by Magan Vernon
“If you can find a way to work my name into a new song,” she said.
The grin spread across my face. It might not have been the exact answer I was looking for, but it was something, and it gave me some hope for my relationship with Brooke. “Deal.”
***
Wednesday night was bunco night at the First Baptist Church. Brooke had been going with her mom, so I expected, if she was in front of a bunch of the church ladies, there was no way she could turn my offer down.
The church hall was filled with just about every woman above thirty-five from the church, drinking from plastic cups and rolling dice at their different tables. Since I didn’t see Brooke with a small scan, I figured I could just turn around and walk out. Or even head to the basement and ask Noah or Joey, if they were down there, if they’d seen her.
But of course, I couldn’t be that lucky.
Mrs. Noble, the town librarian, with her new purple streak in the light brown and white hair stood up, pushing her glasses on top of her head. “Eddie Jahid, you know there are no boys allowed at bunco!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I was just ...” I scanned the room again, searching for any sign of Brooke hiding under a table or something.
An older lady, who I think was named Dorothy, stood up and put her arm on mine. “Beth, there’s no need to be rude! Do you want a cupcake, Eddie? Maybe a glass of wine before you go?”
“Dorothy! Leave the poor boy alone! He doesn’t want to be mauled by us old ladies,” another woman said, swatting Dorothy on the back of her sweater before downing the rest of her wine.
Dorothy put one hand on her hip and looped her other arm through mine. “Maybe he prefers older women. Maybe Brookey wasn’t enough for him with her smutty author ways, and he wants someone with more experience.” Dorothy wiggled her eyebrows and bumped me with her hip.
“No offense, Eryn,” Dorothy yelled across the room at Brooke’s mom who was mid-drink.
More of the church ladies stood up from their table and circled Dorothy and me, all speaking at once so I wasn’t sure who to pay attention to. Some were yelling at Dorothy, and others were trying to talk to me. One even shoved a cupcake in one of my hands and a full glass of wine in the other.
I just wanted to get out of there and searched for the most polite way to escape, but I didn’t have to because a bell rang throughout the room and everyone turned to see Brooke’s mom standing at the head table with a big cow bell in her hand. “Ladies! It’s a school night, and we need to get back to it.”
Brooke’s mom walked toward me and set the cowbell down. “Brooke’s not here tonight, Eddie. She’s watching Violet at her and Clay’s place. I can’t promise that she’ll answer the door for you, but that’s where she is.”
Dorothy slowly unwrapped her arm from mine, and the rest of the women slowly backed away.
I nodded at Brooke’s mom. “Thanks, ma’am.”
Before I could turn away, Brooke’s mom grabbed my arm. “And Eddie? If you’re gonna start something with her, make sure you finish it. A girl’s heart can only break so many times.”
I offered her a small smile. Not the dimpled one I used when I wanted something, but a genuine one to the lady who had been my neighbor all my life. “I will, Mrs. Carrington. Thank you.”
Chapter 24
Brooke’s car was in the driveway of the little brick house, so at least that was a good sign. But Clay’s menacing truck with the large ARMY sticker on the back was also there.
I didn’t want to have another confrontation with Brooke’s brother, but at least, this time, I knew what I was going to say. I wasn’t going to leave until I got to talk to her, even if I ended up camping out on the front porch.
The gravel driveway crunched under my boots as I slowly made my way to the front porch. I’d performed in front of thousands of people in sold-out stadiums all over the world, yet I found myself shaking to face one girl. One girl who could make or break my future.
Sucking in a deep breath, I finally made it to the little front porch and rang the doorbell. There was no turning back now.
I expected Clay to open the door with his shotgun, or for them to wait and ignore me until I left. Instead, the front door opened, and I was staring at a wide-eyed Brooke. I’d missed her. Damn, did I miss her. I thought I missed her the past ten years, but the last month had been even more torture.
At that moment, I saw every part of her. The little girl with the big green eyes who used to catch tadpoles with me, to the teenage girl with her black-framed glasses and long brown hair that always felt so silky soft whenever it would brush against my arm. For years, I’d been trying to hide and even make my feelings disappear, but now it was time to give up on hiding.
“Hey,” I said because I wasn’t sure how else to start the conversation.
She folded her arms across her chest. She was wearing a large Baylor hoodie, and it swallowed her. Instead of looking stern with her brow furrowed, she just looked even more adorable. “I guess you got my email. Here to reprimand me about the book? It’s not published, you know. It may never be, but I had to get that all written. If not for anyone else, then for me.”
I couldn’t think of the right words to reply with. Okay or I got the email didn’t seem like the right things, so instead, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Can you go for a quick ride with me?”
Brooke raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“I just ... I need to show you something.”
“If this is a ride to the backroads so you can whip out Little Eddie and make me forget everything with sex in the back of your dad’s truck, I’m not in the mood,” Brooke grumbled.
I laughed, shaking my head. “I promise you that Little Eddie or backroads won’t be making an appearance. Just come with me, please?”
Brooke looked from me to the door and then finally behind her. “Hey, Clay, I’m heading out for a little bit. I’ll be back soon if you can watch Vi.”
The recliner squeaked, and slowly, Clay approached the door, looking even more menacing with his Mohawk spiked and dyed a bright red. “You sure you’re okay with this, B? I can make him go away.”
Brooke put her hand on her brother’s arm, and the big guy seemed to visibly soften. “If I’m not back in half an hour, call my phone. If it’s an hour, you can do a search party with your new shotgun.”
Clay nodded then locked his narrowed gaze on me.
I looked down at Brooke instead of meeting the death stare and put my hand out. “You ready?”
Brooke just looked at my hand and nodded.
We walked step in step to the truck, and I opened the passenger door for her. She looked at the bag on the seat. “Did you seriously bring Conti’s?”
I waited until she was sitting down and looking through the bag before I went around to the driver’s side and got in. “You told me that cupcakes didn’t impress you, so I thought I’d try tiramisu.”
“Ha-ha, the great Eddie Justice is a funny guy.”
I backed out of her driveway and gripped my hands on the steering wheel. “Yeah, he can also be a real asshole.”
I caught Brooke out of the corner of my eye blinking. “What? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that about anyone. Not even yourself, even though it may be a bit accurate.”
I sighed, taking a chance and putting my hand on Brooke’s knee. I thought she’d move it or at least flinch; instead, she put her hand on mine.
“Brooke, all my life I’ve always thought about myself and what was next for me. My goal was to always get out of Friendship and make it big in music. I succeeded in that part, but it took us fighting and my own stupidness to realize that all these years I’d been ignoring the best part of my life—you.”
Brooke squeezed my hand. “Did you just come up with that or is it from your next song?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “No, that was all from my heart, though that would make a great song.”
“I want credit for it then.”
I ran my th
umb along the bridge of her knuckles. “If you put me in your dedication to Rumor Has It.”
She sighed. “I don’t know if I’m going to publish it. I kind of just wrote that for me. Well, for us. To get everything out there. I’m not sure I’m cut out for this writing and publishing thing.”
I raised an eyebrow, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. “Why would you say that? Rumor Has It is great, and you love writing.”
“I do like writing. I mean at least I thought I did. It’s the publishing thing that stresses me out. Now that I have to worry about rent and, you know, actually living, it really puts a damper on things. I keep thinking I have to just churn these books out and then pay for ads, marketing, covers, and editing. Sometimes, it pays off, but a lot of times, I don’t see a return for months and have to wonder how in the hell I’m going to eat or pay the water bill.”
I stared out the window, watching the vast array of stars dot the Southern sky. “You know, that’s how I felt with music. I couldn’t just be satisfied with playing or writing a song anymore. When I got the record deal, I was thrilled to be able to make money for something I loved, but then I got greedy. Instead of being happy with that, I kept trying for the next big thing. All of my focus was on making money and records instead of actually just loving the music. I started to hate going to the studio. It wasn’t until I came back here that I was finally inspired again. I found my love of music and got back the love of my life.”
Brooke chewed on her bottom lip. “I do love you, Eddie. I always have. I’m just afraid of the future. You’re this big sex symbol country star. What am I supposed to do while you’re gone for months at a time? What about rumors and interviews on TV? Do I just ignore it and be okay with being the sidepiece? Just because I love you doesn’t mean that stuff isn’t going to sting.”
I turned right on FM 6 and headed back toward Friendship and Brooke’s house. “I know all of that, and I can’t promise things are going to be easy. I don’t think they ever have for us. But I can promise you that I’m going to try. I’m going to keep trying. I’m not going to give up and just run away.”
“But how do I know that? You just did that again when you went off to LA or wherever else, and you have this tour ...”
Brooke looked out the window as I pulled up and parked in front of the lot next to her house. “Why are we stopping here?”
I didn’t respond. I just got out of the truck and circled to the passenger side, opening Brooke’s door. I grabbed the bag from Conti’s with one hand and helped her out with the other. “Walk with me and I’ll explain.”
“Okay?” She raised an eyebrow.
I took her hand and led her to a small gate near the side of the property, letting her through before I followed. “I knew that chocolate wasn’t going to cut it for you. That I had to show you I was always going to come back. When I was at my place in LA and my house in Nashville, I realized how much they didn’t feel like home. That Friendship, Texas, was home. Not just Friendship, but you, Brooke Carrington. You’re my home. I fell in love with the girl next door years ago, and now, I want to keep it that way. So I bought this property. I’m going to build a house on it, and it’s where I’ll be between tours and recordings. I’ll be back to being your boy next door.”
Brooke stared wide-eyed and then looked behind her at Clay’s little house before turning back to me. “Are you serious right now?”
I smiled. “I am.”
Brooke looked around the large property. There were a few cows milling about an acre or two behind us, and the grass was overgrown. I’d already talked to a builder about clearing the property and starting construction that next day. It didn’t take much convincing for the property owner to take my cash offer over the phone, and he was just happy a kid from Texas wanted to take it off his hands.
“But what if we fight? What if this doesn’t work?” Brooke asked.
I put my arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Then we go back to our own houses until I come to your window with a plate of chocolate or my guitar and sing you a song about all the things I’ve messed up on.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m serious.”
I set down the bag of food and put my fingers under her chin, tipping it up so her eyes met mine. “And so am I. You’ve been the girl next door all of my life, and I wanted to keep it that way. We’ve fought, we’ve made up, and we’ve done it all over again. If I have to keep trying to win you for the rest of my life, I’d be okay with that. As long as I have you, I’m okay with whatever rumor the media or the church ladies come up with. Let’s just agree to talk to each other about things instead of letting those rumors get to us?”
Brooke finally smiled, putting her arms around my neck. “Well, those church ladies are pretty convincing with their rumors. Like the one about Eddie Justice going public with his relationship with that smut author BB Carr.”
“I think that’s a rumor I’d believe.”
I did what words could no longer say and finally kissed her, pouring everything into the melding of our mouths.
All my life, I’d been fighting for something greater than Friendship, Texas, and I’d forgotten that the best things in life were right in front of me. Now that I had Brooke back, I was going to make sure that I never forgot that. Rumors and church ladies be damned.
Epilogue
Brooke
Six months ago, my father died, and I headed back to the small town of Friendship, Texas, expecting to pick up the pieces that I thought were broken.
Instead, I ran smack dab into my former best friend and forever boy next door.
It didn’t take long for him to make good on his promise and start construction on his brick mansion next door.
But of course, just as quickly as he came back, he was gone again for another tour.
I wanted to go with him on the first leg, but with Rumor Has It sailing up Amazon’s charts, I was fielding emails from agents and publishers wanting a piece of BB Carr and a new book deal of second-chance Southern romances.
Though, even with a big offer that would pay my rent the next few years, I still couldn’t find the inspiration to start a new series. But I knew the trip that would help that.
Armed with a Texas sheet cake, I headed to Key West where the end of the first leg of the Spring Break tour was playing a sold-out show.
I decided not to tell Eddie that I was coming. We still talked every day, but I managed to stay coy and tell him I was pretty busy with work.
I really overpaid the scalpers for the front-row seats, but it was worth it to see Eddie’s face when he waltzed out onto the stage.
He did a double take then flashed that big dimpled smile before grabbing the mic.
“Sorry, y’all, I’m supposed to be singing, but I just caught the eye of one of the most beautiful girls in the world. Hey, security man, think you can bring that beautiful brunette on stage?” Eddie pointed at the big guy in the orange shirt in front of me.
I felt the heat of a million angry girls’ eyes on me as the security guy led me around the gate and to the stage.
Eddie put his hand out and pulled me onto the stage. I was glad I wore shorts that actually covered my ass, or I’d be giving the audience an even greater show.
“How you doin’?” Eddie said, wiggling his eyebrows.
I laughed, shaking my head. The guy was way better at speaking in front of a crowd because my knees were wobbling, and I wasn’t sure I could look at anything but the ground for fear I’d faint.
Eddie must have sensed my worry and wrapped his arm around my waist before turning to the crowd. “Y’all, you may have heard the songs about her, but this is my girlfriend, Brooke. Y’all may also know her as writing superstar BB Carr. Y’all should go buy her book Rumor Has It. I heard it’s about the girl next door and a country music star. Don’t buy it if you’re under eighteen, though, because those sex scenes. Woooo weeee,” he yelped, fanning himself with his and the crowd laughed.
He slo
wly put the mic down and whispered in my ear. “I thought you were too busy working to come.”
I smiled, leaning over. “I couldn’t disappoint the boy next door.”
***
After being sufficiently embarrassed a few more times on stage, we headed backstage then out to the Airstream he’d been traveling in with Jeremy Lafayette.
It was definitely bigger than I thought it would be and much cleaner for having two boys living in it.
“So how long you staying for?” Eddie asked, plopping down on the couch.
I took the seat next to him and shrugged. “I don’t know. I have a deadline to get this book into my editor by the end of the summer.”
“And what’s this new book about?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
I licked my lips, smiling slightly. “Well, I’m hoping that I could get some inspiration and go on tour with my boyfriend. You know, if he wants me around.”
Eddie grinned, pulling me onto his lap, and I yelped as he draped my legs over his. “You’re serious? You’re gonna stay with me?”
“I mean I’m not sure about this staying with two guys in an Airstream thing, but I think we can maybe make it work. As long as I can get some Wi-Fi and writing time in.”
“I think we can do that,” he said before his hand slowly slid up my legs.
“And maybe take a little bit of your time,” I whispered before my lips met his.
Our relationship might not be perfect. We both still had to deal with our own faults that set us back. But I knew one thing for sure—no matter what rumors or jealousy got in our way, this time, I wasn’t going to let go of the boy next door.
About The Author
Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now spends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amok around her Texas ranch.