She couldn’t sing. She couldn’t do this. Ryder and Gabe were leaving. Gabe, who could sing, and she could not.
The soft sound of footsteps across the rocky parking lot told her someone had followed her outside. She knew who. Gabe and Ryder.
She refused to turn around to greet them.
She stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulder but still refused to turn.
“Grace.” It was Gabe. She didn’t respond.
When she didn’t answer, he moved to stand in front of her. He said again, “Grace.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. She looked to the side, refusing to look him in the eye.
He reached out to touch her cheek, and her hand flashed up, grabbing it. “Don’t touch me. Why do you even want to? Why are you even trying? Can’t you see there’s something wrong with me? I’m broken.”
She looked him in the eye then, knowing all her anger and pain showed even in the dim moonlight. She smelled cigarette smoke on the light breeze and knew Ryder was there. He just hadn’t spoken up yet.
“Go away,” she said to both of them. “You’re both leaving anyway. You both get to go on with your lives and I’m stuck. Stuck here in this place I can’t get out of.”
Gabe took a step back, saying nothing. She felt a slight pang of guilt as his head dropped, knowing she had hurt him.
“Is that what this is about?” Ryder said finally.
She spun around, facing him. “Does it matter?”
He shook his head and flung his cigarette down, the ground it out with his boot. “At this point it doesn’t, does it? You’re going to do what you’re going to do, and there’s not a damn thing either of us,” he nodded at Gabriel, “can do about it. But you can’t expect us to quit living our lives because you can’t get on with your own.”
“Ryder,” Gabriel started.
“Gabe,” Ryder said. “This has gone on long enough. She needs to put on her big girl panties and deal.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?” Grace sneered at him.
“Deal with it.”
Grace took a step back, the itch to hit him strong.
Ryder raised an eyebrow, warning her, “Don’t do it.”
Grace felt tears sting and threaten to spill out. She looked away.
“Cry, Grace. Let it go,” Ryder said.
Grace’s eyes went wide. She looked everywhere but at Ryder. When she did look up at him, she saw the despair in his brown eyes. She wanted desperately to throw herself into his arms like she had done many times in the past when hurt.
“Fuck you,” she said, and turned and walked away.
***
Gabe
He and Ryder watched her disappear back down the beach. Ryder pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. Gabe went to stand beside him. They stood there silently.
Gabe heard more footsteps behind them, but didn’t turn. Soon, a drink was being pressed into his hand. He looked to see Carly’s troubled gaze also looking down the horizon to where Grace had disappeared. Noah and Joey had also come outside.
“I’m going after her,” Gabe said.
“No,” Ryder said on an exhale of smoke.
Gabe looked over to Noah, whose face was blank. “She needs to do this on her own, she needs to find that faith in herself. She’s not going to move on, or sing,” he looked at Gabe on that, “until she does.”
Carly reached out and put her hands on his arms. “I have to get back in, guys. It’s busy. Keep an eye on our girl, okay?”
Gabe smiled, putting his hand on Carly’s. “Of course.”
Carly went back into the bar. Ryder made no move to leave, so Gabe didn’t either. He stood beside Ryder, sipping his drink occasionally, not speaking. All of them focused on the house down the beach.
Gabe’s drink was about halfway finished when he saw movement on the beach. It was Grace.
They moved closer, and watched as she carried a trash bag to the beach. She pulled the bag open and black sheets spilled out onto the beach. He watched as she kicked the sheets into a pile. After that, she took a can of charcoal lighter fluid and poured it onto the sheets. She lit a match, watched the flame for a second, then pitched it onto the pile of sheets she had assembled. In a flash of light, the sheets went up in flames. Gabe could hear the flames flicker and spark from where he stood.
Grace took out a bottle of champagne and uncorked it, throwing the cork on the flames as well and tilting the bottle to her lips. She drank from the bottle until it was gone. Then, angry again, tossed the bottle on the fire as well.
She looked up, and in the light of the fire, Gabe could see the tears flowing down her face. She dropped down on the sand to her knees. Her dark hair was a shroud around her. Gabe took a step toward her. Hands on either side of him stopped him.
A bottle of whiskey appeared on his left.
“Semper Fi,” Noah whispered, staring out at the water. “Semper Fi, Grace.”
Gabe took a swig of the liquor, feeling the burn all the way down. He handed the bottle to Ryder.
Chapter Twenty-One
Grace
When Grace woke up, she was still on the beach. On the cold, morning breeze, she caught the scents of smoke—cigarette and the remnants of the fire she burned the night before. Ryder was there, somewhere in the shadows. She didn’t even look around for him. Gabe probably was there too. She refused to acknowledge their presence, not a nod or a glance.
She looked at the dark spot of ashes. Tears pricked again. She had never felt so alone. So empty.
Gabe was leaving. So was Ryder. She’d never really been alone before. Now she was, and was stuck. She looked out at the horizon. A new day. What would this day bring?
When there was no lingering smell of smoke, she knew Ryder was gone.
She grabbed the empty champagne bottle, still warm from the fire. She walked to the surf and filled it with the cool water of the gulf. She returned to the ashes and poured the water on the remains. Watched the black and grey remnants wash away.
Only when she thought they were both gone did she let the tears fall again.
Grace felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see Gabe. He draped a jacket across her shoulders. It was warm and smelled like him. He reached down and wiped the wet streaks from her face, then held out his hand to help her up, and she took it.
“Where’s Ryder?”
“He went home.”
“You guys were out here all night?”
He nodded. “Where else would we be? Where would I be?”
“Gabe,” she started.
He stopped her by placing a finger to her lips. “You don’t have to say anything, or explain. You’re coming to my house. I’m going to brew some coffee. You can shower if you want. And I have a surprise for you after that.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes. Ryder, myself, Noah, Joey, and Carly cooked up something for you.” He smiled. “We didn’t have much else to do since none of us were going anywhere. Come on,” he tugged her hand, “let’s get started with today. Today is all about you, Grace.”
She nodded and let him lead her to his cabin.
When they got there, Gabe set about making coffee. “Carly brought you a change of clothes and other things. They’re in a bag on my bed. By the time you finish, coffee and breakfast will be ready.”
Her stomach growled at the thought of food and coffee. She was starving.
He nodded to the bedroom. “Go on.”
She went in the bedroom and closed the door. There was a travel bag on his bed, just like he said. She opened it and was surprised to see more than one change of clothes and toiletries. What was going on?
She opened the door. “Gabe? What’s all this in this bag?”
“Relax, Grace. I promise you can trust me.”
He was right, she could trust him. She took the black t-shirt, jeans, and the toiletries and went to shower the sand, grit, and memories of the night before away.
Later, she
walked into the living room, barefoot, and toweling off her hair. She took a seat at the bar. Nervous, she drummed her fingers against the tile.
Gabe set a cup of coffee in front of her. He pushed a plate of biscuits, toast, and other breakfast goodies toward her. “Eat something. You’ll feel better.”
“Gabe, what are we doing today? I saw the bag.”
“We are going to Lafayette today. You said you wanted to go to Festival Acadiens one day, and it’s this weekend. We’re getting out of town.”
Her heart raced at the thought of leaving town. It was Lafayette though. Not New Orleans, not someplace that would bring on memories.
“It’s time to step out again, Grace,” he said.
She looked down, and when she did, she saw the Semper Fi charm on her bracelet. Always faithful, she thought. She raised her head and looked Gabe in the eye. She nodded. It was time to have a little faith, in herself and in Gabe.
“Let’s do this,” she said.
Gabe winked at her over the rim of his coffee cup. “Let me get my own shower and get ready, and we’ll hit the road, cher.”
***
The sounds of the fiddle and accordion rang out from the multiple stages set up in the Lafayette park, and the spicy scents of Cajun cooking filled the air. Festival Acadiens was underway. Locals had set up colorful tents and canopies around the perimeter of the park, most sporting the red pepper Ragin’ Cajun mascot. They were an oasis to rest and cool off after spending hours of dancing and drinking in the hot October sun. Kids tossed footballs back and forth. Couples lay on blankets spread out on the grass.
Gabe snagged a music schedule and they found a place away from the crowd to look it over. Grace pointed out bands she wanted to see, and they put together a schedule for the day.
“Geno Delafosse plays in half an hour. You want to go ahead and go to that stage? I know he draws a crowd,” Gabe said.
“Sure,” she agreed.
As they approached the stage, Grace saw that Gabe had been right, there was already a small crowd beginning to gather. Some had already begun to dance to the music playing from the loudspeakers as the band set up.
“Want something to drink while we wait?” Gabe asked after they found a good spot off to the side of the stage.
“I would love something. How about a lemonade from one of those spots we passed earlier?”
“Sounds great. Wait here, and I’ll be right back.”
While she waited, she took in the sights and sounds. She didn’t go to Lafayette often, but always loved it when she visited. The people were friendly. They’d start talking to you in line at the grocery store, and before long, they knew where you were from, where you were going, and who your family was. Several people had already nodded to her in greeting as she stood there waiting for Gabe to return.
She tapped her feet to the lively beat, unable to resist.
“Wanna dance, cher?” The guy standing in front of her appeared to be in his sixties, face leathery from sun. He wore a gimme hat from a local oilfield company. He was about a foot shorter than she was and absolutely precious.
Grace nodded and took his hand.
***
“I haven’t felt this good in weeks,” Grace said as she and Gabe took shelter in the shade of an old oak tree. Gabe spread out a blanket he had in his backpack and they took a seat. Her heart still beat fast, she could feel the flush in her cheeks, and her legs were almost shaky. The older guy had led her through the spirited first dance, and she had danced every dance until Geno stopped playing over an hour later. She jitterbugged, waltzed with Gabe, and two-stepped with others. She had tried to teach Gabe to jitterbug, but after both of them ended up doubled over in laughter, they had given up.
“I’m so glad,” Gabe said as he reached for her hand.
“This was a great idea. Thank you, Gabe.”
“You’re so welcome,” he said. Taking her hand, he pulled her closer. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. It was a soft kiss at first, until Grace returned the kiss, intensifying it.
Grace was the first to break the contact. She leaned back and looked at him. “Can we just make today about you and me. Nothing about the past. Nothing about the future. Just today.”
“Of course.”
“I promise we will talk. Soon. But this feels good today. To be away. To be with you. Let’s just enjoy that.”
He smiled and leaned down, kissing her softly.
“Whatever you want, baby.”
“What I want right now is some alligator on a stick! We need to re-energize if we’re going to keep dancing.”
“I got that. You wait right here. Relax. Today is all about you, baby.”
***
The last band of the day wound down, and Grace and Gabe made their way through the crowd back to his bike.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked.
“I don’t know. How about we check out some local music?”
“Sounds good. I talked to my roommate, Nate, who’s from here, and Emily earlier when I was making plans. They recommended downtown and it’s only, like, ten minutes from here. How about we check that out?”
“Perfect.”
As they drove the short distance from the park, Grace enjoyed the sights of the town. The University of Lafayette, the college Emily had gone to, was on the right. The oak trees that graced the campus were haloed in the golden glow of the dwindling light.
The weather was perfect, the night was warm and smelled of soil and fresh cut grass. Clean. Fresh. New. Perfect.
Gabe pulled into a parking spot when they arrived downtown. They secured their helmets, then took off on a stroll down the street that was lined with restaurants, bars, and art galleries. Hand in hand they walked, stopping here and there to window shop at the galleries.
As they passed bars, they would stop to listen for a moment. They stopped a couple of times before finally settling on a sound they liked. They went in and took seats at the bar.
Gabe ordered their drinks, then they swiveled on their stools to watch the band.
“I was talking to the bartender about the band. You know this band is my roommate’s old band, right? Destination Sanity. He used to play bass for them before he moved to Austin to join our band,” Gabe said.
“I like them. They have a cool vibe. And that lead singer is something else. I can tell. Listen to those jokes he’s telling between songs.”
“Right?” Gabe said.
“I like this place. It’s so laid back. Look at everyone,” Grace said. “It’s so different than New Orleans.”
“Austin isn’t that much different.”
Grace exhaled. “I can’t go to Austin. Not yet.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Grace smiled and patted his thigh. “I may one day. But not yet.”
He put his hand over hers. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“I still have some issues to work out. I still need my mornings with Noah, and I need to find my voice. I have to do this for me. I can’t do a relationship right now.”
He took her hand and raised it to his lips. “I understand, Grace. Do what you have to do for you. And know that I’m here for you.”
“How about we wander down the street? Let’s enjoy this town while we’re here.”
“You got it, cher,” he said.
They finished their drinks and continued down Jefferson Street. They stopped to look at the local art featured in the windows of the galleries. Colorful paintings in reds, purples, blues, and yellows that reflected the joy in which these people lived. Jewelry made from oyster shells or fired glass was featured in another window. The other establishments were bars or restaurants, and all had people spilling in and out of them.
When they heard another band that intrigued them, they stopped in.
“Bartender says the band playing is Leauxco,” Gabe said after he ordered their drinks.
“So, we went from Destination Sanity to
Leauxco?” Grace said, raising an eyebrow. “Is this a trend?’
“Maybe so,” Gabe said. They continued drinking and listening to the band. Gabe’s hand rested on her thigh.
Drinks in hand, they swayed in time to the music.
“If I can reach you, I’m gonna wanna touch you,” sang the lead singer.
“Wanna dance?” Gabe asked.
“I do.”
“If I touch you, I’m going to wanna kiss you.”
Grace danced along to the music with Gabe, enjoying the feel of him next to her. She relaxed and enjoyed dancing with him. Her hand rested on his well-defined arm.
“He’s right, you know,” Gabe said.
“What do you mean?”
“If I keep touching you, I’m going to want to kiss you,” he said.
“Do it, then.”
He stopped moving and looked down at her. “You sure?”
“I am.”
Slowly, he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was gentle at first, then became more urgent. He pulled her closer. Grace could feel his grin against her lips as her hands reached around his middle to pull him closer.
“How about we get out of here?” he asked after placing one last kiss on her lips.
“Where are we going to go?”
“Nate told me about some houseboat rentals on the swamp in a town called Henderson. I made a reservation.”
“That sounds awesome. Lead the way.”
Gabe took her hand, raised it to his lips, then pulled her close. He kissed her forehead. “Let’s go.” He clasped her hand in his and they walked out of the bar.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Gabe
Although the trip from Lafayette to Henderson was usually only twenty minutes, Gabe took it nice and slow. He was enjoying the feel of Grace so close to him as they drive down I-10.
Running On Empty (Fleur de Lis Book 2) Page 16