Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
Moana sat near the front of the stage. Her gaze shifted toward the main door with her heart hammering in the center of her chest. Eight other singer-songwriters had done their sets and still no sign of Rosco. She should be grateful that he’d possibly chosen not to show his face. While very few tickets were sold and most people had to stand outside in a long line for the rest of the spots, Rosco had indeed secured a seat at the bar.
But his stool was empty.
That always pissed off the owners.
Even though they got their money, that meant they had to turn someone away who had potentially spent a few hours sitting their ass down on the hard pavement.
She slowed her breathing. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. This was not a big deal. It was just another day. Just another honky-tonk. Friends hanging out, having a few drinks, turning their heads when a catchy phrase caught their attention.
Nothing special.
Yeah, right.
“You okay?” Bowie leaned over and kissed her cheek just as the ninth singer finished his last song.
She was up next.
“I keep thinking Rosco is standing outside that door, just waiting until I start strumming my guitar so he can make me falter, embarrassing me. And then he’ll smile and run to my side, trying to be some weird hero or something.” Part of her kept focusing on the missing man simply because it was easier than dealing with the man sitting next to her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, breathing his hot breath on her skin. She wouldn’t regret sleeping with Bowie. She couldn’t. But he wasn’t something she could have again. There were too many other things in her life that needed her attention.
Her chest tightened. Her lungs were on fire. It was as if she’d smoked an entire pack of cigarettes in an hour.
“We’ll know if he is and I can give you a little wave of my hand if that’s the case.” Bowie had been so attentive the entire evening. So much so that Mano looked like he wanted to throttle the man. Thank God, Mano was across the room, sitting by the door, or she’d be dealing with way too much testosterone.
“No. It will just make it worse, but thank you.” She curled her fingers around the strap of her instrument. The MC turned and smiled in her direction. This was it. Four simple songs, only the last one was going to make her want to hide under a rock and never look at Bowie again.
Shit. There was no way she could get through this set without dying of utter abashment.
Blowing out a puff of air, she made her way up on the stage and took her seat. “Thank you.” She adjusted the microphone. “It feels so good to be back here.” She ran her fingers across the strings of her guitar. The fear slowly lifted from her skin. She never wanted to be a star. To have fame and fortune or a stadium full of fans screaming her name was never the dream.
But this was.
A small intimate room.
Something that felt like family.
She nodded to Mano before shifting her gaze to Bowie. His smile made everything right in her world and yet, the last song was going to make her look as crazy as Rosco.
“This first song was inspired by taking a field trip with some of my students last year. They were walking down the street, laughing, picking on each other. Shoving each other. It was all in good fun. Later, when we sat down, the kids talked about how it was their last summer before college. Last summer before they had to start really thinking about their future. Being responsible. And how it would be the first time they would start their school year without each other. It struck a chord with me and this song is all about that change. I hope you enjoy it.” She flicked her pick over the string and as soon as her mouth opened and she sang the first few words, the door to the café opened and in walked fucking Rosco.
His timing was impeccable. He had to have planned it that way. Which was weird all by itself.
Moana focused on Jaden and Piper, sitting at the table next to Bowie. They had always been super supportive of her career aspirations. They understood her need to be behind the singer, and not the one with light blinding her and her world. Most people in this business didn’t get it. Even the songwriters, because the majority of them still wanted center stage.
She finished the song, enjoyed the light clapping, and went right into a brief explanation of the second song, another upbeat, toe-tapping tune meant to get you on your feet. It was a feel-good beat with matching lyrics. Moana enjoyed the way the audience reacted to the music. It allowed her to ignore Rosco, who leaned against the bar sipping a drink while Mano managed to switch seats and now was only two stools away from Rosco.
Not to mention Max stood at the end of the bar, glaring at Rosco, ready to pounce.
It was astounding that Moana managed to get through her set.
She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you,” she said, adjusting the microphone again. “I’d like to change the pace a little with this last song.” Unfortunately, if she said anything about what—or who—inspired this, she’d be even more embarrassed. She should have told Bowie about the song. That would have been the right thing to do, but she’d never done anything like this before, and sleeping with him certainly muddied the waters.
She took a moment to refocus and balance her energy, concentrating on Piper, who’d kept telling her this song had pretty much already sold itself.
All Moana had to do was bring it home.
She blew out a puff of air and belted out the first line…
“He stood on the stage with a mic in hand,
A smile on his face like he owned the land.
He glanced at the crowd, my heart skipped a beat,
My soul felt warm, swept off my feet.
You know that feeling deep in your soul,
When you just know he’s the one to hold.
That’s Bowie, the star I dream of,
With every note, I fall more in love.”
She closed her eyes, picking at her guitar with a featherlight touch, her voice more the instrument as she hummed before the next verse, doing her best to ignore the man to her right, staring at her with wide, curious eyes.
“The jukebox played his timeless tune,
Under the spotlights, he shone like the moon.
His eyes met mine, a spark so bright,
In that moment, everything felt just right.
You know that feeling deep in your soul,
When you just know he’s the one to hold.
That’s Bowie, the star I dream of,
With every glance, I fall more in love.
In the quiet of the night, I whisper his name,
Dreaming of the day he'll feel the same.
With every beat, my heart confides,
He's the one I want by my side.
You know that feeling deep in your soul,
When you just know he’s the one to hold.
That’s Bowie, the star I dream of,
With every note, I fall more in love.
The jukebox played his timeless tune,
Under the spotlights, he shone like the moon.
His eyes met mine, a spark so bright,
In that moment, everything felt just right.
You know that feeling deep in your soul,
When you just know he’s the one to hold.
That’s Bowie, the star I dream of,
With every glance, I fall more in love.
He sang at the bar with a mic in hand,
And I just knew, he's my forever man.
Bowie's the one, my heart's desire,
With him, I'll always feel the fire.
The jukebox played his timeless tune,
Under the spotlights, he shone like the moon.
His eyes met mine, a spark so bright,
In that moment, everything felt just right.
You know that feeling deep in your soul,
When you just know he’s the one to hold.
That’s Bowie, the star I dream of,
With every note, I fall more in love.”
The audience applauded. Loudly. She stood, smiling, taking a small bow. She turned and frowned. Bowie was no longer at their table. She scanned the room, but it was hard to navigate the sea of people as the songwriters were mingling with producers, agents, and other singers, all looking to make that deal.
“Moana.” Piper’s voice cut through the dense air filled with a combination of excitement and fear. “That was amazing. My phone was blowing up during the set. We’ve got offers for all the songs and from the ones you wanted. The best part, it’s for more than we expected.” Piper took her by the arms. “This is your biggest deal yet. I’m so proud of you.”
“This is fantastic.” Moana nodded, still searching the room for Bowie. That song couldn’t have upset him that much. His name just fit with the lyrics.
“He’s dealing with Rosco.” Piper lowered her chin. “As soon as your set was done, with the rush of people swirling about this place, Max served Rosco with the restraining order. I don’t know what happened. I was sent a text to keep an eye on you and was told we were to get a drink and stay put.”
“And what about our deals?” She nodded toward the lawyer representing the artist who bid on her songs.
“Contracts have already been sent over, but everyone would like to sit down with you. We might as well take a seat right here at your table and let them come to us. I’ve asked the waitress to bring over a bottle of wine.” Piper waved to a few people. “I do need to warn you that there is a request for you to come up with five more songs for their album.” Piper cocked her head. “Think you can handle that?”
“I need to sit down.” Moana swallowed. Hard. She lifted her guitar case and set the instrument safely inside. Easing into the chair, she flattened her hands across the table. “Between feeling the audience connect with two of those songs in a way no audience has before and knowing Rosco is probably in some kind of chest-pounding match with Max, Bowie, Jaden, and Mano, all I want to do is crawl in a hole and die.”
“I’m shocked you didn’t mention the song about Bowie to the man in question.” Piper waggled her brows.
Moana groaned. It was going to be a long night.
“I don’t think you should go outside.”
“I don’t care what you think,” Bowie said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, glaring at Mano. “Keep an eye on those two and watch the door.” He left Mano standing at the main door with a big fat frown on his face. He really didn’t care. Right now, he wanted to know what was going on outside.
“This is ridiculous,” Rosco said. “I want to speak with Moana. I’m sure you are both mistaken about this.”
“They are not.” Bowie folded his arms across his chest and widened his stance two feet from Rosco.
His hair was not that great. A baseball cap might be a better look.
“Who the hell are you?” Rosco, who stood about five foot ten inches, gave Bowie the once-over. Rosco had dark-blue eyes and dark, thick, wavy hair. He wasn’t ugly by any means. But he gave off a nerdy vibe and not the kind of nerd women found attractive. No, it was a little more creepy. But that could be because Bowie’s view was already tainted and that was something Bowie had to consider when assessing the situation.
“Bowie. Like the song.” Bowie smiled and arched a brow. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the words that had come from Moana’s sweet lips, and he didn’t have the time to ponder them, but he sure as hell enjoyed watching Rosco’s eyes widen in shock, then narrow into tiny little slits with the knowledge that those words were about the man standing before him.
Damn, that was interesting, to say the least.
“My girlfriend has been nothing but nice to you for a very long time. I’ve been about as supportive as I can be, but you’ve crossed the line for the last time,” Bowie said. “Moana will not be coming out to speak to you, and you will not be texting or calling her ever again. You will not show up at her apartment or anywhere she is. If you do, the police will be called, and you will be arrested.”
“This is utter bullshit. I want to hear Moana say she doesn’t want to see me.” Rosco squared his shoulders. “Because I know for a fact, she’d never do this. And that song? Well, your name just fit because she’s never mentioned you before and she and I are very close. You are not her boyfriend.” He pursed his lips.
Bowie tapped the paper in Rosco’s hands. “That document says she absolutely never wants to see or hear from you.” Bowie leaned closer. “And you don’t know shit about my girlfriend. If you did, she’d be writing songs about you, not me.”
Rosco took one step closer to Bowie. “It’s you who doesn’t know anything about Moana.” He shifted his gaze back to Max. “I have a right to talk with Moana and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“If you don’t honor the distance that this restraining order requires…” Max lifted his cuffs off his belt. “I will be required by law to arrest you. I don’t feel like dealing with all that paperwork tonight, but I will if you make me.” Max shook the cuffs. “The only reason I didn’t do it before was because these weren’t served nor did I want to cause a scene. Now, you have exactly one minute to leave, or I’ll start reading you your rights.”
“This isn’t over.” Rosco turned on his heel and practically sprinted down the street, with Max following.
“I’m going to make sure he leaves,” Max said, glancing over his shoulder. “I’ll stay in touch.”
“I’ll be standing right here and you know I’ve got people watching him too, but we’ll make sure we stay out your way.” Jaden nodded. “I’ve got a friend on the back door and Bowie will be with her until she leaves in the morning. We’ll call if anything happens.”
“Well, that was interesting.” Bowie let out a long breath. “How did Rosco time that so perfectly?”
“He had to have someone texting him on the inside,” Jaden said. “He’s friendly with a couple of the waitresses and one of the bartenders. I mean, the man does have friends. All the research I’ve done on him shows he’s relatively well-liked.”
“It’s the relatively part that concerns me.” Bowie rubbed the back of his neck. “Who has problems with him?”
“It’s not so much that people have a problem with him, but I did learn that he did have an unhealthy attachment to a young woman about four years ago.”
“Why am I just hearing about this now?”
“Because I only got the intel while we were listening to music.” Jaden cocked a brow. “And I emailed you the file. However, the cliff notes version is this chick, her name is Heather, worked for the same tech firm as Rosco. She wasn’t on the same team, and they both worked remotely, so they had very little face-to-face contact, except for the occasional meeting at the office. That was until they were placed on the same project and he kept demanding they meet to go over things,” Jaden said. “At first, Heather didn’t think anything of it. She had a job to do and she was looking for a promotion. But Rosco was constantly texting, calling, and wanting to video chat. When she would meet him out, he would act as if he were her boyfriend. She went to her boss and she was moved to a different team. But it didn’t stop and she decided to leave the company.”
“Did you speak with her?”
“No. I reached out to her but haven’t heard back.”
“Where did you get this intel?” Bowie asked.
“I got lucky when I called the company Rosco works for and spoke to someone who was pretty annoyed that Heather chose to leave versus pursuing any further action against what Rosco was doing. Not only did she have a case to get him fired, but according to Richard, the man who gave me this information, he thought she had Rosco on harassment.”
“Was Richard able to give you any documentation of this alleged harassment?”
“He gave me what Heather filed at work, but he said there was a lot more that happened outside of her employment. Unfortunately, they could only document the messages that went through the office and that’s not much and I can’t give it to Max. We can’t even tell him, though he knows to poke around that environment. However, without probable cause and a warrant…” Jaden shrugged.
“Yeah. I know the drill. It wouldn’t be admissible if we handed it over and him even knowing it exists could taint a bigger case going forward,” Bowie said.
Knowing that Rosco had harassed one other woman wasn’t good news. It didn’t matter that it meant Bowie’s instincts about the man were spot-on because now he had two things to be concerned about.
The first was obviously keeping Moana safe.
The second was keeping every other woman safe from that asshole and that really wasn’t Bowie’s problem, but he had sisters. And he couldn’t let it rest.
He also knew that Rosco wasn’t going to let Moana go without a fight, which meant even if she was back on Big Island, she would still have to look over her shoulder.
At least for a little while.
“I can see the concern in your eyes. The determination.” Jaden pointed toward the door. “Max and I both have pushed her into doing something about Rosco. But until a month ago, it was barely considered harassment. It was like he knew how many texts he could send in any given time period.”
“Those laws suck.”
“They do, but when he sent that unsolicited dick pic, things changed.”
“But she still did nothing.” Bowie ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the night sky with a mix of anger and frustration flowing through his system.
“That’s not true,” Jaden said. “She brought me and Max into the mix. Conversations were had. He never repeated that.” Jaden held up his hand. “I get that he continued with the weird texts, but as Max pointed out, he doesn’t have a case for stalking. He barely got the judge to sign off on this restraining order. And let’s not forget, Moana had already made the decision she was going to move back to Big Island. She simply chose not to tell anyone.”
“He’s got to know she’s not living here anymore.”
“Probably.” Jaden nodded. “And I’ll keep an eye on him as best I can. If I get called to Montana, I have a couple of friends who can tail him. Max is totally invested.”
“Why? What’s in it for Max and don’t tell me it’s his job because a restraining order is low on a cop’s list of things to deal with.”
“That may be the case, but Max’s older sister was murdered eight years ago. She had been harassed and stalked by someone she knew. This is a personal thing with Max.”
“Fair enough.” Bowie curled his fingers on the door handle. “We leave first thing in the morning. I want to know if Rosco leaves Nashville.”
“You’ll be one of the first people I call.”
Bowie pulled open the door and strolled through the room, stopping at the bar near the far end where Mano leaned against the wood structure. Bowie nodded to the bartender. “Can I get a tequila on the rocks?”
“Coming right up,” the bartender said.
“I take it that shithead Rosco finally left?” Mano lifted his beer, taking a massive gulp.
“Max is following him to make sure and Jaden said he’ll have some buddies watch him tonight and tomorrow morning before we take off.”
“Jaden’s good people. So is Max.” Mano shook his head. “Now tell me about that fucking song, because that damn near had me falling off my stool.”
“I was probably more shocked than anyone else in this room.” He lifted the drink the bartender pushed in front of him and took a long slow draw. He let the liquor sit on his tongue. Overall, tequila could be quite complex and multifaceted. It had a combination of sweet, spicy, earthy, and citrus flavors. That was why Bowie enjoyed the beverage when he found himself pondering all the things life tossed in his direction.
Though, he didn’t drink it too often because when he did, he got loose-lipped and that was never a good look.
“You’re going to stand there and tell me you had no idea?” Mano cocked his head much like he might cock his fist.
Fucking wonderful.
“Not a flipping clue.” Bowie tried not to stare at Moana, but it proved to be impossible. She sat with Piper and two other gentlemen. They looked to be deep in conversation and shuffled a few pieces of paper between them. “And let’s not go reading into something that isn’t there. My name fit into the lyrics. That’s all. I barely know her. We’re not in a relationship. Hell, I can’t even say we’re dating.” Although he would like to change that. Only, his future was so uncertain, that wouldn’t be fair to either one of them, which soured his belly.
Being with her had been like standing on the skid of a helicopter while in flight. It was exhilarating. Blood-pumping. It made him feel alive.
But it was also dangerous as fuck.
She was exactly the type of woman he would dive into the ocean for and not come to the surface.
“Sounds like someone wants to be dating my Little One and I’m not sure how I feel about that.” Mano set his beer on the counter. “I’m sure you’re one of the good guys. At least that’s what my boy Waylen and his friends tell me. And Waylen and I go way back. But you’re an enlisted man. You’re going to be leaving Big Island and that means leaving my Little One behind.”
If Mano wasn’t such a big old teddy bear with a genuine caring for Moana, Bowie would burst out laughing. But Mano’s heart was in the right place. Moana was like a little sister to Mano and he’d move heaven and earth for that girl. Bowie understood that concept.
Bowie took another sip of his drink. “To be honest, I don’t know what my future plans are when it comes to the Navy.” The only people he’d ever discussed this with were his team and Waylen. He hadn’t even brought it up with his dad or his brother. But the more time between him and his last mission, the more he didn’t want to go back.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t know if I’m going to re-enlist.” He shifted his gaze. “But that’s not for public consumption. It’s not to be discussed with anyone because it’s a decision that me and my team will make together and there’s a bigger picture reason for it that I can’t get into. I’m not even sure why I told you, other than I respect you.” He pointed toward Moana. “And I find myself in a strange predicament where I care for her. I didn’t plan for it. I certainly didn’t see it coming. But it’s there and now I’m not sure what to do with it.”
“A person would have to be blind not to see the sparks between the two of you.” Mano placed a strong hand on Bowie’s shoulder. “I’ve known her a long time. She’s a bit of a contradiction in terms. While she can be a free spirit, she’s carefully crafted a world that protects her from those things that have hurt her in the past and that, my friend, are the people who are supposed to love and protect her the most. It’s why she chooses idiots like Kenny.”
“You knew her last boyfriend?”
Mano rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. I suffered through many a dinner with that boring man. He wasn’t a bad dude. He was nice enough. Treated her well enough, except for his old-fashioned ways with wanting her to give up not only writing songs and selling them, but singing out and her teaching career. He honestly wanted a little woman to stay at home and greet him at the door with a cocktail every night.”
Bowie chuckled. “I can’t imagine ever even wanting that, must less expecting it.”
“Kenny was a mama’s boy,” Mano said.
“So am I, and damn proud of that fact.” Bowie polished off the last of his drink, which would be it for the night. “One has nothing to do with the other.”
“I’d normally agree with you, but in Kenny’s case, his relationship with his mother was a little over the top and she didn’t like Moana, so that made it worse. In the end, it was good that they called it quits, and now they are friends. Like I said, he’s not a bad guy.” Mano nodded. “But he’s what I’d call safe. Moana was never going to completely give herself to him because she’s never going to give this up.” Mano waved his hand. “She might not want to be a star or to sing on a big stage. But she loves to perform like this. She loves to write her songs. And boy, does she love to teach and share her passion for music. She dates men who aren’t the right fit. Men who want something other than who she is, instead of men who will stand by and support her because for Moana, unconditional love doesn’t come easy.”
Bowie could understand why. “Can I ask you something about her family?”
“Sure, but I might not answer.”
“Do you agree with them lying? Do you believe it was best they kept the truth from her?”
“Let me start answering with a question,” Mano said. “Does she have any idea that you know about her biology?”
“No, and I’m not sure how to tell her that I do know without her punching me in the gut.”
Mano let out a hearty laugh. “She will do exactly that and it’s not something she likes or wants people to know.”
Bowie opened his mouth, but Mano raised his hand.
“To answer your earlier question. I will tell you exactly what I told Moana when she learned Kalena was her biological mother. While I believe the truth needed to come out at some point, and maybe long before it did, and certainly not the way it did, what her parents and sister did was out of love. Perhaps misguided but love nonetheless. Moana had a decent childhood. Her parents gave her all that they could, but Kalena was always a problem. Her drug use has destroyed her life and has come close to destroying the rest of the family.”
“Why does Moana keep this a deep, hidden secret? Is it shame? Or something else?” Bowie asked.
“Sounds like you’re asking because you’ve become entangled romantically with my Little One.” Mano arched a brow.
“Not that it’s any of your business?—”
“If it concerns Moana, it’s my business.” Mano poked him in the shoulder. “And it’s not shame. At least not how you’re thinking. She’s not embarrassed that her sister is her biological mother. She absolutely understands why Kalena couldn’t raise her as a teenager and is grateful that her grandparents took her in and adopted her, making sure it was a family affair. It’s all the lies they told her even after she found out the truth.”
“What lies?”
“That, I won’t tell you,” Mano said. “If you can ever get her to confide in you about her biology, which she might if she cares enough to write that kind of song about you, then she’ll tell you all the ugly truths.”
“Fair enough.”
Mano jerked his head. “Looks like they have concluded their business.” He waved his cell. “And I need to hightail it over to Rosco’s neighborhood for a bit.”
“Stay in touch.”
“You know I will.”
Bowie caught Moana’s gaze. She smiled weakly, then turned her attention back to Piper. He had no idea how to approach—if he even should—the pretty love song that bore his name.
He blew out a puff of air. It was already proving to be a long and potentially awkward night.