Broken Melody (Rock With You #2) Rock Star Romance (2 page)

After
finally being warm for the first time since she’d arrived, she started the
confusing search for her hotel, walking along the narrow streets, asking for
directions. By the time she’d found the small hotel, tucked at the end of a
dead-end street, she was absolutely exhausted. Collapsing onto the lumpy bed in
the tiny damp room, she tried once more in vain to sleep, dozing fitfully for a
short time. But she was almost too tired to sleep and her stomach rumbled,
reminding her of the many meals she’d missed since she’d left New York.

She
finally made her way to the bar downstairs, only to find she’d missed the
dinner service. Dejected, she slumped onto a bar stool. The man behind the bar
gave her a sympathetic smile.

“But
we’ll fix ye a plate of beans and bridie, with a drink on the house.”

The
man poured her a drink, making polite conversation, while she waited for
whatever a ‘bridie’ was. He asked what brought her to Inverness.

“I
came to see Logan MacKenzie at the Iron Works.”

Saying
his name out loud made Melody’s heart flutter and the flush that crept up her
cheeks could have been from thinking of Logan or from the heat of the Scotch in
the glass in front of her. Even with a splash of water, it was potent, although
she was more prepared for the bite of the liquid on her tongue than she might
have been otherwise.

“Aye,
MacKenzie’s a local lad. A good lad, at that.  Come back to do a special
show, just for us. Added last minute, so I hear. You’re lucky you got tickets.”
He went off to see to a customer at the far end of the bar.

I
am lucky…I just hope my luck holds.

* * *

The
day of the show dragged interminably for Melody. She’d escaped the confines of
her bare room, walking up and down the narrow streets of Inverness, looking in
the shop windows, finally walking far enough to discover Inverness Castle,
perched on a short hill above the River Ness. The day was again cloudy and the
castle looked gloomy and imposing, its squat eight-sided tower rising above the
other buildings. Melody shivered in her new sweater and headed back to her
hotel.

That
night she took a taxi to the Iron Works, not trusting her ability to find it by
walking, even though the man behind the bar had assured her that it was a
short, easy walk. The look of the building surprised her. It was low and
whitewashed, as so many buildings seemed to be. But it was much smaller than
any venue she’d ever been to. Once inside though, it was larger than it
appeared, but still cozy and welcoming.
Quite an unconventional venue for a
rock concert
, she thought.

A
gigantic stone hearth at one end of the room held a huge roaring fire, its
warmth wiping away the chill of the night. A simple stage was at the other end
of the narrow room, raised slightly above the main floor, placing the audience
very close to the performers, a very intimate arrangement. There were no huge
amps or sound equipment on the stage and it occurred to Melody this must be an
acoustic performance.

Her
heart was racing as she made her way to the front of the seating area. There
were small tables scattered around the room, and she sat with a group of people
who happily shifted their chairs to include her at their table.

When
the house lights went down and the stage lights came up, Melody held her
breath. The drummer came out, settling himself behind his kit. The other two men
picked up their guitars, strumming a few chords, talking quietly. There was a
moment of silence that stretched on for a long time, with just the three of
them on stage, and Melody wondered if Logan was actually going to perform with
the group. The thought suddenly struck her that the band may have split up over
the suit, that Logan might not even be here at all. As the crowd around her started
to murmur, a wave of anxiety washed over her.

Then
Logan walked on stage and Melody’s heart almost stopped, her breath catching in
her throat. Even in this small space, he exuded charm and charisma, totally
captivating the crowd without saying a word, with just with a smile.

But
the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was something missing tonight, a vital
spark she’d come to know…and love. He looked the same; tall, handsome, sexy. A
rock star in every sense of the word. But it wasn’t Logan, the Logan she’d come
to know. He was playing a part, but not feeling it. Her heart ached for him,
for the missing joy she wanted to see in his face.

He’d
pulled a tall stool into the center of the stage and he perched on it, looking
over the crowd for a moment. His eyes skimmed over the table where she sat, but
there was no change in his expression. Either he didn’t see her, or – her
heart sank at the thought – he
had
seen her.  Slowly raising
the microphone, he spoke.

“I’d
like to thank you all for coming out tonight. We’re here because this is where
we started and we need to remember that. This is our home. Things may happen,
loves may come and then be lost, but home is where they’ll always welcome ye
back. And so, we’re here.”

The
crowd erupted in applause and loud cheers, but Melody sat, numb and silent. His
words pierced her, made her want more than anything to bolt from her chair and
climb on stage. But she sat, still and quiet as the crowd finally settled down
around her.

Logan
stood, setting the stool aside and started to sing, and she quickly became lost
in the soothing sound of his voice. She’d only heard a few songs on the radio,
with professional arrangements and all that came with a studio recording.

But
here it was just him and his band, four guys making music. Logan’s voice was so
pure, the melodies simple and direct, every note exactly what was needed and
nothing more. It was the essence of each song and Melody found herself
entranced.

Finally
Logan pulled the stool back to center stage, settling himself on it. The
drummer and bass guitar player quietly left the stage, leaving only the other
man, who picked up a battered acoustic guitar and stool, sitting down behind Logan.

Melody
watched, mesmerized, as the stage lights dimmed, leaving Logan in a soft circle
of light. He cleared his throat, taking a drink from a bottle of water, looking
out over the crowd for a moment.

“I
want to thank all of you for supporting us. It means a great deal. The last
song we’re going to perform is one I wrote a long time ago, in the wee hours of
the morning, back when we were playing in pubs for pints. Some of ye may know
it. I’ve memorized the words now, so I’m not needing to read them from a paper
stuck to the stage floor.”

There
was a ripple of laughter in the crowd and Melody saw many people nodding their
heads.

“For
all of you who’ve been with us from the start, this is for you.”

The
song was in Gaelic and Melody didn’t understand any of the words. The crowd
joined in, softly at first, then louder, and at the end Logan stood, holding
out the microphone toward the audience, encouraging them to finish the song.
The light caught a glint in his eyes that she thought looked like tears.  

As
the song finished and applause rose up around them, she turned to the man
sitting beside her.

“What
was the song?” She shouted over the noise of the crowd.

He
leaned over, his lips next to her ear. “It’s about home, ye ken… about when
you’ve strayed and ye lost yer way, you can always come home. Logan wrote it
after a bad stretch on the road a few years back, when they were broke and
ready to give it all up. It was the song that made them famous. Ironic though,
the song about home is the one that took them away from it.”

 The
house lights came up and the crowd milled about, chatting, moving to the other
end of the room. Logan was talking with the guitar player at the back of the
stage, a few other people gathered around them. For a moment, she was almost
afraid to approach the stage, taking a few hesitant steps, trying not to lose
him in the crowd. But then Logan turned, looking directly at her.

Her
heart thudded painfully in her chest. For a long, uncomfortable minute he
watched her and then for a heart-stopping second she thought the was going to
leave, but he only to someone, spoke a few words and then walked to the edge of
the stage.

“Melody.
It is you.” He was looking down at her, his eyes dark and solemn.

She
finally found her voice. “Logan…yes. I’m here for you…to talk to you.
Please…can we talk?”

He
regarded her a moment longer before extending a hand to her. She grasped it and
he helped her step up on the stage. The touch of his skin against hers, the
warmth of his hand almost took her breath away.

Then
he dropped her hand and turned away. “Come on. We’ve got some rooms in the
back. We can talk there.” He walked across the stage, through a door at the
rear. Melody followed, her heart in her throat.

He
led her down a short hall to a small room with a few chairs and a small table.
There was a battered couch against one wall and Logan sat down, long legs stretched
out in front of him. She closed the door softly and crossed the room.

Melody
sat on the other end of the couch, resisting the urge to bite her nails. She clenched
her hands in her lap, suddenly unsure of what to say, where to start.

“Logan…I’m
so sorry. Please, let me explain.”

Logan
sighed, leaning his head against the back of the couch, his eyes closed.

“You
might as well, if you’ve come this far. Say what you need to say.”

“Logan,
what you saw with Ryan wasn’t what you think. I know it looked bad…but I can
I?”

“I
saw you in the arms of another man…someone who seemed very familiar with you.
Someone you seemed very familiar with.” He opened his eyes, turning his head to
look at her.  The pain in his eyes made her want to reach out to him, to
touch him, but the gulf between them was too great. And if he shied away from
her touch, it would break her heart.

“You’re
having an affair with your boss.” His voice was flat, emotionless…cold.

“No,
I’m not. I wasn’t. What you saw was all Ryan’s idea…Ryan’s been doing
this…setting this all up…I’m not having an affair with him. I swear to you. But
Ryan’s been making it seem like I am.”

“So
all the times you hung up on me, after I heard Ryan’s voice in the
background…that wasn’t you trying to keep me from knowing about Ryan? Or the
times you were late because of work? That wasn’t because of Ryan?”

“No.
It wasn’t. It was to keep Ryan from knowing about you.”

Logan
sat forward, elbows on his knees. “Melody, I’d like to believe you. I would…I
want to. But it tears my heart to think you were with someone else and didn’t
have the courage to tell me. I can’t go through that again. Just have the
courage to be honest with me.”

Melody
felt tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Logan. No. It’s not like that. Ryan set it
up…set us up…to make it look to you that I was having an affair with him. He’s
been making passes at me, touching me at the office…none of it anything I
wanted.”

She
took a deep breath. “He’s been doing this since Patrick, since my engagement
ended. But it got more…intense, I guess…since you. Since he’s suspected we were
having an affair. I think it’s driven him to this somehow.”

Logan
was watching her closely, some of the pain fading from his eyes. But they still
remained cold and distant. She leaned forward and reached for his hand and he
let her hold it.

“He
had a photo of us…from that first night I slept with you. It came in a package
of other photos…of you. With other women.”

Logan
scowled. “Ashton. I thought someone was following me, more than just the
paparazzi.” He shook his head. “That man will go to any lengths. He’s ruined so
many things in my life.”

“And
so will Ryan. Ashton’s out to ruin you and Ryan’s out to…either have me, or
ruin me, whichever comes first. He’s threatened my career if I don’t…go along
with what he wants. He’s told me I’ll never make partner unless…”

“Unless
you give in.”

Melody
nodded. “Unless I give in.”

“But
why didn’t you tell me? Let me help you…or at least let me listen to you?”

Melody
slid across the couch and Logan pulled her close. The tears she’d been holding
back spilled down her cheeks as she rested her head on his shoulder. The warmth
of his body, his scent was comforting, but she was still uneasy, still unsure
as to what Logan really thought.

“I
wanted to…I thought about it, but I didn’t know how…we were so new, you and I. I
was afraid you’d think the worst of me or not believe me at all. Or…I don’t
know. I was so confused…Ryan has me so incredibly confused and… scared. By the
time I felt that I could trust you, it was too late.  And here we are.”

“You
should have trusted me, Melody.” He stroked her hair gently as she cried softly
against his shoulder. Finally she sat up, still in the circle of his arm.

“Logan.
I’m so sorry. For all of this.” She ran her fingers down his cheek, her eyes
searching his.