Lucy
BILLY’S DINER WAS surprisingly busy, but as I walked in, I saw Bam stand and give me a chin lift. I licked my lips and gave myself an internal talking to.
Must keep my panties on… must keep my panties on.
I headed to the table and Bam gave me a slow, sexy smile as I approached him. “Hey.”
“Hi,” I rasped, then cleared my throat. Good lord, I needed to get a grip.
“I ordered you a non-fat latte with one shot of caramel.”
“Oh, wow, that was nice.” He remembered. Ohmigod, I was in trouble. “Thanks.”
He leaned down and kissed my cheek then we took our seats. I pulled the contracts out of my purse and handed them to him and took a sip of my coffee. Perfect.
“I’ll take a look at these with the lawyer and get them right back to you. You hungry?”
“I’m always hungry,” I admitted.
“What do you want?”
“Blueberry muffin, please.”
He grinned and motioned for the waiter. “A blueberry muffin for the lady and a side of extra crispy bacon for me please.”
While he procured our food, I checked over the contracts, texted my dad to let him know everything was in order, and then slid the paperwork back into my bag.
The waiter returned with the charred remains of what was perhaps once bacon, and the biggest muffin I’d ever seen. “I don’t know that I’m that hungry.”
He chuckled. “We’ll share.”
“Good plan. I’m not sure your bacon can even be considered edible.” I grabbed the knife and cut the cakey goodness in half.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. “This bacon is absolutely perfect.”
“If you say so.” I chuckled. “What are your plans now that you have a couple of months off?” I asked handing him the muffin half.
“The guys in the band are takin’ off tomorrow. Headed back to Alabama.”
“You said, ‘the band.’ Does that not include you?”
He shook his head. “I’m kind of liking Seattle. Thinkin’ of sticking around.”
I nearly choked on my coffee. “You’re staying in Seattle?”
Bam leaned back in his chair like he didn’t have a care in the world. “That all depends on you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’d like to get to know you on a personal level, Lucy.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
I didn’t really have an answer for him. At least not a legitimate one. I’d only had one serious boyfriend my entire life to date… ergo, I’d only slept with one man. As confident as I was, I was still somewhat sheltered and probably even a little naive. My dad and Sully had made sure of that. I wasn’t a virgin by any means, but I guess you could say I was “virgin adjacent.”
Getting to know Bam would more than likely wreck me. The man had a sex tape for crying out loud! I bit my lip. “I really think we need to keep this professional.”
“You’re scared.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
I studied him. “A pain in the ass.”
“Pretty much,” he said with a cocky grin.
“Look, we have a six week tour coming up where we’ll be in each other’s space almost every day.”
“So?”
“So, I think that’ll give us plenty of time to get to know each other, don’t you?” I challenged.
He leaned forward and shook his head. “I want to get to know you while things are quiet. When we’re not distracted. When we can focus on who we are as people… not as people in the business.”
“I’m not a musician.”
“That’s not what I hear. Word on the street is you’ve got a voice.”
I felt the heat creep up my neck. “Stop it.”
“Just telling you what I’ve heard. I look forward to hearing that voice for myself soon.”
“Not… gonna… happen,” I whispered.
“So,” he continued. “Spend the rest of the weekend with me.”
“I’m going to the family beach house,” I reminded him. “Which I still haven’t packed for.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Are you angling for an invite?”
He shrugged. “Angling for an invite to spend a few days with a beautiful woman at the beach? No, why would I do that?”
I sighed. “Bam, I don’t know you.”
He raised his hands as if to surrender. “We can stay in separate rooms. Hell, I’ll sleep on the floor like a dog. No funny business, I promise.”
“Because serial rapists never say that,” I muttered under my breath, then realized what I’d said. “Not that I’m saying you’re—”
He laughed. “Baby, I get it. No offense taken.”
“Stop calling me baby.”
“I’m not gonna do that, Lucy.”
“Why the hell not?” I snapped.
“Because you like it.”
I did like it. Damn it!
I took a deep breath. “I’m not going to the beach with you alone, Bam.”
“Hold up. You were going to the beach alone without me?”
“Yes.”
“Hell no.”
“Excuse me?”
He frowned. “In what universe did your father think it was a good idea to let you go to the beach alone?”
“I’m not a child, Bam.”
“I’m aware you’re not a child. You’re a fuckin’ drop-dead gorgeous woman who shouldn’t be driving out to a remote beach house alone,” he ground out. “It’s not safe.”
“Ohmigod, are you for real?” I hissed. “You don’t know me. You don’t know my father and this conversation is over.”
I rose to my feet, but he grabbed my arm. “My mom was murdered, Lucy.”
I gasped. “What?”
“When I was seventeen.” He tugged on my hand gently. “Sit down and I’ll explain.”
I lowered myself back into my chair, my heart breaking for him.
“It was my fault.”
“You murdered her?”
“No. But she was out alone at night because of me.”
I swallowed. “Bam—”
He shook his head. “Don’t, Lucy. I don’t want your pity.”
I wasn’t going to give him my pity, but I figured I should let him talk without interruption. “Sorry, Bam. I’m listening.”
“No, I’m sorry,” he said on a sigh. “It’s just people treat you differently when they find out your mother has been murdered. I learned early on to sidestep questions about her and never bring up her murder to anyone.”
“What was her name?”
“Anna.”
My eyes widened. “So the band was named after her? I’ve heard so many different stories over the years about the origin of the band’s name.”
“I never wanted to talk about this stuff to the press, so I’d make up different stories whenever asked. The band understood and loved seeing me mess with reporters.”
“So your mom’s favorite flowers were roses, I assume?”
“I have no idea what her favorite flowers were. My father sure as fuck never bought her any. When she died, I remember wanting to have flowers to put on her casket, so I took all the money I had and bought her roses. I wanted the last thing that I could do for her be meaningful.”
“That’s really nice, Bam.”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t about being nice… it was all I could do for her. So when the band needed to choose a name, I wanted to call it Roses for Anna because I needed her to be remembered and I needed my music to be connected to her and the memory of her. My band had become by family and the road my home, but I knew that if she’d lived, she would have supported whatever I did.”
“So how did she die?”
“Nobody really knows, the police sure as hell gave up looking for answers a long time ago. My piece of shit truck had broken down, yet again, and my dad had been on my ass about getting a job and getting it fixed. I kept telling him I didn’t have time for a job because of the band and I just needed to wait it out for the next big show so I could make the repairs, but the truck broke down before that happened, leaving me stranded. And since Dad was drunk, Mom came to get me… only she never arrived.”
I squeezed his hand, but didn’t speak.
“They found her body about five miles away from where I’d broken down, in a field. She’d been shot and her car and belongings were never seen again.”
I bit back tears. He didn’t want my pity, but how else are you supposed to feel when someone loses their mother so young?
“We never found out who killed her or why.”
“Wow,” I whispered. “That must have been devastating.”
“So, I’m sorry if I sound like an asshole, but I don’t like knowing you’re driving somewhere alone, especially at night.”
“Well, I was supposed to leave this morning, but someone made me meet him for brunch.”
“Not funny, Lucy.”
I sighed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Sully’s going to drive me. He always does. And he stays in the guest house at the edge of the property. I’m never really alone. And it’s barely an hour away”
He nodded. “Okay, good.”
I reached over and squeezed his arm. “I’m really sorry about your mom, Bam.”
His jaw flexed as he gave another quick nod.
I couldn’t believe what I was about to say. “Separate rooms, Sully’s on watch and knows how to kill a man in less than ten seconds, so if you try anything…”
“Lucy Haddon, are you inviting me to join you at your beach house?” he teased, seeming relieved we’d changed the subject. “I’m not sure I want to go. In fact, I think I have plans.”
I smiled. “Ohmigod, you just beat your chest like Tarzan demanding I take you, and now you’re bailing on me?”
“Tarzan? Oh, and I suppose that makes you Jane?”
“No that makes me leaving,” I retorted, and rose to my feet. “I’ll be at your hotel in two hours. Be there and be packed.”
I headed out the door and into the Town Car before he could reply. “Home to pack, Sully, then we’re going to pick Bam up at his hotel.”
“For what purpose, Miss Haddon?”
“He’s coming to the beach house.”
Sully turned to face me. “Excuse me?”
I jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t start. I know you and Dad did a background check on all of them, so if Bam was a concern, I would have been warned to stay away. Neither of you have done that, so stow it.”
He rolled his eyes and faced front again, turning on the car.
“And don’t call Dad and tattle on me.”
“I don’t tattle, Miss Haddon.”
“Don’t tattle, my ass,” I retorted. “Walker Wynns ring a bell?”
Walker was a guy I’d met at a show about four years ago. We’d dated for a few weeks and he’d wanted to take me to Portland for the weekend, but Sully had gone to my father and all hell had broken loose.
“His name was Walker, Miss Haddon.”
“So?”
“So, he was no Texas Ranger, I can assure you of that.”
I bit back a giggle. “Be that as it may, it’s my life, and as an adult, I should be allowed to make my own mistakes.”
“I will keep that in mind, Miss Haddon.”
We arrived at my apartment and Sully parked the car.
“I’m serious, Sully. Do not call Dad.”
“I won’t, Miss Haddon. You have my word,” he said, and walked me up to my apartment.
He kept his word, but the bastard called my mother.
* * *
“Ohmigod, Mom, Sully promised,” I snapped and zipped up my bag.
“I believe he promised not to call your dad, honey.”
“Well, he and I are going to have to have a conversation about semantics.”
She chuckled. “Look, I just want you to be smart.”
“I am smart, so if you have a genuine concern, please let me know now or forever hold your peace.”
“I don’t, Luce. I really don’t. Dad and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I appreciate that, Mama, I really do. But we’re going as friends and nothing’s going to happen.”
“He’s gorgeous, baby girl.”
“I’m aware.”
“And you know I could never resist your father.”
“I’m also aware, but you raised me right, Mom. Not to mention, Sully’s always within shouting distance.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that.”
I smiled. “Would you give Luke this much grief if he wanted to take a girl to the beach house for the weekend?”
My brother was two years older than me and almost as protective as my father.
“Your brother has a black belt in karate, honey. You have a black belt in over complicated coffee. Theoretically, he can kill a man with his bare hands… you, however, can’t kill with one shot of caramel flavoring.”
I burst out laughing. “You are ridiculous.”
“Just keep your wits about you, Lucy.”
“I will, Mom, I promise.”
“I’ll talk to you on Tuesday.”
“Sounds good. Love you.”
“Love you, too, honey.”
Mom hung up and I headed out of my apartment. Sully was waiting in the hallway.
“You suck.”
He took my bag with a smile. “I didn’t call your father, Miss Haddon.”
“In the future, no tattling to my father, my mother, or my brother.”
He grinned wider. “We’ll see.”
I climbed into the car and we headed to Bam’s hotel.
* * *
Bam
Lucy’s driver/butler/terminator placed my duffle bag into the trunk of his Town Car and gave me a polite but somewhat icy smile.
“Thanks a lot. Sully right?” I asked while extending my hand.
“That’s right, Mr. Nelson,” he said while firmly closing the handshake. His intense gaze never leaving mine. “Let’s get on the road, shall we, sir?”
“Bam.”
“Excuse me sir?”
“You can call me Bam or Bam Bam. No need for sir or Mister. Bam’s fine. You know “You can’t spell Alabama without B.A.M.!”
Sully blinked slowly.
I immediately started sweating. “It was a thing a few years ago, a sort of slogan.” Suddenly I felt like I was meeting her dad. “Y’know what, never mind.”
“We don’t want to hit traffic Mr. Nelson.”
What the hell was up with these people and their formal address? I felt like I was in one of Miss Abernathy’s Lord Percy Long Member plays. I gave up and got in car.
This is going to be a long ride.