Chapter 35
Brodie
Jackson and I ran ahead of the women. Their strides were half of ours, and I took the hint that Jackson wanted to talk as he sped ahead first and gestured for me to follow. He slapped me on the shoulder when I caught up. “So, you and Gabrielle.”
“Me and Gabrielle, what?”
“You know.”
“No clue.”
“Lena and I took a walk on the beach yesterday around sunset.”
“Oh.”
My jogging became a little slower and I tried to relax my shoulders. I glanced behind us to see Gabrielle and Lena jogging so slowly they were almost walking… as they talked. I guessed Gabrielle was having a similar conversation with Lena that I was having with Jackson.
“How long?”
I gave him a reserved glance. “Since yesterday. And before you start to lecture me, let me tell you that I’ve stopped sleeping around. In fact, I haven’t been with a woman since before you and Lena tied the knot.”
“Wow,” was all he said.
We ran in silence for a few seconds until I couldn’t stand it. “She’s different.”
“Uh huh.”
“She is!”
“I know. I said, ‘uh huh.’”
“Yeah, but there was something in that ‘uh huh.’”
“Nothing in my ‘uh huh,’ bro, ‘cept a couple of u’s and h’s.”
“Well, keep ‘em to yourself.”
“Sure.” He glanced behind us. “I can do that, but not sure I’ll need to.”
I followed his glance with my own. Lena waved, smiling profusely, and I knew she and Gabrielle were discussing the kissing. Not a big deal, I told myself.
“I like her.”
“Glad to hear it. I don’t need to tell you how bad I’ve felt about the Beth situation, and I’ve always understood why you did the things you did. I probably would have been the same way. It’s hard to trust someone once that’s been damaged.”
“Yeah, well, I’m over it. Well, over the shock of it. I don’t know if you ever get over something like that.”
“No. I don’t think so.” My brother had never chastised me for the way I had treated women after the fiasco with Beth.
My mom had left me alone, as well. I suppose I should be grateful for having such an understanding family.
I sometimes wonder what my dad would have had to say about the way I’d acted.
“Gabrielle got a phone call last night from that creep Jeff.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. At least we think it was him. He called her a slut and told her he was watching her.”
“Watching her? How?”
“Don’t know. I don’t think he really is. I think him calling yesterday and saying she was a slut after we’d been kissing on the beach is nothing more than coincidence. I think he’s just trying to harass her.”
“Slime-bag has nothing better to do.”
“I called Doc this morning and asked him to check to see if the jerk was still around up there, just to ease Gabrielle’s mind. I haven’t heard back yet.”
“Did you call Derrick?”
“Yeah. He said he hadn’t seen him, but it’s only been a day. He told me he’d give me a call if the asswipe showed up in the bar.”
“Did he mention how Rufus was?”
“Yeah, and I asked, too. He said he was moping around like he’d lost his best friend.”
“Ha. Well, what else is new? Rufus is always like that.”
“That he is.”
After the run on the beach, I felt a little of the stress I’d been harboring flow from my shoulders.
Holding Gabrielle throughout the night had been the most wonderful thing in the world, but sleeping was not easy to do with her luscious body so close to mine.
I’d lain awake most of the night, my arm draped around her midsection, dreaming about what her skin would feel like underneath the thin cotton tank top she wore.
Practice with the band went fairly smoothly considering the nervous anxiety we all felt.
We all knew what this gig meant. If they liked us, we’d get more chances to perform down here.
Playing in a small town where we lived didn’t get much exposure.
We were lucky that Piper Smith, the event planner, had ventured into our bar that night a few weeks ago when we’d just happened to have the best night in a long time.
Excitement was in the air, as we were all hoping to meet the infamous Gerard Butler.
Nerves rattled, but we all managed to hold it together when he greeted us at the door. He even helped us set up. Nobody, not even Lena, had any trouble singing with him, and it was amazing how relaxed he made us all feel. He sang a few songs with us, then excused himself and re-joined his party.
The next day, I received a call from Doc.
He told me that he’d run into Jeff at CVS that morning.
The guy’d had a black eye and seemed to go out of his way to avoid letting Doc notice him.
Every time Doc strolled down an aisle Jeff was in, Jeff would nonchalantly turn as though he didn’t see him and leave the aisle.
He finally caught up with him at the register.
Doc said he asked him what had happened to his eye, but Jeff had waved it off with a laugh and told him he’d been wrestling with his dog and the big lug’s head caught him in the eye.
Doc admitted it was a good and believable story, considering the dog was right outside the store’s sliding doors, waiting for Jeff.
A big dog, too. Maybe a Great Dane. Doc had only been guessing on the breed since he didn’t know much about dogs.
Knowing Jeff was still up in Turtle Lake gave Gabrielle a little reprieve.
I had to wonder why Jeff had even bothered to call and harass her in the first place.
Was he still pissed off that she’d fought him and tried to get him convicted for assault and attempted rape?
She’d had every right, but she hadn’t gotten full satisfaction of having him put in jail thanks to the little filly that’d lied for him.