Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
EVERLY
Singing is the one thing that always came naturally to me. From as early as I could remember I was using a fake mic and singing in my bedroom. I loved karaoke because I got to get up on stage and do it in front of others.
Getting to record another album was like a dream come true.
The knowledge that I could do it in my thirties, was a thrill beyond measure.
I had always believed my time to dream had passed.
But then Phil told me that Five Hearts wanted me to tour with them.
And that took me to a whole other level of ecstatic.
I never got to tour with my first album.
My contract didn’t stipulate it and by the time the label was ready to invest that kind of money in me, I was already a few months pregnant.
Watching my friends cheer and clap for me always brought a smile to my face.
I loved that they supported me and enjoyed my work.
At first, they would show up just to be supportive, but I expected it to get old and boring, but they kept coming.
Having someone in the crowd on your side was one hell of a boost. Knowing they enjoyed themselves because I was that good was quite a rush.
Then there was Noah in the crowd. He clapped and sang along to the songs he knew and smiled through the ones he didn’t. He had his eyes on me almost all the time.
Except for that short stint, when something distracted the people at the table I was sitting at.
Then Noah’s shoulders relaxed, and he looked back at me.
After that he only had eyes for me and to be honest, I didn’t notice if anyone else was looking at the stage.
A few times we winked at each other, or I made sure a certain lyric was aimed directly at him.
Mostly the sexier ones. The more the evening progressed the more I got to see that sexy smile.
By the time I took my final bow of the evening, I was really riled up, and by the look in his eyes, so was he.
The audience clapped loudly, hoping for another encore but I nodded to the DJ who started his first set of the evening.
The start of the music seemed to calm everyone down as I left the stage and made my way to the dressing room.
I pulled off my boots and before I started washing off my make-up, I texted Brie. I didn’t always have help in the audience, but when I did, I took full advantage. By the time my face was clean and my hair in a messy bun, Brie was sitting waiting for me.
My friend gave me a once over. “You sure you want to get out of that get up. Urban Legend couldn’t take his eyes off you all evening.”
“Stop calling him that. And we can leave the corset, but these pants definitely need to go. Getting out of them will never be sexy.”
As I undid the side zip of the leather pants Brie stood in front of me.
“So, you are thinking about being sexy when you take it off then?”
Brie and I met through Cassie. Cassie and I had been friends since middle school and Brie was at college with her.
She invited us both to a girls’ night out and we became instant friends.
Something I was very grateful for when Cassie was deployed.
I would never have survived my parents and pregnancy without Brie around. But damn, the woman was nosy.
“I don’t want it to be completely off the table. I mean, we haven’t spoken all night. I suppose I need to flirt a little bit.”
“Girl.” Brie rolled her eyes at me as she peeled the leather off me. “You two have been eye-fucking all night. I’m pretty sure he wants to get out of here as much as you do. And that corset does great things for your boobs, so I would leave it on until he is ready to take it off.”
That was my plan as well. I pulled on a pair of straight leg jeans and slipped my feet into a pair of ballet flats while Brie started to pack my things up from the small table I used to get ready.
She slung my duffle bag over her shoulder while I grabbed my box of makeup and we left the dressing room.
Just like every other time I’ve seen him, my heart did that tumble thing as soon as my gaze met Noah’s.
He was laughing with the people at the table.
Lilly and Bex both sipped their cocktails and spoke to the newcomer.
Well, Lilly’s was probably a mocktail, but whatever.
It looked like Trey, their new employee, had also joined them for the evening.
As soon as Noah spotted me, he stopped his conversation and made his way over to meet Brie and I. He took my duffle bag from my friend and the makeup box from me. He gestured for both of us to walk ahead of him and I let Brie lead us to the table.
As soon as we reached the table Bex handed me a Cosmopolitan. God, my friends knew me so well. I took the drink from her and took a big gulp of the pinky-red liquid.
Noah lowered his mouth to my ear, his breath fanning over my cheek. “Next time, I’ll wait for you outside your dressing room door.”
I smiled. Knowing exactly how he would react to my answer. “Actually, Brie was there to help me get out of my leather pants.”
“Well then, I volunteer for that job, too. Every single time.”
“Nope.” I turned to face him, getting as close to his ear as I could. “You promised to be with Sky if I need to perform.”
The only reason Sky got to sleep out was because she had already made arrangements to finish a school project with her friends.
She usually slept out on a Friday because I worked.
Usually, if Hope Salinger babysat her grandkids then Sky would help her, sometimes Bex stayed with her.
Going forward though, Sky would be with Noah unless he was on a mission.
“I did promise that, so let’s make hay then. I’m not going to get many opportunities to take off that corset and take advantage of the situation.”
My mind stilted for just a moment. Twelve years ago we started in a very similar fashion. Two people, attracted to each other and horny. The only difference was then we had no intention of seeing each other again. Could we handle the consequences if we took that step?
“Are we sure about this, Noah?”
“No pressure, but I will not abandon either of you. Skylar is my priority. That doesn’t mean we don’t get to enjoy life either. If this goes nowhere, she doesn’t need to know. And if it does, then we’ll sit her down and I’ll blurt things out again.”
I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me. I looked up at him. “You want to get out of here?”
“That is why I am still holding on to your stuff.”
Another two gulps of my drink and I hugged everyone goodbye. Handshakes and man-hugs for Noah and then we were out the door.
The drive home wasn’t quiet and tense. I would imagine it was similar to any pair of parents who actually got along. We spoke about the fact that Skylar and Grace were sleeping over at Scott Waite’s house. Of course, Noah had exactly the kind of reaction I expected him to.
He frowned at me before looking back at the road. “Scott Waite? I know him. He sometimes helps the Salingers.”
“Once. He helped them once.” I turned to him, crossing my legs in the seat. “He’s a chef actually. Owns the best steakhouse in town.”
“That may be.” I could see the deadpan look on his face. “Once a sniper, always a sniper. Anyway, doesn’t Scott only have two boys?”
“He does. Owen, his youngest, is friends with Grace and Sky. They’re doing their history project together.”
“But Owen’s a boy.”
“Where would we be without your astuteness?”
“Don’t be cute.” His frown was downright adorable. “Our daughter is sleeping over at a boy’s house. How old is this kid?”
“He turned thirteen a while back.”
“Oh god. So, he’s reaching peak stupidity. Do you know what constitutes a good idea for a thirteen-year-old boy?”
I gave a heavy sigh and rolled my eyes knowing that the only way I would get to the end of the conversation was to let him vent. “No, tell me.”
“It needs to pop into their heads. That’s all they need to act on a thought. And you left our daughter with that level of stupidity.”
“Actually, I left our daughter in the care of an army trained sniper. Trust me, those girls are safe. Both girls sleep in Owen’s room and Owen pulls out the camping mattress in his brother’s room. Do you honestly think I would let it happen if I didn’t trust the situation?”
Noah exhaled a breath. A long breath. Like he hadn’t been breathing for several seconds. His jaw relaxed and he gave me a quick smile. “Sorry. That was a bit of an overreaction. I know you made sure that Skylar was safe. Still, is there anything between her and Owen?”
My frown was immediate. “No. At least I don’t think so. From what I can tell when I eavesdrop on the girls’ conversations, Grace likes Owen. But that’s all I know. Brie knows more but she cannot say anything because they’re all in group therapy with her.”
Thankfully, he moved the conversation along. He wanted to make sure that he could receive his own mail to the house. “I pick it up from the main house every morning.”
“Oh.” He gives me a confused look. “Because I didn’t see the mail when I left this morning and then when I got home, the mail was on the coffee table in the living room.”
My body froze, fear running up my spine. “Noah, I never left any mail on the coffee table today.” I curled into myself. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I am a bit of a neat freak. Nothing out of place. Counters clear, sink clean before I leave the house.”
Noah nodded, then squinted and turned to me. “Did you say clean sink?”
Automatically I nod as well. “Yes, why.”
Before he had a chance to answer me, we pulled up to the main house. I could tell immediately that something was wrong. The little lights that lit up my path around the main house to my cottage were all pulled out.
Noah pulled his gun from the glove compartment and opened his door. Before he stepped out of the car, he turned back to me. “Stay here.”