Chapter 13
Rick scanned the parking lot for a spot, but it was completely full.
He moved out along the edge of the road, finally finding a place to slip his car into.
As soon as he got out, he could hear the thumping of live music.
The volume increased as he got nearer, and it hit him full force when he entered the plaza.
Lights had been strung across the bricked area, creating a cozy yet festive atmosphere.
He edged in along the crowd, scanning it slowly.
This really wasn’t his type of event, and he wouldn’t have come at all if Carol hadn’t been there.
Was Holly right? Did he need to make sure she knew how he felt as he gave her the space to decide what she wanted to do?
It felt right, at least. The last thing his wolf wanted was to keep his distance from her anyway.
The band brought their song to an end with a loud crescendo. “Thank you! We are Cosmic Chords, and you can reach out to us on social media if you’d like to book a gig with us. Up next, Lorelei!”
Rick was surprised at the crash of applause he heard next. Had her reputation really gotten around that much already? He’d seen plenty of people busking before, but it wasn’t like he’d ever gotten to know their names.
The girl stepped up onto the stage. She shyly swept her blonde hair behind her ear as she waited for everyone to settle down. “Really, you’re all too kind. I can’t thank you enough. But maybe I can thank you with a song.”
Her folksy style was far different from what Cosmic Chords had just played. Instead of raucous instruments and loud vocals, she played a sweet melody on her guitar and tuned her voice to its music. Rick waited a moment, expecting everyone to get bored and move on to hit the sales.
Instead, he noticed everyone was coming out of the shops. Patrons put down their purchases and walked out onto the plaza, looking up at Lorelei on the stage. The crowd pushed closer, and Rick found himself unwillingly caught up in it as other partygoers surged forward.
He could appreciate a good song like anyone else, but Rick didn’t quite understand.
He found a stable space in the crowd and lifted his head once again to watch Lorelei.
She smiled as she sang. Her blue eyes landed on first one person in the audience and then another, and she’d wink or give them an extra wide smile.
She was working them all, and they seemed to be absolutely enchanted by her.
Rick fell into a lull, his eyes watching her fingers on the guitar and his ears paying close attention to the music. By the time she finished her short set, though, he had no recollection of any of the songs.
“That’s all for me tonight, folks,” Lorelei said.
A discontented groan rose from the crowd.
Lorelei giggled. “Don’t worry, you’ll all get a chance to see me play again soon. Thank you, and good night!” She waved and hurried off the back of the stage.
Feeling like he’d just woken up, Rick shook his head and looked around again. He hadn’t come there to listen to music or even to shop. He was really only there for Carol. Feeling someone watching him, he turned toward The Biscuit Box.
She’d just come out the front door, and her eyes had landed straight on him. She was radiant in a new dress, a purple number with subtle hints of other colors in the pattern. Her mouth curved into a hesitant smile as she paused just outside the bakery.
Rick moved toward her, threading his way through the crowd. It was easier now that the next band was playing, and he soon stood in front of her. “This is quite a party.”
“It’s a lot more than I expected,” she admitted. “I’ve just about sold out of everything.”
“Does that mean you have time to dance?” He hadn’t paid much attention to whoever had come up on the stage after Lorelei, but the ballad they crooned was perfect for swaying along to.
That hesitant smile widened a bit as she glanced back in through the bakery windows. “I suppose I can. Stacey is watching things for me at the moment. I’m sure she’s also thinking about all the things I need to do differently for next year’s Plaza Party.”
“I’m glad you’ve done well.” He held out his hand, and his wolf jumped with excitement when she laid her palm in it.
Rick pulled her gently along until they found an open space among some other dancing couples.
The bricks were a pleasant texture under his feet, but they were nothing compared to having her in his arms.
Their hands remained clasped, and she rested her other one on his shoulder as their bodies easily moved along to the music.
“For once, I’m actually glad I didn’t bring Barney with me.
He’s such good company, but I’ve hardly had any time for him today.
The crowd might’ve been a little overwhelming, too. ”
Rick was hardly noticing the crowd at the moment, only focusing on the way it felt to have his hand on her hip.
He was leading, technically, but Rick felt there was no real lead in this dance.
It was the two of them together, swaying and spinning, circling each other.
The yellow glow of the string lights flattered her features, and the music floated around them.
At that moment, Rick realized just how lonely he’d become.
It’d already been hard to live alone when he moved to Truro.
Pierce, Holly, and Ruby had kept him busy enough that he hadn’t taken much time to think about what he lacked in life, even with all that love around him.
It almost seemed unfair. Why should he want more when he already had so much?
But the love of his family wasn’t the same as the love of his mate.
It wasn’t the same as having someone to come home to at the end of the day, someone to rely on and who would listen.
He realized that the music had changed. It was a different song now, though he hadn’t noticed a pause in between.
Carol felt so good this close that he never wanted to let go.
Rick pulled his arms a little tighter around her, knowing he’d better do something before she made an excuse about getting back to work.
“Lorelei seemed to do pretty well with her set, even though it was short. I guess she’s pretty popular. ”
Carol stiffened, and he could feel the muscle contractions against his hands. “Yes. I suppose so.”
Rick watched her for a moment. Carol wore her heart on her sleeve, but most of the time, whatever it was showing was exactly what she wanted the world to see.
She was light and carefree, happy with whatever life threw at her.
That wasn’t the case now. He’d be polite, but he wouldn’t beat around the bush.
The two of them were far past playing games. “What’s wrong?”
A wrinkle showed in her forehead as her face pinched with worry. “I’ve been thinking about Lorelei a lot, and I’m starting to wonder if I made a bad choice in keeping her around.”
He let a few more beats from the band wash over them. Rick knew he had to be careful. Carol had asked him before if he was attracted to Lorelei, but he knew there was absolutely no reason for jealousy. He only wanted Carol, and that wasn’t going to change. “Why is that?”
“It’s just little things, really. Both you and Stacey expressed some concerns about her, and now I’ve been evaluating everything she says or does, wondering where her motives lie.
I understand she wants to make it with her music.
That dream is often discouraged in young people.
But why here? Why just stand on a street corner or in front of a shop instead of trying to get to Nashville or Los Angeles or someplace like that? ”
“So you’re concerned about her motives,” Rick concluded. “Or maybe her lack of motive.”
“Something like that. I don’t know. I’m having a hard time putting my finger on it exactly.
It’s like there’s something in the air, something that isn’t right, but I can’t just grab it and remove it.
I’ve never been one who felt like I needed to control everyone and everything around me.
I still don’t, but I’ve got this deep-seated worry.
” She paused and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bother you with this.”
“Of course you should,” he replied instantly.
Rick pulled his arms a little tighter around her.
As a human, she couldn’t understand what was happening inside him every time he was close to his mate.
The effect increased many times over when she confided in him like that.
It deepened a bond that went beyond even what they had physically.
“We all need someone to listen, and I’m happy to be that person. ”
Her smile returned, though it was still tentative. “I guess that means I can tell you I think I’m having a harder time with this season of life than I thought I would.”
He pulled his hand away from her waist, using his fingertip to push a stray strand of hair back from her forehead. Carol’s skin was so soft. She’d taken care of it in her years on this Earth. “We’ve got challenges just like anyone else.”
“Yes,” she agreed. She moved slightly closer to him as they continued to sway.
“I’m thrilled that Stacey and Dylan found each other.
Finding someone who would treat her with love and respect, someone who makes her happy in a healthy way, is all I’ve ever wanted for her.
Their kids all get along beautifully, too.
But I feel like Stacey has left the nest all over again.
She’s right next door, and I see her all the time, but I still miss her. ”
Rick felt warmth moving through his chest. He understood that feeling exactly.
“There’s a reason I jumped at the chance to move here with Pierce and Holly.
You want your kids to move out and have their own lives, but there’s still this deep desire to be needed.
By the time they’re old enough to leave, you’ve had that mindset for so long that you don’t know how to let go. ”
The stiffness that had overtaken her a few minutes earlier was dissipating, and her hips were swaying more freely now.
She gripped his hand with a desire to be close to him, not the rigidity of worry.
“It’s not easy to be so close, yet still so far.
It’s left me feeling a bit uncertain, and that makes it harder for me to decide what to do about us. ”
His heart lurched forward at her mention of their future. “I wondered if you’ve been thinking about it as much as I have.”
“Yes, although I haven’t come to any conclusions. With the other things occupying my mind, I worry that I might anchor myself for all the wrong reasons.”
They spun out of the way of another couple.
It was just one small turn, but any time with Carol was enough to make him pleasurably dizzy.
“Only you can really decide that,” he said honestly.
Another man might try to persuade her, but that wasn’t what Rick wanted.
His wolf desired her deeply, but he needed her to want him just as badly.
He could see it in her eyes, the reflection of exactly what he felt inside himself, but she had to be the one to realize it.
“I’ll work on it,” she promised.
They moved across the bricks, and Rick wondered if it was even the same band playing as when they first began dancing.
He’d paid so little attention, and he didn’t care as long as they kept playing music for the two of them to dance to.
He’d seen a different side of Carol, one that wasn’t all quick wit and blithe comments.
Rick loved that part of her, but he also loved this one.
His wolf swirled with contentment as they swayed among the other dancers.
Suddenly, he felt that stiffness rise in her body again. Her fingers gripped his too tightly. She forced her feet to keep moving, but they didn’t have the same grace and fluidity as they had a moment ago.
He didn’t need his wolf to tell him something was wrong. “What is it?”
“Lorelei,” she admitted, her eyes in the distance over his shoulder. “I just saw her slip off with a man.”
“Oh?” Rick wasn’t sure why she cared.
That deep wrinkle showed across Carol’s forehead once again. “You’d think after what she went through at the hands of those two guys, she’d want to stay away from the male species entirely. It seems to be the opposite, though. From what I can tell, she’s running through them like water.”
“Are you concerned about her safety?” Rick knew that was the primary concern on his mind when it came to anyone in their community. He’d let his guard down while he’d been dancing with Carol, knowing she was safe in his arms, but what about everyone else?
“I think she’s handling herself just fine, at least in that sense.
I wouldn’t care at all, except I wish she had her life together before she tried to bring anyone else into it.
” Carol blinked rapidly and shook her head slightly as if she could push the thoughts out of her mind.
“I’m worrying too much about it, and I’m not some old busybody who can’t find anything better to do than to get involved with everyone else’s business. Let’s go back to enjoying the moment.”
“Fine by me.” Rick closed his eyes as Carol laid her head on his shoulder. The music washed over and around them, carrying them along.