I Run to You (40 page)

“I’ll get it.” He arose and helped her up. He
made her sit at the bar while he found plates filled and heated.
They sat across from each other, sipping soda, talking quietly. He
knew more about Jordan’s situation that she did, so they spoke of
that, and mostly about family.

After he cleaned up the dishes, they went
back out to enjoy the summer evening.

He lay with her on the chaise, his arm under
her shoulder. Brook found herself confessing quietly, “I slept with
Coy.”

Rafe stared at her, but she was looking down
at their feet.

He returned, “When did this happen?”

“The night before, after we played the
club.”

“Ah. When you left me on the dance
floor.”

“Did I?” She winced.

“Yes. But I wasn’t alone for long.”

She elbowed him. They both grunted, she since
her elbow was sore too.

Rafe chuckled and played with her hair. “And
what did you discover?”

“That I forgave him, a long time ago. But he
scares me—emotionally.”

“Not new.”

“No.”

They were quiet a moment, he said next, “I
slept with someone, too.”

She sat up, groaned, and held her ribs
turning to look at his face. “Someone I know?”

He smiled lazily and nodded.

Her eyes widened. “Well, who?”

“Ashley.”

Brook’s lips parted. She laughed and grinned
hugely. “Really?”

“Um.”

“And what did you discover?”

He raked his teeth over his lip on a grin and
sat up to the side, looking around the deck. “I like her cynicism.”
He laughed. “She’s tough and cool.”

“Yeah. Her ex did a number on her. But she’s
so special, Rafe.”

He looked over his shoulder at her, still
grinning. “I came onto her, a dozen times—back when we worked
together. Flirted. I knew she was dealing with her ex. After the
divorce, she changed a lot. Not her energy and humor, but she had a
shell under that.”

“I know. She’s a great lady though.”

He nodded and turned back to look outward.
“Anyway. I thought she was joking, flirting this time, when I ran
into her and—”

“Propositioned her again?”

“Yeah. But she climbed in my car and we—”

Smiling Brook asked, “And it ended well, you
two are seeing each other?”

“I want to. She did this whole routine about
sex being sex, and how she is not interested in relationship. To
old— to start over… Like I said, tough. She just shrugged when I
asked to see her again.”

Brook eyed his profile, reading, seeing
things. “You like her a lot. Don’t you?”

He nodded, his smile replaced by a pensive
look. “I like the way she cuts to the heart of things, even when
she’s being defensive. I like many things about her. Mostly I like
the, no pretenses, no games. “

“She’s also good in bed?”

He laughed. “Mind blowing.”

Brook pondered everything he had said, and
then asked, “You giving up?”

“No.” He glanced at her with an anxious
expression. “I think she’s the one.”

Brook hugged him. “I’m so glad. So happy for
you.”

“Well, she’s not mine yet.”

“She will be.” Brook leaned back, and then
came to her feet, walking over to look over the deck at the
landscaping. “She’s a good friend of Mom’s and Ruby. Renee, and
mine too. I’m sure we can help.”

He got to his feet and joined her. “I don’t
think it’s that she’s not attracted. I know she is. I know she must
have felt something back then— but wouldn’t go with it. Probably a
good idea, since I was not ready to get serious. I think, this is
something I have to work on myself. Like you, and Coy.”

Brook sighed and watched the chipmunks
sneaking out of the woods to rob the bird feeders. “That’s not
happening.”

“It’s all about risk. For Ashley. For
you.”

“I know.”

After a bit, Rafe said goodbye, he had work
to do at the restaurant.

Brook told him before he went down the deck
steps, “I love you, my friend.”

“You too.” He grinned and winked.

She lingered out there long afterwards,
wondering aimless, restless, even though she could have slept. It
was too early, and she would be up all night.

She went in and read all the cards, crying,
laughing, and shaking her head, as she worked through them. The
kid’s cards she put on her fridge and the others she packed in her
cedar trunk.

By the time she did turn out lights and go to
bed, she was exhausted. Other than shifting from her sore side a
few times, Brook slept better than she had before the incident.

Chapter 18

Max stopped by the Tavern the first day Brook
was back, just to check in with her. She’d come out to his house,
to talk, she had said. They had, about the incident, the trial,
which did not last a week. In addition, about Jordan—and the
negotiations with her mother. He knew that Brook was fishing also;
to see if he’d recognized her on the pier with Coy.

It was mean of him, but he let her sweat it
out. Amused somewhat, that she didn’t realize—like all the family
did—how often Coy was dropping by her place to check on her,
bringing Levi by, once her face healed. When she came to practice,
one of the Coburn girls having stood in for her at a couple of the
gigs, Coy was either at Mitch’s, his Dad’s, or somewhere close
enough to “accidentally” bump into her before he left.

Max knew Brook was all for getting back to
work, finally having a normal life. Karla had gotten off easy and
knew it—she wasn’t even in town anymore, but she had written Brook
a letter. It was full of a lot of excuses, the drugs, and life,
whatever. However, it was likely the way Karla viewed her choices
and mistakes, something or someone’s fault. Anything, but her own
responsibility.

He gave his sister a lot of credit for
letting it go. She was a lot like Madeline, in that moving on,
living life, knowing only she could make that happen, was a
priority. Brook had told him that she had taken Levi out for ice
cream, and to the park. They had taken pup, which was back as her
guard dog. Levi had said things to her he probably had not told
Coy—namely, he was angry with his mother.

Brook had told him not to be. That he had too
many wonderful people, wonderful things, to look forward to in his
life, to spend it being angry.

His sister was very cool.

She had also told him Bill Dodd was coming
into the tavern. He was painfully polite to her, and Brook was nice
to him. He was usually with an older woman friend. Brook tried to
put him at ease. She did not blame Bill either.

Now though, Max had left the Tavern and was
picking up Jordan. He had kept his hands off her. Kissing only.
That was heaven and hell, but they had gone to the movies, out to
other restaurants, to the Tavern. He had to prod her to talk
sometimes. They laughed a lot together. Mostly they laughed—
because she could dig at his Ivy League background, and he had a
few comebacks, that normally had her chuckling. They sparred. It
was sexually charged. That was not a bad thing really.

He had heard a rumor that someone from one
the record labels in Nashville was coming into town to check her
out. He didn’t tell her because he realized, not only would it make
her nervous, she still had no concept of her talents.

Max slowed by Rafael’s and saw her on her
bike. She apparently saw him too, because she pulled out and headed
to the hotel.

He would never not be turned on watching her
ride that thing, and in her leather and jeans, they were not bad
aphrodisiacs either.

At the hotel, he slid into a spot by her
Harley. She took off the helmet and walked to his car. Her hair was
black with cherry red in front.

“Why do I have a feeling whenever you’re
following me, your eyes on my ass, instead of the road?” She leaned
in and kissed him.

When she let up, he said, “Because they
are.”

Laughing, she had the helmet under her arm.
“Guess what?”

“What?”

Her green eyes twinkled. “I’ve a surprise for
you. For a change.”

His brow rose. “Does it involve thongs and
a—”

She snorted. “Gah—

He chuckled “Well?”

She stepped back. “Come in.”

He opened the door and unfolded out of the
car, having on nice gray slacks and lavender ribbed shirt.
Following her into the hotel room, he looked around, and didn’t see
anything.

“I need to change and__”

“That’s not fair.” He chuckled and reached
for her. “You’re going to make me wait.”

She sidestepped and nodded. “Let me clean up.
Where are we going anyway?” She sat the helmet down and started
gathering clothing.

“Dinner, and there’s nice café down from
it…”

“Sounds great.” She vanished into the
bathroom.

He lay back on the bed, hands behind his
head, trying not to picture her nude body soaped up in there. It
did not work. Max could not think of very many hours in the day he
wasn’t remembering every look, touch, moan….

The shower stopped eventually, door opening
next, to let out steam. He made himself lay there instead of going
to the door and peeking. Closing his lashes, he listened to the
dryer, her dropping things on and off, and the sound of a zipper,
and caught a waft of perfume that made him salivate.

“I’m finished.”

He sat up and opened his eyes, looking over
her hair and nice make up, some coppery hue shadow, peach lipstick
that glittered on her plump lips. Letting his gaze go down her
body, he wondered if she could put on anything that did not look
good/sexy. Her style was always unique. Today she wore a backless
copper hued blouse that he suspected required she go braless, and a
pair of skinny jeans, black boot/shoes to the ankle that were
toeless. He’d want to kiss her tattooed shoulders, to kiss the one
on her back. The one on her pubis…

Oh, yes.

Max raised his eyes from her feet, to find
she had been watching him check her out.

Her voice was slightly husky. “I’m moving in
with you.”

“What?” He stood and regarded her with a
smile. “Did you say, you—”

“Surprise,” Jordan grinned softly.

Max looked around. “I don’t see anything
packed.”

“It will be. I’m off Friday.”

Max walked to her, cupping her face. He gazed
down, feeling her arms go around his waist. “You won’t regret
it.”

“We both might,” she joked, her eyes
searching his. “But this being chaste—sucks.”

His mouth parted. He faked affront. “You’re
moving in with me just for sex? I’m—”

“Horny?”

Max gave up the act and nodded. He kissed her
softly, licking his lips free of lipstick when he raised. “I’m
counting. What, three days? I’ll be humping your leg till
then.”

She rolled her lips and slid her arms up his
back. “I’ve ached ever since you…ummm.”

“Don’t tell me that. I’ll never get you to
dinner.”

Stepping back, she took his hand. “Let’s go
then. And we can bend the rules—after we’ve had our nice, relaxing,
date.”

As they were out, and he opened the door for
her to get in the car, he said, “You should have worn a skirt, but
I can work around that.”

Once he got in, buckled up, she looked over
at him. “I was thinking—” Her cell rang and she frowned, whispered
a “shit” and fumbled for it and answered.

Max watched the road but glanced over as she
was saying, “Mr. Chambers? Oh. Yes. I tried to call you back
earlier at work, but you were out. Yes. Sir. No. but I can request
time off. Yes…”

Max heard something excited and nervous in
her voice. He looked at her. She was staring at him with eyes wide,
tearing up. He found the first available parking lot and pulled
off.

“Yes. I can make that. Yes, sir.” She reached
for Max’s hand, squeezing it tight. “Thank you, so much. No—I know
it took a lot too…. She did?” One of those tears spilled over.

Max smiled, sensing what it was, even as
Jordan finished the conversation.

She closed the phone and announced without
much breath, “She agreed. Mama agreed.”

He whispered, “What? The visitation—”

“She’s going to bring her half way. Meet me.
There will be someone there to make sure Leigh is okay. But—Oh—Max.
I get to have her with me 2 weeks. To see if she’s comfortable and
okay. And—they’ll be someone checking in with us, her, but—”

Max reached for her and drew her to him
tightly. “I’m so glad. So happy, for you. It’s going to be
great.”

She nodded, sniffing, holding onto him. She
pulled back abrupt. “I have to have a room for her! And she’s going
to need…”

“Hey. Hey. We’ll do it. We’ve…how long?”

“July 12th.”

“No problem.” He flashed his dimples.

“But we don’t know what she likes. I
don’t—”

He snorted. “As many Coburn girls as there
are, we’ll figure it out. Is she going to call you?”

“Yes. He said the call would be monitored,
but I don’t care.”

Max kissed her. He sat back. “I can’t wait to
meet her.”

Jordan whispered, “Me either. I’m scared
but…”

“You’re her mother. You love her. You’re the
coolest Mom on earth.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “She’s
going to love you, too.”

“I hope.”

Max started the car. They headed to the
restaurant. He listened to Jordan chatter, worried and yet excited.
He didn’t have a lot of time, but he had a lot of money. He also
had a damn big family—who could build, repair, create, and do
miracles overnight, if necessary.

All through the meal, later sipping coffee at
the café, they talked about her, the daughter, and the reality of
her in Jordan’s life. Max hoped she liked him. He was popular with
kids. He hoped Jordan’s mother hadn’t skewed her so much she
would—No—he wasn’t going to think like that. His love was happy.
She was going to know her baby, her daughter. It made his heart
swell.