CHAPTER ELEVEN
**
“Callie!” It sounded like hundreds of voices shouting my name from every corner of the deck. Confused, I frowned and stopped moving. I squinted in the brilliance of several flickering tiki torches, more blind in their radiance than I’d been in the darkness inside the bar.
“Shit, she actually showed up.” I knew that shrill voice. Blinking to help my eyes adjust faster, I looked to my left.
“Jolene…do you live here, or what? You were here the last time I was, and that was nearly five years ago. Don’t you have a home to go to?”
“Watch it, girlie.”
“The name’s Callie. Did you forget already?” I needled her again, pleased to have gotten under her skin.
“It’s whatever the fuck I decide to call you, you little smart-ass bitch.”
I blinked, unsure how to respond as she lurched to her feet. Had I just started a fight? Shrugging, I braced to defend myself. It wouldn’t break my heart to punch her.
“That escalated quickly.” Bart hurried across the wooden deck and stepped between us, “Someone has had a bit too much to drink already, tonight. George, would you please escort the delightful Jolene home for me?”
“But, I don’t want to leave—the luau, the roast pig…the fireworks! I wanna stay! I’ll be good. I won’t say anything about—“
George grabbed a roll from a bread basket on a nearby table and stuffed it between her lips before sweeping her up into his arms. “I’ll bring you a plate and somebody will take pictures of the fireworks for you,” he promised.
“Wait…let her stay.” I put a hand on George’s arm and looked up at Bart. “She shouldn’t have to miss the festivities because of me. We can get along for a few hours, can’t we?” I forced a smile, and she nodded, removing the roll and plastering a grin on, too.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.“ Turning back to my friend, I planted my hands on my hips and leaned into her personal bubble, drawing out her name, “Lucy? What was she talking about? Won’t say anything about what? Is there something you forgot to tell me? Like why I’m the guest of honor at a New Year’s Eve party at a bar I never go to? What’s going on? What all haven’t you told me?”
“I think this is where I come in.”
My head jerked up and I spun in place, losing my balance and coming close to falling on my ass before he grabbed me. “Jessie! What are you doing here?” I hated how breathless I sounded.
“I was invited.” He lifted his chin, his eyes looking past me, “Lucy messaged Julie, explaining who she was, and asking her to give me her number.”
I turned to face my friend. “Lucy? You didn’t say anything to me about this. You didn’t think it was something you might possibly mention in passing…or drop into casual conversation? Oh hey, by the way—blah blah blah?”
“You were in so much pain. I didn’t want to make it worse…but you needed answers.” She dropped her gaze, obviously uncomfortable but standing her ground. “So I messaged her. I admit it, I did it. But, like I said before…you go to the horse if you want the answer.”
“But, you didn’t—“
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if anything would come of it. I didn’t want to either get your hopes up or piss you off for nothing.“
“I almost didn’t reply, either. Their fans see the pictures on my page, of me with them, and message me, asking for an introduction—some of them are pretty clever, too. I was just about to click delete, thinking hers was just another one of those, but then I saw a familiar name—yours.”
I glanced around. “Julie!”
Before I could say more, she continued, “I was so surprised when you ran out of the concert like you did. I didn’t know what to think. Poor Jessie was so devastated, he barely finished the show—and that pissed off the other members, but I kept telling him there had to be an explanation. I don’t know you well, but you didn’t seem like a flake.” She lifted a slender shoulder, “So after Lucy and I chatted, I agreed to give him her number. I can’t believe you thought I’d go after your man, though.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. So much had happened.” I met Jessie’s eyes, “You and I do need to talk. There are things you need to know.”
“I know.”
Lucy snickered. “No…” She shook her head, “You don’t know. You really don’t.”
I rolled my eyes at her and turned back to Jessie.
Then…
“Congrats on the mini me,” someone yelled out, just as I started to relax. Todd. No! My breath froze in my throat and my heart skipped a beat.
“Oh, shit,” Lucy groaned, behind me, burying her face in my hair, “Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
But he didn’t.
“Looks just like you, man,” Todd kept vomiting words, making it worse, “I seen him in town a few times. Don’t need no paternity test on that one, do ya?”
Every ounce of animation and color drained out of Jessie before my eyes. Pain replaced tentative expectation and happiness, and I felt like a heel. Apparently, Todd did too, because he didn’t say another word. Too little too late, though.
My voice barely over a whisper, I spoke, “Jessie, I—“ But before I could say more, he pushed past me and ran down the ramp. Finding my voice too late, I shouted, “Jessie, wait!” He didn’t stop.
“Smooth move, Ex-Lax,” his drummer snarled, materializing out of the crowd, balling his fists and narrowing his eyes at me, obviously fighting not to lash out. “Hate to burst your bubble, but—no, actually, I don’t. That was a lie. Please allow me the pleasure of bursting it. I don’t know what your game is, but Jessie can’t father kids. He’s sterile. Way to make him feel like shit, though. Greedy slut.”
“Watch who you’re calling slut, asshole.” Lucy stepped between us, grabbed my phone out of my pocket, and almost shoved it up his nose. “Look at that kid—take a good long look, and then tell me Jessie can’t have kids. Callie’s no slut. She was a virgin before that night with him, and she may as well have been since then, too. She hasn’t been with anyone else but him. Tell your friend to get re-checked.”
“Ain’t my friend…well, not just my friend. Jessie’s my brother.” He stared at me. “That shit she said…you not being with anyone but him—that true?”
I clung to Lucy and nodded. “Yeah, it’s true.”
He bounced in place, chewing his lower lip raw. I thought I could almost see wisps of smoke rising from the top of his bleached blond head, he was thinking so hard. Finally coming to a decision, he nodded at Lucy, “Put this number in her phone, send me a picture of the kid, and I’ll see what I can do.” He rattled off a ten-digit number. “Got it?”
“Got it.”
He grinned, checking her out. “Send me your four one one, too, gorgeous. It’s your lucky day. I’m single.”
“Oh god.” I saw Julie’s keyboardist rest his head on hers, his shoulders shaking. She was grinning, so I figured he must have been laughing, and I relaxed a little.
“What?” He glanced back at them. “I’m single…I don’t see no ring on this caramel cutie’s finger. If shit works out between my brother and Miss Callie, here…” He lifted both hands out to the sides and raised his shoulders, “You never know how things might go. Me and the luscious Lucy might click.”