Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance)

by Young, Savannah

  “Not yet,” I reply as nicely as possible.

  By the icy glare she’s giving me, it’s obvious that Harley still hasn’t warmed up to me.

  “He’s intense,” Harley comments as she glances over at him. “The opposite of Jake.”

  I nod in agreement.

  “When it starts to get crowded,” she continues. “You’ll want to stand closer to the stage or you won’t be able to see anything. And finish your drink before then or you’ll be wearing it.”

  “Thanks for the advice.”

  Just as I think she’s going to leave, Harley turns back to me and says, “You look nice.”

  My jaw drops because I can’t believe she’s given me a compliment.

  Then she actually cracks a smile. “Don’t get used to it. I rarely give compliments. And never to other girls.” That I believe. But why is she giving me one? Is it possible that she’s starting to like me?

  “If you need anything, the twins are working the bar tonight. Mazzy and Suzie.”

  Before I have a chance to reply, Harley turns on her boot heels and heads back over to the bar.

  Twins. I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it before. They’re both the same height and have similar builds. I guess what threw me was that one has spiky, short blonde hair and the other has long, dark hair. Makes me wonder which is the dye job? Or maybe it’s both?

  When I look back over at the stage, I notice that Hunter and Tucker have joined their brothers and it looks like the guys are warming up.

  Hunter is seated behind a large drum set. The drums are so large it makes him appear much slighter than he actually is.

  I notice more folks starting to fill up some of the tables. The place isn’t that large and I wonder if it’ll soon be filled to capacity. I don’t like crowds, which is sort of ironic because I live in New York City, arguably one of the most densely populated cities on the planet. But in New York, it’s so easy to blend in and even feel alone on the crowded city streets. I don’t think anything like that would be possible here. This is clearly a neighborhood bar where people gather on a weekly basis and everyone knows not just your name but all of your business. This isn’t a place where one can remain anonymous for very long.

  My theory is validated almost immediately when a young guy approaches my table.

  “I haven’t seen you here before,” he says. “New in town?”

  He’s tall and thin with dark curly hair and frameless glasses. From the neck up, he isn’t that much different than a guy I might meet at a bar in lower Manhattan, but from the neck down, this guy’s wearing what I’m beginning to think is a uniform for guys in rural New Jersey: jeans, a white button-down shirt and well-worn cowboy boots.

  “You could say that,” I reply. I know my response is vague but I’m not interested in this guy at all. I’m here with Cooper and I definitely don’t want to lead this guy on in any way.

  “Mind if I sit down?” he asks, clearly not taking the hint.

  “I’m here with someone,” I say more directly.

  The guy glances around the bar as if he’s trying to figure out who I’m with.

  When I point to the stage, the guy’s eyebrows shoot up nearly into his hairline.

  “You don’t look like someone who’d be with Jake,” he says as he gives me the once-over.

  “I’m not,” I state. I really wish he would leave me alone.

  When I glance at the stage, I can see Cooper is looking over at us. He leans over and says something to Jake, which I can’t catch this far away. I can tell by the way his face turns to stone that he’s not happy with the guy who is hitting on me.

  “You’re with Coop?” The way the guy says it makes it sound like being with Cooper is like being with a serial killer or mass murderer.

  I’m really starting to dislike him.

  Unfortunately, he continues. “Coop and I went to high school together. He’s a serious dude. The other kids, even some of the teachers, called him intense. Even when we were kids, he was so goal-oriented and driven. It was kind of scary. How’d you end up with him?”

  I want to tell the guy it’s none of his business but before I can formulate a polite response, Cooper is by my side with his hand on my shoulder.

  “What’s going on, Steve?” Cooper says to him, but it’s not friendly or really even a question.

  “Heard you were back with the band. Had to come see it for myself.”

  “News travels fast,” Cooper is now glaring Steve.

  “You know how it is in Old Town.”

  “Why don’t you grab a seat over there?” Cooper motions to an empty table on the other side of the bar. “First drink is on the house.”

  Steve glances between me and Cooper. Then he says, “Yeah, sure, whatever. Thanks.”

  After he takes off Cooper places a kiss on my cheek.

  I look up at him. “You know you can’t be jealous every time a guy talks to me.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Who said I was jealous?”

  “Then why are you standing here next to me instead of onstage with your brothers?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “And you wanted to let Steve know I’m with you. Well, I had already told him.”

  “Come with me,” Cooper says as he grabs my arm and pulls me up from my chair. “And bring your drink.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Closer to the stage. I don’t like being so far away from you.”

  I grab my drink from the table and down what remains in the glass. When I look over at Cooper, his mouth is open in surprise.

  “Harley told me not to hold a drink near the stage or I’d be wearing it,” I explain.

  “Good advice.”

  He grabs my chair and I follow him back to the stage area. I watch as he places my chair front and center, right below the stage. “Best seat in the house,” he says.

  I sit down and watch as Cooper hops back on stage. For someone who everyone seems to think is so intense, he seems extremely comfortable and relaxed on stage.

  When the guys start to play the beginning of a song, I’m surprised that I actually like it. It’s deep, rich and soulful, nothing like what I imagine when I think of country music. Not that I have any experience with country music at all other than making fun of it with Patti.

  But Cooper did mention they considered themselves alternative country with a little bit of bluegrass and indie folk in the mix.

  They play the beginnings of a few more songs. These are a little more upbeat with the addition of a harmonica and banjo. I hear a few cheers and applause from the people sitting at the tables eating.

  When I glance behind me, I can see that the place is filling up a little bit more. There are two layers of people standing at the bar waiting for drinks and groups of people seem to be steadily streaming in from the entrance.

  Based on the number of hugs, handshakes and back-slaps all the newcomers get when they arrive, it doesn’t appear I’m too far off in my assumption that many of the people know each other.

  Expect for a tall blonde who looks completely and totally out of place when she hurries into the bar and looks around. She’s wearing a Michael Kors studded knit dress and Sam Edelman Clair pumps, which have been very popular this summer in New York.

  As I watch her scan the crowd, I don’t know whether I should be angry at Patti for tracking me down or whether I should be trying to hide from her.

  Unfortunately, I’m not quick enough and when she spots me, she practically runs towards he.

  No escaping now…

  “How did you find me?” I ask. And so quickly? I thought it would take her at least a few days to track me down. I was hoping it would be enough time for me to wrap up my wild weekend with Cooper and get back to New York.

  “Friend Finder,” she states, as if I should know what she’s talking about.

  “What’s that?”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “It’s the app I had you download a
few months ago. Didn’t you even look at it?”

  I shake my head. “I haven’t had time.”

  “I know exactly where you are at any given moment. As long as you have your phone with you.”

  I try to process what she’s saying. “It sounds like you had me put a tracking device on my phone.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  I’m so angry and upset I can’t even think of a response. But it’s probably my own fault for not actually reading about the app before I downloaded it.

  As Patti looks around the place, she wrinkles her nose in disgust. “What are we doing here?”

  “I don’t know what you’re doing here. But I’m here to watch a band play.”

  “What band is that?”

  “Wilde Riders.”

  Patti eyes me suspiciously. “What are we really doing here?”

  “I told you I’m here to watch the band.”

  I point up at the stage. Patti looks up at the guys and her eyes go wide as if she suddenly realizes there are performers on a stage right in front of us.

  “Which one are you sleeping with?” she asks as she eyes the brothers. She doesn’t even wait for a response and says, “Definitely not the scary looking one with the ponytail. And not the skinny kid playing the drums. Is it the sexy one with the killer smile?”

  I have a feeling she means Jake but I’m not going to let her off the hook that easily. I think Cooper is just as sexy, if not more so.

  “They’re all pretty sexy,” I goad her.

  She laughs. “If you like hicks from the sticks.”

  Patti’s got a loud voice and I instinctively look over at the stage to make sure Cooper hasn’t heard our conversation. The Wilde brothers look like they’re engrossed in their own conversation. They’re all studying a piece of paper. Maybe it’s the set list?

  When I turn back toward Patti she’s looking at me strangely. “You’re already sleeping with one of them, aren’t you? I can see it in your eyes. You’ve been getting laid.”

  I hop up from my seat, grab Patti by the elbow and pull her far enough away from the stage that we won’t accidently be overheard.

  “I know you’re getting some action,” Patti continues. “That’s the reason you’re staying in this God-forsaken town. You’re having an extended one-night stand.”

  As much as I want to, I can’t lie to my best friend. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe my ass. You have to tell me which one it is.”

  I take in a deep breath and exhale. Time to put an end to any privacy I thought I might have. “His name is Cooper.”

  Patti’s eyes drift over to the stage. “It’s pretty obvious now. Cooper’s the one with the darker hair that’s looking over here. He’s obviously trying to figure out who I am and what I’m doing in a place like this.”

  “You do kind of stick out like a sore thumb.”

  “Friend Finder gave me the name and location of where you were at. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide a dress code. Bars in the city are a lot different than bars in New Jersey.”

  Now Patti looks like she’s inspecting my outfit. “And where did you get clothes like that? I’ve never seen you look so—I don’t know—white trash sexy.”

  “Harley,” I reply. I could say more but I kind of like seeing the look of puzzlement on her face.

  She doesn’t disappoint. Confusion washes over her features almost instantly. “The motorcycle?”

  “A girl who’s dad apparently really likes motorcycles.”

  Her forehead creases even deeper. “Are you saying some guy named his daughter Harley?”

  I nod. I look around the bar and spot Harley waiting on a table crowded with blondes who look just like her.

  “She’s over there.” I point toward Harley. “Taking an order from that table.”

  Patti inspects my outfit more closely. “Yup, those do look like her clothes.”

  “I’m just trying to fit in,” I state in my defense.

  “I’m not sure why you want to fit in at a place like this other than you must be having fantastic sex with the guy. And, of course, I want to hear every detail. But first you have to tell me if his brother is available.”

  “Which one?” I tease.

  She frowns. “The only one I’d ever consider screwing.”

  “I thought you had some hot dates lined up in the city.”

  “You know the old saying: chicks before dicks. I had to make sure you were okay.”

  I want to believe her but she’s already eyeing Jake like he’s a hot fudge sundae and she’s in the mood for chocolate. I know somewhere deep down she cares about me but I don’t think she cares about me more than sex.

  “Jake’s kind of a player,” I tell her, even though I know it won’t deter her in the least. If anything, it will make her want him even more. She can scratch the itch and not have to worry about any entanglements.

  “Good,” she replies. “Just my type. He’ll get in, get us off and I can get back to the city.”

  I roll my eyes. “You just said chicks before dicks,” I remind her.

  She puts her arm around my shoulder. “Some dicks are just better than others. And I have a feeling that guy knows how to get the job done.”

  Not that I really want to think of any of Cooper’s brothers in that way but she’s probably right about Jake. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing in bed. Although it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t actually need a bed to get the job done.

  As I look around the bar I can see it’s really starting to get crowded. It’s now Standing Room Only in front of the stage and I can just about see the bar through the sea of people standing around the place.

  When I look back over at Patti, she’s got a strange look on her face.

  “What’s up?” I ask loud enough so she’ll hear me over the crowd.

  Patti’s staring at Cooper who looks like he’s doing something to one of his guitar strings.

  “I’ve seen him before,” she replies.

  “Who?” She can’t be talking about Cooper. Where on Earth could she possibly have seen him before?

  “Your boyfriend.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my weekend fling. And just where do you think you’ve seen him?”

  “The Cloak and Dagger. Only he didn’t look like that.” She motions towards the stage. “He was wearing a suit, tie and three hundred dollar dress shoes.”

  She has to be mistaken. “Isn’t the Cloak and Dagger one of the hangouts for all of the Wall Street wannabes? What would Cooper be doing in a place like that? And dressed in a suit and tie?” I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

  “I may not remember names very well but I remember faces and I remember that guy. He was with Armano.”

  “Who’s Armano?” I’m not sure why I even ask the question. It just pops out of my mouth. Obviously a guy she was trying to get into bed.

  She gives me one of her classic you’ve-got-to-be-kidding looks. “Anyway, your boyfriend…”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” I chime in.

  “Cooper was with Armano. I was never formally introduced but I remember thinking how intense the guy was.”

  As soon as she says the word intense, I can feel a shiver run through my entire body. Nearly everyone uses the same word to describe Cooper and that word is intense. Could it be possible that Patti has seen him before? In New York? I try to dismiss the idea as preposterous but I can’t help the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something just isn’t right.

  A little after seven, it looks like the Wilde Riders are ready to get started. I can see Cooper scanning the crowd until his eyes land on me. When he gives me one of his genuine smiles it warms every inch of my body.

  After the houselights dim and the stage lights come up, Jake grabs the mic.

  “Hello Everyone!” he yells into the crowd. They all go crazy with whistles, hollers and applause. “Many of you told me you didn’t think it would ever happen again but I’m pleas
ed to announce that at least for tonight…” He makes a point of glancing at Cooper. “The Wilde Riders are back together again.”

  Another round of shouts and applause that Jake can hardly control. Finally, Tucker puts his index finger and pinky in his mouth and lets out an ear-piecing whistle that does the trick.

  Once the crowd is settled down, Jake says, “We’re going to start with a new one that you might not have heard. It’s called Summer by an up and coming artist, Dan Patrick Fulton.”

  When Cooper starts playing his guitar, a silence completely overtakes the room and the only sound in the bar come from that lone instrument. Then Hunter and Tucker join in and when Jake adds his soulful voice to the music, it sends shivers through me. The song is amazing.

  The hem of your dress swings wide and wild

  Calls to me like an open field

  calls to a child

  Those twirling layers swing and sway

  They beckon to me without words

  What do they say?

  It's like a language old and rare

  Something for which I'm unprepared

  I find myself in warming winds

  The sunlight shining in your heart

  Glows from within

  The season's feeling grows again

  It's not been like this since I can't

  Remember when

  Soft reflections in your eyes

  Like embers as the fire dies

  Summer whispers to me

  Calls me out from what I know

  Do I dare go?

  Summer spirits move me

  Send me spinning like a wheel

  It's so unreal

  The hem of your dress it settles down

  The night is cool and dark and still

  And filled with sound

  But still you linger in the air

  And if I reach out in the dark

  Will you be there?

  Everyone in the place is completely enraptured and when the song ends, the crowd goes wild for the Wilde Riders.

  They follow up their first number with a few more upbeat covers. These songs have a bluegrass flavor to them. Some of the spectators try to dance but the place is so crowded, it’s difficult. I’m not sure what the population of Old Town is but it seems like every person in the town is here to watch the band play.