Along for the Ride

by Casey Peeler

  He slides closer to me, and my breathing stops for a moment.

  “Belle, I didn’t mean that. The way you talk about this town is like there is nothing great about it, but since we hit the county line, I’ve been amazed by what I’ve seen. I wish I’d grown up in a place like this. My childhood was spent going from one military base to another. I’ve never had a real home. My dad was all about rank and not family. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  With one comment, that’s all it takes for me to get off my high horse and return to normal.

  “What did you mean when you said Beau was ‘another story’?”

  “He loves music, too, but I’m the one that made it out, and he’s still here. He and I used to write together all the time, but what he’s really good at is making a set a reality.”

  He hasn’t moved and I can’t take his beautiful eyes staring in mine. Breaking our connection, I tell him, “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Once we are out of the truck, we grab our bags then I take his hand and pull him toward the front porch.

  As we enter the house, the aroma of Sundrop pound cake hits my nostrils. Mama is doing what she does best—cooking. I can’t wait to have a piece with a glass of milk.

  “Hey, Mama. We’re here!” I yell as I close the door behind us. She comes to greet us in the foyer, and Beau is in the living room. He doesn’t get up; he just gives a wave and goes back to watching his hunting show. You’d think that he’d notice I’m home. Oh well.

  “Hey, Beau! Don’t get up or anything,” I say sarcastically.

  “No worries, I won’t,” he says, looking over his shoulder.

  “Belle, I’ll have something sweet for ya in a few minutes. Why don’t you take Jake to the guest room so he can get settled?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Jake and I make our way upstairs and down the hall. He stops to look at the family photos on the wall and asks me questions about all of them. Please don’t ask about the one where my hair is half-brushed and I look like I have rotten teeth because I didn’t pull a loose tooth. Whew! Made it past it! I give him a brief tour as we make our way to the guest room.

  “Here ya go, Jake,” I say as I open the door. “Mine’s right next door if ya need anything.” Stupid, Belle. Stupid comment. “I’m gonna go get settled. I’ll be right back,” I tell him.

  I walk into my room and close my eyes as my back brushes the back of the door. What was I thinking bringing home the country music god? He’s perfect in every single way. His eyes, hair, perfectly sun-kissed skin, impeccable backside in a pair of jeans, and a personality to go with it, but the fact that he likes me for me is the biggest turn-on ever. There is no way I’m surviving this weekend.

  I walk to my dresser and look in the mirror. Touching up my makeup, I decide that it’s time to show Jake what it’s like in Lattimore. I send Chase and Laurel a text.

  Group Text:

  Me: Martin’s tonight? Time to show Mr. Country Music God how we do it in Lattimore. Y’all in?

  Chase: Sure, Beau coming 2?

  Me: Prob

  Laurel: Alright! I’ll spread the word.

  Me: Don’t you dare! Let’s just see who’s out tonight. Meet us there at 8.

  As I place my phone down, there’s a light knock at my door.

  “Come in.” Turning around, I see him. “You ready for the best cake you’ve ever eaten? Then, I think you need a tour of the farm.”

  “I’m game.”

  We make our way into the kitchen and take a seat. Mama has the cake, butter, and glasses of milk waiting. Beau has beaten us to the table already. I should have known. We each grab a piece, slather it with butter, and take a bite.

  “Wow,” is the only word that Jake says with a mouthful of cake. Lawd knows what I’d love him to have a mouthful of! What am I thinking?

  As we eat our cake, I tell Beau and Jake the plans for tonight.

  “So tonight, I was thinkin’ we could go to Martin’s Pool Hall.” Beau gives me a questioning glance, and I give him one right back. “Why don’t you and Sarah come?” He agrees but seems so distant. I’ve got to talk to him alone before I head back. Mom continues to ask Jake questions and before long I know it’s time to escape because if not, we’ll be here all afternoon.

  Excusing Jake and myself, we walk to the front porch. It is a beautiful Carolina summer day, and it’s time to show Jake why there’s no place like home.

  “Isn't Carolina beautiful?”

  “It is,” but when I look his direction, I realize he’s not talking about the sky and land around us. He's looking directly at me.

  Jake

  The moment she gives me the opportunity, I seize it. Belle is standing there with her hair pulled up into some funky messy ponytail with minimal makeup. Standing here on this front porch, I see her for the girl she’s grown up to be and that is due to this place right here. So yes, Carolina is perfect, but that’s only because Belle was born and raised here.

  “Come on,” she says as she saunters down the steps. We walk across the yard toward a large red barn. It’s nothing fancy and the boards are worn from the years. It’s rustic and has a story I'm sure, if the walls could talk.

  “Gator or four-wheeler?” she questions as she motions toward the them.

  “Four-wheeler, of course.”

  “Jake, I’m not sure you’re ready for this.” Oh, I’m ready all right. This is going to be a blast.

  Cranking the engines, I follow her away from the barn and around the property. She takes her time pointing out all the farm animals, the different barns, and then heads toward her grandparents' house. Crap! I guess it’s time to meet the entire family. I’ve never been good at this because family was few and far between for me.

  As we park, she looks my directions. “Quit sweating bullets, Jake. They won’t hurt ya, I promise. I know that if I don’t stop here within being home an hour, my pawpaw will have my head.” The house is quaint and has stood the test of time. Without another word, I follow behind her.

  Chapter 18

  Belle

  “Mawmaw! Pawpaw!” I yell as we enter the side entrance of their house.

  “Belle, is that you?” Mawmaw calls from her sewing room.

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  Before we are halfway to the room, Mawmaw is hurrying to meet me, but she stops abruptly when she realizes I’m not alone.

  “Well, Belle, who do we have here?”

  “Mawmaw, I’d like you to meet the country music god himself, Jake Bryant.”

  Jake’s face turns red as a beet. It has to be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

  “Nice to finally meet the guy who stole our little girl away. Do you know we saw her every day of her life until she went on the road with you?”

  “No, ma’am. I didn’t. I do apologize for that, but have you heard her sing? It’d be a shame not to share that voice with the world.”

  “That, Mr. Bryant, better not be some line you feed to a pond of fish because I’ve heard her sing since before she could talk.”

  “No, ma’am. It’s not a line, but I’m pretty sure the fish are bitin’ hook, line, and sinker when she’s on stage.”

  Mawmaw looks at me, puts her hand on her hip, and says, “I like him! Never thought I’d say that one, but Mr. Country Music God just might be a keeper.” With that comment, she makes her way to the kitchen, and we follow after I pick myself up from the floor from embarrassment.

  “Belle, is that you?” I hear my pawpaw question as he enters the kitchen.”

  I can’t control the smile that crosses my face when I see him. He places his boots on the floor and I hurry to him. Giving him a hug, he squeezes me tight. Man, I’ve missed them both, but there’s something about the connection I have with him. He’s always been there for me, no matter what was going on in my life.

  Mawmaw insists that we have a seat at the table. She offers us a piece of pie, but I inform her that mom made a cake.

  “You mean you didn’t bring me a sl
ice? I thought we had a deal, Belle,” Pawpaw says with a laugh.

  “I got you covered. She’s got another one in the oven.”

  “That’s my girl. So Jake, tell me about this touring thing.”

  Jake smiles and almost looks relieved. “Mr. Montgomery, we pretty much cover coast to coast. We’ve got a weekend off this weekend, which is crazy. That rarely happens. Belle has been doing amazing. The crowd begs her for an encore each and every night. I have a feeling things are about to blow up for her in a good way.”

  “Well, I hope they do,” then he leans in, “but sometimes I hope they don’t. I want my Belle at home on the farm.”

  “Oh Pawpaw, you know you can’t take the farm out of the girl. Plus, I love it here. I’m coming home every moment I can.”

  “Well, where ya been?” And just like that he speaks the truth.

  “I haven’t been able to. The schedule has been crazy, but only three months and I’ll be home.”

  “If you don’t get another tour,” Jake says confidently. “We finish up in Vegas at the Rodeo Finals. We’ll both get time off, but I’ve got a feeling Belle will be back on the road shortly after.”

  “Well, can you take your old man with ya?” Pawpaw says with a laugh.

  “You know I would.” We spend the next hour talking to Mawmaw and Pawpaw about what it’s like on the road. Pawpaw begins to talk about the war, and Jake talks about growing up in a military family.

  Sitting back, I’m amazed at how my eighty-five-year-old pawpaw is able to pull so much information from Jake. So far I’ve learned that he traveled and moved bases every four years since he could remember, his dad was a lieutenant in the Marines, and is still active even though he could have retired years ago.

  Once the conversation winds down, I excuse us from the table and we walk outside. It’s early afternoon, and the sun is high in the sky. “Hey, Jake. I’ve got an idea. Come on.”

  We rev up the engines and I put mine in high gear as we make our way to the creek. I haven’t been out here in six months, and it is one of my favorite places on Earth…other than the stage. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Jake struggling to keep up with me. Reaching the bank, I stop, and he almost plows into me.

  “Easy there! Had a hard time keepin’ up, I see.”

  “I didn’t know where you were planning on going. I’m new here, remember?” he says with laughter in his voice. Trying my best, I don’t read too much into his playful tone and the way his eyes land on mine.

  “Come on. Make sure you leave your phone up here.”

  Jake

  What is she up to? She reaches for my hand, pulls me along and as we enter the woods, I look around to see a small slice of heaven in the middle of nowhere. If it was hunting season, I’d be in business as the squirrels rustle though the brush and run up the trees. The trees keep the sun at bay, but a glimpse of it shines through as a small breeze blows.

  Approaching a few large rocks, she lets go of my hand and we climb over them. As we do, it exposes a creek, and I’m confused.

  “Come on. It gets better,” she says with a smile, taking my hand yet again. Instead, I stand in place and when she realizes I'm not moving, she turns around and I pull her flush with me, looking into those eyes. Her breath hitches before she takes a step away. “Let’s go, Romeo.” I drop it for now, but it’s time to show her this can work.

  She guides me for about a hundred yards before the sound of water fills my ears and when we cross one more large boulder, a water hole appears.

  “Belle, what are we about to do?” Jake asks, unsure.

  “We are about to enjoy this beautiful summer Carolina day the best way I know how.”

  “And how’s that?”

  “In the water, duh.” She kicks off her shoes and grabs the rope swing and runs straight toward the water, screaming and laughing the entire way down.

  Chapter 19

  Belle

  Once I surface, I look around to find Jake standing there with his arms crossed.

  “Are you comin’ or what?”

  Before I have time to process, Jake removes his t-shirt in one swift motion. Hot-oh-mighty. With all the time we’ve been together, I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve seen him shirtless. God sure knew what He was doing when He created that boy. But, Jake doesn’t stop there; next, he removes his boots and his jeans. Quickly, I try to gather my inner self because Jake Bryant is standing there in nothing but a pair of plaid boxers. This isn’t how I expected this to go down. Smiling my direction, he grabs the rope swing and jumps straight for me while I duck under the water to avoid the splash.

  Arriving at the surface, our eyes meet and it’s unlike what I felt a few minutes ago, or even that night in Tulsa that I refuse to acknowledge most days. Jake moves closer, wraps his arm around me, and pulls me to his body. The line we’ve had drawn has now been erased. The question is, what will happen next? My heart begins to beat out of my chest as his eyes pierce mine.

  “You promise me that there’s nothing going on with you and Chase?”

  “I promise.”

  That’s all the reassurance that Jake needs as his lips get within inches of mine.

  “You know this will change things. Don’t you, Jake?”

  “I’m ready for a change, Belle,” he says as his lips crash into mine. They are more perfect than I imagined and as his tongue grazes my bottom lip, I sigh. Our lips continue to dance as the rest of my body reacts to his body near mine.

  Jake begins to pull me closer to the bank without letting our lips part. Once we are at the bank, his hands roam my body with a hunger that I’ve never felt before. Everything inside me is saying this is a great idea, but my head is screaming for us to stop. I battle the decision in my mind for a matter of seconds. Screw it; I’ll clean up this mess later.

  My hands run through his short brown hair and I forget about where I am and only think about what I’m doing.

  Jake

  Having her lips on mine is better than I imagined. My mind is in overdrive and I'm not thinking when I let my hands skim the base of her tank top before beginning to raise it slowly. She falters.

  “Um, Jake. I think we need to slow down. I mean, I don’t know. This is happening so fast, and I don’t want you to think that this is all I want.”

  Jake takes my hair and places it behind my ear as he gazes into my eyes. He smiles and moves in to graze my lips again.

  “Belle, this was bound to happen. We fit and make sense. I’m glad it happened here instead of out on the road. This place feels real, just like you,” I brush my hand along her jawline.

  “But you know this isn’t a good idea.”

  “I’m willing to pay the price if you’re willing to go along for the ride.”

  “Jake Bryant, you better not hurt me. Do you understand?”

  There’s no way I’d hurt her. Instead of answering, I reassure her with my lips and the deal is sealed. As our kiss slows, we make our way out of the water.

  Chapter 20

  Belle

  That kiss left me breathless and I’m afraid that’s what Jake Bryant will do to me. He’s going to be the death of me. As Jake slides his clothes back on, I do my best to drip dry. My mind begins to play out the scenarios it pushed to the side when his lips were a distraction.

  “What're you thinking?”

  “You know they are all going to call me a liar.”

  Puzzled, he looks to me, “Who?”

  “Everyone. Last night I told them we were strictly professional.”

  “Then let’s not tell them.”

  “Jake, I don’t know if you’ve realized it, but I’m pretty much an open book around my family. The moment I stop talkin’ is the moment they know I’m full of it.”

  “Well, don’t stop talkin’, and we can just try to keep this to ourselves until we are back on the road.”

  “Wait, do you not want anyone to know?”

  He takes a step toward me. “It’s not that, Belle. I
t complicates things when people break into our world. The world that is real and true. Let’s see how this goes and once the tour is over, we’ll announce it.”

  “What makes you think we’re going to last that long?”

  “Cause I’m not stupid enough to let a girl like you go.”

  Wrapping my arms around him, I look into his mesmerizing eyes. “You’re gonna get me in so much trouble,” I say as I close our distance and leave him with a kiss that has him wanting more. When he starts to react, I back away, crank up the four-wheeler, and take off. Laughing, I look over my shoulder, this time he knows what I’m up to and catches up quickly. He races me back to the barn and as we kill the engines, things feel a little awkward as we try to deny what just happened.

  “Come here,” he motions toward me with extended arms. I walk to him and fall into them as he kisses the top of my head. “I’ve had a blast today.”

  “I’m glad, but get ready because you’ve never been anywhere like Martin’s.”

  Jake

  As she turns to walk toward the house, I take a moment to admire the view and then follow her inside the house and upstairs to take showers and get ready for a night out.

  Walking into the guest room, I slide out of my clothes and begin to head toward the shower when my phone rings. Glancing down, I shake my head. She’s called three times this week.

  “Hey, Mom,” I answer.

  “Jake, I was starting to get worried. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, just had a crazy few weeks on the tour.”

  “Oh, tell me about it. I know you’ve got a few days off. You hanging on the bus?”

  “Belle was the best decision I’ve ever had about a tour. Mom, she’s killing it out there and you’re not going to believe this. She invited me to her hometown since we were so close.” The line gets quiet. “Mom, it’s an hour from our last stop, don’t think too much about it.”

  “It’s just that I haven’t seen you in months. This mama misses her baby boy.”

  “I understand, but you know Dad would be giving me crap if I was there.”