Leather and Lace

by Jessie Evans

  No one, but Marisol, the one woman who was off limits.

  “Just my luck,” Bubba mumbled as he started the truck and pulled out of the nearly abandoned parking lot, doing his best not to peek into his rear view mirror at the convertible pulling onto the street behind him. Marisol had made it clear that it was never going to happen between them, and Bubba had learned his lesson about pining for impossible things a long time ago.

  The thought was barely through his head, when his cell rang. Bubba glanced at the phone long enough to see it was his brother, John, before he answered. “Hey, man. You’re up late, even for a Saturday.”

  “Yeah, well, the kids are sick. Lily’s been taking care of them all day, so I’m taking the night shift.”

  “I’m sorry,” Bubba said, hating to think of Carter and Peyton suffering. “I hope they get to feeling better soon. Would it help if I brought them back some candy next week, when I get back from my trip? There’s a giant candy store not far from my hotel.”

  Bubba had told his family he was taking a week off work to go visit old friends in Dallas. They had no idea he was in Austin playing gigs, making demos, and meeting with country music stars. If they did, the entire Lawson clan would have a collective meltdown. Bubba would be raked over the coals—and possibly cast out of the family for life—and he preferred to avoid telling them what was really going on until he knew for certain the music career was going to work out. No sense alienating all of the people he loved if he wasn’t going to be able to make this thing fly.

  “That’s kind of why I’m calling,” John said, with a weary sigh. “I know this is the first time you’ve taken off work in years, and I hate to ask, but half our hands are down with this bug. It’s nasty. They’re going to be laid up at least a week, and we’ve got the male calves that need to be taken care of. We’ve already let it go as long as we can. If we don’t get them fixed this week, we’re going to run into trouble down the road.”

  Bubba took a deep breath as he pulled into the hotel parking lot, mentally checking off what he would need to cancel to make it back to Lonesome Point to help out. Everything except the meeting tomorrow could be rescheduled, and that was first thing in the morning, so it shouldn’t make much of a difference. “I’ll be home by late afternoon tomorrow. You’ll have me for the rest of the week.”

  “Thanks, Bubba. I appreciate it,” John said, the relief in his voice banishing the flash of disappointment Bubba felt over missing his chance to finish his demo reel.

  “No worries, brother,” Bubba said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He hung up, and called Marisol right away, knowing she’d need to get the ball rolling on rescheduling their time in the studio.

  Unfortunately, she wasn’t in an understanding mood.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, her irritated tone making Bubba certain her hair was bouncing all over the place, though he couldn’t see her. “Robert, this is not the time to screw around. You’re poised to make the jump into the big leagues. Not many people get the breaks you’re getting. You need to focus, not drop everything to go play cowboy.”

  “I’m not playing anything,” Bubba said. “This is my family’s livelihood, and they need my help. I’m leaving tomorrow after the meeting, and that’s the end of it.”

  “You’re going to be stubborn about this, aren’t you?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Bubba said. “Family comes first. Now, and always.”

  Marisol sighed, a long exhale that ended in what sounded like a growl. “Fine. But I’m coming with you. There are still things we can get done in Lonesome Dove—”

  “Lonesome Point,” Bubba corrected automatically, too surprised that Marisol wanted to come home with him to think of anything else to say.

  “Whatever,” Marisol said. “There are still things we can accomplish, and maybe I can adjust your attitude while I’m there. Family coming first can mean sending money after you make it big, you know. And to make it big, sometimes we have to say no, even to people we’ve always said yes to.”

  Bubba let her words sink in, but they left a sour feeling in his stomach. He never said no to family. He wouldn’t even know how to start. But thankfully, he did know how to say no to Marisol, or at least how to establish boundaries, now that they’d decided things were all business between them.

  “All right, you can come home with me,” Bubba said. “But you come as a friend, and the music stuff stays between us. I want to keep this quiet for a while.”

  “But your family will be so proud of you, Robert, when they realize everything you’ve accomplished in such a short time,” Marisol said. “You’re such a talent, if you just—”

  “If you say anything to my family, I’ll have to find another manager,” he said, the threat silencing Marisol with an immediacy that was surprising. He didn’t want to play hardball with her, but he wasn’t going to be bullied into having the music career talk with his parents before he was ready. “Do you understand?”

  “I understand,” Marisol said in a stiff voice that made it clear she thought he was being an unreasonable jerk. “See you in the morning, Robert. I’m off to pack my ranch girl gear.”

  Bubba doubted the always stylish Marisol had any clothes appropriate for castrating calves, but he didn’t say anything before they hung up. She could always borrow some clothes from John’s wife, Lily, if she decided to get her hands dirty. Though, honestly, Bubba couldn’t imagine Marisol with her hands dirty any more than he could imagine himself saying no to a family member in trouble.

  There was a chance this coming week would be just the latest incident in a lifetime of putting his family’s collective needs before his own individual dreams. Marisol could be right. It might be impossible to balance family obligations and a singing career. If so, he should probably pack up his big city dreams before they had a chance to get all the way out of his suitcase. He couldn’t say no to family, but he was finding it harder and harder to say no to a certain brunette, a woman with the same hunger for success that coursed through his veins and lips he knew would haunt his dreams tonight.

  Look for SADDLES AND SIN in September 2014.