One condition.”
“What?”
Emily smiled that heart-stopping smile of hers that made him want to start planning out every day of the rest of their lives together. “Make sure your parents are okay with us sharing a room.”
Jack exhaled. His folks had never said no to that. Then again, he’d never actually asked them. But she was coming no matter what, so Jack smiled. “Okay.”
“Okay, you’ll ask them, not okay they’ve never said no?”
“The difference being?”
She patted him on the cheek. “Baby, you don’t get home all that often, and from the time I spent there, it was obvious your parents would like to see you more. Any way they can get you. They’re a lot like mine were. My dad never would’ve allowed us to share a room unless we were married.” Her hazel eyes shone, but she smirked. “Maybe not even then.”
Jack scoffed. “That’s different. I’m not their little girl.”
“I don’t think they’d allow Jimmy to have a girl sleep over either.”
“You’re saying they let me get away with it?”
“Yes.”
Jack shook his head. “No way, not my folks. You saw how my dad was.”
“Yes, I did. But I also saw two loving parents who miss you terribly. Who are monumentally proud of you and might just let you get away with certain things because they’re afraid you wouldn’t visit otherwise.”
Jack wanted to deny it, but Em was great at reading people, and he wanted to make her happy. “Okay, I’ll ask.”
She smiled and kissed him hard. In a matter of seconds, the Stone Highway T-shirt hit the floor, and her jeans didn’t last much longer.
Later, Em lay curled up against him sound asleep. They hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, and they still had the rest of the afternoon to get through. His girl had a fiery temper, and when they got back to her place, Jack hoped she wouldn’t be too mad.
chapter
TWENTY-FIVE
It was midafternoon when Jeff called to say the installation was complete. As soon as they arrived, Emily’s blood pressure skyrocketed. Sully’s recliner and all the boxes that had been in her office were in a neat pile by the curb.
Emily unbuckled her seatbelt before the truck stopped. “You had no right,” she yelled as she opened the door.
Jack grabbed her arm. “What the fuck are you doing?” The truck stopped, but he didn’t release her.
“I told you I’d take care of this.”
“You still can. Call him and tell him to come pick up his shit.”
Emily ground her teeth together. Even for Jack, this was outrageous. Her body heated, and she took several breaths, but nothing stopped the mounting anger. She turned to Jack, seething. “How dare you?”
“How dare I? How dare he. He broke into your apartment last night. He left his stuff here to stay connected to you. I’m sure of it. I want it gone now,” Jack said through gritted teeth. “The sooner he’s out of your life—”
“He’s been out of my life. How many times do I have to say I don’t want him back?” Emily tried to jerk free, but Jack held her arm. “Let me go.”
Jack closed his eyes and inhaled. “Em, we agree on this. We both want him gone, so this doesn’t have to be a fight.” He loosened his hold on her arm. “We want the same thing.”
Emily yanked her arm free. “Yes, we do. But, what I don’t want is you arbitrarily deciding how that happens. You should’ve discussed this with me.” They needed to settle this now.
“I should’ve discussed it with you? Why haven’t you brought it up? Do you have a plan?”
“Yes.” Emily’s anger resurged.
“Then why didn’t you share it with me?”
Her head snapped to face him. “Is that what this display is? You’re mad because I didn’t share my plan with you?”
“No, these guys were here, and Jeff wanted to know where the fucker lived so he could talk to him. I thought this was the better solution.”
“
You thought? Well, thank goodness you were here to do my thinking for me.” She didn’t know why she said it because she knew that wasn’t what he meant, but she was so mad at him. Emily hated caveman behavior.
“You know I’m not like that. I just wanted to make this easier for you. You were so upset this morning at the motel, and you shut me out.”
“You arranged this while we were at the motel?” Some of her anger faded.
Jack looked down. “No, before we left for breakfast. But, Em, if something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. You refused to let Fletcher keep an eye on you.”
“One thing has nothing to do with the other. You can’t just make these decisions, we’re supposed to be a couple, and couples decide things together. Instead, you ride in and solve the problem. I’m not Christie. I don’t want or need that kind of help.”
“Well, what was your plan? The one you didn’t discuss with me? Or am I just some guy you’re screwing, so I don’t need to know?”
“That’s not fair, you know that’s not what’s going on here—”
“Your ex doesn’t. He thinks I’m just some random guy you picked up in a bar last night.”
Emily sighed. She’d known that was a mistake as soon as she’d said it, but she’d wanted to hurt Sully. She’d been doing better, but seeing him again brought all her anger, humiliation, and rejection back to the surface. His shocked expression had been small satisfaction, but she hadn’t considered Jack’s feelings. “I’m sorry I said that. I wanted to hurt him, not you. Please forgive me?”
“That hurt.” He looked straight ahead. “You should’ve made it clear that you’ve moved on. He’s not done.”
She took Jack’s hand. “You’re right.” Her stomach burned with regret. “He may not be done, but I most definitely am.” She touched his cheek, but he stared ahead. “Please look at me.”
Jack faced her.
“I’m with you. I’ll make sure he knows that.”
Jack didn’t smile.
Emily turned away. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.”
A car horn blast interrupted whatever Jack was about to say. He raised his hand, started the truck, and continued down the driveway to the back of the building, parking next to her car. He cut the engine and turned to her. “I’m scared.”
No More Yesterdays: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 2) Page 25