Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Grace
I was still shaking when I walked into Jimmy’s and slipped into my friend’s waiting arms. I’d known Jay Cooper for years. We’d become friends when I took a few self-defense classes at the karate studio he owned.
Ironically, we were now moving in the same social circles, since his father, Josh, was Trey Turner’s close friend and head of security. And Trey had become Mav’s musical mentor and A.A. sponsor.
Small world. Sometimes too small for my liking. Especially since Taz had also become an unavoidable part of my social circle, through my sister and brother-in-law, and their extended music family.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked, pulling back to look me in the eye. “You’re shaking.”
“I will be, just as soon as I have a glass of wine,” I said, sliding into the booth across from him. “How’s Victoria and that gorgeous baby girl of yours, Jay?”
His face lit up, just like it did every time someone mentioned his family. “Amazing. Gotta tell you, girl, they’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” He grinned when I reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “And marriage and babies?” He winked at me. “I highly recommend it.”
My heart squeezed a little, because there was only one man I could imagine wanting to marry and have babies with, and he was firmly out of reach.
J.T. took the stage and we turned to listen.
“I want to thank y’all for coming out tonight.” He grinned when everyone cheered. “And you’ll be glad you did, because I’ve asked a friend of mine to stop by. He’s fresh off the road with Mav Stone—”
The crowd roared and my heart sank. No, hell no! Not Taz.
“Y’all, I want you to give it up for the guy country music fans can’t get enough of… Taz!”
The crowd went crazy when Taz walked on stage, with a guitar strapped to him, and gave them a wave.
Country music fans weren’t the only ones who couldn’t get enough of him. The sexy bastard was highly addictive. Especially once you’d been in his bed.
Unlike me, he hadn’t changed clothes since I saw him at my office. But that didn’t surprise me. I’d never met anyone more down to earth or authentic. He didn’t care about impressing people, but somehow everyone who met him was impressed.
“I don’t believe this,” I whispered, as he claimed the stool and adjusted the mic. “Of all the dumb luck.”
“Am I missing something?” Jay asked. “You know Taz?”
I didn’t have to ask how Jay knew him. Trey was like family to him, and I’d heard through my sister Taz was Trey’s favorite new artist, and he’d been talking him up all over town.
“Uh yeah, I know him. Intimately.”
Jay’s eyes widened before he grinned. “Now, that’s a story I gotta hear.”
The waitress quickly approached, while darting glances at the stage as she took our drink and food order. Ugh. Was there a woman in this city not willing to throw themselves at his feet?
Jay listened intently while Taz introduced his first song, and I tried to act like I wasn’t shattering into a million pieces as he told the crowd he’d written this song recently, after a break-up that rocked him.
“Wow,” Jay said, a couple of minutes into Taz’s song. “He really is that good, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he is.”
Since Jay and I were sitting at a booth in the back, Taz still hadn’t spotted me, and I was grateful for that. After our exchange in my office, I wasn’t ready to face him again, until I had at least a few glasses of wine under my belt.
One song bled into another and Jay and I were both mesmerized, barely exchanging a word, even when the waitress returned with our drinks.
I sank back, cradling my wine glass in my hand, as I watched and listened, wondering how the hell I’d ever convinced myself I could get this man out of my system.
I wanted him even more now than I did the first night we met.
Because now I knew his heart. I’d seen beneath that crusty exterior and knew he had a heart of gold, and loved hard.
How could you just… let a man like that go?
After he’d sang a few songs, and promised to return when the house band took their break, Jay finally said, “Okay, what’s his deal? I mean, I’ve heard his backstory, about being in prison and all, but what’s his real story?”
I smiled when the waitress returned with our food, trying to dig in like my stomach wasn’t protesting every bite. “Um, he’s a good guy. I met him through Codie and Mav. We were seeing each other for a while, but now we’re not.”
His eyes narrowed as he pointed his fork at me. “I’ve known you a long time, Gracie. I’ve seen you with a couple of serious boyfriends. But I’ve never seen that expression when you talk about a guy. What gives?”
“What can I say?” I sighed heavily. “I let him in and now… I can’t get him out.”
He smiled. “I know what that feels like.”
“Everyone’s been through it a time or two, right? Heartbreak. I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
“But, do you want to?” He glanced over his shoulder at Taz, who was in the middle of a large crowd, signing autographs. “Some people get under our skin for a reason. Because they’re meant to.”
“Hmm.” I drained half my glass of wine, knowing it wouldn’t be the last tonight. I normally wouldn’t rely on alcohol to get through a tough day, after my sister’s problem with the bottle, but everyone had their breaking point, and I’d been pushed past mine.
Taz looked up and our eyes finally collided, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room.
“Wow.” Jay chuckled. “That’s some serious chemistry right there.”
“I wish that’s all it was, my friend.” If he’d just been great in bed, I could have moved on by now. But there was so much more than that to this man. So many layers, and I knew I’d barely begun to peel them back.
“Why’d you all break up?” Jay asked, digging into his chicken burger.
“He has a teenage daughter, who wanted her daddy all to herself. Not that I blame her. If my daddy came back, after years of being gone, I’d probably be greedy with his time too.
” I understood how Quinn felt, because I’d been her as a teen.
Except her daddy came back, and was willing to make the effort, while mine was still a stranger I didn’t even want to know anymore.
I watched Taz excuse himself from the crowd before heading our way.
“Hey,” he said quietly, locking eyes with me. “Sorry, when you said you were going out for dinner, didn’t realize it would be here.”
“It’s fine,” I said, waving him off. “Um, I’m not sure if you guys have met, but this is my friend, Jay. His dad is Josh, Trey’s head of security.”
Taz smiled as Jay stood and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jay. Your dad’s a great guy.”
“Thanks, he’s said the same about you.” Jay gestured to the empty spot next to me. “You want to join us, grab a bite to eat, maybe a drink?”
“Uh…” His gaze trapped mine, before he said, “I don’t want to intrude.”
“It’s fine,” I said, sliding over. “Join us.”
Taz raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
“Of course.” I knew we’d be running into each other often, and I didn’t want things to be weird when we did. At least that’s what I was telling myself when he slid in so close I caught an intoxicating whiff of his spicy cologne.
The waitress was back in record time when she spotted Taz. “I just have to tell you,” the pretty brunette said to him. “You, are like, my new favorite artist. I’m totally in love…” She blushed. “With your music.”
His smile was slow and easy, the pantie-melting kind that made me want to smack him.
“I appreciate that.” His gaze travelled to the name tag pinned to her chest. “Celia.”
Her smile was so big it looked like her face might crack. “I hate to ask this.” She looked around quickly. “But, um, I don’t see my boss around right now, and my friends are never going to believe I actually got to meet you. Could I trouble you for a selfie?”
I rolled my eyes at Jay, who was grinning, as Taz slid out of the booth.
“Sure thing.”
She slipped her phone out of the pocket of the black apron tied around her waist and thrust it at me. “Would you mind?”
I could be a petty bitch and tell her to get lost, but that would let Taz know the jealousy was eating me up, and I refused to give him the satisfaction.
“Of course,” I said, smiling sweetly at her. “It would be my pleasure.”
Taz’s smile was strained when he put his arm around her and she leaned in closer than necessary, resting her hand on his stomach.
I tapped the screen, without checking the quality of the photo I’d snapped, and handed it back to her, faking a smile when she thanked me profusely.
She grabbed Taz’s arm before he could slide back into the booth. “Um, I heard you mention that you just broke up with someone. Maybe, if you want to hang around until my shift ends, we could get a drink or something?”
Taz didn’t even hesitate before he said, “Thanks, but I don’t think so. Those wounds are still a little too raw, if you know what I mean.”
She blushed before darting a glance at me. “Oh, sure. Let me know… when you’re ready.”
Jay chuckled as Taz slid into the booth next to me. “Well, that was awkward.”
“God, I’m sorry about that,” Taz said, rubbing his beard as he avoided eye contact with me.
“I’m just going to use the rest room and call Victoria, guys,” Jay said, sliding out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”
“If you want me to leave, just say the word,” Taz said, when Jay was out of earshot. “I didn’t mean to crash your dinner or—”
“Or make me jealous with that waitress?” I downed the rest of my wine, scowling at my half-eaten salad. “Well you did, on both counts.”
Resting his arm along the back of the bench seat, his voice was low as his eyes drifted to my lips, “You wouldn’t have been jealous if you didn’t care.”
“Of course, I care,” I snapped. “Which only makes me hate you more. I don’t want to care. I want you to leave me alone, so I can pretend I don’t care.”
His smile was sad when he said, “I tried like hell to leave you alone. Turns out I can’t.”