Chapter 2
Chapter Two
C ashea Moss loved how people connected with her as she sang. She swung her hips around as she turned and faced Sara who was playing the hell out of her violin. It was Friday night, and the Hen House was crowded. The town always showed up when it was Friday. The dance floor was packed, and people were singing along with her.
Cashea liked to think it was to enjoy her and the girls. Their band, Haven’s Chicks, was made up of a few locals who loved music as much as Cashea did. They were a cover band and damn good at it. They didn’t write or perform any original music. This was a fun gig for all of them. Cashea and her bandmates had real jobs they worked during the week. They found time to get together to practice before performing on Friday and Saturday nights.
Cashea had had a love for singing for as long as she could remember. When she’d been a child, her father and grandfather would sit out in the yard around the fire pit singing old country songs. Her grandfather would play the banjo while her father loved his guitar. Those were fond memories she held near and dear to her heart. When her grandfather passed, she sang one of his favorite songs he’d taught her at his home going celebration.
She’d always had an ear for music. Cashea grew up singing in their local church, her schools choirs, and even in the glee team in high school. As much as she loved singing, too bad it didn’t pay the bills. After relocating to Ironhaven, she’d gotten a job as a receptionist for a local pediatrician’s office. She absolutely loved her job. It allowed her to connect with all of the families in town who had children, and her boss, Dr. Reddy, was an angel.
“Y’all know you know the words to this song. Help me out.” Cashea laughed as the women down front, who must be well into their cups, hollered the words of a popular Reba McEntire song .
There wasn’t much to do in Ironhaven, but they made the best of it. That was why Cashea had opted to settle here. She needed a change and she hadn’t regretted it one bit. Ironhaven was a small town where pretty much everyone knew everyone. She had been accepted with open arms when she’d moved into her home. The welcome wagon of the neighborhood had rolled in full force during her first week. She had received so many casserole dishes, desserts, and bottles of alcohol that she couldn’t even give them away. Her freezer was packed for months afterward.
Cashea had grown up in a town similar to Ironhaven, but she needed to make her own way away from her family. Even though she was thirty-five years old, her parents still tried to do everything for her. She loved them, she truly did, but she needed to spread her wings and fly. Their home had been one filled with love. Mom and Dad would be celebrating their forty-fifth anniversary next year. Cashea and her brother, Micah, had been the apples of their eyes. Micah, the eldest of the two, had been the best brother a girl could ask for. He’d entered the Marines after high school. She and her family couldn’t be more prouder of him. She would send him so many care packages that he’d tell her to quit.
“Are you trying to make me fat with all these snacks?” his deep voice rumbled through the phone.
“I’m just trying to make sure you get a piece of home while you are away.” She laughed.
This deployment was to be for eighteen months. She missed him something fierce. She couldn’t wait for the day for him to come home and stay. Permanently.
“I appreciate it, but you’re making the guys jealous. Do you know how many have asked if you’re taken?” He chuckled. “I’m close to fighting every damn day to preserve your honor.”
Cashea wasn’t too surprised at that information. Her brother, who was three years older than her, had got into plenty of fights. He had a reputation of using his fists in school, but every single time was to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. That was just how honorable he was.
Six months later, her parents had gotten word that Micah had been killed in action. A part of Cashea had died the day she’d seen Micah in his casket. They were forever grateful to be able to have his body returned home so they could bury him next to her grandfather. Their town had even named a road in Micah’s honor for his sacrifice.
That was another reason she’d had to leave home.
Shaking off the memories, she scanned the bar as the song came to an end. The next number was a little slower paced. Kim, their drummer, loved this song and had requested for Cashea to sing it. Cashea’s gaze landed on a familiar figure sitting at the bar. His dark hair looked as if he’d combed his fingers through it several times. He sat in the same spot every Friday and Saturday night with his attention glued on the television while he ate and had a few drinks.
Draven Harvey.
She had heard plenty about the town hero. He’d grown up in this town, and they were so excited to have him back when he’d moved home. A year ago, around the time she’d relocated, they’d welcomed him home with a parade through the middle of downtown. He didn’t look too happy then, but to think about it, she’d never seen him look happy. He always wore a scowl.
The dancers swayed to the music while she sang. Kim had chosen a great song for them to perform. Cashea added her own signature to each song. Her gaze went back to the bar, and she stood in shock.
He’d turned around.
She was too far away to see his eyes, but he was definitely facing her. He raised his glass and took a sip. She grew bold and tossed him a wink. Her heart thundered. Where did that come from? In the dark, smoky bar, she doubted he’d even seen it. He slowly swiveled back around, and once again, his back was to the stage.
Soon the song came to an end, and it was time for them to take their break. The crowd clapped, whistled, and cheered for them. Cashea grinned and took a bow. She placed the mic back in the stand and walked off the stage with her girls.
“Hey, I’m going to head to the bar,” she said.
There was a little room where they stored all of their things and used as a hangout during their breaks. Kim waited for her while Sara, Lilly, and Monica headed to the back. The DJ of the bar took over and started playing an upbeat song to keep the patrons happy.
“Want me to come with you?’ Kim asked.
“Nah. I’m going to grab a bottle of water. I won’t be long,” Cashea said.
Kim gave a nod and followed the other band members. Cashea walked toward the bar. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She didn’t know why she was doing this, but something compelled her to go to the bar. She had a bottle of water in her bag in the back. She could have just drunk that, but instead, she found herself pulling into the empty space next to the grumpy cowboy.
“Hey, Danny.” Cashea smiled while trying to wave the bartender down.
Danny spun round at the call of his name. He pushed away from the customer he had been chatting with and came down her way. She was thankful no one could see how nervous she was to be standing next to Draven. He was much taller and wider than she’d thought. This was the closest she’d ever been to him. From the stage he didn’t appear to be this large. She certainly felt dainty beside him.
She felt his gaze on her, but she didn’t acknowledge him. Her tongue snuck out and slid along her suddenly dry lips. Now she was here, she was having doubts. Did he like what he saw when he was looking at her?
Who was she kidding?
She was hot. She knew it. Everyone knew it. She bit back a snort.
“Hey, Cashea. What can I do you for?” Danny asked. The older bartender was always so nice when she and the girls came to the bar. He’d worked here practically since the place had opened.
“Can I have a bottle of water, please?” she asked.
“Sure thing, doll.” Danny walked away.
Unable to resist, she peeked over at Draven and found him staring at the television. She took the few seconds to study him. His strong jawline was covered with a light beard. His hair had a sprinkle of grays blended into the dark strands. Her fingers itched to run through his hair. She bit her lip taking in his solid build underneath his t-shirt and jeans.
Lord, she had a problem. Here she was, ogling a man who probably wouldn’t even give her the time of day.
“You know it’s impolite to stare,” a deep, drawling baritone voice said.
Draven slowly met her gaze. Even in the low light of the Hen House, she was struck by his crystal-blue eyes. They were so clear they were almost iridescent. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity in his eyes.
“Oh, um, I’m sorry,” Cashea stuttered. He probably thought she had a few screws loose now. She blew out a deep breath and stretched out her hand. “Hi. I’m Cashea.”
He stared at her hand for a long moment. She almost pulled back, thinking he wasn’t going to shake it. Finally, his larger hand engulfed hers. His palms were callused, and her heart skipped a beat imagining his hands running along her skin.
“Draven.” He removed his hand and turned back away from her and lifted his drink.
“I know who you are,” she blurted out.
He glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow. She froze under his gaze that perused her body. Her nipples pushed against the material of her bra. She resisted the urge to shift her feet as he took her all in. She had chosen a summer dress with thin spaghetti straps and her worn-down pair of cowboy boots.
“Here you go, doll,” Danny announced. He set the bottle on the counter.
Cashea reached for her water, thankful for the distraction.
“Thanks, Danny, and can you do me one more favor?” she asked, giving him her winning smile. She tilted her head to Draven. “Put his next drink on my tab.”
“Sure thing?— ”
“You don’t have to do that,” Draven interjected. He raised his hand and shook his head.
Danny paused, his gaze bouncing between the two of them. She reached over and rested her smaller hand on his.
“I want to. My brother was a Marine, too, but he didn’t make it home. So let me buy you a drink to welcome you home,” she said softly.
Something passed through his eyes that she couldn’t read. For a moment, she thought he was still going to resist. Instead, he jerked his head in a nod.
“Thank you,” he murmured. He focused on her hand still resting on top of his.
She hadn’t even realized how close she had gotten to him. She slipped her hand from his and gave him a warm smile. It wasn’t often she brought up her brother to a stranger, but for some reason she’d felt the need to in that moment.
Danny slid a very generously filled glass to Draven and tipped his head to them before he walked away.
“I’ve heard about your father’s ranch and I wish my brother would have been able to go to a place like that. He would have loved it,” she said.
Her brother had loved nature and horses. He would have enjoyed being able to work a ranch with other former military. Sadness filled her heart, but Micah had died doing something he’d believed in. He’d believed in the freedom this country offered and wanted to help protect that. He had always looked out for the little man, and him going off to war was not surprising to their family.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Draven said. He finished off the drink he’d been nursing.
“Thanks, but there is to be no moping around. Micah would have my hide if he knew I was sad about him dying.” She chuckled. It had taken her a while to get to this point in life after her brother’s passing. But it was the truth. He would be pissed to know she was sulking over him.
Draven’s attention was back on the television screen. The other patrons around the bar hollered at one of the plays going down. Cashea wasn’t much of a football fan. She knew a few things from growing up and it always being on while her father and brother watched it. But she had never been one to follow the teams. She couldn’t tell you who any of the players were, much less which team they played on.
“Well, I guess I should be going. It was nice to meet you,” Cashea said. She just hoped he didn’t think she was a weirdo. That’s all she needed.
A figure slid in behind her a little too close. Cashea stiffened.
“Well, look who it is,” a voice said.
She rolled her eyes. This was the last person she had hoped to run into. She faced the newcomer. Brett Falco was often at the Hen House. He was a drunk and always shouted lewd remarks at her while she was up on the stage. She had been happy when they had started their set tonight and she hadn’t seen him.
“Why are you so close to me? Hasn’t your momma taught you manners?” she snapped.
“She sure hasn’t. Why don’t you come and teach me something.” He chuckled.
The smell of whiskey greeted her. Brett and his family owned the local hardware shop in the middle of town. He assumed he was God’s gift to women and had been trying to get Cashea to go out with him for months now. Women did swoon over him with his short blond hair, brown eyes, and tall physique. Unfortunately for Brett, he just didn’t do anything for Cashea.
“Boy, bye.” She grimaced and made to walk away. It was almost time for her to sing. She’d meet the girls in the back for a moment before they had to go on stage.
“Hey, don’t leave yet.” Brett grabbed her by her arm and turned her to face him.
“Get your hands off me.” Cashea tried to pull free from him, but he held on tight.
“You don’t have to rush off so fast.” He smirked.
He tried to bring her closer to him, but she resisted. His lips were curled up in a crooked grin which she was sure most women would fall for, but not her.
“I have to go, Brett. Release my arm.” Her free hand gripped her water bottle tight. She wasn’t afraid to use it as a weapon. She’d taken self-defense classes in the past. She’d had issues with an old stalker boyfriend when she had moved to Minneapolis some years ago. That time of her life seemed like a lifetime ago. Her ex hadn’t taken the breakup too well and had stalked her. She’d enrolled in the local self-defense classes. Thankfully, she had never had to use the skills she’d learned. He had finally got the point and dated a woman who lived in his apartment building. Eyeing Brett, she knew she may be rusty, but she could defend herself .
“When are you going to go out with me?” he asked, ignoring her request for him to let her go.
“When are you going to let me go?” she countered.
She tugged on her arm again, but his grip only tightened. His smile disappeared. This time he yanked on her, and she lost her balance. She fell into him with her water bottle falling somewhere on the floor. The smell of cigarette and booze was stronger. She reared back and tried to not inhale.
“So, what? You think you’re too good to go out with me?” he snarled into her ear.
She pushed away from him, but he didn’t let her go far. His chest was solid and his hold on her unwavering.
“Brett, get your hands off her,” Danny said. He rested his hands on the counter and glared at Brett.
“Mind your business, old man,” Brett snapped. He stared at Cashea with a devilish grin. “We are just having a conversation, aren’t we?”
“Which has been over.” Cashea was two seconds from kneeing him in the balls. She was going to count to two, and if he didn’t release her, he’d been singing a new tune. “Now let me go.”
“You must be hard of hearing,” a deep drawl came from behind Cashea .
She glanced over her shoulder to see Draven holding his glass. He was staring down at it, but it was obvious he was speaking to Brett. A shiver went down her spine at the calmness that resonated in his voice. It didn’t match the tension in his body.
“I don’t think the lady wants your hands on her.”
“Fuck off, Harvey.” Brett scowled.
Draven knocked back the rest of his drink before setting the glass on the counter. He swiveled in the chair; those ice-blue eyes of his had a different glint in them now. She couldn’t read what it was, but it sure made her heart skip a beat. His intense gaze landed on Brett.
She had a funny feeling it didn’t mean anything good for Brett.
“What did you say?” Draven’s voice dropped even lower.
Now they were drawing a small crowd. Everyone who had been standing around the bar was watching them.
“Maybe it’s you who is hard of hearing.” Brett finally released her.
Cashea took a step back away from him. Her wrist was throbbing from how tight his grip had been. She brought it up to her chest and massaged it with her free hand to help smooth it. Draven’s eyes narrowed in on her actions. His jawline hardened. She immediately stopped what she was doing and moved toward him.
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” she said. She attempted a smile, but it didn’t seem to calm him any. This situation was about to go south fast. She needed to put a stop to it now.
“You need to apologize.” It wasn’t a request from Draven but a statement.
“For what? Trying to take her stupid ass out?” Brett barked a laugh.
Cashea’s eyes widened.
Stupid ass?
He was on his own with Draven. She stepped to the side to ensure she was out of his way. He slowly stood from his chair and closed the gap between him and Brett. Draven had at least three to four inches on him.
“You don’t want to fuck around with me, boy,” Draven said.
A commotion sounded behind her. Security was plowing through the crowd and headed their way. Danny must have alerted them to the situation. Their spectators were growing even larger. Cashea’s face warmed in embarrassment .
“Who the fuck you calling a boy—” Brett’s words died off followed by a bang.
Cashea jumped and turned back. Draven’s hand wrapped around Brett’s throat. He had Brett pushed up against the bar. Cashea flew forward just as Ted and his men arrived.
“It’s okay. Let him go,” she said, resting her hand on Draven’s arm. She tried to pull him off Brett, but it was like trying to move a solid wall. The muscles beneath her hand were taut and firm.
He didn’t take his eyes off Brett’s beet-red face.
“Break it up,” Ted shouted.
He and his men converged on Draven and Brett. Cashea got pushed back as the four large security guards yanked Draven off Brett. Cashea’s heart was racing a mile a minute. She didn’t know how this had gone to hell and back so damn fast.
“You’re fucking crazy,” Brett shouted.
Two of the bouncers escorted him toward the door. Ted and the other guy still had their arms wrapped around Draven until Brett was out of sight. Cashea glanced around at the thinning crowd. She guessed since there was to be no bar fight, they had lost interest.
“Are you cool?” Ted asked Draven who nodded.
Draven found Cashea. Her breath was snatched from her lungs at the look in his eyes. His gaze did a once-over on her as if to make sure she was okay.
Ted released him and patted him on the shoulder. “What the fuck set you off?”
“That fucker doesn’t know how to keep his hands to himself,” Draven said. He jerked his chin toward Cashea. Ted glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. “He grabbed her.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t see it, Cashea,” Ted said. Anger flooded his features. He ran a hand along his face. “If you want to press charges, just let me know.”
“No, I’m good.” She shook her head. All she wanted was for this to be over. She spun around and tried to find her water, but it was a lost cause. She and the girls only had a few more songs to go then they would be done for the night. After their set, the DJ would finish off the evening.
“Here ya go, doll. Don’t worry about looking for the other one.” Danny brought her another bottle. He slid it across the counter.
Cashea went over to the bar. Ted and Draven were speaking off to the side. She didn’t know what they were saying, but it sure seemed as if Draven was reading Ted the riot act. The tension had yet to leave his body. His eyes were narrowed on Ted who stood nodding to whatever Draven was saying.
“Thanks, Danny,” she murmured. She kept her head down and threaded her way through the crowd. She was sure the girls were wondering where she was. She arrived at the hallway where the dressing room was located and paused. She glanced over her shoulder and found Draven watching her. Her heart skipped a beat. She gave a little wave before continuing on her way.