Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Grace
“Hey, Grace!” J.T. McCall, the owner of Jimmy’s, gave me a big hug and kiss on the cheek as soon as we walked back in. “Great to see you. How’s your sister and brother-in-law?”
“They’re great. Mav is heading back out on the road with your brother, and I’m sure Codie will miss him like crazy, but she’s going to try and catch a few shows.”
I gestured to Taz. “J.T., this is Taz. Your father-in-law just signed him to—”
“You’re Taz?” J.T. offered his hand, wide-eyed. “Jesus, Luc hasn’t shut up about you since he heard that video. Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks.” Taz glanced at me. “You’re Luc’s son-in-law?”
“Yeah.”
“And your brother is Ty McCall, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Though don’t hold that against me.”
Taz smiled. “I met your sister-in-law, Avery, last week. In fact, she’s the reason I agreed to sign with the label.”
I wondered what Avery had said to convince him, since he hadn’t seemed receptive when I pitched the idea.
“Yeah, she’s a pistol, ain’t she?”
“She sure is.” Taz rubbed the back of his neck. “So, your wife is Nikki Spencer?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s got an incredible voice, man. And as a songwriter, she’s top notch.”
“I’ll tell her you said that,” J.T. said, pointing at him. “She’s been talking you up too. Showed me those viral videos of yours online, said she’d love to get you out on the road with her, if her daddy will go for it. I know Luc’s already got big plans for you.”
I didn’t know if Taz felt overwhelmed by how fast things were happening for him, but I was getting a little dazed just listening to J.T., and it wasn’t even my future up for grabs.
“That would be amazing,” Taz said, seeming unfazed. “Like I said, I’m a big fan of her music. I look forward to meeting her.”
“Hey,” J.T. said, slipping his phone out of his pocket. “I just had an idea. You feel like singing a couple of your songs here tonight?”
“Uh...” His gaze slid to mine. “I don’t know. I don’t even have my guitar. I haven’t had time to put a band together, or—”
“No worries, we’ve got a house band and you can use one of their guitars. Just about everyone has played here over the years, from by brother, Ty, to Trey Turner, Tori Warner, Nikki, of course, Mav—”
“I get it,” Taz said, chuckling. “It would be an honor, if you think Luc would be okay with it? I guess I kind of have to run things by my label now, don’t I?”
His label. Sweet Jesus. I wondered if Taz had any idea how much his life would change?
“Yeah, let me fire off a text to Luc right now,” J.T.
said, typing on his phone. “But I have no doubt he’ll think it’s a great idea.
Give you a little practice on a small stage, some exposure—” Before he could even finish, his phone pinged, and he grinned.
“He said it’s a go, he just wants to make sure someone sends him the video. ”
“I can do that,” I offered, squeezing Taz’s hand.
“That’s great, Grace. Thanks,” Luc said. “I’m just gonna let the band know what’s happening. They’re set to take a break in about twenty minutes. And if you just want it to be you on a stool with an acoustic guitar, that’s cool too. Whatever you’re comfortable with, man.”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Taz said. “Let’s do that.”
“Perfect. I’ll fill them in and set things up then,” Luc said, shaking Taz’s hand. “Great meeting you, and thanks for doing this. I love that you’re going to be making your first appearance in my bar. You may not know this, but people can’t stop talking about you.”
Taz shook his head, finally looking a little overwhelmed. “I appreciate hearing that, but I should be thanking you for the opportunity. It means a lot, J.T.”
J.T. slapped him on the back and winked at me. “Looks like you got it right this time, Gracie. Nicely done.”
He walked away before I could tell him Taz wasn’t my boyfriend. “He, uh, wasn’t a fan of my ex,” I said, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “He thought he was an arrogant asshole.”
Taz laughed. “Mav said something like that too.”
I wasn’t surprised my brother-in-law had been trash talking my ex. He’d never been his biggest fan. “Sorry I let J.T. think we were a couple. I was going to correct him but he rushed off before I could.”
He grinned, bringing our joined hands to his lips before kissing mine. “You really think I mind?”
I was really trying to remain pissed at him, but he wasn’t making it easy. “Are you nervous?”
“Only because you’ll be watching.” He shot a look at the corner table, where he’d been sitting earlier. “And my asshole friends. They’ll give me grief, no doubt.”
His buddies were all looking at us, laughing, pointing at Taz, clapping their hands, and shaking their heads. There was a lot of backslapping and beer chugging too, making me wonder what the hell they were talking about.
“What’s that all about?” I asked, nodding my head towards them.
He rolled his eyes. “They’re ten-year-olds trapped in thirty-something bodies. Ignore them.”
I tugged on the front of his t-shirt, drawing him closer. “Tell me.”
He bit his lip, looking hesitant. “They think I don’t stand a chance with you, because you’re way out of my league, and they’re right.”
“You’re crazy.” Just because I was well-educated and had a stable career, he’d clearly made assumptions about me that weren’t true. But since we hadn’t done a lot of talking the night we spent together, he wouldn’t know that.
“Am I?”
“Yeah, I didn’t have it easy growing up. In fact, your childhood was probably a lot easier than mine if—”
“You ready to do this, Taz?” J.T. asked, touching my back as he came up behind me.
Taz looked like he wanted more time with me, but he eventually nodded at J.T. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be right there.”
“You’re gonna be great.” I smiled. “And I promise to record it all and send it to Luc. They’ll probably want to post it—”
He silenced me with a tender kiss.
“I probably had no right to do that. And I know you’re still mad at me, but I’m someone who takes what I want, even if it could get me in trouble.”
I touched my fingertips against my lips, knowing I should tell him off for taking liberties, but I couldn’t find the words.
“You’ll wait around?” he asked. “Let me buy you that drink? Maybe have that dance?”
I glanced at Kaitlyn, who was standing at the bar, talking to a good-looking dark-haired guy wearing a ball cap and denim jacket. “Um, I guess so. Unless Kaitlyn wants to leave early. I mean, I’ll stick around long enough to record you, like I promised I would, but—”
“If you have to leave early, can I call you?”
“I don’t know.” He wasn’t my usual type. He had no filter, which had caused our argument in the first place. I didn’t even know the reason he’d gone to jail, or why his daughter wouldn’t talk to him. Was I crazy to even consider…
“Just… text me, if you want to talk, okay?”
I liked that he wasn’t being pushy and didn’t seem desperate. Of course, why would he? In no time, he’d have hundreds of women propositioning him every night when he got off stage. And based on his one and done policy, he’d probably take more than a few up on their offers.
“Probably not a good idea.” I shook my head. “I know you’re not into relationships, and I’m not into the guy I’m with… sleeping around.”
He frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m not sleeping with anyone else.”
I didn’t want to admit I was relieved to hear that. “Maybe not, but you’re going to be on the road soon. And I’ve heard the stories from Mav. I know how relentless groupies can be.”
He ran a hand over his head, before glancing at the stage. “I want to talk about this, but I gotta get up there and do my thing.”
“Of course, go.”
He started to walk away, but reached back for my hand. “Damn it, Grace. At least tell me I can call you. Please.”
I knew he wasn’t a man used to asking nicely, or twice, so I nodded.
He grinned and winked, before making his way through the crowd, to the stage, where J.T. was introducing him to wild applause from the crowd.
Ugh. The pretty girls were already edging each other out of the way so they could be front and center to get his attention. Sickening.
I held up my phone and pressed record, while I held my breath as he claimed the stool in the center of the stage and tuned the guitar someone handed him before adjusting the mic.
“How y’all doin’ tonight?” he asked.
My heart was racing as Kaitlyn caught my eye, her jaw dropping.
“J.T. asked me to sing a couple of songs for you while the band takes a break. I hope you don’t mind?”
His buddies were shouting, girls were screaming, and Taz was chuckling, taking it all in stride.
I listened to him sing the songs he’d played for me, the ones that had gone viral for a reason, and the crowd was eating it up, shouting for more. They weren’t the only ones who wanted more. I did too. I wanted more of this man in my bed.
Kaitlyn approached, but I held my finger to my lips and pointed to my phone to let her know I was recording. She stood beside me, watching, while Taz wrapped up and I sent the video to Mav to send to Luc, since I didn’t have Luc’s number in my contacts.
“Sorry about that,” I said, slipping my phone back in my purse. “I promised I’d record that and send it to Luc Spencer.”
“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Kaitlyn said, curling her hand around mine. “But if you’re not ready, if you want more time with Taz, I totally get it. That man would be hard to resist.”
I watched him chatting to a group of pretty girls who cornered him as he tried to leave the stage, knowing that’s what life would be like if we were to date.
And I didn’t think I could handle it. I wasn’t insecure or jealous, but I wasn’t my sister either.
She had Mav has years of history and that man worshipped the ground she walked on.
I suspected Taz had no experience with relationships and he made it clear he wasn’t interested in anything serious, so it was better to cut ties now. Before I did something stupid, and fell for him.
“No, I’m ready to go.” I might have another sleepless night, trying to forget him, but better now than later, when my heart was invested.