Stalking Earth for epub Page 7

  “What would you like me to play?”

  “Whatever strikes your fancy.”

  Maxie ran her hand over the guitar then tried the strings, fiddling with the tuning. When she seemed satisfied, she started in on a lovely little piece he wasn’t familiar with, guessing it was maybe another Lambert or perhaps Dolly Parton. He settled back and watched her. He wasn’t sure he was enjoying the music or watching her more.

  When she finished the piece, he said, “You have a lovely voice, too. At least drunk, you do. Why not show me what you can do sober?” he teased.

  She shot him a fake scowl, but soon started strumming out a different song and started singing along. He was entranced. When she finished, he asked, “That was beautiful. But I don’t recall hearing it before. Who wrote it?”

  Maxie chewed on her lip. “I did.”

  “You really are full of surprises. A regular Earth Mother type.”

  “Earth Mother? As in matronly?”

  He laughed. “No, as in grounded, real, not artificial.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “How long have you been writing songs?”

  “Since my mother taught me to play the guitar.”

  “So how did you get from songwriting to being a librarian?”

  Maxie glanced out the window and didn’t answer for a moment. He was beginning to think he’d asked something he shouldn’t have, when she replied, “My father didn’t think I could make a living with music, so I went with my second love, books.”

  Blaine had to literally bite his tongue to keep him from telling her exactly what he thought of her father. How could someone as lively and kind as Maxie come from such an overbearing, manipulative parent? “I can think of hundreds of musicians off the top of my head who’ve made millions with their music.”

  “But they’re good!”

  “And so are you. You gotta believe in yourself or others won’t, you know?”

  “Blaine Tannahill, playboy-turned-philosopher.” She grinned at him, then said, “Guess I’ll find out what other people think soon.”

  “Why?”

  “I entered a contest. Sorta like American Idol or The Voice, except it’s for songwriters, and you probably won’t find it on TV. But some record producers show up there from time to time, scouting.”

  “When?”

  “Two weeks from today. That song was the one I entered. I don’t suppose ...” She ran her hand over the curve of the guitar. “I probably shouldn’t ask. But I don’t suppose you’d be free to come and cheer me on. For the moral support. A friendly face might help calm my nerves.”

  “I’d love to. I’ll pencil it in on my calendar. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.” Okay, so he probably should check his calendar before he agreed. And there were often work emergencies that popped up on weekends. But Cash or Jack could handle them, right?

  Her smile stretched from ear to ear. “Thanks, Blaine. It would mean the world to me.”

  He smiled back, thinking that he didn’t mind at all being Maxie’s world, even if just for a day.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Maxie squealed as Blaine pushed her higher on the tree swing. It was the same swing he and his brothers had used years ago when they were kids, and she felt like a kid at heart at that moment. With each arc, higher and higher, she could see more of the valley below, and it was as if she could fly off and keep going. Flying over the trees, the private lake, even over to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello which wasn’t far from the Tannahill lodge.

  She didn’t want to stop and was a little disappointed when he stopped pushing and gradually pulled the swing still. But her disappointment only lasted a few seconds until he suggested they make a picnic supper to take over to the Will-o-the-Wisp grotto a quarter mile from the house. He said it was flat and felt she could manage on her crutches.

  She set to work on making potato salad while he fried some chicken, often brushing against each other as they crossed from one appliance to another. As they worked side-by-side, with her humming and he whistling, she knew she could easily get used to this.

  She warned herself not to think such a thing. Her father, for one. The lawsuit, Sidney, Tanya, too many red flags flapping in the breeze. It wasn’t so hard to build a fortress around your heart, was it? She’d enjoy the day and the weekend and treat it as he’d suggested—just rest and relaxation.

  They packed up a basket with the food and drinks, which he carried while she carefully made her way along the path with the crutches. He kept a careful eye on her, but he was right—the path was flat, and it didn’t take long at all before they reached the small clearing. A homemade picnic table perched next to a small waterfall and pool, surrounded by rocks and lush green laurel bushes. While she eased onto the bench, he took out the tablecloth and made short work of setting up their feast.

  They ate in companionable silence, interrupted only by the occasional robin’s call or squawking from a squirrel in a tree. Finally, Blaine said, “I hope this helps make up for yesterday. You didn’t seem happy at all.”

  “Mortified, confused, angry, yes. Happy, no.”

  “Sorry about your father’s reaction. But if he sues, he sues. I really don’t care.”

  “You don’t?”

  “Nope. Besides, once he gets used to my considerable charm and boyish good looks, I’ll have him swooning,” he waggled his eyebrows at her.

  She grinned. “Be careful what you wish for. When he takes a liking to someone, he sticks to them like glue.”

  “Duly noted. I was more worried about that other guy, Sidney, who came to see you yesterday. He seemed upset. I didn’t know if he’d hurt you.”

  Maxie shoved a big bite of chocolate cake into her mouth and took a long time chewing it while trying to think of what to say. Sidney had hurt her, hadn’t he? Just not physically. How much should she tell Blaine about Sidney—when even she didn’t know how she felt about him?

  She washed the cake down with some root beer. “Sidney is my ex. Boyfriend, not husband. Nor fiancé. I believed we were headed toward that stage, but that was before Sheila.”

  “Ah. Another woman.”

  “Not just any other woman. My former best friend. Sidney and I broke up months ago.”

  “Ouch.” He winced in sympathy. “Was he trying to apologize yesterday? Little late for that, isn’t it?”

  She nodded slowly. “But it’s worse than that. He wants to get back together. Says he made a huge mistake.”

  Blaine stared at her in a way that started to make her uncomfortable. Not judging, like her father, something she couldn’t identify. He asked quietly, “What did you tell him?”

  “I wanted to get rid of him fast, in all honesty. So I told him I’d think about it. But I have no intention of calling him. I mean, how could I ever trust him?”

  His shoulders relaxed. “Trust is hard. You date someone, fall for them, then along comes more tempting bait, then they’re hooked and taken away.”

  “Tanya?”

  “No, not Tanya.”

  Then Maxie remembered. “Your best friend’s fiancée, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. You dated a man who fell for your best friend, and I dated a girl who fell for my best friend. But unlike your Sidney, they’re engaged. And you’re even looking at the best man.”

  “Wow. That’s big of you. There’s no way I’d have said ‘yes’ if Sheila wanted me to be in her wedding.”

  “Guess the difference is that I happen to think Clint and his fiancée are perfect for each other.”

  “Is there such a thing as ‘perfect’ for each other?”

  He reached out as if to hold her hand but grabbed his soda bottle at the last moment. “Things have been that bad for you, have they?”

  “Yes. Maybe. But I guess my mother and father came as close as any couple I ever saw.”

  “I’m so sorry about her loss, Maxie. That must have been incredibly hard on you.”

  “I still miss her. Miss her laugh, t
he way her eyes seem to change color when she laughed, her belief in me.” Maxie felt her eyes start to water, and Blaine fished a fresh napkin out of the picnic basket and handed it over.

  She said, “What about your mother? I hear you talk about your father but never your Mom.”

  “Same story, different verse. Died when we boys were young. I was ten. Cancer. Same as your mother?”

  She shook her head. “Drunk driver.”

  Blaine’s eyes widened, and his face grew pale. “Oh, God. No wonder your father hates me. He thought it was happening all over again. Maxie, I’m so sorry. If I could take it all back, I would.”

  “I wouldn’t.”

  Blaine’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t?”

  “I got a terrific library aide out of it. And all of this,” she waved her hand around, “for a weekend.”

  “It doesn’t have to be one weekend.”

  She tried to hide her shock, but he must have noticed, because he hastily added, “I mean, you’re welcome to come up here anytime. With or without me. I can always loan you the key.”

  “That’s very kind of you.” She tried to think of what it would be like at the cabin without him. Quiet. Maybe too quiet, even lonely.

  “Not kind at all. You deserve it. You’ve worked hard, you’re in that bloody cast because of my negligence, and it would be the perfect place to write songs. Don’t you think?”

  She could easily see herself drawing inspiration from the scenery and landscape for her songs. He had a point. “I may take you up on that.”

  “Then that’s settled.” He looked at the sky, which was turning pink in the late afternoon twilight. “Guess we should get back.” He pointed to her sleeveless arms. “And I think I see a few goose bumps. I’ve got the perfect solution for that.”

  She was starting to wonder why she always read something sexual into every comment he made. Maybe it was the way his chestnut hair curled and ruffled in the wind. Or the way his slacks hung so nicely over his shapely hips. Not those thin almost invisible hips a lot of guys seemed to have these days. Definitely well-defined.

  She shivered, and he started packing up the basket. “See? Your shivering is getting worse.”

  Maxie wasn’t about to tell him why and let him help her up off the bench. Once back at the cabin, he guided her to the back porch where he walked to the edge of a large square plastic cover off to one side. With a bow, he pulled off the cover to reveal one of the largest Jacuzzis she’d ever seen.

  “This will warm you up.”

  “So that’s why you suggested I bring a bathing suit. Oooh, I’ve always wanted to try a Jacuzzi.”

  “You’ve never—”

  “Never.”

  “A Jacuzzi virgin. You’re in for a treat.”

  She smiled weakly and gave up trying to analyze the whole sexual-reference thing. Enjoy the moment. Rest and relaxation.

  His smile turned into a small frown. “You did say you had a waterproof cast, right?”

  “Yep. I’ll be fine.”

  After beating a retreat to her room and suitcase, she grabbed her bikini. She’d gotten pretty good by now at dressing with the cast, but as she stood looking at herself in the mirror, she laughed. The cast wasn’t the sexiest accessory for a bikini. She put on the guest robe Blaine left on the back of her bathroom door and headed out to the Jacuzzi.

  He was already in, with the water up to his chin, and she had another moment of disappointment at that. Wasn’t fair that she had to reveal all while he was hidden. But when she arrived, he hopped out, cast the crutches aside, and helped ease her out of the robe and into the Jacuzzi. His skin was warm and wet from the water, and she was sure her shivering wasn’t caused by the evening air anymore.

  With her seated on one side of the tub, he floated to the other, where she spied a tray with two flutes and a bottle. He said, “I thought a little bit of wine might be a nice addition. With emphasis on the little.”

  She laughed as he handed her a glass half-full. “Scout’s honor I won’t get drunk again.”

  “I looked up those pain meds you’re on. They say this amount of wine shouldn’t interact with it.”

  She lifted up the glass in salute.

  “But that’s not the best part.” He reached for a remote control on the tray and tapped a button. The lights on the porch and in the back of the house winked off, leaving only the dim glow from the bulbs in the Jacuzzi. Then he pointed up at the sky. “That’s the real attraction.”

  She followed his gaze toward the darkest sky she had ever seen. Even darker than the Eastern Shore.

  “Jack’s the real astronomy buff. But it’s amazing how much you can see without all the light pollution. Most kids today don’t know you can see the Milky Way Galaxy from Earth. See that band of stars right there?”

  “You’re right. From home, it’s faint and fuzzy. Not bright like this.”

  They continued to look at the sky for some time until Blaine’s cellphone started to ring. Blaine looked at it, cursed, and didn’t answer. He had just relaxed into the water when the cellphone rang a second time. Blaine picked it up, cursed even harder, then said, “If I don’t take this, my brother Jack will worry. I didn’t tell him I was coming up here. Guess I’ll have to, now.”

  He excused himself and left Maxie alone with the Jacuzzi, the wine, and the stars. It was such a magical evening, she found herself waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Blaine ducked into the kitchen, cursing Jack for calling at a time like this. His brother’s tone of voice on the other end didn’t do much to help. “Where the hell have you been, Blaine? I’ve tried calling several times.”

  “Several?” Blaine hadn’t bothered to look at his missed phone call tally. Oops.

  “What did you do, take Tanya up the cabin without telling anybody?”

  “Tanya? Uh, no. I didn’t take Tanya to the cabin.”

  The always-perceptive Jack didn’t miss a beat. “So you took somebody else to the cabin. You found a new girl and didn’t tell us? Or Tanya? Why the big secret?”

  “It’s not a secret. And it’s not a new girl. If you must know, I felt bad about causing Maxie so much pain and all the problems at work. I felt I owed it to her to give her some time away to help her heal.”

  “Dad would approve. Maybe keep that lawsuit-happy father of hers from taking legal action, right?”

  “You got it all wrong. I’d never use Maxie that way. She’s ...” Blaine almost said “special,” but he knew how Jack would react to that. “She’s had a lot of hard knocks in her life. Did you know her mother died in a car accident? And then I come along and hit her with my car.”

  Jack sighed. “This woman isn’t someone’s pet you hit and can nurse back to health. And what if she takes it the wrong way and falls for you?”

  If only Jack knew the real danger was the reverse. “It’s not a problem. Trust me. Besides, I can’t believe you would side with Dad about emotional bribery with Maxie.”

  “I don’t. While you have her up there, you can teach her to play an electric guitar. Turn her to the Dark Side.”

  Blaine laughed. “Then presto, a new customer, eh?”

  “Something like that. Don’t tell Dad, but I’ve been thinking lately about adding an acoustic guitar side to the business.”

  “I promise. If you’ll promise to tell me why you called to interrupt my Jacuzzi stargazing.”

  “Now you’re just trying to make me jealous. Well, it’s working.”

  “Then my day is made. So spill. What’s so urgent?”

  “You’ll never guess who placed an order for one of our top of the line BRT models.”

  Blaine rubbed his eyes. He really wasn’t in the mood for guessing games. “Santa Claus?”

  “Better. It’s your idol, Gray Gem.”

  Blaine pumped his fist in the air. “Seriously? You’re not just messing with me?”

  “The band wants two of them. And they don’t trust shippi
ng, so they want them delivered in person. And I thought who better to do so than one of their greatest fans?”

  “Tell me when and where and I’m there.”

  “It’s for their upcoming act in Vegas. And you’ll get a backstage pass and the chance to hang out at the after-party.”

  “Now my day is complete. So when’s the delivery date?”

  “Two weeks from today. We’ve put a rush on finishing up their custom specs.”

  Two weeks from today? Blaine’s heart sank. The same day as Maxie’s contest he’d promised to attend. But how many chances was he going to have to party with Gray Gem? In Vegas?

  Jack’s voice took on a sharp edge. “Is there a problem with that date?”

  Blaine swallowed hard. Was this one of those forks in the road things that people talked about? Take one path, and you end up in one place. Take another, and you end up somewhere completely different.

  He replied slowly, “No problem. Pencil me in.” Maxie would forgive him. She probably wouldn’t have noticed him in the crowd, anyway. Right?

  “You sure about that, Blaine? Because Cash or I can—”

  “I’m sure. Turn down a chance in a lifetime? And Gray Gem’s parties are legendary, man.”

  “Yeah. Just make sure you don’t end up in the news headlines the next day, ’kay?”

  Blaine managed a small laugh.”Where’s the fun in that?”

  “You can take the company jet, and we’ll arrange a limo to transport you to and from the gig. Especially from. In case you let all that fame and fortune and plentiful booze go to your head.”

  “Thanks, Dad number two. With an emphasis on the number two part.”

  “Hey, it’s Vegas, right? Playing the odds. Your history tells me this is the safest bet.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Blaine heard Jack mumbling to someone in the background, then he said, “Just passing along your okay to Cash. So ... Is Maxie joining you in the Jacuzzi?”

  “Haven’t you heard that Jacuzzis are great physical therapy?”

  “Don’t think her cast will get much exercise from it.”