Wildflowers (JACT 2.5)

by Jennifer L. Allen

  I take in Joey’s appearance. He’s completely casual, like last night, wearing straight-leg, black jeans, an old Aerosmith t-shirt, and black Chucks. Great minds and all that. It looks like Alex is razzing Joey for something, ruffling up his hair. I snap a few photos of them horsing around before Joey looks up and sees me. His smile is huge when he sees me, and I know I’m smiling just as wide.

  That connection…

  “Hey,” he says as I approach.

  “Hey, yourself,” I smirk.

  “Hey,” Alex says, nudging his way in between us. Joey elbows him to the side. “Ouch,” he laughs.

  “Hi, Alex,” I give him a small wave.

  “So what’s the first stop on our tour, doll face?” Alex winks. He’s obviously the charmer of the group.

  “Dropping you off with Trevor and Chase,” Joey tells him.

  Alex’s face drops. “No fair. I want the Texas tour from a real Texan!” he whines. Yes, he actually whines. Then he drops to his knees and puts his hands together like he’s going to pray. “Please, Miss Evie? Please let me come with you guys?”

  I crack up at his antics. He’s just too much. “Of course, you can come with us,” I tell him, earning a groan from Joey. “What?”

  “If you engage him, he’ll never go away,” he whispers in my ear. His breath brushes my skin, causing a shiver to run through me.

  I laugh. “Everyone should experience Texas with a Texan,” I say.

  “Oh, look! The cattle drive is about to start,” Alex shouts and runs to the side of the street.

  “Is he always like this?” I ask Joey.

  “What? Like a toddler?” I laugh and nod. “Yes, he’s always like this.” Joey takes my hand, and I smile. We walk to the edge of the sidewalk, where Alex is bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting for the herd to arrive.

  “This is so cool,” Alex says. “Chase said they’re longhorns?”

  “Yeah. Where are the rest of the guys?”

  “They’re around here somewhere,” Joey mumbles. Huh, interesting.

  “Everything okay?” I ask, tugging on his hand so he looks at me.

  His chocolate eyes meet mine, and he smiles, seeming to relax on the spot. “Everything is great, now.”

  Chapter Six

  Joey

  “So what’s up with you and Tommy?” Alex asks Evie. The cattle drive is over, and we flow with the lunch crowd inside the saloon. I shake my head; I can’t believe he’s bringing this shit up.

  “Wow, you’re pretty blunt, aren’t you?” she asks him.

  “Everyone always says I don’t have much of a filter,” he smiles what I’ve learned is his trademark grin.

  “Well, what do you want to know? I’m an open book.”

  “You two banging?”

  “Alex!” What the hell is he doing?

  “What?” Evie sputters.

  “That’s rude,” I reach around Evie and punch him in the arm.

  He rubs the sore spot. “That was rude.”

  Evie laughs at the exchange. “It’s alright, Joey; he’s just being all papa bear for you. I get it.”

  “He has no right to ask that,” I glare at Alex. As much as I’d like to know if they have that kind of history, it’s still not an appropriate thing to ask a woman. Thankfully, we’re interrupted by the hostess. She takes us to a booth, and Evie and I sit on one side, Alex on the other.

  “It’s okay; I’ve got nothing to hide,” Evie continues once the hostess leaves. “I’ve known Tommy since birth. He’s one of my brothers’ best friends. They’re eight years older than me, so they didn’t really let me hang out with them until I was older, but they were together all the time, so he was always at my house.”

  “So you two never dated?” Alex probes, and I roll my eyes.

  Evie pats my leg under the booth. “No, we never dated. He was—is—like a brother to me. He left for L.A. when I was eleven, and I haven’t seen him since. Until last night, that is. I went to the concert on a press pass for an online newspaper. My editor sent me with the music journalist hoping my ‘in’ with the band would get them an exclusive. I just wanted to surprise him. I didn’t even think he’d recognize me,” she laughs. “I can assure you, he is not interested in me that way, and I am not interested in him that way.”

  “Any guy would be crazy not to be interested in you that way,” I say, and immediately wish I didn’t, as both pairs of eyes at the table are now focused on me. Alex’s are full of warning, and Evie’s are dark and full of something else.

  “Thank you,” she whispers shyly.

  “Incoming,” Alex says, sitting up straight. I turn my head to see Trevor, Chase, Nick and Scott approaching.

  “Who’s this?” Nick asks, looking at Evie like he wants to eat her.

  Too bad for him that she’s mine.

  No, she’s not yours, I remind myself. However, I can’t stop the quiet growl from escaping.

  Evie looks at me in amusement and raises her eyebrow. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” I bite out.

  “This here is Evie,” Alex answers. “She’s going to give me and Joey a tour.”

  “Sounds good. We’re going to sit at the bar,” Scott says, and the two of them walk off.

  I don’t miss the looks Trevor and Chase shoot my way. I return it with a raised eyebrow, hoping they can read my mind. It’s currently saying, ‘Back off, I know what I’m doing.’ Judging by the way Trevor crosses his arms over his chest, I don’t think he got the memo.

  As the more reserved of the group, Trevor and Chase are both very thoughtful and thorough. I’m not sure they have an impulsive bone in their bodies. The complete opposite of me and Alex. We tend to act first and think later. I know they’re worried about the possible repercussions my getting involved with Evie will have on the tour, and I honestly can’t say what I’m looking to get from this, but I need to at least see what happens. When you meet a girl who makes your skin vibrate just from being near her, you do what you need to do to be close to her.

  I feel Evie lean into my side. “What’s going on?” she asks quietly, her eyes darting over to where Trevor and Chase are still standing sentry at the end of our booth.

  I sigh; I really don’t want to get into this. But as usual, Alex’s big mouth takes away any choice I have in the matter.

  “These two,” he nods his head to Trevor and Chase, “are afraid you’ll ruin the tour.”

  Trevor and Chase shake their heads as I groan. Damn it, Alex. My head turns to Evie and she’s looking down at her hands in her lap. Shit.

  “It’s not like that,” I tell her, resting my hand on her arm. She shrugs it off her arm and quickly rises from the booth.

  “I’d say it was nice meeting y’all…but, yeah…” she says quietly, then hurries from the table and out the front door.

  “Smooth,” I tell Alex as I get up and take off after her.

  Chapter Seven

  Evie

  “Stupid,” I mutter to myself as I hoof it back to my car. I let myself be interested a guy and this is what happens. If it’s not my brothers scaring them away, it’s something…or someone…else. I shake my head and force back the tears I know are coming.

  I’m not even upset as much as I am pissed off—to be disliked by a couple of guys that don’t even know me? I thought that shit was over in high school. They think I’m going to ruin their tour? How would I do that? Why would I do that? I don’t want to ruin anything. I only wanted to get to know Joey better.

  Joey.

  He barely said anything in response, let alone defending me in any way. Does he feel the same way they do? Doesn’t much matter, I suppose. I’m getting the hell out of here. The sooner I can forget Joey Adams, the better.

  “Evie! Wait!”

  Well, doesn’t look like that’s going to happen as soon as I’d like. I’m almost to the parking lot, but I know he’ll catch up with me before I make it to my car, so I stop walking, but I don’t turn around. I won’t give him that
.

  I’m looking down at the ground, at my pink Chucks, when I see his black ones appear in front of me. He’s breathing heavily. So he ran to catch up with me? The thought makes me feel a little better, but not enough. I’m not sure anything is going to be enough to move past what happened back there.

  “I’m sorry, Sweetness.”

  Sweetness. He called me that last night. I thought it was cute when he said it and sexy when he explained it. Now? Now I feel nothing.

  “Whatever,” I shrug, looking anywhere but at him. “I don’t know what that was back there, but I’m just gonna go. I don’t want to come between you and your band. I’m not into drama.” I move to step around him, but he puts his hand on my arm to stop me.

  “Please don’t go. What Alex said—” he pauses.

  I shrug his hand off. “It doesn’t matter. Take care of yourself, Joey.” My voice cracks a little on his name—damn emotions—and I hurry away.

  “Evie, please.” The desperation in his voice causes me to slow my gait. “Let me explain.” I stop and chance a look at him. The man standing before me isn’t the cocky guy from the other night, or the shy one, or even the sweet one I caught a glimpse or two of. This one looks broken. Damaged.

  I tilt my head and take him in as he begs me with his eyes for a chance. A chance at what? I’m not sure yet. I take a few steps towards him and decide to give him that. “Okay…explain.” I set my own upset aside, suddenly feeling like I need to be strong for him now. I can sense that he needs me. Like really needs me.

  He lets out a big exhale and takes a cautious step towards me. I nod, letting him know that it’s okay to come closer. I can see the relief in his eyes as he rushes right up to me and wraps me in a hug.

  “God,” he inhales, and I swear he sniffs me like he did last night. “I don’t know what this is Evie, but I don’t want to let you go. I can’t let you go. Not without knowing you. Especially without knowing you.”

  I know how he feels, but I can’t just put myself out there with a guy who is only in town a short while. He’s not even in my town for crying out loud. I drove an hour and a half to see him. Plus, his band—his best friends—don’t seem to like me so that doesn’t bode well for even the briefest of relationships.

  I pull away from him, immediately missing his closeness. “What did you want to tell me?”

  He rubs his hands down his face. “What Alex says isn’t exactly the truth.”

  “So your band doesn’t exactly think I’m going to ruin the tour?” I say with a mocking laugh, trying to mask my hurt as I repeat Alex’s words. I don’t do a very good job considering the way Joey winces at my words.

  “They thought you and Tommy were a thing, and they were afraid that with me interested in you, it would step on Tommy’s toes and get us kicked off the tour and lose our chance at a record deal. I haven’t told Trevor and Chase that you aren’t with Tommy yet, haven’t had a chance to.” He sighs. “Even if I do, they’ll still probably worry since the two of you are close.”

  I want to laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing, but there’s just nothing funny about it. “You planning on breaking my heart or something?” I ask, only half joking.

  He looks so vulnerable in this moment. “I never want to break your heart, Evie. I just want the chance to know it.”

  Chapter Eight

  Joey

  I’m about ready to drop to my knees and beg her to give me a chance. The hurt on her face when I caught up with her was apparent. I’d do anything to make that go away. I’ve never felt like this over a girl before. I’ve never left my buddies to run after a girl—ever. But something about Evie is different.

  I can’t let her get away.

  “Please, Evie,” I beg. “Please give me a chance.”

  “A chance at what, exactly?” She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re leaving in three days. It’s not like you’re coming back here.”

  Valid point.

  “I don’t know what, Evie. I just know I have a lot of regrets, and I don’t want not getting to know you to be one of them.”

  “What are your other regrets?”

  I freeze for a moment. I specifically don’t allow myself to get emotionally close to other people to avoid moments like this. Personal questions. The band doesn’t count. They know enough about how my life was growing up to not ask questions.

  “I, uh—”

  Evie looks down and shakes her head. “It works both ways, Joey. If you want to know me, then you have to let me know you. And that ‘deer caught in the headlights’ look you just had…that says a lot.” She turns and starts walking away again.

  I run my hands down my face and let out a grunted sigh of frustration. “Evie, fine. I’ll talk to you. Don’t go.”

  Still walking away from me, she laughs and calls over her shoulder, “Um, yeah okay. That sounds so tempting.”

  I sigh and run to catch up to her. This is not going how I planned. This is all wrong. Walking quickly beside her, I lay it all out. “I don’t talk about my personal shit. Not even with the band. We grew up together so they know a little bit, but I don’t talk about it. It’s bad news and I don’t even like to think about it. You threw me off with the personal question, but give me a chance before you run away from me again. Please.”

  She stops at a red VW Beetle that has seen better days, then looks at me. After about a month—or maybe a minute—of her staring into my eyes, I start to squirm. She smirks, knowing she got to me, then says “Get in.”

  I mutter a grateful “yes” under my breath and hurry around to the passenger side. I’m glad I’m not as tall as Trevor, because then I’d never fit in her car. I settle in the seat and pull my cell out of my pocket, firing off a quick text to Alex that I’ll find my own way back to the hotel. I feel my phone vibrate with his response, but ignore it.

  “So where we headed?” I ask her.

  “Ever been to a rodeo?” she grins at me.

  “Can’t say that I have.”

  She winks at me, and backs out of the parking space. “You’re gonna love it,” she says as she puts the car in drive and speeds off.

  “I thought they did a rodeo at the Stockyards?” I ask her when I see we’re leaving the area.

  “Oh, there is,” she smiles, tapping her hot pink fingernails against the steering wheel. “But we’re going shopping first.”

  Shopping? “What kind of shopping?” I ask, now apprehensive.

  She stops at a light and turns to me, taking me in from head to toe. I wish it was her hands scanning over my body like that, and not her eyes. “You’re not dressed for a rodeo.”

  Looking at her, I do the same full body scan, this time wishing I was doing it with my hands. “You’re dressed just like me.”

  She shrugs. “Nothing a little retail therapy won’t fix.”

  Retail therapy? What the hell is that? And why do I have a feeling this is going to be a painful experience?

  She laughs as the light turns green, and she hits the gas. “Stop freaking out. I can smell the smoke from the gears in your head hitting overdrive. We’re just going to grab you some boots, a hat, a pair of Wranglers, and maybe a plain white t-shirt.” She looks to me quickly before putting her eyes back on the road. Licking her lips, she says, “Yep, a plain white t-shirt.”

  Huh?

  “Look, I might be in a band and on tour, but I’m not exactly rolling in the dough.” In fact, I’m broke. We don’t get paid much as an opening act, and we don’t have any merchandise to sell yet, which is how most of the other opening bands are making their extra cash.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she says, waving her hand dismissively. “Where we’re going, it’s cheap. Plus, it’s my treat.”

  I can’t let a chick pay for me. “No, you don’t have to do that…how cheap?”

  “Don’t argue with me. I insist. I’m the one taking you to the rodeo.”

  “Fine,” I say. She seems to be as stubborn as I am so we won’t get anywher
e if we argue. “But at least let me buy you dinner later.”

  “Deal.”

  Chapter Nine

  Evie

  Watching Joey try on western wear in Wear It Again Cowboy—a second-hand shop—has to be one of the most entertaining experiences of my life. I know he feels ridiculous trading his black jeans for stonewashed Wranglers, and his Chucks for a pair of Justin boots, but damn…he looks fine.

  You’d never be able to tell under his baggy clothes, but he has some seriously muscular thighs–probably from that double bass he plays so well. And his arms…sigh. They can’t just be from beating on his drums all day long. He must lift or something. The Wranglers and white T stretch across his muscles and emphasize those parts of his anatomy so well. I can even see the slight outline of his abs through the light colored t-shirt.

  “How do I look?” he asks, breaking me from my daydream.

  I turn to him, and my mouth drops. Joey Adams, rock drummer extraordinaire, looks like sex on a stick. Along with his jeans and shirt, he’s got on a pair of black boots and a black Stetson. The icing on the cake is the black belt looped around his trim waist, complete with a skull and crossbones buckle. Of course he found the only skull and crossbones belt buckle in the store.

  He walks up to me and places his hand under my chin, lightly closing my mouth. “Like what you see?”

  “You are so sexy,” I breathe.

  “As are you,” he says, his eyes trailing a path from my eyes down to my feet.

  I’ve replaced my pink Chucks with the pink boots I had in my car, and I picked up a short, denim skirt and white button down while he was in the dressing room. The shirt was a size too big, so I tied it in the front. I don’t miss how Joey’s gaze stays on my exposed naval way longer than any other part of my body.