by Leigh Landry
Natalie made a mental note to grill Kelsey later, as she found her spot on the side of the stage. Before she could stop herself, her eyes found Shane standing behind the mixing board across the crowd of people gathering.
She knew she’d have to see him tonight. But she’d figured the sight of him would make her skin crawl with disgust. She never thought she’d feel so lost at the sight of him. That after the way he spoke to her and dismissed her and pushed her away, she’d still want him to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. It felt needy and weak, and she hated that part of herself. Hated that she’d let herself get to this point with someone again.
“Natalie?”
She looked over at Robin. “Yeah?”
Robin was frowning at her. Not her angry frown. Her mama bear frown. “You ready?”
Natalie nodded and took a deep breath. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
* * * * *
The band held out their last chord together, then jumped and ended their set. Robin thanked the crowd and said some other stuff, but Shane didn’t hear much of it. He was still watching Natalie on the left side of the stage.
He couldn’t help himself. She got so lost in the music, pouring all of her emotions into each song, her blonde hair dancing while she stomped her boot…it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
But it didn’t change a damn thing. It only reminded him of what he couldn’t have.
A few moments later, he saw Robin pushing through the crowd of people wearing stacked beads around their necks and holding plastic cups and cans of beer. “You.” She held up a finger and curled it to call him toward her.
Shane told the guys up there with him that he’d be back in a second, then went down the steps. “Hey, nice set up there. You guys—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she said. “What did you do?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“Why do you think I did something?” He was afraid to say too much. He might not want to get his heart crushed by Natalie, but he wasn’t vindictive. If she didn’t want the band to know about them, he wasn’t going to be the one to tell them.
Robin narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not blind. Natalie was staring at you before the set like a kicked puppy. And she wasn’t shamelessly flirting with you or anyone else just to piss me off. So I’ll ask again. What did you do?”
Shane stuck his hands in his pockets. His eyes betrayed him and glanced over Robin’s shoulder at Natalie breaking down a cymbal stand. He looked back at Robin and said, “You should ask her.”
“I’m asking you.”
Shane took a deep breath.
“Quit stalling.”
“She’s still hung up on someone else.”
“No shit. What difference…” Robin’s expression shifted. She looked less like she was about to tear his face off now. “She told you about Camille?”
He froze, still unsure how much to say. “Yeah.”
Robin stared at him for a second, then smacked him on the arm with the back of her hand. “You idiot. She didn’t even tell me about that.”
“Wait…but how did…”
“She didn’t tell any of us. But we could all see it, plain as day.”
“Oh.”
Robin put her hands on her hips, glaring at him now. “I hope you’ve got more to say than that.”
He did. He had a million thoughts running through his head, he just didn’t know how to string the words together yet.
But with Robin glaring at him, he was afraid not to.
“I didn’t…I mean, she—”
“Not to me.” She gave him an exasperated sigh and nodded back toward the stage. “Say it to her.”
Shane pressed his mouth shut and nodded.
Robin’s demeanor softened a little. “Just fix it, okay? She’s been through a lot. And for whatever reason she trusts you. Don’t take that lightly.”
“Understood,” he said, but Robin was already walking away, back to the rest of the band packing up.
The crowd had grown since the beginning of the show, and they were shuffling around Shane, off to find food and drinks between bands, as he stood dumbfounded and frozen.
He’d had no idea she was trusting him with something she hadn’t even trusted her own band members with. People who seemed, from the outside, like family. But she’d told him. He’d assumed he was just a distraction for her. Something to have since she couldn’t have the person she wanted right now.
But she’d trusted him. And he’d pushed her away, because he’d been afraid she’d eventually push him away. How could he be such an idiot?
He could blame his brother for messing with his head, but this had been all Shane’s doing. His mess.
She spotted him from the stage and watched him watching her for a second, then went back to work helping the drummer tear down. Shane turned to the guys on the sound stage and held up one finger, letting them know he needed them to cover for him for a minute.
Then he wove through the crowd, toward the stage and the band and Natalie. He’d made a mess of this whole thing, but he was going to fix it. Or at least he was going to give it his best damn shot.
Chapter Ten
Shane’s heart was beating heavily inside his chest by the time he reached the stage. He took a deep breath, made sure his ego was tucked way down somewhere it couldn’t get out—at least for the next few minutes—and climbed the steps, hoping he wasn’t too late.
Natalie’s eyes widened when she looked up from the pile of stands and found Shane staring down at her. She stood slowly, hesitantly, that guarded edge back in her eyes that was so apparent the first night he met her. He couldn’t believe that was only a week ago.
“Hey, Robin,” he called over his shoulder, while his eyes remained locked on Natalie. “You’re gonna need someone else to run sound from now on.”
The drummer and bass player were both paying attention now, and Robin and the fiddle player were also moving toward them to find out what was going on.
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Robin asked.
Shane held Natalie’s gaze. Her eyes were narrowed, but he could see the curiosity in them now.
“Because I like to keep my work and personal life separate,” he said. “And I’m falling for your guitar player.”
Off to the side, the drummer let out a slight gasp, and the fiddle player slapped a hand over her own mouth. He didn’t know what he expected from Natalie, but if he had to guess her reaction, he never would have guessed she’d be more angry with him. But, sure enough, her green eyes were sizzling with rage and her cheeks were reddening with the fire brewing inside her.
“What. Are. You. Doing.” Her voice was low and growly. It made Shane want to crawl away like a wounded animal.
But he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he apologized. She could tell him to fuck off, and he’d do it. He’d do whatever she wanted. But first he had things to say.
“I’m doing what I should have done before. I’m telling you that I’m falling for you. Hard. All of you.” He let that last statement linger in the air for a moment, to make sure she understood. “I’m sorry, I know you said you didn’t want anyone to know, but Robin already knew about us.”
“Oh really.” Natalie’s glare shifted to Robin. “Let me guess, she put you up to this.”
“Nope. This is me. All me. She just gave me a kick in the ass. One I sorely needed.”
Natalie turned her glare back to him, but it was a little softer now. “Well, we agree on one thing.”
“And I’m sorry I was an ass today. I’d had a bad meeting with my brother, and he was still in my head. I let him and all of this year’s shit with him get to me, and I acted like a jerk.”
Natalie took a few breaths, then crossed her arms. “Yeah. You did.”
At least she was speaking to him.
“The truth is, I was scared. Scared you weren’t really available, and I didn’t want to put myself out there for nothing.” He took a step clos
er to her. “But I want to take that risk. I want to take a chance on us. I’m so glad you shared that with me, and I still want to know more. I want to know everything about you. I want to talk more about books and go bowling again and hear you laugh again. If you’ll let me.”
That fire fizzled out a little, and her expression relaxed. She was still on edge, but it was at least an improvement.
He’d take anything she gave him.
After an agonizingly long pause, Natalie said, “You really were an ass.”
“I was.”
“A gigantic ass.”
“The giganticest,” he said. “So can you give this ass another shot?”
Her mouth crinkled as she fought a smile. She straightened her back and looked down her nose at him. “On one condition.”
He nodded. “Ok. Shoot.”
She left him hanging in anticipation with the longest pause known to man, then said, “I want to meet your cat.”
He grinned. “His name is Nacho.” He took another step and put his hands on the sides of her arms. When she didn’t pull away, he slid them up and took her face in his hands. Then he leaned in and kissed her, and it was unlike any kiss he’d ever had, with Natalie or anyone else. It was warm and soft, and he felt more vulnerable than he’d ever been in his life, yet completely safe as Natalie wrapped her hands around his waist.
“All right, all right,” Robin called out behind them. “Let’s get out of here and let the next band have the stage.”
Natalie broke away. “I’ve got to help Kelsey load up. She’s my ride.”
“I’m here a little while longer. If you want to hang out with me, I can give you a ride home later.”
“Sounds great.”
Her smile was brighter than all the stage lights shining down on them, and he kissed her again before tearing himself away. She squeezed his hand, then returned to helping the drummer. Shane lingered for a second, but reminded himself that he could see her again—and again, and again, and again—and walked off the stage.
Epilogue
Shane flew to the front door when the doorbell rang. He barely glanced in the peephole before flinging the door open.
“Hey.” He could hear the slight shake in his voice. He’d been pacing since he woke, waiting for them to get there.
Natalie entered his apartment with a little blonde girl clinging to her hand. She pulled off her scarf and helped the girl out of her coat. Natalie had suggested they meet him at his place before the parades, rather than bringing him into their home for a first meeting. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but seeing how nervous Cadence was now, he was beginning to wonder if this was all too soon. He gave a questioning look to Natalie, and she nodded in approval.
“Cadence, this is Mommy’s friend, Shane,” Natalie said, with the girl gripping her hand again. “Shane, this is my daughter, Cadence.”
He crouched down to meet her at eye level and extended his hand. “Hi, Cadence. Nice to meet you.”
Cadence looked at his hand, then hesitantly let go of her mother’s to shake it.
Shane wasn’t sure what else to say. He didn’t have much experience with kids, and he didn’t have any nieces or nephews. But he had an idea of one thing that might be a hit with a kid.
He nodded toward the living room. “Want to come inside? I have someone else I think you might want to meet.”
Cadence looked to her mother for reassurance, and Natalie guided her inside while Shane hurried off to his bedroom. A second later, he came out with the kitten in his hands, and Cadence’s face lit up with joy.
“His name is Nacho.”
Shane handed the kitten to Cadence, who held it closely and nuzzled her face against its head. The whole room was filled with the tiny creature’s monstrous purrs and Cadence’s soft giggles.
Within moments, Cadence and Nacho were running all around the living room and kitchen, chasing each other while Cadence waved around the cat toy, a stick with a strip of brightly colored fleece dangling from the end of it. Natalie and Shane sat on the couch and watched the two of them play. It was killing him to keep his hands to himself, even just to take her hand in his, but he kept his distance. He wanted to take things slow with Cadence around. He didn’t want to do anything that might spook the kid or her mom.
“This is almost making me reconsider my no pets rule.”
“Well,” Shane said. “I was looking for a home for him.”
“I said almost.”
Shane laughed. “Oh, hey, are you free next weekend?”
“I have Cadence until Saturday. Working that day, but no gigs over the weekend. Finally, a break.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat and shifted on the couch. “How’d you like to come to a barbecue on Sunday?”
“Your friend’s back from his tour?”
“No. My family. Well, some of them. At a cousin’s house. Probably with my aunt and uncle.”
“Oh.” Natalie tensed and her eyes darted to follow Cadence and the kitten around the room. “I thought you weren’t speaking with your family.”
He wasn’t. But after reconsidering his situation all week and realizing how much he didn’t want to let Randy dictate his life and his relationships with the rest of his family, Shane had reached out to his cousin. They’d been close in the past, and he missed hanging out with the guy this past year, since Shane had been avoiding all the holiday family gatherings.
“My parents won’t be there.” That was a step he wasn’t quite ready for. One day though. Maybe. “My cousin’s more like a buddy than family. I think you’ll like him and his wife. No pressure though. Only if you want to.”
She glanced over at Cadence and the kitten as they disappeared into the kitchen, then she put her hand on his and squeezed it. “I’d like that.”
Cadence ran back into the living room, the kitten trailing much more slowly behind her now. She stopped and pointed at his guitar hanging on the wall. “Do you play guitar? Like Mommy?”
Shane looked at Natalie, then smiled and nodded at Cadence. “Sure do.”
“I play the ukulele!” she said.
He smiled at her. “Well, maybe you and Mommy can bring your instruments next time you visit, so we can all play some songs together.”
* * * * *
“Look.” Natalie leaned and pointed down the road over the metal barricade, toward the distant sound of punctuated police sirens. “They’re coming.”
Cadence hopped onto the bottom bar and leaned over the barricade for a better view, her string of plastic purple beads clanging against the metal. “I see them! I see them!”
A minute later, once the flashing lights were in front of them, Shane said, “Do you hear that?”
Cadence tilted her head and listened. Her face lit up a moment later as she squealed, “Drums! Like Ms. Kelsey!”
“Yup,” said Shane.
Natalie wanted to eat him up, right there on that parade route. He was so patient with Cadence, interacting with her but not pandering or trying to be her best friend. He was warm and natural and relaxed. Perfect.
Somehow, over the last two weeks, Natalie had fallen head over heels for this man. And she had every intention of making sure he knew that the next second she got him alone.
Right after she told him about her call with Camille.
She’d called Natalie the day before. She sounded good. Healthy, if not quite happy yet. It was a short call—touching base and testing the waters. Natalie was grateful to hear her friend’s voice again. They both apologized and Camille promised to stay in touch. But the most important thing about that call was that distance and time had been a gift to them both.
While she would always love Camille, Camille would never feel the same way about her, and that was okay. She just wanted her best friend in her life. Whatever shape that took.
Natalie only hoped Shane would be okay with that, too. She needed to make sure he understood that he wasn’t a backup plan for her. That their relationship was its ow
n thing, something she wanted more than anything now to build on with him.
Shane started tapping out the drum cadence on the top of the barricade. Cadence watched with interest and joined in a few seconds later. The two of them were so adorable, drumming on the metal bar together. Natalie was sure her heart was going to burst with fullness at any moment.
The band marched by, blaring "Mardi Gras Mambo" while Cadence clapped and waved at them. A parent walking alongside the band paused to hand Cadence a string of gold beads, which she promptly slipped over her head.
Natalie’s phone dinged in her coat pocket. She pulled it out to find a text from Kelsey, asking Natalie to call her as soon as she could. It sounded important, but with the band and kids screaming all around them, that would have to wait until after the parade. She sent a quick text promising to call in about half an hour.
Shane wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his side. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She put the phone back in her coat pocket. “More than okay.”
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek that promised to show him just how okay later.
Author Note
Thanks for reading Six String Sass! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Natalie & Shane’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’d appreciate it so much if you would leave an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads, and I hope you’ll continue to follow the band’s adventures again in the next novella!
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Cajun Two-Step Novellas
Second Fiddle Flirt
Six String Sass
Rim Shot Rebound
(2018)
Novella #4
(2018)
About the Author
Leigh Landry is a contemporary romance author who loves stories with fierce heroines, geek-sexy heroes, supportive friendships, and adorable pets. Once a musician, freelance writer, and English teacher, Leigh now spends her days writing happy endings, homeschooling her kids, and volunteering at an animal rescue center. She lives with her husband, their two children, two dogs, two cats, and an endless supply of foster kittens in the Heart of Cajun Country.