Forever Red (32 page)

“Probably. But I’m going to be way too busy with you to pay any attention.”

“Good answer.” I could hear the smile in her voice and it made me smile. “Did you really tell the reporter that you weren’t single?”

“I did. I told the reporter that I had a girlfriend. And just so we’re all on the same page, that’s you. You’re my girlfriend.”

“Oh, really? Aren’t you supposed to ask me or something? I mean, if we’re going to act twelve, we should go all out.”

“Baby girl, I’m Nate Kelly. You should just be on your knees, thanking God right now that you get to call yourself my girlfriend.”

“I’m concerned about your lack of self-esteem. You really need to learn how to love yourself despite all your flaws.”

“Okay, smartass. I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

“Bye, boyfriend.” 

I laughed as I hung up, turning to find Rebel and Boone staring at me. “Girlfriend?” the latter choked out around a laugh. Charlie “Boone” Boone, could play anything with keys and the way he played the piano made people stop and listen. But he was an ass that would cling to whatever weakness he could find. “Did I just hear you say the word girlfriend?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah.”

Before he could say anything else, Reb lifted his chin. “Noah’s looking for you. Molly’s about to go on.”

“Thanks, man.” I grabbed the door, but I didn’t make it into the hall before I heard Boone say, “Jesus, hell is about to freeze over, man.”

I shook my head and kept walking.

*****

I’d been wrong. The news from my interview didn’t go viral immediately. In fact, nothing was said about it for almost two weeks until the
Country Weekly
article went live. What was supposed to be a small interview actually made the front cover, along with a picture from the shoot. It had been so long that I’d almost forgotten about it.

“What in the hell did you do?”

I shook my head at the seriousness in my sister’s voice. I had no idea what she could possibly be pissy about. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, you’re on maternity leave so it isn’t your problem.”

“Nathaniel,” she sighed in the overdramatic way our mom used to. “Have you been online today at all?”

“Nope. We’re on the way to Phoenix so the boys and I are on bus two.”

Having two busses hadn’t just been a preference, it had been a necessity. No way in hell eleven guys and two women could live on one bus for months at a time. So I had my bus with the rest of the single guys. I got the bedroom – because I was me – but the five of them got to have ‘executive bunks’ that were bigger and nicer than the normal bunks.

On bus two was Molly, Nikki, and the married guys. Instead of a back bedroom that they’d fight over, the room was filled with fold down couches in case a family came to visit. It was the room we’d jam in, the place where we could practice, and the place we’d all hang on long trips. There were eight bunks on this bus, so they were smaller, but no one seemed to mind. When I was on bus two, though, I got lost in my band and never paid attention to the outside world.

“Well, let me enlighten you.” Whatever I’d done, she was beyond pissed. I heard a rustle of paper in the background and then she cleared her throat. “Are wedding bells in the future for Nate Kelly? He certainly thinks so. I got a chance to sit down with Mr. Heartbreak himself, along with his lady love Molly Ray as they talked their current tour, how their relationship started, and what might be coming soon for these two love birds.”

I couldn’t say anything because I couldn’t make my mouth work.

“What. The. Fuck. Nathaniel!”

“That is not at all what I said.”

“Really?” Nik shot back. “‘Cause it’s right here, in black and white. Letting mom think you and Molly are a couple just so you could get her off your back was one thing, but telling the world that you’re together? I can’t spin this shit.”

“She asked if I was single. I said no.”

“You said what?” she seethed. “Why would you say no?”

“Because I’m not.”

“Shit. Shit. Shit!” She sighed. “Get Molly and Google this shit Nate. Then call Lia before she sees the article herself. It’s that bad.”

Nik wasn’t exaggerating. It wasn’t just bad. It was horrific. The photos they’d included were enough to condemn me. Then the article twisted my words and made it sound like I’d been talking about Mols.

It wasn’t just the one article, though. Gossip sites had taken the story and run with it, using old pictures of Molly and me to make their point. There were even polls to see how long we’d last. Some people were appalled that I’d date a girl so much younger while others felt that I would break her heart and leave her devastated, ruining her career in the process. I wanted to tell all of them to get a fucking life.

Molly only gave me an “I told you so” look before she locked herself in her bunk to call her own manager. Hopefully, between the two of them, they’d be able to figure something out. The timing couldn’t be worse, though, because Lia was supposed to fly into Phoenix and join us in two days.

I didn’t know what I’d do if she decided not to come.

“Have you seen this?” Cort practically screamed as she burst into my room. I looked up from where I was lying on my bed reading and saw the magazine in her hand. I nodded. Her eyes grew wide. Pointing at my packed luggage, she demanded, “Then why in the hell are your bags still packed?”

“Because I leave in the morning.”

She raised both eyebrows and gave me a look that I could only decipher as “are you shitting me?” before she opened the book and read an excerpt. “
‘We’re not getting married tomorrow, at least, we don’t plan on it’ says country music’s favorite bad boy when asked about his relationship with Molly.
CeCe, you cannot go on tour with this ass.”

I bit my tongue before saying something I knew I’d regret. I knew what the article said. Neil had read it to me. Four times. I could practically recite the thing now. He was pissed. Molly was pissed at him. But I just thought the entire thing was funny.

Until now. “I take it you got the mail.”

“Ugh!” She yelled in frustration before reading more to me. “When asked if she thought she could trust the man that’s been known to love ‘em and leave ‘em, Ray replied, ‘If you can’t trust the man who just publically admitted he wanted to marry you, I’m not sure there is anyone you can trust.’ One thing we know for sure: these country rebels seem perfect for each other.’ How are you not upset about this?”

“Because their words were twisted. You know as well as I do that they are not a couple.”

“Do I? Even Nate’s mom thinks they are!”

“Why do I tell you anything?” It was more a question for me than her. I honestly couldn’t remember why I would share that tidbit of information with her.

“Because I’m your best friend and you know I’ll tell it like it is. I’ll be honest with you, even when you don’t want to hear it. Unlike some people.” She held up the magazine as if it was proof.

I grabbed an animal cracker from the bowl next to me and popped it in my mouth. “I love you, too, Cort. I’ll make sure I send postcards from every city.”

“Whatever.” She tossed the magazine on my bed. “Be a dick. Just remember, nobody likes a dick.”

I grinned up at her. “Speak for yourself. I like dick. I like a lot of dick. That’s why I’m going.” Cort groaned again before turning and stomping out of my room, slamming my door behind. “I love you, too!” I yelled. I was going to miss her like crazy.

*****

I wasn’t surprised that Mike showed up at the airport instead of Neil. He’d told me that he was being hounded by photographers ever since the article came out because everyone wanted to catch him and Molly together. What did surprise me, though, was that Noah had come, too.

The second I was through the security checkpoint, Noah was rushing forward and two arms wrapped around me, lifting me off the ground, twirling me. I laughed, smacking him on the back. “People are looking at us!”

“Of course they are!” he exclaimed as he lowered my feet to the ground, holding me until I felt steady. I rolled my eyes, thinking he was going to spew some of his brother’s cocky bullshit, but he surprised me. “You are the prettiest thing in this place and they’re all fucking jealous.”

Bonus points to the kid. Mike hugged me next as Noah somehow removed my laptop bag off my shoulder. “I checked my luggage because I didn’t want to deal with it,” I told them when Mike glanced at the small bag.

“Are you gonna fill our bus with girlie shit?” Noah asked as we headed toward baggage check.

I had no idea what he classified as “girlie shit,” but thinking of my lotions and my books, I nodded. Neil had explained that we weren’t the only ones on the bus, and in fact, we were sharing the space with his brother, lead guitarist, drummer, fiddler, and Mike. He also apologized because it could get very cramped, very quickly. But he said I could join Molly on the other bus whenever I wanted.

“Cool.” Noah smiled. “I’m so fucking sick of smelling these assholes you have no idea. I have a Scentsy warmer, but it can’t keep up.”

I started to giggle. “You have a Scentsy warmer?”

Noah looked offended. “I do. They make a line of products just for men. Vanilla Suede is fucking awesome. I’m not burning flowery shit or that nasty stuff that’s supposed to smell like food. But I don’t want to bring a chick back to the bus and have it reeking like Billy’s shit stained boxers. Which reminds me, if anyone asks you to sniff something to see if it smells bad, just say no.”

“Jesus. Just shut up, kid.” Mike shook his head, glancing back at me. “You sure you wanna spend the next two months with him?”

“Oh, whatever, asshole. You’re no better. Everyone has to avoid the bathroom after you’ve been in it. Remember that, Lia. At all costs,” he warned me sincerely. “And if I have to hear one more chick fake an orgasm with you, I’ll die of embarrassment for you.”

“Fuck off,” Mike ground out.

“Dude, being hung like a field mouse is nothin’ to be ashamed of. I’ve heard it’s not what you have, it’s how you use it. We all can’t be blessed with Kelly cock,” Noah joked, and Mike’s face turned murderous. “But it gets a little awkward when you hear him in the bathroom saying shit like, ‘it’s okay, little buddy; you can do it. Go on and grow.’ The rest of the time we all ignore it.”

“Seriously, Noah. Stop fucking talking.”

I couldn’t handle it. I had to sit down. Finding the first empty seat I could, I fell into it before tears started streaming down my cheeks and my body started shaking with laughter. They were too much. Good Lord. I’d composed myself – mostly – by the time they realized they’d lost me.

“For fucks sake, you made her cry, Carson!” Noah chided. “And she hasn’t even see—”

“Not another word,” Mike growled, smacking him across the back of his head.

Noah only grinned, shrugging as he mouthed the words, “You’ll see.” He offered a hand and I let him pull to my feet. Mike gave us an annoyed look and started toward the luggage carousel. Still chuckling, I followed.

*****

I hadn’t done more than step into the trailer when Neil grabbed me and his lips crashed into mine. Then, holding my shoulders, he pushed me back slightly so he could see my face. “I missed you, Red,” he confessed and I smiled, ready to tell him I missed him, too, but he kept talking. “Now, go get dressed.”

“I am dressed.”

His eyes moved down over my body, taking in my tank top and ratty jean cutoffs, and then back up to my bare face and frizzy hair. He smirked and jerked his head toward the bedroom where Noah had just dropped my bags. “Anything in there to wear out to a club?”

“A club?” It was barely past six, but because of the time change, my body was ready for pajamas and relaxing. Or sex. Sex was a good option. Plus, there was the other issue. “You couldn’t even come meet me at the airport. How are we going to go out?”

“I’ve got it covered. Did you bring something you could wear?”

I almost laughed. Did I bring something to wear clubbing? Please. Cort had helped me pack. One entire bag was full of clothes and shoes I’d never worn but she insisted I needed. “Yes. But I need a shower. And time to get ready.”

Neil grinned like a little boy that just won a baseball tournament. “I’ll give you an hour. Then the six of us are going out.”

“Six?” I asked cautiously, wondering which of the band was joining us and how in the hell we’d keep a low profile.

“Me, you, Carson, Noah, Reb, and maybe Mols. We’re just keeping it small; a regular group of friends goin’ out to have a good time.”

Yeah. That’s exactly what it was. Two country music superstars, a recognizable guitar player, a man that looked like he belonged in the secret service, a kid who didn’t look old enough to drink – I did the math in my head, he was, even though it was just barely – and me. Yeah. Just a few friends out for a couple of beers. No problem.

I took a surprisingly relaxing shower in the tiny space in the small bathroom. Then I took my time on my hair and makeup. Pulling on tight black jeans, a blue anchor tank, and black platform heels that I would probably kick off before the night was over, I took one last glance in the mirror and headed out to join my crew.

Everyone was in the area that I called the kitchen, although it was really an everything space. Since the bus was parked, the sides had been pushed out, giving us more room. There was a small table with a bench on each side next to a couch. Across from that was the sink, refrigerator, and stove. A second couch was wedged into the space between the door and the sink. Each couch had a television over it, so that no matter where you sat, you could see a screen comfortably.

Conversation ground to a halt as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom. Five sets of eyes were suddenly glued to me. But, none of them belonged to the man I wanted to see.

“Yeah.” Noah sat forward on one of the couches, elbows on his knees, a beer bottle in his hands. “You need to go change.”

There were grunts of agreement from the peanut gallery, but I ignored them. “Where’s Neil?”

“He’s out talking to Miss Molly, little girl. But I’d go back and change before he gets back if I was you.” This came from Billy, the drummer I hadn’t officially met yet. From the size of his arms and the scowl on his face, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted an introduction.

I glanced down. Nothing was stained. No fat rolls were hanging out. And, for once, my legs looked fantastic, even if it was just because of the shoes. “I’m not changing. He said clubbing clothes, and that’s what these are.”

“No. That’s an ‘I have a nice rack, check out my tits’ shirt, ‘my ass looks great, go ahead and grab it’ jeans, and ‘come here and fuck me hard’ shoes,” Rhett, the fiddler told me in what appeared to be all seriousness.

I laughed at his absurdness. “Well, I do have nice tits, so you should be looking. My ass is actually flat, so if these jeans make it look grabbable, I’m never taking them off. And my shoes better give off the come fuck me hard message, because that’s the one I’m sending to Neil.”

Rhett sat up. “I like her. Can we keep her?”

“Absolutely. As soon as she changes,” Noah insisted.

I rolled my eyes, turning to Mike. “Does it look that bad? Do I look stupid?”

He shook his head, but Billy answered for him, “You look anything but stupid, babe. Maybe Rhett and I should come, too. Ya know, just in case you need us.”

“I think you look fucking amazing.”

I turned toward the low, husky voice at the front of the bus and couldn’t keep the smile off my face. As my eyes traveled over him, I understood exactly what his friends were talking about.

Neil was wearing distressed jeans that sat low on his waist, clinging to him in all the right places and a tight long-sleeved black tee that covered all of his tattoos. Such a shame that was. But the black and silver baseball hat, worn low on his head so I could just barely see his eyes, was what pushed his look over the top. He was sex on a stick. Every single woman in a ten-mile radius was going to notice him. “Maybe we should stay here.”

His face turned in his lopsided grin. The same one that used to be directed at me all the time. I wanted to kick everyone out and strip him bare. With my teeth. His eyes turned dark as if he could read my thoughts and took a step toward me, but a loud honk from outside broke the spell.

“That’s our ride.” He turned to his friends. “You two sure you don’t wanna come?”

Billy started to stand up, but Rhett backhanded him in his stomach, forcing him back down and then shook his head. “Naw, man. We got plans. If you need us, call.”

Neil nodded as he grabbed my hand and lead me off the bus, the others falling into line behind us. The Chevy Suburban parked in the lot was not what I was expecting. Sam got out and handed Rebel the keys; then Neil put his hand on my lower back, opened the back door, and ushered me in before sliding in behind me. Noah and Mike went to the passenger side, the latter riding shotgun.

All four doors slammed in unison. Looking around, all I could see was beautiful men. They all were dressed for a night out in jeans and tee shirts, and as hard as it was to believe, unless you knew who they were, they weren’t overly recognizable. Rebel had pulled back his blonde hair into a sexy as hell man bun. Mike wasn’t wearing his signature FBI shades and had on sneakers. Noah couldn’t hide his goofy, but even he looked adorable tonight. Appreciating the fact that I was wedged between the Kelly brothers, I started to giggle.

“You think it’s funny, now,” Mike muttered, turning in his seat slightly, “but you just wait until you’ve seen him drive. By the time he stops this thing, you’ll be falling to your knees, kissing the ground, and praising Jesus that you made it out alive.”

Rebel answered with a raised middle finger.

I shook my head, smiling at their encounter. “I just realized I was surrounded by the blessed Kelly cock.”

Someone snorted, someone grunted, and my boyfriend’s body tensed. “Uh, what?”

“No. Don’t ask,” Mike told his best friend. “Just ignore it.”

“Hey! Where is Molly?” I asked as we pulled out of the pavilion where their concert would be the following night.

“She’s meeting us there,” Neil assured me, giving my hand a little squeeze. “What I want to know is how you went from Kelly cock to talking about Mols.”