Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Taz
I’d only been on the road three days and I was already missing Grace. How crazy was that?
Mav texted me after the show and asked if I wanted to go out for a bite to eat. Since I was too wired to sleep and my girl had gone to a birthday party for a friend from school, I agreed.
We’d decided to meet up at a nearby restaurant with live entertainment, and I noticed Mav’s security discreetly having a drink at the bar when I walked in. Since no one was at the hostess stand, and his security had their eyes glued on a dark corner in the back, I headed in that direction.
Mav grinned when he spotted me, waving me over.
“Hey man,” I said, sliding into the booth across from him. “Great show tonight.”
Now I understood why he chose this place. It was dark, crowded, and everyone seemed more interested in the live music than the other patrons.
“You too.” He pointed at the cold beer waiting for me. “Thought you could use that.”
“Thanks, but…” I knew Mav was a recovering alcoholic and didn’t feel comfortable drinking in front of him. “But I could’ve had whatever you’re having,” I said, pointing at his half-empty glass.
He chuckled. “I appreciate that, but in this business, you can’t hide from booze. So, I don’t even try anymore.”
“Must be tough,” I said, taking a sip from my bottle.
“It was torture in the beginning, but I’ve gotten used to it.” He smiled. “One day at a time, as they say. But I don’t take my sobriety for granted. Every alcoholic is only one drink away from messing up their lives again, and I’ve got too much to lose to let that happen.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“I’m glad I talked Luc into letting you hit the road with me, man.” He tapped his glass against my bottle. “You killed it tonight. Just like I knew you would.”
“Thanks.” I let the cold beer coat my throat before I asked, “Luc didn’t think I was ready?” Not that I could blame him. I hadn’t even had a chance to play those festivals and fairs he’d talked to me about before they hustled me into the studio to start cutting singles.
“It wasn’t that. He just wants that album of yours out yesterday. Strike while the iron is hot and all that, and you’ve got crazy momentum right now.”
“That’s what Avery tells me.” Apparently, the person managing my social media accounts was gaining thousands of new followers every day. I didn’t care much about that stuff, but Avery warned me I better start caring if I wanted longevity in this business.
“But you’re all about the music, aren’t you? Writing, performing, that’s what you’re passionate about?”
“Uh, I can’t speak to the performing, since I haven’t done enough of it. But being up on that stage felt good. It felt right. And song writing comes naturally to me. Don’t ask me why, it shouldn’t.”
The waiter approached with a pizza, placing it down between us. “Anything else for you, gentlemen?”
Mav glanced at me and I shook my head, before he said, “No, this is good, thanks.” He waited until the waiter walked away before he said, “I hope you don’t mind me ordering for us. I was starving.”
I smirked. “No, this is good, thanks. I’m hungry too.”
“Good, let’s dive in.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes before Mav said, “So, you and my sister-in-law. How’s that going?”
I knew we would get to that eventually. Grace told me Mav had become like the overprotective big brother she’d never had since he and Codie got together.
“Things are good.”
He eyed me, before wiping his mouth with a paper napkin. “Come on, you gotta give me more than that.”
I shook my head, smiling. “What do you want to know?”
His words were laced with warning when he asked, “You seeing anyone else?”
“You really think she’d let me get away with that?”
He laughed. “You’re right. Grace has never been big on sharing.”
“Neither am I.” With other women, it wouldn’t matter, but I’d see Grace with another man over my dead body.
“Huh, so you guys are exclusive. Interesting.”
“You sound like my kid sister,” I said, rolling my eyes. “If you don’t shut up, you’ll get your man card revoked.”
He grinned, before taking another bite of pizza and chewing slowly. “You know when I talk to my wife later she’s gonna be asking me what you said about her sister.”
“Tell her I’m in love with her. That should put an end to the questions.”
“Seriously?” Mav asked, leaning in. “You sure about that?”
I tipped back my beer before I said, “I wouldn’t have told Grace if I wasn’t sure.”
“And she feels the same way?”
“She said she does.”
“Wow, that’s huge.” He sat back, staring at me. “She didn’t even tell that Brandon guy she loved him, and I was sure he was going to propose to her.”
I forced myself to eat while trying to process that bit of news. “How do you know that?”
“What?”
“That she wasn’t in love with him… and that he was going to propose.” It occurred to me, if I’d met Grace after he’d proposed, I would have spent the rest of my life fighting my feelings for her every time our paths crossed.
“He talked to me about it, one night, when they were over at our house for dinner. Since Grace’s dad isn’t in the picture, and she doesn’t have a brother, I guess he figured I was the next best thing.”
“Huh.” I felt sick, but forced myself to act like this conversation wasn’t rattling me. “So what, he asked your permission to propose?”
Mav shrugged. “I guess you could say that. But he asked if I thought it was weird that she hadn’t told him she loved him yet.”
“Was he stupid?” I snapped. “How the hell can you propose to a woman without knowing that she’s in love with you?”
“I thought it was strange too.”
“But you gave them your blessing anyway?”
I didn’t know why it bothered me so much, knowing that another man had asked for her hand.
She’d had a life before she met me. Of course, other men had fallen in love with her…
and wanted to marry her. Men who knew what they wanted, and didn’t leave her guessing about the future. Ugh. I was such an idiot.
“I told him that Grace was a grown woman, who knew her own mind. And if she wanted to marry him, of course me and Codie would support her decision.” He smiled. “We may not have liked it, but we would have supported it.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t you have liked it? I’ve seen the guy. Heard all about him.” I crushed the napkin in my fist. “He seems perfect for her.”
“On paper, I’d agree. But it’s that intangible thing that makes a great couple, don’t you think?” He studied me carefully. “Their differences, not their similarities. The way they balance each other out.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face as the frustration mounted. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but you’re making my head spin.”
“You and Grace couldn’t be more different. But I think that’s what could make you guys work so well. I couldn’t even imagine her sleeping with someone like Brandon—”
“Don’t.” I raised a finger in warning. The way I was feeling, the last thing I needed was that visual stuck in my head.
“Fair enough.” He raised his hands. “I’m just saying, she needs someone strong, who challenges her. But someone who’s secure enough to know he’ll never be as smart as she is.”
I cracked a smile. “So, you think I’m dumb enough for her. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“No, I think Gracie is book smart. You’re street smart. She gets people. You get life, because you’ve lived it. She’s been pretty sheltered. Protected by her mama, her big sister, never really had to face the scary shit, like you and I have.”
Mav and I spoke the same language. I had no doubt about that.
“And she needs someone who can help her navigate the pitfalls. Protect her, but let her know she’s stronger than she thinks.”
“I can do that.”
“I know you can, Taz.” He raised his glass. “That’s why I think you’re perfect for her. Welcome to the family, brother.”
I was still on edge when Grace called me before she went to bed. And since, I couldn’t keep anything locked in the vault with this girl, without it eating me alive, I just came out with it.
“Did you know that Brandon guy was going to propose to you?”
“Uh, yeah. We talked about it.”
My blood was boiling as I sat on the edge of the bed, holding my head. “You talked about marrying him? Are you serious?”
“Babe, it’s not a big deal. It was just—”
“It is a big deal!” I jumped up, pacing, at the foot of the bed. “You almost married this guy!”
“No, I didn’t. I had a feeling he was going to propose, so I broke it off before he could. Brandon was a good guy. Just not the one for me.”
I didn’t know why, but I could barely breathe. This was crazy. “What about that guy in college? Were you two serious?”
“Um, yeah. We dated for three and a half years. Why?”
It shouldn’t matter, I told myself. This was her past. I was her present. But could I be her future? “Did you talk marriage with him too?”
“Taz—”
“Answer me!” I was losing my shit again, only this time I couldn’t get all of the rage out of my system with sex.
“Sure, when you’re with someone for that long, you talk about the future. It’s inevitable. But we were young. I was twenty-four when we broke up, so it’s not like—”
“You really want this, don’t you? This marriage thing?
You’ve talked about it with two other guys before you even met me.
” And that killed me. I’d never even considered marrying another woman.
I’d never been in love before I met Grace.
And she’d been having all these experiences… while I was locked up.
“I don’t know why you’re getting so worked up about this. It was a long time ago.”
“You just broke up with this Brandon asshole, how long ago?”
“I don’t know. A few months, I guess.”
“A few months,” I repeated, trying like hell to rein in my crazy. “So, twelve weeks before you met me, you were sleeping with him? Talking about marrying him! How the hell can you tell me you love me? You’re probably not even over him!”