by Scott, Lisa
“All right, boss. I’ll see you back in Dallas in a few days.” Joe ended the call and went back into the lounge where he found Lucy curled up on the couch, sleeping. He went to one of the staterooms and grabbed a blanket for her, covering her up. Then he got his tablet, settled down in a chair across the room, and got to work, trying his best not to watch her while she slept.
Joe hadn’t had a serious girlfriend in the past two years. There was too much travel, too many late-night phone calls—basically, too much Tripp in his life for most women to handle. That is, when they weren’t trying to use him to work their way up to Tripp.
He hadn’t worried too much about it. He wasn’t even thirty yet. The wife and kids would have to come later. But looking at Lucy Jordan sleeping just a few feet away from him left him wondering if investors and branding strategies and business meetings were worth it in the end.
It wasn’t the best time for Lucy Jordan to drop into his life. Yet he was happy she was there.
***
When Lucy woke, the sky was a dark blue color that could’ve meant it was dawn or dusk. She sat up and yawned and realized she had no clue where she was. A boat? Then she saw Joe Latham sitting across the room and it all came back to her. She pushed aside the blanket. “Did you cover me up?” she asked.
“Yeah, you looked cold.”
She scowled.
“That was the wrong thing to do? You have a wool allergy?” he asked.
“I have a great dislike of people taking care of me.” She stood up and had to catch her balance. “We’re moving.”
“We left port an hour ago.”
“So where are we going?”
Joe swirled the drink in his hand. “I figure we’ll spend a day or two at sea, then dock in Baltimore and you can drive or fly home from there and I’ll catch a flight to Dallas.”
“Send me a bill to cover the yacht expenses while I’m onboard.”
“I will pass that along to Tripp and he’ll laugh,” Joe said. “Your rental car was returned, and your luggage is in stateroom number six. It’s nearly eight o’clock and the chef has dinner waiting for us if you’d like to join me in the dining room.”
Her stomach growled. “Guess you won’t believe me if I said I’m not hungry.”
“Not for a minute. Do you want to get freshened up first?”
She looked down at her wrinkled black dress and realized her scarf had slipped off while she slept. She spotted it on the couch and put it back on. “I’m fine. We can go eat now.”
Lucy was dreading the dinner, but she couldn’t be rude, not after all the kindness he’d shown her. Not after all the bad wishes she’d sent his way over the years because of the prank it turns out he never pulled.
Joe pulled out her chair for her and she had to admit Joe was handsome with curly black hair and big brown eyes. His lashes were longer and fuller than hers, even after double-dosing on mascara. And clearly, he was thoughtful. Gallant even, taking the blame for his girlfriend so long ago. Why he hadn’t been scooped up by some gold digger, she had no idea. But maybe work kept Joe too busy for love.
“When do you think you’ll get that next album out?” Joe asked. “I was disappointed the label canceled it.”
She sat down and rested her cane against the table. “I couldn’t meet their deadlines. I’m honestly not sure I’ll ever get it out.”
“You can’t mean you’re not going to sing again.”
She shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to move on to something else.”
He shook his head. “No. You’re incredible. No one has a voice like you. And your song writing? ‘Hang Your Heart Next To Mine?’ Genius.”
A waiter brought out a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass and promised to have the food out shortly.
“You like country music?” she asked.
“I like your music.”
“You actually listen to it?” She figured he was probably just being polite.
“I’ve got every song of yours on my tablet.” He grabbed it off the chair next to him, did a bit of tapping, and suddenly Lucy’s voice was filling the space around them. “You Wronged Me” was her breakout hit.
“The jilted girl’s anthem,” Joe said. He sang along with the words. “I thought you were Mr. Right…” Then he snapped his fingers for two beats. “…Until you wronged me.”
She rolled her eyes.
“What? Have you seen the way women go nuts at bars when this plays? I swear, every single female in the place hits the dance floor when this song comes on.” He shrugged. “I think men request it just to see women dance.” He laughed. “So, was there a Mr. Right who wronged you? Did something in real life inspire the song?”
Lucy’s throat tightened and she took a drink of her wine. Maybe it’s because she was tired, or maybe it was because she’d had such a crazy day, but she decided to tell him. “It is. But it wasn’t cheating like everybody thinks. We both know there’s more than one way to wrong a person.”
Joe set down his drink and stared at her. “You’re not suggesting this song’s about me.”
“It’s not about you so much as inspired by you. I thought Leah was so lucky to scoop up someone like you. Here she was, one of the oddball girls like me, and she started dating one of the cute, popular guys. I thought, ‘She got her Mr. Right.’” She sighed. “And then you wronged me. Or so I believed.”
“I think I deserve a follow-up now that you know the truth.”
She laughed. “Maybe. If I ever write again.”
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. What is it about this accident that’s paralyzed you?”
She gave his question some thought. She’d had a hard time even talking about this with the therapist she’d seen twice. “I’m weak now. I walk with a limp, and I don’t know if that will ever go away. I kick ass onstage, and how am I going to do that now? I’m a gimpy, scarred girl. That’s not what my fans want. I’ll admit it. I’m afraid of being rejected. I’ve worked so hard all my life to be who I want to be and this is not it, but I have no control over the situation. The piercings, my tattoos—those are all things I chose to do. I didn’t choose this,” she said, pointing to her scar. “For the first time in my life, I feel like a victim. My ex caused this crash and walked away without a scratch. He dumped me after what he did to me. It’s like I’m living one of my damn songs, and I don’t like it.”
Joe reached across the table and squeezed her hand. She didn’t pull away. “The strength of a person isn’t measured by whether or not they get knocked down, but by whether or not they get back up. You need to get back up. Your fans need you to get back up because if they know you can’t, how can they when life knocks them down?”
She glared at him. “My day was a whole lot easier when I still thought you were a jerk.”
“I’m glad you finally learned the truth. I wasn’t ever going to tell you, but I have to admit it sucked knowing what you thought of me.” He laughed bitterly. “It only took ten years to clear all that up.”
“You were right to cover for Leah. I should thank you. It would have been devastating at the time to know Leah had been behind that.”
“I’m glad I made the right decision. But the way you’re hiding right now? That’s the wrong decision. I think it would be incredibly kickass for you to get onstage and let the world see this tragedy did not pull you under. It’s just a scar. Your face is still beautiful. Your eyes are still like emeralds. Once you get onstage, no matter if you stride on up there or take your time with a bit of a wobble, all that matters is your heart. Your fans want your heart.”
She looked down, blinking back tears. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Hell, when Mr. Gunderman announced your name as homecoming queen and everyone started laughing and whispering, I thought I was going to throw up. I figured you might, too. I couldn’t imagine how much that must’ve hurt you. And when you passed by me to go up on the stage, I saw your hands shaking. You knew the punks in our class w
ouldn’t have voted someone like you homecoming queen for real. But you went up on that stage and you didn’t cry, you held your head high and let Mr. Gunderman put the crown on you.”
“I don’t think he even realized it was a joke until he heard the laughing. He quietly asked me if I wanted the crown or not. I thought about leaving the stage, but I knew I’d also regret running away.” Images from that night danced in her brain. She wouldn’t admit it to Joe, but it still stung. “So Mr. Gunderman just accused you of doing it?”
“He found the old ballots in the garbage. They talked about doing a recount with the ones thrown away but decided just to leave it. And that’s what I decided, too. I couldn’t rat out Leah. She regretted it immediately, I could tell from the look on her face. So I took the blame.”
“You got a week’s detention, didn’t you?”
“Two weeks.”
“Sorry.”
“I didn’t mind. I felt bad it happened. And even though some of the jerks made fun of you, just as many people quietly admired your bravery. Lucy, if you could hold your head high back then, you can do it now.”
The waiter arrived with their dinners. Lucy was glad for a break in the conversation. She hadn’t been expecting such an intimate talk with the guy from high school she had both despised and desired.
She took a bite of a divine piece of grouper. “Thanks again for doing this for me. This must be a huge inconvenience for you.”
“Not at all. I haven’t been out to sea on this baby yet. It’s wonderful. And I don’t mind helping out a friend.” He frowned. “Not that you consider me a friend.”
“I think I can give you an upgrade from first-class ass to friend now that I know the truth. I was so mad at Leah for not dumping you after what I thought you did to me, but I can see why she loved you so much.”
Joe set down his fork and knife. “I wish there was something I could’ve done to save her. Even after I’d left and we were broken up, I came back and staged an intervention. She checked into rehab but left after five days.”
“I should’ve given her more of my time. But being on the road is just insane. Most days, I woke up and had no idea where I was. I always meant to call, but…” The tears started slipping out and she swore.
Joe scooted his chair next to hers and put his arm around her. “I don’t think it would have made a difference. Leah wanted to be someone she wasn’t and didn’t know how. She didn’t know how to have your courage. She didn’t know how to find her own thing. Addiction runs in her family. When you add those things together, it’s a terrible combination.”
Lucy surprised herself by leaning into Joe. “Her death bothers me more than I’ve wanted to admit. I kept trying to tell myself we weren’t really friends anymore. And there’s part of me shouting, ‘Maybe that’s why it happened.’”
“I think her self-destruction was inevitable.” He rubbed his thumb along Lucy’s shoulder.
Lucy pushed away her uneaten food. “That was amazing, but I’m just not hungry.”
“I know what you mean.” He stood up and offered his hand. “Want to go out on deck?”
She grabbed her cane. “Sure. But I can manage on my own.”
“I think if you got yourself a cool walking stick, you could make those the next fashionable thing. Wood carvers across America would be forever grateful.”
She laughed. “That’s not a bad suggestion. This does make me feel decades older than I am.”
Joe grabbed his tablet and held it up. “So we can listen to more of your music.”
She snatched the bottle of wine and held it up. “So I can listen to more of my music. These days, it can be hard to hear it.”
Collecting their glasses, he gave her a sympathetic smile. He led her out onto the deck to a circular seating area. A hot tub bubbled next to it. They sat down and he turned on her music. “Have you heard from your ex since the accident?” Joe asked.
She poured them each some more wine. “Only when he texted me and told me I was a bitch for testifying against him at his indictment.” Lucy shook her head. “That relationship was on the skids anyway. I don’t think he can bear to face what he did to me. I want nothing to do with that coward. He was just using me anyway, trying to break into the business. He had me totally fooled.”
“How did you get in? It’s not like you were dreaming of being a country singer since you were a little girl. It was more of a lark, right? I’ve read the stories about your indie album, but I want to hear the story from you,” Joe said.
They spent the next two hours talking about her first days in Nashville and the thrill of knowing fans responded to her music. She didn’t even mind hearing her songs playing in the background while they chatted. For the first time since the accident, her music made her smile again.
She yawned and stretched. “Today has totally kicked my ass. I’m going to hit the sheets.”
“It’s been an interesting day, that’s for sure. Let me walk you to your room.”
They walked downstairs and he stopped in front of her room. “Goodnight, Lucy.”
“Goodnight. Thanks for everything.” She went into her room, changed into her nightgown, and dropped onto the bed, falling asleep in minutes.
***
Joe woke with a start and sat up. He’d heard something. A deep moaning noise came from across the hall. Lucy’s room, he thought to himself. The frightening sound continued and he grabbed his robe from the chair next to his bed and dashed across the hall. Her door was closed, so he tapped on it. “Lucy?”
No answer, but she kept crying. He frowned, not certain what to do. Then she screamed and he opened the door and rushed to her.
She was sitting up in bed, crying. Her hands were pressed against her face. He sat on the bed next to her and put his arm around her. “Shh, you’re okay. Shh. You must’ve had a bad dream.”
She buried her face in his chest and nodded. “I can’t remember the accident when I’m awake. I can only remember the horrible dreams I have.” With a shudder, she let out a soft cry.
Joe smoothed his hand along the back of her head, the ridges of her curls silky against his skin. “It must’ve been horrific. I’m so sorry. Lie back down and try to sleep.”
“I can’t. Once I wake up from one of these dreams, I usually can’t go back to sleep. Most days, I’m walking around like a zombie. That’s why I fell asleep on the couch earlier.”
He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Just try. I’ll stay here with you.”
She snorted softly but didn’t say no.
“No one wants to be alone when they’re frightened. I’ll just lie here with you. You can trust me.”
She lowered herself onto her pillow and curled up on her side. Joe crawled onto the bed and lay beside her. She was still sniffling, so he rubbed her arm. She relaxed under his touch.
Joe was reminded of her song, “Through a Storm.” He started humming the tune.
She rolled over to look at him. “That’s one of my songs.”
He started singing it softly. “Why do I always feel like I’m walking through a storm…”
She curled back up, letting him sing for a few minutes. “You weren’t in chorus, were you?” she murmured, snuggling into his embrace.
With a little laugh, he wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her closer. She didn’t protest. He went back to humming and she sighed. He paused for a moment, then placed the softest kiss on the back of her neck.
Waves slapped against the side of the boat. “Don’t stop…” she said.
He felt his eyebrows rise. “Don’t stop what?” he whispered. The kissing? The humming?
But she was asleep, her soft breaths slow and rhythmic. He lay there, uncertain how she’d feel if she woke and found him next to her. He moved back from her, but she rolled over and draped her arm across him, pinning him against the bed.
Before he drifted off to sleep, he spent at least half an hour lying there, marveling at how the woman who’d hated him more than an
yone in the world just a few hours ago was now snuggled in bed with him on a yacht in the Atlantic Ocean.
***
Lucy woke feeling surprisingly rested, then she noticed the body next to her. She scooted back from Joe, slowly remembering how he’d come into her room when another nightmare woke her.
His eyes fluttered open and he smiled at her.
“I didn’t know you were going to stay with me all night,” she said.
“Me neither. But I fell asleep.”
She pulled the blankets around her. “That’s okay. It was nice, actually. Usually I can’t fall asleep for a long time after those dreams. If at all. But you were humming…” Then she remembered he’d kissed her neck. Without thinking, her fingers went to the spot as if she could feel proof it had really happened.
Joe quickly looked away. “I’m going to go talk with the captain, then check my e-mail to see what emergencies are erupting. Do you want me to join me for breakfast?”
“Sure. I’ll come to the dining room in an hour. I’m going to take a long, hot shower.”
Joe left and she stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Joe Latham had just spent the night with her. What kind of crazy, mixed-up world was she living in? That damn song of hers was all wrong now. Joe still seemed like Mr. Right. But he hadn’t wronged her, no ma’am.
She walked into the bathroom, her leg stiff and aching. She undressed, careful not to look in the mirror so she wouldn’t have to see the scars along the right side of her body. The doctors had told her that her body had produced too much collagen as it healed, leaving pink, raised, scars where she’d been injured in the crash. Hypertrophic scars, they called them. She’d been for several treatments, applied cream, and massaged the scars as instructed. She’d gone through a round of laser surgery with some improvement, but there was no promise they’d ever totally go away. It could take years, if ever.
She stepped into the steamy shower, feeling much happier than she had in quite a while. Isolating herself had been difficult; she was a social person. She’d refused her mother’s request to come and stay with her after the accident. Her mother had seemed secretly relieved. Then Lucy had let her assistant go because there was no work for her to do once the latest record deal went bust. She’d been alone for months.