32. Rory
RORY
I’m trying not to get my hopes up in case my idea of a date night and Jace’s aren’t the same. We’ve had dates. Usually, they consist of us grabbing a quiet dinner after we do our laundry, or popping into a bookstore or novelty shop. It’s what we can squeeze into our hectic schedule.
But now that we’re going on a real date, just the two of us, I’m nervous for some reason.
“What do you think of this?” I emerge from Paige’s bathroom and pat down my skirt.
It’s Honey’s, but she brought over some outfits I could wear.
They don’t fit since her baby bump started showing.
I’m wearing her pink, flouncy skirt with a white tank top, a blue jean jacket because I always get cold in restaurants, and sandals.
“You look great.” Paige grins.
“Thanks.” I check myself in the mirror over the dresser one last time. “Do you know what we’re doing tonight?”
“Maybe.”
I turn to look at her. “Are you going to tell me?”
“That would ruin the surprise.”
I’m not good with surprises. Okay, maybe I love them, but the tension is killing me.
In the living room, I find Jace looking sexy as hell in a button-down shirt that’s tucked in, jeans, a belt, and boots. He kisses me and pulls a bouquet of white roses from behind his back. “Note that these are not dead roses.”
Laughing, I take them and sniff the pretty petals. “I love them. Thank you.” Paige helps me put them in a vase, and then Jace and I kiss Layla, who’s playing blocks with her uncle Rhett.
As we head outside, I do a double take at Bluebell, my mom’s Volkswagen, because her faded blue paint gleams. “Did you polish my car?”
He gives me a lopsided grin. “Maybe.”
God, this man is sweet.
Like his brothers, Jace has a truck. He opens my door and helps me in. “It’s so tidy in here,” I note as I pull on my seatbelt.
He chuckles as he starts the engine. “I cleaned it this afternoon. Didn’t want you to think I was a slob.”
I know he’s a secret slob sometimes, and it doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. As we head down the gravel driveway, I glance at him. “Are you going to give me a clue where we’re going?”
“Nope.” He laces our fingers together, and my heart beats faster.
I expect him to head downtown, but we drive in the opposite direction. I’ve lived in Wild Heart for a while, but I haven’t done much exploring. Then he turns off the main road and we head into the hills.
I roll down the window, loving the thick scent of cedar that fills the air. It’s earthy and warm, and it reminds me of sun-soaked fields.
We crest a hill, and ahead of us, the sun sets on the horizon in an explosion of orange, purple, and pink.
“That’s beautiful.” I sigh at how good it feels to be away from the chaos of the tour. As much as I love the music, it’s always so loud. Even the bus has a constant hum of tires or the engine purring in the background.
I like the silence of a quiet night. Nothing but crickets and frogs and the wind.
We drive along the one-lane road for a few minutes until we reach a small ridge that overlooks the whole town, and behind it, the waning sunset. Jace parks his truck and turns to me. “I used to come here a lot when I was younger.”
“With girls?” I arch my brow, and he chuckles.
“No. With my brothers. Sometimes I’d come by myself to think or practice my guitar. I’m self-taught, so I didn’t want anyone to hear me make mistakes.”
“That’s really cool.” I soak in the majestic view. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
“It gets better. Hang tight.” He pulls out of the spot, reverses, pulls back in, and shuts off the engine.
He tilts his head toward the door. “Come on.” We get out and move around to the back of his truck that’s now facing the horizon.
He lowers the bed, and there are blankets and pillows and an ice chest. “Thought we could have a picnic out here.” He hops on the back and sets out the blankets and a few pillows.
“And the stars should be really clear tonight.”
“This is so sweet, Jace.”
Hopping down, he pulls me into his arms. “You’re really sweet, Aurora.
” When he grazes his lips across mine, my heart goes pitter-patter.
I love when he calls me by my full name.
“I wanted to do something special to show you how grateful I am you came on this tour. You’ve helped me in ways I don’t even know how to spell out.
You saved my ass when you didn’t even like me. ”
Trying to bite back my smile, I rest my hand on his broad chest. “Well, I like you now. More or less,” I tease.
He shoots me that flirty, crooked grin. “Finally.”
“I mean, you haven’t written me any songs, so I’m going to hold out on my final judgment.” I’m joking. Mostly. He played me those few lines from a new song several weeks ago, but nothing since then, and I’m not even sure that song was meant for me.
Pulling me closer, he nibbles my neck. “Funny you should mention that.” He walks me backwards a few steps, grips my hips, and lifts me onto the truck bed.
He hops up next to me, reaches back behind the blankets, and pulls out his guitar case.
“I wanted you to be the first to hear this. Full warning, it could suck. I can’t tell if a song is good or not. If it’s terrible, I’m sorry. I tried.”
Ugh, he’s killing me. “I’m sure I’ll love it.”
“I’ve written three new songs, but this one is my favorite.
” He settles next to me with his guitar, our legs hanging off the back with that stunning horizon before us.
He starts strumming, and I close my eyes so I can really listen.
It’s that melody he played for me on the bus.
A ballad. His voice sends chills down my arms.
She says she ain’t a heartbreaker,
but she’s got that secret smile
The one that keeps me up at night,
thinking we could be worthwhile
Never thought I’d want another chance,
Never thought I’d want that ride
But she’s got my head spinning
Watching our worlds collide
Let the city lights fade and the day burn out
She’s that slice of heaven I’m thinking ’bout
Firefly, firefly
The light in my night sky
Firefly, firefly
Keep lighting my night sky
I used to hide from the thunder
Used to hide from the rain
But she turned that tide with her sweet smile
And now there’s no more pain
Let the city lights fade and the day burn out
She’s that slice of heaven I’m thinking ’bout
Firefly, firefly
The light in my night sky
Firefly, firefly
Keep lighting my night sky
When he’s done, tears stream down my face. The last of the evening light catches on his wedding ring resting against his chest.
I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand. “It’s so good. I love it. Frank’s going to flip his lid when he hears it.”
He searches my eyes. “I wrote it for you.”
My eyes get glassy again, and I sniffle. “Thank you. I’m so honored.” No one’s ever done something so nice for me before. My chest swells with emotion. “I love it so much.”
What I really want to say is, I love you.
The thought blares like a foghorn, but I bite back the words. It’s too early in our relationship for that kind of declaration. I know this, and I wish I could flip a switch to feel less, but I can’t.
I study the man next to me and hope and pray I’m not the only one in this. Based on the song, I’m not. But Jace is a songwriter. This is what he does. He uses inspiration to make people fall in love with him and his music.
That’s different than him telling me he loves me.
I would do well to remember that.
Jace sets his guitar behind him and turns to me. “I’m worried I won’t get the other two done in time. They still need a lot of work.”
Here I am, worried about myself, while Jace’s whole career rides on whether or not he can write more music. “Maybe we should go back to the ranch. It’ll be quiet, and you’ll be able to concentrate.”
“Nah. I think I need some time away. Fixing fences this afternoon helped me finish ‘Firefly.’ I’m thinking that’s what I need to do. Work on the ranch. Get out of my head.”
I smile, loving the name. Firefly. “That makes sense.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders. “How do you feel about horses? Wanna go riding with me tomorrow? Then maybe we can make out in the barn.”
Laughing, I run my hand over his stubbled chin. “Sounds like a plan.” I kiss his jaw and breathe in his sexy citrusy cologne. I wish I could capture tonight and relive it over and over again.
I know that song isn’t the same thing as him telling me he loves me, but it’s still significant.
“Firefly” means something. I’m not going to listen to the cynical voice I let take over my life after my ex dumped me.
I’m going to believe that Jace and I have a real shot at working out.
We might have opposite personalities and enjoy different things, but like a Venn diagram, we have places where we overlap, and I’m going to focus on that.
He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. “For the record, I’ve never brought a woman here.”
Smiling, I nip his bottom lip. “You’d better not have, or else…”
He laughs and pulls me into his lap, so I’m straddling him. “Or else?” His hands run up the back of my thighs.
“Or else I won’t do that thing you like.”
With mirth in his eyes, he rubs his nose against mine. “You’ll have to be more specific. There are lots of things you do that I like.”
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Jace has a way of getting me to do and say crazy things. “It involves me choking on your favorite large appendage.” He snickers and yanks me flush against his hips, where Moby Dick greets me. “Speak of the Devil. There it is.”
Laughing, we tip over and roll onto the bedding. He pulls up over me, settling between my legs. “Hi, pretty girl.”
“Hi.” I rake my fingers through his thick hair. “This is really nice. Being out here, alone with you.”
He kisses me long and slow and sweet, drugging me in the best way. In between kisses, he mumbles, “Don’t get me wrong. I love having my daughter on tour with me, but I’m really fucking excited to have a night off.”
“Everyone needs a break sometimes.”