Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
When we’d gone out to the garage earlier, and I saw the car, I wasn’t surprised. I recognized it as a Corvette, but Axel—with the faintest note of pride—told me it was a Sting Ray split-window coupe, painted in a rich navy with a metallic sheen he called Daytona Blue. It fits him perfectly.
I remember how Axel always loved cars and was forever tinkering with them, which makes sense considering his dad owns a tire shop. Yes, I spent far too much time observing this guy from afar.
The Corvette suits Axel. He’s perfectly at home behind the wheel, the city lights flashing across his profile, catching in his hair and the line of his rugged jaw.
He gives me a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to the road. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“Yeah, you bet. We’ve had a busy day so far.”
He nods. “I was thinking we could nail down that one song tomorrow, then start a couple more. We’ll work in a few traditional Christmas carols too.”
“Sounds good.” I pause. “Hey, do you think you should bring in some other people to play or sing with us?” I don’t like the thought of Axel depending solely on me. There’s no way I can perform at the benefit, and I’ll end up leaving him high and dry.
“Nah. We’ve got this,” he says exuberantly.
“What about the one song where you play trumpet? Isn’t it hard to switch back and forth with the guitar?”
He throws me a small grin. “I’ll manage.”
“So … none of your band members want to help out?”
The change in him is immediate. Even in the dim light of the dashboard, I sense tension rolling through him.
“No, we’ll be fine.”
I bite back another question, but my curiosity festers. I want to know why he split from his band—not just for the article, but for me.
He clears his throat, breaking the silence. “Tell me about your family.”
My heart beats faster. “My family?”
“I assume you have one?”
“Nope. I came from apes,” I answer in a deadpan tone.
“Ha ha,” he says dryly.
How much can I tell him without giving myself away? “My dad sells insurance.”
“Oh?”
“Home, auto, property—all the boring stuff.”
“And your mom?”
“She’s a teacher.”
“Really?” Interest warms his voice. “What kind of teacher?”
I swallow hard. I’m treading on thin ice here. “Elementary school.”
“That’s neat. What grade?”
“Third,” I blurt and then cringe. Lighting is going to strike me down this instant, and I deserve it. As the music teacher, she rotates through all the grades at the elementary school.
He nods. “That’s nice. And you have siblings?”
“One younger brother. He’s an engineer—works at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
” I brace myself, hoping that my mention of the arsenal won’t make Axel think of Bryce.
My brother is quite a bit younger than Axel.
I wouldn’t think the two of them know each other.
Then again, I had no idea that Mom had recruited Axel to perform at the benefit.
It just goes to show how much I don’t know.
“Smart guy, huh?”
“Not as smart as he likes to think,” I joke. Thankfully, no mention of Bryce. Axel must not know him.
Axel laughs. The warm, easy sound catches me off guard. “Spoken like a true sister. So, he’s younger?”
“Yep. By three years. How about you?” I’m anxious to shift the conversation to him rather than me. “Any siblings?”
“One sister. Cassie. She’s a nurse.”
I keep my tone neutral. “Oh, that’s great. What kind?” If Cassie had any idea that I was trying to get the scoop on her brother, she’d go off on me.
“She works in a hospital. The emergency room.”
I nod even though I already knew that. “That’s nice.”
“She enjoys it. I’m glad she found her calling.”
Something in his voice makes me wonder if he’s not content with his career. Axel certainly loves music, that’s for sure. Maybe his despondency has to do with his break from the band. I wish he’d be more forthcoming on the subject. “What about your parents?”
“Mom runs a dance studio, and Dad owns a tire store.”
“A tire store, huh?”
He smiles faintly. “Yep. Does pretty well back in Mt. Pleasant.”
“That explains your Corvette. I take it your dad loves cars too?”
“He does.”
“Did you and your dad work on this one together?”
He pauses. “No.”
The air shifts. There’s a story there, something heavy that he’s not ready to share. Axel’s much more complex than I realized. It would seem that the class clown finally grew up.
“What’re you doing for Christmas? Are you spending it in Nashville?”
I hate piling up the lies. “Well, at this point, it looks like I’ll be in Mt. Pleasant for the benefit on Christmas Eve.”
“Yeah, but I figured we could charter a jet to fly there and then get you back here afterward—so you can spend Christmas Day with your family.”
My heart does an odd lurch. “So you’ll just charter a jet?” He makes it sound so casual, like he’s catching a bus rather than spending gobs of money on a plane.
“I will.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
He shrugs. “It’s the least I can do since you’re sacrificing Christmas Eve to help.”
The guilt wraps me like a tourniquet. This was supposed to be a simple job. Get the scoop and get out. Then again, I’ve learned that when it comes to Axel, nothing is simple.
“How about you? Are you spending Christmas here with Zoe?” Even as the words leave my mouth, my jaw tightens. The idea of Axel and Zoe together shouldn’t bother me, but it does.
He shakes his head. “No, Zoe’s spending Christmas with her family in Florida. I’ll be in Mt. Pleasant with mine. I can help with the benefit and stay over.”
I’m surprised. “So you’ll actually fly me back alone?”
He grins. “Sure. If you think you can handle it. Not afraid of flying solo, are you?”
“Not at all,” I say quickly. “That’s just … generous of you.”
He flashes me that easy smile again, and for a split second, it’s hard to look away.
Suddenly, I’m back in band, where one look from him had me walking on air.
Reel it in, I order myself. This isn’t junior high, and I’m no longer the na?ve metal mouth.
I need to remember who I’m dealing with here.
Axel stood me up without a word of explanation.
Only a lame Sorry, something came up. Can’t make it.
I meant so little to him that he doesn’t even recognize me. That speaks volumes.
We lapse into silence. Outside, the city glows with the soft shimmer of Christmas lights. It must’ve rained earlier. The pavement gleams like glass.
“It’s supposed to snow later tonight, but we should be fine getting back after the soup kitchen.”
“Sounds good,” I murmur.
He turns on the radio, scanning stations until Jingle Bell Rock bursts from the speakers.
Before long, he’s singing along. His notable voice fills the car, and I can’t help but smile.
Axel’s distinctive sound is what made him an icon—it’s both melodic and husky with a hint of bad boy thrown into the mix. No wonder all the girls swoon.
“Sing with me.”
I groan. “Haven’t we sung enough today?” Good grief. He doesn’t stop.
“Never. Come on, let’s hear it.”
“Fine.” I join in, and before I know it, we’re both belting out the chorus, laughing between lines like old friends.
When the song ends, he glances at me. “Not half bad.”
“Not half good either,” I shoot back.
“Speak for yourself.”
“Ha ha. I see how you are.”
A few minutes later, he turns into the parking lot of an old church.
The corners of my mouth dip. “I thought we were going to the soup kitchen.”
“We are. It’s in the fellowship hall here—the church got converted into an outreach center.”
He goes around and opens the door for me—again. He helped me into the car when we left. Who would’ve guessed that he would turn out to be a gentleman? It’s hard to reconcile the man before me with the memory of the man I’ve detested for so long.
Shivers wrack my body as I hug my arms and quicken my pace to get inside.
It’s cold to the bone. We enter through the back and go into the hall, where we’re greeted with the hum of voices and the sound of Christmas music drifting from speakers.
The scent of soup and bread hangs in the air.
Red and gold garland drapes the walls. Colored lights sparkle on a Christmas tree in the corner. The hall is homey and welcoming.
As we go over to the long serving table, a woman in her early forties with short spiky blonde hair spots Axel and beams. “You made it.”
“Happy to help.” Axel turns to me. “Lizzy, this is London.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says warmly.
“Nice to meet you, too.” Lizzy is attractive in a bold, fashionable way with dangly Christmas earrings and flawless makeup.
She gestures toward the bustling room. “We’ve got a full house tonight. Need help serving and chopping veggies, if you’re up for it.”
“Sounds good. London, why don’t you help serve? I’ll chop.” A lopsided grin tugs at Axel’s lips. “I know these fellas would rather look at you than me.”
Heat floods my cheeks. “Thanks.” Axel just complimented my looks. I never would’ve expected that.
He winks. “See you after the rush. We’ll eat then—if you can wait that long.”
“I’ll survive.” I roll my eyes, amused that he’s razzing me.
As he trots off, Lizzy gives me the directive to help one of the other volunteers hand out rolls and serve salad.
“There’s a box of gloves under the table.”
“Thanks.” I get to work, aware of the long line of mostly men. Some are quiet with downcast eyes. Others chat in low tones. One is babbling to himself, hands animated. As they file through, some offer a muted thank you.
One woman pauses long enough to say, “I like your shoes.”
I glance down at my scuffed sneakers. “Thanks.”
Her smile softens something in me. Maybe we’re not that different—just two women trying to find footing in a world that doesn’t always make it easy.
When the line finally dwindles, Lizzy calls out, “Okay, folks, we’ll probably have a few more stragglers, but we can take a break in the meantime.”