“It will be Randall’s problem if he’s not on this bus within an hour. Zeke says we’re pulling out at midnight.”
“Where are we headed?”
“Texarkana. It’s our last stop in Texas before we head to Little Rock.”
“And I’ll see Jolie at the St. Louis show in just two weeks.”
Karin laughed. “Yes, you will. Now, I’m going to check my email and get some sleep. I suggest you do the same.”
“I’m gonna wait up for Randall. Make sure he gets to the bus on time.”
“You’re a good guy, Corbin James.”
They said goodnight. Corbin, tired but restless, reached into his bag for his journal. He wished he could call her, but it was too late in Riverview. Instead, he wrote, telling Jolie about everything from what he had for breakfast to the sound check and the concert. And he told her about the girls and the drugs that Ashton had brought backstage. At the bottom of the page, he wrote just two weeks until I see you, and signed it as he always did—Love, Corbin.
He’d just closed his journal when he heard his phone. Reaching into his pocket, he was surprised to see Jolie’s name on the caller ID.
“Hi, sweetheart. You’re up late.”
“Couldn’t sleep. I hope you weren’t in bed.”
“Nope. The concert ended about an hour ago. I’m just sitting here on the bus, writing in my journal.”
“I love that you do that.”
“I love that you thought of it. It helps.”
“Does it really?”
“It does. Especially when it’s two in the morning and I’m missing you. I can’t wait until we’re in the same time zone.”
“Me, too.”
Maybe she was just tired, but Corbin couldn’t mistake the sadness in her voice.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just been a bad day.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing happened. Just a bad day.”
They talked about home and the bookstore, and it didn’t take long to figure out why she was so depressed. The bookstore was still struggling, but this time, the struggle wasn’t with the bank or Gavin Massey. Sales were still dismal, and he could tell the stress was really getting to her.
“Maybe the bookstore has just run its course,” Jolie said. “Small businesses do that. Sales are awesome for a while and then the novelty wears off.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I don’t know. I just know that my bookstore doesn’t bring me the joy it used to. Instead of being a place I adore, it’s become a place that’s causing me nothing but heartache. I’m not making a profit, and worst of all, it took you away from me when I don’t even know if . . .”
“If what, sweetheart?”
Jolie sighed heavily. “I don’t know if I even want it anymore.”
He could hear it in her voice. She was drained—financially and emotionally.
Corbin loved music. Jolie loved books. But, when what you love becomes your job, it changes you. It has to. Because suddenly, what you love has become your livelihood, and when that happens, the realities of life can kill whatever joy you used to find in those things you once loved so much. It happened to him. It had taken him years to find his love for songwriting once again. So, if anyone could understand what she was feeling right now, it was Corbin.
Still, it killed him, because he was hundreds of miles away and couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
“I’m a terrible person,” Jolie whispered.
“What? Why would you say that?”
“Because I just said that I don’t even know if I want the bookstore anymore, and you’re on the road where you don’t even want to be, just to help me save it. I’m a selfish, horrible person.”
“Stop that. I’m not here just to save the bookstore.”
“But my bookstore was the catalyst. You said so yourself.”
“Doesn’t matter. In the end, it’s still giving me everything I want. Enough money to build our house and secure our future.”
She sniffled quietly. “What if I told you that I think I might want to sell the bookstore?”
Corbin considered his words carefully. “I would completely support that decision. Just be sure, Jolie. The bookstore was your dream.”
“But dreams change. Don’t they?”
Corbin was living proof that they did.
“They do, sweetheart. They absolutely do.”
Just then, Randall stumbled onto the bus. With glassy eyes, he smiled goofily at Corbin before heading back to his bunk.
“Our bassist is an idiot, by the way.”
“Oh?”
Corbin explained about the girls and the drugs that Ashton had brought backstage.
“So if you see a picture of me online with a couple of blondes, please believe me when I say that I left before things got out of hand. Our bassist, however, wasn’t so lucky.”
“Every time you mention Ashton’s name, I find myself hating her more and more.”
“I know. But Karin’s taking good care of me.”
“She’d better.”
Corbin grinned.
“Just two weeks, baby. We can do it.”
“Did you just call me baby?”
Did I?
“Is that okay?”
“More than okay. I kind of love it.”
“Then I’ll call you that all the time.”
Jolie laughed softly. “I love you, Corbin. Let’s try to get some sleep. Do we still have a Skype date after the show in Texarkana?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go out with the guys?”
Corbin grinned. She was always encouraging him to go out with the band after the show. Little did she know that the guys rarely went out anywhere.
“I’m sure, baby. Go get some sleep.”
“Hmm. I really love that name.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. Goodnight, Corbin.”
“Goodnight.”
Corbin and the band made their way through the first leg of the tour. Tonight, they’d played in Little Rock to an energetic crowd. Liam’s wife, a fiery Irish redhead named Shannon, had flown in from their house in Nashville and planned to ride with them to St. Louis. Corbin liked Shannon a lot, and he knew that Karin was thrilled to have another woman on the bus, but seeing Liam and his wife together just made him miss Jolie that much more.
One more week. He could do anything for one more week.
That’s what he kept telling himself, anyway.
Since they weren’t leaving until morning, Shannon talked the band into venturing off the bus and through downtown Little Rock in hopes of finding an authentic Irish pub. One of the venue’s security guards suggested O’Leary’s, one of the bars downtown.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Corbin muttered to Liam as they climbed out of the cab.
“I didn’t talk you into anything,” he said. “Blame my wife and her witchy ways.”
Corbin couldn’t deny that he was a little nervous. It would be his first visit to a bar since completing rehab. Still, it would be nice to hang out with the guys somewhere besides the bus. Besides, Karin was right by his side, determined to keep him out of trouble.
Before Corbin could get through the door, Karin grabbed him by the arm.
“Are you okay with this?” she asked.
“You mean the bar?”
Karin nodded.
“I won’t drink, Karin.”
“I know. I just . . . don’t want you to be tempted. Seriously. Just say the word. You and I will ditch this crew and hit a McDonald’s.”
“You have that little confidence in me?”
“I have all the confidence in the world in you. I just promised myself, you, and a girl back in Riverview that I would look out for you. Hitting an Irish pub seems like the opposite of looking out. So, I’m asking.”
“I’ll be fine, Kari
n. But if I’m not, call a cab and get me the hell out of there.”
She nodded and followed him inside. They found Liam and Shannon at a table near the jukebox. Randall and Jay were already huddled around a pool table.
Once they were seated, Corbin glanced around the pub. The place wasn’t crowded, but it was crowded enough. When the waitress arrived, Liam and Shannon ordered beers and wings, while Karin and Corbin asked for cheese fries and Cokes.
“What are the chances nobody will recognize us in here?” Liam asked.
They had their answer almost immediately, when three blondes made their way over to the table.
“Oh my God, are you Corbin James?”
Shit.
Corbin cleared his throat. “I am.”
“Could we get a picture?” one of them asked.
“And an autograph?” said another.
Smiling politely, Corbin stood up while the girls huddled around him, holding their phones in the air. One of the girls offered him a pen and then started to unbutton her blouse.
“Umm . . . what are you doing?” he stammered.
She grinned. “Giving you something to sign.”
Karin cleared her throat and tossed him some cocktail napkins. The girl pouted as Corbin scribbled his name on each one and handed them to the girls.
“Thanks,” the girl mumbled before heading to the bar. Corbin shook his head when she cuddled up to a member of the crew. This time, she was met with murmurs of appreciation when she unbuttoned her blouse and let the man sign her chest.
Hard to believe this used to be my life.
“Filthy skanks,” Shannon muttered. “Girls today need a role model. In my day, a respectable groupie would at least introduce herself before flashing her boobs.”
Corbin grinned. Shannon had some experience on the subject, considering she’d met Liam backstage at a Radiohead concert more than a decade ago. They’d hooked up that night and had been together ever since.
Liam ordered another beer before eyeing Corbin’s glass with mock disgust.
“We’re in a fine Irish pub, and you’re drinking Coke.”
Corbin shrugged like it was no big deal, but he couldn’t deny his throat was painfully dry, and the soda just wasn’t satisfying his thirst. It didn’t help that Liam’s beer was right in front of his face.
This is why you can’t sit in bars. Not anymore.
Corbin suddenly stood up from the table and reached into his pocket, tossing some cash onto the table.
“You guys enjoy yourselves. My treat. I’m headed back to the bus.”
“Already?” Shannon asked.
“Yeah. I want to call my girl.”
“That’s . . . kind of sweet,” she said with a frown. “Sad, but sweet.”
Maybe to Shannon it was sad, but to Corbin, it was the perfect end to his night. And he was kind of excited about making his call in private for a change. The guys tried to give each other their space, but there’s only so much privacy on a bus.
But mostly, he just really needed to get out of this bar.
“You okay?” Karin asked quietly, her voice laced with concern.
With a smile, he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“I’m great. Stay. Have a good time.”
As the cabbie drove him back to the tour bus, Corbin couldn’t help but feel somewhat proud of himself. In an Irish pub in Little Rock, he’d just resisted the urge to drink. And now, he was headed back to the sanctuary of his bus, where his beautiful girl was waiting for his call.
Maybe there was hope for him yet.
When the taxi reached the bus, he thanked the driver and offered him a twenty before stepping out of the cab. He was almost to the bus when he felt it.
Pure, unadulterated fear.
It was like a bolt of lightning to his chest.
What’s wrong with me?
Dizzy and gasping for air, Corbin quickly climbed onto the bus and fell onto the couch. He tried to control his breathing, but his heart raced wildly and his hands shook so violently that all he could do was lay there, paralyzed with panic.
“Oh, Corbin, it’s you. Back already?”
Zeke?
He couldn’t be sure if the bus driver was actually there or if he was just hallucinating.
“Corbin? You all right?”
“I . . . I don’t know. Something’s . . . wrong.”
“I’m calling 911.”
“No. Call Karin.”
“Corb—”
“Call Karin!”
He’d had panic attacks before—almost daily when he first went into rehab—so he recognized the symptoms. As he struggled to control his breathing and his racing thoughts, he tried to pinpoint the reason for this anxiety attack. Was it the bar? The exhaustion? Were the crowds and lights and loneliness starting to wear on his emotions?
No.
This was something else.
Jolie?
He fumbled for his phone and called her number.
Straight to voice mail.
Damn it!
Corbin had no idea how much time passed, but suddenly, Karin was by his side.
“I got here as fast as I could. What’s wrong?”
“Something’s wrong. She won’t answer. She always answers.”
“She who? Jolie?”
Corbin nodded.
“Holy shit. Zeke called me and said you were having a heart attack. I’m gonna kill that crazy old—”
“It’s a panic attack.”
“Because Jolie’s not answering the phone?”
“Something is wrong! Find her!”
“Corbin, I—”
“Damn it, Karin, find her!”
“Okay!” Karin grabbed his phone out of his hand. She held it up to her ear and closed her eyes. “Went straight to voice mail.”
“No shit.” With a growl, Corbin grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He pushed send and said a prayer.
“Corbin?”
Thank God.
“It’s me. I need you to find Jolie. Now.”
Jolie was just climbing out of the shower when she heard someone knock on her front door. She was tempted to ignore it. It was nearly midnight, after all, and Corbin would be calling soon. But then she heard her name. It was faint and masculine.
Dad? Keith?
As she tied her robe around her waist, she walked quickly to the front door and peeked through the peep hole. She rolled her eyes when she saw who was standing on her porch.
“Go away, Gavin.”
“I wanna talk to you.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Just . . . let me in. I want to apol . . . apologize.”
Is he drunk?
“Go home, Gavin. Or I’ll call my brother!”
“You do that. Jolie. You . . . call the sheriff. You always need a man to bail you out of trouble. Your dad. Your brother. Corbin James. What a pathet . . . pathetic woman you are.”
“Kiss my—”
Suddenly the door flew open, and Gavin staggered in, holding a silver key.
“Stupid woman. Leaving an . . . extra key under the mat. Don’t you know? That’s the first place a thief looks?”
Gavin grinned and stumbled toward her, reeking of booze.
Jolie had never been afraid of Gavin. She might hate him, but she’d never feared him.
Until now.
“I know it was Corbin.”
“What was Corbin?”
“I don’t know how he did it. Unless he’s gone from snorting cocaine to selling it. How’d he do it, Jolie? How . . . how did he save you from foreclosure?”
So that’s why he’s pissed. He can’t get his greedy hands on my bookstore.
“That’s none of your business. Now get the hell out of my house!”
Gavin’s eyes flashed with an emotion so primal it made her stomach lurch. Suddenly, she was pinned against the wall. He pressed his body against hers as he wrapped one hand around her waist and one around
her neck. The smell of alcohol nearly gagged her as tears stung her eyes.
“Gavin,” she whispered. “Please . . . you’re hurting me. Let’s . . . let’s talk.”
She resisted the urge to scream as the hand around her throat slid between the fabric of her robe.
“I’m done talking, Jolie. What’s the point? All you do is say no. No, you won’t go out with me. No, you won’t sleep with me. No, you won’t sell me the bookstore. All you ever say is no. Maybe it’s time I stop asking and just start taking what I want.”
Her heart thundered in her chest, but she was too afraid to fight. Too afraid to scream. Too afraid to think.
Give him what he wants.
“You can have the bookstore, Gavin. Make me an offer.”
He laughed—a low, menacing laugh that sent shivers up her spine.
“I don’t give a shit about your precious bookstore. I never wanted it. You said no. Nobody says no to me. It became a game to me. Because I knew. I knew if I could get your bookstore, I could get you. That’s what I really wanted. And now I have you.”
Tears trickled down her face as Gavin trailed his nose against her cheek. Self-preservation finally kicked in, and she started to struggle, but he was just too big, and he was holding her too tight.
“Get your hands off her!”
The booming voice was just the distraction she needed. Gavin turned his head toward the door, and Jolie quickly lifted her leg and kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. With a guttural groan that was music to her ears, Gavin collapsed to the floor.
“Jolie, are you okay?”
She rushed into Ben’s arms.
“How did you know?” she whispered, hugging him tight. “How . . .”
“Corbin. Corbin knew. I don’t know how. He was in a total panic because you wouldn’t answer your phone. My brother . . . he really loves you, Jolie. He loves you so much.”
The tears came then—hot, angry, and filled with relief—as she buried her face against his chest.
“You bitch . . .” Gavin said with an agonized moan.
Jolie wiped her eyes and stared at the man slumped on her living room floor.
“What did you say?” Ben’s eyes blazed as he stalked over to Gavin’s body and swiftly kicked him in the ribs. “You asshole. If you ever touch her again, I swear I’ll kill you. Do you hear me? I should do it anyway. If I don’t kill you, Corbin will. Mark my words. You’re a dead man.”
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