by Julie Benson
“How long will everyone hold the city stuff over my head?”
“I’ll tell you a secret. If people didn’t like you, they wouldn’t give you a hard time. They’d just smile politely and nod your way,” Reed said. “We’ll have to get together and commiserate over a few beers sometime.”
“We’ve got to keep you in line, and I’ll give you a tip.” Avery leaned toward her husband, amusement sparkling in her gaze. “People wouldn’t tease you if you quit using words like commiserate so often.”
Jamie laughed at the pair and the genuine love between them. He was ready for that, for something real and lasting with a woman he could hold on to during life’s ups and downs. A picture of him and Emma in his grandfather’s living room popped into his head. They’d been so comfortable together, but not in a complacent way. In a way that felt right. A man could get used to having a warm woman to snuggle up with at the end of a long day.
“Thanks again for agreeing to sing at the concert,” Avery said. “Emma says you’ve made a huge difference in the band’s sound. I can’t wait to hear you two. She’s so excited about today and the state fair competition. I hate to lose her at the shelter, but I really hope the band wins. She’s worked so hard for so long. No one deserves a recording contract more.”
“Speaking of Emma, do you know where she is?”
“Right behind you.”
He turned at the sound of her voice, and smiled. Her face held a rosy glow from being outside in the sun all morning. Tendrils of her long dark hair curled around her face. Emma walked over to the dog and scratched him on the head. “I’m glad to see you’re behaving yourself this year, Baxter.”
“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Jamie said.
“Another reason for us to get together for beers.” Reed smiled.
“I hate to break up the male bonding, but duty calls,” Emma said. “Avery, a film student wants to interview you for her project. I told her I’d find you and send you to meet her at the registration tent.”
“And I’m off.” Avery turned to her husband, a wide grin on her face. “Come on, assistant.”
When the other couple left, Emma turned to Jamie. “Speaking of assistants. If you’ve got some free time, I could use your help.”
“I don’t have anything to do until the concert. By the way, judging from what the lunch crowd at the food booth said, half the town’s going to be there this afternoon.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. We’ve almost doubled our ticket sales from last year.”
His stomach rolled over, churning up the brats he’d wolfed down earlier. “Tell me I won’t make a fool of myself.”
“You act like someone who’s never been onstage before, but if you really need reassurance, I’ll play along. You’ll be fine. I wouldn’t let you go onstage if you weren’t ready. Now, lucky for you, I’ve got the perfect cure for a bad case of nerves.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yup. Some good hard work.”
* * *
FOR THE REST of the afternoon Emma put Jamie to work. He tagged along with her, lifting and moving tables. He ran simple errands and kept her company. She’d forgotten what simple companionship felt like. Had she ever really had this with any of the other men she’d dated?
“I could get used to having an assistant,” she teased as she and Jamie folded up the tables from the various pet contests.
She could get used to having him around, period. Rehearsals had changed over the past couple of weeks. They still worked hard, but there was a balance in her life, and she realized Avery and Jamie had been right. She’d been shutting herself off from everyone and everything. Now that she’d started opening up, she felt a sense of peace and joy again, and her music was better. More personal. More real. More filled with hope.
“Despite you working me like a pack mule, today’s been fun. The best-dressed pet contest was amazing. The work some of the contestants put into the outfits was incredible.” He shook his head. “The roaring twenties get-up must have taken days to make.”
“Avery’s going to have to give Mrs. Russell and Chandra a lifetime achievement award or something. It’s the fourth year they’ve won. This year the number of contestants in that contest was way down. I think people are afraid of competing against her.”
“That sweet little old lady is scaring off people?”
“I wouldn’t compete against her. She’s ruthless.” Her phone rang. She sighed as she reached into her back pocket. “I wonder what’s gone wrong or who can’t find what now.”
After she glanced at the screen, her gaze sought Jamie’s, needing his strength, his reassurance. “It’s the doctor’s office.”
She reached out to clasp his hand. His warmth seeped into her, keeping the cold from consuming her as she answered the call. Please let me be a match.
“I am so sorry, Emma. You’re not a match,” Dr. Sampson said.
Disappointment, fear and blinding pain crashed over her in waves, threatening to level her. She ended the call and with a shaking hand shoved her phone back into her pocket.
“You’re not a match.” Jamie’s voice cut through her haze.
People flowed in and out of her line of vision. The colors of their clothes created a rainbow of colors. An odd buzzing sound rang in her ears. What would happen to Andrew now?
“Come with me, sweetheart.” Jamie wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and when he started to lead her away, she followed, too numb to do anything else. Then the next thing she knew they were in a secluded spot behind the large pavilion and she was in his arms crying. Great heaving sobs wrenched from the depths of her.
“I’m so sorry, darling. I know how much you wanted to help Andrew.” He kissed the top of her head. “I wish I could make everything right. What about Tucker? Have they heard if he’s a match?”
Red-hot rage exploded inside her, obliterating her pain. She stiffened and pulled away from Jamie. “The ass won’t get tested.”
“You’re kidding. How could he refuse to have a simple test to see if he could save his child’s life? Did he say why?”
She gazed at the Rocky Mountains behind Jamie. A strong constant presence. So like the man offering his support now. The anger built inside her, threatening to devour her. She started pacing. “All I had was his parents’ phone number. When Mark contacted them, they refused to give him Tucker’s number. All they’d do was relay the message. The next day they called back to say because of the tour Tucker couldn’t deal with getting tested right now.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
She paused. “Exactly. He can’t even go in to a doctor’s office for a cheek swab? How tough is that?”
The selfish bastard couldn’t spare an hour.
“You were there an hour, tops. The selfish bastard won’t spare sixty minutes?”
Her heart skipped a beat. There it was again, him almost reading her mind.
“But if he learned he was a match then he’d have to decide about donating bone marrow. I researched it on the internet. He could be in a little pain and stiff for a couple of weeks, but how bad would that be? Is he really that unwilling to reschedule a few concerts?”
“Maybe that’s just his excuse. What if he’s like Kimberly? What if he’s ashamed that he got you pregnant and you two gave the child up for adoption?”
She froze. That thought had never occurred to her. Images were fragile things in the entertainment industry. If the public got ticked off or disillusioned with a performer, it quickly translated to fewer sales and lower ticket revenues. “You may have hit on something. Tucker’s worked hard cultivating his image as the honest, hard-working boy next door. If he has to postpone concerts, he’d have to explain why.”
“The last thing he’d want to talk about was how he got his high school sweetheart pregnant and dum
ped her, leaving her to deal with having his baby alone. Not exactly the responsible thing to do. Not that it matters why he won’t get tested. The question is what’re you going to do about his refusal?”
She knew what she had to do. She had to face Tucker’s parents to get his phone number so she could talk to him. He could be the one to save Andrew and someone had to convince him to get tested.
“Let’s see his parents say no to me when I’m standing on their doorstep. You can bet I’ll get his phone number.”
“Atta girl. My money’s on you.”
She glanced at her watch. “It’s already three. Our concert is at four, and I’ve got to clean up and double-check the stage setup. There isn’t enough time for me to talk to his parents now. I’ll have to wait until after the concert.” She chewed on her lip and peeked up at Jamie. “Will you go with me?”
“If you want me there, that’s where I’ll be.”
Chapter Twelve
Emma hadn’t been this nervous for a concert in years, but she wasn’t worried about her performance. She glanced at Jamie standing rigid and pale beside her. He’d been doing okay until he’d seen the crowd. She just hoped he didn’t pass out.
“Isn’t it great? We’ve never had this many women in our audiences before,” Luke said as he joined them backstage.
Yippee. She’d been right. Every man-hungry female within a thirty-mile radius had shown up for their concert. “I’m just warning everybody right now. If women start rushing the stage, you men are on your own. No way am I getting in the middle of a catfight.”
Grayson grinned. Luke laughed. Jamie’s eyes widened, and though she hadn’t thought it possible, he grew whiter. “You really think someone would do that?”
“Breathe or you’re going to pass out.” She placed her hand on his arm. Muscles flexed under her palm. “It’s going to be fine.”
“Don’t worry, Jamie. I’ll throw myself in the path of any women who make it to the stage,” Grayson said.
“Thanks for the sacrifice.” Emma rolled her eyes. “No one’s going to rush the stage. Quit trying to jerk Jamie’s chain.”
Over the loudspeakers, she heard Avery ask, “How’s everyone doing today?”
The crowd cheered and Emma mentally ran through the program one last time. Beside her, Jamie stiffened. She slipped her hand in his and squeezed. “Don’t be nervous. You’ll be great. Pretend we’re back in the garage. Just us. Now put on a big smile. It’s showtime.”
She walked onto the stage and adrenaline flooded her system. This was where she was meant to be. This was where she belonged. With Jamie. Where she felt comfortable. She greeted the crowd and they cheered back at her. She counted out two measures and the band started playing.
Music flowed out of her guitar, swirling around her, soothing her soul. Jamie’s fiddle joined in. The cheers and whistles grew deafening for a few seconds. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of him. He appeared more relaxed now, more in his element. She drifted toward him. Her gaze locked with his. The words of the first song she’d written about her son poured out of her, how she may never see him again but she’d always love him, and she felt pulled to the man beside her.
I’m standing at the edge of a cliff about to take the last step, but oh, what a way to go.
* * *
AS EMMA WALKED off the stage, she realized she’d been smart to wait to talk to Tucker’s parents. After a concert she always felt energized, as though she could take on the world. Between that feeling and having Jamie next to her, she could handle facing them. He wouldn’t let her fall apart. She almost laughed. That wasn’t what she was worried about. Her bigger concern was she’d go postal if they gave her any lip, and then who knows what felony she’d commit. Jamie would help keep her under control. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Those thoughts sent a wave of panic through her. When had she started relying on him? Counting on him being there the way he’d been when she’d gotten the phone call about not being a match. She hadn’t needed to ask. He’d seen that she needed him and was there for her. Offering his strength, his support.
“That was amazing. Talk about a rush. We’ve never sounded like that before. Did you hear those women screaming? There was a pretty little blonde in the second row who couldn’t keep her eyes off me.” Luke hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “I could get used to this.”
“We should go out and celebrate,” Grayson said. “I know we agreed not to socialize, but we spend so much time together. Seems silly that we’re almost strangers.”
Somehow it did.
“I wish I could go out, but there’s something I have to do.” Emma realized Grayson was right. He and Luke were a huge part of her life and it was time she treated them that way. She explained about Andrew needing a bone marrow transplant, how she wasn’t a match and how she hoped to convince Tucker to get tested.
“Give ’em hell, Emma,” Luke said.
“They aren’t going to know what hit ’em,” Grayson added.
Incredibly touched by their support, she thanked them and said she’d see them at rehearsal tomorrow. Once Luke and Grayson left, she turned to Jamie. “You’re still willing to go with me to talk to Tucker’s family, aren’t you?”
He glared at her as if he were insulted by her question. Had she ever had anyone offer her such unconditional support before?
“I’ll warn you, this won’t be pleasant. I’d put talking to Tucker’s parents on my to-do list right behind jumping out of an airplane with a secondhand parachute.”
“Walk with me. You need to clear your head before you see them,” Jamie said.
She nodded, knowing he was right. Instead of heading toward the parking lot, she turned onto the path to their right. “When I decided to give the baby up for adoption, I needed Tucker to sign the papers. I called his cell but it was disconnected, so I went to his parents to find out how to reach him.”
“Talk about history repeating itself.”
“Exactly. That’s what I’m afraid of. They accused me of trying to trap him. They said if it hadn’t been for my ‘lack of talent and ambition’ he would have landed a recording contract much sooner. They had the nerve to ask me if I was sure the child was his. I told them just because their son was sleeping around didn’t mean I was. I came away feeling like I’d been dragged behind a truck for five miles.”
“They only have power over you if you give it to them.”
“I’ve never thought of it like that before.”
“You are an incredibly talented woman, and you’re stronger than anyone I know. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“You’re right, and I’m certainly not the naive girl I was. I refuse to let them intimidate me. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to help Andrew.”
Grayson was right. They weren’t going to know what hit them.
* * *
WHEN JAMIE PARKED in the driveway of the large brick house with the immaculately landscaped beds and yard, he shut off the engine and turned to Emma. What a woman. This couldn’t be easy for her, not after what she’d told him at the park, and yet here she was. She would go through hell and back for those she loved.
A man couldn’t ask for a better woman than that, but what about what she deserved? Forget about that. Focus on what she needs from you right now. “Are you sure you want me to come to the door? You’re capable of handling this on your own, and my being there could tick them off.”
She shook her head before he even finished speaking. “I need you there to keep me from doing anything foolish. I hear stories about people snapping in these kinds of situations all the time. I don’t want that to happen to me. I’d look awful in one of those shapeless prison jumpsuits.”
Her brittle, nervous laugh rattled through the truck.
“Look at me. You
’re still the girl that spent hours learning to climb a tree. This may leave you with some scrapes and bruises, but you can do it. You’re a survivor. No one can take that away from you. Now screw up your courage and get the job done.”
He could have chosen softer words, but that wasn’t what she needed. She needed a reminder about her strength and the depths of it to bolster her sagging courage.
She stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. “Geez, warn a girl when you’re going to take off the kid gloves.”
“I have every faith in you. If you set your mind to something, there’s no stopping you.”
“Thanks. I needed that.”
When her gaze met his, a fire blazed in her eyes. One hot enough to wipe out a national forest in record time.
She threw open the car door, climbed out, slammed it shut behind her and stalked up the walkway. When they reached the front door, she inhaled deeply, slowly let her breath go and rang the doorbell. A moment later, when a slender blonde woman opened the door, her eyes widened in shock. Then her lips pursed as though she’d taken a big drink of unsweetened lemonade.
She should be afraid. Hurricane Emma was about to make landfall.
“Go away.” When the woman tried to shut the door in Emma’s face, Jamie shoved his boot in between the door and the jamb.
“You look just like your grandfather, and I see you have his cocky attitude.”
He considered defending Mick, but figured why waste his energy? Someone this angry, he sensed this unhappy with life in general, wasn’t worth his effort.
The woman turned to Emma. “I’m not surprised you hooked up with another musician. You always were looking to slide by on someone else’s coattails because your talent wasn’t enough. Now tell him to remove his foot.”
He saw the woman’s insult hit the mark as pain flashed in Emma’s gaze before she could hide it, but she never wavered. “Mary, I want Tucker’s phone number.”